Below are links to some of my favorite Web sites for advice and news.
Washington Post Grad Guide
Washington Post Networking Guide
Journalism Job Seeker News
Here are some of my favorite sites for job hunters:
Idealist: For those looking to give back
Monster.com: Your calling is calling
JournalismJobs.com
MediaBistro.com
Where do you go to hunt for jobs?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Landing the Interview
Congratulations, Networking Professional!
You have successfully put yourself out there and landed yourself an interview. While this can be a moment of panic for many job-hunters, remember that with some preparation, there are few surprises in an interview.
Menke-Fish’s Top Five Most Asked Interview Questions:
• Tell me a little about yourself.
• What is your passed experience?
• What kind of person are you; i.e. use three adjectives to describe yourself or identify your strengths and weaknesses
• What are your computer skills?
• What are you social networking skills?
Menke-Fish’s Top Five Ways to Prepare:
• Research ahead of time in order to know the company is looking for
• Check out the job description in order to highlight your strong points in a face-to-face meeting
• Practice with mock interviews
• Know what a competitive salary in that position is, in case you are asked to list a number
• Prepare questions you have for the employer about the position
Chris Palmer, distinguished film producer in residence and director of Center for Environmental Filmmaking, weighs in with his keys to interviewing succeess.
You have successfully put yourself out there and landed yourself an interview. While this can be a moment of panic for many job-hunters, remember that with some preparation, there are few surprises in an interview.
Menke-Fish’s Top Five Most Asked Interview Questions:
• Tell me a little about yourself.
• What is your passed experience?
• What kind of person are you; i.e. use three adjectives to describe yourself or identify your strengths and weaknesses
• What are your computer skills?
• What are you social networking skills?
Menke-Fish’s Top Five Ways to Prepare:
• Research ahead of time in order to know the company is looking for
• Check out the job description in order to highlight your strong points in a face-to-face meeting
• Practice with mock interviews
• Know what a competitive salary in that position is, in case you are asked to list a number
• Prepare questions you have for the employer about the position
Chris Palmer, distinguished film producer in residence and director of Center for Environmental Filmmaking, weighs in with his keys to interviewing succeess.
Networking Like a Professional
Career coaches, professors and employees tout the advantages of networking, but breaking into the events can be difficult. While it seems easy enough on face value, striking up a conversation with a potential employer at a cocktail party can seem like a daunting task.
Dressing the Part:
Dana Fleishaker, marketing associate for a lucrative D.C. marketing agency, offers advice on what is and is not appropriate
You can also access the American University’s Career Center’s Style Guide for a complete outline of appropriate wear.
These rules are applicable for networking receptions, interviews and job fairs where business attire is preferable. Business casual is more applicable to panel discussions and information sessions.
Regardless of the event, there remains apparel that is never acceptable.
These include:
distracting jewelry, stilettos, excessive makeup, excessive perfume or cologne, sleeveless shirts, cleavage or unkempt facial hair.
Opening the Conversation:
The American University Career Center Web site suggests you prepare an “elevator speech,” or a 30 to 60 second blurb that shares your academic and professional achievements and future goals. Sometimes future employers will casually mention at a cocktail their need for something in their company. Though you’re not in a formal interview, this is a great time to jump into the conversation and outline how you can help them. Helping contacts builds rapport and demonstrates your value immediately.
Working the Room:
It is also important to communicate warmly, make eye contact and listen closely, according to the Web site. Again, keep in mind that networking events are not Happy Hour. Even if the event is open bar, remember you are there to work and to impress future employers. As a rule: If the bartender knows your name and your drink when you approach the table, you’re drinking too much.
Online Networking:
Thanks to the Internet, it is not always necessary to attend an event in order to gain contacts. Though nothing can replace face-to-face conversations, e-mailing contacts asking for advice is also a great way to network. According to the AU Career Center Web site, it is important to arrange informational interviews with professionals that hold the job you dream of having one day. Ask them what they do, how they go there and how you can mirror their journey. If you make a good impression these professional can become career contacts. At the very least, you will leave with some great advice.
Dressing the Part:
Dana Fleishaker, marketing associate for a lucrative D.C. marketing agency, offers advice on what is and is not appropriate
You can also access the American University’s Career Center’s Style Guide for a complete outline of appropriate wear.
These rules are applicable for networking receptions, interviews and job fairs where business attire is preferable. Business casual is more applicable to panel discussions and information sessions.
Regardless of the event, there remains apparel that is never acceptable.
These include:
distracting jewelry, stilettos, excessive makeup, excessive perfume or cologne, sleeveless shirts, cleavage or unkempt facial hair.
Opening the Conversation:
The American University Career Center Web site suggests you prepare an “elevator speech,” or a 30 to 60 second blurb that shares your academic and professional achievements and future goals. Sometimes future employers will casually mention at a cocktail their need for something in their company. Though you’re not in a formal interview, this is a great time to jump into the conversation and outline how you can help them. Helping contacts builds rapport and demonstrates your value immediately.
Working the Room:
It is also important to communicate warmly, make eye contact and listen closely, according to the Web site. Again, keep in mind that networking events are not Happy Hour. Even if the event is open bar, remember you are there to work and to impress future employers. As a rule: If the bartender knows your name and your drink when you approach the table, you’re drinking too much.
Online Networking:
Thanks to the Internet, it is not always necessary to attend an event in order to gain contacts. Though nothing can replace face-to-face conversations, e-mailing contacts asking for advice is also a great way to network. According to the AU Career Center Web site, it is important to arrange informational interviews with professionals that hold the job you dream of having one day. Ask them what they do, how they go there and how you can mirror their journey. If you make a good impression these professional can become career contacts. At the very least, you will leave with some great advice.
Meet Your Greatest Asset: You
The most important aspect of job hunting is the ability to sell yourself to employers. If you can talk about yourself in a positive and illuminating way, you will convince those around you that you are qualified for the position for which you are applying.
Like everything, this is a skill that needs to be honed and perfected. While there are workshops that offer practice, there are simple things you can do at home in order to prepare.
Identify three to five talking points that highlight what you can bring to the company. Before an interview it is almost even more important to identify your weaker points. The saavy job hunter is self-aware enough to realize where they fall short and to find a way to turn this into a positive. When potential employers voice concerns, the self-aware job hunter is already prepared with a response.
Fighting the Rejection Blues
Even those graduates who are job hunting in the best of economies must face rejection. For some, it is their very first experience with it. Though rejection can be disheartening, handling rejection in a positive way is vital in keeping your morale strong.
Employers do not want to here why you are frustrated with the economy. This “Debbie-Downer” attitude can be toxic in a work environment. Employers across all fields are looking for a team-worker that will be a positive asset to the company. Leave your rejection-woes for Friday night happy hour and put your best foot forward.
According to Sarah Menke-Fish, an assistant professor at American University, the best way to fight the blues is to “embrace the no’s”
“See how many no’s you can get in a week,” she said in phone interview. “If you can put a positive spin on it and make it a came you’ll stay happier.”
Menke-Fish also suggested job hunter’s remember that often positions are listed even though they are filled because the company’s policy requires a public advertisement. If you remove yourself from the equation, you’re less likely to take it personally, she said.
“The world is open to you,” she said. “Open yourself up to all possibilities and explore other cultures in other regions of the country.”
Finding a Job in a Bad Economy
Downsizing, lay offs and business foreclosures are a daily presence in the news. Despite this dreary perspective there remains hope.
How confident are you about landing a job in May?
Set goals as to where you want to be in three months, said Sarah Menke-Fish, an assistant professor at American University.
“You must be patient with the job market, but also willing to aggressively put yourself out there,” she said.
Menke-Fish encourages students to sit down everyday and ask themselves, “What did I do today to get myself closer to my goal?”
If you can’t answer that question, you aren’t doing your job of job-hunting, she said. It is also important to diversify your job search portfolio, she said. This includes looking at a variety of networking events, Online listings and print classified while searching. If nothing else, it broadens your experience, said Menke-Fish.
Do you have a job lined up for after graduation?
How confident are you about landing a job in May?
Set goals as to where you want to be in three months, said Sarah Menke-Fish, an assistant professor at American University.
“You must be patient with the job market, but also willing to aggressively put yourself out there,” she said.
Menke-Fish encourages students to sit down everyday and ask themselves, “What did I do today to get myself closer to my goal?”
If you can’t answer that question, you aren’t doing your job of job-hunting, she said. It is also important to diversify your job search portfolio, she said. This includes looking at a variety of networking events, Online listings and print classified while searching. If nothing else, it broadens your experience, said Menke-Fish.
Do you have a job lined up for after graduation?
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