Looking for a job is hard work; it can be a difficult and frustrating process, especially if you're a college student trying to juggle academics and other responsibilities. In Getting Hired, author Frances R. Schmidt offers a quick and easy job search handbook for graduates and soon-to-be-graduates that presents a five-step approach for getting hired during difficult economic times. Getting Hired helps college graduates successfully get hired by encouraging, motivating, and teaching them how to focus on the employers' needs in any economic circumstances. It covers the nuts and bolts of the entire hiring process, including handling job search stress; realizing the importance of networking; marketing one's qualifications; preparing a resume and writing a cover letter; getting results from the portfolio; learning the art of interviewing. Schmidt, an experienced career counselor, shows how graduates can and will get hired if they distill the job search process down, step-by-step, to achieve employment career success in any job situation. Learn how to successfully market yourself in order to make a smooth transition from college to career. Praise for Getting Hired "The text is comprehensive and offers clear and concise messages important to job seekers" -Dr. Timothy Gallineau, Interim Chair and Faculty Higher Education Administration Department, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York

GETTING HIRED

Handbook for College GraduatesBy Frances R. Schmidt

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Frances R. Schmidt
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-9531-4

Contents

Introduction..............................................................1Summary of Contents.......................................................1Ten Job Search Stressors..................................................3Eight Job Search Strategies...............................................4Swimming in the Goldfish Bowl.............................................7The Meaning of Career Success.............................................7Exercise: Clarifying Values...............................................8Your Top Ten Work Values..................................................13Exercise: Your Strongest Skills...........................................13Networking Realities......................................................19Networking Homework.......................................................21Networking Tips...........................................................23Information-Gathering Interviewing........................................25Ten Job Search Questions..................................................30Job Search Survival Tips..................................................33Avoiding Pitfalls on the Web..............................................34Web Privacy Checklist.....................................................34Job Search Schedule Template..............................................36Quiz: Would You Hire Yourself?............................................38Résumés 101.....................................................41Curriculum Vitae 101......................................................42Résumé/CV Advice................................................42Questions for Job Search Experts..........................................43Foolproof Résumés/CVs...........................................44Eight Foolproof Tips......................................................45Résumé/CV Research..............................................45Required Information......................................................53Optional Information......................................................55Organizing Your Résumé/CV.......................................61Online Résumé/CV Basics.........................................64Basic Résumé/CV Worksheets......................................66Sample Résumé/CV Templates......................................80Basic Résumé/CV and International Templates.....................81Advice for International/Global Candidates................................90Résumé/CV Action Verbs for All Majors...........................91Sample Action Verbs.......................................................91Your Portfolio: Ten Reminders.............................................96Portfolio Format Outlines.................................................96Cover Letter Quiz.........................................................103Cover Letters Facts.......................................................104Cover Letters Misconceptions..............................................104How to Analyze Job Requirements...........................................105Cover Letter Worksheet....................................................107Cover Letter Checklist....................................................108Cover Letter Outline for All Career Sectors...............................109Scoring Your Cover Letter.................................................110Traditional and Behavioral Interviews.....................................115Pre-Interview Questions...................................................117Interview Myths Checklist.................................................117Interview Truths..........................................................118Dressing for the Interview................................................121Your Interview Image......................................................122Telephone Interview Kit...................................................123Telephone Interview Tips..................................................123Ten Optional Employer Questions...........................................124Handling Inappropriate Questions..........................................124Interview Thank-You Letters...............................................125Interview Rejection Letters...............................................125Acknowledgments...........................................................127About the Author..........................................................129

Chapter One

HANDLING JOB SEARCH STRESS

Preparing and executing a job search can be stressful, depending upon your time restraints and current economic circumstances. Graduates often feel overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to manage an employment search. However, you can take control of the process. It is important to view job hunt stress as an opportunity to put yourself in the employer's shoes.

Try to maintain a positive attitude by giving yourself credit for beginning your job search. The process is difficult and can leave you feeling frustrated. It involves time, research, and movement outside of your comfort zone. It challenges your status quo and may make life uncomfortable and confusing for a while. But the rewards will be worth your effort. Think about how some family members, friends, and acquaintances remain underemployed because they are afraid of the stress involved in planning a job search. If you learn how to recognize and manage your job search stressors, you can and will get hired.

Ten Job Search Stressors

Most college students experience job search stress. Sometimes it takes awhile before you realize how it affects your entire employment search. Once you identify areas of common stress other graduates experience, you will have the courage and motivation to keep moving forward. Approach the job search as you would an exam. When you have an exam to take, you research and study the topic to prepare yourself to answer all the questions. It's the same with job search stress—knowing ahead of time what can happen makes you stronger.

Job hunt stress is common. If it happens to you, it can have a devastating effect on your work and personal life. By learning how to identify your stressors you can navigate any job market successfully.

Feelings of discomfort and anxiety are strong indications of job hunt stress. They are warning signs of future job-related frustrations.

Mark "Y" for Yes, "N" for No, and "S" for Sometimes.

1. I feel anxious, confused, and fearful because I'm afraid I won't get hired. ____

2. I worry about opportunities for career advancement, and I feel I'll be lucky to get hired anywhere. ____

3. I'm afraid I'll have to accept a lower salary than I'd like just to pay off my college loans. ____

4. I'm unsure of myself because I believe other job seekers are more qualified. ____

5. I paid hundreds of dollars to have my résumé prepared, and it never generates interviews. ____

6. I feel vulnerable because I don't have all the qualifications the employer is asking for. ____

7. My stress level rises the minute I start my job search, because I'm not adequately prepared. ____

8. I'm afraid of the interview process. ____

9. I'm desperate to find a position I will love. ____

10. I'm afraid I won't get hired in my degree field. ____

Answers:

• Three or more yes answers to the questions above indicates you may be stressed out and need help and support. Searching for a job is difficult and filled with uncertainty. Asking for help is a positive approach to coping with your job search. Schedule an appointment with your college or university career services center and let him or her assist you with your entire job search. • Three or more sometimes answers indicates you are beginning to understand how stressful a job search can be. Sometimes you may be unsure if you can handle the time-consuming task while preparing for graduation. It will be helpful to get extra support from your career services center. • A majority of no answers indicates your doing a good job coping with job search stress. You're on the right track to getting hired.

Eight Job Search Strategies

Job search worries exist for most graduates. Learning how to handle them is challenging. Worries are a chance to learn more about yourself and cope with change. Review the Seven Strategies for Handing Job Search Worries and write them down on cue cards as a reminder of how you can overcome them.

1. Develop Realistic Options

Approach the job search with a multifaceted strategy, based on your career objectives and employer research. If you consider position opportunities from all angles, you can methodically develop a hiring action plan that works. In today's employment market, change is the name of the game. You have to be the leader of your own job search. Always have a job search plan A, B, and C. If you do, it is a strategy that will identify all potential career opportunities.

2. Stay Focused

Keep your eyes on the prize. Try to stay positive, even if (and when) you feel discouraged. See yourself getting hired by a great employer. Be patient, because it takes time and energy to stay focused on your job search goals. Find a mentor and be willing to ask for help from family and friends. Know that excellent positions are available in any job market.

3. Go Easy/Adapt to Change

Sometimes when graduates are in the beginning, middle, or end of a job search, it is easy to get frustrated. Maintaining a proactive, never-give-up attitude becomes difficult and stressful. If this happens to you, keep telling yourself you can do it if you go the extra mile. Never give up on yourself or your job search plan. You may have to modify it, change it, or even develop a new one, if the strategy isn't successful because of circumstances beyond your control. You will get hired if you keep adapting to change.

4. Always Check Your Perceptions

Inaccurate job search perceptions regarding the hiring process can impact your job search in many ways. It is not a guessing game where you hope you can win. If you don't have all the facts regarding the hiring process, from an employer's point of view, you may not get hired. It won't be because you're not the best candidate for the job. There may be other reasons. For example, it could be your cover letter, résumé, or interview skills that keep you back from getting offers. Please take time to find out what job strategies work best, based on accurate perceptions, while recognizing that there are exceptions to every rule.

5. Depend on Yourself

Take responsibility for your own job search. Yes, you may need help from your career services center, or from career development professionals. They can help you to sort through the hiring process. Remember, only you can measure and motivate yourself to follow through with a plan of action. This handbook helps you handle information overload. Know why you're the best graduate for the job. Prepare an excellent résumé and cover letter that stands out among the crowd. If your job search stalls, have the confidence to explore and find out the reasons why.

6. Release Fear

Job search fear can keep you from managing your time and talent. You have to market yourself to potential employers constantly and not take any job rejections personally. Have the courage to never give up until you make it through your job hunt transition, from college graduate to employee. Transitions always begin with an ending. For example, yours will be going from college graduate to professional in your career field.

7. Identify Your Unique Transferable Skills

Identifying your skills and transferable skills is a critical aspect of the job search process. These skills are the abilities employers look for in the workplace. Everyone has them, and they consist of natural and learned abilities. They are valuable because they are clues to the career field that suits you best. Matching them to specific occupational areas increases your employment marketability.

Many times graduates undervalue their transferable skills and define them within the narrow parameters of their current work experience. For example, if you are a teacher but want to make a career change into management, you may believe that all you can do is teach in the classroom. In reality, if you are an excellent teacher, you are organized, prepared, and creative with subject matter. Every day, you demonstrate your verbal and nonverbal communication skills with your students. Your leadership abilities are consistently on display with students, faculty, staff, and especially parents. The skills you use as a teacher can be easily transferred and applied to many fields in both the private and nonprofit sector, depending upon where your current interests lie. We can always define and redefine our skills and transferable skills. Keeping an open mind about constantly learning additional skills is a lifelong process.

If I asked you to identify your transferable skills, could you tell me what they are? If you can, your chances of getting hired increase significantly. If not, you have to focus on all your work experience, including internships, clinicals, and community service. Every experience contains a gold mine of clues to help you take ownership of your talents. You must know exactly what your transferable skills are. Employers want to hire employees who are confident about what they do. Imagine you are a manager or CEO of your own company or organization. What type of college graduate would you want to hire? Would your hiring decisions be based on academics only? Probably not! You would want to be sure the graduate you select is well rounded and has strong transferable skills prior to hiring. This will ensure that your investment in the candidate will benefit your company or organization.

8. Get Yourself Hired

It's important to approach your employment search with the same determination you used to earn your degree. Perhaps you struggled with a class or two, or perhaps you had to take a course over to raise your GPA. It's the same process. You had to develop a plan A, B, and C. You are a special graduate with credentials, special skills, and unique abilities, and your goal is to convince an employer to hire you. You have completed all your homework and are the best person for the job.

Swimming in the Goldfish Bowl

If you are graduating from college or are a recent grad, you don't want to be unemployed. You've worked hard for your education and want to find a great position. If you spend too much time stressing about your job search, you may begin to feel like a goldfish in a bowl, swimming around and around in circles. Your mind races: "What if the bowl shatters?" "How can I get a job?" "How can I cope with an uncertain employment market?" "What do I do?" Being in a goldfish bowl can be mind-boggling. What are your options? Sink or swim!

Of course, the goldfish bowl does offer some benefits. It provides temporary shelter from the reality of unemployment. It helps you feel safe and secure for short periods. This time-out can help you come to terms with a significant hiring transition. You might feel angry, scared, or uncertain. You might cry. Try to stay calm and patient even if your first impulse is to panic. Take comfort in the fact that what you're experiencing will only be temporary. The goldfish bowl can be your safety net. Your first reaction is to find something—anything—to be employed. It's wise, however, to take time to reflect and assess your situation before making a hasty decision. During this period of uncertainty, tap into your inner strength. Never give up on yourself. Realize your employment situation will change.

Visualize yourself being hired. What employment sector will you be working in? What will your life be like? Think about concrete ways to take charge of your career and find a position you will be happy with. View yourself as CEO of your own company: "Me, Inc." In today's world, employment security no longer exists. To remain marketable, you must be flexible and keep up with industry and workplace trends. Be prepared for failures along the way. View them as learning experiences.

Life is all about choices. As a college graduate, you may be entering the real world of work for the first time, or you may already have extensive work experience and want to change careers. No matter what your situation is, you have to begin your job search. The hiring transition process is unique. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Change is a lifelong companion. You can get hired if you try your best. You've earned your degree and are ready to enter your profession. Be proud of your accomplishments and work hard to get yourself hired!

The Meaning of Career Success

Career success means something different to each graduate. It's a lifelong process of discovering who you are and who you are becoming. It's the difference between contentment and frustration. It is the ability to balance your career and personal life. It is an ongoing process that changes throughout your lifetime. When you are beginning your career, it may take you awhile to gain enough work experience to move into your ideal position. It all depends on what your work and personal values are. For some individuals, earning a lot of money is a priority; for others, helping others is more important than a high salary. Perhaps you desire both. Try to avoid comparing your values to someone else's.

Values are important, because they will determine the employers you wish to work for and the positions you wish to hold. You may move from position to position before you find the perfect match. Often graduates will have to accept a position for a variety of reasons—for example, you need the money or the experience for a chance to gain additional skills. That's why it is critical to understand what your values are now. You want to find a position that will be a perfect match for your work values. Only you can measure your career success.

Please take the time to identify your top-priority values, because they will help you be happy in your career of choice. Career success means getting personal satisfaction out of your work life.

Exercise: Clarifying Values

Values clarification exercises help you identify your work-related values. In combination with your interests, they will help you identify your job goals. Review the results of your values clarification exercises. Use these values to prioritize the components you value in a career. Values are the key to discovering what is important and meaningful in your world of work. Your work-related values may change throughout your lifetime, but they remain the springboard for attaining a rewarding position. Try to look for your top three work-related values in positions you apply for, realizing that during uncertain economic times you may have to focus on your plan A, B, or C until your ideal position becomes available. For each answer, explain why following your answer.

1. Do you value money, personal satisfaction, or both? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

2. Do you like working independently or working with others? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

3. Do you enjoy delegating or being a member of a team? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

4. Do you have excellent verbal and written communication skills and want to influence others? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

5. Do you value your creativity and want to use it on a daily basis? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

6. Would you prefer working in the private sector or in a community service environment based on your internships, volunteerism, or current work experience? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

7. Do you value teaching or training others? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

(Continues...)

Excerpted from GETTING HIRED by Frances R. Schmidt Copyright © 2012 by Frances R. Schmidt. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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