by Brianne on September 3, 2010
“To reach a port, we must sail.
Sail, not tie at anchor.
Sail, not drift.”
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
We are going to try something a little new at CareerSparx and mix it up every once in a while with a little inspirational quote. Really, who doesn’t like quotes? Or, maybe we’re just dorky like that. Anyway, as you head into your last long weekend of summer, think about these wise words from former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was a pretty smart guy after all.
In our opinion, what he’s trying to get at here is that you must take action to get to a new point in your life. You can’t anchor yourself somewhere safe. (Such as at your parent’s house post-graduation.) You also can’t drift if you plan on getting anywhere. And trust us, we know sometimes when you don’t know what your next step is, that can tend to happen. So, enjoy this weekend, but if you find yourself caught in some down time with a moment to think, ask yourself where it is you want to sail to in your career. Yes, that might sound cheesy, but we only say it because it’s true. Hey, if it worked for FDR, it can work for you.
We’ll be back Tuesday, Sparxsters. Have a great weekend!
Go Ahead and Quote Us Image Credit
by Brianne on September 2, 2010
So, here’s the situation. You just submitted your perfectly crafted cover letter and resume to one of your dream companies. (Good job!) Even better yet, there’s a specific position you applied for that you feel your skills align perfectly with. You assume you’re a shoo-in for an interview (good job for keeping up your confidence!) but then a week goes by … Then a week and a half … And you still haven’t heard anything.
“What is this employer thinking?” you’re more than likely asking yourself. “Why wouldn’t they at the very least e-mail me to acknowledge that maybe I’m not the right candidate? If I can’t even get an interview for this job that I’m perfect for, how should I expect to hear back from anyone?” Whoa, slow down there! While the snowball effect comes into full play when it comes to waiting to hear back on a job (I’m guilty of this more times than I care to admit myself … ) here’s something you need to know: A hiring manager, or human resources director or even a recruiter, have other things on their plate than that one specific job you applied for. So, guess what? It’s not about you!
Surprise, right? This should be good news. (It means you still have a chance! Yes, we’re big believers in optimism in your career search.) Don’t just take it from us; here’s some perspective from a real-life HR director: “I appreciate the thought that this is your number one priority to hear back, but it’s important to realize that there are potentially hundreds of other candidates that we have to screen through before we start responding to people. Even if you’re a super qualified candidate, I might not be able to get back to you right away,” says Megan Blacksher, senior director of human resources at WONGDOODY and the senior human resources consultant for CareerSparx.
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by Brianne on September 1, 2010
Last night I attended a panel discussion about social media. (Btw, if you don’t have a job, which is probably the case since you’re reading this post, make sure you attend every networking event possible.) While the guest speakers were talking, my mind started to wander (as it usually does) to a theory of mine. To get a job, you want to think like a journalist.
What? Am I serious? Yes! As a journalism school graduate, I’ve always prided myself on my ability to communicate and build trustworthy relationships with sources. If you really think about it, those are two of the most important things you can do in your job search as well. If you apply the same tactics a journalist uses, then you will most certainly have the right mindset for your career search. And sometimes looking at a challenge from a different point of view is exactly the thing you need to hit “refresh” on your job search and gain some new traction.
Here are five ways to think like a reporter:
by Brianne on August 27, 2010
Here’s some food for thought as you head into your weekend. Even though as recent college graduates you are lacking one thing when it comes to your job hunt — years of experience — what you do have is a jump on the competition when it comes to your online presence. Case in point? This New York Times Article: Social Networking Your Way to a New Job.
The article discusses how the landscape of applying for a job has changed dramatically with the launch of social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and how these communities are changing the job search experience. This is not new news to you as savvy digital gurus yourselves. So, if anything, go into the weekend with confidence that while you may not have five to 10 years of experience as a manager at a company, what you do have is an understanding of online communities. Use this understanding to your advantage in your job search, and you will be finding opportunities others didn’t even know existed before long.
Good luck, and enjoy the last official weekend of August and your summer.
by Brianne on August 26, 2010
Cramming the highlights of your college education, work experience, community volunteerism, international travel, campus leadership, academic honors and professional internships … phew … onto one piece of 8” x 11” paper can be tricky. Trickier yet is knowing what to add and what to ax. Should you include your high school football wins or successes on the track team? Probably not … unless it draws attention to your unique offerings for a high school coaching or teaching position.
Failing to tailor your resume to a job opening is — next to spelling, grammar, punctuation or language use mistakes — a fatal error. Recruiters quickly scan resumes to decide your value proposition and potential fit. The key is to tailor your resume so it showcases your professional uniqueness and articulates what you can do for the employer, the areas of expertise you bring and your themed competency categories that focus on your major successes, skills and abilities. Four other frequent errors college students make on their resumes include:
1) Misrepresenting the Degree Earned
Do you know the degree you earned? Bet it wasn’t a bachelorette degree. Did you earn an AA, BA or BS in business? Was it in simply business or in business management? Did you complete an “emphasis,” “option” or “concentration” within your major? Did you complete a complementary “minor?” Don’t guess — review your college catalog, official transcript or diploma for accuracy. Nobody wants to hire an employee who misrepresents themselves or fails to fact check.
by Brianne on August 25, 2010
Aside from “wowing” a potential employer with your cover letter, coming across as energetic and passionate is just as important. But, what if you’ve followed all of our recommended interview tips (“Your Job Interview: 4 Things You Must Do“) and still aren’t finding luck when you meet person face-to-face?
We know that for some people an interview can feel somewhat like a test, and it’s not always where you feel you can shine the most. If you’ve experienced great traction with your cover letter and resume but are finding yourself in less than stellar interviews, it’s time you take a different approach, the “mock interview.”
Find Your Comfort Zone
Almost as important as answering questions as accurately and intelligently as possible, is your ability to feel comfortable in an interview situation. It’s not like you’re waiting for the results on a scary health test, though it can feel like it at times. And if you are comfortable (but not too comfortable) during your interview, your confidence will show.
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by Brianne on August 24, 2010
Getting an internship in college can be an incredible experience. In many ways, it feels like landing your first job. It’s an office or work environment you go to on a regular basis. You dress professionally. You make it a point to learn all you can. You interact with professionals who are in roles you may want to be in someday, and get to solve real world problems. And sometimes, you even get to make a little money in addition to your school credit.
At CareerSparx we firmly believe that you should begin your career as an intern (“7 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Career as an Intern“). That said, as the summer draws to a close and your internship days (if you have one) are waning, it’s important to keep in mind one thing: An internship, no matter how much you put into it, does not always equal an automatic job offer. Let me clarify and say we’re not saying that it’s not possible that your internship turns into a job opportunity. In fact, I’ve seen some amazing interns become even more amazing colleagues. The point of this blog post is to bring up that oh-so-touchy fact that just because you interned at a company, it doesn’t entitle you to a job offer.
One time I was interviewing a potential candidate for a job. This person was someone who already had interned where I worked. On first glance I would even think they had an automatic “in” in many ways, but this person made some very grave mistakes … Mistakes I would never want you to make during a job interview with any future employer. Allow me to share them with you so you’re not left wondering what went wrong.
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by Brianne on August 23, 2010
Happy Monday, Sparxsters! We’ve already told you what not to do when creating your resume (“Building Your Resume: What NOT to Do“) as well as how to keep your resume on life support when you don’t have a job (“5 Ways to Build Your Resume When You’re Unemployed“), but what we haven’t shared with you yet are actual tips on how to best write one.
Since Monday seems to be a good day to get things done, why don’t you carve out a few hours today to work on putting it together. That way you can go from thinking, “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” to “I just finished my resume!” It’s not as daunting as you think. I’m sure by now you already have some form of your resume written, and if you don’t, join the CareerSparx course right now for an easy “how to” guide. (Hint: It’s in the first lesson!) But today I’m going to give you some added guidance on how to bring your resume from average to A+!
1) Less Tasks, More Achievements
As you’re writing your resume it’s a good idea to keep it active. Nobody wants a lazy employee, and nobody wants to read a resume that explains in minutiae detail how you updated spreadsheets and organized files. What a potential employer does want to know; however, is how you took your tasks and turned them into achievements. Maybe all your job did consist of was updating spreadsheets and organizing files, but think to yourself, “What is the result of this?” Maybe you created a new spreadsheet system for storing your company’s public relations contacts, or maybe you found new software on the Internet (for free) that helped your company go paperless. Either way, make sure to highlight your accomplishments while in an internship or past job versus the not-so-exciting daily tasks.
by Brianne on August 20, 2010
This morning I came across an article on Forbes featuring so many great points, that I want to let it speak for itself. The article, “Secrets to Finding a Job Online,” shares five tips to help you navigate the seemingly bottomless sea of an online job search. If you still don’t think it’s worth your time to look for jobs online, consider this. In 2009, 13.2 percent of external hires were found through job boards and 22.3 percent from from a company’s website. (CareerXRoads.com) So dear Sparxsters, consider spending a little less time updating your career status and peruse a few job boards. Just make sure you follow these tips!
Article Highlights:
1) Don’t Spam Your Résumé
2) Polish Your Résumé Daily
3) Be Easy to Find Online
4) Clean Up Any Digital Dirt
5) Open Doors With Social Media
Have a great weekend! We’ll be back Monday with even more career advice.
How to Navigate Job Hunting Online Image Credit
by Brianne on August 19, 2010
As if you didn’t have enough to keep in mind just before your job interview. Here we come with four more tips. But, we’re here with your best interests in mind. An interview is one of the most important opportunities for showing that you’re not only interested and passionate about working in a company, but also that you will be the right fit for the open position on their team. If you have a great job interview, you don’t want to blow it at the end by asking a question in poor taste. And for that very reason, we gathered our four best tips for leaving the right kind of lasting impression.
1) Come With Strong Questions
It’s pretty much a safe bet that at the conclusion of your job interview the employer will ask, “Do you have any questions for us?” Make sure you have at least one or two prepared and well thought-out questions. You want to make sure you don’t ask them about anything that is readily available on their website. If you do, you will come across as not just unprepared but disinterested in their company as well. And, on a similar note, never ask about money, vacation and sick days or anything related to benefits at this point. Not only is it too soon, but it also can give the perception that you are interested in the job for the wrong reasons. You should be looking at the interviewing process as a way to show and explain why you’re the best fit for that employer, as well as determine if that company is the right fit for you.
