Posts Tagged: job search
Career Q&A: How to make your resume stand out in a crowd
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Job Interview Advice Job Search Tips Networking Advice Networking and Personal Branding Personal Branding Resume Tips 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…)
Free “extra help” for your job hunt: Forte Foundation Virtual Campus
Posted in Generation Y/Millennials Job Search Tips Recommended Career Resources on November 16, 2008 at 3:08 pm
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, I’m sure it won’t surprise you that I was the kind of student who went to “extra help” sessions after class. I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity to do well and get a good grade. This was especially true in classes like Calculus, where I felt totally overwhelmed during regular class hours (okay, and maybe a little distracted by the cute hockey player who sat next to me).
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your job hunt or career management (particularly in this very challenging economy), there are places you can turn for extra help after hours. I’ve written before about the fact that university career services offices provide free job search and career help to all students and alumni, but I’m aware that these offices can be overbooked and, of course, only open during the day.
If you need more help, more resources and more advice, and you need all of this late at night or on the weekends (and, let’s be honest, it’s hard to fit in a job search when you have classes and/or a full-time job) , here is a new resource I recommend: (more…)
Book Review: “Courting Your Career”
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips Networking Advice Networking and Personal Branding on May 31, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Shawn is associate director with the MBA career management center at UNC-Chapel Hill. He knows that job searching isn’t always fun for students and young professionals, so he decided to use the dating metaphor to make the process more palatable. It works. Shawn’s tone is friendly, knowledgeable and detailed, and the dating metaphor is clever (e.g., cover letters as pick-up lines).
My favorite part of the book is the sample scripts, where Shawn outlines exactly what to say in various situations, such as calling a networking contact or approaching a recruiter at a career fair. He also provides some tips I haven’t seen elsewhere, such as a guide to the best places for men and women to buy interview suits (helpfully ranked by price).
Recommended for Gen Y job seekers looking for expert advice combined with a fun twist on the career search process.
Click here for a preview of tips from Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job.
For more, check out Shawn Graham’s Courting Your Career Blog.
What does your voice mail greeting say about you?
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Internships Job Search Tips Professionalism on March 31, 2008 at 8:00 am
I spent this weekend speaking at the National Conference on Student Leadership in Atlanta, where I met some incredibly talented and interesting student leaders. In one workshop, we spent some time on the topic of voice mail greetings — what to do, and perhaps more importantly, what not to do.
In today’s super-busy world, callers are more likely to get your voice mail than you personally. So, if you’re in the middle of a job or internship search, make sure your greeting reflects the professionalism you will show on the job.
If you have a—ahem—less-than-appropriate voice mail greeting on a phone you plan to use for your job search (“Hey, leave a message” or the one I’m hearing a lot lately, “Don’t leave a message”), re-record a new one. “Hi, this is Laura Roberts. Please leave me a message and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.” That’s all you need.
Potential employers should feel as if they’re calling another desk in their office, because that’s exactly where you want your phone to be someday. This is a simple change to make, and it can make a world of difference.
