Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Cool way to see if you're a match for the job!
I just discovered a cool way to visually see if you're a good match for a position, thanks to my colleague, Gary Bergmann, who is always on the cutting edge of technology and creativity! It's called Wordle http://www.wordle.net/. What you do is copy and paste your resume into the Wordle text box, and it will generate a graphic design of the words on your resume, highlighting the key words that appear most often. After you Wordle your resume, Wordle your cover letter too. Then Wordle the job description you're applying to in order to get a quick, visual depiction as to whether or not you're a good match for the position. If you're not seeing comparable key words standing out, then it's time to rewrite your resume and cover letter. Click here http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2944896/My_Resume to check out my resume Wordle. As you will so readily see, STUDENTS are the center of my universe!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Great news for 2011!
I just found out that my blog got picked up by the Riley Guide website, "A guide to the best the Internet has to offer for job search and career information," http://www.rileyguide.com/jsguides.html#guides. Woo hoo! What a great way to start the New Year!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Here's to a new year filled with P's and joy!
The day before Thanksgiving, one of my students stopped by my office to tell me that he had just received an offer for his dream position in a leadership program at a Fortune 500 company. His jubilation was hard to contain and quite contagious. He excitedly elaborated that the position would involve working on mergers and acquisitions and traveling around the world! Wow! I was so excited for him. But the best part of his story is that "Joe" demonstrated what I call the "Five P's for Career Success": passion, positivity, proactive approach, persistence and perseverance. Essentially, Joe didn't take "no" for an answer. His inspirational and motivational story embodied all of my "Five P's," so let me share it with you.
When Joe saw the position on our internal database of jobs, he realized that, unfortunately, his GPA did not meet the company's posted GPA requirement and, as a result, he was not eligible to apply for it. At this point, Joe could have given up...but he didn't. He contacted the Human Resources department of the company to see if he could arrange a half-hour informational interview, and they said "yes." After he met with the woman in HR, she was so impressed with him that she agreed to make an exception and allowed him to apply for the position. Well, three interviews later, it appears that Joe impressed quite a few people along the way because they offered him a spot in this highly coveted and competitive leadership program. Joe was one of only four seniors from across the country that was made an offer...out of a total candidate pool of 2500 seniors! Talk about inspirational!
I have heard countless similar stories to Joe's when student panelists share their success stories for finding internships and jobs during various career-related workshops. The underlying theme in all of their stories is their steadfast adherence to following the "Five P's."
Passion: You need to be able to demonstrate your passion for the position, career field and company at all times: in your cover letter and during all of your interviews. Companies want to hire people who are passionate about their business. If you owned a business, wouldn't you? They can clearly see through someone who isn't passionate. So, if you're not passionate about the internship/job, the career field, or the company, then you need to reassess your career plan. Are you making your choices based on what you think you're supposed to be doing, or because someone else said you should do it or because everyone else is doing it? What do YOU really want to do?
Positivity: This trait speaks for itself. Basically, employers want to hire positive people. And, as discouraging as your internship or job search may be at times, you need to keep your attitude positive. People can pick up on negative energy. Do whatever you need to do to keep yours positive.
Proactive approach: Take initiative in your job search. It will impress employers because most people don't do it. It also demonstrates how you will behave as an employee.
Persistence: Don't take "no" for an answer. If you really want something (see "Passion" above), you'll do whatever it takes to get it. If you're finding that you don't have the drive to do whatever it takes, then maybe you really don't want it.
Perseverance: Keep picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and moving forward no many how many times you've been rejected. We've all heard those quotes about how the most successful people in life failed so many times before achieving victory. Nobody wins every game and nobody gets every job. All you need is one.
By practicing my "Five P's" for career success, you'll inevitably obtain my "Sixth and Seventh P's": unlimited "possibilities" and your full"potential" in life. Now here's to a 2011 filled with "P's and joy!"
When Joe saw the position on our internal database of jobs, he realized that, unfortunately, his GPA did not meet the company's posted GPA requirement and, as a result, he was not eligible to apply for it. At this point, Joe could have given up...but he didn't. He contacted the Human Resources department of the company to see if he could arrange a half-hour informational interview, and they said "yes." After he met with the woman in HR, she was so impressed with him that she agreed to make an exception and allowed him to apply for the position. Well, three interviews later, it appears that Joe impressed quite a few people along the way because they offered him a spot in this highly coveted and competitive leadership program. Joe was one of only four seniors from across the country that was made an offer...out of a total candidate pool of 2500 seniors! Talk about inspirational!
I have heard countless similar stories to Joe's when student panelists share their success stories for finding internships and jobs during various career-related workshops. The underlying theme in all of their stories is their steadfast adherence to following the "Five P's."
Passion: You need to be able to demonstrate your passion for the position, career field and company at all times: in your cover letter and during all of your interviews. Companies want to hire people who are passionate about their business. If you owned a business, wouldn't you? They can clearly see through someone who isn't passionate. So, if you're not passionate about the internship/job, the career field, or the company, then you need to reassess your career plan. Are you making your choices based on what you think you're supposed to be doing, or because someone else said you should do it or because everyone else is doing it? What do YOU really want to do?
Positivity: This trait speaks for itself. Basically, employers want to hire positive people. And, as discouraging as your internship or job search may be at times, you need to keep your attitude positive. People can pick up on negative energy. Do whatever you need to do to keep yours positive.
Proactive approach: Take initiative in your job search. It will impress employers because most people don't do it. It also demonstrates how you will behave as an employee.
Persistence: Don't take "no" for an answer. If you really want something (see "Passion" above), you'll do whatever it takes to get it. If you're finding that you don't have the drive to do whatever it takes, then maybe you really don't want it.
Perseverance: Keep picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and moving forward no many how many times you've been rejected. We've all heard those quotes about how the most successful people in life failed so many times before achieving victory. Nobody wins every game and nobody gets every job. All you need is one.
By practicing my "Five P's" for career success, you'll inevitably obtain my "Sixth and Seventh P's": unlimited "possibilities" and your full"potential" in life. Now here's to a 2011 filled with "P's and joy!"
Monday, December 6, 2010
Communication skills are key to career success
Among employers taking part in NACE’s Job Outlook 2011 survey, verbal communication skills topped the list of “soft” skills they seek in new college graduates looking to join their organizations http://www.naceweb.org/Press/Releases/Top_Skills_for_Job_Candidates.aspx
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Land your dream job by tailoring your interview answers
Most students know that when they write a cover letter, they need to match their skills and qualifications to the job or internship requirements. Each cover letter needs to be carefully crafted and individually tailored for the specific position. So, too, with the job interview. In preparing your answers for an upcoming interview, you need to frame all of your answers in relation to the position at hand.
Let me give you an example. I recently conducted a mock interview with a student who was interviewing for an internship at a French-based fashion company in New York City. Not once during the interview did she mention that she was in the university's fashion club or the fact that she spoke French or that she had organized fashion shows as fundraisers during her high school years. Yet, she should have mentioned all of these things when I said to her, "So tell me a little bit about yourself." By stating all of the things in your life that are relevant to a given position, it shows the interviewer that you have a history of interest in the field and that you are passionate about it. Employers love to see that.
Here's another example. If you were to go on an interview for an accounting internship and the interviewer said, "What do you feel are your major strengths or skills?" you would want to gear them to the position. You wouldn't say that you're a great writer, or that you're creative, or that you can speak another language. While these are all wonderful skills, they aren't relevant for this particular position. A great way to plan this answer is to look at the job description beforehand and the qualifications the employer is looking for in a candidate. For an accounting position, they're probably looking for someone who is organized, detail-oriented, and analytical so these are the skills you should highlight in this answer.
Likewise, when the interviewer asks you, "So, tell me, what is your greatest weakness?" it can't be something that would make you a poor fit for the job. For example, if you were interviewing for a position that involved a lot of customer interaction, you wouldn't want to say that you often lose your temper with impatient people. If this statement is true about you, then you probably need to be looking for some other kind of work.
Lastly, when the interviewer asks what your future plans are, they should be related to the job you're interviewing for. Let's say you're interviewing for a marketing position. Then you shouldn't say that your future career goal is to be an investment banker. It just doesn't make sense and the interviewer will be questioning why you're even there in the first place. The exception to this rule would be if you're a freshman or sophomore and are exploring careers and testing out your options.
By precisely targeting your answers to match the job or internship requirements, you'll increase your chances of landing your dream job by successfully answering the ultimate question, "Why should we hire you?"
Let me give you an example. I recently conducted a mock interview with a student who was interviewing for an internship at a French-based fashion company in New York City. Not once during the interview did she mention that she was in the university's fashion club or the fact that she spoke French or that she had organized fashion shows as fundraisers during her high school years. Yet, she should have mentioned all of these things when I said to her, "So tell me a little bit about yourself." By stating all of the things in your life that are relevant to a given position, it shows the interviewer that you have a history of interest in the field and that you are passionate about it. Employers love to see that.
Here's another example. If you were to go on an interview for an accounting internship and the interviewer said, "What do you feel are your major strengths or skills?" you would want to gear them to the position. You wouldn't say that you're a great writer, or that you're creative, or that you can speak another language. While these are all wonderful skills, they aren't relevant for this particular position. A great way to plan this answer is to look at the job description beforehand and the qualifications the employer is looking for in a candidate. For an accounting position, they're probably looking for someone who is organized, detail-oriented, and analytical so these are the skills you should highlight in this answer.
Likewise, when the interviewer asks you, "So, tell me, what is your greatest weakness?" it can't be something that would make you a poor fit for the job. For example, if you were interviewing for a position that involved a lot of customer interaction, you wouldn't want to say that you often lose your temper with impatient people. If this statement is true about you, then you probably need to be looking for some other kind of work.
Lastly, when the interviewer asks what your future plans are, they should be related to the job you're interviewing for. Let's say you're interviewing for a marketing position. Then you shouldn't say that your future career goal is to be an investment banker. It just doesn't make sense and the interviewer will be questioning why you're even there in the first place. The exception to this rule would be if you're a freshman or sophomore and are exploring careers and testing out your options.
By precisely targeting your answers to match the job or internship requirements, you'll increase your chances of landing your dream job by successfully answering the ultimate question, "Why should we hire you?"
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