Career Treking » Job Seekers

The ONLY 3 Reasons to go to grad school

career.treking — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:09:56 +0000

It’s that time of year. College graduation is up on us. Many seniors are frantically trying to complete all requirements for graduation and many are wondering what to do about the bleak job market. One very common strategy is to attend graduate school. After all, college students know how to study and what to expect from academia. But there are ONLY 3 reasons to attend grad school immediately after college:

First, to enter a profession. If a pre-med student is crystal clear on obtaining the MD degree, then by all means go directly to medical school. If a college student is determined to go to law school, then go right ahead. But for the business major, the IR major or the English major… think twice.
Next, grad school is the right strategy to advance a profession. That is, the college grad who has 2 or 3 years of work experience and realizes that to move up in their profession they will need an MBA.
Finally, to change a profession: the mid life person who wants to change their career from radio sales to nutrition. Clearly, that is a well thought out goal and would most definitely require graduate school.

Consider the person who graduated 2 years ago with a degree in public policy. She was determined to land a job (which she did) and then get her masters degree in public policy. After working for 2 years, she got another job in private sector marketing research and now realizes she will need an MBA. Thankfully, she worked for 2 years so she could establish a record of professional work experience and solidify her career goals. Otherwise, she could have gone in the wrong direction.

The Benefits of A Summer Job

career.treking — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:17:05 +0000

I have been coaching college students and recent grads for almost 7 years. Prior to that, I was responsible for recruiting, hiring and training entry level professionals. I would guess that I have encountered thousands of young professionals throughout my career. The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the number of high school and college students who have never help a part time job. In fact, recent survey data reports that 90% of teens who are not in the workforce do not want to work, as opposed to not being able to find a job.

Why get a summer job?

Summer work experience demonstrates a work ethic, responsibility, the ability to adhere to authority and provides cash flow. Any job you do you can develop the marketable skills employers now require. For example, take the college freshman who accepts a part time job waiting tables: this person will learn customer services skills, the ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure. These are three skills required for the advertising industry, among many others. I will go so far as to say I would not hire a college graduate who had not had part-time work experience.

How to get a summer job:

I realize that students today have more demands placed on them than ever before, both academically and athletically, and it can be challenging at best to find the time to work. But it can– and should– be done. The recession does impact the number of available jobs but the savvy teen knows that:

The best approach to securing a part-time job is to walk into an establishment well dressed and ask to speak to the manager. Inquire about the possibility of a sumer job. Complete and application in person and follow it up with several phone calls to the manager.
Asking parents and their friends for job leads is a great idea. Networking is the single most successful job search strategy.
Persistence is the key to a summer job: every time you get the answer “no”, you are that much closer to a “yes”.
Performing odd jobs in the neighborhood can provide pocket money and can demonstrate entrepreneurship.

The Ideal College Resume

career.treking — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:02:26 +0000

College students should be building their resumes throughout their college experience, regardless of major or school attended. If I could build the ideal college resume, here is what it would look like:

Part-time work. First and foremost, college students need to work. For money. Nothing replaces part-time work to demonstrate a work ethic. In fact, it tops the list of employers’ desirable qualities. Ideally, they would work throughout college to show responsibility, confidence and work ethic. At the very least, students should work the summer between freshman and sophomore years. If a student can’t find a job, they can start their own business… dog walking, washing cars, landscaping.
Two internships. That’s right… two. Internships provide real world experience as well as the marketable skills employers are looking for. Internships can also help solidify career goals. The first internship should be the summer between sophomore and junior year. It can be casual and may even be unpaid. The internship the summer after junior year would ideally be in an internship program that’s structured and paid. For those students who have to work to generate cash flow, perhaps a part-time internship and a part time job would work.
Entrepreneurship. More and more employers are looking for initiative, motivation and the ability to self manage. Starting a small business demonstrates all of those skills. These businesses don’t have to be elaborate. A recent client started doing odd jobs in his community and was able to build it into a solid word of mouth business. His employer (yes, he did get the job he wanted) was imrpessed.
Leadership in a student organization demonstrates commitment and leadership. If someone is not a leader, participation in a student organization is the next best thing.
Community Service is on my wish list as well but be sure it’s something the student is passionate about and can articulate what he/she learned or contributed.
Study abroad programs are commonplace but many employers do not value them as an attractive quality. They are often misrepresented as a “party semester”. While many students report that studying abroad instills confidence, independence and other positive qualities– many students cannot articulate the benefits to an employer. Although studying abroad is not on the top of my wish list, it can be a very valuable experience, especially for those students who can articulate what they have learned in such a way that it brings value to the employer.

5 Tips for a More Effective Resume

career.treking — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:30:30 +0000

Your resume should be no more than one page. Young professionals just do not have enough experience for more than one page.
Don’t use less than an 11 point font. A small font requires someone to find their glasses so they can read your resume. You don’t want to make extra work for someone. No fancy fonts, either. A resume gets a 3 second scan before it is placed in one pile or the other.
Save your resume as a PDF. It looks more professional.
Tie your resume and cover letter to the position you are applying for. Use the words listed in the job description/posting.
Use a professional email address and create a professional signature. Gmail is preferable to a college email address. Your signature should include your first and last name, your email address, cell phone number and LinkedIn link.

Informational Interviews: Tips for Success

career.treking — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:47:52 +0000

I was working with a client last week yesterday who has been conducting informational interviews throughout the late fall and winter months in hopes of finding a job. Although he hoped he would have a job by now, he readily admitted that he has a much better understanding of his chosen industry as a result of these interviews. He sounds more knowledgeable and has been able to crystallize his career goals.

Informational interviews are a great job search tool but need to be used appropriately to make a good impression and eventually land a job. Here are some things to keep in mind.

First, preparation is key. You requested the meeting so it is up to know to drive the conversation. Prepare your 30 second commercial to open the meeting. Be sure to make it clear that you are looking for advice and suggestions, only. You are not necessarily looking for a job. Prepare 5 or 6 open end questions that will give you information on the industry, various entry level job opportunities as well as required skills and experience.
Next, regardless of how you made the connection, present yourself as you would for a job interview. Dress professionally, turn off your cell phone, etc.
Do not monopolize the conversation. Your job is to listen and learn.
Be conscious of time. If you asked for 30 minutes, keep the meeting to 30 minutes. At 29 minutes, you can say “I realize I asked for 30 minutes. Can we keep talking or do we need to wrap this up?”
Finally, ask your contact if they can refer you to other people. Be sure to thank them verbally and always follow up with a customized thank you note.

3 Job Search Tips Everyone can Benefit From

career.treking — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:18:33 +0000

It’s no surprise that jobs are harder than ever to come by. And the “right” job?? Many job seekers have stopped questioning what the right job is– they just want to be employed. But there are definitely things every job seeker can do to increase their chances of success.

First, stop perfecting your resume. Yes, it has to depict who you are and what you can bring to the table. Yes, it has to be error-free. And, yes, it has to fit the position you are applying for. But too many job seekers spend too much time writing and rewriting their resumes. Writing a resume is an art, not a science. If you ask 10 people what they think of your resume, you will get 10 different answers.

INSTEAD: Spend your resume writing time to network and get introduced into an open position.

Second, don’t rely too much on social media. Social media is a great tool to use in a successful job search but it is ONLY a tool…

INSTEAD: Set up your LinkedIn profile and use your Facebook account to build connections and use them for introductions for networking.

Finally, do not rely on job boards to get a job. In a healthy economy, job boards have only a 4% success rate. In a challenging economy, that number is significantly reduced.

INSTEAD: Create profiles on the various job boards and check for email alerts for openings as they come to you. Spend the rest of your time away from the computer.

Nothing replaces face to face networking.

Interview Follow up: When? How?

career.treking — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:00:42 +0000

You just had a great interview. You clicked with the recruiter, you liked the hiring manager… even the receptionist was friendly. You really want that job. What can you do AFTER the interview to help make sure the job is yours???

Within the first 24 hours….

Send a (separate) thank you note to everyone you met with. Each note should be customized for each person you met with and should be used as one more way to sell yourself. Keep the note short and concise. Emailed notes are fine; some people prefer to send handwritten notes. Either way is fine as long as they are sent within 24 hours after the interview.

3 days after stated notification date…

If you haven’t heard from the employer 3 days after you expected to hear from them, call your initial contact and ask for a status update. For example, if they said it would take a week to make a decision, call 10 days after the interview (3 days after the expected date). Be prepared to leave a professional voice mail if you don’t get them on the phone directly.

2 weeks after notification date…

Send an email to your initial contact reiterating your interest and qualifications for the position.

Then…

Sit back and wait. Hiring decisions always take longer than people expect. It’s important to show your interest but you don’t want to appear pushy or difficult. Most recruiters are incredibly busy and just don’t have the time or resources to follow up promptly. Your phone call and email will let them get back to you when they have a chance.

How to Shorten Your Job Search

career.treking — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:48:07 +0000

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released some statistics: almost 50% of all job searches exceed 6 months. When you are looking for a job, 6 months is a long time. How can you shorten your job search to land a job sooner?

Be clear on your career goals. Know what you want and why you are qualified. Your goals should be realistic and include a wide variety of tactics. For example, a job seeker who wants to pursue a career in sports management might include a job in the athletic department at a private high school and/or a local college as stepping stones to a job with a professional sports organization. Expecting your first job to be with the NFL is just not realistic.
Be strategic in your job search: if only 4% of jobs are found online, you should not spend more than 4% of your time looking on the job boards. Approximately 70% of all jobs are found through networking. That is where the bulk of job seeking time should be spent.
Be flexible. I recently met with a client who wants to work on radio broadcasting. Jobs in that industry are very competitive. He accepts that and is willing to “do anything and go anywhere” to land a job in radio. His chances of success just increased significantly.
Finally, work it! Looking for a job is a full time job. That is not to say you should not have a part time job wile you are looking but you need to spend time everyday on your job search. It is your first priority. People who work the job search consistently find success much sooner.

The ONLY 3 Reasons for Grad School

career.treking — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:44:33 +0000

First, to enter a profession. If a pre-med student is crystal clear on obtaining the MD degree, then by all means go directly to medical school. If a college student is determined to go to law school, then go right ahead. But for the business major, the IR major or the English major… think twice.
Next, grad school is the right strategy to advance a profession. That is, the college grad who has 2 or 3 years of work experience and realizes that to move up in their profession they will need an MBA.
Finally, to change a profession: the mid life person who wants to change their career from radio sales to nutrition. Clearly, that is a well thought out goal and would most definitely require graduate school.

College Seniors: What to do BEFORE you graduate

career.treking — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:29:09 +0000

College seniors everywhere are busy completing graduation requirements and (hopefully) formulating post-graduation plans. Here are a few things you can- and should- do before you graduate.

If you have’t already done so, make an appointment with Career Services. Have your resume reviewed and conduct a mock interview. Most Career Centers will continue to support students beyond graduation, but you’re sure to get a better response if they can place a name with a face when you call.
Likewise, make an appointment with the Alumni Office. Ask what services they provide for alums: do they periodically host networking events in your area? Can you get access to the alumni database? Are there specific alums in your area or field of study they can connect you to? Alums are a great source for informational interviews and connections and are often overlooked.
Get together with friends and host a LinkedIn party. Invite your closest (and not so closest) friends to an event where you can all create your linkedin accounts and link to one another. Be sure to let everyone know ahead of time so they can ask their parents if friends can link to them. Present an award to the person with the most connections.
Ask for a copy of your transcript. When employers ask for it, you will be prepared.
Create your list of references. Meet with professors, employers and others on-campus whom you hope to use as a reference. Ask if they can provide a reference for you and whether it’s easier to provide one via email or phone call.
Meet with your advisor and faculty members. In addition to serving as a potential reference, your advisor most likely knows you best and can be a great resource for career guidance. It is also likely your advisor has worked with others who have similar career interests and can steer you in the direction of good alumni contacts. Faculty are often asked by potential employers when they are looking to hire.
Attend any and all remaining recruiting events. Companies coming to campus to find summer interns are still good contacts for you to make. Consider applying for a summer internship: it’s a good option in this economy, will further develop your skills and resume, and could turn into a full-time job in the fall.
If possible, volunteer for reunion weekend. With thousands of alumni returning to campus for reunion weekend, most colleges would be happy to have a few extra people on hand to help out. It may be wise to stay in town a few days longer after getting your diploma. Volunteering at cocktail receptions, picnics and workshops may offer opportunities to practice networking skills, perfect your elevator pitch and make solid connections to individuals with whom you already share a common bond. And who doesn’t want the party to last just a few more days?