Posts Tagged: Job Hunting
Guest Post: 3 Job Hunting Tips for College Athletes
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on August 12, 2010 at 8:34 am
This is a guest post by Eileen Wisnewski.
Graduation often signals the end of competition for most college athletes. This can be an emotional realization, as many graduating athletes would love to play just one more season.
While competing, the level of time and commitment college athletes give to their sport sometimes prevents them from properly planning for the next step in life after college. This can result in recent graduates feeling underprepared to start their professional lives.
The good news is that across career industries, many employers truly value and seek out the skills and abilities athletes possess. Whether they realize this or not, athletes develop some very important and marketable skills while playing their sport.
Victory comes to those athletes who are able to 1) identify these skills, and 2) communicate them in a resume, cover letter or during an interview. Here are three examples:
1. Teamwork
Athletes begin developing teamwork skills as early as elementary school. They realize the importance of working with others for the desired positive outcome. Each player must contribute for this to be achieved. Employers want to hire candidates who aren’t going to be showboats and who recognize that everyone contributes to the success of the team.
How to express this:
“While playing college soccer, I developed strong teamwork skills and understand the importance of working together to achieve success. An example of this was when…” (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, college athletes, Job Hunting
5 Career “Super Foods”
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Networking on July 9, 2010 at 11:37 am
As you can probably tell from reading my blog, I love lists. Top 10 These. Absolute 5 Thats. Well, I recently came across a fantastic list of 10 Everyday Super Foods, described by WebMD as “multitaskers,” such as nuts, blueberries and salmon, that are packed with multiple nutrients to help you stay healthy, promote wellness and weight control and taste good, too.
This got me thinking: What are the “Everyday Super Foods” for career success? What people, practices, tools and habits give you the biggest bang for your buck? Here is my list, and I hope you’ll share more “Career Super Foods” in the Comments.
1. Daily Goals. We often talk about annual goals or life goals, but successful people set — and achieve — small goals all the time (we sometimes call them priorities or to-do lists). Especially when you have a big goal — such as getting a new job, writing a book or launching a business — set small, daily goals that will keep you moving forward. Big goals are important, but small goals get the job done.
2. News. One of the most popular tips in my book, Getting from College to Career, is to read a newspaper every single day. Whether you read the headlines on your laptop, your phone, in an e-newsletter or a printed copy of the paper, it’s crucial that you keep up with world news, national news and the news of the particular industry you want to join. We live in the Information Age, so the most informed people are the ones who are most likely to succeed.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, job search, Networking
Lindsey on Good Day New York: Job Prospects for College Grads
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on May 21, 2010 at 10:41 am
Many thanks to Good Day New York for having me on as a guest this week! Watch the five-minute video here:
If you have trouble viewing the above, watch the video here.
4 Ways to Be a More Confident Job Seeker
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting on February 15, 2010 at 8:35 am
I’ll never forget what my driving instructor said to my mom while we were waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles the morning of my driver’s license test.
“She has the ability to pass. It’s going to come down to whether she thinks she can pass.”
I failed.
My driving instructor was exactly right. I had practiced enough and had the skills and knowledge to get my license. What I was missing was the confidence to actually do it.
I see this same situation all the time with college students and recent grads in the job market. They have the talent, skills and ability to get a job, but they lack the self-confidence it takes to land a position, especially in the ultra-competitive market we’re experiencing right now.
If you’re struggling with self-confidence, here are some tips:
1. Ask for feedback. Recruit a trusted relative, career services staff member, professor or friend to assess you honestly. Often we don’t even realize our strongest assets because they come naturally to us. Ask the person to list your best qualities and most impressive accomplishments. On the flip side, ask for constructive feedback on your weaknesses. Find out if the things you’re most concerned about — lack of experience, a less-than-desirable GPA, shyness, etc. — are legitimate concerns or if you’re obsessing over nothing. If your fears are unfounded, let them go once and for all!
2. Take action on any gaps. If you do determine some important weaknesses, develop a game plan for improving the key skills, knowledge or qualities you’ll need to land the job you want. Take action! Sign up for a coaching session at your career services office, register for an e-course, read a few instructional books or hire a career coach or tutor. Besides gaining the skills you need, you’ll have a great answer to the interview question, “What is your biggest weakness?” You’ll be able to say, “I identified a key weakness and here are the steps I took to overcome it.”
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, jobs
You Have More Experience Than You Think (Part III)
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on October 5, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Today I’m pleased to share my third and final post on all the types of experience you have that you might not be giving yourself credit for. I hope you find this valuable, and please share any additional suggestions in the Comments!
Part III: Personal Interests and Experiences
1. Investing. Have you put away money since your tenth birthday and watched your savings grow significantly? Are you active in trading and investing through your E*TRADE account? Do you currently manage your finances beyond balancing your checkbook? Since many high school and college students don’t manage their own money, your experience and knowledge could stand out.
2. Family business. If you’ve been part of your parents’ business development process or worked in a family-owned restaurant or store, your dinner table conversations may have involved hiring practices and workplace challenges. Even if you didn’t start the company, your experience is a source of knowledge and brings value to your job search.
3. Travel. Any trip that has broadened your perspective of the United States or the world adds value to your relevant work experience. Did you hike the Grand Canyon or backpack through Europe? Did you visit a country where you couldn’t even read the street signs? Be sure to tell potential employers how you overcame these challenges and broadened your life experience. (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Generation Y, Job Hunting
On the LinkedIn “Seek Week” Blog: Stop job hunting like it’s 1999!
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Recommended Resources Social Media on April 23, 2009 at 11:19 am
Thank you to the team at LinkedIn for inviting me to write a guest post for the LinkedIn Blog’s “Seek Week,” which is dedicated to helping ’09 grads find jobs.
LinkedIn has also launched a great resource for graduating seniors (and all college students and recent grads), the ’09 Grad Guide and a discussion group featuring helpful articles, job postings and Q&As.
Here is an excerpt from my guest article, “Stop Job Hunting Like It’s 1999: Dos and Don’ts for ’09 Grads”:
Job hunting is a journey, so I’d like to begin this post by paraphrasing from my favorite movie about a journey: The Wizard of Oz: We’re not in the 20th Century anymore, Toto.
This is the sentence I find myself thinking whenever a college student says something like, “I’ve sent out, like, a hundred resumes and I still haven’t found a job!” Emailing out resumes and waiting for a response used to be a perfectly decent strategy for finding a job. Not anymore. Today’s job seekers, especially ‘09 grads job hunting in a recession, need to be more creative, more proactive and more tech savvy than ever before. We are blessed to live in a time when there are so many new job hunting tools and techniques. Take advantage!
Here are some tips: Click here to read the rest of this article on the LinkedIn Blog…
Tags: college graduation, Job Hunting, LinkedIn
How to get a job in the recession: New videos, Q&As and downloadable worksheets
Posted in Career Advice Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Networking Recommended Resources Uncategorized on March 8, 2009 at 8:30 pm
The February jobs report came out on Friday and it was bad — even worse than expected. If you’re graduating this spring, or have recently graduated, you’re probably pretty frightened.
I absolutely understand we are in deep economic trouble, but I also know that there are opportunities available for young professionals who are smart, hardworking and willing to go the extra mile. PricewaterhouseCoopers has the same attitude. I’m currently working with PwC on a national project to help students and recent grads to “recession-proof your job search.” A few weeks ago I provided ten tips and a video on PwC’s website, and now we’re expanding the resources available to make sure you can find all the help you need to get a job.
Visit PwC.tv for:
Job search Q&As
Career advice vidoes
Downloadable worksheets on such topics as getting started, networking and personal branding
A blog to post your own questions for response by me and PwC’s career experts
Don’t miss out on all of these free resources — visit PwC.tv today and learn how to forget your fear and recession-proof your job search.
Career Q&A: Should I change my career plans because of the recession?
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Graduate School Job Hunting on March 3, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Q: I graduated in May with a political science major and am wondering what to do next. My plan was to apply to law school, but with so much student debt already incurred I am having second thoughts. I am currently working at a bank as a teller, but this is not the career I wish to pursue. With the current recession and unemployment rate I am terrified that I will be a bank teller forever. Any suggestions? — Lauren, Racine, Wis.
A: You are smart to consider your finances when making a decision about law school. However, if you’re sure you want to be a lawyer, I believe that where there’s a will there’s a way. Start researching scholarships, financial aid packages and part-time programs (which allow you to continue working) as ways to lessen the financial burden. Law can be a very lucrative career, so it’s OK to take on some debt to finance your education. However, if you are not sure you really want to be a lawyer, don’t apply until you’ve made up your mind.
Regarding your fear of becoming a bank teller forever, that is entirely up to you. If you are securely employed in that position right now, my best advice is to make the best of it, learn as much as you can in that position and network with your colleagues to help build your connections and your access to future opportunities.
In this tough job market, I wouldn’t recommend giving up a decent job. (Of course, if being a bank teller is sucking the life out of you, then you need to make a change, even if it means working in a pleasant retail environment or a coffee shop.)
Whether you keep your bank teller job for the short-term or not, it’s important to keep researching and networking in the industry in which you’d like to work. If it’s law, then subscribe to law journals, read legal blogs, attend networking events and professional association meetings for lawyers and ask everyone you know to introduce you to attorneys who would be willing to provide you with some advice and guidance.
Just because you’re not working or studying full-time in a field does not mean you can’t be part of it. Every action you take and connection you make now will help you position yourself for a career move when the economy turns around.
Click here to read more of my career Q&As on ABC News on Campus
Click here to submit a question of your own
Image: ABC News/Getty
Guest Post: Résumé Tips for a Bad Economy
Posted in Career Advice Economic Crisis Job Hunting Recommended Resources Resumes on February 20, 2009 at 12:30 am
It’s Friday! Today I’m happy to share a guest post from Lauren Randa Hasson, better known as the Résumé Girl. Lauren has great energy, great tips and a great blog. If you’re a college student or recent grad looking for resume help, check out her services. (She even offers a free initial consultation. Take advantage!)
After writing a recent post about resumes, I wanted to share advice from an expert on the topic. Lauren was gracious enough to provide a guest post with 10 tips designed to help you improve your resume — a crucial element of finding a job in the current economy. Over to you, Lauren…
Resume Tips for a Bad Economy
Résumé writing in a bad economy means taking extra steps to make sure you get noticed. Sending out more résumés does not necessarily improve your chances. But submitting résumés that are well written could mean the difference between getting the job or not. Here are The Résumé Girl’s top ten tips for résumé writing in a bad economy:
Tip #1: Include a List of Your Qualifications Right Up Front
Tell the reader who you are and what you want right away. Don’t make them search your résumé for this information because, unfortunately, they won’t. They’ll move on to the next. In the first section of your résumé, reiterate the key points in your cover letter. Be specific as to the kind of position you’re looking for. After all, they will only spend a few seconds with your résumé. Do them a favor and give them a cheat sheet.
Tip #2: Customize Your Section Headings for the Position
It might sound tedious, but customizing the section headings of your résumé is a great way to highlight the relevance of your résumé for the reader. For example, instead of writing “Work Experience,” tailor it to the job you’re applying for by highlighting the type of experience it is, like “Public Relations Experience.” If you do, even the busiest reader will take notice! You can also use this method to highlight your different levels of relevant experience. For example, you can list your “In-House Experience” separately from your “Agency Experience.”
Tip #3: List Your Most Relevant Qualifications First
Many jobseekers believe that their work experience needs to be listed in chronological order. However, listing your most relevant qualifications first will keep the reader from getting bogged down with filler information that doesn’t apply to the position and catch their eye. If you don’t have any relevant experience, put your education immediately following your summary of qualifications. (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, job search, resume
Career Q&A: How to make your resume stand out in a crowd
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Job Hunting Resumes on February 12, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Q: I’ve been applying for jobs since September and have not been called for a single interview. I’ve taken my resume to Career Services for a review and some tips, but still nothing. How can I make my resume stand out in a crowd?
A: You’ve taken the right first step, which is having an expert — in your case, career services — review your resume and make sure it’s the best it can be. However, having a good resume is not enough these days. Employers are being bombarded with resumes, so the real way to stand out is to promote yourself beyond sending in a resume. You have to go the extra mile to get noticed.
Depending on your situation and the types of jobs you’re applying for, here are some suggestions: (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, job search, resume
