Getting a Job in a Competitive Market

8/3/2019 Getting a Job in a Competitive Market

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Getting a Job in a Competitive Market

By Katie Cianci

Senior Area Recruiter, Kaiser Permanente


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Understand the basics of what employers arelooking for in making hiring decisions

Have a better understanding of your corecompetencies and what jobs are more suitable foryou than others

Have learned how to stand out from the candidatepool and increase your likelihood of being hired

Build confidence in yourself

Be better prepared to meet the employersexpectations once you are hired

At the end of this Seminar, you will be able to:At the end of this Seminar, you will be able to:


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Job Search Techniques and

Internships


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Networking!

y FACT: 70% of jobs are found through networking

y Its about relationships and information, not job hunting

y Most people like to help others find resources and

connectionsy You are part of many networks (family, friends, colleagues,

civic clubs etc)

y Each member of a network may know of an available job


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Tips for Successful Business Networking

y Networking is about being genuine, building relationships

y Pick groups that will help you get what your looking for

y Visit as many groups as possible that sparks your interest

y

Hold volunteer positions in organizationsy Be able to articulate what youre looking for and how you may

help others

y Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given.

y

Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and viceversa


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Tips to Improve your Networking Skills

y Know Exactly what you want form others, have a plan

y Have a positive attitude

y Talk to strangers

y Share Informationy Dont ask too much at one time

y Dont forget to follow-up on leads

y Keep it brief

y Continue your efforts- after youve secured a new position


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Information/Career Interviews

y Meeting with a person who currently does a job you thinkyou might want to do

y Help you focus your career choice and job search

y

Discover skill sets that are requiredy Get a strong understanding of position, be more prepared for

interview in that industry

y Person you speak with can be a valuable contact in future

y Ask for a name of another person in field to speak with/ askto use their name


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How to prepare

y Get a basic knowledge of the field

y Be responsible for managing the discussion, developsophisticated questions

y

Be prepared to talk about yourself, think about yourstrengths and skills

y Be current in field before meeting

y After career interview, send a thank you letter and touch

base with your contact as you progress


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Sample questions to ask in Career/Information

Interviews

y How did you get into this field?

y What kind of training/background do you have?

y What does it take, in your view, to succeed in this field?

y What do you like best about your work?

y What kind of person seems to do best in this sort of work?

y Do you have any suggestions on my job search strategy?

y Do you mind if I stay in touch with you regarding my careercampaign?

y Can you suggest another person I might speak to? Can I use yourname?


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Internet Job Search

y Ask your librarian, they have a plethora of information to helpyou- Library Database, Carl System, Eureka

y Best Directory: reference source on insurance companies

y Business Periodicals Index- Wall Street Journal, Fortune etc.

y Directory of corporate Affiliates- list of 4,000+ corporations withaddress, telephone numbers, geographic index etc..

y Guide to American Directories (Bernard Klein); Lists directoriesin virtually all career fields, many free

y Directory of Executive Search Recruiters, Kennedy Publications


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Internships

y Talk to your student advisor about finding internships;Dr.Lou Rubino and Dr.Jerry Seliger

y

Get advice from student Career Centery Cold Call organizations in which you want to intern, just ask!

y http://www.internships.com/ costs $11 year

y http://www.internjobs.com/ free

y http://www.collegerecruiter.com/


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How To Get A Job


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Resume

y Key points (sum it up)

y Clean layout

y No 9 font

y Customize your resume to the job you wish to apply for


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Employment Application

y Tell the truth

y Must be thorough

y No abbreviationsspell it out

y NEATy No gaps


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Company research

y Research the company.history and market includingproduct and competitors

y Know the position which you are applying for and what youbring to the table

y Strong weakness (know both good and bad)

y Company stability


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How to get an employer to notice your

application

y Make sure you are a qualified applicant

y Never apply when you do not meet the basic criteria

y Strong cover page and references


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Your style

y Job satisfaction over mere employment is vital

y Seek win-win situation

y Do not apply to a job just for a job

y Remain positive and optimistic


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Dress Code

y Business attire/color

y No flashybold colors

y Ironed

y Stand up straighty Conservative/no urban dress


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Personal Touch

y Thank you letters or email immediately

y Follow up call and or email


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Creating an Effective Resume


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Effective Resume

y Your personal marketing brochure of what you have to offer apotential employer.

y Excite interest and the attention of the Manager or Recruiter atthe beginning of the resume.

y

Attract the reader to your abilities, skills, and experience thatmake you qualified for the job

y Create a favorable impression that will encourage additionalquestions and ultimately an interview.

y Be attractive to the eye, easy to read.

y Organized and concise to read quickly.

y Literate, demonstrate accurate punctuation, grammar andspelling, free of any errors.


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Preparation

y Know what type of position you are applying for.y Write down your knowledge, skills, experience that makes you

qualified for that position.y Review a job description of your ideal job. Identify in the

qualifications and job duties where your skills and experiencematch up. You will use this for your Summary of Qualifications.y Write down dates of employment, job titles, company, etc.y Document your duties and main accomplishments for each job.y Identify your key skills and experience for your Summary of

Qualifications.


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Format

y Determine which resume format fitsyour situation:Chronological, Functional,Combination

y Create one template resume and

tailor to fit each job you apply to(one in text format and one inWord/PDF format)

y Use action phrases and avoidpersonal pronouns ( I or We)

y List responsibilities,accomplishments rather thanfocusing on complete sentences.

y Snapshot of your experience andskills, keep it brief with impact

y 1-2 pages depending onexperience (general rule: 3 yearsor less, keep to 1 page, over 3

years, 2 pages)y Font: 10 pt 14 pt Arial or

Times New Roman.

y Heading: 16pt -18 pt, Bold foryour Name, 10-12 pt. forcontact information

y Margins- 0.5-1.0 top, bottomand sides


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Content

y Heading:Name and Contact informationy Summary of Qualifications/ Professional Skillsy Education (if you just graduated)y

Experience/ Professional Experience/ Relevant Experiencey Volunteer Experience (if applicable)y Skills (optional)y Activities (optional)- great if you have been involved in college

programs such as holding a leadership position in Church,

Associations, Fraternity or Healthcare Associationsy Note: Always have several people review your resume for

errors and content.


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Common Resume Errors

y Objective Statement- Waste of space and time. Your objective isobvious, you are applying for a specific job. Use the space morewisely to showcase your skills.

y Typos- Proofreading is essential.y

Incorrect dates of employment or no dates of employment- makesure you always update your resume with correct dates (usemonth/year if you dont know exact dates).

y Inappropriate email address: Instead [email protected] emails such as: [email protected] or

[email protected] Messy, unorganized format- Be neat, concise, and use a visually

attractive format.


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Common Resume Errors

y Boring- Use action words and accomplishments rather thanlisting all your job duties. This is not a job description butrather a marketing brochure. Make it interesting!

y Too detailed- Dont get too detailed in your narratives.

Remember this should be easy to read in about 5 seconds andexcite interest in learning more.y Irrelevant information to the job you are applying for is a

waste of space and time. Make sure you tailor your resumeand leave out skills or information that are not relevant.


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Cover Letter

y Keep it brief and to one page.

y Paragraph 1 How you heard about the position

y Paragraph 2- Why you are interested and what you have tooffer

y Paragraph 3- Closing to include how theycan contact you.Dont be too pushy and assuming that you should follow up.If they are interested, they will contact you.


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References

y References available upon request is not necessary.

y Rather, on a separate page, list your References to include:

y Name

y Company

y Titley Relationship to you: (i.e.. Professor ,Manager, Supervisor, Co-

worker)

y Direct Phone

y Email

y Only list Professional References. Previous Professors, Co-workers orManagers/Supervisors.

y Friends and Family members are not considered professional and donot provide constructive references for you.


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References

y Always ask permission to use as a Reference prior toincluding on your list. It is professional courtesy to ask and it alsogives your reference notice that they should expect a call from apotential employer.

y G

ood references are the key to securing a position. If you ableto accumulate letters of references, that is always impressive.

y Keep in touch with your references and always leave on good

terms. You never know when you may need your former boss,coworker or professor as a reference.

y Good performance, professionalism and good work ethic

help you in the future.

y Only present Reference List when requested.


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The Interview

y Dos and Donts

y The Tough Questions

y Primary objective of the Interview


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Post-Interview


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Thank You Letter

y Two questions you should always ask during the interview:

y What qualifications are you looking for in an idealcandidate?

y

Describe the culture of your department and yourorganization.

y Always ask for business cards of the interviewers

y If you have multiple interviewers, create a thank you

template and then tailor to each interviewer


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Thank You Letter

y Email is the quickest way to thank your interviewers.

y Letters by mail are more personal, however take longer toarrive and likely a decision has already been made.

y Email your thank you letters to each interviewer within 24

hours (ideally that same day).y Keep it short and concise


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Thank You Letter

y Formaty Address: Dear Mr. or Mrs. Smith,y Paragraph 1: Thank you for their time.y Paragraph 2: Express interest in position. Indicate why you

are the ideal candidate and why they should hire you.y Paragraph 3: Describe how you will make a contribution

and what you like about their team or the interviewer.y Paragraph 4: Thank you for their consideration and you

look forward to hearing from them. Offer to provide

additional information if it will help in the decision.


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Sample Thank You Letter

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name:

Thank you for your time this afternoon to further discuss the Project Analyst position at

Kaiser Permanente.

After learning more about the position and your department, I remain excited about the

opportunity and believe it is an excellent match with my skills and experience. In addition to

my enthusiasm, I will contribute strong analytical skills, professionalism, and a proven ability

to manage multiple projects.

The creative approach and patient focused culture you described during the interview

confirmed my desire to work with you. If selected for this position, I am confident that I can

begin making immediate contributions to your team and Kaiser Permanente.

I appreciate your time and consideration. Please feel free to contact me at (213) 456-0909

if I can provide you with additional information to assist you in making a decision. I lookforward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Julie Smith


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After the Thank You

y Be patient. Making a hiring decision can take days or weeks.y Dont be pushy. If they say it will take a week, expect it to

take 2 weeks.y If you are selected as the finalist, you will be contacted.

y After sufficient time has passed and you have not heard fromthe manager or recruiter, it is appropriate to follow-up withthe recruiter.

y If not selected for this position, be polite and ask to beconsidered for future positions. Do not argue with the

Recruiter or the Manager.y Always take an interview as a learning opportunity to

improve and do better the next time.


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Tips for the First Day on the Job

and Beyond


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10 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression

y Have a Positive Attitude

y Nothing works better in all situations than having and expressing a positiveattitude

y Dress Professionally/Blend in With Co-Workers

y You should never underestimate the importance of dressing professionallyin your new job

y Dress how you want people to perceive youy Perfectly groomed means efficient and reliable in work; unkempt means

disorganized and therefore difficult to trust

y Ask Questions/Ask forHelp

y No one expects you to solve all the organization's problems on your first

days on the joby Employees generally never get in trouble for asking too many questions

y Not asking questions and making mistakes will negatively impact howpeople will perceive and trust you


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y

Work FullD

aysy "Be on time, come in early, stay a little later,"y "There's nothing that can affect your reputation faster than routinely

coming into work late or leaving work early

y Ask your boss if he/ she can set goals for you

y Try to establish quantitative goals that can be tracked over timey Dont just meet the goalsExceed them!

y Track your accomplishments

y Show Appreciation

y Nothing works like kindness and genuine appreciation

y Show your appreciation to everyone who helps you learn the ropesduring your first days on the job -- from your co-workers toreceptionists to the human resources folks.


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yMeet and Network with Key People in Organization &Professiony Take advantage of every opportunity to network with key people

in your organization and professiony Networking with key people can also help you in finding one or

more mentors.y Find aMentor

y A mentor is someone who can provide you long term professionaland career guidance

y Mentors can help direct and advance your career within the

organizationy Mentors can also provide you direction and help you navigate

through the organization when issues arise


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y ListenMore than Talk

y

Don't act like a know-it-all right off the baty We have two ears and one mouth so that we listen twice as much as

we speak

y Keep Your Boss Informed -- of Everything

y

Your boss is not a mind-reader, so keep him/her informed on howyou are doing and the status of your projects

y Try to establish check in meetings or one on ones with your boss

y Your job is to make your boss look good

y Dont wait until the last minute to give your boss a heads up ifsomething isnt tracking to plan

y If you are swamped with work, inform your boss about it


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Being the newest member of the organization --is both challenging and exciting

Remember to relax, keep your mind open, get to know

your team members, and do your work well

You should go far in making a lasting impression andreputation!

Source: RandallS. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

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Getting a Job in a Competitive Market