The Smart Resume Blog

Your university is holding a job fair and several companies will be represented. Find out how these eight simples steps can help you stand out from the crowd and land your first job.

1. Research
Contact the school’s career development center or check their website for a list of companies attending the fair. Spend time gathering information about the companies you are interested in by visiting their website. Find out what services or products they offer and read their most recent press releases and their blog. By familiarizing yourself with the company, you are prepared to ask informed questions about their business.

2. Develop A Plan of Action
Depending on how many students attend the job fair and how long the fair lasts, visiting all the booths may not be possible. Prioritize the list of companies attending and determine which ones you must meet during the fair. Visit those first and then the companies that are lower on your priority list. Don’t waste valuable time standing in line to meet someone at an organization that you are not really interested in working for. The job fair organizers will probably collect resumes from all the students and create a resume book for the companies that attended the fair so don’t stress out about missed opportunities.

3. Know Thyself
So you want to work in marketing, digital media, or business. Come to the fair prepared to talk about your interests. What aspects of marketing interest you? Do you want to create videos for websites or develop and design websites? Are you interested in human resources or finance? Recruiters will ask you specifics to determine where you might fit within the company. Avoid generalizations and broad statements like “Digital media is constantly changing” or “Marketing is very important in today’s business climate”. Statements like these will not impress recruiters.

4. Make Your Resume Presentable
At a recent job fair that I attended, I was given poorly photocopied resumes as well as resumes with typos and handwritten corrections. Take the time to proofread your resume for errors and make quality photocopies at a retail copy center. A sloppy resume is unacceptable and will definitely be passed over.

5. Wear Your Best
Even if you do not have a suit, you can still look your best by wearing a business casual outfit. Men should wear slacks, a button-up shirt, and a tie. Ladies should wear dress pants or a skirt with a nice (not too revealing) blouse.

6. Create Talking Points
Avoid stumbling through your experiences by writing a few talking points. Depending on the amount of students at the fair, you may speak to a recruiter for about 3 – 5 minutes. Your talking points might include relevant internships, classes, and/or projects. Mention your GPA (if it is above 3.0) and any honors or recognition you have received while in school as well as your involvement in clubs or organizations.

7. Make Eye Contact
Maintain eye contact throughout your meeting while listening and speaking. This communicates that you are paying attention and fully involved in the discussion.

8. Ask For Business Cards
Once you wrap-up with a recruiter ask for their business card. A big part of any job search involves networking and follow-up. The next day send a short e-mail restating your talking points and interest in the company. Include your contact information and attach your resume. Recruiters do not give business cards to every student they meet, so take advantage of this opportunity.

Don’t limit your job search to Monster, Hotjobs, and Career Builder. Here are some alternate ways to find your new gig.

1. Read Blogs

A lot of blogs written by seasoned industry professionals are now posting job listings. Big name employers are finding quality canidates on these sites that are passionate about the industry they work in and most importantly keep up with current trends. This is an excellent way to find postings that may not be listed on the big three ( Monster, Hot Jobs, Career Builder). If you apply to a job that you found on a blog, be sure to mention the blog’s name.

2. Google Your Job

Do you know the exact job that you are looking for? Google the title of the job with a word like “employment”, “job” or “careers.” The search results may yield a few job postings that are posted on message boards, blogs, and company sites. Be prepared, this method is time consuming and may require you to search through several pages of results.

3. Contact Your Alma Mater

Most people think that once they graduate from college they are no longer allowed to use the universities’ career development services. In most cases, that is incorrect. There are several opportunities still available to graduates. Many universities offer lifetime career help, which may include inviations to job fairs, interviews with recruiters on campus, and access to exclusive job listings.

4. Join Professional Organizations in Your Field

No matter what field you work in, there are several professional organizations dedicated to promoting quality work in that industry. Although most require a small fee to join, the dues are entirely tax deductible and the perks are worth it. Most organizations make their job listings only available to paying members so the amount of people applying to a specific job may be less but still competitive.

5. Claim Your Space On The Web

Do you have a LinkedIn Page or a Blog? These are excellent resources to sell yourself. It is impossible to fit all of your accomplishments on a one page resume so setting up one of these services will give you the opportunity to showcase all of your projects, experiences, and interests. The best thing about these services is that they are free and can be set up in less than an hour. Keep it professional, employers don’t want to see pictures from your wild new’s year eve party. For more information on blog applications visit Blogger, Typepad, and Wordpress. For more information on LinkedIn visit their site.

6. Join A MeetUp Group

Have you heard of Meetup? Meetup is a social networking site that brings together local groups of people with specific interests. On the site you’ll find education groups, technology groups, diversity groups, and anything else you can think of. Although some are more organizied than others, these groups give you the opportunity to build relationships with people working in your field of interest. Some groups meet once a month and events could include anything from speakers and presentations to social mixers. Networking is a crucial part of a job search. By joining a group you may meet someone that is hiring or knows of job openings at their company. Don’t see a group that you want to join, start your own.

Question: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

It’s easy to tell someone about your professional strengths but who wants to admit that they are weak at something. Answering this loaded question will require a little thought and planning.

Strengths:

Pick out your best qualities and give an example to support it. When accessing your strengths examine the following areas:

Knowledge-based Skills: These skills are based on an expertise of a particular computer program/application or subject area. Some knowledge-based skills could include:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Expertise in Adobe Photoshop
• Knowledge of labor laws
• Understanding of web standards

Transferable Skills: These are general skills that can be applied to any profession. For example, organizational skills, time management skills, and interpersonal skills.

Job Specific Skills: Reference the job description for examples. A job listing for a high school Spanish teacher will require a fluency in Spanish. That would be considered a job specific skill.

Weaknesses:

Everyone has flaws, but when addressing your weaknesses in an interview, keep them minor and make sure that your weakness is not something that would disqualify you from getting the job. For example, saying you don’t volunteer yourself for projects isn’t going to go over well since employers want someone who is proactive. When you talk about your weakness, remain positive and tell your interviewer how you are working to improve and what you have learned from it.

You can answer this question by using the following strategies:

• Naming a weakness that could be considered strength. (Ex. hard worker, workaholic, empathetic, perfectionist)
• Naming a past weakness that you have overcome. (Ex. lacking an educational credential or technical skill set and took courses to improve)
• Naming a weakness that is not specific to the job or industry. (Ex. international experience, foreign language skills)

Here are a few sample answers:

1. I would like to improve my Photoshop skills so I am currently enrolled in a Photoshop training course.
2. I am working to improve my public speaking skills so I volunteer when speaking opportunities are available.
3. I am impatient and work fast and efficiently on all projects and I get frustrated with communication breakdowns that slow down workflow. To avoid this, I maintain project status reports, update my supervisor at all stages, and anticipate roadblocks and problems before they arise.
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Remember to highlight the ways in which you are improving your weaknesses. Your examples will show self-development and maturity, two qualities that employers will definitely respect.

After an interview, the most important thing you can do is send a thank you note, either by e-mail or snail mail. Here’s five reasons why you shouldn’t forget this important part of the job interview process.

1. Interviews can be stressful and you may forget to mention a few things about your professional background. By sending a thank you note, you can include any additional qualifications you forgot to bring up during the interview. Remember to keep your note brief (five to seven sentences).

2. Most candidates do not send thank you notes so sending one is an easy way for you to stand out amongst other job applicants, especially if the decision is down to two or three candidates.

3. Sending a thank you note reiterates your interest in that position and restates your qualifications for the job. When you send a note restating your enthusiasm for the position, employers will take notice.

4. It gives you an opportunity to make a second impression. You get a second chance to convince the employer why you are the right person for the job.

5. Good follow up skills is an excellent possess to have. Sending a thank you note shows an employer that you have a good work ethic a thorough and detailed work style.

Thinking about changing careers? Here are five tips to help you jumpstart your new career.

1. Take Classes

Depending on what kind of career change you are looking to make, you might need more education. Many community colleges and universities offer affordable continuing education classes for working professionals. With most schools, classes are held at all times including nights, weekends, and online.

2. Read

Not sure what books to read? Check out Amazon’s Listmania. Listmania is full of product suggestions written by professionals, self-proclaimed experts, and avid readers. These lists can provide tons of suggestions for getting started in any subject area. Also check out trade magazines, journals, and blogs covering your interests.

3. Join Professional Organizations

Becoming a member of any professional organization gives you an opportunity to join a community of professionals with similar interests and goals. Membership benefits can include exclusive access to presentations, seminars, networking events, and job postings. Joining also provides opportunities to learn about industry trends, guidelines, and best practices. Membership dues may be tax deductible so check with your tax advisor.

4. Volunteer

Seek out opportunities to volunteer at events and organizations that interest you. Although volunteering may involve some grunt work, most offer great perks including free access to events, classes, and seminars. In exchange for work, you’ll meet people, attend great events (for free), build a network of associates, and learn more about your chosen field.

5. Ask For Informational Interviews

Informational interviews can help you learn about a particular profession from the source. With the Internet, many successful professionals are accessible either by phone, IM, e-mail, or even in person. If you find someone you would like to talk to, e-mail him and ask for an informational interview. If you can’t meet them in person, send your questions in an e-mail. Ask questions about their education, career path, and job responsibilities. Once they respond, don’t forget to send a thank you note.