Friday, November 11, 2011

Let's Get Started!

As a new year starts so do new traditions. Okay so maybe keeping a blog isn’t a tradition but it is something I have wanted to start for a while. This is the Career Services blog, it is going to be filled with funny stories from the office, up coming events and tips for etiquette and job hunting! I am so excited that for whoever actually reads this gets to go on this journey with me. So let’s get started.

Every week there will be at least one post about the happenings in the office by me or someone from the office. Plus I will introduce a new person each week, so when you come in you’ll know a familiar face.

This week’s Career Services employ being introduced is me! I am a freshman here at William Jewell College and I absolutely love it here. It is a great experience and I can’t wait for the rest of my college experience. I am a triple major here at Jewell, my majors are Business Administration, Organizational Communication and the ACT-IN major. So basically I am going to be a busy person. In life I hope to work in marketing or advertising. It just fits my personality so well and I am blessed to go to a school that offers great programs too. My hobbies are fishing, reading, and photography. I am in love with life and can’t get enough of it either! It is just so exciting and fun that I make the very best of every opportunity.

Here in the office I really just help out people who come in looking for help with a resume or job search, I'm still kinda learning the ropes but I am getting there. Career Services is here for you! To get to the office go to the second floor of the Union, go past the perch and turn right! You’ll see our door open so just walk right in and you’ll see a smiling face welcome you to our little office.

If you really want to keep up with all the happenings in the office join our Facebook groups and follow us on Twitter. We post a lot of information on the Facebook pages and quick stuff on the Twitter! (The links are located on the left side of the page!)

For whoever is reading this, just have a great weekend, stay safe and good luck job hunting!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Grad School Career Fair and Seminar

Thursday November 17

Career Fair: YGCU Atrium
11am - 1pm
Avila
Kaplan Test Prep
Mid America Nazarene
Park University
Rockhurst University
UMCK Bloch School of MGT
University of Missouri School of Law
University of Saint Mary

Seminar: YGCU 212
2:15pm - 3:15pm
Kaplan Test Prep
UMKC Bloch School of MGT
University of Missouri School of Law


Monday, October 24, 2011

This Week's Events

10/26/11 - Workforce Recruitment Program Intv.

10/28/11 - Park University Career Fair

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Creating a Killer Cover Letter

By Lindsay Olson

Many job seekers question whether or not they should send a cover letter with their resume. It’s a question that’s up for debate between job search professionals, and you’ll receive conflicting advice everywhere.

People skip the cover letter because they think that companies don’t read them and that they are a waste of time to write. While it is true that some hiring managers and recruiters won’t take the time to read a cover letter, plenty of companies do consider one necessary for a candidate to receive serious consideration. Not sending a cover letter for a position could be a risky move, so if you are extremely interested in the position for which you’re applying, your best bet is to include one.

Think of your cover letter (or introductory letter) as a high-level overview of your resume and an additional tool to elaborate any specific information. It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your strengths and answer any possible objections up front. Focus the content on the specific skills that the job description mentions so that the hiring manager knows right away that you fit her criteria. Once you’ve covered that and have gained the reader’s attention, you can use it fill in any details that might not fit on or be appropriate for your resume.

For example, if you are applying for a job that requires French language skills, it might not be fitting to mention in your resume that you lived in France for a few years as a teenager with your family, but your cover letter is the perfect place to tell that story.

If you foresee any obstacles, such as in the case of applying for a job out of state, mention them in your letter. Let’s say you are applying for a job in New York City and live in Utah, but plan to move to New York soon; let the company rep know so she doesn’t feel like you’re looking for a relocation package. If you are planning on being in the region where you are applying for jobs, make sure you include this early on in your cover letter.

Successful Cover Letters

There’s no single formula for success when it comes to writing a stellar cover letter, but you can be sure that the more unique and creative your cover letter, the more attention it will get. A quick cut and paste job changing the title of the position won’t cut it. The meat of the cover letter should be customized for the specific position using the job description and your knowledge of the company as a guide about what to cover in the introduction.

Relate your experience to the job description. The best cover letters should leave the reader with the desire to call you to come in for an interview before even opening your resume.

Keep the letter relatively short. It’s an introduction to you and your resume, so three to five paragraphs should suffice. Resist the temptation of writing a full page (or more) to get in all of the great things about you; it’s better to keep some of that for the interview.

Address your letter to the hiring manager, and if at all possible, get his or her name. A personalized letter is much better than one addressed “To Whom It May Concern.”

What to Include

  • Start your letter by identifying the position you are interested in and where you found it (this is unnecessary if you are applying through a job site directly). If the company is hiring for more than one position that you’re interested in and qualified for, specify which ones. Only choose the positions for which you are a close enough fit. Otherwise, your search comes across as unfocused.
  • Provide three outstanding reasons why you are ideal for the job. It’s not enough to say, “I’m the perfect fit for this role.” Instead, you should back it up with examples. Refer back to the job description to align what you focus on with the responsibilities and challenges of the position.
  • Bullet points or a table to match your background to the requirements works well to highlight your three main points. They’re visually easy to skim, and they show the reader where her eyes should focus. Stick to just three (maybe four) points, rather than a long list. Your resume should answer the rest.
  • Don’t forget your contact information! Provide both your e-mail address and your phone number, as well as any links to your portfolio or samples of your work.

And finally, don’t be too stuffy. Yes, your letter should be professional, but it should also show your personality. Be relaxed in your letter, and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. Sometimes the job description can give you an idea of the company’s formality. If the description is a bit off the wall and personable, respond in a similar tone. On the other hand, if the job description is very stilted and formal, a more traditional letter may appeal more to the reader.


Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs, a niche job board for public relations, communications and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Choose Your Boss Wisely


11:53 AM Wednesday April 20, 2011

by Priscilla Claman

Most job-seekers aren't just looking for the right work — they're looking for the right manager, too. To a large extent a manager will control your assignments and your work environment, so it makes sense to try to learn more about her long before you're hired.



But in an hour-long interview with a hiring manager, you will be lucky to get fifteen minutes to ask your own questions. For this reason, as a job candidate you should not only be concerned with your answers to a hiring manager's questions, and but also a potential manager's answers to your questions.



It was early in my career when I first used this technique. I was the interviewee, and let's just say the hiring manager reputedly had a management style akin to that of a Mafia boss — ruthless, and obsessed with loyalty. I asked if there was someone working for him that he considered a real star that I could learn from. He was quick to answer:



"That would be Barbara. One time, I gave her an assignment and she came back to me pleading that I give it to someone else. She didn't feel comfortable doing it, and said that in all the years she had worked for me she had never asked for anything but this. Of course, I told her that I had given her an assignment, and expected her to do it. Barbara said, 'Yes, boss,' and did it. And that is why she is the star on my team."



I learned more about his management style in that answer than if I had asked him directly. I had enough information right there to make my own decision.



To make an informed judgment about your potential boss, it's important to ask the right questions during the interview:



1.Start out by asking about a past project or accomplishment in detail. Get into specifics. Instead of hearing responses like, "I believe in delegating to my people," you'll want to get to, "We had a weekly meeting on the project, and people came to me between meetings with something they wanted my help with..." Make it a point to find out what the manager did, not just what she read in the latest issue of HBR. This way you'll begin to understand how she actually conducts business in practice, and whether or not that's a culture you want to be a part of.

2.Ask about customers or colleagues. A good starting point is, "Can you give me an example of a typical customer, and what they are like?" Not only do you want to know what the customers are like, but also the manager's attitude toward customers. If you are great with customers and your manager doesn't respect them, your manager probably won't like you. And if you treat customers the way your manager does — i.e., without respect — your customers won't like you either.

Even before the Q&A section of the interview, look for repeated patterns of unconscious behavior. This will help you predict future behavior. Notice how the interviewer is saying things, not just what he is saying. Does he spend a lot of time talking about himself? Does he often use the word "I," and never use "we" to describe his department? You can expect that manager to be pretty self-focused. Or, does the manager talk about "the team" and compliment or refer to others on the team? If you are a team-oriented person, you probably will have an easier time working for the second manager, regardless of what the job is.



Listen carefully during the interview. Does the manager grill you? Challenge your answers? Not let you get a word in edgewise? You can expect that to continue on the job. Or, does the manager welcome you? Show you around? Give you a chance to present yourself? You can expect that in the future, too.



Just as in my interview with Mr. Mafia Management Style, get the data on your potential boss early on — then decide if he's the right manager for you. This way, when you accept an offer after you have learned what to expect from your manager, you are much more likely to be secure in your success.



And if you're wondering if I answered "yes" to the offer from the "boss" — well — that's a topic for another time.





Priscilla Claman is president of Career Strategies, Inc., a Boston-based firm offering career coaching to individuals and career management services to organizations. Priscilla is a former corporate Human Resources executive and author of the book, ASK: How to Get What You Want and Need at Work.



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!



Etiquette Tip of the Week:

Some people introduce a guest speaker, then make a run for it. Can't get away fast enough. They are moving at such a pace that they should be sponsored by Nike or Gatorade. The guest speaker has not even reached the stage and the person who introduced him or her flies by without even shaking hands. Or that person dives off the stage in the opposite direction. Where's the fire?



When introducing a speaker, wait at the lectern until the speaker gets there. Shake hands with the speaker, then walk --don't run-- back to your seat. If you are the guest speaker, wait for the emcee to return to the lectern and shake hands before departing.

As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com





This will be the last blog post for this school year. It will start back up again in August. Be looking for it!

Thank you to all who have read the blog this year!

-Career Services Office

Friday, April 29, 2011


 Tuesday, April 26, 2011

5 Tips to Get a Job in 2011

Make relationships to find your next job!
by Clarky Davis | FNC iMag

If you’re job hunting, the days of printing out résumés and sending them to every company you can think of are over. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s all about networking. While networking may seem daunting at first, it’s not only a quicker and easier route to landing a new job, it can help remove some of the isolation you may feel if you’re unemployed. Not sure where to start, or want to maximize your network? Follow the tips below.

LinkedIn
With its online community recently surpassing 100 million users, LinkedIn is a must for job-seekers. On LinkedIn, you can create a profile, add your résumé and skills, and connect with business colleagues and friends past and present. What separates LinkedIn from other social networking sites is that it allows your online persona to remain completely professional. You won’t have to worry about “friending” business associates on Facebook or Twitter and then having your friends post unprofessional photos of you for everyone to see!

Beyond.com
Beyond.com is another valuable resource for job-seekers to network online. The thing I love about this site is that you can browse their extensive lists of local and national networks by location or occupation. Check out their Engineering channels, for example, and you’ll find 164 communities and online job boards for specialties like chemical engineering, electrical product managers, safety engineers, and more.

Hit Up the Big Boys
Which large, national companies in your field are always hiring? Find contacts who work at these companies through your networking efforts, and make sure to introduce yourself. Ask your contact if you can take them out to lunch or a cup of coffee to find out more about their company. You’ll gain insider knowledge, and your contact will think of you first if an opportunity arises. Also keep in mind that the U.S. government is always hiring for a wide variety of positions. Visit USAJobs.gov to browse openings by agency, state or occupation.

Think Local
One of the best places to network is at a local level. Go to CareerOneStop.org and select your state on the upper right to connect to your state’s department of employment and find out about local job postings and upcoming career fairs. You can also find resources to learn more about different types of careers and free job training that may be available to you.

Keep It Up
Remember, networking is an ongoing process that doesn’t end with posting your résumé! Make sure to stay active in your communities, both online and off. Get together with other job-seekers regularly to keep up your spirits and share any leads you’ve found. It may take a while, but with a little networking you can land the job of your dreams.

For more financial tips, visit Clarky's website. And for more career tips, click here.
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!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
Remember what they used to tell you in grammar school about brushing your teeth? Ignore your teeth and they will go away.

The same is true for a good secretary, assistant or other administrative professional. April 27 is Administrative Professionals Day. In a tough economy when organizations make do with less, more work falls to the administrative professionals, so treat them right. Do something special for that day -- take them to lunch, buy some flowers, a gift or gift certificate, let them go home early. Year round, be attentive, make eye contact, say thank you, recognize effort, offer encouragement and most importantly, a kind word.

 As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Friday, April 8, 2011

How Many Thank-You E-mails Land the Job?

After a job interview, you need to follow up to stay visible—without becoming a pest. Consultant Lynn Taylor offers tips on finding the right frequency

I once had two excellent and equally qualified candidates competing in the final round for a public relations writer position. The job took longer to fill than anticipated. Candidate A was virtually silent after the interview and thank-you e-mail. I did all the reaching out thereafter to ensure that this applicant was still available. Candidate B sent the thank-you and also checked in about every 10 days with interesting links and industry information.
When I called to thank Candidate B, he was enthusiastic, professional, and upbeat, which underscored my impression from the first two interviews. We spoke again after another of his e-mails. He managed to stay top of mind during the search period. Finally, I had the time and resources to act on making the hire. I had to go with my gut: Since Candidate B went out of his way to demonstrate his interest for the job, I selected him. He remained part of my team for years until he had to relocate for personal reasons.
So Candidate A lost out in large part because he failed to follow up with enthusiasm. But over the course of my career, I've also had to exclude candidates from the running because they made pests of themselves after the interview.

Pressure Tactics That Don't Work

I once interviewed a prospective candidate who was in good stead for a writer/researcher position. I told him I needed a few weeks and would get back to him. But within a couple days he launched a barrage of e-mails and calls and continued for a few weeks, sometimes hinting he had other job opportunities. While he truly may have had these other offers, his mention of them struck me as a pressure tactic. It rubbed me the wrong way, as it would any hiring manager. The typical reaction is: "If you have another great offer, don't let us stop you."
(On a side note, if you really do have another offer pending and feel that the hiring manager would want to know because you're a finalist, then a separate, more urgent voice mail or e-mail makes sense. Don't name the other employer—simply explain that "I'm more interested in the job with your organization, but I do have to make a decision." Make sure that you have an offer letter in hand and would really take the job before you let on to the other prospective employer.)
In my case, I hinted to the candidate that his level of follow-up wasn't necessary, but he kept on deluging me with e-mails. We excluded himself from consideration. The candidate we ultimately hired had followed up with a "thank you" e-mail, a second e-mail, and a couple of phone calls all within about six weeks after the interview. She made just the right amount of contact.
So how do you know what the right amount of follow-up is? Every other week is a good general rule, especially if you're getting a positive response from the interviewer. But every situation differs, so keep the following tips in mind.
Consider the pace of hiring. If hiring is at a fast clip, say in three weeks, and you're in the running, make your frequency weekly instead of every other week.
Think about the hiring manager's reaction to you. Did the interviewer start the session with a great deal of interest—and then shift into dullness? Are you hearing questions that focus on your weaknesses? If your gut tells you that this is not a fit, then don't go beyond a standard thank-you e-mail. And in general, a brief interview along with a courteous "thank you," and no follow-up from the company means, "Don't call us, we'll call you." A situation in which you've been given specific dates for their next steps in the interviewing process minimizes the need for follow-up beyond a thank-you e-mail. If you hound the hiring manager regardless, you may hurt your chances for other positions that develop in or outside the company—and may have been more suitable.
Consider the reaction to your first follow-up attempt. A response such as "We'll get back to you" usually means you can skip the any additional follow-up. The ball is in their court.
Remember that "thank you" takes thought. You want to act fast by sending the thank-you e-mail the day of the interview or the next day—but think before composing it. If multiple people have interviewed you, vary your language in the thank-you messages, highlighting what resonated with each. Your note should serve as a subtle sales tool that, depending on the situation, does one or more of the following: a) reinforces why you're a good match for the position; b) demonstrates your enthusiasm; and c) clears up any possible misconceptions in an upbeat way. It should always indicate something positive about the future, even if it's as simple as: "I look forward to hearing from you."
Ask yourself, "What's the job 'personality?'" Align your response with the nature of the position. For example, sales and marketing jobs call for tenacity, so applicants for such jobs can be more aggressive in their follow-up efforts.
Keep it Short. Remember, you're not trying to befriend this prospective employer; you're trying to stay visible. Keep your follow-ups concise and professional, not chatty.
Offer Value. Assuming you're on the A list, you may send informational e-mails with links to pertinent industry articles, relevant LinkedIn discussions, or upcoming industry seminars. Use introductions such as "I thought you might find this interesting …" or "In case you missed it …." You might also provide an update on a new course completed, newly acquired software training, an award received, or an article published.
Remember that frequency matters. Space your follow-ups accordingly. If the employer is taking two or more months in its search, stagger your follow-up to at least a couple weeks apart, depending on the reaction you're getting.
Exercise your right to follow up. If the company says you're among the final contenders and communications then cease, inquire directly about your standing at the company. After all, in order to advance your career continually—and your life—you need to know whether you have a chance at this job or you should look elsewhere.
To read the article online chick here.
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!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
People often ask, "Who goes first through the revolving door?"

Allow guests and people who outrank you to go first through the revolving door. You may even put the door in motion to assist them (if the door does not have a motion sensor that does the job.) Enter the section behind them -- you don't want to be too familiar. All else being equal, the person who gets to the door first, enters first.  If you are leading a group on a tour, you would go first through the door.

For those of you who like to kick it old school, social etiquette dictates that a gentleman puts the door gently in motion (lest he send the lady flying out the other side) and allows a lady to take the first section and he takes the section behind her. If the door opens onto a dark street, the gentleman goes first. Another view: Emily Post says a gentleman allows a lady to go first if the door is in motion, but the gentleman goes first if the door is not in motion. 
 As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Events for the Week:
4/8
Rockhurst University

YGCU Atrium
10-11:30 am

4/11
Target

210 YGCU
By appt
4/13
Applied Learning Process

Yates Dining Room
By appt

Friday, April 1, 2011

6 Ways to Ace a Job Interview on Skype

By Lynn O'Shaughnessy | Mar 9, 2011
With employers increasingly conducting job interviews over Skype, it’s important to be able to ace an online job interview.
Recently I read an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about the experiences of a professor who participated in three job interviews via Skype. I wanted to pass along some advice he offered after the experience, as well as other tips for conducting an online job interview or business conversation via Skype.

6 Skype Interview Tips

1. Make eye contact.

During in-person interviews, it’s a no brainer to make eye contact, but it’s harder to do on Skype. To make eye contact on Skype, you need to look into the camera on your computer - not on the image of the person on the screen. You’ll want to adjust your camera so it’s at eye level.

2. Create a new Skype account.

Create an account that isn’t cutesy or crass like vegasguy. Stick with your name and, if that’s already taken, add some numbers to it. Make sure the photo icon that you use with your account looks professional.

3. Understand the technology.

Make sure you understand how Skype works before an interview. That includes being able to share links, files and photos, as well as instant messaging. Practice before the big interview.
Even if you think you’ve mastered Skype, the free video chat service is always updating its software. I’ve used Skype for a long time, but when I was ready to call someone recently, I realized that the interface looked different and I hadn’t built in time for this aggravation.

4. Practice.

Practice a call with a friend and pay attention to how you look on camera. Good lighting is important. Also check how you are sitting. It’s often not flattering to sit squarely in front of the camera. Try positioning your body slightly to the left or right and then swivel your head back. That’s what professional photographers instruct their clients to do.

5. Clean the room.

The interviewer isn’t just going to get a good look at you. She’ll notice whether your office is a pigsty. Whenever I Skype someone — unless it’s one of my brothers or sisters — I make sure my office looks clean. That means dumping my piles of papers, newspapers and the box of dog biscuits out of camera range.

6. Keep the room quiet.

Turn off your office phone and cell phone and keep dogs and cats out of the room.
Lynn O’Shaughnessy is author of The College Solution and she also writes a college blog for CBSMoneyWatch.
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!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
Never pass out business cards at the dinner table.

In addition, do not pass out your business cards indiscriminately to everyone in the room. If someone who has received one of your cards notices this, that person will no longer feel important or special, because you are shooting your cards pell mell at everyone, like tennis balls out of an oscillating ball machine.
As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Events for the Week:
4/5
Spring 2011 Career Fair

Mabee Fieldhouse,
Avila University
10am-3pm
4/7
Edward Jones

212 YGCU
By appt
4/8
Rockhurst University

YGCU Atrium
10-11:30 am

4/11
Target

210 YGCU
By appt
4/13
Applied Learning Process

Yates Dining Room
By appt

Friday, March 25, 2011

10 tips to ace your next job interview

By Liz Ryan, Contributing Columnist, Kiplinger.com
Tribune Media Services
March 21, 2011
Given the late-winter thaw showing up in what has been an ice-cold job market, many workers are pondering a topic they haven't worried much about lately -- job interviews.

Here are my favorite interview tips for job candidates, from new grads to ultra-experienced hires:

1. Know the employer's business.

In the pre-Internet days, job-seekers were advised to ask, "Who do you consider your principal competitors?" to show their alertness and interest in a job. These days, it signals the opposite. By the time you arrive for a job interview, you've already got to know not only the employer's business profile but also which organizations compete in its arena and how your target employer compares to every other major player in its market. That's true whether you're applying for the CFO slot or hoping to answer the phones in its call center.

Begin by touring the employer's own Web site, then move on to LinkedIn to learn about its leaders. From there, journey over to Glassdoor.com to see what past and current employees are saying about the firm, its culture, its business prospects and the quality of its leadership.

2. Prepare questions.

Your research will pay off in another way: It will give you fodder for great interview questions you can ask the recruiter, hiring manager and any other company reps you meet during your interview. When you're invited for the interview, ask your scheduler who you'll be meeting, by name and title. Knowing the job titles of the people on your interview roster will allow you to come up with position-specific questions to pose to each person you meet. If you're a marketing person and one of your interviewers is a sales manager, you can ask, "What should the person in this role accomplish in the first three months, for you as an internal customer to be overjoyed with his or her performance?"

3. Get the inside scoop.

Use LinkedIn to find people in your second- or third-degree network who worked for your target employer in the past. Since they're connected to people you know and they don't work there anymore, these folks will be more likely than current employees to give you the eye-opening scoop on the organization's culture and challenges. Use the Get Introduced Through a Connection button on the user's LinkedIn profile page to make these connections through mutual friends, asking for a quick telephone chat. (Be sure to thank these helpful folks for their time!)

4. Collect personal contact information.

As you meet each new person in your interview lineup, ask him or her for a business card. Do it the minute you're introduced, before you sit down, or you're likely to forget. Since lots of people don't carry business cards in their pockets while they're at work, be ready with pen and paper to take down each person's name and contact information if no business card is handy. You'll need to know the names, titles and e-mail addresses for each person you meet, so you can compose and send a customized thank-you note to each of them.

5. Tell personal stories.

When you're asked the standard interview questions, use stories to make your accomplishments come to life. You don't have to wait for the interviewer to ask you a "story question," such as "Tell me about a time when you worked with a difficult customer." You can give a story-type answer to any interview question.

If the question is "Have you been using FrameMaker very long?" your answer can begin, "You know, once we were under the gun to get some documentation done for a version of the product that was custom-built for one client. I hadn't used FrameMaker for that sort of thing before, so I pulled out the manual and began reading...." It's a great goal to tell two or three pithy, human stories in each job interview, to bring your talent to life and to get out of the zero-impact "yes, no, somewhat" rut.

6. Zoom in on the employer's pain.

In 2011, it's not enough to let an employer know that you've got skills X, Y and Z. You have to make it clear that you've faced down the same dragon the employer is facing now, and that means you've got to know which sort of dragon is circling the castle. Float a pain hypothesis early on in the interview -- something like, "My take is that you're looking to get sales leads assigned and acted on more quickly after trade shows. Is that the biggest area you're looking for this new hire to handle, or am I missing something major?" Once you and the hiring manager are talking about the business issues and not the often-irrelevant list of job requirements, your conversation will become much more substantive and fun.

7. Save the salary discussion for round two.

It's not a great idea to bring up salary in the first interview, because it's a bad use of everyone's time. If they aren't interested in you, why worry about the salary? When you get the call or the e-mail inviting you for a second interview, go ahead and broach the salary topic. Ask the recruiter, "Is now a good time to sync up on salary? Would you be the right person to have that conversation with?"

There's no sense going for a second interview (or first interview, if you've already passed a phone screener) if you and the employer aren't in the same ballpark salary-wise. If they ask you what you were earning at the last job, smile and say, "I'm focusing on roles in the $X range."

8. Save a question for the end.

Hiring managers tell me that when they've got a promising candidate sitting in front of them, it's a terrible disappointment for the manager to ask "So, have any questions for me?" and to hear the candidate say "No." Don't be left queryless -- have a list of ten or 20 questions, and jot down new ones that occur to you as you're sitting in the interview. (Yes, it's fine to bring a pad and pen to an interview, tucked into a portfolio, and it's fine to take notes as you're listening or even talking.) Here are a couple of useful questions: 1) What was the incident or the trend that caused you to decide to hire this person now? and 2) Can you tell me why this position exists -- either a bad thing that happened in the absence of this person, or a story about a time when my predecessor (assuming I get the job) saved the day?

9. Stay alert.

Job interviews can be overwhelming and exhausting. An interview is a performance, and performances are grueling. You've got to stay alert and in the game, whether you're on site for two hours or six. That means no spacing out, staring into space or (as one of my memorable least-favorite interviewees did) spitting water into the potted plant during the interview.

Be focused from the moment you walk in the door. That means not using your cell phone while waiting to be picked up in the lobby, and having a warm greeting in mind when your host shows up to meet you. (It's hard to forget a young man I met in the lobby one day. Tim had arrived for a face-to-face interview; I'd phone-screened him the day before. "Are you Tim, by chance?" I asked. Tim looked startled and replied, "Why, yes, I am! Are you Miss Ryan? You sounded so much younger on the phone!")

10. Say thanks.

Thank each person you meet on the interview trail, and when you get home, send each one a thank-you e-mail, as well. (That's when the contact info you grabbed from each person will come in handy.) In your thank-you notes, mention as specifically as you can what you and each interviewer talked about. "Thank you for your time" is general and namby-pamby, but "Thanks for your fantastic description of the plastic extrusion process. You put a complicated process into words very well!" will not only flatter the recipient but also bring you, the candidate, back to mind sharply. Say something in each thank-you message about the wheels that are still turning in your head, post-interview. "Since I left you, I've been thinking about the CRM issue you raised, and wondering whether the new Siebel plug-in tools would be worth a look." Let the manager know that your brain is already turning over the issues the firm is facing. Don't beg for another interview or praise yourself, but be positive: "I'm looking forward to the next conversation" has the right mix of hopeful and not desperate notes.

All contents copyright 2008 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.; distributed by Tribune Media Services
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!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
Don't be foiled by butter in foil wrappers.  Take the butter pat out of the foil wrapper and ease it onto your bread plate with your knife. (Your bread plate is on your left -- you need to know this, because everyone else at the table is watching you to figure out which bread plate is theirs.)

When you are finished with foil butter wrappers and paper sugar wrappers, tuck them under the rim of your bread plate to get them out of sight.  If the butter pat came in one of those individual plastic butter tubs, flatten it (without too much enthusiasm).  You should not accumulate a large stack of these items, because in a business meal, you know to use butter and sugar in moderation.
As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Events for the Week:
3/29
Dept of State

212 YGCU
12:30-2 pm  
4/5
Spring 2011 Career Fair

Mabee Fieldhouse,
Avila University
10am-3pm
4/7
Edward Jones

212 YGCU
By appt
4/8
Rockhurst University

YGCU Atrium
10-11:30 am

4/11
Target

210 YGCU
By appt
4/13
Applied Learning Process

Yates Dining Room
By appat

Friday, March 11, 2011

9 Tips for Refreshing Your Resume

By Erin  Peterson
Give Your Resume a Facelift
As the job market slowly improves in 2011 and you dust off that old resume for a job search, you may find it's time to give it a face lift.
As always, your resume should be attractive and readable. But now there's more than just snail mail to send it out. It has become important to make the most of the Internet to distribute and display your resume effectively on social networking, job-hunting and career sites, and in job-application engines on corporate websites.
Follow these nine tips to update your resume for 2011 and beyond.
Focus on Selected Accomplishments
Hiring managers don't want to read a laundry list of your job duties, since they can typically figure out your responsibilities based on your title. Instead, focus on measurable achievements -- numbers, percentages, awards -- that show your skills, says Bruce Hurwitz, president of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing in New York.
"Create bullet points of three to five selected accomplishments so that the reader of the resume would immediately know why, objectively, they should consider you for the position," Hurwitz says.
Be Brief
Even if you could write dozens of pages on your work history, avoid the temptation. You'll have plenty of time to dig into the details of your skills and accomplishments when you get into an interview, so consider your resume to be a highlights reel. Curate the best of the best to keep your resume to a manageable one or two pages.
"In a resume, think these three things: short, sweet and to-the-point," Hurwitz says.
Remove Pointless Sections
If you're tempted to list your hobbies, your personal information and health, or even the phrase "references available on request," reconsider. Not only do they take up valuable space you could use to showcase your accomplishments, but they could make you look downright unprofessional.
"Some of these things used to be standard 15 or 20 years ago, but now they'll make you look dated," says Cheryl Palmer, an executive career coach and founder of Call to Career in Silver Spring, Md. A human resources director is going to assume you'll furnish references at the interview. Hobbies aren't worth listing unless they're somehow relevant to the job you're applying for, and your personal information -- marital status, children -- also isn't relevant.
Triple Check to Make Your Resume Error-Free
Employers often spend just seconds with a resume, and a single typo can send it to the discard pile.
"A resume does not get you hired, but it is commonly used to get you eliminated from the next phase of the recruiting process," says Robin Reshwan, founder of Collegial Staffing in Alamo, Calif.
Hiring managers may toss resumes for even the smallest matters -- a single typo, inconsistent punctuation, or even cliched phrases like "detail-oriented" or "people person."
"Only after the easy eliminations have been made do busy managers actually read the content of selected resumes," she says.
Have More Than one Format
Yes, you spent four hours getting the bullet points, margins, bolding and fonts just right in your Word document.
Here's the bad news. When you submit that document to an online job or corporate site, it's going to turn into a mess, with apostrophes morphing into strange squiggles and characters, and all those crisp paragraphs into a massive lump, Palmer says.
This is why it's important to prepare your resume in several different formats, so your hard work doesn't go to waste. Some popular ways to save your resume are in Word, as plain text and as a PDF. The PDF also works well if you have an artistic element to your resume that you don't want to lose. Different employers prefer different formats, so be sure to double check.
Take Advantage of LinkedIn
Job searching or not, everybody who's anybody is on the business networking site LinkedIn, including employees from every Fortune 500 company and most recruiters. You should be on it, too. It's a great way to keep your job information current. And, because of its ubiquity, it won't raise red flags with your employer who might otherwise catch on to your job search.
You can add photos, recommendations and an online portfolio to help others get a sense of your work. Just make sure you're consistent, Palmer says.
"Make sure that the dates of your resume match up with the dates on your LinkedIn profile," she says. "You don't want employers comparing the two and asking themselves which one is right."
Use LinkedIn and Twitter Together
Like peanut butter and chocolate, LinkedIn and Twitter go great together. LinkedIn requires users to give permission to others to access their information. This often means it's difficult, if not impossible, to link up to future employers.
However, you can follow the feeds from companies and their employees on Twitter without any permission. "You can use a Twitter (feed) to gather intelligence about a particular company you've targeted, then start a conversation with them on Twitter," Palmer says.
If the conversation is worthwhile, you can easily send them a link to your LinkedIn profile to go beyond Twitter's limit of 140 characters per message.
Know Your Confidentiality Needs
The Internet has opened up new worlds for job seekers, but it's important to understand that if you're willing to share your information on the Web, everyone can find out that you're ready for a new gig, including your current boss. If discretion is important to your job search, it's best not to post your resume to any online job sites.
"Once you put your resume on the Internet, you can kiss confidentiality goodbye," says Hurwitz. "Only do it if you're comfortable with your boss asking you why you're looking for a new job."
Ditch the Video Resume
Unless you're looking to anchor the 6 p.m. newscast, don't bother making a video resume. There's a reason traditional documents work best. They're easy to search, they're simple to file and store, and they're easy to scan in just a few seconds.
"If hiring managers are only going to spend a few seconds looking at each resume, they're certainly not going to spend their time watching videos," Hurwitz says. "If you're applying for a position as a controller, it doesn't matter how you function in front of a camera. It matters how you function in front of a keyboard."
Public Service and Non-Profit Career Fair
If you missed the fair, don’t fret! The Career Services office has a list of companies and contact information!
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!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
When a co-worker returns to the workplace after a medical leave, never say, "I know what you are going through." In medicine, every case is unique.

Do not ask prying questions about one's condition or treatment. If one wants you to know, one will offer that information. Do not burden the person with stories of your own health problems or those of family or friends. Do not corner the person with your own treatment or health advice. Lastly, do not avoid that person, because you are not sure what to say.

Smile and say, "We are glad to have you back. Is there anything I can do to help?"
As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Events for the Week:
3/18
Country Financial

Park University

3/24
State Street
COSMC

YGCU