Many job hunters are using networking events or career fairs to find a job. Here are 5 tips from Heather Huhman:
Have your elevator speech ready
Come with materials
Know the dress code, and dress one level above
Collect business cards, and make notes on the back
Follow-up
There is more information breaking down each point at the link. All in all, these are some pretty great tips that can be honed down into a few key concepts - know yourself, know what you’re there for, remember details, and communicate to express interest.
Heather Huhman: What is a major mistake you continually see internship and entry-level job seekers make?
Ford Myers: There are a few major mistakes that internship and entry-level job seekers seem to consistently make. First, they often “take anything they can get” rather than having a clear focus and professional direction. Even at the outset of one’s career, it is vital to have a clear plan and career objective. The internship or entry-level job should be a natural and necessary part of that longer-term career plan.
The second mistake I see internship and entry-level job seekers make is that they usually don’t know the value of their own talents and skills. Young folks can make significant contributions to an organization in their first assignment, and can even negotiate for better positions and higher compensation, based on those tangible contributions.
HH: Contrary to popular belief, you say, the “résumé is your least important tool.” Why is this the case? Has this always been true?
FM: Without a doubt, the résumé is a critical component in the “Job Seeker’s Tool Kit” – and it has to be great! However, the résumé has always had only one specific purpose—to apply for actual job openings. Everyone knows that networking is the most effective means of seeking employment, and up to 85 percent of the job seeker’s time and effort should be directed toward networking. The main purpose of a networking meeting is not to get a job offer, but to gather important information, feedback and referrals.
It follows, therefore, that a résumé is not the appropriate tool to bring to a networking meeting. Instead, the candidate should show-up with two primary documents: the “Professional Biography” and the “Target Company List.” There are many other critical tools to be developed for one’s “Job Seeker’s Tool Kit,” so that the candidate can use the right tool, for the right purpose, with the right person, at the right time. Since a very small percentage of the job seeker’s time will actually be spent in interviews or applying for open positions, the résumé should be seen as the “least important tool.”
HH: What are three steps students and recent graduates can take to identify their ideal jobs?
FM: First, do an “internal career inventory.” Take time to really take stock of your talents, goals and desires. Get clear on how you want to apply your gifts to make your unique contribution in the world. Do it now, not in the future, when it may be too late. Take career assessments, and get a full interpretation of the results from a qualified career consultant.
Second, get help and support. The best time to seek career counseling support is at the start of your career. Take advantage of career coaching, and use other support systems like college career placement offices, job search clubs and groups, online career resources, non-profit employment initiatives, and government or community career programs.
Finally, see your first job as part of a long-term career plan. Your first few jobs will largely shape the direction and success of your long-term career experience. So, don’t take your first few job choices lightly. It’s never too early to begin designing your career future. Every career decision you make and every position you accept should be viewed as a stepping stone toward your ultimate career objectives.
HH: In your opinion, what is the most important question internship and entry-level job candidates can ask during an interview?
FM: As mentioned earlier, every career decision you make and every position you accept should be viewed as a stepping stone toward your ultimate career objectives. Therefore, the most important question internship and entry-level job candidates must address is, “How will this opportunity support and facilitate my long-term career goals?”
HH: In your book, you discuss the “number-one way to get hired when no one’s hiring.” Can you please explain this technique?
FM: The number-one way to get hired when no one’s hiring is known as the “Proposal for Service.” It’s a great strategy for differentiating yourself from all the other job seekers, and identifying yourself as the only candidate for a new opportunity!
Here’s how it works: Once in a while, when your networking efforts have led to a meeting where you and the hiring manager truly click, the idea will occur to him or her to ask if you’d be interested in coming to work for their company. At that point, there may not even be a specific job opening at that company, but you’ve piqued the interviewer’s interest enough to start the hiring conversation.
In this case, you should preparing a “Proposal for Service.” This is a document in which you itemize your qualifications, skills and accomplishments, and show how they align directly to the challenges, problems and needs that the hiring manager has discussed with you. The “Proposal for Service” is usually a one- or two-page document that outlines all of the different things you could do for the company and how you would generate results for them, based on the specific needs you uncovered during the networking meeting.
Because the “Proposal for Service” usually grows out of a networking meeting, the letter takes a soft-sell approach. Rather than pushing for another meeting (as you would with other sorts of follow-up letters), you’ll leave it in their hands. If the individual calls or writes you back in response to your proposal, you’ll know you’ve “got something.” The company may even create a position for you. If you don’t get a response to the “Proposal for Service,” this indicates that the company wasn’t interested enough in you to engage in a serious dialogue.
Dan Erwin shares some insights when picking your first job. His advice is also a great way to start hired - even in tough time:
In conversations with several Gen-Yers who were in the enviable position of having several job opportunities, the big question was what opportunity to accept. My response was always about the same issue: work strategy. In your early years, where career exploration is very important, I always urge Gen-Yers, and other generations as well (when they have new job opportunities), to follow a number of important rules that I learned from my mentor, Carl Wilson, EVP of Marriott:
Aim to have a different role and job experience each time. Once you’ve gained the competencies from your present role, it’s time to move on. Two-and-a-half to three years is ideal. After that, you’re risking stagnation.
Take a lateral or a lower graded job for more experience. Adding competencies to your toolkit is key to long-term career success. If you’re gaining new skills, it’s not a demotion.
Take on tough assignments that no one else wants. Companies reward the entrepreneurial mindset. Some execs will talk about the risk upfront. If they don’t, you can. Besides, you’ll learn a lot from a tough assignment.
Acquire project management skills. Project management is useful in all functions and nearly all industries today. Most organizations structure the bulk of their operations around projects. Especially new and innovative opportunities.
Careers are no longer about money and position. The traditional job ladder is gone. Compensation and recognition come if you’ve got the competencies, the network and a bit of calculated luck.
From The Art of Manliness comes come videos and instructions on how to tie the perfect tie.
It’s a sad fact, but there are grown men who don’t know how to tie a necktie. If they have a big interview that afternoon, they’ll go shopping for a clip-on. Even if a man does know how to tie a tie, their knowledge is often limited to just one knot. But there are several ways to tie a necktie. Certain knots should be used with certain shirt collars and tie fabric materials to get the best results for your appearance. Below, we show you three classic necktie knots every man should know and give you the lowdown on when you should use them.
Here are the ties they cover:
The Four-In-Hand Knot - Also known as the “schoolboy,” this is probably the most widely used knot because it’s so easy to tie. It’s a good knot to use if your tie is made of heavier material. It looks best with smaller spread collars.
The Half Windsor Knot - This is the Windsor knot’s little brother. Like the Windsor, you’re left with a symmetrical triangle knot, but the Half Windsor is not as large. This knot is appropriate for lighter fabrics and wider ties. It’s best worn with a standard collar.
The Windsor Knot - The Windsor knot gives you a wide triangular knot that’s good for more formal settings. This knot is best worn with a wide spread collar.
The Shelby Knot - The Shelby knot is a more obscure knot and was popularized by anchorman Don Shelby in the 1970’s. It works best with wider ties that are made from heavier material.
You should be set if you have a bit interview coming up.
Sometimes you need to order wine. Why not learn about it and have some fun with John Cleese? Some good information if you are ever invited to a nice dinner/meal.
More great information from JobRadio.fm on cover letters. A listener wrote in with some more advice:
My name is Janet Ruck. I am the co-author of the recently published book – “Guide to America’s Federal Jobs”. I am a career coach with experience in the private and federal sectors.
What is the best way to craft a cover letter? The most important thing to remember about a cover letter is that it markets your resume, which markets you. A cover letter gets your resume read – a resume gets you an interview – an interview gets you a job.
There are no generic cover letters: You need to spend time targeting your cover letter to the job that you are applying for.
A cover letter is divided into 3 main sections:
Introduction – the first paragraph tells the reader how you learned about the position.
Body – provides some specifics about your skills and qualifications for the job
Closing – what action you are seeking, usually this is where you request an interview
Always remember who your reader is: the person who will be interviewing you for a job. Write for this reader – what does he or she need to know about you to interest him/her to read your resume?
Remember the “WIIFM: What’s In It for Me?” from the perspective of the reader and ultimately the interviewer. What do you have to offer that will benefit the employer?
If you remember to market yourself from the point of view of the reader, your cover letter will get your resume read which, in turn, will get you the interview, which is how you get the job!
If you’re going to email employers looking for a job make sure you have a solid email signature. It shouldn’t be over the top or hard to read. The Fabulously Broke blog has some good signature tips… What you should avoid:
No phone numbers- What if I WANTED to call you?
No email addresses-Sometimes you just don’t want to click on “details” and go through the hassle of finding it
Who they are-Like their title and their full name and position and/or department. Something, Anything!
No signatures at all
Lots of Graphics and Logos-I hate downloading that crap
Background Images-Some look so kiddy and cheesy then you can’t read what they’re saying
Too many colours
Juvenile fonts-It may be weird to call a font juvenile, but Comic Sans does that for me and is unprofessional
Quotes of the Day
Green messageslike “Do you really need to print this?”-I’m green, but that is irritating
What you should strive for:
In plain text, not HTML
No background - white is fine
Black font - Times New Roman is inoffensive
A header logo is fine but only if people don’t have to download any new images
“ Taking things to the next level requires more than just doing your job. One must go above and beyond in order to show those who matter what you are truly made of. This means getting out there. It means joining a professional organization and volunteering. It means pursuing an advanced degree.
Information-Assimilation – how to find, consume, and comprehend information and identify what’s most important in the face of a problem or challenge. A person who is highly skilled in Information-Assimilation is able to process information quickly and apply it to the situation at hand, with consistently high levels of comprehension and retention.
Writing – how to communicate thoughts and ideas in written form clearly and concisely. A person who is highly skilled in Writing is able to convey information to others briefly and simply, as well as use writing to persuade and influence.
Speaking – how to communicate thoughts and ideas to others clearly, concisely, and with confidence. A person who is highly skilled in Speaking is able to communicate individually or in front of a group of people in an engaging manner, with little visible evidence of tension or stress.
Mathematics – how to accurately use concepts from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics to analyze and solve common problems. A person who is highly skilled in Mathematics is able to use numbers, ratios, and equations to gain insight into present circumstances and potential future scenarios.
Decision-Making – how to identify critical issues, prioritize, focus energy/effort, recognize fallacies, avoid common errors, and handle ambiguity. A person who is highly skilled in Decision-Making is able to weigh available information and come to a supportable conclusion, without falling prey to common reasoning mistakes and cognitive bias.
Rapport – how to interact with other people in a way that encourages them to like, trust, and respect you. A person who is highly skilled in Rapport is able to build productive, mutually-beneficial relationships with a wide variety of people in a way that influences their perceptions and opinions.
Conflict-Resolution – how to anticipate potential sources of conflict and resolve disagreements when they occur. A person who is highly skilled in Conflict-Resolution is able to anticipate potential sources of conflict and counteract unproductive emotions, both individually and in groups.
Scenario-Generation – how to create, clarify, evaluate, and communicate a possible future scenario that assists in decision-making, either for yourself or another person. A person who is highly skilled in Scenario Generation is able to envision possible future events, identify likely tradeoffs, and suggest multiple options that will result in the achievement of an objective.
Planning – how to identify the necessary next steps to achieve an objective, account for dependencies, and prepare for the unknown and inevitable change via the use of contingencies. A person who is highly skilled in Planning is able to examine available resources, anticipate potential issues and risks, and propose new / better paths as more information becomes known.
Self-Awareness – how to accurately perceive and influence your own internal states and emotions, including effective management of limited energy, willpower, and focus. A person who is highly skilled in Self-Awareness is able to recognize what physical and emotional state they’re currently experiencing, utilize or compensate for their current state, and intentionally elicit / reinforce preferred states.
Interrelation – how to recognize, understand, and make use of key features of systems and relationships, including cause-and-effect, second and third-order effects, constraints, and feedback loops. A person who is highly skilled in Interrelation is able to identify the most important factors in a system, explore how they affect each other, and improve systems without provoking undesired consequences.
Skill Acquisition – how to go about learning a desired skill in a way that results in competence by finding and utilizing available resources, deconstructing complex processes, and actively experimenting with potential approaches. A person who is highly skilled in Skill Acquisition is able to continually improve their skills in any field through deliberate practice, observation, and intentional experimentation.
“Director of Social Media” sounds like a nice title thats described as:
Similar to a strategist, companies need someone to organize company blogging, viral marketing, podcasting, etc. This person has a background in building teams and who really gets the promise and the purpose of social media, Durbin says. These folks should be wary of new technologies and be all over blogs, RSS, have Facebook and Twitter accounts, and know the difference between his or her employees playing and researching on MySpace and YouTube.
3.JobRadio.fm posted another resume pet peeve with Ron Katz from Penguin HR Consulting in NY. He wants to make sure young job hunters keep their resume to a page. His other pet peeve is stupid job objectives that don’t answer the fundamental question of - “what’s in this for me?”
The gist of the piece is that while many people tend to distort the truth during job interviews, even minor fibs can get you fired. So, in order to help mitigate the risk of either losing the job or getting fired in your first few weeks, the author (Rachel Zupek) shares some tips on how to answer tough questions without lying.
Not all medical careers require advanced certifications and years of graduate-level education. If you’re seeking a medical job that can be obtained more immediately, you may want to consider one of these jobs that do not require a college degree. These entry-level, or “stepping-stone” medical jobs offer hands-on medical industry experience, and they don’t require you to invest so much time and money in training and higher education. Therefore, these jobs allow you to “test-drive” healthcare to see if the industry is a good fit for you long-term. Also, you can earn some money and increase your skills while obtaining more advanced degrees or certifications. (Download MP3)
Always send a thank you note after any kind of interview, phone or in person. It’s a chance for you to reinforce your skills, your ability to meet the responsibilities of the position for which you’re applying.
Use the opportunity to reiterate your interest and amplify some point from the conversation that perhaps you wish you had addressed further, or that the interviewer seemed to pick up on and like. Stress how you are able to use your abilities and skills to resolve some challenge in the new position.
Engage in activities that make you feel good about yourself. Identify the skills and aptitudes that make you good at your work and also make a list of what you like about yourself, such as sense of humor or empathy. Then find a way to demonstrate those skills and characteristics. For example, if you are good at planning, organize the book drive at your child’s school. If you pride yourself for your ability to put people at ease, volunteer to work in the waiting room for families of surgery patients.
Achieve tangible results. Many job search related activities do not provide an immediate tangible outcome. To maintain a sense of control, do something every day that does afford concrete results. It can be as simple as cleaning out a closet, organizing the garage or waxing the car. It can also be related to volunteer or family activities, such as writing a neighborhood watch newsletter or making cookies with the kids. Make sure, that at the end of each day, you can point to something you accomplished.
Surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Identify those people who have confidence in you and build your own confidence in yourself. Avoid the people who always see the glass as half empty or those who drain your energy.
Keep promises to yourself. Now is a good time to end a bad habit, take a class that you’ve wanted to pursue, or learn a new skill.
Reward yourself. At the end of each day, chronicle the things you did well and reward yourself with a good book, a soak in the tub, or some other activity that says to you “job well done.” As far as job searching goes, pride yourself on the things you accomplished that day, rather than waiting for results before you celebrate what you’ve done. The latter usually doesn’t come as quickly as you would wish.
Follow a healthy routine. Eat well, exercise and take good care of your body.
Allow yourself some down time. You can’t be up and optimistic all the time, so give yourself permission to have a bad day. If you diligently follow the above suggestions, you can count on tomorrow to be better.
This is a list of 5-6 aspects of a job or work that you MUST have. This is not “want to have.” This list is of the things that you must have in order for you to be satisfied and content in your work, the things that will make it possible for you to be excited to start the day when you wake up every morning.
As candidates attempt to “stand out” in a tight job market, more and more applicants are turning to video. However, there are many concerns that are important to consider before directing “Resume You.”
Recruiters and hiring managers don’t have time to review videos. You only get 8-10 seconds for a resume!
Most companies use computer software to scan resumes and are not equipped to review video resumes.
The obvious emphasis on the candidate’s appearance could lead to racial discrimination.
The video could actually hurt a candidate who is not attractive.
A non-professionally produced video could highlight negative qualities.
Research has shown that there is a rational behind the use of “three” in our societal story-telling — our brains tend to naturally think in threes. Add one more element and the memory pattern tends to slip. Why not take advantage of this human tendency when interacting with others?
Only thing to remember is that you can be unforgettable for a good reason or a bad one - so make sure you know what message you’re looking to get across.
The blog for funnelthru.com - a job board dedicated to honest entry level jobs. We discuss interview tips, hiring trends, videos we love, and anything else we think you might find useful or fun.
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