10 Words To NEVER Use On Your Resume

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Make your resume flawless

This article was reprinted with permission from http://resumeguru.us .

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Here are 10 of the most overused, uber-cliché words you could ever use on a resume, cover letter or job application. Here’s why:

1) Ambitious: “If it were so, it was a grievous fault; and grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.” Ambition may be a wonderful thing for your career, but no one wants to hire someone who’s going to try to replace them or leave as soon as he gets a bit of training at the company’s expense.

2) Competent: If that’s the best you can say about your work performance maybe you ought to consider a new line of work, perhaps the Post Office. When the chips are down we want people who are awesome. Don’t tell us you’re competent, show us you’re amazing.

3) Creative: The last thing we need is more creative accountants. You’re trying to demonstrate business value. Creativity is neither measurable nor reliable. It can sometimes be turned into profit. In that case tell us how you did it and how much it was worth. Let us determine for ourselves how creative you are.


4) Efficient: So was Jack the Ripper. What we really want to know is how you’re efficiency is going to make us money.

5) Flexible: What are you, a contortionist? If by this you mean that you’re able to take on a number of different tasks then show us a range of what you can do. Better yet, show us the range of results you can get. If you mean that you can put your foot behind your head then show us that too, you’ll definitely get remembered.

6) Hard-working: We could say the same of a prisoner on a chain-gang. What an employer is looking for is results. If you achieve them by hard work or occasional bursts of brilliance doesn’t matter a whole lot. Merely working hard isn’t enough. For all we know you tend to do it at cross-purposes.

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What Employers Are Looking for in a Recent Graduate

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Showing employers your potential as a job candidate

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If you were an employer, what kind of people would you want to hire? Well, the perfect candidate of course! He or she would meet every aspect of the job description. Employers know, of course, that this isn’t realistic. People who have years of experience may either require a salary too high, may not have knowledge of the newest technologies, or may not possess a preferred business perspective. Reverse this and employers find that recent graduates don’t have important years of experience, professional knowledge, or highly developed skills. Employers realize they have to compromise and they usually expect to hire the person who best fits their needs with the intention of continuing to educate and mold them into the worker they desire. As a recent college graduate, you need to show employers that you’re providing them enough quality clay to work with to create that perfect mold.

Five Things Employers Desire from New College Graduates

Whether you’re on an IT job search or looking for jobs in healthcare, today’s employers want highly-skilled candidates. This is why your education (and how you enhance your education) is so important. The job market is currently flooded with experienced professionals and that is a challenge to new graduates with short resumes. So, why hire you?

• Today’s college students will often have a desired “global perspective.” As the business world changes, companies are increasingly working on an international level. This is especially true in financial jobs and careers in telecommunications. Therefore, studying abroad may be a wonderful resume booster. In addition, being bilingual is valued in many fields, especially healthcare. Showing your multi-cultural learning and experience is a bonus on any resume, at the very least it often allows for interesting conversational opportunities during interviews, making you more memorable as a candidate.

• Candidates with the newest technical knowledge are sought by employers. One of the positive acknowledgements made by people who have covered the topic of “millenials in the workplace” (Generation Y) is that today’s young employees have grown up with the latest technology at their fingertips and they often have a quicker grasp of new technologies than older candidates. Use this to your advantage. These skills are important to your resume, so be sure to highlight them. Research the field you intend to go into and see what technologies they are use and the skills they value. Take the right courses to meet these needs and if necessary find a means to fill any gaps your college education leaves.

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7 Reasons Why a Potential Employer Won't Read your Resume, and What to Do About it

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Resume ignored? Find out why

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When you write your resume (with or without advice and professional help), who is your target audience? Who are you trying to satisfy?

First of all, you’re not writing your resume to satisfy yourself. For that matter, you’re not writing it to satisfy any “expert” – the author of the resume book you just read, or the recruiter you’re working with, or your career guidance counselor, or your cousin Fred who is a human resources manager, or even a professional resume writer.

You are writing your resume for a particular kind of reader: a potential employer. And if you’re like most of us, you make some very, very optimistic assumptions about that reader. You are certain that your reader is eager to find the best person for the job. Your reader, you are sure, is going to read the important things in your resume, and his or her eye will be drawn to all of those clever formatting tricks you’ve used (columns, underlining, different fonts, boldfacing, italics, strong verbs, skills, numbers, results, etc.).

But you’d better take off the rose-colored glasses. Your resume has a better than 98% chance of ending up in the garbage can (real or virtual).

Here are 7 characteristics of the psychology of the typical resume reader:

1. Resume readers are some of the smartest and most skeptical readers in the world. They know that at least half of what they read consists of lies, exaggerations, half-truths, and semantic and formatting “tricks.” They don’t accept anything at face value. Remember, the typical resume reader sees literally thousands; they know every trick in the book by now.

2. Most readers are in a bad mood, not a happy mood of eager expectancy. They’ve got 300 resumes to read, and nobody is giving them an extra penny to carefully peruse each one. They are rushed for time, annoyed at having to read yet another resume, and hostile rather than sympathetic. Reading yet another resume is a burden that is keeping them from their attention to what they consider much, much more important matters.

3. Therefore, the typical resume reader is looking for a quick and convincing reason to throw out yours. Some will even discard it if they don’t like the envelope or the way the email looks. Some will read only the resume and not the cover letter, or vice-versa. And they are unwilling to open up a zip file. You know how annoying it is to get an email that requires you to open up several files? For the resume reader, it is triply annoying.

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7 Reasons Why Your Job Networking Doesn't Work

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Job networking's common pitfalls

This guest post was written by David Couper. You can find the original source article on selfgrowth.com

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1. Not doing your research. 

- Make sure you know who will help you and why. Understand your business and how it works. Research which are the companies that you want to work with and which are the ones that you don't. If you don’t you run the risk of blowing the job.
- I called someone without researching their company only to find that they didn't work in Europe like I thought they did. So my pitch about my European background was wasted.

2. Networking with the wrong people.

- A Career Fair may be a great place for some people looking for a job but not always. A lawyer I know wasted an afternoon meeting with fast-food providers looking for entry-level staff. She didn't want to learn to flip!
- If you are an actor the best place to get a job is hanging out with other actors but with buyers - producers and directors. Hang out for support but not for opportunities.
- Watch out for scams, opportunists and ne-er-do-wells. Don't pay for a networking opportunity unless you have checked it out and got some good feedback. Be smart!

3. Not being clear why you are there. 

- Do you want information?
- Do you want names?
- Do you want job leads?
- Do you want to get free food?
Make sure you have a purpose and stick to it.



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Common Job Networking Myths - don't believe them!

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Fact or fiction? Job seekers must decide

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Myth #1: Networking means you're looking to use people to achieve selfish goals, or opportunistically ask people for help.

REALITY: The definition of the word network according to The Oxford Dictionary:

nétwerk n. & v. a group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes.

Therefore, networking can be defined as one’s efforts to create this group, and of course it can be done honestly and considerately.

You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go.

• Jeanette Rankin

Myth #2: You have to be a born networker or a natural at it.

REALITY: The skills needed to be an effective networker can be learned by anyone. Start by getting comfortable asking folks you meet, “So, what are you working on these days?” or, “What do you need help with right now?” Then, read the new book titled, “I’m at a Networking Event—Now What???” for more ways to further develop your networking muscle. (Yes, I'm the author.)

....relationships take time, getting to know folks requires patience, and people are generally cautious – if not fearful – of Johnny come lately that is asking, rather than giving.

• Jeremiah Owyang, Sr. Analyst at Forrester

Myth #3: You must have above average charisma to be a good networker.

REALITY: You merely need to be thoughtful, sincere and genuinely helpful. You get offered a job or opportunities from people who are trusting of you. There IS a hidden job market out there, but you have to be willing to be open and giving to be part of it.

To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust.

• George Ross

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7 Reasons Why Your Job Networking Doesn't Work

To contact us Click HERE

Job networking's common pitfalls

This guest post was written by David Couper. You can find the original source article on selfgrowth.com

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1. Not doing your research. 

- Make sure you know who will help you and why. Understand your business and how it works. Research which are the companies that you want to work with and which are the ones that you don't. If you don’t you run the risk of blowing the job.
- I called someone without researching their company only to find that they didn't work in Europe like I thought they did. So my pitch about my European background was wasted.

2. Networking with the wrong people.

- A Career Fair may be a great place for some people looking for a job but not always. A lawyer I know wasted an afternoon meeting with fast-food providers looking for entry-level staff. She didn't want to learn to flip!
- If you are an actor the best place to get a job is hanging out with other actors but with buyers - producers and directors. Hang out for support but not for opportunities.
- Watch out for scams, opportunists and ne-er-do-wells. Don't pay for a networking opportunity unless you have checked it out and got some good feedback. Be smart!

3. Not being clear why you are there. 

- Do you want information?
- Do you want names?
- Do you want job leads?
- Do you want to get free food?
Make sure you have a purpose and stick to it.



| 1 | 2 | Next Page

Common Job Networking Myths - don't believe them!

To contact us Click HERE

Fact or fiction? Job seekers must decide

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Myth #1: Networking means you're looking to use people to achieve selfish goals, or opportunistically ask people for help.

REALITY: The definition of the word network according to The Oxford Dictionary:

nétwerk n. & v. a group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes.

Therefore, networking can be defined as one’s efforts to create this group, and of course it can be done honestly and considerately.

You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go.

• Jeanette Rankin

Myth #2: You have to be a born networker or a natural at it.

REALITY: The skills needed to be an effective networker can be learned by anyone. Start by getting comfortable asking folks you meet, “So, what are you working on these days?” or, “What do you need help with right now?” Then, read the new book titled, “I’m at a Networking Event—Now What???” for more ways to further develop your networking muscle. (Yes, I'm the author.)

....relationships take time, getting to know folks requires patience, and people are generally cautious – if not fearful – of Johnny come lately that is asking, rather than giving.

• Jeremiah Owyang, Sr. Analyst at Forrester

Myth #3: You must have above average charisma to be a good networker.

REALITY: You merely need to be thoughtful, sincere and genuinely helpful. You get offered a job or opportunities from people who are trusting of you. There IS a hidden job market out there, but you have to be willing to be open and giving to be part of it.

To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust.

• George Ross

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"You Shouldn't Call Here", Or, How To Lose A Customer

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Just had another experience that reminded me of the importance of putting ourselves in our patron's shoes and making life as easy as possible, even if your university or library policies are a bit convoluted.

I called a medical specialist's office to see why I still did not have an appointment, five weeks after my doctor faxed my records and called to make the appointment. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi! I'm just calling to follow up and see what I can do to expedite getting an appointment. I know you likely don't have anything open for months, I just want to get on your calendar. My doctor's office faxed my information and called five weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything back."
Receptionist: "Your doc office has to call and set it up."
Me: "They did. You said you were swamped and would get back to them. Your office hasn't."
Receptionist: "No, we always make the appointment when they call."
Me: "They've called your office weekly for 5 weeks to no avail. My nurse calls me to give me a report."
Receptionist: "That's not true, because it's not our policy."
Me: "Okay, I'm not sure where things went wrong. You have my file. My doc's office has called. Can you just give me a time slot?"
Receptionist: "No, your doc office has to call, and we give it to them, and they give it to you. You shouldn't call here; we can't help you."

She never even took my name.

I hung up frustrated and annoyed that my care has been delayed because of someone's failure to play ring-around-the-rosie phone tag. So, my doctor's office has to call you, and then they have to call me, even though you already have my file, know I'm a valid patient, and I'm already on the phone with you.

Frustration. Right now, I see this in academic library terms as "Well, you see, the copiers in the library aren't really the Library's; they belong to the Copy Office. And the Copy Office is actually located across campus. And you have to deliver them a paper form to get a $.10 refund for the copy that the machine mangled. And then you will be able to print the one page memo that is due in fifteen minutes. Here, let me get you a map so you know where to go, because we can't help you."

This is not good customer service. It is an explanation, and perhaps a helpful one in case this occurs again. But in the moment that the student needs one single copy/printout/whatever, does it really hurt us so much to make the damned copy ourselves? It costs us a piece of paper, a little ink, some extra flexing of decision-making muscle, and earns our user's gratitude and goodwill in return.

Telling me not to call the specialist's office, and that they can't help me...well, I'll tell you this: if you can't help me with what should be the easy part of just getting on the calendar, how the hell am I going to trust you with my medical care and records? Could you imagine if "You shouldn't call here; we can't help you" was standard customer service fare?

Had the receptionist sympathized with me, but noted the call-circle requirements were somehow medically necessary, I would have been *ecstatic* had she taken the initiative to call my doc's office, straighten whatever it is out and get me on the calendar. Instead, I was left with the feeling that the office was unhelpful at best, and rude at worst. Given that I run what is essentially a customer service department, I was affronted. I'll guiltily admit had a typical patron-who-had-a-bad-experience response: I wrote negative reviews of my experience and posted them wherever Google was collecting and publishing reviews of local doctor's offices. Turns out I'm not the only one who had this experience.

I called the only other specialist in the field in town, and had an extremely pleasant encounter with a receptionist that gave me a step-by-step explanation of how to get my doctor's office to get me in as quickly as possible. She took my name and said when the call came in, she would put me on the cancellation list immediately to get me in sooner. She invited me to call again if I had any other questions. I get the feeling this office will be a much better fit for me. I hope the doctor is as helpful as his office staff. I hope he appreciates the letter I've drafted commending him for hiring such warm, friendly, and helpful staff.

The Dissertation Problem and ProQuest's "Legitimacy" Lie

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I located a great dissertation that I'll have to cite in my literature review for my own dissertation-in-the-making. While finding it thrilled me, it also completely crapped on my parade. The dissertation is not interlibrary-loanable, since the degree-granting institution has the only paper copy. And to get a pdf copy of the work from ProQuest? Will cost me $37.00.

I am now looking at this in light of comments my advisor, who is teaching one of my doctoral classes this summer, made. He said to a group of us who were talking about the dissertation in a discussion board that the dissertation is essentially a dead end research exercise - nobody reads them when you're through with writing the damned thing, it just provides a platform for your future research agenda.

Well, HARRUMPH, doc.

*I* read them. The useful-to-me ones, anyway. That is, if I can get access to them. The problem - as it always is - is access. How on earth is a dissertation supposed to be cited by others when access to it is so heavily restricted? It makes me wonder how much research is lacking because of the prohibitive cost of getting access to the research. It also makes me gnash my teeth that institutions awarding doctorates aren't fighting for the right to keep their students' work freely available in their own catalogs in digital format...even though digital format is how more and more graduate schools are accepting their theses and dissertations from students.

What really got me hot, though, was the phrasing on ProQuest's page for authors on why they should choose to publish their thesis or dissertation with ProQuest. (If it's even a choice - many graduate schools actually require this of their students.) On ProQuest's "Why Publish With Us" page for authors, they state:
"Publishing your dissertation or thesis with UMI provides you with a legitimate citation for your curriculum vitae and for other scholars who refer to your work. ProQuest's dissertation research tools have been the primary sources used to cite published dissertations and theses for decades."

Actually, having the school accept my dissertation as acceptable for the awarding of the degree provides me with a legitimate citation. Per Purdue Owl, in APA you would cite it as: Lastname, F. N. (Year). Title of dissertation. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Name of Institution, Location. ProQuest doesn't legitimize anything. If I find it in a database, I have to note the database and accession number, but there's no more - or less - legitimacy granted than if I had a paper copy in hand, or found it through the University's repository as a .pdf file.

I wonder how many students finishing their theses and dissertations are actually taken in by the legitimacy argument, and how many are just snowed under by the giant small-print forms they have to sign granting UMI? ProQuest the right to their hard work. Ah, well. I suppose that'll just be practice for when they sign away all of the rights to to their other research once they want it published in a journal, right?

/stabbity

Library Managers as Triathletes of the Mind? Meaghen's Wisdom for Librarians

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Meaghen Ann Harris, award-winning athlete

I'm putting the finishing touches on my slides for ALA, where I'll be presenting the LLAMA preconference "The Tough Stuff: Leadership, Change, & Performance Management for Library Managers" with the incredibly wise Jenica Rogers. This past weekend I was trying to find a theme to run through my portion of the talk on managing change. In a fit of pique and laziness, I polled Facebook, and my sister Meaghen noted that triathlons were a pretty good metaphor. She noted that triathletes have to swim to T1 (transition #1), tear off their wet suits, put on bike shoes and helmet, and cycle to T2 (transition #2), where they "drop off bike, tear off helmet, throw on some kicks and run...to the FINISH. Manage the change, Colleen. Manage the change."

My little sister is wise. (And a kickass athlete to boot, regularly taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd in her age group, while I cheer her on from under my covers and half a country away.) But Meaghen is right - triathletes manage not just their training, but issues of endurance and skill and training and awkward transitions. That sounds pretty much like library management to me. The next message she sent me via Facebook struck me right between the eyes:

“You always spend the most time on your bike. So it's a very important part of training. Swimming is the shortest part of the race (time and distance wise) but it takes skill and technique--- like- I can bust my ass to be a better runner/biker, but it doesnt work that way with swimming- if you try to swim faster by working harder you just end up thrashing through the water and looking stupid. It takes time to become a better swimmer (my current dilemma- because I want to be good NOW). Some people are JUST good swimmers- I like them- because I end up passing them on the bike and the run.”

Hmmm. Matching this up to library management issues, I see a lot of parallels. Where we spend the most of our time is an important part of our work (though perhaps we're not as well trained in it as we should be), managing the day to day aspects of our part of the library, the regular small changes that we absorb and move through with regularity. What is the shortest part of our management race/life? Maybe dealing with what I would call "catastrophic change" - things that happen rarely but are paradigm-changing. Like Meaghen mentions about swimming, I don't know that it is something we can do by working harder -- mostly, the folks I see who deal well with this are the library managers who work smarter, and who have gone through a few of these experiences and streamlined their responses. But if the only skill set a library manager has honed is the one necessary to deal with the huge, catastrophic changes, and they're not prepared to handle the more quotidian long-haul issues, they're not really prepared to hit any sort of finish line or goal with their organization.

Jenica notes in a recent blog post that the interest in learning how to manage - and how to manage better - is alive and well within librarians. My sister joined a team with a coach, and they support each other. I've found what Jenica might term my tribe of management peers largely through the luck of having great mentors, latching onto folks I want to talk to at conferences, and deciding to craft my speaking proposals around something I feel strongly about. I keep coming back to "[I]f you try to swim faster by working harder you just end up thrashing through the water and looking stupid."

Where are we working harder when we should be honing skill and technique instead? How (if at all) are MLS programs useful as a "training program" for library mangers? Should we instead be focusing on things like the TRLN Management Academy? I've asked before and I'll ask again, given the success of ACRL's Immersion for instruction librarians, why is there no Immersion for library managers until they get to the director level and can attend the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute? Why do we think we can develop library managers - mental athletes - by simply hoping they'll show up at the starting blocks, fully trained and ready to go?

These are the thoughts bouncing around in my head as I make my final preparations before heading to New Orleans tomorrow. Jenica and I will get to spend the day with forty-nine library managers on Friday who hail from academic, public, and special libraries, and I can't wait to hear what, how, and why they're doing at their own libraries in terms of management and leadership.

Disclaimer (for this blog post and for my slide deck):

I am not a triathlete. But my sister is. Take my advice about managing; take her advice about athleting.

Top 10 Hardest Interview Questions

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Tricky interview questions to prepare for

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A job interview is no easy task. In fact many job seekers have trouble with the same set of questions. To ease the process of interviewing, we've listed the Top 10 Hardest Job Interview Questions. Focus on these job interview questions, study them, learn them, research them, and ace your next job interview!

1. Why did you get fired/ terminated? - This question is tricky yet needs to be answered with full honesty. The interviewer would want to hear your honesty and your side of the story. Support your answer with a very good explanation. In case you get fired due to legal issues, explain that you were currently working on it and that it does not have anything to do with your performance. Your explanation in your answer is very important; it should be direct and should not contain intersections.

2. Tell me about problems you encountered with Supervisors- Another tricky question that will test how you worked with your superiors. I suggest not to be too honest in answering this question. For example, common observations such as being bossy, opinionated, authoritarian, or being a keen observer are the common traits of a Supervisor that are incorrectly used. Instead, cite a personal experience that you had encounter with a supervisor so that the interviewer would understand why it became your problem.

3. What Qualities do you look for in a boss? - Do not answer with the most common traits that a boss should possess like "being nice to employees" or a good leader. You should relate your answer with your work. For example “My ideal boss is someone who can make time to hear employees' opinions or ideas, and a boss who cares to listen and give fair his/her opinion with my work.”

4. As a professional, do you have any disappointments? - Cite the experience that really disappoints you, as you relay the story behind it make sure that you state something that you have learned after.

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7 Reasons Why a Potential Employer Won't Read your Resume, and What to Do About it

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Resume ignored? Find out why

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When you write your resume (with or without advice and professional help), who is your target audience? Who are you trying to satisfy?

First of all, you’re not writing your resume to satisfy yourself. For that matter, you’re not writing it to satisfy any “expert” – the author of the resume book you just read, or the recruiter you’re working with, or your career guidance counselor, or your cousin Fred who is a human resources manager, or even a professional resume writer.

You are writing your resume for a particular kind of reader: a potential employer. And if you’re like most of us, you make some very, very optimistic assumptions about that reader. You are certain that your reader is eager to find the best person for the job. Your reader, you are sure, is going to read the important things in your resume, and his or her eye will be drawn to all of those clever formatting tricks you’ve used (columns, underlining, different fonts, boldfacing, italics, strong verbs, skills, numbers, results, etc.).

But you’d better take off the rose-colored glasses. Your resume has a better than 98% chance of ending up in the garbage can (real or virtual).

Here are 7 characteristics of the psychology of the typical resume reader:

1. Resume readers are some of the smartest and most skeptical readers in the world. They know that at least half of what they read consists of lies, exaggerations, half-truths, and semantic and formatting “tricks.” They don’t accept anything at face value. Remember, the typical resume reader sees literally thousands; they know every trick in the book by now.

2. Most readers are in a bad mood, not a happy mood of eager expectancy. They’ve got 300 resumes to read, and nobody is giving them an extra penny to carefully peruse each one. They are rushed for time, annoyed at having to read yet another resume, and hostile rather than sympathetic. Reading yet another resume is a burden that is keeping them from their attention to what they consider much, much more important matters.

3. Therefore, the typical resume reader is looking for a quick and convincing reason to throw out yours. Some will even discard it if they don’t like the envelope or the way the email looks. Some will read only the resume and not the cover letter, or vice-versa. And they are unwilling to open up a zip file. You know how annoying it is to get an email that requires you to open up several files? For the resume reader, it is triply annoying.

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7 Reasons Why Your Job Networking Doesn't Work

To contact us Click HERE

Job networking's common pitfalls

This guest post was written by David Couper. You can find the original source article on selfgrowth.com

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1. Not doing your research. 

- Make sure you know who will help you and why. Understand your business and how it works. Research which are the companies that you want to work with and which are the ones that you don't. If you don’t you run the risk of blowing the job.
- I called someone without researching their company only to find that they didn't work in Europe like I thought they did. So my pitch about my European background was wasted.

2. Networking with the wrong people.

- A Career Fair may be a great place for some people looking for a job but not always. A lawyer I know wasted an afternoon meeting with fast-food providers looking for entry-level staff. She didn't want to learn to flip!
- If you are an actor the best place to get a job is hanging out with other actors but with buyers - producers and directors. Hang out for support but not for opportunities.
- Watch out for scams, opportunists and ne-er-do-wells. Don't pay for a networking opportunity unless you have checked it out and got some good feedback. Be smart!

3. Not being clear why you are there. 

- Do you want information?
- Do you want names?
- Do you want job leads?
- Do you want to get free food?
Make sure you have a purpose and stick to it.



| 1 | 2 | Next Page

Common Job Networking Myths - don't believe them!

To contact us Click HERE

Fact or fiction? Job seekers must decide

Tweet

     

Myth #1: Networking means you're looking to use people to achieve selfish goals, or opportunistically ask people for help.

REALITY: The definition of the word network according to The Oxford Dictionary:

nétwerk n. & v. a group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes.

Therefore, networking can be defined as one’s efforts to create this group, and of course it can be done honestly and considerately.

You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go.

• Jeanette Rankin

Myth #2: You have to be a born networker or a natural at it.

REALITY: The skills needed to be an effective networker can be learned by anyone. Start by getting comfortable asking folks you meet, “So, what are you working on these days?” or, “What do you need help with right now?” Then, read the new book titled, “I’m at a Networking Event—Now What???” for more ways to further develop your networking muscle. (Yes, I'm the author.)

....relationships take time, getting to know folks requires patience, and people are generally cautious – if not fearful – of Johnny come lately that is asking, rather than giving.

• Jeremiah Owyang, Sr. Analyst at Forrester

Myth #3: You must have above average charisma to be a good networker.

REALITY: You merely need to be thoughtful, sincere and genuinely helpful. You get offered a job or opportunities from people who are trusting of you. There IS a hidden job market out there, but you have to be willing to be open and giving to be part of it.

To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust.

• George Ross

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8 New Techniques to Land a Job

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A better job search, a better chance

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If you're in the middle of a job search, there will no doubt be moments when you feel frustrated and fatigued. Despite submitting countless applications, your phone might not ring. You may interview for a job and never hear back from the company. Or you could be offered the position you sought, only to learn the compensation is much lower than you expected. Without question, pounding the proverbial pavement requires perseverance, patience and a positive outlook. The following are tips for enhancing your search and coping with the job-hunt blues.

1. Set goals.

When you're between jobs, you may miss the feeling of accomplishment derived from completing tasks and meeting objectives on a regular basis. Make up your own "to-do" list by setting daily or weekly targets for your job search. Give yourself firm deadlines and stick to them. Write notes, like "Send a tailored cover letter and résumé to XYZ Corp. by end of day" or "Thoroughly research 10 new companies in the next week." Meeting specific goals will boost your morale and add momentum to your search.

2. Find the right targets.

You could save time (and avoid frustration) by narrowing your focus. For example, instead of faxing a generic résumé to every company that is advertising an open position, develop targeted materials and send them to a small list of firms that are most appealing to you.

3. Seek expert assistance.

If you're sending scores of targeted résumés and cover letters and still aren't being called for interviews, contact a staffing or recruitment firm and ask for suggestions on how to improve your application materials. Staffing professionals can provide you with invaluable tips and feedback. It's their job to stay current on market conditions and hiring trends. They also can help you locate temporary positions that will allow you to keep working and earn money while you continue searching for full-time employment.

4. Get to work.

It's often said that getting a job is a job in itself. Take a 9-to-5 approach to your employment search. Be disciplined for a solid eight hours each day regardless of the time of year. A common misconception is that hiring grinds to a halt during the summer months and around the holidays due to vacation schedules. The truth, however, is that good companies are always looking for good people.

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A Senior's Thoughts: e-personality

To contact us Click HERE
Last week, I shared my attempt to reduce my spending. That is something I’ve been continually working on, although coming back to Auburn to an apartment with no food and new warm weather didn’t make it easy. This week, however, I’ll be focusing on monitoring my e-personality. Have you ever thought about this? We’ve all heard that you only get one first impression, but have you ever thought that your first impression could be on Facebook or Twitter? Think about it. If you tweet something that is retweeted, chances are someone you do not know now knows your name and associates your name with something you said using 140 characters or less.

I began the monitoring process by Googling my name: Paige Robinson. On the first page of websites, the only two things that showed up were my LinkedIn profile and the website I created for a class. While, I’d like to appear more upon that Google search, two isn’t bad. When I Googled: Paige Robinson Auburn, I got much more interesting results. Everything on the first page was me. It was videos I did for a class, articles and my resume. Various articles, websites and videos kept occurring even up to the third page. These were all good things because they market my skills: video production, editing, feature and news writing and social media.

Next I analyzed my social media accounts. I’ve done this before and regularly update them, but I still took the time to check them out. I had no profanity or bad pictures on my sites. I did have some high school yearbook invitations on my home page on Facebook, but I promptly deleted them.

The scary thing now is Facebook’s timeline. If you’re like me and didn’t start college off on the best foot, you have to go back to 2008 and clean everything up. This is one thing I did learn from this experience. Everything you post on a social media site is present. Luckily, you can delete photos from your site, but you have to take the time to really go through it. That is one thing I am doing now and plan to continue. It’s embarrassing to see what I posted as a high school senior, and I definitely don’t want a future employer to see that!

If you have never monitored your e-personality here are my recommendations:

1. Google yourself. Make needed changes based on those results.
2. Review your tweets. Do they have profanity? Do they allude to inappropriate topics? If so, delete them.
3. Look at your Facebook pictures. Do they have alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, drugs or profanity in them? If so, delete them.
4. Look at posts on your Facebook wall, groups you’re involved in and your recent activity. Are they alluding to crude subjects? If so, delete them.
5. Complete your LinkedIn profile. Why have a profile if it doesn’t adequately show your skills? Make sure each division is filled out to the fullest.

*Maybe you’re wondering what to do with pictures or posts regarding alcoholic beverages if you are 21 or older. My advice is just delete them. Better safe than sorry. What if your boss is extremely conservative? Is that something you would want him or her to see? Remember this could be your first impression; just take them down.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Perspective: Going Beyond the Textbooks

To contact us Click HERE
This week’s topic couldn’t exactly be done in a week. Going beyond the textbooks by finding quality experience is something that needs to be done continually throughout our college careers. However, I will take this time to reflect on some things I’ve done and ways you can too!

In order to find quality experience in your field, you must first know your field. If you don’t, please go to www.auburn.edu/career and click on the Career Assessments tab. Take an assessment or two, and then come see a career counselor to discuss your results. You may not leave your career counseling session with a major, but it gets you a step closer by knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

If you are the lucky college student who actually knows what you want to do with your life, then get on it! In the Career Rookie article “6 Tips for Success All College Seniors/ New Grads Should Know,” Heather Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended, said, “A degree isn’t going to be your golden ticket to gainful employment, worthwhile experience is.”

Here are some things you can do:

1.    Join a major-related club or organization. Many majors at Auburn University offer specialized clubs for each major. For instance, COSAM has Alpha Epsilon Delta, Medical D and a Pre-Pharmacy Club. In my major, public relations, we have PRSSA, which is a precursor for PRSA, the club for public relations professionals. Any of these clubs show that you care about the latest trends in your field and that you care about furthering your knowledge and abilities in your field.

2.    Gain volunteer experience. Volunteering, no matter the cause or organization, is a valuable thing to do. It puts you in contact with a diverse group of people and forces you to work toward the same end goal. It also shows that you care about your community and the people in it. Even better, get involved in a volunteering organization like Project Uplift or IMPACT that allows you to volunteer weekly. Another great thing about volunteering is that is doesn’t usually require previous experience or involvement. Even if you have never done anything else, you can still volunteer!

3.    Obtain and internship in your field. It seems that these days obtaining a job without an internship is nearly impossible. Employers like to hire people who have actually put their book knowledge to use. Luckily, many Auburn University majors require an internship. If yours doesn’t, consider a summer internship or come to the Career Center for more information on our job shadowing program. This program puts you in contact with professionals in the Auburn/Opelika area that you can observe for a day.

4.    Leadership, leadership, leadership. What is better than being involved? Leading the involvement. Once you find your niche, take on more responsibility. Whether it is your volunteer organization, social sorority or fraternity or professional organization, gaining leadership experience is crucial. No, you don’t have to be president of everything. If you can be and want to be, go for it! However, you can also become team captain or the manager of a club project.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Thoughts: Honesty & Integrity

To contact us Click HERE
Our next topic should be rather obvious. It is entitled “Be honest, have integrity.” Sadly, many new employees overlook the importance of good morals in the workplace. Not only does your conduct represent yourself, your family, your university and your hometown, but you also now reflect your company. No company wants a cut-throat, sneaky employee, no matter how great of a sale representative, doctor, lawyer, teacher or nurse you may be.

If you are like me, you feel pretty good about your integrity. I’m not stealing money from my organization or committing tax fraud. I’m a good person. However, let’s think about the following:

1. Do you sneak off from work 10-15 minutes early? If being paid an hourly wage, leaving early means you are taking money that you actually did not work for. This is also referred to as stealing. 
2. Do you take home office supplies for personal use? This is also called stealing. Your organization bought these supplies for office use. By taking them, you are forcing your organization to buy more supplies sooner than they should, thus they spend more money. 
3. Did you say you were proficient in a skill or application that you really aren’t? We see this a lot. Many people say they are proficient in Adobe Creative Suite or all of Microsoft Office when really they only have working knowledge of them. If you say you can do something on your resume, you will be expected to perform at your job. Tell the truth on your resume!
4. Did you say you were fluent in another language, when really you can only hold an elementary conversation? This is another example of lying on your resume. In many instances employers will hold you accountable and begin speaking Spanish or French to you in the interview. If you know you wouldn’t be able to converse, then don’t say you are fluent. 
5. Do you participate in workplace gossip? Talking about other employees or your boss in a negative way is an incredibly painful thing to do. You may think you’re not gossiping because you aren’t saying anything, but listening to others gossip makes you just as guilty. Gossiping can tarnish your reputation, cause co-workers to lose respect for you and seriously hurt the person you’re gossiping about. Even if you are frustrated, do not vent to your co-workers. Remember, if people gossip with you, then many times they will gossip about you! Stay out of any and all drama! In the words of Thumper the Rabbit, “If you can’t say nothing nice, then don’t say nothing at all.”

In conclusion, we are all held accountable to our actions and words. We’ve all heard the common saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” If you have ever been the one that is lied to or talked about, then you know this is completely false. Employers do not want to constantly wonder whether their employees are telling the truth, can actually complete the assignment or are talking badly about them. Take some stress off of your superior and be a dependable, honest, morally-sound employee. I guarantee it will pay off!

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Perspective: Emotional Intelligence

To contact us Click HERE
For the last four years, I’ve been drilled with exams, quizzes and writing assignments all of which are necessary for my learning. However, now that I’m on my way out and into the working world, I’m being told my emotional intelligence is more important. Emotional intelligence refers not to your IQ or book knowledge, but to the ability to manage emotions.

The one thing that really stuck out to me when evaluating my emotional intelligence is how I handle stress. You don’t have to have a full-time job to occasionally fall under the curse of being stressed out. With finals coming up, I’m imagining roughly 90 percent of us will feel quite overwhelmed. While I’m no expert at managing stress, I have been conscious of my reactions to stress for quite a while. Last semester was the hardest academic semester I’ve had at Auburn, and I also was shoulder deep in planning a wedding. This semester my course load is much easier, but I am now ear deep in wedding planning. Through this year, I’ve learned several things about managing my stress and reacting well to stress.

1. Writing things down helps keep me from getting overwhelmed. When I write things down, I know that I won’t forget it. Keeping a planner up-to-date is one of the best things I’ve done throughout my college career. It keeps me from double booking and wasting time.
2. Exercise can be used to prevent stress and relieve stress. I haven’t always been great about exercising. A lot of times when I am stressed I feel like exercise is a complete waste of time. However, this semester I’ve been very disciplined to exercise more, even if it’s only a 30-minute walk. What I’ve found is that the physical activity works out my anxious jitters and usually gears me to productivity. This is great because on the days that I’m not very busy, I get things finished thus leaving my next day a little less busy. It keeps things from piling high and keeps me feeling better. It also helps when I’m in the middle of a stress out phase. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of school and work to move my body leaves me feeling more relaxed. 
3. Concentrated breathing sounds silly, but helps a lot when feeling stressed. As previously stated my academic schedule is not very strenuous this semester. I am fortunate enough to be able to take a stress reduction course in the physical education department. One of the best things I have learned is the use of meditation and breathing. I don’t always have the time for a 30-minute guided breathing exercise, and I’m sure most of you don’t either. However, in those times of gut-wrenching stress or anxiety, close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths. It sounds silly, but taking that time to concentrate on your breathing slows your heartbeat and relaxes your body. Chances are you were tensing either your jaw or shoulders. By taking the time to breath slowly, you can relax those muscles.

These are just a few of the things that I found help me relax. Everyone is different, so maybe there are some other good activities you can do to unwind from your day. Whatever it is, realize that how to react to situations, stressful or not, plays a key role in how you are viewed as an employee.

BONUS: The Auburn University Career Center and DEI are co-sponsoring a Stress Relief Panel (WITH free food) on Thursday, August 26. Check it out here.

A Senior's Perspective: Be a Helper

To contact us Click HERE
One of the things that I have learned through this internship at the Auburn University Career Center is the value of hard work. Every week may not be packed full of tasks, and there may be times when I feel like I have nothing to do. There are, of course, other times when I'm begging for no more tasks.

The lesson learned from this realization is this: A great employee is the one who takes advantage of the down times. It’s not wise to take on additional tasks or volunteer to help when things are already piling high on your desk. However, those days that aren’t quite as frantic are the perfect times to ask around for who needs help or take initiative on a project. This not only takes the load off another coworker or your boss, but it also can have some intrinsic value. Doesn’t it feel good when you help out? So, why not help out!?

Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of "The 11 Laws of Likability" and founder of Executive Essentials, a corporate training and coaching company based in New York, NY, said, “Pursue the relationships that feel authentic to you to expand your resources, knowledge base and support network, and offer your help. If you don't have anything to do, find something. Build your brand as someone who pitches in."

Another thing to highlight while we’re “pitching in,” is to maintain a positive attitude. The importance of a good attitude cannot be stressed enough. It really can be the difference maker in whether or not you get a job offer.

One of my friends completed her internship in accounting this spring and received a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm in the city of her choice. When the bosses called her in to offer her the job they told her that the thing they loved about her was that she remained positive and uplifting through her entire internship. She later confided in me that she had actually made some mistakes and at times wasn’t 100 percent positive she was doing the right thing. She is incredibly smart, but this was her first time to do real, outside of the classroom accounting work. She didn’t feel extremely confident in all of her decisions and actions because she wasn’t positive that they were correct. However, she also told me that she realized that the only thing she could control was her attitude and outlook. Her knowledge base is only so deep right now, but she could smile, be nice and have a good attitude. For those very things she got a job offer.

For this reason, I stress to you to make the most of your time at your work or internship. Your helping out, smiling or maintaining a positive attitude could be the difference between being unemployed and employed.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Thoughts: e-personality

To contact us Click HERE
Last week, I shared my attempt to reduce my spending. That is something I’ve been continually working on, although coming back to Auburn to an apartment with no food and new warm weather didn’t make it easy. This week, however, I’ll be focusing on monitoring my e-personality. Have you ever thought about this? We’ve all heard that you only get one first impression, but have you ever thought that your first impression could be on Facebook or Twitter? Think about it. If you tweet something that is retweeted, chances are someone you do not know now knows your name and associates your name with something you said using 140 characters or less.

I began the monitoring process by Googling my name: Paige Robinson. On the first page of websites, the only two things that showed up were my LinkedIn profile and the website I created for a class. While, I’d like to appear more upon that Google search, two isn’t bad. When I Googled: Paige Robinson Auburn, I got much more interesting results. Everything on the first page was me. It was videos I did for a class, articles and my resume. Various articles, websites and videos kept occurring even up to the third page. These were all good things because they market my skills: video production, editing, feature and news writing and social media.

Next I analyzed my social media accounts. I’ve done this before and regularly update them, but I still took the time to check them out. I had no profanity or bad pictures on my sites. I did have some high school yearbook invitations on my home page on Facebook, but I promptly deleted them.

The scary thing now is Facebook’s timeline. If you’re like me and didn’t start college off on the best foot, you have to go back to 2008 and clean everything up. This is one thing I did learn from this experience. Everything you post on a social media site is present. Luckily, you can delete photos from your site, but you have to take the time to really go through it. That is one thing I am doing now and plan to continue. It’s embarrassing to see what I posted as a high school senior, and I definitely don’t want a future employer to see that!

If you have never monitored your e-personality here are my recommendations:

1. Google yourself. Make needed changes based on those results.
2. Review your tweets. Do they have profanity? Do they allude to inappropriate topics? If so, delete them.
3. Look at your Facebook pictures. Do they have alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, drugs or profanity in them? If so, delete them.
4. Look at posts on your Facebook wall, groups you’re involved in and your recent activity. Are they alluding to crude subjects? If so, delete them.
5. Complete your LinkedIn profile. Why have a profile if it doesn’t adequately show your skills? Make sure each division is filled out to the fullest.

*Maybe you’re wondering what to do with pictures or posts regarding alcoholic beverages if you are 21 or older. My advice is just delete them. Better safe than sorry. What if your boss is extremely conservative? Is that something you would want him or her to see? Remember this could be your first impression; just take them down.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Perspective: Going Beyond the Textbooks

To contact us Click HERE
This week’s topic couldn’t exactly be done in a week. Going beyond the textbooks by finding quality experience is something that needs to be done continually throughout our college careers. However, I will take this time to reflect on some things I’ve done and ways you can too!

In order to find quality experience in your field, you must first know your field. If you don’t, please go to www.auburn.edu/career and click on the Career Assessments tab. Take an assessment or two, and then come see a career counselor to discuss your results. You may not leave your career counseling session with a major, but it gets you a step closer by knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

If you are the lucky college student who actually knows what you want to do with your life, then get on it! In the Career Rookie article “6 Tips for Success All College Seniors/ New Grads Should Know,” Heather Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended, said, “A degree isn’t going to be your golden ticket to gainful employment, worthwhile experience is.”

Here are some things you can do:

1.    Join a major-related club or organization. Many majors at Auburn University offer specialized clubs for each major. For instance, COSAM has Alpha Epsilon Delta, Medical D and a Pre-Pharmacy Club. In my major, public relations, we have PRSSA, which is a precursor for PRSA, the club for public relations professionals. Any of these clubs show that you care about the latest trends in your field and that you care about furthering your knowledge and abilities in your field.

2.    Gain volunteer experience. Volunteering, no matter the cause or organization, is a valuable thing to do. It puts you in contact with a diverse group of people and forces you to work toward the same end goal. It also shows that you care about your community and the people in it. Even better, get involved in a volunteering organization like Project Uplift or IMPACT that allows you to volunteer weekly. Another great thing about volunteering is that is doesn’t usually require previous experience or involvement. Even if you have never done anything else, you can still volunteer!

3.    Obtain and internship in your field. It seems that these days obtaining a job without an internship is nearly impossible. Employers like to hire people who have actually put their book knowledge to use. Luckily, many Auburn University majors require an internship. If yours doesn’t, consider a summer internship or come to the Career Center for more information on our job shadowing program. This program puts you in contact with professionals in the Auburn/Opelika area that you can observe for a day.

4.    Leadership, leadership, leadership. What is better than being involved? Leading the involvement. Once you find your niche, take on more responsibility. Whether it is your volunteer organization, social sorority or fraternity or professional organization, gaining leadership experience is crucial. No, you don’t have to be president of everything. If you can be and want to be, go for it! However, you can also become team captain or the manager of a club project.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Thoughts: Honesty & Integrity

To contact us Click HERE
Our next topic should be rather obvious. It is entitled “Be honest, have integrity.” Sadly, many new employees overlook the importance of good morals in the workplace. Not only does your conduct represent yourself, your family, your university and your hometown, but you also now reflect your company. No company wants a cut-throat, sneaky employee, no matter how great of a sale representative, doctor, lawyer, teacher or nurse you may be.

If you are like me, you feel pretty good about your integrity. I’m not stealing money from my organization or committing tax fraud. I’m a good person. However, let’s think about the following:

1. Do you sneak off from work 10-15 minutes early? If being paid an hourly wage, leaving early means you are taking money that you actually did not work for. This is also referred to as stealing. 
2. Do you take home office supplies for personal use? This is also called stealing. Your organization bought these supplies for office use. By taking them, you are forcing your organization to buy more supplies sooner than they should, thus they spend more money. 
3. Did you say you were proficient in a skill or application that you really aren’t? We see this a lot. Many people say they are proficient in Adobe Creative Suite or all of Microsoft Office when really they only have working knowledge of them. If you say you can do something on your resume, you will be expected to perform at your job. Tell the truth on your resume!
4. Did you say you were fluent in another language, when really you can only hold an elementary conversation? This is another example of lying on your resume. In many instances employers will hold you accountable and begin speaking Spanish or French to you in the interview. If you know you wouldn’t be able to converse, then don’t say you are fluent. 
5. Do you participate in workplace gossip? Talking about other employees or your boss in a negative way is an incredibly painful thing to do. You may think you’re not gossiping because you aren’t saying anything, but listening to others gossip makes you just as guilty. Gossiping can tarnish your reputation, cause co-workers to lose respect for you and seriously hurt the person you’re gossiping about. Even if you are frustrated, do not vent to your co-workers. Remember, if people gossip with you, then many times they will gossip about you! Stay out of any and all drama! In the words of Thumper the Rabbit, “If you can’t say nothing nice, then don’t say nothing at all.”

In conclusion, we are all held accountable to our actions and words. We’ve all heard the common saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” If you have ever been the one that is lied to or talked about, then you know this is completely false. Employers do not want to constantly wonder whether their employees are telling the truth, can actually complete the assignment or are talking badly about them. Take some stress off of your superior and be a dependable, honest, morally-sound employee. I guarantee it will pay off!

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Perspective: Emotional Intelligence

To contact us Click HERE
For the last four years, I’ve been drilled with exams, quizzes and writing assignments all of which are necessary for my learning. However, now that I’m on my way out and into the working world, I’m being told my emotional intelligence is more important. Emotional intelligence refers not to your IQ or book knowledge, but to the ability to manage emotions.

The one thing that really stuck out to me when evaluating my emotional intelligence is how I handle stress. You don’t have to have a full-time job to occasionally fall under the curse of being stressed out. With finals coming up, I’m imagining roughly 90 percent of us will feel quite overwhelmed. While I’m no expert at managing stress, I have been conscious of my reactions to stress for quite a while. Last semester was the hardest academic semester I’ve had at Auburn, and I also was shoulder deep in planning a wedding. This semester my course load is much easier, but I am now ear deep in wedding planning. Through this year, I’ve learned several things about managing my stress and reacting well to stress.

1. Writing things down helps keep me from getting overwhelmed. When I write things down, I know that I won’t forget it. Keeping a planner up-to-date is one of the best things I’ve done throughout my college career. It keeps me from double booking and wasting time.
2. Exercise can be used to prevent stress and relieve stress. I haven’t always been great about exercising. A lot of times when I am stressed I feel like exercise is a complete waste of time. However, this semester I’ve been very disciplined to exercise more, even if it’s only a 30-minute walk. What I’ve found is that the physical activity works out my anxious jitters and usually gears me to productivity. This is great because on the days that I’m not very busy, I get things finished thus leaving my next day a little less busy. It keeps things from piling high and keeps me feeling better. It also helps when I’m in the middle of a stress out phase. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of school and work to move my body leaves me feeling more relaxed. 
3. Concentrated breathing sounds silly, but helps a lot when feeling stressed. As previously stated my academic schedule is not very strenuous this semester. I am fortunate enough to be able to take a stress reduction course in the physical education department. One of the best things I have learned is the use of meditation and breathing. I don’t always have the time for a 30-minute guided breathing exercise, and I’m sure most of you don’t either. However, in those times of gut-wrenching stress or anxiety, close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths. It sounds silly, but taking that time to concentrate on your breathing slows your heartbeat and relaxes your body. Chances are you were tensing either your jaw or shoulders. By taking the time to breath slowly, you can relax those muscles.

These are just a few of the things that I found help me relax. Everyone is different, so maybe there are some other good activities you can do to unwind from your day. Whatever it is, realize that how to react to situations, stressful or not, plays a key role in how you are viewed as an employee.

BONUS: The Auburn University Career Center and DEI are co-sponsoring a Stress Relief Panel (WITH free food) on Thursday, August 26. Check it out here.

A Senior's Perspective: Be a Helper

To contact us Click HERE
One of the things that I have learned through this internship at the Auburn University Career Center is the value of hard work. Every week may not be packed full of tasks, and there may be times when I feel like I have nothing to do. There are, of course, other times when I'm begging for no more tasks.

The lesson learned from this realization is this: A great employee is the one who takes advantage of the down times. It’s not wise to take on additional tasks or volunteer to help when things are already piling high on your desk. However, those days that aren’t quite as frantic are the perfect times to ask around for who needs help or take initiative on a project. This not only takes the load off another coworker or your boss, but it also can have some intrinsic value. Doesn’t it feel good when you help out? So, why not help out!?

Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of "The 11 Laws of Likability" and founder of Executive Essentials, a corporate training and coaching company based in New York, NY, said, “Pursue the relationships that feel authentic to you to expand your resources, knowledge base and support network, and offer your help. If you don't have anything to do, find something. Build your brand as someone who pitches in."

Another thing to highlight while we’re “pitching in,” is to maintain a positive attitude. The importance of a good attitude cannot be stressed enough. It really can be the difference maker in whether or not you get a job offer.

One of my friends completed her internship in accounting this spring and received a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm in the city of her choice. When the bosses called her in to offer her the job they told her that the thing they loved about her was that she remained positive and uplifting through her entire internship. She later confided in me that she had actually made some mistakes and at times wasn’t 100 percent positive she was doing the right thing. She is incredibly smart, but this was her first time to do real, outside of the classroom accounting work. She didn’t feel extremely confident in all of her decisions and actions because she wasn’t positive that they were correct. However, she also told me that she realized that the only thing she could control was her attitude and outlook. Her knowledge base is only so deep right now, but she could smile, be nice and have a good attitude. For those very things she got a job offer.

For this reason, I stress to you to make the most of your time at your work or internship. Your helping out, smiling or maintaining a positive attitude could be the difference between being unemployed and employed.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

7 Reasons Employers Will Hire You

To contact us Click HERE

Job hunting pointers to keep in mind

Reprinted with permission from theundercoverrecruiter.com.

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To secure that dream job, you have to think like the person making the final decision. What is going through the manager's head when they select candidates? This is a list containing the 7 most common reasons people get hired. Use it wisely now and do let me know if you have any questions on any of the reasons.

1. A great resume

Sometimes an average candidate can be hired thanks to a brilliant resume. Your resume is your first impression and you only get one shot at this. Pick a template relevant to your industry, look at other people’s resumes, have them look at yours, get help from experts etc before you send anything out. Remember that your resume has to be updated consistently and it is a living document.

2. Your online personal brand

Personal branding is my personal favorite. Social media and networking has quickly become the preferred method of communication, and you will be found online by your potential new employer. By tailoring what information is available, you can turn social media into a positive when looking for a new job. Make sure your public profiles are employee friendly and up to date.
Establish yourself as an authority online by either starting a blog, moderating a forum or jut being active in a Linkedin group for instance. Get recommendations on your prolife and these will serve as the old school resume references. Social media and online branding will take you a fair bit of time and effort but you don’t really have a choice so my best advice is to embrace it.

3. The right skills and experience

In this economy, you will struggle to find someone willing to hire a candidate that needs training. Think about it, would you want somebody shadowing your work and asking questions for the first 6 months? Or would you want somebody that knows the score and gets busy contributing to your targets from day one? Having the right skills and experience is more important than ever and unfortunately not something you can work on overnight.

4. Staying power with the business

This is crucial as employers want people that stay in their company and work their way up the corporate ladder. This makes them useful (and useful means hard working). Employers will look for people who have multi-dimensional personalities, meaning they can work in different departments, projects or even locations one day. Your longevity with the business and personal characteristics will be the deciding factors here.

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