It Never Goes Away

It never goes away. Sounds ominous doesn’t it. What am I talking about? Anything you put on the Internet. I just heard a pretty computer savvy guy say that anything you put on the internet is “out there” –archived--for eternity. I don’t know if this is true, but in the interest of safety (yours and mine), I’m going to assume it is.

Please let me remind you one more time to be careful what you post on Facebook, Twitter, and similar sites. Reportedly, Facebook reserves the right to change privacy settings at any time, so those “funny” things you post and think only a few people will see, more than a few people might see.

What does this have to do with career? Employers are very selective in who they hire. Why wouldn’t they be? Everyone they hire is a reflection of their organization. Of the employers I talk with, it is the regular practice of many to Google prospective employees and check their Facebook pages, in addition to conducting reference checks.

So, that picture of you holding a bottle of alcoholic beverage in one hand and making an obscene gesture with the other hand, followed by a potentially offensive comment just might not be so funny if it costs you a job opportunity.

Be cautious. Be professional. Get a job.

What Employers Have to Say About Resumes

In the meetings we had with employers over the past two weeks, we learned some good things to share about resumes and job search correspondence.

Employers like cover letters. They actually read them. The first paragraph should be what you know about them. Second paragraph -- how you are a match for them. Third paragraph -- thank them and ask for an interview.

Employers don't like resume templates. Their suggestion is to use Word, which gives you more flexibility than a template.

Make sure your resume is clear and easy to read. Tailor your resume for their position.

Include your skills and clarify your competence in those skills. For example: "Proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint"

Don't discount your experience. Another example: customer service experience shows you have interpersonal skills and can deal with a variety of people. That's valuable for many positions you might be interested in.

Show progression -- how you've advanced in your career. If you are an experienced candidate, don't go back any further than 10-15 years in work history. The world of work changes quickly. And, you don't necessarily want to indicate your age in your resume -- maybe it's better to get in front of the employer before he/she realizes your age.

The information in your resume actually has to be your information. If it gets you an interview, but you haven’t actually done the work, it really doesn’t do any good.

Why is all this so important? You hope your resume will lead to an interview which will lead to a job offer. Right? Well, as one of the employers said: "It's my market right now. I can be choosy."

Pick up a Starter Kit. Or, download it from our website at www.wichita.edu/career. Get started. Schedule an appointment with one of our counselors to see what they have to say about you and your resume. Be prepared. "Get a job!"

~jan

Career Exploration

Want to know yourself better in relationship to what career(s) might be best matched to your personality?

Come to Career Services! We offer assessments to help you. One of these is the Strong Interest Inventory. In 30 minutes you can complete this paper and pencil assessment and have it on its way to be scored. When your results come back you will sit down with a Career Counselor and learn your Holland Code, which is an excellent resource to research careers that would be matched to your personality. You also receive a list of the top 10 occupations you are most likely to find rewarding based on comparing your results with those of people with interests similar to yours who are satisfied in their careers.

Pretty good information for only $18 and half an hour. . .

Summary Statements

Our staff was fortunate to meet with a group of employers this week to learn their preferences regarding resumes. One of the first topics that came up was objective statements. These employers had this advice for you – ditch your objective and replace it with a summary of experience.

One healthcare employer receives almost 20,000 resumes a month. Another employer from the banking industry received 200+ resumes a week. Of course, that means they don’t have much time to spend on any one resume. However, all agreed that a well thought out and well prepared summary statement gets their attention and “directs them to the rest of the resume”.

What is a well thought out summary statement? Answer = one that uses important keywords and points out accomplishments and achievements, and shows what you can do for the employer to whom you are sending your resume. A summary statement needs to be targeted for a specific job, so if you have more than one job you are targeting, you will want to tailor a summary statement and resume for each job.

A sample summary statement follows:

MBA graduate with PHR certification and more than five years experience in human resources. Handled all human resource functions for financial institutions of more 100 to 150 employees. Recruited and hired employees to staff five branch locations in addition to filling positions at corporate office. Contributed to 20% reduction in employee relations issues and 15% decrease in turnover for two year period. Involved in community with leadership roles in Society of Human Resource Development, American Society of Training and Development and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

One more thought: be sure you proof your summary statement. Just as this information can influence an employer to keep reading, a typo or grammatical error can stop him on the spot.

Come back to this blog for more information regarding resumes next week. Straight from employer’s mouths to your eyes--how much better can you get?

Network with Training and Organizational Development Practioners

Information follows regarding a great opportunity to network with training and organizational development practioners, as well as learn new techniques useful in the workplace.


July Lunch n’ Learn – July 21, 2011 over lunch
Dealing with Drama in the Workplace: Opportunities for Training and OD Practitioners
Speaker: Nate Regier, Ph.D., Partner, Next Element
Thursday July 21st@ Butler CC (715 E 13th Street in Andover)
12-1PM (Meal/drinks provided), networking begins at 11:30 AM
$15 for Members (local or nat’l)/$20 all others
RSVP to sherry.alexander@wichita.edu

Roughly ten percent of daily workplace interactions qualify as effective communication. The rest…Drama. In this entertaining and eye-opening presentation, Dr. Regier outlines the dynamics and roles of Drama, how people recruit others to join them, and the predictable consequences for productivity, morale, and engagement. The presentation will finish with strategies and implications for trainers and OD professionals. At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
• Identify the three roles of the Drama Triangle
• Identify the three roles in the Compassion Triangle
• List behavioral indicators of invitations into Drama
• List three strategies that trainers and OD practitioners can implement in their work with clients.

Hope to see some of you there. . .

~jan

Change

A great poem just came my way. It's too good not to share. Here it is --


An Autobiography in Five Chapters

1) I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost — I am hopeless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

2) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I’m in the same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

3) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I see it is there.

I still fall in — it’s a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is MY fault.

I get out immediately.

4) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

5) I walk down a DIFFERENT street.


~Written By Portia Nelson

Who am I and what do I want to do with my life?

Trying to decide on a major and not making much progress? Really don’t know where to start? Well, do we have a deal for you?!?

Spend an hour with a counselor in Career Services and walk away with some great information to help you explore potential majors, careers, and jobs.

One of the resources we offer is a card sort. Color coded in bright colors, the Vista card sort helps you clarify your interests, skills, values, and traits. The result is helpful information in itself, but you also end up with your Holland Code –a great tool to help you identify majors and occupations matched to your personality.

Your fellow students tell us they find the card sort valuable. Comments include:

“I liked it. It helped me figure out who I am.”

“This was fun. It was kind of an eye opener. I have to interview next month for a promotion—I always struggle with ‘here are my skills’. Here is my answer right here.”

What are you waiting for? Call 978-3435 to schedule an appointment. Come play cards. . .

~jan