Types of Interviews

Here's an idea of what different interviews you may encounter on your way to the top. The source that these are from, which is an OPE(?) source, only has three listed. (This was also given to me from Idonas). I think this is more geared towards people trying to get a job on a College campus, but it can still be translated into other fields as well.

Conference Interviews
Initial interview(s) which are used to screen. The goal is to get an offer to come to the campus (business). The interview usually lasts around 30 minutes and will take place at a small table (or room), with 1-2 representatives from the school. Could be in a large ballroom with up to 100 tables in one section, where other interviews are also being conducted just a few feet away.

Telephone Interviews
May proceed, replace, or follow-up a conference interview. This may be a conference call with 3-5 staff members from the office in which you hope to work. These can be as short as 20 minutes or over an hour depending on the search process.

Campus Interviews
Can last all day. You may be getting evaluated during meals and travel to/from the airport/bus/train. The process will usually consist of a series of interviews with different individuals or groups throughout the day. Students, staff and people from other offices may interview you. You may be asked to make a presentation. (If the interview is out-of-town, you want to arrange to arrive a day early or stay an extra day if possible to get a chance to explore the area and campus.)

One type not mentioned in this source is a Group Interview. Same concept as the Conference Interview, except a group of people will be interviewed for the same position, at the same time, by the same people as you.

Each type of interview is a little different, but requires similar preparation.

Be well organized and be prepared to sell yourself and your skills. Be confident in what you know and make sure that it shows. It's very difficult to stand out from the crowd and selling your best assets is one of the ways to make your possible future employer notice you.

Resume/Application Bloopers Part 2

This blog is continuing from a couple posts ago. Here is more bloopers to enjoy:

Special Requests & Job Objectives
-Please call me after 5:30 because I am self-employed and my employer does not know I am looking for another job.
-My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I have no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.
-I procrastinate - especially when the task is unpleasant.
- Don't take the comments of my former employer too seriously, they were unappreciative beggars and slave drivers.
-It's best for employers that I not work with people.
-You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time.

Small Typos that can Change the Meaning
-Education: College, August 1880-May 1984.
-Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain operation.
-Cover letter: "Thank you for your consideration. Hope to hear from you shorty!"
-Received a plague for salesperson of the year.
-Reason for leaving last job: Maturity leave.
-As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments.

Personally my favorite is the first one listed about the self-employed guy.

I hope everyone is having a good week. Not too much longer before the weekend :)

A Couple of Sites

Here's a couple of sites that are more geared towards College students. JobWeb offers career and job-search advice for new college graduates. A service of the National Association of Colleges and Employers:

http://www.jobweb.org/


Then this site lists more sites for students to look through. Most of these places are actually looking for new graduates.

http://www.careerprep.com/Job%20Info%20Resources/Index.htm

Hopefully those will be of some help to everyone

The Ligher Side

Leaving the serious side of job hunting for a bit. Idonas had also passed on to me some funny quips about job searching stuff. I'm not sure what the source of these quips are, but if I find out I'll credit it properly. So take a minute, relax, and laugh at these other peoples mistakes and hope you don't make similar or worse ones.

Resume/Application Bloopers Part 1

Reasons for Leaving the Last Job:
-Responsibility makes me nervous
-They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 every morning. Couldn't work under those conditions.
-Was met with a string of broken promises and lies as well as cockroaches.
-I was working for my mom until she decided to move
-The department made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers.
-Note: Please don't misconstrue my 14 jobs as job-hopping. I have never quit a job

Special Abilities:
-I was proud to win the Gregg Typting Award.
-Exposure to German for two years, but many words are not appropriate for business.
-Proven ability to track down and correct erors.
-Qualifications: No education or experience.
-Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions.
-Failed bar exam with relatively high grades.

There is plenty more 2 pages printed worth so I'll be putting these up inbetween other more useful posts. Job hunting can be harsh and very unfunny, so I hope this gave you bit of a laugh today.

Keys to Successful Interviewing Part 3

So you were lucky enough to land an interview, you did all the right things. Now you're waiting and chewing your nails waiting for them to call you back..

Keys to Successful Interviewing (Info compiled by John Denio, Bryant University '04)

After the Interview
Follow-Up: Your Personal Assessment
-How do you think the interview went?
-What did you forget to ask?
-What do you want to stress next time?
-What did you learn about the employer?

Follow-Up With the Interviewer
-Send a note of thanks
-Express your interest in the position and the organization
-Reiterate your hope to hear from his/her organization soon
-Contact the interviewer again if there is no response within the agreed time
-Persistence pays off, but don't be a pest

Be on top of things. It's important to keep yourself in the employer's mind, especially if you're one of the first interviewees and there's a lot of candidates.

Don't give up hope. It's a very tough process. It's pretty disappointing if you even make it to a 2nd interview and end up with a "No." Just keep trying.

Another tip: If you don't get the job you can try calling the interviewer and asking them what they thought of the interview and what you could improve on for your next interviews. They'll know why they didn't hire you and be able to give you some pointers.

Keys to Successful Interviewing Part 2/First Day on the Job

Today was my first day temping. Whew. I went in at 8:30 this morning and filled out an application then got the run through of my duties. At first it was pretty overwhelming. But after I got back from lunch it went a little better.

My fine moment of the day is when I answered the phone. "hello. oh uh buh wait, Faculty Administration!" haha but luckily it was someone I knew and they knew I was new. Everyone was very nice and accommodating. So Hurrah! for a very successful first day at my new job :)

Now on to Keys to Successful Interviewing Part 2! (Info compiled by John Denio, Bryant University '04)

The Interview

Before the Interview:
-Take copies of your resume, list of references and your notes.
-Be on time, early is even better.
-Know the interviewer's name (how to spell and pronounce it) and title.
-Remember to be courteous to all personnel you meet. Good manners make a good impression

During the Interview
-Begin on a positive note, firm handshake, smile, and eye contact
-Be aware of your non-verbal attitudes, alert posture, eye contact, facial expressions, body language, and demeanor
-Allow the interviewer to lead the interview
-Be responsive to interviewer's questions; avoid short answers. The interviewer wants to know about you
-Be sure to bring up your assets and skills. Sell your strong points
-Wait for the interviewer to discuss salary and benefits
-Let your interest and enthusiasm show!

Closing the Interview
-Take the cue from the interviewer; do not prolong the leave-taking
-Ask what the next step will be in the employment process for this job
-Thank the interviewer for his/her time
-Close on a positive note, firm handshake, smile, and eye contact


That it's for during the interview. The only thing I would add to this is that you should have prepared questions for the interviewer, and hopefully they'll ask you if you have any. If they don't, towards the end of the interview say that you have some questions for them if they don't mind. I'll get more into what kind of question on another post. Look for the After the Interview points next post.


Have a great day :)

A testament to how things change

A wise lady told me: "You never know what will happen. You will wake up one morning and things will change with one phone call."

And she was right.

I was watching the inauguration this morning and just checking my e-mail when I got a phone call from one of the places that I applied to and had gotten rejected from. In fact the place I got rejected from three posts ago.

A temp position opened up and the woman from HR said I came to mind immediately and thought I would be good for the position. If I was interested she'd contact the direct hirer and have her call me. So I said "Yes! Please."

10 minutes later, I get a call from the direct hire and asked me to forward my resume, So I did.

At 1:11, about 30 minutes after I sent my resume, I was given the position. No interview.

Granted it's temporary on a week to week basis but I was able to work it out that I can keep my part-time job so that I have something to go back to when they're done with me. But it is possible that something may come of this. Another full-time position may come available or I can switch within the company. So I am happy :)

Keys to Successful Interviewing Part 1

I'm thanking Idonas again for the next few posts. He has been a great help in giving me tips and trying to help me find a job. He was my boss when I worked for my college, which sadly I can't do anymore since it was only a summer position. He gave me a couple sheets on interviewing tips. Here is part 1 (all the information is compiled by John Denio, Bryant University '04):

In Advance:

Assess yourself regarding:
-educations (relevant courses; skills you gained)
-work experience (paid, full-time, part-time, volunteer, internships)
-extracurricular activities
-transferable skills (from school to work and from one job to another)
-geographic preference
-salary needs (acceptable range)
-successes/accomplishments
-leadership examples (positions, committees...)

Assess the Organization or Institution:
-size, location
-reputation, standing, services provided
-training and benefits available
-financial status
-how your skills would contribute to its operation
-your reasons for wanting to work there

Organize Yourself:
-Prepare a dynamic one to two page resume
-Request letters of recommendation from faculty and staff members. Ask permission to use their names as references
-Prepare two to three questions regarding experience, career goals, strengths, weaknesses, and awareness of position and organization.
-Know where the interview will be held and how to get there.
-Decide on your interview wardrobe. Appearance should reflect conservative good taste.


That's part one. Stop back again for tips on the actual interview

Pot Shots

Thanks to Idonas for sending me this image.

Topics

It's hard to keep finding things to write about for a blog, especially when nothing really changes.

I got another rejection letter today for a job I just applied to on Thursday. They work quick.

I applied to 2 more jobs today. So I'm going to keep trying. I don't really have a choice but to, if I want to move on and do something besides be a bum around my Mom's house...

Continuing the hunt

It's all pretty discouraging. Job hunting is a down right pain in the butt especially when you can't catch a break.

Here's a site by the guy who wrote the book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters that's in my amazon.com carousel:

http://guerrillajobhunting.typepad.com/

Check it out. It offers some good tips and a couple chuckles here and there.

More input

Continuing with other peoples opinions. Here's one more:

Let see...LIFE after college is HARD! I didn't think it would be so difficult
to find a job to use my degree with. It's just really frustrating...and I
feel like I'm stuck in a dead end job. Its awful. I am thankful I have a job...
just want one I can use my degree with. Hope this helps and hope there are others
that feel that same as I do.

Sarah B.

I feel like this too. I'm thankful to have a job but what I really want is a career. I would pretty much take anything at this point.

One more rejection letter was added to my pile today.

I've lost track of the number of jobs that I've applied to, but so far the count is somewhere around 40 or more maybe closer to 50. I have 9 I'm waiting to hear from and at least 2 more that I need to apply to before the week is up.

I'm really hoping that something will come up soon so I can start making plans to move on with the rest of my life instead of being stuck where I am right now.

Input and Connections

I've been asking other people who've graduated what their point of view on what life after graduation is like. I've gotten a couple replies and here's one that had some good points in it:

Well actually life after college has been really interesting. Even though I got my Bachelor's in Psychology, I changed and am now in grad. school @ S.U. for Television, Radio, and Film. I think life after college is fantastic if you find something you really want to do. I have found out it is all about networking, and not giving up on what you want to pursure. Even though I haven't started looking for a job yet, I know that it is going to be tough, but just gotta work hard, especially to make it into the entertainment industry.

I think that the key is focusing on what you really want to do, and not settling for anything less. Even if you have to work a shit job and do some volunteering in your field, it will be worth it in the end. People expect after college that they are just going to go out and get a great paying job because of their degree, but it def. doesn't work like that (especially in this economy). You have to take what you can get for the time being, and never stop trying for what you want.

Beyond that, I worked at an employment agency for years and they would pass out websites and all that other stuff but anyone in life will tell you that the best way to find a job is network. Make a good impression wherever you go. I heard a lot this week of "be nice to the people you see on the way up, because they may be the asses you have to kiss on the way down." It is really true, and the bottom line is to keep in good contact with people, make a good impression, and they will think of you when the time comes.

Courtney B.


Really good point on networking.

www.linkedin.com

is a great site to keep connected with professors and other college grads. You never know if someone may know someone else that might know of something that will help you out or be a good opportunity for you.

Moving back home...

This is a tough one really.

You've been on campus for 4 years (or for at least part of your college career) away from home and on your own. You could come and go whenever you wanted, maybe just letting your roomate know what was up and where you'd be.

Now you're going back home. For some people this isn't a problem. Their parents don't bother enforcing any former rules and let those lucky ones do what they want.

Then there's the others. It's like you're in high school again. There's a curfew, you have to practically print out an itinerary, and you get the 3rd degree if you're late.

Moving back home can be tough especially if you end up there for a long period of time.

The best thing to do is 1.) respect your parents rules 2.) talk to them and tell them that they're ridiculous...just kidding.

Seriously, Talk to your parents and try and get them to understand how things are different know that you're an adult. You were able to make your own decisions when you were at school and you can still make the decisions. You're smart and obviously capable since you made it through school without any serious scarring.

It may be a struggle, but both of you will need to give a little and compromise on the rules.

The longer you're at home, depending on the situation, things may get easier. There will be the occasional blow up, but don't let it get to you too much.

Here's an Idea

Continuing from the last post...

In desperation of searching for jobs last night and not finding much I turned to trusty google and typed in "find me a job" and "I need a job."

It didn't find me a job but it came up with links for a quirky idea.

Get your resume printed on a t-shirt and wear it around. If nothing else it's a conversation piece. Whether it will get everyone who wears one a job, well who knows.

Here's a couple different links for the same idea. From what I gather the idea seemed to originate from this guy:

http://www.damnineedajob.com/

but here's another link that offers the same services:

http://www.blackbirdtees.com/store/custom-tees-72/custom-resume-tee-198.html

I thought the idea was fun and maybe it'll get someone a job.

New Year

It's the beginning of another year.

I received an e-mail today from one of the companies I applied to and was rejected for yet another position.

So now it's time for more searching. Here's a few job sites that you may or may not know of:

www.coroflot.com
www.malakye.com
www.careerbuilder.com
www.jobfox.com
www.simplyhired.com

and don't forget

www.monster.com

Hopefully things will start turning around and companies will be a little less cautious about hiring on new employees. Which is very tough with the amount of people being layed off as it is. The economy will right itself eventually, just have to be patient.