Preparing for the upcoming Career Fair? It's a good idea to take a supply of business cards.
Many employers will not be able to accept your resume. Therefore, it is a good idea to have business cards ready to hand over.
For help with your business cards, check out these two resources, suggested and tried by one of your fellow students:
1. Microsoft Publisher and
2. website that automatically generates one for you with a logo of your choice: http://www.degraeve.com/business-cards/
Looking forward to seeing you at the Career Fair!
~jan
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Phone Interviews
Gone seem to be the days when an employer would pick up the tab to fly you across the country, put you up in a hotel, and feed you a steak dinner just to be able meet you for an initial interview. Chances are much more likely you will have your first interview with any out of area employer by telephone.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it. No need to shower, shave, shine your shoes. Instead you can just lounge around, be comfy, and answer a few questions. Right? Well, not exactly. . .
In some ways a phone interview is more difficult than a face to face conversation. You can’t judge what the interviewer is thinking by the expression on his face or his body language. Neither can you win him over with your award winning smile and your firm handshake. Your success depends entirely on how well you answer the questions tossed your way. Here are a few suggestions to help you handle that phone interview like a pro.
Prepare. Any question you might expect in a face to face interview is fair game for a phone interview. Go over the sample questions in Ace the Interview. Schedule a mock interview with Career Services. In fact, you may want to schedule a mock phone interview.
For the actual interview itself, choose a quiet location where you can be free from interruption. Just to be safe, you may want to use a land line rather than your cell phone.
While you don’t have to dress in your best business suit, get out of your comfiest sweats. Shower, shampoo and put on a pair of khakis and a nice shirt.
Planning to lounge on the sofa? Don’t. Sit or stand up. Maybe you want to stand at your kitchen counter with your resume, cover letter, and some notes within reach. You’ll also want a glass or bottle of water and pen or pencil and something you can take notes on, if needed.
Get a little caffeine or something energizing into your system. I recently heard from a candidate who blew a phone interview by yawning. Learn from him.
Smile. I’m serious . . .smile. Your voice will be more positive if you smile. Speak slowly. Speak clearly. And, don’t ramble. Answer the question asked of you-- and then stop. If the interviewer catches you off guard with a question you weren’t expecting, it is ok to say “May I have a minute to think about that, please?” Or, “Could we come back to that question?”
Hey, I have an idea! Call Career Services and schedule that mock interview. Might as well prepare now. And, then you'll be "good to go" when that employer calls and says "Is this a good time to talk?"
Get a job!
~jan
Sounds easy, doesn’t it. No need to shower, shave, shine your shoes. Instead you can just lounge around, be comfy, and answer a few questions. Right? Well, not exactly. . .
In some ways a phone interview is more difficult than a face to face conversation. You can’t judge what the interviewer is thinking by the expression on his face or his body language. Neither can you win him over with your award winning smile and your firm handshake. Your success depends entirely on how well you answer the questions tossed your way. Here are a few suggestions to help you handle that phone interview like a pro.
Prepare. Any question you might expect in a face to face interview is fair game for a phone interview. Go over the sample questions in Ace the Interview. Schedule a mock interview with Career Services. In fact, you may want to schedule a mock phone interview.
For the actual interview itself, choose a quiet location where you can be free from interruption. Just to be safe, you may want to use a land line rather than your cell phone.
While you don’t have to dress in your best business suit, get out of your comfiest sweats. Shower, shampoo and put on a pair of khakis and a nice shirt.
Planning to lounge on the sofa? Don’t. Sit or stand up. Maybe you want to stand at your kitchen counter with your resume, cover letter, and some notes within reach. You’ll also want a glass or bottle of water and pen or pencil and something you can take notes on, if needed.
Get a little caffeine or something energizing into your system. I recently heard from a candidate who blew a phone interview by yawning. Learn from him.
Smile. I’m serious . . .smile. Your voice will be more positive if you smile. Speak slowly. Speak clearly. And, don’t ramble. Answer the question asked of you-- and then stop. If the interviewer catches you off guard with a question you weren’t expecting, it is ok to say “May I have a minute to think about that, please?” Or, “Could we come back to that question?”
Hey, I have an idea! Call Career Services and schedule that mock interview. Might as well prepare now. And, then you'll be "good to go" when that employer calls and says "Is this a good time to talk?"
Get a job!
~jan
Monday, February 7, 2011
Job Search Making You Tired?
Frustrated, discouraged, exhausted by your job search? Looking for a job is hard work at best. In a down economy, it can be overwhelming. Maybe it would help to step back and reassess. Here are a few ideas.
Take care of yourself. Exercise, meditate, get a massage, read a book, eat dark chocolate, pet your dog. Spend time with people who are supportive of you. Do whatever works for you, but find some positive ways to deal with the stress of looking for a job.
Step back from the computer, get out of your sweats, and get out with people. Applying online can feel like you’re working very hard to provide information that goes in a big dark hole. Use your computer for research and a tool, but don’t rely on it exclusively.
Sign up with a temporary agency. You can try on organizations and jobs, meet new people, develop skills. . . and bring home some dollars.
Network with the idea that it isn’t just asking everyone you talk with for a job lead. The street goes both ways. Networking is about building and maintaining relationships. So, get out there and build some relationships. Maybe you can help a few folks while also helping yourself.
Volunteer . The payback is multiple. You spend time with good hearted people, which has value in itself. You get content for your resume which can show experience and help bridge the gap between jobs. And you have a perfect opportunity to build relationships, which, of course, just might result in a job lead.
Join a civic or professional organization—or two! Spend time with like minded people talking about and learning about things you believe in. Maybe even make a new friend or two.
Open yourself up to new ideas. Realize you don’t have to land the “perfect job” right now. There may be a job or two for you on the way to the perfect job. With that in mind, conduct informational interviews with people working in jobs you might have an interest in.
Get some help. Join a job search group. Visit the Workforce Development Center. Talk with trusted friends and colleagues. Make an appointment with us! You don’t have to do this alone. We’re here to help.
Take care of yourself. Exercise, meditate, get a massage, read a book, eat dark chocolate, pet your dog. Spend time with people who are supportive of you. Do whatever works for you, but find some positive ways to deal with the stress of looking for a job.
Step back from the computer, get out of your sweats, and get out with people. Applying online can feel like you’re working very hard to provide information that goes in a big dark hole. Use your computer for research and a tool, but don’t rely on it exclusively.
Sign up with a temporary agency. You can try on organizations and jobs, meet new people, develop skills. . . and bring home some dollars.
Network with the idea that it isn’t just asking everyone you talk with for a job lead. The street goes both ways. Networking is about building and maintaining relationships. So, get out there and build some relationships. Maybe you can help a few folks while also helping yourself.
Volunteer . The payback is multiple. You spend time with good hearted people, which has value in itself. You get content for your resume which can show experience and help bridge the gap between jobs. And you have a perfect opportunity to build relationships, which, of course, just might result in a job lead.
Join a civic or professional organization—or two! Spend time with like minded people talking about and learning about things you believe in. Maybe even make a new friend or two.
Open yourself up to new ideas. Realize you don’t have to land the “perfect job” right now. There may be a job or two for you on the way to the perfect job. With that in mind, conduct informational interviews with people working in jobs you might have an interest in.
Get some help. Join a job search group. Visit the Workforce Development Center. Talk with trusted friends and colleagues. Make an appointment with us! You don’t have to do this alone. We’re here to help.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Happy New Year!
Does the New Year have you looking at your life and contemplating changes? Job changes? Or, even bigger, career changes? Although, with the present economy, now may not be the best time to be looking for a new job, it is a great time to be putting some things in place to help you get started in a new direction when the economy improves—or, if you’re lucky, even sooner.
Start now to explore jobs or careers of interest to you. Refer online to the federal government resources, Occupational Outlook Handbook and O*Net, to get a great overview of any job you could probably ever think of. Conduct informational interviews with people actually doing the kind of work you are interested in.
Look at the many skills you have – what ones would be transferrable to the job you are considering. If you need to bump up your skills, is there experience you could get that would be helpful? Start making connections with people working in your desired field. Make connections and get experience by doing volunteer work in the field you are contemplating. Is there training you could/should be taking that would help you break into the line of work? Lucky for you if you can take classes/get training, or reimbursement for training, through your current employer.
This exploration and research will take some time. I encourage you to do it anyway. You and your happiness are worth it!
Happy New Year! Have fun exploring --
~jan
For more information on topics mentioned in above paragraph, read previous blogs.
Informational interviews April, 2010
LinkedIn, April 2010
Volunteering, January, 2010
Start now to explore jobs or careers of interest to you. Refer online to the federal government resources, Occupational Outlook Handbook and O*Net, to get a great overview of any job you could probably ever think of. Conduct informational interviews with people actually doing the kind of work you are interested in.
Look at the many skills you have – what ones would be transferrable to the job you are considering. If you need to bump up your skills, is there experience you could get that would be helpful? Start making connections with people working in your desired field. Make connections and get experience by doing volunteer work in the field you are contemplating. Is there training you could/should be taking that would help you break into the line of work? Lucky for you if you can take classes/get training, or reimbursement for training, through your current employer.
This exploration and research will take some time. I encourage you to do it anyway. You and your happiness are worth it!
Happy New Year! Have fun exploring --
~jan
For more information on topics mentioned in above paragraph, read previous blogs.
Informational interviews April, 2010
LinkedIn, April 2010
Volunteering, January, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Check Out the Little Guys
I just read employment numbers are stable for smaller (defined as 300 or fewer employees) companies in Wichita. There is even some growth! This is great news anytime, but especially when employment numbers for our city’s major aviation manufacturers remain depressed.
“According to information obtained by the Wichita Business Journal . . .18 of the 25 companies with 300 or fewer workers reported the same or higher employment totals than in 2009.”
Bottom line for job seekers: include small employers in your job search. As pointed out above, smaller companies may be hiring even when the bigger guys aren’t. According to the US Small Business Administration, small businesses represent more than 99.7 percent of all employers, employ more than half of all private sector employees, pay 44.5 percent of the total U.S. private payroll, and generate about 75 percent of net new jobs annually.
How do you find these companies? Pay attention to who is in the news. Read the Wichita Business Journal and the business section of the Eagle. Listen to the news on local television and radio. Talk to the Wichita Independent Business Association. Network! Talk to people and keep up on LinkedIn. “Walk in” – grab a copy of your resume printed on quality bond resume paper, dress up and drop in at the company. Be courteous to everyone you see and ask if you can leave your resume for the hiring manager. If the company is growing, and you really impress them with your qualifications and potential, they might even create a position for you. Sound impossible? Nope – this very thing happened to one of your WSU classmates.
There are many advantages of working for a small employer. Not the least of which may be working at a smaller company may give you the opportunity to have a variety of job duties – to wear many “hats”. The result -- a broader range of experience to help sell you for your next job.
Get out there. . .get a job!
“According to information obtained by the Wichita Business Journal . . .18 of the 25 companies with 300 or fewer workers reported the same or higher employment totals than in 2009.”
Bottom line for job seekers: include small employers in your job search. As pointed out above, smaller companies may be hiring even when the bigger guys aren’t. According to the US Small Business Administration, small businesses represent more than 99.7 percent of all employers, employ more than half of all private sector employees, pay 44.5 percent of the total U.S. private payroll, and generate about 75 percent of net new jobs annually.
How do you find these companies? Pay attention to who is in the news. Read the Wichita Business Journal and the business section of the Eagle. Listen to the news on local television and radio. Talk to the Wichita Independent Business Association. Network! Talk to people and keep up on LinkedIn. “Walk in” – grab a copy of your resume printed on quality bond resume paper, dress up and drop in at the company. Be courteous to everyone you see and ask if you can leave your resume for the hiring manager. If the company is growing, and you really impress them with your qualifications and potential, they might even create a position for you. Sound impossible? Nope – this very thing happened to one of your WSU classmates.
There are many advantages of working for a small employer. Not the least of which may be working at a smaller company may give you the opportunity to have a variety of job duties – to wear many “hats”. The result -- a broader range of experience to help sell you for your next job.
Get out there. . .get a job!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Burning Bridges -- Don't Do It
It is an amazingly small world. People remember more than we may want them to. Things you say or do may come back to hurt you years later. This is true in the job world as well as in your personal life. You’re on your own regarding your personal life. It’s the job world I’ll talk about today.
Receive an invitation on Hire A Shocker to interview with an organization you’re not really interested in? So you just ignore the invitation, not bothering to say “thank you, but I’m not interested at this time.” Or, don’t feel like going to the job interview today, that you agreed to last week? So you just blow it off. Well, guess what. . . the interviewer you ignored or ‘stood up’ today may one day work for a company you really really want to work for. And, guess what else. . .that person may be the one to make the decision whether or not you are considered a candidate for employment.
Have a career panel to learn from in one of your classes? But, you’re tired from staying up late the night before. So, you catch a few winks. Bad idea. Anytime you can get in front of an employer is a potentially valuable experience if you make a good impression. Not valuable if you're sleeping. Sleep while I’m talking to you and I’ll remember your face for a long time, and not in a good way.
Something else to think about --the interview question “Why did you leave your last job?” is not an opportunity to 'bad mouth'a supervisor or company you previously worked for. Use it as such and you may find yourself considered a non-candidate for a job you really want. No manager wants to think that one day you might be talking about him, or his organization, negatively.
Remember your manners. Don’t destroy relationships. They are too hard to build—just like bridges.
~jan
Receive an invitation on Hire A Shocker to interview with an organization you’re not really interested in? So you just ignore the invitation, not bothering to say “thank you, but I’m not interested at this time.” Or, don’t feel like going to the job interview today, that you agreed to last week? So you just blow it off. Well, guess what. . . the interviewer you ignored or ‘stood up’ today may one day work for a company you really really want to work for. And, guess what else. . .that person may be the one to make the decision whether or not you are considered a candidate for employment.
Have a career panel to learn from in one of your classes? But, you’re tired from staying up late the night before. So, you catch a few winks. Bad idea. Anytime you can get in front of an employer is a potentially valuable experience if you make a good impression. Not valuable if you're sleeping. Sleep while I’m talking to you and I’ll remember your face for a long time, and not in a good way.
Something else to think about --the interview question “Why did you leave your last job?” is not an opportunity to 'bad mouth'a supervisor or company you previously worked for. Use it as such and you may find yourself considered a non-candidate for a job you really want. No manager wants to think that one day you might be talking about him, or his organization, negatively.
Remember your manners. Don’t destroy relationships. They are too hard to build—just like bridges.
~jan
Monday, November 8, 2010
Employer Expectations of New Grads
I had opportunity to meet with a group of engineering employers this afternoon. They discussed what they look for, in addition to technical skills, when considering new graduates for employment.
Communication was given as the number one skill--both written and oral. In the words of one of these hiring managers, "Employees must be able to concisely disseminate information." In addition, he spoke of the necessity to write professional emails, memos and. . .even letters! And, get this--he also expects correct spelling and grammar. This poses the question: is it time to give up the convenience of "text" language and go back to the practice of actually spelling words out correctly, less we lose our ability to spell?
Leadership skills came in a close second. Project management was repeated more than once as important. Fortunately, these skills can be developed as a student. Join organizations. Work as a volunteer for organizations you're devoted to. Take on leadership roles.
Interpersonal skills--the ability to work as part of a team and to get along with other people is also an expectation of candidates. Managers want to know they are hiring someone they will want to work with and who will get along well with other employees. Kinda makes all those team projects worth it, doesn't it?
Let me point out that what I heard today doesn't apply only to engineering students. Today this information was coming from the mouths of engineering managers, but it applies to all students. Listen up -- this is great information to know. It can make all the difference in whether or not you land that job you want when you graduate.
~jan
Communication was given as the number one skill--both written and oral. In the words of one of these hiring managers, "Employees must be able to concisely disseminate information." In addition, he spoke of the necessity to write professional emails, memos and. . .even letters! And, get this--he also expects correct spelling and grammar. This poses the question: is it time to give up the convenience of "text" language and go back to the practice of actually spelling words out correctly, less we lose our ability to spell?
Leadership skills came in a close second. Project management was repeated more than once as important. Fortunately, these skills can be developed as a student. Join organizations. Work as a volunteer for organizations you're devoted to. Take on leadership roles.
Interpersonal skills--the ability to work as part of a team and to get along with other people is also an expectation of candidates. Managers want to know they are hiring someone they will want to work with and who will get along well with other employees. Kinda makes all those team projects worth it, doesn't it?
Let me point out that what I heard today doesn't apply only to engineering students. Today this information was coming from the mouths of engineering managers, but it applies to all students. Listen up -- this is great information to know. It can make all the difference in whether or not you land that job you want when you graduate.
~jan
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