Job Searching
What skills do employers need?
- technical
- communication
- interpersonal
- teamwork
Transferable
- learned through previous experience
- responding to client needs; supervising, dealing with customers, training, working directly with clients, leadership writing skills, problem solving, team work skills
Personal Management
- communication & enthusiasm (no one adds marks from school in their resume)
- organized
- able to prioritize
- time management
Technical skills
- looking for well rounded
o marks
o work experience
o extra curricular & volunteer
- looking for people who can make a strong contribution
List
- all current skills
- skills I’m developing
- what skills do I need to develop?
Looking for people to solve problems; provide solutions
- what is my level of skill in each area identify skill, level of proficiency, where applied to differentiate resume (similar) to show who’s better identify your role
- where have I used it before
o how can I prove that I have a skill at a certain level of proficiency
- results of actions; preferably concrete
Writing Skills – Improving
- write reports (short, 1-2 paragraph) on things you’re done and get someone with no knowledge in that area to read it; see if they understand
- what type of job do I want?
- What do I want to do with my skills
- Employers want to see you can be held accountable for things
Research
- identify industries you want to work in and opportunities they present for you
- use paper, magazines, web
- get to know professors, etc. who sit on boards, involved with industries, get to know them
Networking
- who is in your network
- is about getting information and making more contacts
- it may take 8 – 10 contacts in 1 firm to get hired
25 second sales pitch; Name, problem I will solve by providing certain skills
Example: I’m ____ _____
I can increase your sales/productivity by ___%, let me have 10 min. of your time and I can explain how I can do this.
- your goal here is to get the 10 minutes**
Always follow up with them after interviews/meetings/resumes etc.
Career Services – goes over resumes & cover letters
If I can get my own job description & have it approved by faculty advisor
Resumes
- key is to express your unique contribution
- summary
- helps reader find what they need to know
- emphasize strengths used in accomplishments
- no point form
- 2 pages, 12 point font
- a summary on the resume can be removed if cover letter is good (so as to avoid redundancy)
situation
action – how did you perform it
result – what was the result
Job Application & Scheduling
Flexibility/Adaptability
Ex. - moved across country 2 times
- work ethic, motivation – independent dealer
- volunteered to host – shows client/personal skills
Interviews
- know yourself – skills, goals, accomplishments etc
- know the organization – research it
- know what you want to do for the employer
- review resume & bring extra copies of resume & references
- ask thoughtful questions
- know time/place of interview, be there 10 minutes early
- know key points to tell interviewer
- know what you did effectively to get previous jobs
o what made the difference; the decision to get the job
- always backup skills; can use examples (concrete)
- follow interviews lead – shifting, uncomfortable; tired, bored
- ask: is this something…; would you like more info. on…
Types of Interviews
1) Informational
2) Behavioural/Situational
3) Stress
4) Telephone
5) Group
1) Informational
tell me about yourself (in relation to this position)
a. program
b. Interests
c. Accomplishments
- what are your greatest strengths & weaknesses
o how are you turning you weakness around
- why do you want to work here
2) Behavioural
- based on premises that past behaviour predicts future behaviour
- use past performance example
o answer – STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
- how do you describe the ideal candidate for this position
1st Day at Work
Before – visit company website
- more research on company products & competitors
- know contacts, location & leave early to ensure you are there on time (or make sure you have previously been there so you know where it is); map & # to get a hold of them by
- work permit if needed
- dress code
Arrival or That Day
- set goals, clarify responsibilities
- assess resources
- keep manager informed – input, progress
During
- if you are invited to a meeting
o it’s for a reason;
o it’s an opportunity to sell your ideas
o it’s probably for your input
o avoid personal use of computer (personal email or anything else not work related – people have a hard time with this simple thing)
o say thank you to those who help you
o avoid gossip (integrity), offensive language/jokes
o be prepared for change
ex. Project you’ve been working on for 5 weeks & due in 3 days is suddenly completely different & due tomorrow
Tips from Tim Harris, Kevin Timms
- if you notice VP or upper management on an email somewhere adjust reply email accordingly (learn who players are in companies)
- use MSN messenger & technologies to assist work
- make a different voicemail everyday, so people know where you are and how to get a hold of you
- book – Connect in Business in Under 90s
- volunteer – go help in industry you want to get into; work for free
- offer to do anything in organization
- 85% of jobs are unadvertised; 15% are advertised and have 90% of the competition
- Networking
o Let people know when you move, change jobs
o Send out happy new years, x-mas greetings
o Let me know if you change contact info
- get as much time off as possible
- phone people before interview and ask them what kinds of things will I be doing there
- resume; key words – left to right
o implemented ________ ….
- Training courses – keep track of them
- Banked overtime – can be used as $ or time
- In interview ask what’s your overtime structure
- Meetings – know who will be there
- Initiate – social events, etc.
- Black Book – everything you do goes here
- Learn to recognize communication & learning styles of people