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Welcome to the Career Tune-up Blog!
We are starting our new Career Tune-Up Blog. This blog will be regularly updated with new content as well as provide the option to peruse older topics you may have missed. Comments to be posted on the career topics can be made by e-mail, and guest bloggers are encouraged! If you have a bit of wisdom, experience, or helpful advice for other job seekers or professionals, we would love to have you share. Contact the Career Exploration Office (CEO) for more information at careerexploration@ced.osu.edu or (614) 292-8493.
A job search can be a frustrating process, especially in today’s tight job market. You may have developed a resume that highlights your relevant qualifications, polished your interview skills, established a powerful network of career contacts, and still have trouble landing a new job. There are many factors that go into why some people find jobs right away while others languish in a job search for a long period of time. But there is one constant with everyone who has successfully found a job:
Perseverance.
Imagine your job search is like playing the lottery: If you do not buy a ticket, you have no chance at winning. The same holds true for your job search! The moment you give up on it, your chances automatically drop to zero. Feel like taking a week off from your search? That might be the very week that your job search “number” hits and you miss your opportunity.
Employers are receiving unprecedented numbers of applications and resumes to review for open positions and are now taking longer than ever to make interview decisions and contact applicants. In fact, for many employers, contacting an individual to let them know they are not being considered for the position has become a thing of the past. This is a leading factor behind job seeker frustration, as they feel they are constantly working toward obtaining a new job, but not seeing any results. When we feel that our efforts are not producing, we tend to give up.
So when your job search has you feeling down, try these strategies to persevere through this tough time:
- Get away from the job boards and network. When you network, you are more likely to feel you are accomplishing something. When you apply to thirty job board postings a week and do not receive a response, frustration sets in.
- Get support. Join or form a job search club, a networking group, or obtain the assistance of a career professional. Be accountable to someone other than yourself for keeping up with your search.
- Never forget: You found a job once, chances are you will find one again. It is easy to get discouraged in this difficult job search climate, but there are employers out that that are hiring and you have the skills that they want!
Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu.
Almost every job seeker has read an article or heard a career professional discuss the importance of networking in a job search. While networking truly is one of the most effective ways to gain employment, many job seekers view networking with reluctance, apprehension, or even fear. What most people do not realize however, is that networking is not only easy to do, but it is something that we do every day. Here are some helpful hints to simplify the networking process:
- Throw out the term “Networking”. When we hear the word “networking” it brings to mind an activity where we must find people who are going to help us get a job. This mindset has already made this a stressful situation! True networking at its basic principle is simply making “professional friendships”. In fact, if we make networking all about how the person is going to help us find a job, they most likely will not be a networking contact for very long.
- Prepare an elevator speech, but do not use it in every situation. Elevator speeches are your introduction to other people on who you are as a professional and can be a great resource for structured networking meetings or getting to know your professional history. However, when meeting people for the first time, it will not sound natural if you give your entire thirty second commercial about yourself if they simply ask what you do for a living. Instead, just make conversation. You will still get all of the information contained in your elevator speech across to them, just not all at once. This will also give you more to talk about and increase the likelihood of making a lasting connection.
- Ask questions. When in doubt, ask the person you are networking with questions about themselves. Put the focus on them first until you feel more connected and confident. The conversation will eventually wind its way back to you.
- You have personal interests too. When you are networking, you do not have to keep all of the conversation completely career oriented. Remember that networking is about making professional friendships. You do not speak about only work or career related items with your other friends, acquaintances or colleagues so you do not have to focus solely on these topics with networking contacts either. In fact, the more of a personal rapport you are able to establish the more likely this person will want to help you and keep in contact with you.
- You are already networking. Every time you talk to someone you are networking. Whether it is with a professional at a formal networking group meeting, a cousin at a family gathering or a complete stranger in line at the airport. We are constantly making new connections and meeting new people, but we have just never considered this to be networking. Since anyone can be a potential networking contact, every time you talk to someone, you are building your network!
Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu.
Whether you are considering a career change but lack the experience employers are looking for or you are in between jobs and having a difficult time finding that next opportunity, volunteering could open up doors in your field of interest by helping you gain new skills and increase your professional network.
There are over 1 million non-profit agencies, educational institutions, political or religious organizations in the United States offering a wide range of services to benefit the public. Giving just a few hours a week of your time could enable you to obtain the experience that you need to build your resume while giving back to your community.
Consider volunteer opportunities that provide experiences that match your career goals. If you are seeking a chance to develop your leadership or management skills, find Board of Director opportunities that will provide insight into the operation of an agency. Identify the target population (children, teens, women, homeless, disabled) of your field of interest and seek organizations providing services to that group. Explore organizations that will give you the ability to contribute your skills and competencies. Helping a group solve a problem can be very rewarding and also provide you with current professional experience, skills, and references.
Seek opportunities to volunteer with others who share your commitment to a community cause. These valuable contacts may become mentors or networking contacts who can help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
Select a volunteer placement that supports your personal beliefs and offers a time schedule that fits your availability and lifestyle. Many agencies rely on volunteers as the backbone of their existence and often hire from within their volunteer pool for their staffing needs. Once you make that commitment, treat it as a job; be conscientious of the quality of your work and be a dependable, loyal part of the team!
Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu.
In today’s tight employment market, job seekers are finding limited opportunities in their areas of expertise. Many out-of-work candidates, feeling the economic pinch, are applying for jobs requiring less skills and experience than they have and are surprised that being “overqualified” presents a difficult challenge.
Companies are looking for applicants who fulfill the position requirements and will be motivated to stay with an organization for a long time. Potential employers are hesitant to hire candidates possessing too many years of experience or advanced degrees. Objections to overqualified candidates tend to focus on several issues. Employers fear that the applicant’s skills are beyond the scope of this position and they will be bored and unmotivated or will leave if/when a better offer is presented. The salary and benefits may be well-below previous earnings. Some applicants could intimidate colleagues who are less experienced and will have difficulties working as part of the team.
Candidates must take the employers objections seriously. Convince the employer that you are highly motivated and the best candidate for the position.
Combat the concerns of potential employers using facts and real-life examples:
- Focus more on skills and accomplishments than job titles. Match the desired skills with your experience and avoid higher-level skills that aren’t relevant to the open position. List professional experience for only the past 10 to 15 years on your resume.
- Utilize your networking contacts to make the first pitch. Their strong recommendation can offset concerns the hiring manager may have when reviewing your resume.
- Emphasize your interest in working for this particular organization. Be aware of possibilities for future growth and advancement. Demonstrate your loyalty by pointing out length of service in previous positions.
- State that compensation is a negotiable item and that previous salary is irrelevant in your current job search. Discuss the financial advantages of hiring you; provide examples of how you’ve increased company revenues or decreased costs. Emphasize how you could immediately contribute to the organization. They can’t afford to not hire you!
- Express interest and enthusiasm! A positive attitude can be contagious.
If you are still suffering from the overqualified label, ask the hiring manager, “What can I do to convince you that I am the best candidate for this position?” This might allow you to identify their exact concerns and make your case for them one by one.
The Career Exploration Office staff is available to help you develop a resume and interviewing style that emphasizes your qualifications. Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu
Employers sometimes receive hundreds of resumes for each new job opening they have posted. Often you can set yourself apart from other candidates by contacting organizations within a week to 10 days of submitting your application materials. However you must proceed with caution. Act too aggressively and you may actually hurt your chances.
Indicate in your cover letter that you will be contacting the employer to let them know you will be in touch within a specific timeframe. Calling the hiring manager personalizes the contact and provides an opportunity to showcase your personality. Contact can also be made via e-mail, but be sure to spell-check and proofread your message before sending.
The purpose of the follow-up is to:
- Verify that your resume and cover letter have been received
- Ask if they need additional information that was not included in the original application
- Obtain information on the interviewing and hiring process
- Express your interest in the position and the company; briefly describe how you meet their qualifications and how they will benefit from your experience
- Provide information on recent events (training, awards) that are not on the submitted resume
- Request an interview
- Thank them for their consideration of your application.
Make the contact about helping the employer, not about you. Statements such as: “I am calling you to see if I can help answer any questions you may have about my qualifications” or “If I am one of the candidates you plan to interview, is there anything that I can do to help you in scheduling this?” Subtle language changes like this may be just the approach you need to help make a connection with a hiring manager who is prepared to tell any and all candidates “If we are interested, we will contact you”.
Even with follow-up, the rejection rate will be high, depending on the industry and competition. If you are told you are not one of the candidates slated for an interview, seek information as to what you could do to improve your chances for other positions. If the company representative is receptive, request permission to contact them about future openings and add them to your networking list!
Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu.
The Internet is one of the most useful and efficient resources available to a job seeker and can be utilized throughout the career search process. Savvy job seekers are using the World Wide Web to establish contacts for networking, access occupational information, search for positions, research companies, obtain information on developing resumes, apply for positions, and investigate salaries. However, using the Internet as a resource to gain insight and information is just one part of a comprehensive career search. Many find it difficult to filter through the vast amount of information to find what is useful and some may rely too heavily on it as their sole means of finding a job.
Job posting web sites, like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, can be very useful tools, but since the same information is available to a vast number of competing candidates, you must determine your chances of being selected among the hundreds of other applicants. Instead, use the Internet in a more targeted manner. Search by profession, geographic location, or keyword to find niche sites that specialize in specific occupations, industries, or types of job seekers. Target specific companies and determine if they advertise open positions first on their own web sites to gain an edge.
Use a job posting search engine to search the job boards as opposed to moving from job site to job site entering in the same information repeatedly. Web sites like indeed.com allow you to search many of the job posting boards in one location. They allow you to enter a key word and a geographic location and will provide you with a list of direct links to postings on various job boards that match. This will reduce your Internet job search time significantly so that you can devote more of your schedule to more successful job search practices, such as networking.
Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu.
Rejection is a cruel reality of job-hunting, especially in our current difficult job market. Sometimes it occurs before you’ve even had the opportunity to share your qualifications beyond the initial application. Other times it happens after you have gone through several rounds of interviews. Employers are attempting to hire the best candidate based on the information they obtain. Here are some ways to maintain a positive attitude and stay motivated:
- Send a thank-you note to the employer indicating your continued interest in their organization. Restate your qualifications and ask to be considered for future openings.
- Use it as a learning experience. Employers are looking for a candidate possessing specific qualifications and the ability to fit within their company culture. Develop a strategy that communicates your skills and personality traits so that you will stand out from the crowd.
- Don’t take it personally. You should not eliminate a company that rejected you from your list of prospects. The next time your qualifications might be a better fit. Add your company contact to your job search network and continue to communicate with them throughout the search process.
- Discuss your job search methods with your networking contacts and mentor. If you want a different result, you may have to do something different. It may be time for a reality check: what changes could you make in your resume, cover letter, or interview behavior that might change the outcome?
- Don’t put all your hopes into one position in your dream company. Continue your search even after applying for that perfect position!
- Use a variety of methods to identify job leads: classified ads, online job boards, recruiters, job fairs, networking, professional associations, company web sites, and alumni contacts. Some avenues will be more effective than others, but a multifaceted approach will improve your chances for success.
- Realize that many job searches can take six months or a year (or longer). Create a support system that will keep you from feeling isolated and discouraged.
Remember, the most successful strategy in a job search is to not give up on it. While a rejection is a setback, it is not the end of your search. Avoid discouragement, build on small successes, and prepare for your next opportunity!
Contact the Career Exploration Office for assistance: (614) 292-8493 or careerexploration@ced.osu.edu. |
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