Check out CareerLeak.com

Not too long ago, I posted a blog about the career resource, Vault, which you can access through the UM Career Center. SI Careers received via email a link to a similar, but free, site called CareerLeak.com. Check it out add some information!

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CareerLeak Redefines Job Research

CareerLeak is simple; by focusing on the power of crowd sourcing, individuals can post, search and explore careers. CareerLeak is free and is an open community that encourages individuals to post their experiences in order to enhance the content of the site. This is not a site to rant a rave, rather an opportunity to post and search objective job profiles.

CareerLeak was established with the objective to remove barriers that job seekers encounter when searching for a job. These barriers include, lack of insight to company culture, manager quality, salaries, working environment, and more. Transparency will empower the job seeker by providing information that can help eliminate certain companies as potential employers. This is very similar to the way an employer screens its applicants, just reversed. In reality, the benefits of CareerLeak extend beyond being a tool for prospective hires and includes employers. An employer can not only get anonymous feedback from their employees, but theoretically have their applicant pool screened by eliminating employees that for one facet or another didn't match based on the applicant research on CareerLeak.com

Post Individuals who are currently working, or have previously been employed fill out simple surveys that intend to discover aspects of working for specific employers. Survey items include salaries, hours, education required, management abilities and more.

Search Surveys immediately become searchable. Prospective employees can explore what it is like to work at a company before they even apply. They can even find interview information that can help land the job they are pursing.

Explore Additional resources are available including articles, occupation profiles, and advice.

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CareerLeak is a free user generated job site that focuses on insider information from real companies. The site operates like vault.com, but it is free.

We are fairly new, however you will see that the site has many substantial pages that will benefit your students.

Posted by kkowatch on August 11, 2008 at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

94 ultimate networking, interviewing, negotiating, resume and job board resources find a better gig

Its not uncommon for us bloggers to share resources that we find on other blogs.

From the CARR-listserv, I pulled this link to this great site with 94 job search resources!

94 ultimate networking, interviewing, negotiating, resume and job board resources find a better gig

at
http://www.journerdism.com/index.php/2008/02/24/94-ultimate-networking-interviewing-negotiating-resume-and-job-resources-find-a-better-job-and-stop-complaining/
or http://tinyurl.com/yqh3pv

If you think that there is any one particular link that is really good, leave a comment!

Posted by kkowatch on August 11, 2008 at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)

Over qualified, but willing to pay dues (at least for a little while)?

Well, I'm back from vacation and it was great. While I was gone, the emails sure mounted up. An interesting discussion on the WRK4US listserv caught my eye and I wanted to bring it to your attention. This is a situation that occurs more often for people that are doing a a geographically-targeted job search, but often in a job search, a person is tempted to apply for a job that they are over-qualified for you. When the resume is received, the search committee will most likely dismiss this applicant as being over-qualified or too easily bored.

One subscriber on the WRK4US list, asked the following:

"Does anyone have any experience in telling potential employers that, if they don't have a PhD-level job, you're willing to take anything - -absolutely anything - to get your foot in the door? I mean, answering phones, stuffing envelopes, ANYTHING.

Are there any tricks or useful 'angles' to take in bringing this up?

After two years on the market (with an expensive professional career coach) I am seeing virtually no marketable skills in my PhD, including teaching, since my program offered no real teaching experience, no preparation for academe, and left me too specialized for half the jobs and not specialized enough for the other half.

In job applications and networking I've been aiming both low and high, narrow and broad, and haven't gotten a single nibble on any application save one.

My field is environmental studies (maybe off-topic - is wrk4us for Humanities?) but I'm in a specialization with zero job marketability. (No space for details here, but trust me.)"

As usual, the responses were varied and many:

The trick is to remember that you *do* have skills. One way to identify your skills is to list *everything* you've done in the past few years - classes you've taken, research you've done, community service activities, etc. - and then match up that list of activities with a skills list. University of Illinois Urbana Champaign has a really nice list of skills for PhDs. Then, when you go to write your cover letter you can cull from this list the list of skills you do have and their supporting activities.

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A friend of mine left a computer science PhD program in search of an environmentalist career, and after a period of unemployment he was able to get into the sort of job you describe: he's a bit overqualified for it but he is totally on board with the company's agenda and it's a good start. If you want, I can ask him how he found the opportunity and how he addressed the qualification issue, if it came up. (I think his company is still hiring, too -- a small environmental-education group in the Pacific Northwest.)

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My brother recommended to me that I address my over qualification for a position in my cover letter and explicitly explain why working for the company (even being under-employed) was important to and related to my career goals - and how my qualifications might explicitly improve my performance in that position.

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A career counselor gave me two good suggestions for applying to jobs for which I might be perceived as overqualified.

1. An "objective" at the top of the resume. Sometimes, objectives are
sometimes a waste of space, but sometimes they can help you justify why you are a reasonable fit for an otherwise improbable job. So, eg.:

OBJECTIVE: To find an entry-level position that will allow me to gain
real-world experience in the such-and-such industry, helping me in my
long-term career goal of such-and-such.

2. A "skills" section right below the objective, listing a bunch of "menial" tasks. By putting these tasks on your resume, you make it clear that you're willing to do them--and you avoid having to say something desperate-sounding in your cover letter like "Despite my seeming overqualification, I am willing to do menial work such as answering phones and making copies." Your skills section could look something like this:

SKILLS
-------
Phones
Photocopies
Filing
Data entry
Word processing
Proofreading
Scheduling
Other office support tasks

Also, I would suggest that you create at least two resumes--one for applying to entry-level jobs and one for more senior jobs. Unfortunately, it's very hard to craft a resume and cover letter that make you sound like a good fit for working at a variety of levels.

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I'm curious to know - did you ever try that [see her reply below] and if so what was the result? Also, is there some sort of experience your brother is speaking from, such as being on the hiring end of this kind of situation?

In Reference to... "My brother recommended to me that I address my over qualification for a position in my cover letter and explicitly explain why working for the company (even being under-employed) was important to and related to my career goals - and how my qualifications might explicitly improve my performance in that position."

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My brother has a PhD in Biophysics and works for RAND Corporation as a research scientist/manager. He does a great deal of hiring and was giving me advice in that capacity. Whether the same advice holds for a position where they do not already hire PhDs is unclear (people at RAND are likely to have a greater understanding of the value of a PhD) I didn't take all of his advice (the job ad listed a minimum and then a preferred) and did not get an interview for that particular position - however, as those of us who have ever done statistics well know, correlation is not causation!

I tracked down the e-mail he sent me:

This looks like an interesting opportunity, although, as you said, you are over qualified. So, I think you need to address that up front, in your cover letter. Does the job list a minimum, but then a preferred? If so, my cover letter edits are not as applicable. I'd change the cover letter to something like this highlight right away that you are already doing this type of work

"I am currently performing all (many?) of the duties outlined for this position in my current job. This position matches my interests of continuing to [tasks you are doing and want to expand]. In addition, I would have an opportunity to expand my expertise by [xxx]."

"While I understand that you have advertised for someone with a bachelor's degree, I believe that my education and qualifications would add great value to the position. I have a doctorate in [xxx from xxx] and have held [job related] responsibilities at [places worked]. [Doing specific job related tasks] is a task that I enjoy and is the direction in which I have chosen to take my career. Having a PhD allows me [what value do you add over] junior staff would not be able."

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Has anyone on the list attempted to or thought about omitting the PhD from his/her resume?

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I job searched without my MA or PhD for a while (actually, a career counsellor told me to do this) - I don't really think it made a difference. For the line of work I was trying to get into, it was less about what I *did* have (graduate degrees) than what I *didn't* (work experience).

As I mentioned, my best results came from re-packaging the PhD as a "large-scale research project".

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In reference to..."Has anyone on the list attempted to or thought about omitting the PhD from his/her resume?"...

I have wondered the same thing, particularly when one hears the recent college grads are able to find jobs without difficulty. I've thought about constructing a thin resume with most of my experience and education absent. Unfortunately, it would be fraudulent and would ultimately present problems. In my case, my work experience relates to my Ph.D. For others, however, simply omitting a degree might not be as problematic.

Still, I'm tempted to do it as a sort of experiment to see how much age discrimination is a factor.

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Oh, I think many of us have thought about it, some have done it at different times, and it seems to be another of those things that we repeatedly discuss on the list without coming to any hard and fast conclusion.

(In reference to..."Has anyone on the list attempted to or thought about omitting the PhD from his/her resume?")

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Perhaps beating a dead horse here, but I'm asking myself the exact same question. I'm ABD in English, finishing this December, and beginning a Library Science program next month. I have had no success breaking into any kind of library employment, and am pondering how much I should omit of my education and university work experience (mostly teaching, some admin). I am VERY willing to do "menial" tasks--doesn't bother me one bit--but I feel I'm stuck in a over-and-unqualified neverland.

When the position says "Education: High school degree or equivalent," is there a way for someone with more education to remain truthful and still catch HR's attention as a potential hire?

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"When the position says "Education: High school degree or equivalent," is there a way for someone with more education to remain truthful and still catch HR's attention as a potential hire?"

This has come up before, but I simply cannot see omitting irrelevant qualifications from a resume as fraud. I don't put my one-month stint at Sam Goody on my resume; neither do I tell people that I tutored students in logic and music theory. This is not because I'm hiding anything: it's because the experiences are irrelevant.

Resumes are not CVs -- they are not exhaustive lists of your life's work. To treat them as such, in my opinion, reflects a misunderstanding of the difference between the academy and other professions.

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"This has come up before, but I simply cannot see omitting irrelevant qualifications from a resume as fraud."

I didn't mean to suggest that in all cases omitting the Ph.D. would constitute fraud. Rather, in my particular case leaving out my Ph.D. would also require deleting my post-graduate school work experience. That would mean striking out 15-20 years of my life, with nothing in its place. To fill that gap I would need to construct a fraudulent story. Obviously that would be counterproductive to my job search. Others who have spent less of their lives in the academy could more easily omit the degree. I certainly agree that the purpose of the resume is to highlight the experience and skills most relevant for the particular job one is seeking.

I make a point of not applying for jobs that ask for only a high school diploma since I don't think they will value the skills I bring. Oddly, I've seen a number of jobs for writers and positions at the local historical society that require only a high school degree. In my view, this practice demonstrates the low value placed on historical knowledge and writing skills at these particular organizations.

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You can sign up to subscribe to the WRK4US listserv at https://lists.duke.edu/sympa/

Search for WRK4US.

Posted by kkowatch on July 15, 2008 at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)

Vault: A GREAT job search resource

For people who work in career services, one of the leading names in publishing and web resources for job search resources is Vault. Vault isn't really a job posting board (although they do post some jobs); they are more famous for the industry career guide books -- i.e. Vault Guide to Case Interviewing; Vault Guide to Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews, Vault Guide to the Top 50 Banking Employers, amongst many, many others. These books are usually the leading source for a lot of different realms that come with searching for new jobs.

You can access all of these guides online through the UM Career Center at their Vault Library.

Beyond the books, Vault also maintains a resource in which actual employees of different companies write honest but anonymous testimonies about what its really like to interview and work at a company. See examples:

Microsoft (Program Manager)
Expect numerous rounds of interviews. Microsoft will keep interviewing you until a group says "yeah, we're interested". If you keep doing well on your interviews, they'll continue to "source you out" to groups. But don't expect to get placed quickly - unless you are a true expert in an area that has an opening that fits you perfectly. I interviewed in this last round, over 20 times. My final interviews consisted of one that was 9 hours long (non-stop), and the final one was 11 hours, with time for lunch (but you were interviewed during lunch - so I had just 10 minutes to gobble-down my food at the end - then I was off to the next one). I interviewed with Devs, PMs, Testers, Dev Leads, GPMs, and finally a PUM who's really the person who tries to convince you to come to Microsoft (you know you're doing well at that point). Most of the questions today are not about "solve this crazy problem", or "how many toasters can you fit in the Empire State Building". Instead, they want to know how you might have handled a tricky situation in your past; how you would handle a particular problem. Some will still give you a problem, but expect you to get up and show that you can attack it, and get to some conclusion.

Royal Dutch/Shell Group (Geologist)
Shell continues to have one of the most bizarre interview processes in the industry. One question I was asked was "What do you think of manned exploration of Mars?" This is supposed to give the interviewee an opportunity to show creative thinking with no preparation. In another previous Shell interview I was asked "What do you think about tourism?". I have no idea what weight these questions are given, but the thing that seemed to get me hired the first time was a series of essay questions I answered where I related experiences with selling bananas in the Caribbean. Apparently the answers they valued were those demonstrating creativity and out-of-the box thinking. Those stories were apparently circulated at Shell among my managers because I was often asked about it. Shell's campus recruiting is often followed up by a full day 'interview' at a Shell location, which is a day of exercises in teamwork, analysis, and thinking skills.

L'Oreal (Product Manager)
There are numerous interview rounds at L'Oreal. However it seems to be different for every person. I had colleagues that interviewed with the CEO and others that only interviewed with HR. Some went through 5 rounds while others went through 2. You should be confident and curious. If they give you a product and ask you to talk about it, feel free to open the product up, play with it, if it is a jar or cream you can touch the cream. L'Oreal is all about "magic and passion" and they want smart people who are passionate about marketing. Show whoever is interviewing you that you are unique with amazing talents and drive. In marketing they look for people who are creative and analytical (50/50). Understand the difference between the divisions within the company in terms of brand positioning. Each of the 18 brands has a position (distribution, price, target market, etc...) and L'Oreal wants you to understand that...Read more

Maersk (Management Trainee)
I went through a 3-round process. First, all applicants to ANY job in Maersk must take the Wonderlic Logic and Reasoning test. Second, the Predictive Index personality assessment is given to applicants. Between the 1st and 2nd interviews with a recruiter and the trainee program manager, I was required to write letters to each interviewer describing why (a) Telling Maersk about myself, and (b) the qualities that made me worth hiring for the management trainee program, and I had to provide 3 references. (MISE) The 3rd interview was an all-day affair, I was interviewed in 2 sessions by 2 vice-presidents at a time.

Toyota Motor Company (Specialist)
1) Explain a time where someone else held your work from being completed. (The key to answering this question is working in a team, using consensus-based decision making, and the importance of meeting deadlines).
2) Explain a time where you had to lead/accomplish a situation with little instruction or ability (The key to answering this question was how do you pick up cues on what is to be expected, how do you ask questions and follow-up with folks who may forget about your project, and following up with others).
3) Name a time where you were involved with a task or assignment that involved a lot of tedious work. (They key to answering this question is how reduce waste in your work through time management and prioritizing).
Other Possible Questions:
4) The Toyota triangle includes three factors: Quality, Cost, and Safety. Which would you consider the most important attributes? (The key to answering this question is Safety because your consumer and respect for others comes first. Then quality, making sure you make the best parts to further safety and keep customers satisfied. ... Read more

Vault also maintains several other resources including Industry Employer Guides, Career Topic Guides, 53 Occupational Profiles, Industry Research, Company Research, an Internship Database, and the "Vault Electronic Water Cooler". These are all great, well-informed, and useful resources. I recommend checking them out!

Posted by kkowatch on July 02, 2008 at 09:19 AM | Comments (1)

The University of Chicago Career Fair

Thursday, June 26, 2008
9 am – 12 pm
Ida Noyes Hall
1212 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

The University of Chicago is the sixteenth largest employer in the Chicago metro area with an international, multi-ethnic community of 10,000 employees. The University of Chicago employees support a mission of research and education creating innovative changes around the world.

The University of Chicago’s Career Fair focuses on professional staff positions requiring degrees and experience. This is a “meet and greet” opportunity to learn more about UC, departments and position types.

Participating departments include Networking Services & Information Technology (NSIT), Graduate School of Business (GSB), Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Humanities, Development and Alumni Relations, Facilities as well as the Medical Center and more!

Career categories include information technology, finance, healthcare, communications, fundraising, research, skilled trades and administration.

Street parking is limited and further reduced by construction. All attendees are strongly encouraged to take public transportation.
CTA
Metra

To see all open positions and apply online, please visit UChicago Jobs at https://jobopportunities.uchicago.edu

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer (AA/EOE).

Posted by kkowatch on June 11, 2008 at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)

Academic Library Contacts Resource

I pulled this entry from a listserv -- thought it might be a relevant resource for someone looking for specific contacts.

Searching for a Library Director, Librarian, or other Library-related job at colleges and universities in the USA, Canada, or elsewhere?

You can search for current library positions on Academic Careers Online at www.AcademicCareers.com. There is no charge or fee for applicants to use any of the applicant services. Applicants can search jobs, or open an applicant account and post a resume. Since new jobs are added daily you can also sign up through your applicant account to receive e-mail alerts when matching jobs are posted.

Robert J. Kuhne, Ph.D.
Academic Careers Online
485 Devon Park Drive, Suite 116
Wayne, PA 19087, USA
Telephone USA 610-964-9200
Email: Info@AcademicCareers.com
www.AcademicCareers.com

Posted by kkowatch on June 02, 2008 at 05:08 PM | Comments (0)

PEP at SI ... FAQs, Updates, etc

If you have accepted a summer internship and hope to get PEP credit for it, YOU MUST follow these steps by May 30th:

1)Your mentor must submit a proposal directly to the PEP office to Joanna Kroll at jckroll@umich.edu by May 30th. A sample proposal can be found here http://www.si.umich.edu/outreach/SampleProposal.doc . Joanna will be out of the office next week at a conference from May 27-30. In her absence, ALL PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SENT TO Kelly Kowatch at kkowatch@umich.edu

2)The PEP office will review the proposal, and contact you within 1-2 business days on the approval status

3)The Approval Status email from the PEP office will indicate your next steps and registration options (including ePortfolio access and instructions).

If you have already started your internship without PEP approval, we will not be able to retroactively count hours you have already worked. We can only count your hours once the internship has been approved by the PEP office.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

If you have questions about the PEP Process, there are resources available on the SI website under Fieldwork:

PEP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) http://www.si.umich.edu/outreach/internships.htm
PEP Information for Mentors http://www.si.umich.edu/outreach/mentors.htm

Still looking for an internship? Check out where SI students have interned in the past and contact them to find out who they worked for: http://www.si.umich.edu/outreach/internship_portfolios.htm

Click on the Extended Entry to see change in the PEP program for incoming Fall 2008 students.

SI Curriculum Committee Updates PEP credit allocation policy for SI classes

The SI Curriculum Committee (consisting of several faculty and two MSI students) reviewed the allocation of PEP credits to SI classes and had made some changes in the way PEP credits are allocated resulting in some changes in how many PEP credits will be received for particular classes. The complete policy statement and rationale will be made available soon on the SI intranet for student access. The purpose of the review and the change was to create greater clarity, consistency, and fairness in the allocation of PEP credits for courses. Remember that PEP credits are a way to indicate which of your 48 academic credits also meet requirements for Practical Engagement. They do not add academic credits, they earmark which academic credits have a strong experiential focus.

Note that the guidelines related to PEP internships via SI 690 and SI 681 remains unchanged.

Some important points to note about the new policy:

Only new students entering in Fall 2008 will be held in full to the new policy.

Students who started before Fall, 2008 will not be impacted by any reductions in PEP credits for classes, but will receive additional PEP credits for classes where the PEP credits have been increased for classes they take in Fall 2008 or thereafter.

Students who started before Fall, 2008 will continue to be required to have a minimum of 6 PEP credits as part of their 48 credit degree program, with a maximum of 15 PEP credits allowed.

PEP credits will not be changed retroactively. Thus, PEP credits will not be altered for courses taken before Fall, 2008.

Here is a summary of the change and transition plan:

1) Effective for Fall 2008 entering students, The PEP requirement has been changed to 8 minimum / 15 maximum PEP credits as part of the 48 credit MSI degree.

2) The Curriculum Committee reviewed and adjusted how PEP credits are assigned, and are now basing decisions on PEP credits on how grading is allocated rather than the estimated number of hours students work on a project. The committee also clarified the nature of experiential activities that can count as PEP, and have determined that there must be a real-world engagement and real-world accountability for PEP credits to be assigned, though acknowledging that simulation exercises and projects are also very valuable and sometimes more appropriate for a particular class or learning objective.

3) As a result of the review of courses with PEP credits, some courses have gained PEP credits and some will lose them.

a. For courses gaining PEP credits, the change will take effect beginning Fall 2008 for all students

b. For courses losing PEP credits, the change will take effect in Fall 2008 for students entering in Fall 2008, but would not take effect at all for students who started before Fall 2008.

c. There will be no retroactive change to the number of PEP credits granted for courses taken earlier than Fall 2008.

As with any change, there is a transition period and we’ve been careful to ensure that continuing students are not adversely impacted by the change. Thus we have sought to allow continuing students to benefit from increases in PEP credits for courses taken in the coming year but not to be impacted by any reductions, and we are not increasing the minimum number of PEP credits required for continuing students.

Here is a chart indicating courses that have PEP credits assigned, and how those have changed, if at all:

New PEP Point Allocations for SI Courses, as of Fall, 2008
Course

Name - Old allocation - New allocation

SI 501 Contextual Inquiry & Project Management—(Previously…Use of Information)- 1 - 3

SI 572 (Previously 654)Database Application Design - 1 - 2

SI 596 Practical Engagement Workshop: Digital Librarianship (Internet Public Library) 3 - 1

SI 599/699 Practical Engagement Workshop: Information Technologies in Small Nonprofit Organizations - 3 - 3

SI 622 Evaluation of Systems and Services - 1 - 0

SI 623 Outcome-Based Evaluations of Programs & Services - 1 - 1

SI 631 CMS Projects - 3 - 3

SI 649 Information Visualization - 0 - 2

SI 682 Interface and Interaction Design - 1 - 2

SI 689 Computer Supported Cooperative Work - 1 - 0

SI 692 Practical Engagement Workshop in Archives & Records - 3 - 3

Posted by kkowatch on May 22, 2008 at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)

More Resources, etc

Things are sloooowww here at SI in the summer. Well, not too slow; there just aren't that many students around, but we're still pretty busy prepping for fall. I've had the chance to look at some of our resources and think of ways to make them more usable, accessible, and more tailored. If you have ideas, do let me know!

One resource that I came across that's posted on our website is Internship Programs.com Now, I'm typically not a big fan of national job posting sites such as Monster, but this one's not too bad. I was sort of suprised at the number of internships posted on there. Some of them are a stretch at being PEP-eligible internships, but you can always coax an employer in an interview to make the position a higher-level one to ensure that we'll approve it. But if you're still looking, I suggest checking this resource out. We've also got a slew of other online job tools at http://www.si.umich.edu/careers/online-resources.htm if you are interested. This is a short one, but I'm off to enjoy the sun! Sometimes the bright, sunny, yellow walls of my office just aren't the greatest source of Vitamin D! Have a great weekend. kk

Posted by kkowatch on May 09, 2008 at 04:37 PM | Comments (0)

Interviewing: Tips, Suggestions, Resources...

Lately, most of my appointments have revolved around preparing for interviews. We all know those people who interview and get lots of offers (which at one time in my life, that was me!) and then there is the rest of the world (which now includes me) who sometimes have several interviews and then get that one lucky job offer.

We all ask, “what is that makes these people who get lots of job offers different?” “What do they do that makes them impress the interviewers pretty much every time they have an interview?” The answers, from my perspective, are below...

1. Let them know you want the job. So many times, people interview really well for a position and are perfectly qualified, but leave the interview with the interviewers not that sure that they even want the job. Those people that let it be known, even simply by saying, "I really want this job", are often considered to be top candidates because everyone wants to work with someone who wants to be at work. A closely qualified candidate who really wants the job will usually get the position over the person who is most qualified by doesn’t seem too interested because the employer wants to hire some who sees the opportunity as just that: an opportunity (and not just a paycheck). Make sure before you leave every interview that you clearly indicate that you are very interested in this position and that you consider to be a great opportunity.

2. Research and preparation. This comes in three forms -- the company, the position, and your own resume and cover letter. My husband and I go back and forth on this: he never prepares for interviews where as I probably over prepare (yes, I spent two weeks once prepping for an interview! – I don’t recommend or condone this at all!) But it does take time to be adequately prepared for an interview – and trust, this shows when you meet with the interviewers. Even if you don’t have all the answers to the questions, the other information that you can supplement your experiences can make a huge difference.

--You should read the entire website of the organization over and any other literature that you can find so that you know as much as you can about the organization. You need to be prepared for that question, "What do you know about our organization" even if they don't ask it (because if you are, you can weave that information into the rest of your interview). Consider searching for the organization and seeing what they are up to in the news and on the internet – not just what their website says they are all about. And, its good to ask other people what they know about the organization or if they know of people who work there now or have in the past. If you can talk to them, they can often provide information that’s not readily available to the public.

--Review the job description and requirements. You should know this information through and through because it helps you tailor your answers. Its shocking to me how many people come in and want to talk about a job they applied for and how to prepare for it and they don't really know what the position entails (which also means to me that they didn't tailor their resume and/or cover letter at all). Being very familiar with the position description will help you in answering your questions accurately.

-- Review your resume and cover letter so that you know what have you said you have done. In an interview, they may ask you to work through your resume and share about your experiences and you want to be sure that you are consistent about what you've written (and the same for your cover letter). Reviewing your resume with the job description in mind will also help you tailor your answers about your experiences to what they are looking for. This will also help you to know what to elaborate on that you may have left off of your resume for space reasons.

3. Practice, practice, practice. Seriously, practicing interviewing questions makes ALL the difference in the world. If you can sit down and go over general and specific interview questions and either outline the answers or practice them out loud with a friend or by yourself, this will make a ton of difference. It’s good to think about answers to interview questions, but actually taking the time to practice answers out loud really does make a difference.

So what questions should you be using for practice? There are a couple resources for you to use -- and of course, you can do an internet search for "interview questions" and find a wide array to go from. My personal favorite is...

Job Interview Questions by Quint Careers - This database has 109 questions to go over that cover a wide range of soft/transferable skills, behavioral interviewing, and will really help you to reflect on questions regarding yoru preferred work, supervisory, and environment styles and methods.

The SI Careers Wiki - Interview Questions Resources for all SI Specializations -- This is a compilation that I've been putting together -- and since its a WIKI, you can add information too - on questions for the different specializations at SI. A wide range of questions that are tailored to LIS, ARM, HCI, etc that will make you think about what they are looking for.

When answering questions, you should keep the STAR approach in mind.

S/T - Situation or Task
Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

A - Action you took
Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did.

R- Results you achieved
What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

Use examples from internships, classes and school projects, activities, team participation, community service, hobbies and work experience -- anything really -- as examples of your past behavior. In addition, you may use examples of special accomplishments, whether personal or professional, such as scoring the winning touchdown, being elected president of your Greek organization, winning a prize for your artwork, surfing a big wave, or raising money for charity. Wherever possible, quantify your results. Numbers always impress employers. Remember that many behavioral questions try to get at how you responded to negative situations; you'll need to have examples of negative experiences ready, but try to choose negative experiences that you made the best of or -- better yet, those that had positive outcomes. (Taken from Wayne State University Career Services).

On a side note, it’s important to go over lots of interview questions because you never know what they are going to ask you. But, by going over a set of questions like the 109 Quint Careers questions, you will put together a nice collection of stories and experiences that will transfer to other questions that you may get asked.

Remember that interviewing is really only you telling stories about yourself. No one else know else knows these stories better than you do and there is no reason that with a little preparation and practice and enthusiasm, you can't be the one getting all the job offers. Oh, and don't forget to send a thank you!

Contact me if you want to go over interviews questions… I’m more than happy to help you develop answers to questions and to put together a strategy of how to best approach your next interview.

Posted by kkowatch on April 24, 2008 at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)