By admin, on March 28th, 2013  Stop using your .edu email address By senior year, if you haven’t already done so, you should stop using your .edu email address on application materials. Some universities deactivate your email accounts shortly after graduation. Moreover, you want employers to become accustomed to contacting you at your non-college address and thinking of you as a new professional, not a college student.
- Of course, be sure the email is professional in nature, for example, first.lastname@gmail.com.
- In case you’ve been using something like hottiehot@email.com for the last four years, you may also want to start using a more professional-sounding email address.
- If you have already started sending out resumes and cover letters with a college email address on it, this could be a good reason to follow up with those employers with an updated resume.
- Remember to set up an email forwarder on any email accounts that you may have used in the past to ensure you don’t miss responses from potential employers.
By admin, on March 20th, 2013
 Network by phone, Skype or through social media. Question: I’m a non-traditional college student. I work full time during the day, have a part time job and I’m taking college courses at night, or online, and during the weekends. I am also raising two school age kids. My school offers some networking events, but I’m usually at work or in class when they are happening. I know I’m supposed to network, but I can’t figure out a practical way to get to any networking events or to meet people in my field. At the moment, I don’t work in the field that I want to get into, so I kind of have to start from scratch. How am I supposed to networking with people? ~ Abira, Detroit, MI
Answer: Abira, first let me congratulate you on working so hard and managing so many important responsibilities at once. You’re right, networking is a vital part of an effect job search, but it is not feasible for every job seeker to attend every networking event. Here are some tips for fitting networking into your busy schedule.
Set up phone or Skype informational interviews:
- Meeting in person is not the only option when it comes to networking. Conducting informational interviews is an excellent way to gather valuable information about your field, a particular company, or an occupation. Moreover, info interviews give you a safe venue for introducing yourself to potential contacts. Fortunately, these don’t have to be done in person.
- Identify professionals in your future field and within your geographic region; a site like LinkedIn or a professional association are good places to start looking for possible contacts.
- Since your college career center offers networking opportunities, get in touch with their office and let them know that, while you would very much like to go to the events, your schedule does not allow for you to attend. Ask if they can share the contact information for the employers or alumni who will be participating in the on-campus networking events.
- The info interviews do not have to be particularly long, especially if you prepare specific questions in advance. 15 to 20 minutes could give you plenty of time to ask questions while also sharing some information about yourself, your career interests and goals.
- Try to schedule the info interviews over lunch, during breaks, in between classes, or on the weekends.
Continue reading Questions Answered: How can I network with my busy schedule? »
By admin, on March 14th, 2013  Video Conference Interviews A while ago, we participated in #ResuChat, a bi-weekly chat hosted by @JackalopeJobs every other Tuesday on Twitter (UPDATE – this chat is no longer running). The Feb. 26 chat discussed different types of interviews; check out the wrap up here.
A question raised during that chat was how to prepare for Skype or phone interviews. We wanted to share a few of those tips, plus a few more, with a focus on some frequently overlooked suggestions:
- Long before your interview, use your camera phone, iPad or webcam to record yourself responding to sample interview questions. Listen for voice clarity, and pay close attention to your body language/movement.
- Make sure the interviewer has your phone number and email address and you have theirs, in case you run into any connection problems.
- Remember to account for time zone differences and day light savings or standard time.
- Make sure your batteries (for your phone, laptop or tablet) are fully charged or stay plugged in during the interview.
- Have at least one backup plan in place in case you get cut off during the interview. For example, if you have a Skype interview scheduled, make sure you have a phone on hand if Skype stops working. Likewise, have a second phone, (perhaps a landline), available if you are scheduled for a phone interview.
- For Skype, add the interviewer’s account in advance of the interview, and give the interviewer your account name, as well.
Continue reading Quick Tip: Preparing for Skype or Phone Interviews »
By admin, on March 6th, 2013  Be the Solution Guest Author: Carole Martin, The Interview Coach
Website: http://www.interviewcoach.com
The absolute worst way to go to an interview is with the attitude of: “Please, please – hire me.”
When you go to an interview with that attitude you appear desperate. And even though you actually may be desperate in a difficult job market, you don’t want to appear that way.
The demeanor and attitude that you bring to the interview will set the tone for the entire interview.
Let’s look at it from the employer’s/interviewer’s point of view.
You are the employer and are seeking a solution to a problem. Your best sales person has just left and you have no one to cover the territory. You are hoping that you can find some who is capable to help you solve this problem. You are tired of interviewing candidates who seem to fall short. You would like to find a good person who can do the job and take over the problem. This will allow you to get back to your job to get on with your work.
And one afternoon a candidate walks in who appears to be confident, has a lot of energy, and who seems to understand your problem. This candidate is very personable and has a great attitude toward the type of situation you need to be filled. There is a real connection between the two of you. He “gets you.”
The more questions you ask this candidate the more excited you become about his qualifications. He presents himself with confidence. He doesn’t just say he’s good at closing sales, he gives great examples of times when he not only closed sales – but he exceeded expectations.
Continue reading Become the Solution To The Job Interviewer’s Problem »
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