As much I’d like to stay in college forever, it’s inevitable. Soon enough the time will come for all seniors to the college cradle and jump into the big, bad, scary world. On Dr. Nixon’s blog, I found an incredibly helpful post with every resource I needed. But, I’ve included some extra useful resources below.
Resume:
1. Tailor it specifically for the job you’re applying for: I have done a lot work in theater and dance, but a business person does not care about my experience on stage. Therefore, I make two separate resumes: one reflecting my qualifications in the arts and the second reflecting my qualifications in business.
2. Stick to a one page resume: If you’re fresh out of college, there’s no reason to have more than one page
For more resume tips visit Resumes That Resonate.
Interviewing
1. Be educated with the company you are applying for: Before my interview with the YMCA, I researched the history of the Y and their core values. Even though they didn’t ask me these questions, I was prepared to answer other questions better.
2. Speak articulately: You’re probably nervous but try to diss the “ums,” “likes,” and “you knows” as much as possible!
3. Don’t speak bad about your last job or boss: It makes you look bad (not your boss).
For more visit Doh! 50 stupid job interview mistakes
Where???
The most obvious frustration is not knowing where to get started. Believe it or not, social media can help.
1. Get on the bandwagon: Slowly emerge yourself with some helpful social media
-Twitter: join a chat geared toward your field of interest. PRstudchat and HAPPO have helped me, a PR student, immensely. Hundreds of professionals, all in one place and happy to help out students!
-Linked In: Upload your resume and connect with some businesses in your local area. Add your Linked In resume to your website, blog or Twitter profile. Make it easy for people to see your qualifications.
-WordPress/Blogspot: Blogging gives you a personality. An interview is professional and formal, but a blog is creative and fun. Only add a blog onto a resume, though, if it is a worthwhile read with no errors.
For more read Using Social Media to Find a Job
Great advice Tiffany! I think your point about customizing your resume is especially important… it is so easy these days to send out resumes en mass, but taking the time to make sure you position yourself to the company you want to work for will help distinguish you from other applicants!
And it’s great to hear that PRStudChat an HAPPO have helped
This is excellent advice! I’m sure it seems like college is flying by, because it is for me and I am only a freshman! Good luck in your future, and I will remember this post when I am graduating and scared about job searching!
I think that it is crucial to change your resume for each potential employer. One tip that I read was to even copy and paste the job description into the objective section of your resume and simply put it in your own words. If you highlight the keywords that the company is looking for, you are definitely more likely to get the position than the person who sent out a general resume.
It is important to capture the employer’s attention because, more often than not, they spend their day reading through piles of resumes. Someone has got to stand out and grab their attention.
A resume is a description of yourself, your skills and a basic statement of what you have to offer the company. If you can’t take a few extra minutes to make a special resume, the employer won’t take a few seconds to look over your resume. Sad, but true!!
Good tips for those unfamiliar with how to go about job searches. It can be very difficult, in a bad economy or a good one, to land a the job you’re looking for; sometimes you even have to take a job you’re not that interested in just to get by (just make sure you don’t get stuck there if it’s not what you want to end up doing). I’ve come to find that one-page resumes are best for college graduates as well, as some employers aren’t willing to take the time to read through an entire dissertation of a job seeker’s resume. It does also help to know what the job you are applying for entails in order to tailor your resume to that position, as you mentioned. Knowing what the position entails will allow you to answer questions using relevant terminology, which may catch the employer’s attention… Great advice.
Getting job in this economy can be very difficult. I am proud to say that I recently got hired at a church. Before this church, it was difficult. I was searching and searching all over. I turned in about 20 aplications to many business and companies. I only got one interview out of 20. Now this church heard about me and wanted to bring me on, but I continued to work on my resume and even the interview process. As long as you stay strong in searching, you will find a job that fits perfectly.
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I got a lot of good advice from this blog post – thank you! It is true, we can’t stay in college forever although it seemed like that when I first started. I agree that it’s important that you find out about the company that you are applying for. When you start researching you might spark a passion and that will also show through. It’s so easy now for students to send out mass resumes via internet so it’s important that you do something to make you stand out above the crowd. I enjoyed reading your advice because I will be in the same boat as you rather soon.
[...] Breakfast at Tiffanys [...]
Don’t you wish you COULD stay in college?! Another great place to find what NOT to do is on Len Kendall’s Posterous blog. He posted an email of an intern candidate there. Let me see if I can find it.
http://lenkendall.posterous.com/best-intern-application-ever-and-by-besti-mea
Don’t do this!
Incredibly great writing! Truely.
breakfastatiffanyssss.wordpress.com’s done it again! Amazing read!