Get a Job

These are the skills a job requires you to have in order to do the job well. A secretary would need to use a computer, type accurately, file, and answer phones. A carpenter would need to operate a power saw, hang joists, set rafters, do trim work. An employee of McDonalds would need to operate a computerized register, make shakes, and prepare sandwiches. There are too many job related skills to list but if you do your research, you will be able to make your own list of what job related skills you will need for the job you want.

These skills are those that make up your personality. Are you “zany” or “sensible?” “daring” or “reserved?” Look at yourself honestly and get to know just who you really are. Then look at the list of self-management skills and find those that you might use to describe yourself.

NOTE: You may want to think about which words you would use in an interview...would you really want to tell an employer you were “zany” or “daring?” No, use words that show your work values such as energetic, hard-working, persistent, patient, creative, loyal, mature, confident, versatile — are excellent, to name just a few.

These skills can be used in most occupations. They can be skills gained from everyday living, as well as from paid or volunteer work experience. Sometimes people overlook these skills and forget to mention them to an employer. Give yourself credit for everything you have ever done. Remember, any special projects you have done for school, home or church may require skills that an employer might appreciate. 

Career Goals

First, identify what type of career you want. This is particularly important for people entering the workforce for the first time or changing careers. Get recommendations from family, teachers, a career coach, or family friends. Make sure you have a clear and realistic goal, determine how you plan to reach it, and note what qualifies you for that career path. These steps can help you narrow your job search to positions you are passionate about and will help you advance professionally.

Plan Ahead

Organize yourself and your schedule to search for jobs more efficiently. Determine how many hours per day or what days of the week you will dedicate to job hunting or networking. Make sure your master resume is up-to-date as it will help you fill out applications faster. Have a list of two to three references and their contact information ready to provide to employers.

Create or update your profile on social media sites and create a spreadsheet to note the jobs you have applied for and the interviews you have received. You might also choose to set up a professional email account to keep your job search messages separate and organized from your personal ones. Completing these steps before starting your job search can make the process faster and easier.

Job Resources

Rather than limiting yourself to manual online searches, take advantage of all job search options. This might include reaching out to companies or hiring managers in person, attending career fairs, searching social media, scheduling informational interviews, attending networking events, or using a career coach service. Use job search engines to find openings on job boards, company websites, professional associations, and more. Sign up for daily or weekly job alerts by email.

Network

Interact with people and develop professional contacts both online and in person. Start conversations with people at seminars, social events, or appointments. Let them know you’re looking for a job or want to work in a certain industry. They might have connections or advice that can help you in your job search. You might also discover unlisted job openings or people might recommend you for future opportunities.

Most jobs aren't obtained by close friends and family members, but from distant friends and acquaintances. This is because they know completely different people than you do, so make sure to personally reach out to them.

Resume Help

Make sure your resume is ready to go before you begin the application.  Ideally, you'll want a slightly different resume for every single job you apply for.  However, you should at least have a resume customized for each industry you're interested in.  To get started on your resume, check out our resume page:

Get Resume Help

Research Companies

As you find job listings that interest you, research the hiring companies before applying. This can provide you with information about their company culture, benefits and salary range, products and services, work environment, and more. Your research will tell you whether you want to or are qualified to work for that company. It also gives you valuable information you can reference in your resume or interview.

Minimum Qualifications

Apply for jobs you are interested in even if you only meet some of their requirements. Depending on the position, employers might hire motivated individuals who learn quickly and provide them with skills training on the job. If you meet a portion of a job’s qualifications but believe you can still succeed in that role, apply. Include examples of your work ethic and ability to learn new skills in your resume. Emphasize how your goals align with those of the company.  Remember, every job comes with at least some training for the position.

Expand Your Skills

If you find a job that you're really interested in but not qualified for, think of ways that you can obtain the skills that you currently lack. Consider getting an internship or volunteering with an organization in your desired industry while applying for jobs. Use these opportunities to expand your network of contacts or advance to a full-time position. You might also take online courses or attend workshops to build certain skills or learn technologies and processes relevant to your industry. Update your resume as you gain more experience or accomplishments.

Once you've found the job(s) you're looking for, you need to:

1. Customize your Resume

2. Write a Cover Letter (if required)

3. Fill out an Application

4. Succeed in your Interview

Information about all of these and more can be found in the tabs above.

What is a Mock Interview?

• A mock interview, also known as a practice interview, is a simulation of an actual job interview. It provides you with an opportunity to practice for an interview and receive feedback.
• A mock interview helps you learn how to answer difficult questions, develop interview strategies, improve your communication skills, and reduce your stress before an actual job interview.
• A mock interview is practice for the real thing, and we all know practice makes perfect.

Schedule a Mock Interview Today

One out of every 200 resumes results in a job offer. One out of every 12 informational interviews, however, results in a job offer. 

Informational interviewing is the ultimate networking technique, especially considering that the purpose of informational interviewing is not to get job offers. Job offers just happen to be a delightful side benefit to the valuable practice.

The informational interview is designed to produce information. This information will help you choose or refine a career path. You can learn how to break in and find out if you have what it takes to succeed.

It is an expanded form of chatting with your network contacts. This process of spending time with one of your network contacts in a highly focused conversation will provide you with key information you need to launch or boost your career.

You accomplish several things when you go out on informational interviews.

• You obtain a great deal of information about your career field and the skills needed to do that job effectively. TIP - It is also helpful, for creating your resume.
• You gain a perspective of work that goes beyond the limitations of job titles, allowing you to see not only what skills are required for the job, but also how you might fit into a work setting.
• You gain insight into the hidden job market (employment opportunities that are not advertised).
• You have the opportunity to make personal contacts with working professionals.
• You become aware of the needs of the employers and the realities of employment.
• You gain confidence in talking with people while learning what you need to know. This exposes you to a variety of jobs and personalities of companies making the search for your “niche” that much easier.

One-on-one interviews are the most common, and gives the greatest opportunity to the interviewee to make a good impression.  Here are 5 Tips to help you nail your next One-on-One Interview:

Panel interviews can be 10x scarier than one-on-one interviews.  Never fear, however, as we'll go over what you should expect in a panel interview, and what changes you need to make to your interviewing tactics.

What to Expect

• Questions. All of them will be asking questions.  Normally each interviewer will take turns asking one question at a time.
• Different Perspectives.  They're all looking for something different.  Most of the time, each person on the panel will be regularly interacting with your position.  Because of that, all of them have traits they would like the person in that position to have.
• Only One will be hiring someone.  Unless the position has multiple supervisors, only one person on the panel will ultimately choose who gets hired.  Everyone else is just there to give their opinion.

What to Do Different

• Eye Contact.  Eye contact in every interview is important, so it's important to make eye contact with each panelist while answering each question.
• Well-Rounded.  Since each panelist is probably looking for different traits, it's important to make it clear how well-rounded you are.
• Multiple Copies.  Make sure you have a copy of your resume, references, cover letter, and letters of recommendation for each panelist.
• Focus on the Right One.  As mentioned earlier, there's probably only one panelist that's going to make the hiring decision.  Make sure you know which one that is and give them a larger amount of your attention.  DO NOT ignore the other panelists though.  They're important too.

What is Behavior-Based Interviewing?

Behavior interviewing is a new style of interviewing that more and more organizations are using in their hiring process. This method of asking questions focuses on using specific examples of past behavior as a means of predicting future behavior. The STAR Method will help you respond to these types of questions.

Important Points

• Responses need to be specific and detailed. Tell briefly about a situation that relates to the question. Include the task, what you did, and the positive result or outcome.
• The interviewer can ask more questions such as “What were you thinking at that point?” or “Lead me through your decision process.”
• Always listen carefully to the question, ask for clarification if necessary, and make sure you answer the question completely.
• When preparing for the interview, identify examples of situations where you have demonstrated the behaviors desired by a company/organization.
• Prepare success stories. The stories should represent your skills, qualities, and characteristics. Always give examples of your strengths and successes.
• Refresh your memory regarding your achievements in the past couple of years. Use examples from past internships, classes, activities, team involvement, community service, and work experience.
• In addition, you may use examples you are especially proud of, such as: winning a marathon race, exhibiting paintings in an art show, running for student government, etc.

Skills Test Interviews are when job candidates are brought in to perform a series of tasks in order to test a multitude of skills and behaviors that candidates have.  Normally these tasks are very specific to the position/industry, but we'll cover a few tasks that aren't.

• Teamwork: If any tasks requires or even gives the opportunity for you to work with someone else, then be aware that you are being closely watched to see what kind of teamwork skills you have.  This can cover everything team related like: leadership, delegation, networking, conflict resolution, respect to authority, and ability to follow.
• Critical Thinking: Sometimes you're given tasks or asked questions that either have no answer or is about something completely unrelated to the job.  This is not to make you look stupid, but to give the interviewer a chance to see how you think through problems.  It's good in these situations to vocalize your thought process so it's clear what solutions you're considering and why.
• Stress: Most of these tasks are going to be accompanied by difficult or even impossible time limits.  The main reason for this is to see how you handle stress.  Make sure that you stay calm and don't get frustrated when things don't work out.  If you're unable to complete the task in time, don't make excuses as to why.  Instead, focus on what you learned how you could do better if given another chance.

So, your résumé caught someone’s eye? Great, you’ve got an interview. The catch is that you’re not being invited to the office, you’re going to be doing it via Zoom or some other video conferencing platform.

If you've never had an online interview before, it can very intimidating as you have many more things to think and worry about than a normal interview.  Never fear though, here are 14 Online Interview Tips from Wired.

There are hundreds of potential questions that you may be asked in an interview.  If possible, ask someone you know at that company or in the industry what questions they were asked in their interview.

Here are 15 of the most commonly asked interview questions that you should prepare for:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How do you determine or evaluate success?
3. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
4. Tell me about a major problem you recently handled.
5. Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations?
6. What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the job?
7. Why did you decide to seek a position in this company?
8. Tell me about the salary range you're seeking.
9. If you were hiring for this position, what qualities would you look for?
10. What is your greatest strength?
11. What kinds of things have you done at school or on the job that were beyond expectations?
12. What is the biggest mistake you've made?
13. Describe the last time that you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative.
14. On occasion we are confronted by dishonesty in the workplace. Tell me about such an occurrence and how you handled it.
15. Do you have any questions for me?

You should always ask at least 2 questions at the end of the interview.  They can be about almost anything related to the position or company.  I DO NOT recommend asking about pay and benefits though.  The best time to inquire about that is whenever you are offered the position.

Here are 5 good questions you could ask at the end of the interview:

1. What qualifications do you consider most important for this position?
2. What’s the most common mistake made by new employees in this position?
3. What is your vision for this department/business as it continues to grow?
4. What did the last person in this position do best?
5. What’s the next step in the hiring process?

As the interview is winding down, the interviewer will inevitably ask if you have any questions. Not having any is an unacceptable position to take and will certainly ruin your chances of getting to the next step. Asking pertinent questions shows that you have prepared for the interview and are knowledgeable and interested. Prepare a list of questions and follow the five steps in the Call-Back Close, which will come in “handy” when you want to end your interview with confidence.

1. Ask Questions
2. Thank the interviewer for their time
3. Express interest and review qualifications
4. Arrange a time to call back
5. Ask for a business card

It's easy to get so focused on how to prepare for the interview that you end up forgetting to take something with you, or forget to leave some things behind.  Here's a quick list of what you should and should not have with you at the interview.

What You SHOULD Have:

• A smile/positive attitude
• Extra copies of your resume
• Your portfolio (see portfolios tab for a list of contents)
• Pocket kleenex (if your hands get sweaty)

What You SHOULD NOT Have:

• Your cellphone (leave it in the car)
• A backpack, purse, or satchel
• Food or drinks of any kind including gum
• Other people or pets

One of the most common questions is what you should wear to a job interview.  Well there's actually 8 steps to make sure your appearance is good for an interview.

1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep the night before.

When you're tired, you may not look or feel your best. Make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before your interview.

2. Shower the day of the interview.

Showering the day of the interview will ensure you are fresh and clean for your interview. It will also help you feel refreshed and confident.

3. Style your hair.

Your hair is one of the first things the hiring manager will notice about you. Fixing your hair will help you look and feel professional.

4. Brush your teeth.

Be remembered for your ideas, skills and personality. Not your bad breath!

5. Use deodorant and antiperspirant.

Interviewing can make you nervous, which can make you sweat. Wearing deodorant and antiperspirant will help you feel more confident.

6. Avoid strong perfumes or colognes.

Although you want to smell nice, avoid wearing a lot of perfume or cologne. Strong odors, even good ones, can distract from your interview and leave a bad impression with the hiring manager.

7. What should you wear? It depends on the job.

As a general rule, for an interview you should dress like the manager of the job you are interviewing for. If you are interviewing for an office job,you'll most likely need to wear a
suit. If you are unsure, ask your instructor or a Career & College Connection Specialist.

8. Check your attire for distractions.

Make a good impression by making sure you look clean and tidy, and your clothes fit properly. Check your clothes for wrinkles, tears, stains, missing buttons and holes. Make sure your shoes are clean and without any scuffs. If you wear makeup or jewelry, keep it simple. Empty your pockets of anything that might fall out or distract from your outfit, including your cell phone.

1. Create a professional résumé.

• Visit Career and College Connection to have your résumé critiqued and to request multiple copies of your reviewed resume printed on professional résumé paper.   

2. Develop and practice an elevator pitch.

• View How To Create your 30 Second Elevator Pitch. 
• TIP: It is important that you practice delivering your elevator pitch before attending the fair. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel.

3. Research employers. 

• Identify which employers you want to talk to BEFORE the event by researching the organizations attending. 
• Research all attendees. You can find a list of all fair attendees on  the career and college connection website with a link to the individual attendees websites.

4. Prepare to dress for success at the event.

• View the “Dress to Impress” infographic.
• Visit The Backroom Clothing Company for help with picking out the perfect interview outfit. ????
• TIP:  Checkout Professional Attire for Men and Women 

5. Attend a career fair preparation workshop.

• Check the Career and College Connection website for the Steps to Success workshop, How to Rock A Job Fair.   

6. Consider creating a professional business card.

8. Check your online presence.

• Clean up your Facebook and other social media profiles and put your settings on private.
• Address your “digital dirt" by attending the Steps to Success workshop, Everything Social Media.

• Leave your cell phone in the classroom or in your car.  If you must take your cell phone, place on silent and out of sight.  
• Do not travel in a group.  Groups do not get jobs, individuals do.  
• Be positive and confident! • Remember first impressions count - have a firm handshake, make good eye contact, and most importantly - SMILE! 
• Scan the location of organizations once you enter the fair.  It is always a good idea to visit the employers and college recruiters that are not your favorite so that you can work out your nervousness before moving onto the companies you do want to work for. 
• Ask good questions!  
• Leave your résumé and a business card, with each representative that you speak with. • Do know that giving a copy of your resume to the representative is not applying for a job with their company.  You must "apply online" to be considered for employment. 
• TIP - You can stand out right away by submitting your application to companies you are interested in before the fair. This will show initiative and impress the representative.
• Request a business card from the employer (or contact name if employer is not handing out business cards)
• Take notes (in your business portfolio if necessary).

1. Apply.  Make sure you apply for the positions that you're interested in on the company's website and upload your resume or portfolio.   
2. Follow up with the employer by sending a thank you note or email.  To checkout our tips for writing thank you notes go to the informational interview section under the interview tab above and look for the Process tab. 
3. TIP. Send thank you notes within 24 hours.