August 20th, 2010
Coming face to face for the first time with the company that may soon sign your paychecks can be an intimidating task, but it is a necessary step every employee must take long before their first day on the job. An interview can easily make or break an amply qualified candidate, sometimes putting fears at east regarding inadequate experience or mild character issues or at other times indicating major flaws that aren’t apparent on paper. Here are a few tips to help make sure your first in-person impression is a good one.
Know your resume – If you thought you’d seen the last of that cursed little piece of paper you’re mistaken. Your resume is most likely why you got the interview, so it’s only natural an employer would have follow questions regarding your experience. Be prepared to into great detail about your previous job descriptions and what valuable skills or lessons you learned as a result of each item on the list.
Do your homework – The interview doesn’t start when you first sit down to answer questions. At that point, it should have already been underway for days. Don’t dare walk through a company’s doors without having a firm grasp of exactly what it is that company does and a working understanding of what your position within that company would entail. Referencing a company’s history of success and citing tangible examples when asked why you want to work their shows you are serious about the interview process.
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August 20th, 2010
A mistake made by many college graduates who have never had to undertake the daunting task of getting a real job is simply allowing themselves to play the waiting game. After submitting a resume, too many prospective employees simply sit around by their cell phones or obsessively refresh their inboxes in hopes of getting an answer. In order to successfully navigate the well-populated job search waters an applicant must get away from this “the ball is in their court” mentality. This isn’t like asking an attractive acquaintance on a date and having her say she’ll think about it. Assuming you got the job listing from a credible source, you know the company at which you applied is actively looking for someone to fill the position. What they don’t know, or may not immediately recognize, is that you have the necessary skill-set to meet their needs. Follow up repeatedly. Don’t be afraid to call and leave messages or send emails to further inquire about the status of their employee search. Unlike courting members of the opposite sex, persistence in the job hunt comes off as determined and motivated, whereas in the dating world might come off as creepy or lead to a restraining order in extreme cases. Remember, the job hunt is an active endeavor.
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August 20th, 2010
In can be tough to give job hunters everything they need before sending in an application, showing up for an interview or even starting a first day at a new position. Perhaps, the easiest thing to do is share a few things that will most certainly shoot a candidate right in the foot before they’ve even gotten a fair shake. If you’re sitting around wondering why that dream job never called you back or even why your stay at a new company was shorter than expected, you might want to take a look at these mistakes and bad habits, followed by a quick trip down memory lane.
Assume they need you more than you need the job – Whether in the interview or even after you’ve started, keep in mind that you’re the one who’s unemployed or unhappy at your current position. Hiring somebody in today’s job market is like shooting fish in a barrel. You may indeed be the most talented candidate, but respect is something that’s earned over time. On your first day, you shouldn’t be above any task your supervisor asks of you.
Send a generic cover letter – Or even worse… no cover letter at all. HR departments are constantly bombarded with resumes for opening. Whether you’re applying for a top-level management job or to be a weekend clerk at your local convenience store, don’t send in a resume without a cover letter. A generic cover letter does very little to advance your chances as a potential hire (aside from demonstrate your willing to write a paragraph or two, which is more than no cover letter says). A well-tailored cover letter, on the other hand, is just another asset by which you can distinguish yourself from the masses, showing you’ve researched the position, have a genuine interest and have given legitimate thought towards working there, not just submitted a shot in the dark application.
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August 20th, 2010
The bleak prospects for job hunters in the current market have been well documented, though while it is certainly more challenging than in era’s past, securing gainful employment is far from impossible. It might take a little while longer and require a little more elbow grease than a lot of the ready-to-work would hope for, still finding a suitable occupation is a reasonable and attainable goal. It’s true more people are look for work now than at any time in history, but with the right eye-popping resume you can still stand out from the crowd and get the initial call-back that will get your foot in the door. Bear in mind, a resume is just as much a first impression as when you come face-to-face with an interviewer, so craft it with the utmost care. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind when putting yourself on paper.
Avoid white space – This comes down as much to design layout as it does content. At the point where you submit an actual resume, it’s too late to go back in time and sign up for a few more extracurriculars or spend your summers more wisely. What you can do is write detailed, action-verb empowered descriptions of the jobs you do/did have. Try off-setting your job title on the left, with the dates you worked there on right far right. This will help to balance the page. A sheet that is mostly blank or has wide gaps and margins will subtly denote inadequate experience and insufficient presentation skills.
Include what’s relevant – If you are a college upperclassman or graduate, there is no place on your current resume for anything you did in high school, unless of course you’re an Olympic gold medal winner or equivalent world champion. With that said, some things you may have done recently might be more relevant than you think. For example, waiting tables or working in a customer service job for an extended period of time shows you can positively interact with people and hold down a position. Also, don’t be afraid to include relevant college coursework. If you enrolled in a class in which you worked with real world clients, indicate this proudly and explain the project in further detail.
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August 20th, 2010
A lot of prospective job hunters are ready and willing to work, they just don’t know where to look to find the right job opportunities. With so many job seekers out there and a limited number of paid open positions, knowing where to look can be half the battle. Where you look for jobs can largely depend on your background, as resources for college graduates, those with work experience and even those fresh out of high school can be vastly different. Here are some avenues sure to help those looking for employment, spanning various walks of life.
Friends, Relatives, Teachers – What should be the most obvious job search resource is often the most overlooked. Why not simply ask those who know and care about you for help in your job hunt? Friends who have successfully found a job might know of opportunities within their new company and put in a good word, while parents, aunts and uncles have likely been hard at work at their trade for years and may be able to lend connections. Teachers and professors often stay in touch with professionals within their discipline and may know of an opening you might be a match for, as they can reference your academic performance as well.
Internet Job Sites – While Monster and CareerBuilder may be the most famous names in the online job hunt, Indeed.com offers a one stop shop, combining many of various job posting forums into one searchable database. If you are entering or looking for a new position within a specific industry, it might be more helpful to search websites that cater to that specific discipline. For example, JournalismJobs.com seeks out relevant positions for Journalism majors and professionals.
College Career Centers – Many campuses across the country offer career services centers. Not only do these offices spend their days seeking out potential employment opportunities for their students but many companies actually contact career centers themselves in hopes of attracting the best candidates, hoping avoiding the innumerable unqualified applications they would receive from an open job posting.
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