Soft Skills

This week we will be discussing the importance of soft skills.  Please watch this brief video describing what soft skills are.

Mock Interview

Please watch this video on a mock interview and then complete this tutorial.

Once you have viewed the video and completed the tutorial, please head over to the class wiki, participate in the "Mock Interview" discussion and make sure to read over the the Interview Practice Assignment.

Resume Writing

Writing an Effective Resume

Use these tips to write an effective resume that meets the employer's needs and gets you an interview.  See some sample resumes  to learn about format and layout. Read about  resume tips for specific fields .  More  experienced job seekers should read our special tips.  

Heading  

• Type your name at the top in caps with large, bold type. Include your address, phone number, and email address. If you plan to move while your resume is in use, include your school address and your permanent address.

Objective

• Get focused on your job objective before writing the rest of the resume and tailor the resume to the job and the field.
• Clearly state theposition you are seeking and whether it is a full-time or part-time job or an internship. You can also include the industry and any skills you want to emphasize. Avoid vague phrases that focus on what you will gain from the experience. Everything that follows on the resume should support the objective.

Education

• Identify your degree, major, graduation date, and school.
• Include education abroad and any relevant vocational schools, certificates, and job training.
• You may include your GPA if it is 3.0 or higher. Employer expectations may vary.

Course Listings  

• You may include a short list of courses to show experience, training, or knowledge in the field as long as they are relevant to the job objective.

Skills  

• Make your skills the selling point of your resume. Include specific skills that pertain to your objective such as computer languages, technical skills, and lab techniques. You may also include interpersonal and adaptive skills such as communication, leadership, writing research, teamwork, etc.
• Be sure to back up each skill on your resume with specific and convincing evidence.

Experience

• If you have extensive experience, some of it unrelated to your objective, use two subsections: related and additional.
• Use your most important and relevant experience to convince the employer that you have the skills necessary to do the job. In this section articulate your accomplishments clearly and concisely using active voice to present evidence of your skills. 

Optional information  

• You can include professional and extracurricular affiliations and activities, honors and awards, and sports.

Items to avoid

• Keep references on a separate sheet and give to the employer when asked.
• Omit your age, religious or political affiliations, marital status, or other personal data, which could be used to screen you out.

Formatting

• Keep your resume to one page unless you have extensive related experience.
• Organize headings so that the most important points are first.
• Invite the readers' attention by using open space, wide margins, and bullets to set off text.
• Use good quality white or off-white paper.
• Use clear and dark 10-12 point type.
• Spell and punctuate perfectly. Proofread several times.
• Special formatting for scanned, emailed or online resumes .

What do I wear to the interview?

It's a question millions of people agonize over on some level while looking for a job.

The bad news is that there are few cut-and-dried answers. As the saying goes, there's no accounting for taste, and each interviewer has his unique sense of what's appropriate interview attire. The good news? Deciding what to wear isn't as difficult as you might think.

Dress One or Two Levels Up

"The rule of thumb is that you dress one or two levels higher than the job that you're going for," explains Kate Wendleton, president and founder of the Five O'Clock Club, a national career counseling and outplacement firm. "If you were going for a job as a mechanic, you wouldn't go in there in dirty overalls, even though that's how you would dress for that kind of work. You would still go in there and show respect. You would go in with an open-collar shirt, clean pants and maybe a jacket."

As Wendleton puts it, by dressing a notch or two above what's standard apparel for the position you're interviewing for, "you're definitely showing that you care about this job, and that you know the game."

Caution Is The Better Part of Valor

When it's time to get dressed for the interview, remember: It's not so much that you're trying to get the job with what you wear; rather, it's more a matter of not taking yourself out of contention with your presentation, Wendleton says. "Interviewers can decide in 10 seconds that they don't want you," she adds. "It will take them longer to decide they do want you." Chances are good that by dressing on the conservative side, you won't unintentionally disqualify yourself. But trying to demonstrate how hip you are with your exposed lower back tattoos or laid-back Juicy Couture outfit could backfire.

Use Your Judgment

Is a suit always a must in an interview? Absolutely not. Michael Smith, who recently searched for a job in the Chicago area, went on an interview in the midst of a bitter cold snap in that region. "So instead of wearing a suit, I wore black slacks and a sweater," Smith says. "The sweater was large and cable-knit but very nice and high quality. The interviewer actually said to me that it was nice to see something other than a suit walk through his door. And a week later, I got the job."

So be sure to learn about an industry's fashion culture; some are obviously more casual than others. It's also usually fine to inquire about the dress code while setting up the interview. An Armani coat and tie or your nice Ann Taylor outfit may not be required if you discover the dress code is casual.

"But it's never fine to go in with a collarless shirt," Wendleton warns. And for men, she suggests putting on a jacket, even when not wearing a tie.

You Might Not Want to Be Too True to Yourself

There are those who say it's pointless to dress for an interview in a way that you wouldn't once you're on the job. Why misrepresent yourself to a future employer or try to be someone you're not?

"If you want to have eight earrings and have your tongue pierced, that's fine," Wendleton says. "But you're showing you don't know how to play the game. If it's so important to you, go ahead and dress like you normally do, but realize that you may not get the job."

Informational Interviews

Please watch the following video on the do's and don'ts of Informational Interviews:

Please remember to contact me with any questions or concerns.  And just a reminder, please dress as if you are the one being interviewed for a job!  

  

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Have you ever been asked this question? Were you, oh say, 5 years old? Did you respond with something along the lines of, "a doctor" or "a veterinarian" or "a lawyer"? And perhaps you got a, "oh that's nice" response in return.

I have always found this question so amusing, especially now at my age (a number I choose not to disclose) because it wasn't until very recently that I finally figured out what I "want to do when I grow up". How are we supposed to know what interests and inspires us enough to want to do that "thing" everyday? Well, here's the thing, we're not supposed to know, but we can definitely try to figure it out through career exploration.

There are many online career exploration sites you can visit to get the process started, or you may visit your college's career planning department to see what tools they have to offer.

I personally like to use the Self Directed Search with students who are unsure of the career path they wish to follow. The Self-Directed Search® (SDS®) is a career interest test that asks questions about your aspirations, activities, skills, and interests in different jobs. From the responses, the SDS produces your personal three-letter Summary Code, which you can use to find occupations and fields of study that match well with your personality.

The SDS is based on John Holland’s theory that both people and working environments can be classified according to six basic types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. These personality types are known together as RIASEC.

Here is a short video on the SDS and what it's designed to do...

Now, please complete the SDS for yourself and share your results on the class Wiki page.  

Read me!

Welcome to Get to Work! 

If this is your first time here, please fill out the Contact Form by clicking or the New Student Contact Form above. 

Once you have filled it out, your answers will be posted to a spreadsheet that I will share with the rest of the class.  It is important that you only add email and phone numbers that you are willing to share to receive class updates or to be contacted by your classmates. 

Lastly, please watch this video on how to use this blog.