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 February 27th, 2013  Use Job Search E-mail Alerts The job search process can be complicated and time-consuming. But let’s be honest; there are some job search activities that are more effective than others. It’s better to spend time on activities that are high-yield (are more likely to result in actual job offers) than on ones that are low-yield. Scouring online job boards is a time-consuming, low-yield activity. So here’s a tip for freeing up some of your time: use job search email alerts.
- Many job search engines, including two of our favorites, Indeed.com and Idealist.org, provide some way to email jobs that meet your interests directly to your inbox. These are sometimes called job search email alerts or job search agents.
- Save multiple alerts for different search criteria you may have, such as ones by geographic location, by position type, and by keyword. For example, you may have one alert searching for graphic design internships in the Los Angeles area and a second alert searching for museum internships in Seattle.
- If the email alerts you begin receiving are not quite the type you are looking for, go back to the original alert you created and revise it.
- Once you’ve saved, and possible refined, your alerts, stop scouring the job boards – let the search engine do that work for you. Just check the emails you receive, and apply to the ones that are of most interest.
- The key to this tip is to use the time you might have used searching job boards to focus on high-yield activities – attend networking events, initiate informational interviews, conduct in-depth employer research, and write tailored resumes and cover letters.
By admin, on August 29th, 2012  Even if you’re completely sure about your choice of major, it’s still a good idea to explore multiple disciplines, and your freshman year in college is a great time to start. There’s usually less room in your academic schedule to fit in classes from other departments the further along you get in your major, so take the time to explore while you have the chance.
- Try out classes that will give you exposure to new skills, or topics that you just find fascinating.
- Maybe take a class with an especially well-respected professor, or one that you know will force you to think in new ways.
- Consider classes that will allow you to meet a wider range of students and faculty. One of my former students, a bio-chemistry major, took a few theatre arts classes in her freshman year. Although she later had no time in her schedule to take more classes in the theatre department, the friendships she made in those first classes have lasted well beyond graduation. She knows that she likely would not have made those connections had she not taken the classes outside her discipline.
- Taking classes in another discipline may also open up opportunities to add a minor or even for a double major.
Of course, work closely with academic advising to ensure any courses you take don’t conflict with your required course load. Give yourself exposure to a variety of classes – at worst, you’ll confirm your interest in your own major, at best, you’ll make some new friends, learn something new, and broaden your horizons.
By admin, on June 30th, 2009 (I originally posted these tips on Twitter. @sweetcareers)
- Use a formal business style when writing your cover letter, whether you send it in the body of an e-mail, as an attachment or in paper form
- Address the letter to a person, i.e. Dear Mr./Ms. ___:
- Send to “Hiring Committee” only if necessary; please do not address the letter “To Whom it May Concern:”
- Strong cover letters will be tailored to specific employers and emphasize how you can benefit the company
- Explain your reason for writing the cover letter in the first paragraph. Offer a brief highlight of your qualifications in the introduction, too
- Be sure to provide concrete examples of your qualifications in the body of letter; this doesn’t need to re-iterate entire resume
- In the conclusion of cover letter, say that you’ll contact the employer to follow up on your application materials in 1 week. Then, be certain to follow up!
(Watch “Cover Letters for College Students and Recent Grads“)
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