Recent Posts
Mentorship September 7, 2017
Pro-tip: everyone needs a mentor.
Photo by Anton Prado PHOTO via ShutterstockIf you’re looking for detailed information about how to get a job and fast, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to break down the big highlights in the application and interview process you must know before you begin the job hunt.
If you also need advice on exactly how to job hunt, view our article that goes over how to find a job online. However, this particular article will focus on how to land a job offer you can’t refuse.
The resume acts as the most important part of your application. Using eye-tracking technology, a Ladders study found that 30 recruiters over a 10-week window only look at the resumé for six seconds. Moreover, they mainly focus on:
This makes wowing recruiters a bit hard for teenagers and recent graduates with no experience. But don’t get discouraged. This simply means you need to write a skills resumé, one that highlights your most applicable skills. To accomplish this, pick three or four of your best skills and put those closer to the top of your resume. Then, use the bullet points that go under each sub-head to explain why this skill would help you in the job.
For a sample resume, click here.
It sounds annoyingly crass, but your cover letter is your main component in selling yourself. So, make sure you put as much of your personality as you can in the small room you have. Although a 2015 study by the Addison Group concluded that for every 100 applications you send, only 18 think your cover letter is important, those 18 employers could be the ones who actually call you. So you must make sure that everything in your cover letter is relevant to the position and markets you the best.
When you are applying for your first job as a teenager or a recent graduate, it’s important to market your skills. Similar to your resumé, it’s not about what you’ve done in the work place. The job will only care about how your projects in school or extracurricular activities will benefit their company. For example, if you have written a research essay before, you can market your writing skills, your research skills and your ability to analyze, summarize and synthesize information. Also, remember to be detailed, but not so detailed that one story takes up an entire paragraph.
For a sample cover letter, click here.
The reference letter is currently rising through the ranks of importance in applications. In an environment where thousands of people are applying for one job with similar competitive skills and resumes, the best thing to set you apart is a glowing cover letter from a previous employer.
Don’t get us wrong, a cover/personal letter from family, co-workers and friends can go far. However, to get first-hand knowledge from a previous employer about how much they loved you as a person and a worker will put you over the top.
For those with no professional experience, your substitute for a previous employer should be your mentor. A mentor is someone experienced that acts as an advisor for you. From their experience and their connections, they not only supply you with multitudes of information to help you succeed, but they can also teach you the competitive skills they learned along the way.
Think of them as your professional and/or personal success cheat sheet. This is especially important for women since many accomplished women are still struggling to reach their professional goals because of the double standards in the workplace.
Need a place to start? Ladies, look no further.
ENTITY has their own mentorship program called Entity Academy that does all the things a mentor should do and more. You don’t just learn applicable skills for professions. In between SEO classes and seminars on how to use social media to jumpstart your brand, you might learn how to fly a plane or use recycled glass pieces to make art.
Also, for more information on reference letters, click here.
1. Make sure you have a consistent format.
2. Be sure to be grammatically correct. Review. Edit. Then review again.
3. Punctuate the importance of each job by breaking down the tasks and explaining who it benefits (i.e. customer, co-workers or the company).
4. Write most of the information in a succinct and direct way. Bullet points and numbered lists are your best friend. It makes it easier for the recruiter to scan, which makes them happy and more apt to put you in the interview pile.
5. Don’t repeat information they can find on your resume.
Portfolios are the perfect way to let your work do the talking. Usually, they contain materials like an extra copy of your resume or cover letter, copies of educational certificates, certifications, licenses, degrees and/or copies of transcripts.
Additionally, you can put in previous job evaluations or a study of your own work that shows the outcome of your work and your approach for solving a problem for a previous client, professor or employer. This is especially useful because sometimes we stumble to put our talents into words in interviews. Or under pressure, our minds go blank.
A well-organized portfolio can take you a long way. It shows that you don’t just talk the talk, you also walk the walk.
Whatever you do, make sure you look directly into the interviewer’s eyes. People tend to look dishonest and meek when they refuse to make eye-contact. And rarely do others want to engage with someone who can’t look them in the face.
Direct eye-contact is a show of honesty and confidence. Additionally, it shows the interviewer that they have your full attention. It communicates to your interviewer that you know you deserve this opportunity and that you know exactly what you are talking about when you answer a question.
Researchers decided to put this idea to the test by interviewing students for a Cornell University Food and Brand Lab study. In their article, published in the “Environment and Behavior” journal, they concluded that “eye contact with cereal spokes-characters increased feelings of trust and connection to the brand, as well as ultimate choice of the brand over competitors.” Although it’s clear you aren’t a box of cereal, the sentiment remains that people are more likely to trust others that look them directly in the eye.
For more information on portfolios, click here.
The biggest tip we can give you on how to get a job during the interview is to engage your interviewer as much as possible. This means open body language. Don’t cross your arms or your legs. Additionally, you should occasionally nod your head while the other speaks, make sure your face is reactive as they speak, smile and don’t forget to interject a few affirmations that you are listening, such as “right” or “wow, interesting.”
Then you should also use a tactic that involves asking the interviewer a question. This does not mean you should deflect the questions they ask you.
The question can be as simple as, “On average, how many customers does this company help daily? Or the question can be as complex as, “What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role?” On the other hand, you can ask a question that shows you are also interested in the success of the company like, “What are the biggest challenges facing the company/department right now?”
These types of questions keep the interviewer engaged and display your critical thinking skills. Trust us. They will remember you after an interview like that.
1. Always, send a thank you note after an interview. It can be handwritten or in an email.
2. Open the interview with a firm handshake and a smile.
3. Make sure you do research on the company and the interviewer before the interview so none of the questions can surprise you. You can also integrate some background knowledge of the company in your answers, such as, “One reason I would love to work for you all is because you value honesty, just like I do.”
4. Don’t ramble. Think for about 10 to 15 seconds before responding, so you can plan your response and you can keep your interviewer’s attention. But of course, be direct.
5. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. Take deep breaths and practice, practice, practice before the day of the interview so you can gain more confidence.
Don’t let your dreams just be dreams. Just…
So, what do you think?
A lot of this information can be given to you by a mentor or an advisor. It’s their job to make sure you are prepared for the world, so don’t hesitate to ask them anything.
It’s hard enough in the professional world, don’t try to make a go at it alone. If you want to add any tips to this article or talk about what’s already here, share your thoughts or ask questions in the comments section below.
