Are You Ready?

Thanksgiving is Almost Here!

Interview, resume important tests

BY HEATHER WARLICK-MOORE   

 

Without an excellent resume and cover letter, you may never be invited for an interview, said Frankie Walters, professional development coach and author of "Country Values ... City Wise: Lessons in Personal Development and Workplace Savvy.”

"I do believe that a professional, polished presence is very important for your in-person presentation, but getting seen with a resume is the same thing. It needs to be polished and professional,” Walters said.
In today’s job market, many people are vying for each job opening, so making a great impression from the moment your resume hits a prospective employer’s in-box is vital.
When Walters coaches people, she touches on the job search strategy, resume preparation, interview process and interview questions.
"Prepare, prepare, prepare,” she said. From researching the hiring company to writing a good resume and cover letter and practicing your answers to various interview questions, a job applicant can’t be overprepared, Walters said.
A job seeker has five to seven minutes to make a positive first impression, Walters writes in the workbook she uses in her workshops. The first impression consists 7 percent of verbal cues (content), 38 percent vocal cues (sound) and 55 percent visual (things such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, manners and grooming).
About 25 percent of jobs are filled by people the employer knows before the opening is formally announced, Walters said. Another 50 percent are filled by insiders who talk about the opportunity. So, networking opportunities such as social media sites are vital ways to keep potential jobs on your radar.
Walters suggests creating a list of all the people you know, telling them exactly what type of job you are seeking and asking each for two names of people you could contact. Follow up with these new contacts by e-mailing or mailing a resume.


Personal Finance Forum & Speed Networking
The Personal Finance & Speed Networking Event took place on 11/19/09 and was a great success!
Here are some quotes from individuals that went:
“Very informative, I learned a lot. As a freshman it’s really opened my eyes to what I need to do in my career.” Shae Grisham
“Being a freshman, it’s a very enriching experience for the college to do.” – Heather Walton
“This has been very beneficial.” –Rachel Blaich
"Lots of interesting people. Lots of information." - Ayna Plavanova

Some people also won different prizes:

Bluetooth – Ayna Palvanova

MP3 – Shae Grisham

USB – Eli Smith

Something New Called Focus 2!

Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.

It helps you decide what your major should be!

OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!

FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students.  It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors.  FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile.  Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.

Be sure to check it out today!

Events for the Week:

11/19	Speed Networking Personal Finance Forum
	212 Union
11/23	Vector Marketing
	10-2 Union
12/1	Career Mentor Closing Session
	5:30-7 Yates Dining Room
12/4	Avila University
	10-2 Union
12/7-8	Vector Marketing
	10-2 Mon 11-2 Tues Union

Etiquette Tip of the Week:

“When on a business trip, avoid alcohol on an airplane – drinking at high altitudes makes you more inebriated.  It is said that one drink on an airplane, counts for two drinks on the ground.  If they put one of those mobile staircases up to the airplane exit and you fall down it, taking out a senior citizen or a vacationing family with small children in the process, that will not be good imaging for your company. 

When traveling for business, you are representing your company and should, dress, speak and behave in a way that inspires confidence in your business and products.

   As you know, giving credit to the Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/ is the polite thing to do.

Quote from the Office:

“Britaaaash!” - Maggie

Winter!

It’s Getting Closer!

U.S. Job Openings Increase in Latest Hopeful Indicator

By MARK WHITEHOUSE and SARA MURRAY

U.S. companies are gradually ratcheting up their search for workers, a new Labor Department survey showed, which some economists see as a signal that the steep decline in the job market could be nearing an end.

The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey found that the number of job openings in the U.S. increased slightly in both August and September, the first two-month rise since early 2007. Hotels, restaurants, education and health care made the largest contributions; even such hard-hit sectors as manufacturing saw a rise.

A job fair in Los Angeles on Tuesday attracted hundreds of veterans.

"This is a hopeful sign," said Richard Berner, chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley in New York. "It suggests improvement in the broader labor market is possible within a few months."

The uptick in openings -- which include newly created or just vacated positions -- comes as other indicators have offered conflicting signals on the direction of what has been the worst job market in decades. On Friday, the government reported that the unemployment rate hit 10.2% in October, and economists believe the rate will remain above prerecession levels through 2019. At the same time, nonfarm payrolls shrank less than in previous months, suggesting the situation is worsening at a slower rate.

Separate reports on small business and extended layoffs Tuesday provided more clues that stabilization could be on the way. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that small-business sentiment improved slightly in October. Over the next three months, 16% said they plan to reduce employment, unchanged from the previous month's survey, and 9% said they plan to add workers, up two percentage points from last month.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported that the share of companies planning to recall workers laid off for at least 31 days rose to about 33% in the third quarter, from 29% a year earlier. Still, the number of such extended mass layoffs was at its highest point for any third-quarter period since at least 1995.

Economists found reason for optimism in the details of Tuesday's report on job openings. The rate of new hires as a percentage of all employment stayed steady at 3.1% for the second month in a row, suggesting openings are turning into actual employment. Perhaps more important, companies in sectors that tend to move in sync with the broader economy -- such as manufacturing and professional services -- added to their job openings for two straight months.

"This rise in manufacturing bodes well for at least a mild recovery in other areas," said Steven Wieting, U.S. economist at Citi Global Markets.

Maurice Toueg, a partner at executive-search firm CapstonePartnership, which specializes in hiring finance professionals, said he is feeling a bottom in the market. Recently, he said, one candidate turned down a strategy job at an investment bank paying more than $200,000 -- the first time he had seen that happen in a year.

"Once you start to see candidates turn down jobs, clearly the market has started to turn," said Mr. Toueg, who expects his business to be steady this year after falling about 40% last year.

Still, competition for most available jobs is fierce. The number of job seekers for each opening declined slightly in September, but still stood at about six -- more than double the 10-year average.

The competition is evident at Country Crossing, a new 375-acre entertainment venue in Dothan, Ala., that is hiring 600 people to staff its three restaurants, RV park and other facilities. A recent three-day job fair to hire 100 restaurant workers drew about 3,000 applicants.

"You'd even be surprised at the ages: all the way from 16 to, gosh, 75 years old," said Doug Rainer, director of communications for Country Crossing.

Something New Called Focus 2!

Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.

It helps you decide what your major should be!

OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!

FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students.  It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors.  FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile.  Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.

Be sure to check it out today!

Events for the Week:

11/12	Navy Lunch & Learn
	11:30-1 White Dining Room
11/16	City of Kansas City, MO Info
	212 Union
11/19	Speed Networking Personal Finance Forum
	212 Union
12/1	Career Mentor Closing Session
	5:30-7 Yates Dining Room

Etiquette Tip of the Week:

 If someone sends you an incendiary or insulting email, do not respond immediately.  Do not dwell on it.  Do not read it over and over, which will just make you angrier.  If you can, let it sit for a few hours or even overnight.  If the one who sent it is sitting on top of his/her computer waiting for a response, this will drain some of the steam out of that person like a bag of microwave vegetables. 

When you do respond, respond in a calm and professional manner.  Avoid arguments over email and especially "Reply to all" arguments.

Quote from the Office:

“A bunch of Zetas came and said ‘Oh Manny , we love you! Come and eat chili with us!’” - Manny

Here We Go!

November is here!

A Recruiters Guide to the Universe

Three Truths For Your Job-Search

There are as many experts on job-search as there are people (currently around 6.7 billion) and weeding through the clutter can be very difficult. However there are three truths that no one can deny are most important in the search for a new opportunity.

1)      The most qualified person does not always get the job.

I have seen it time and time again – a person whose qualifications are spot on to the job description gets passed over and doesn’t understand why. There are countless reasons why that happens – personality, interview style, what shoes they wore to the interview, they came across too confident, they were not excited enough about the opportunity, or probably one of the next two truths.

2)      The person who is able to articulate why they should be hired usually is.

Whether you are sending in a résumé or sitting in front of a hiring manager you have to be able to effectively communicate why you should be hired. Having one general reason is not enough – you should have a minimum of five specific reasons, with examples, of why you are the best out there.

3)      It is not always about what you know rather who you know.

Without a doubt the most powerful weapon you have in your job-search arsenal is your network.  Personal relationships are important because most companies would rather hire a known entity rather than someone off the street. The bigger your personal network (not your online network) the more likely you are to uncover new opportunities and receive personal introductions to decision makers. To understand some of the basics on how to build your personal network check out our previous post Sourcing Opportunities (Positive and Productive Networking).

Until next time – good hunting and good luck!

Something New Called Focus 2!

Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.

It helps you decide what your major should be!

OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!

FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students.  It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors.  FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile.  Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.

Be sure to check it out today!

Events for the Week:

11/9	Grad School Seminar
11/9	Rockhurst University MBA
	10-2 Union
11/9	Kaplan Test Prep
	10-2 Union
11/9-10	Vector Marketing
	10-2 Mon 11-2 Tues Union
11/12	Navy Lunch & Learn
	11:30-1 White Dining Room

Quote from the Office:

“I don’t want to creep on dumpsters!” -Maggie