Be a Good Networker and Get SI Business Cards!
To help SI students represent themselves and represent SI in a variety of settings, and in response to student requests, we are offering SI students (MSI and Ph.D.) a set of 100 free business cards with the SI logo and block M, and personalized with individual student names etc. SI students assisted with the card design and the design has been approved by the University.
For those of you who ordered cards in a previous semester and still have plenty, please use the cards you have rather than order more. If you ordered last year and have used most of your cards, it’s fine to order again.
In order to keep the cost down and thus allow for providing free cards to all students who request them, we must order the cards in a single batch. Thus, only students who submit the request form by 3pm on Monday, November 30 will be included in the order. Don’t delay – get your order in soon!
We are not able to process individual or small group requests after the deadline. We will send TWO reminders after this email to help you meet the deadline.
You can access the request form via the SI intranet (login with your uniqname and kerberos password) at:
https://www.si.umich.edu/intranet/students/bus_cards.htm
Remember, submit your request by 3PM ON Monday, November 30.
We will send an email to those who request the cards with details on when the cards will be ready and where to pick them up.
We hope you will enjoy using these cards at conferences, interviews, etc. as well as giving them to prospective students or professionals who may be able to refer students to our program or who may want to recruit SI students for internships or jobs.
And, for more information, I pulled this from emails that were being sent around SI...
To:
Subject: re: business cards
The SI business card has a space that allows you to put a personal website.
If you don't currently have a personal website but *know* you're going to create one eventually and want to host it on Michigan's website, visit this page: http://www.umich.edu/~umweb/how-to/homepage.html
Your url will eventually be http://www-personal.umich.edu/~youruniqname/
From Dennis Hogan, SI Computing...
I Just wanted to clarify some things about business cards and your personal webspace options:
-The SI business cards that Laura originally e-mailed about are only for students,not faculty or staff.
- There are two options for personal websites for SI students, both of which are available by default and don’t cost you anything, although they do require some configuration:
1. The ITS (formerly ITCS) option, as referenced below by Stephen. This option is provided completely by ITS and has your website files served out of your IFS space (also provided by ITS). This gives you a URL like this: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~youruniqname/
This option is limited to XHTML and CSS, and doesn’t allow for more advanced web capabilities, like PHP.
2. SI People server: This is provided by SI Computing and gives you much more advanced webpage serving capabilities. Your URL for this service is something like: http://youruniqname.people.si.umich.edu/
More information on this second option is at: http://www.si.umich.edu/computing/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=154&Itemid=25
Posted by kkowatch on November 19, 2009 at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)
Follow SI Careers and Others on Twitter
The SI Career Development Office is on Twitter -- we've got 186 followers and we want more! And, we want to hear from you about what you want to see us Twitter about!
Check us out at @si_careers
There are many, many other career oriented Tweeters out there too that you can follow:
1. @LinkedInExpert: As part of a generation that grew up with technology why not use it to find a job? This feed will give you advice on how to make the most of LinkedIn in your job search.
2. @resumeservice: Through this feed you can get some great advice on creating a resume that’s sure to impress.
3. @AlisonDoyle: This tweeter is a job search and career expert who can help give you some much-needed advice on finding the job you want.
4. @careerchatter: Get some free career coaching and advice from this feed.
5. @sweetcareers: Grace Kutney offers some great advice here for college students who are just entering the job market.
6. @EntryLevelJob: This feed will keep you up-to-date on some of the latest job postings for entry level positions.
7. @rockthejob: Check out this feed to learn how social media will impact your job search and the way you’ll work in the modern world.
8. @GradtoGreat: Learn how to take the skills you learned in college and translate them into the job you want through this feed.
9. @leaddawg: Here, college students and their parents will get tips and advice on education and the post-graduation job search process.
10. @buddingup: This feed is all about helping new grads find entry-level positions in the US and Canada.
Posted by kkowatch on October 15, 2009 at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)
Student Opportunities and Resources from Ann Arbor Spark
From Ann Arbor Spark...
We continue to get very strong website traffic to our student resources portal, known as College Connections, which includes a list of over 200 companies that regularly hire new college graduates. Please add the information below to your student career development websites. Also, be sure to have your students and graduates watch the many small, emerging tech-based companies in Michigan. The best way to learn more about these companies (and who is hiring) is to check out SPARK's Career Services at http://annarborusatalent.org/, where they can view job postings and subscribe to our weekly Talent Search newsletter which features many cool, growing companies.
Call for College Graduates from Saras America, Inc.
Here is a company that is looking to hire several college graduates over the next year. Saras America, Inc. (Farmington Hills, MI) is an information technology firm that is focused on providing exceptional service using cutting edge technologies to serve their clientele. They are looking to add new members to their team in the following areas:
Account Managers
Business Development Managers
IT Consultants (must have completed a Masters Degree program)
Technical Recruiters
If your students are interested in a career in information technology, please contact them to discuss the opportunities in greater detail. Saras America, Inc., 38345 W 10 Mile Rd. Suite 300, Farmington Hills, MI 48335, (248) 489.8484, E-mail: steveS@sarasamerica.com.
November 6, 2009
The Michigan Collegiate Job Fair, Livonia
The Michigan Collegiate Job Fair is sponsored by Eastern Michigan University and Michigan Association of Colleges and Employers.
News of Note about the Fair:
• Gain valuable networking experience as you learn about companies and their job opportunities
• Some employers perform on-site interviews
• A list of participating employers is available at Employer List for MCJF 2009
• Bring plenty of resumes
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: 27777 Schoolcraft Road, Burton Manor, Livonia, Michigan
Register online at www.mcjf.org; $10.00 registration fee (by midnight October 30)
Michigan Collegiate Job Fair 2009
Career Services for Job Seekers - Career Services at Ann Arbor SPARK
Looking for a job? Check out these categories to find a new and exciting opportunity, and then send a resume and cover letter to the email listed in the summary.
• Michigan Works! Postings
• InternInMichigan Portal
• Senior Management
• Early Start-ups
• Life Science
• Sales, Marketing & Business Development
• Professional & Administrative
• IT & Software Engineering / Development
• Engineering (non-software)
• Contract / Consulting
You can also Create a profile which will allow you to receive our weekly Talent Search newsletter and to submit a resume.
Intern In Michigan - InternInMichigan
New Web Portal for College Students
• Students: Find an internship in your chosen field where you can open the door to
your career. Post your profile today.
• Employers: Find college internship candidates with skills that match your
opportunities.
Internships Help You To:
• Stand out in a competitive job market
• Network and connect with professionals
• Apply classroom learning in the real world
• Explore career options and enhance professional skills
• Build a stronger resume
Hot Shots: Monthly Career Connection Events in Ann Arbor
Sponsored by Ann Arbor SPARK
Are you graduating this year and looking to join dynamic, growing companies right here in Michigan? Would you like to attend fun career networking events each month in Ann Arbor?
If the answer is yes, then be sure to check out Hot Shots: Career Connections which is featuring some of the hottest growing companies in Michigan. For details, to view the full list of participating companies and job titles, and to register for these events, go to:
Events, at Ann Arbor SPARK
Cool, Growing Michigan Companies
These companies are adding jobs in Michigan now and / or over the next 5 years. Be sure to consider them during your job search now or after you graduate. Follow this link to see a list of Cool Growing Companies in Michigan.
College Connections
Companies That Hire College Graduates
Are you trying to find a list of growing companies in Michigan that hire college graduates for entry level positions? If yes, please check out this list of almost 200 companies who traditionally look for fresh talent:
Companies That Hire College Graduates in Michigan
Temporary Employment - A Great Place to Start
Temp Hire Agencies in Michigan
We're always looking for new ideas and are very open to your suggestions, as we want to help you to provide great, local career options for your students.
Thanks for all of your assistance.
Best regards,
Amy Cell and Mary Salley
Team Talent
Ann Arbor SPARK
Mary@AnnArborUSA.org
Posted by kkowatch on October 09, 2009 at 04:03 PM | Comments (0)
Ten More Job Search Tips
About a week ago I posted an entry on some job search tips relating to LinkedIn and other resources (See Double Entry: LinkedIn Groups and 10 Job Seach Tips)
The author of the job search tips that I referred to recently created another list of tips entitled 10 MORE quick job-search tips -- I bet you're still missing one...
Read on to learn what these tips are...
Everyone knows how to apply for a job; a week ago, i listed ten common sense "little good ideas" and I made a bet that you'd be missing at least three of them. Here are ten more, quick-fixers, and I'll bet you're missing one or two of these, as well. These are little things. which you can change quickly and they're EASY. They might help you in your job search. Or, they might at least help your attitude about a job search. Or both.
If you missed the last article, it's here: PART I
Here are the next ten tips....
1. Put you picture on your LinkedIN profile. There are conflicting reports about the effectiveness of this, but most surveys show that your profile is more apt to be overlooked if it has no picture.
2. If you have a cute greeting on your home telephone line, please change it until you get a job. If a hiring manager happens to call your home number and he gets the message where you're coaxing your three-year-old to do the greeting, he may hang up. Or, if you make the funny message of "we aren't here now; probably out drinking -- leave a message and we'll call you back when we sober up," you might get skipped. They may be cute to you, but...
3. Be gracious in rejection. There is a lot of rejection out there, and if you fight with the decision that you are not number ONE, you may not be a backup, in case number ONE falls through, or has a cute greeting on his home phone. Always thank people for their consideration of your qualifications, and ask for a follow up if another opportunity arises. It can pay dividends. I have a terrific example, but it's too long for here, so it may show up in a future article.
4. In an interview, don't be afraid of a pause in the conversation. If you feel you need to fill that pause, you could fill it with information that won't help your cause. If you don't have anything more to say, don't say anything. If the interviewer seems at a loss, then ask him a question, but don't just fill the pause because it's uncomfortable.
5. Still in the interview, if you are offered a drink of water, take it. If offered a chance to use the rest room, take it. There is no trick here. It does not make you look weak to accept a glass of water, but if you refuse, and 15 minutes later your throat is dry and you're now thinking about your thirst instead of the current question, you'll wish you had a drink. The same thought applies to the rest room; if offered, and you need it, don't feel it's a weakness to accept. It's better than the alternative.
6. Don't get cute on your cover letter. This is a fine line, because I do believe that if you can say something in your cover letter that makes it stand out, that's a positive. But, if you print it on pink stationary, or place poetry in your text, that may be overdoing it. You might try using a P.S., as recommended in the previous article on this topic.
7. Smile--that's it. Smile at networking events, smile at interviews, smile when you meet new people, just smile. Don't be goofy and bare your teeth like you're growling at someone, but practice being genuinely pleased to be involved in whatever you're involved in. When you smile, you put people at ease, you are perceived more positively, and you feel better. It's much easier to smile than to frown, and how bad can you feel when you're smiling?
8. Now that you're out of work, make the decision to improve something about you. Or pick a couple of things. Start going for a walk each evening, or volunteer for a charity, or lose weight or join a new club, play a sport, read more, or, or, or. If you improve something about yourself, you'll feel better, you'll be more positive, you'll smile more, and you'll have more of a transition statement for your next interview. It's a good time to do something that makes you feel good about YOU, and you now have the time to do it.
9. Renew old acquaintances. If you haven't kept in touch, do it now. Don't ask for a job referral on that first re-connect, but with re-opened communications lines, something good can happen. At the least, you've re-connected with a friend. At best, you've re-connected, and they have an idea or a reference that can help you land a job. There aren't many downsides.
10. Implement keywords into your resume. Many resumes get scanned, and you have to hit some key words in order to get noticed. Some of those industry specific keywords are: account manager, accounts payable, account executive, sales manager, human resources manager, executive trainer. You can get more of those on line (there are several sites -- here's one: http://www.resume-help.org/resume_action_words.htm). One keyword that won't count is "good with people." You get my drift.
11. OK, I did 11 last time, so here's one more. Be nice to everyone. I know, everyone thinks they are being nice to everyone, but were you really that nice to the receptionist when you interviewed? Did you say thank you to the waitress when she served you lunch with the hiring manager? Get in the habit of "please" and "thank you." Many of us have gotten out of that habit, and like many of these points, it cannot hurt you, but could help you. And, it's polite.
None of these "little good ideas" take long, or require much effort, but each can have a positive impact. There are a hundred things that can hurt you in the job application process. You might be fixing one, or two, or eleven more here.
Good luck to all of us in our job searches.
Posted by kkowatch on September 15, 2009 at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)
Great LIS Blog on Inteviewing (& More!)
A fellow SI colleague brought to attention a blog that is written by the librarians at the Salem-South Lyon Public Library: The Practical Librarian.
One of the blog posts is about a conversation that the librarians had with one of SI's own recent graduates and its a very interesting and insightful statement about interviewing and networking. Check out the post, linked here at Library Interviewing Ideas.
Posted by kkowatch on July 21, 2009 at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
Sweet New Job Search Tool
I just learned about a neat new online tool -- Change Detection.
They explain it so well on the site:
"ChangeDetection.com provides page change monitoring and notification services to internet users worldwide. Anyone can use our service to monitor any website page for changes. Just fill in the form below, we will create a change log for the page and alert you by email when we detect a change in the page text. We've been doing it since 1999. It's free."
So, instead of bookmarking and checking all your job sites every few days or so, let this tool email you to let you know that a new job has been posted. Neat, huh?
Posted by kkowatch on July 17, 2009 at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)
Federal Library Advice & Tips
Recently, a federal librarian from the National Park Service provided us with some insight and advice for those that are seeking library careers in the federal government. See below for some relevant information for our readers....
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"I'm sorry to inform you that the National Park Service (NPS) is losing, not gaining, professional librarian positions (which are already few and far between), as incumbents retire or vacate the position for other reasons.
Occasionally, a park will get funding for a temporary or term librarian, but our staff is often not made aware of these opportunities until after the fact. The same situation exists regarding work-study positions/paid internships and volunteer positions for library school students or recent grads.
These positions would be posted on the USAJobs (federal government jobs) or the NPS Volunteer website, respectively. The links to those websites are provided on the Opportunities page of the NPS Library Program website. I include the links here for your convenience -- please feel free to post them on your job board:
http://www.library.nps.gov/opportunities.htm
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
http://www.nps.gov/volunteer/
Once in a blue moon, a park will get money to hire a library cataloging contractor to do backlog cataloging and/or retrospective conversion (aka 'recon,' which involves automating the card catalog or upgrading legacy electronic records to MARC records). As with all federal contract job opportunities, these must be posted in the federal register and the jobs must be bid for.
Recent library school grads would probably not be able to compete successfully for these jobs on their own, but would have the skills to subcontract with a library contract cataloging organization having experience submitting bids for federal jobs -- new librarians are often hired to do copy cataloging on recon projects by such companies, as I'm sure you're aware.
Best of luck to your grads -- it's a challenge these days for the library profession; I am encourage all recent grads to get a post-grad credential in image management/digital libraries, as that's the future. The other track is end-user interface design.
Key areas (in my opinion) for library school grads to research re leveraging their library science degrees and getting input on what other skills or certification would be good to acquire (there are blogs aplenty as well as electronic journals on the Web to get people immersed in these subject areas quickly -- I've provided a few links below), particularly with respect to careers involving management and dissemination of government information, are:
digital libraries
preservation of digital resources
enterprise image management systems
enterprise document management systems
enterprise knowledge management systems
enterprise metadata management systems
metadata standards
federated searching
end-user interface design
project management (PM is really picking up speed in federal agencies now -- anybody working with any sort of information management application would do well to bone up on PM basics).
There are a handful of universities offering certification in digital libraries but I've been most impressed with Syracuse University's program
-- I think some or all of it might be available through distance learning:
http://ischool.syr.edu/academics/graduate/mls/digitallibraries/
Here's a good website I recently discovered that you may already know about
> http://liscareer.com/ -- there's a book called 'a day in the life...'
advertised on their website that looks great -- offers bird's eye view of 95 different jobs performed by librarians, some of which are quite surprising!
Here's a blog called 'cataloging futures' with IT competencies for metadata librarians > http://www.catalogingfutures.com/catalogingfutures/2008/07/it-competencies-for-metadata-librarians.html
And here's a listserv for metadata librarians and digital librarians:
http://metadatalibrarians.monarchos.com/
And here's a blog for metadata librarians > http://metadatalibrarian.blogspot.com/
Posted by kkowatch on July 14, 2009 at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)
New ALA Web site helps library job seekers succeed
From the NEWLIB listserv...
A new American Library Association (ALA) Web site -- Get a Job!, http://getajob.ala.org -- offers library-job seekers advice, resources, links, best practices and real-life examples. Full of advice for finding a job in the current tough economy, it features information from a range of ALA divisions and units, as well as links to information about general best practices in job seeking.
"New graduates and members looking for jobs in a tough employment market have asked what the association can do to help them; the Get a Job! Web Site was developed with the help of members to do just that," said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “From JobLIST to mentoring opportunities, the new Web site brings together ALA resources as well as true life success stories and advice from HR directors and library staff to provide a one-stop resource for job seekers."
The ALA accelerated the Web site launch in response to the current urgency of many members’ and other library professionals’ job searches. The site is a work-in-progress, where library professionals and support staff will find advice on how to use social networking tools in a job search, what to do if you’re laid off, budgeting assistance, networking techniques and strategies for researching the economy and jobs in various parts of the United States.
As it evolves, the site will include information specific to people seeking their first job, mid-career staff and people changing professions. New material and updates will be added regularly, including podcasts. Site users are encouraged to subscribe to the Get a Job! RSS feed to take full advantage of the updates. We welcome your suggestions and experiences for the site; please e-mail information that you’d like to share to gaj@ala.org.
Get a Job! is being developed by nine ALA units in collaboration with the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association.
Posted by kkowatch on July 08, 2009 at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)
Future Interaction Desigers: Want A Mentor?
From the IxDA website at http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=42798
The IxDA Mentorship volunteer group is ready to formally kickoff the first phase of the mentorship program. This phase is technically and logistically simple; volunteers act as "match makers" to pair potential mentors with those seeking some professional assistance. This is a fluid, amorphous initiative; there is no set program, or set of activities for people to do. Instead, we hope to encourage digital relationship building that can extend into the real world as appropriate.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, or finding a mentor, please fill out the forms listed below. If you are interested in joining the organizational side of this effort, please drop me an email.
I need a mentor!
Please visit http://www.ixda.org/mentee.php and fill out the form as thoroughly as you can. Please note that, while we hope to find mentors for everyone who needs them, there is no guarantee that we will find a perfect match for you. The mentorship initiative starts digitally, through email, but can extend in whatever direction you and your mentor see fit.
I want to be a mentor!
Please visit http://www.ixda.org/mentor.php and fill out the form as thoroughly as you can. An ideal mentor has not only thorough experience and skills, but also the time and patience to dedicate to working with those who are learning a new profession. Please note that, while we hope to find matches for everyone who needs them, there is no guarantee that we will find a perfect match for you. The mentorship initiative starts digitally, through email, but can extend in whatever direction you and your "mentee" see fit.
Thanks,
Jon Kolko
Posted by kkowatch on June 25, 2009 at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)
Eleven Ways to Keep Your Job Search Moving
I recently received a newsletter from a group that I'm involved with that shared 11 points of advice for people who are about to enter the work force from a graduate program. I thought that the information was very interesting and relevant to our recent grads. So, thank you ACPA Commission for Career Development for the basis of this blog entry. (Note that this information has been edited for relevancy to our readership.)
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....note that many states are in the process of finalizing their budget allocations for the new fiscal year. Although there will likely be more cuts in high education for several states, many state institutions will be receiving new allocations from the stimulus package. This means that the hiring freeze in many institutions may be lifted, so keep an eye out for new openings this summer.
Top Eleven Ways to Keep your Job Search Moving
1. If you are graduating from a Master’s or Doctoral Program, discuss extending your Graduate Assistantship or Internship. Additional skills and experience gained through the summer can be critical to your competitiveness in the higher education market, and also expose you to different aspects of Career Development functions.
2. Volunteer – If you can’t extend an existing internship, assistantship, or current position, start a new one! Many offices have summer projects or have students who continue taking classes in the summer. Volunteering at a new office will also give you a greater breadth of experience, while allowing you the flexibility to continue your job search.
3. Job Shadow – Contact offices, libraries, or recruiters at your preferred organization in your geographic area (or the one you are trying to get to) and ask about shadowing for a week in their office. It will give you an interesting glimpse into a different institution, as well as expose you to best practices. Many offices that can’t take on interns will be open to someone shadowing professionals for a week.
4. Conduct Informational Interviews – Many professionals are open to sitting down with candidates to discuss their offices, practices and students. Calling around to make appointment will gain you strong network connections, and also keep you at the front of people’s minds when positions open up.
5. Consider Retooling your resume and cover letters – Depending on the level of response you are getting, you may want to have someone in your preferred field look at your resume. Solicit advice from people you shadow or conduct informational interviews with.
6. Apply for positions that aren’t there yet! – Make sure that you connect with offices in your geographic area, expressing appropriate interest through your cover letter, and inquire about the possibility of positions in the future. While time intensive on the research end, this can be INCREDIBLY effective when positions become open unexpectedly, getting your foot in the door before it’s even open!
7. Follow-up! Continue to connect with mentors, people you meet at conventions, and professionals who have offered their assistance to you. Update them on your circumstances and your search needs and help them remember to help you!
8. Use your Network – (it’s not just a Verizon Wireless thing) – In difficult job markets, the #1 way to find new opportunities is through networking. Continue to be in touch with your personal and professional network, and don’t be afraid to utilize social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. A brief update that lets your connections and friends know that you are job searching will increase your exposure to job opportunities, even if they are part-time. Also be sure to let appropriate people know where you have applied, as they may have connections they can introduce you to.
9. Continue advancing your professional development and take courses – While this can be pricey, additional qualifications such as specialized certifications or tech skills (consider a local community college to update your web skills) can help boost your resume while giving you practical experience to talk about in interviews.
10. Think outside the box – Not finding positions in traditional four-year public or private schools, high-tech firms or what you normally think you should work in? Consider community colleges, professional schools, for-profit institutions, community organizations, and even the corporate world! Your skills can be transferrable to many areas in the sector opposite for what it is that you thought you would go in to when you started your grad program. In a market like this one, it’s important to realize that experience is experience, no matter where you get it!
11. CONVENTIONS AND CONFERENCES – As summer nears, many professional demands decline, espcially in universities, and professionals have time to work on themselves! Many regional career development conferences are held over the summer, BE AWARE OF THEM.
Posted by kkowatch on May 08, 2009 at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
Announcing ALA Connect
I saw this post on the LM_Net listserv and I wanted to share this resource with our readers.
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If you know of any graduate MLIS programs that encourage their members to post to listserv's like LM_NET, could you let them know about ALA Connect http://connect.ala.org/? This is a very exciting new feature from ALA that provides a social community for librarians even if they are not ALA members.
If you aren't a member, you can register, read and post. You just won't see as much detail.
If you are a member, you just log on using your membership ID and your password. The program has already linked you to each of your committees and provides these with forums for work. You can decide if your committee work and posts are viewable to the public or just to the committee.
You can also create your own community. I heard another librarian jokingly say he hasn't seen a group for "Librarians who own cats" yet and I'm thinking this would be a fun group. I am very excited about the possibilities of this program. It's like a professional playground for people who like facebook and it's a convenient collaborative workplace.
One of the features I like is that you can search for a committee and see the membership list. If you were wondering who is actually on the Intellectual Freedom committee, you can easily find out. It makes much of ALA transparent. I know Jenny Levine has worked with some of the members here on LM_NET to design this and I hope you will check it out.
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About ALA Connect...
ALA Connect replaces the existing Online Communities service that ALA currently offers as a virtual, collaborative, workspace online. A few member groups have been using Communities, but it wasn't widely adopted, so we've revamped it using new software called Drupal. We hope this will become a centralized space where official ALA groups can work together online. In addition, any member can create new communities (unofficial ALA groups) without any staff assistance, so the site will combine association work with communities of interest in one place.
Every active ALA group already has a space in Connect automatically, because we've pre-populated it with data from our membership database (iMIS), and we synchronize member data nightly, so we'll always know which committees you're on and which other official ALA groups you're part of.
Both ALA groups and communities use the same types of tools. By default, each one has blog posts, online documents (like wiki pages), a calendar, polls, a chat room, a discussion board, and images (logos, pictures, etc.). The group can use whichever of the tools it finds valuable.
Non-members will be able to register in Connect to create a free account, but they will only be able to view and add to public content. They won't be able to search for ALA members, view member data, or take advantage of any of the networking features.
In phase one (which we're in now), members can also identify other members as co-workers, frequent collaborators, classmates, and friends in order to create an online professional network that mirrors and extends their physical world on.
But it's really phase two where we start implementing ways for you to find and connect with other members around professional interests, issues, advocacy, your job, the work of the Association, meeting up with friends & colleagues when you attend ALA conferences, and the like. Sometimes we've referred to this as "ALA's social network," but it's probably more accurate to think of it as ALA's professional network, an online version of what has traditionally taken place in the physical world. This isn't going to be "ALA MySpace," although there will be hooks into and out of some social sites such as Flickr (for pictures), and Delicious. We know you don't need yet another place to go to update your status, but you might find it valuable to see what your colleagues are working on and where.
Because ALA knows a little bit about you (if you're part of a division, how long you've been a member, what committees you've served on, etc.), we plan to help you pre-populate your profile with all of the great work you've done for ALA in your professional career. That way, if you decide you want to display your profile to colleagues, potential employers, or even publicly, we'll have created a curriculam vitae of all of your contributions. We really appreciate members' efforts, and we want to help others appreciate you, too, by letting you show off the great work you do.
You can read more about the history (and future) of ALA Connect on the ITTS Update blog, particularly in the Roadmap that we posted there. In the near future we'll be expanding the online help and posting some tutorial videos, but if you have a specific question about the site or our goals for it, please feel free to post a question as a comment here, in the Discussion Forum for questions, or using our contact form. Don't forget to read through the user guidelines before you start posting content, but we hope to make your Connect experience as easy and practical as possible.
Posted by kkowatch on May 04, 2009 at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)
CareerLeak website
A while back, I posted an entry about a job search website, CareerLeak.com.
I just wanted to remind you of this excellent resource and to let you also know that they've done a major makeover and the site is much more user friendly. It also has more features such as Occupation Profiles and a "growing" Resume Database. They are adding new and unique content everyday.
They have a lot of interesting resources, one of which is profiles about companies. It looks like actual employees can create individual profiles about their organization and indicate Job Satisfaction, Management Qualities, Stress Level, and Education Required for a variety of different jobs. Check it out!
Posted by kkowatch on April 29, 2009 at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)
Blogging for your Career
At the portfolio panel SI Career Services hosted earlier in winter 2009 term, one of the students had a professional blog on her site – Sensical – which I noted as an excellent way for this particular student to demonstrate what they were learning to the world and also for them to spend time reflecting on their studies.
Not too long after that, I was invited to attend a webinar hosted by Brazen Careerist. Brazen Careerist is "a community of top Gen Y thought leaders, forward-thinking organizations and everyone else who realizes that the way we define ourselves in both work and in life needs to change." Brazen Careerist was founded by Penelope Trunk, who has an excellent blog, Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist, with many interesting entries about blogging for your job.
At this webinar, the speaker provided some great advice and tips for students to consider when creating an online presence through a blog. I thought that the SI student and alumni population would be especially interested in this knowledge, especially knowing that many of our students already are very active in the blogosphere.
So here we go.
The old way of doing a job search was an “active job search.” This is where you go out and find jobs and apply to them by sending your resume and cover letter to a postal or email address. The new way to do a job search is to do a “constant job search.” A constant job search is on going. In fact, you many already be doing your constant job search right now. This includes actively building a network (i.e. your SI classmates, LinkedIn, professional organization colleagues), monitoring your online presence (have you Googled yourself lately?), learning about new opportunities through your network (in contrast to learning about them through a job board), and job-hopping when appropriate.
Brazen Careerist strongly promotes the idea of using a blog as the way to get your next job. And, they give solid reasons for why blogs are (one of) the most effective career tool. For one, a blog helps you build a personal brand. Bloggers stand out from the crowd. Most resumes look pretty similar (as do blogs visually), but the content of blogs can vary incredibly! What you can contribute to your blog will go above and beyond that of what you can add to your resume or even your unique, tailored resume. Also, having a blog shows initiative and creates talking points for you in your resume, cover letter, interviews, and in life in general.
A blog also provides amazing networking opportunities. The barriers that people face when applying for jobs through a corporate careers website do not exist when you are a blogger – or even a blog reader. You are easily accessible as are most bloggers that you want to talk to. This multiples your network immensely -- but only if you take advantage of these contacts.
Also, contributing to your brand development, a blog in itself is a living resume. Recruiters get in-depth knowledge about you and what you know and how you do things from your blog. A blog may not be as visual as an e-portfolio, but it is much more dynamic (unless you update your portfolio weekly or daily, which is just about unheard of!) Also, you may have noticed that many job descriptions state a requirement for “excellent communication skills.” A blog demonstrates that – and it will help you hone your writing skills as you go along.
Lastly, blogging establishes you as an expert. You can create your niche and promote yourself as being knowledgeable in the field. Brazen Careerist says that the expert status is no longer reserved for the experienced and that the youthful and public can now take on that stance also. And, it makes research fun. You’re going to have to think hard about a lot of stuff and look it up – so why not make your research all the more enjoyable since it will be for your blog?
So, how does one become an Effective Blogger? How does one make blogging work for their career? First of all, choose a topic or subject that you are going to focus on. Your blog should be tailored, so you should stick to one general theme throughout all of your posts. This can be an area of interest to you and should be in alignment with your professional field of choice or in the industry or function that you want to work in.
Then, choose a blog platform. There are many out there – Typepad, Wordpress, Blogspot, Weebly. Then, choose a domain name. You want this to accurately reflect your topic. Using your name is always good for networking – of course, then everything you put on there must be professional. Your preferred domain name may not be available, so think of a couple options. It’s always ideal to also purchase your direct domain name if you have the technological prowess to redirect the link. A suggested domain site is GoDaddy where a domain name is around $10 per year.
Then, start your research and development. Read lots of other blogs and make notes of what you like, don’t like, what is done well, and what isn’t. Start leaving comments on other blog sites and make sure to include your link to your blog. This is a form of reciprocal networking… you’re investing in others, and by doing so you are investing in your own network.
Then, set a schedule and start writing consistently. A blog post make take you anywhere from one to four hours to write, so plan accordingly and decide if once a week, once a day, bi-weekly or whatever is best for you. Be sure to not start out sprinting… new bloggers will write every day for a couple weeks… and then never write again. So, start out realizing that a blog is more of a marathon and that you need to space your postings out best for your life and writing schedule.
The hardest part of all is building a following. You need to get the word out. Add your blog link to your email signature, your LinkedIn profile, your Facebook site, your portfolio site. And, actively put it out there when you read other’s blogs or post comments on sites. This is the biggest and most important part of building your brand to make your blog work for you and your career development.
To wrap things up, it’s also important to touch upon how you can use your blog to get the job you want. Like I mentioned above, you need to get your blog link out there. Make sure to also include it on your resume – at the top in the contact information section. You should include a short blurb about it to draw attention.
You should also treat your blog like a living resume. You need to add a picture to it, add an “about me” page, and make sure that your contact information is displayed everywhere. As great as you may be, if a recruiter can’t easily get a hold of you via their most preferred contact method, they can easily move on to another qualified candidate. Lastly, be sure to talk about your blog in interviews. I firmly believe that the blog writing process is equivalent to the reflective process that is part of the PEP program at SI. Similarly, this writing process will help you to distill your thoughts and opinions about what you are learning and going to be applying which will make you sound all the better in your interviews. You blog entries will demonstrate to any employer your depth of knowledge in a subject, your prowess in social media applications (which is an in-demand skill!), and it gives you the opportunity to share that you can “mentor up” (basically train your boomer-generation boss on how to use Wikipedia or a blog effectively in the workplace.)
Blogging in this way allows you to leap over the barriers that are in place in the job-search world. Bloggers share information informally and the formal hierarchy that is in place for job applicants is removed. Therefore, you can be in contact with just about anyone that’s relevant to your needs - as they can be with you!
To conclude, blogging takes time, dedication and hardwork. Its not something that can be done overnight. Each blog entry in itself is time-consuming and the time it takes to gather a following takes more effort and dedication. BUT, employers will recognize the hard work and they’ll notice your dedication to the field. So, if you are willing to do it right, your next blog entry could mean your last formal job application ever.
Posted by kkowatch on April 28, 2009 at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
Free Resume Printing at FedEx Kinkos
From the Marketing Shift Blog...
In steady economic times, freebies and giveaways are associated with grand openings, holidays, a special occasion or festive event . But this economy is far from stable, and that's what inspired FedEx (NYSE: FDX) to take new approach to the time-tested promotional tactic.
On March 10, 1,600+ FedEx Office Print and Ship Centers will print up to 25 resume copies for free. The timely promo,called Free Resume Printing Day , was created to help job seekers who were casualties of the recession. FedEx office CEO Brian Philips said:
We understand that the economy has affected many people in a very profound way, and we want to help.Printing resumes is one small way we can use our resources to help those who need it
Here's the only rule: Orders must be placed and picked up in-store. Customers may place orders by submitting their resume in printed format or as a digital file, and the copies will be printed single-sided on resume-quality paper. Usually, promotional giveaways are designed to entice customers to buy more products once they've been lured into the store, but considering the promo's target audience, you can't expect them to have very much discretionary income.
Philips should be credited for executing a plan that's sure to boost the company's image and reputation among the general public.
Here’s the link to share with job-seekers:
http://www.marketingshift.com/2009/3/fedex-office-host-free-resume.cfm
Posted by kkowatch on March 06, 2009 at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
ARLIS/NA Career Mentoring Program
Recently posted on the ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST...
The ARLIS/NA Mentoring Subcommittee of the Professional Development Committee invites members to apply for the Career Mentoring Program, to commence at the annual conference in Indianapolis. In order to facilitate optimal matching of mentor/mentee pairs, a short application form is required; it can be found at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/afa/pdc/mentoringform.htm
Please note: Attendance at the free Career Mentoring Program workshop, scheduled for Fri. April 17, 12:30-4:30 p.m., is mandatory for participation in the year-long program. Workshop facilitators Sarah Carter and Rachel Resnik will work with mentor/mentee pairs to define responsibilities, refine expectations and goals, and set the groundwork for a successful mentoring relationship.
The Conference Networking Program is separate from the Career Mentoring Workshop and Program, and will take place as usual. Sarah Falls will announce the Conference Networking Program on ARLIS-L.
Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Heidi Hass, chair, Mentoring Subcommittee
Sarah Carter, member, Mentoring Subcommittee
Rachel Resnik, member, Mentoring Subcommittee
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V. Heidi Hass
Head of Research Services
The Morgan Library & Museum
225 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10016-3403
TEL: 212 590-0381
FAX: 212-768-5681
NET: vhhass@themorgan.org
Visit CORSAIR, the Museum's comprehensive collections catalog, on the web at http://corsair.themorgan.org
Posted by kkowatch on February 24, 2009 at 06:51 PM | Comments (0)
Looking for International Work or Internship?
The UM International Center is pleased to announce the availability of a fantastic new online resource for people interested in seeking employment abroad. The Big Guide to Living and Working Overseas is filled with advice for securing overseas employment. Topics include acquiring international experience, the international job search, professions abroad, and various international career directories.
This service is paid for by the UM International Center and is free for the UM community. Click on the link below to register and get started!
http://www.workingoverseas.com/umich
We will be interested in hearing what you think of this site—please e-mail comments (with “Big Guide” as subject) to ic-abroad@umich.edu
Bill Nolting and Kelly Nelson, International Center, tel. 647-2299, http://internationalcenter.umich.edu/swt
Posted by kkowatch on February 20, 2009 at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
Want to Live and Work Overseas?
The UM International Center is pleased to announce the availability of a fantastic new online resource for people interested in seeking employment abroad. The Big Guide to Living and Working Overseas is filled with advice for securing overseas employment. Topics include acquiring international experience, the international job search, professions abroad, and various international career directories.
This service is paid for by the UM International Center and is free for the UM community. Click on the link below to register and get started!
Posted by kkowatch on December 05, 2008 at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
Interested in Records Management?
I've been getting a handful of requests from students about how to find internships in Records Management. Here's the response that I provided to a student who recently requested advice. If you would like more specific advice, make an appointment to see me... Kelly
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A good resource for getting a start on this would be to look at the past internship listings at http://si.umich.edu/careers/internships.htm The students, off the top of my head, that did RM internships are David Zande and Jon Ponder. You could either contact those (former) students or the organizations where they did their internships to inquire if they would be interested in another RM student intern next term.
You can also use iTrack to search for RM contacts...
Once you login, go to Employers and do a key word search for "records" (or other relevant keywords). You'll get a list of organizations that have either contacts or functions related to records management.
You can also look at past RM internships that have been posted to iTrack under the Jobs-->iTrack Jobs-->Archived Employer Contacts and Jobs/Internship Tab.
You should also consider attending the ARMA Meeting on December 17th (invitation below). Past SI students have had good luck with attending this to network with people in the area to find internships.
Lastly, you can always cold-call UM departments and/or local firms to ask if they are interested in having a RM intern. The UM departments that are good to start with are Human Resources, Audits, Legal, Accounting -- and likewise, local organizations that are involved in RM are most likely going to be in the following industries: accounting, HR, legal, energy, and government. You can also contact the Bentley Historical library to inquire about university records related internships.
From: Henderson, Brenton
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Subject: December 17th ARMA Detroit Meeting Notice!
Good morning. On behalf of the ARMA Detroit Chapter Programs Committee, I would like to invite you to the December 17th Chapter Meeting.
Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Time: 7:30 am - 9:30am
Location: Detroit Zoo, Wildlife Interpretive Gallery 8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Speaker: Patrick Cunningham
Topic Description: "Taking a Leadership Role When IT and RM Intersect"
Many records managers are faced with the challenge of assuming a greater leadership role in their organization. As technological issues increasingly determine how information is managed, records managers must often develop expertise outside their areas of training in order to participate in management level discussions. Speaking authoritatively about the technological needs of RIM staff is a prerequisite for participating in larger discussions about which direction an organization should take to best meet its mission-critical objectives. Successful collaboration with IT requires records managers to understand the fundamentals of computer terminology and to express RIM objectives in a language understood by IT staff. Mastering these skills will lead to better collaboration with IT and will help records managers gain the institutional respect that they deserve.
About the Speaker: PATRICK J. CUNNINGHAM, CRM is Director, Information Management, Collection & Preservation with Motorola, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL. Pat leads Motorola's Information Management, Collection and Preservation team whose responsibilities include global records management, IT data privacy, and litigation and investigation support. The team includes two Certified Records Managers, a Certified Information Privacy Professional, and two Certified Information Systems Security Professionals Pat's 20+ years in records and information management have presented him with many diverse experiences. Previously, he was Records Management trategist for Hewitt Associates. He has worked as a Web-enabled Information Technologies consultant with Whittman-Hart in Chicago and as Records Manager for Household International. He has also worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Illinois State Archives as a records manager. Pat is a frequent speaker on topics in Information and Records Management. His more than 100 presentations over the past 15 years have covered a variety of topics on the Internet, Records Management, and technology. He has spoken numerous times at the ARMA International Conference, at local and regional seminars, and has participated as a panelist for several legal forums.
Cost includes: Breakfast Buffet: $35 ARMA Members; $49 Non-ARMA Members; $17.50 Designated Retirees/Students, Walk-ins will be charged an additional $5 fee.
For additional details and to register, log on to http://www.armadetroit.org/.
Please register by December 10th, 2008 to help us provide our caterer an accurate headcount.
We hope to see you there!
Brenton Henderson
Programs Vice President
ARMA Detroit Chapter
248-486-2150 Office
248-417-4832 Cell
248-486-2168 Fax
bdhenderson@bcbsm.com
Posted by kkowatch on November 20, 2008 at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
Check out the New LISjobs.com
Rachel Singer Gordon is a leading author on library careers. She also maintains a job site, LISjobs.com, that I recommend to SI students. "I approve LISjobs.com" ~ Kelly
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LISjobs.com launches new website
Villa Park, IL -- Visitors to LISjobs.com will notice a new look and feel today as the newly-redesigned site launches. The redesign brings LISjobs.com in line with current web standards and adds new content and features. Note that old links willl be broken; please update your links and bookmarks.
Highlights of the redesign include:
• Better integration of the LISjobs.com forum and other interactive site features.
• Job ads that, as always, are free to both job seekers and employers.
• New content on education and career development, including information on MLIS scholarships as well as on funding conference attendance and other CE opportunities.
• A more standards-compliant and accessible design.
• A new logo designed by Wendy Koff, Librarian and Web Designer.
• Updated links to outside resources; all links were checked manually in October 2008.
• Improved organization -- information for both job seekers and employers is now easier to find.
• Opportunities for sponsorship -- relevant organizations can easily reach an audience of librarians and info pros.
"I'm excited to launch the new and improved LISjobs.com to better serve librarians, library workers, and info pros at all stages of their careers," says webmaster Rachel Singer Gordon. "Stay tuned for more additions and improvements soon!"
Love the new logo? Grab yourself a t-shirt at the new LISjobs.com Cafepress store. Find a job on LISjobs.com? Join the Flickr group, upload your photo, and you could see yourself featured on the site. (Don't have a Flickr account? Email your photo and story to rachel@lisjobs.com.)
LISjobs.com offers:
• Free job ads
• Free bimonthly professional development newsletter
• Low-cost resume posting
• A library career- and professional development-related online discussion forum
• Career Q&A from Susanne Markgren and Tiffany Allen
• Rethinking Information Careers, a regular column by Kim Dority
• ... and more!
Come, explore, join in, and become part of the LISjobs.com community.
Contact: Rachel Singer Gordon
Posted by kkowatch on October 24, 2008 at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
Are You Looking for a Mentor?
Posted on behalf of the Mentoring Committee of the New Members Round Table (NMRT) of ALA:
Have you been a librarian for 5 years or less? Do you sometimes feel you have professional questions to ask and no one to direct them to? Do you find yourself wondering, in the midst of budget season, or in that massive collection development strategy meeting… what the heck are they talking about? Well, through NMRT's Mentoring Committee, help has arrived! Here's your chance to meet a new librarian ally, and to have someone to ask about all those questions you can't really ask!
The NMRT Mentoring Committee will pair up "newbie librarians" with "seasoned vets" as part of our Career Mentoring program. The program will last from October 2008 to July 2009. Conference attendance is not required, but membership in ALA is required, and NMRT membership is encouraged. Applications are due October 17, 2008, with the goal of notifying the matching pairs by the end of October.
For further information and to apply, please visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm/mentor/mentoringcommittee.cfm
Lisa Tattersall
Reference Librarian, Adult Services
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Avenue
Corvallis, OR 97330
541-766-6488
lisa.tattersall@ci.corvallis.or.us
Posted by kkowatch on September 30, 2008 at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)
Employers@SI - Tips and Etiquette
Its only the fourth week of school, and Career Services is already busy with a slate of employers visiting SI for recruiting! Hopefully this is a sign that SI will be less impacted by the financial troubles that our country is experiencing. As one of the company reps told me today, when times are tough, organizations hire less employees but need to continue to get the work done so IT hiring increases. Good news for our technology-oriented folks!
At SI, we've already had Ford Motor Company and Deloitte... many more are slated to come (check iTrack for a full listing). Spring, has proven in the past to be even more busy.
Since the majority of SI students are not business undergraduates, it's not a surprise that many of the MSI population are not familiar with what you should do or how you should act while at an Employer Presentation. The tips below can help you to make a strong impression to recruiters and company representatives; these will help you to stand out and to network effectively.
See below for tips on how to make the most of Employer Visits and Presentations at SI.
1. Ask questions. It’s not uncommon for a visiting employer to ask if there are any questions after a presentation. Personally, I don't mind that there are often only a few questions after my workshops and presentations because I know that you can meet with me anytime you like with questions, but for an employer, it’s important that you show you are interested and want to learn more about what they have to say. Other than an interview, if you are lucky enough to get one, this is your only chance to ask those burning questions about your potential future employer. Plus, the person that asks intelligent and interested questions is the one that the employer remembers and will be more likely to slate for an interview or report back to the organization about.
Don't know what to ask? Think about the fact that you will spend more time at your job than you will awake at home. I think that that little fact should encourage you to ask questions about how and where you will be spending the majority of your time. Click on the extended entry to see suggestions.
Of course, your own original questions are the best, especially those that show you have done research on the company and demonstrate your sincere interest.
(Questions adapted from Career Services at Virginia Tech and Career Consulting Corner)
2. Turn your computer off. There is nothing more rude than showing up at an employer presentation and visibly (and audibly) typing and burying your nose in your laptop during a presentation. These employers sometimes fly across the country to tell you about their employment opportunities, at great expense, and the least you can do is give them your full attention for an hour. If you're not focusing on the presentation, the impression that you give is that you showed up to grab a free piece of pizza and catch up on your email.
3. Attend the presentation. Even if the organization isn't recruiting for a position or function that you are interested in, if you are interested in working there, attend the presentation. Meeting with any recruiter or employer is the best way for you to get an "in" to the company. They may not need or specifically want you in their department, but they can go back to their colleagues that might be interested in your skills and tell them about you. It’s also a good way for you to learn some of the insider information about the organization or interviewing that you could not possibly get from any other source. And, you can get a business card to follow-up with and to request for a referral to someone that is in the department or area of your interest.
4. Research the organization. I think that the points that I stated above should give reason why this is important. Research helps you ask more intelligent and directed question, shows the recruiter or presenter that you have interest and initiative, and it will give you a foundation to the information in the presentation so that all of the information that is provided isn't overwhelming. Research will help you make a more educated decision on whether or not the company is a good fit for you.
5. Lastly... don't let the presentation make or break your impression of the company. Sometimes, presenters aren't the best seller of their own company. Sometimes -- and this is rare -- I'm a bit mystified by the lack of presentation skills demonstrated by presenting employers but still, it’s important to look beyond the recruiters' presentation abilities and see if the values, function, and career opportunities from this organization are ideal for you. Focus on the content and not the presenter, as they are often only one in several thousand employees! Luckily, this isn't usually the case, and often the representatives from the company that come to SI do a terrific job of selling their organization, which in the end, only makes it harder for you to make a decision!
If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me. ~ Kelly
See below for suggestions:
• What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
• Who are your main industry competitors?
• What are the company's strengths and weaknesses compared to its competition?
• How important does upper management consider the function of this department/position?
• What is the organization's plan for the next five years, and how does this department fit in?
• Could you explain your organizational structure?
• How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom?
• Could you describe your company's management style and the type of employee who fits well with it?
• What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
• What is the company's policy on providing seminars, workshops, and training so employees can keep up their skills or acquire new ones?
• What particular computer equipment and software do you use?
• What kind of work can I expect to be doing the first year?
• What percentage of routine, detailed work will I encounter?
• How much opportunity is there to see the end result of my efforts?
• Who will review my performance? How often?
• How much guidance or assistance is made available to individuals in developing career goals?
• How much opportunity will I have for decision-making in my first assignment?
• Can you describe an ideal employee?
• What is your organization's policy on transfers to other cities?
• What is the recruitment schedule like?
• What sort of questions should I expect an in interview? What sort of skills or abilities will set me apart?
• What freedom would I have in determining my own work objectives, deadlines, and methods of measurement?
• What advancement opportunities are available for the person who is successful in this position, and within what time frame?
• In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years?
• What significant changes do you foresee in the near future?
• How is one evaluated in this position?
Posted by kkowatch on September 23, 2008 at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
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.
**************
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."
****************
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."
**************
Has anyone on the list attempted to or thought about omitting the PhD from his/her resume?
*****************
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".
******************
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.
*******************
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?")
*********
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?
***********
"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.
***************
"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.
************
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 (1)
