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Unemployment or Underemployment Strategies to Get Ahead—and STAY Ahead!
Tracie Lowe
Career Consultant, IUPUI University College
Academic and Career Development
www.uc.iupui.edu/students/career
Coming Up in Job Search 2010
Changing nature of job seekingVariety of ways to hunt for jobsGeneric no longer works; TAILOR your information
NetworkingWHY Networking is essentialContacts you didn’t know you hadInformational interviewing
InterviewingPreparation is KEYBehavioral interviewing
Why candidates AREN’T hired
Today we will cover…
Past, present and future of your career journeyWhat does it take to move forward? Direction!
Knowing yourselfKnow your marketKnow how to strategize your job searchKnow how to sell yourself – especially on a resume!
Common mistakes made by job seekersCareer Goal-settingQuestions?
Why are YOU here?Career changeDownsized or laid off from jobBored in current careerLooking for job advancementUnsure where to start for a job search“My resume is ten years old . . .”Networking scares meWant to know “in demand” skillsOther reasons??
Unemployment feels much like a pothole on your career journey
Feel like you’re stuck on an unfamiliar highway? Not sure where you even want to go?Feel like you’re going in circles (or someone took the map!)Wish you had a GPS instead of a compass?
NOW…
Can you assess where you’ve been, your current situation, and where you’re headed in your career?
Do you have a plan and a strategy? Create your own Career GPS!!
I need a job… who cares about a career journey?
YOU should. Changing your career situation requires living in the present, but also…
Can you determine your destination? If you don’t know where you’d like to go, how can you get there?
Successful job searching requires an honest assessment of where you are NOW. What skills do you have? What are your past accomplishments? Do you need/want to acquire further education or training?
To GET what you want, instead of just hoping to get it, you need to have a plan!
Why should you care NOW?65-70% of college students change their majors at least
once before graduating. As we graduate, many of us don’t know what we can do with our degrees.
Majority of jobs are not ‘degree specific’– but we do a poor job of ‘selling’ our degrees… and worse, ourselves
Changes in the market greatly impact what is available. Planning a path before heading off on your journey will
save time and dissatisfaction down the roadWork-related stress greatly affects your quality of lifeSo where should you start?
►S elf focus (who am I)
►T arget (what do I want)
►E xplore (what’s out there, how does it fit)
►P lan (what are my next steps)
Career journey = ongoing process
SELF FOCUS Who am I?
Skills = the ability to do something well, usually gained through experience and training
Personality = attitudes, behavior patterns, other individual traits that endure over long periods of time
Interests = Things that you enjoy doing or that grab your attention
Values = your personal principles or standards, your priorities. (Values impact the choices you make about the other three areas)
How? See resource page; also Work One centers, career services
What if I don’t know what I want?
If you’re unsure, look for self-assessments or inventories online. Refer to the resource page for many online resources, as well as GREAT books. Career counseling is also an option. Visit your local WorkOne office.
Learn more by doing research. Start with information that is readily available to you online, in books, journals, and many other locations.
Talk to people in your field of choice. It’s one of the best ways to learn about career paths. Try informational interviewing, job shadowing, etc.
TARGET / EXPLOREWhat’s out there, and what is it all about?
Make a short list of careers, then research them►Our website
►http://uc.iupui.edu/students/career►Visit https://www.indianacareerconnect.com/ for
trends specific to our state and region.►Talk to someone in the field
►(Informational interviews, job shadowing)►Publications in the field►Volunteering/Professional Organizations
Learn more about occupations
O*Net Online
http://online.onetcenter.org/
Find descriptions of many occupations on the Occupational Information Network
Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
The OOH tells you the training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, working conditions, and more for hundreds of jobs
Create a Personal Action Plan
Assess what you have to offer: your VIPSTarget occupations/industries who need what
you have to offerExplore what you need to be successful
Do you need to build skills? If so, how? Education? Computer training (esp. word processing)
Set goals – and commit to paperLong-range planWhere do I want to be in 1 year, 5 years, etc.Break larger goals down into smaller piecesConsider volunteering, community service, etc.
Writing an Effective Resume-It Has to Sell YOU For the Position You
Want!
What does your resume say?Your resume is your marketing brochure; a picture of
you as an employee. It’s NOT a job application with details about past
employersIt’s about accomplishments and achievements
It’s NOT a list of tasks, like a job descriptionYour resume gets you the interviewYour ability to articulate your skills gets you the job!In a competitive job market, you must have a strong,
tailored resume AND excellent interviewing skills!
How do I start writing a resume?
Know yourself!Values, Interests, Personality, Strengths, and Skills…Be aware of weaknesses, failures. What have you done
to improve upon these? Play to your strengths and not your weaknesses!
What have others mentioned as your greatest strengths? What are your past experiences and accomplishments?How do those experiences relate to the work you’ll do for
your NEXT employer? Ask, “So what?”
Starting a resume…Write down groups you’ve belonged to (Teams,
clubs, volunteer positions, employers, etc.)Write down the roles you filled for those groups
(Treasurer, member, captain, job title, etc.)Write down every task you did in the role (include
the method used, why it was worth doing, & the result)
Turn tasks into accomplishment statements: begin with an action verbAsk yourself “what, how, why, with what result, and how
much or how often”
Writing your resume- Think SKILLS!
Duties SkillsArranged meetingsDrafted correspondenceAnswered phones
Developed strong planning skills to ensure meetings ran smoothly
Utilized excellent communication skills to accurately convey information from executives to staff
Interacted with diverse group of internal and external clients, providing prompt and positive customer service
Position- Administrative Assistant
Writing your resume- Think SKILLS!
Skills Re-energized ABC Homeowner’s Association to improve neighborhood
communication and raise home values Together with executive board, created policy whereby association
members received feedback on new building plans within one week’s time, resulting in increased homeowner satisfaction
Negotiated bids for repair/refurbishment of neighborhood pool facility Persuaded homeowners to take on additional annual fee for pool area
Position- President, Homeowner’s Association
Accomplishments vs. Tasks (skills vs. duties)
Bad Example:ClerkOld Navy
Ran cash registerStocked shelvesWorked in fitting room
Good Example:Customer Service RepresentativeOld Navy
Met weekly with managers and team members to discuss store policies and promotions
Greeted customers and assisted in purchase decisionsAssisted in training 30 new employeesWon district challenge by securing most store credit
card applications in a week
What Do Employers Want?
Communication SkillsTeamwork skillsProblem-solving skillsAnalytical SkillsFlexibility/adaptabilityInterpersonal skills
Motivation/InitiativeComputer /Technical SkillsDetail-orientationOrganizational SkillsLeadership SkillsSelf-Confidence
2008 Job Outlook Report: www.naceweb.orgNational Association of Colleges & Employers
Know What is AvailableKnow your market!
What are the needs of your potential employer?Research the business. Be able to communicate your
knowledge about the company to your potential employer.
Know the field, and understand trends. If you haven’t done your homework, someone ELSE will.
Use job descriptions to tailor your resume to each specific position.
Resume Essentials…
Use sample resumes to find good formats, wordinghttp://www.uc.iupui.edu/students/career/resume_step5.asp
Use O*Net to focus on skills/knowledge employers want Show how your abilities match the positionUse bulleted statements, not complete sentencesStart with action verbs Avoid the pronoun “I” and articles “a, an, the”NO Typos, misspellings or grammar mistakes (from vs. form)Must be professional, as with your whole imageResume must be up to date, accurate and honestNote your achievements/accomplishments, not just tasksProofread, proofread… did I mention proofread?!?!?!
Organizing your resume…
Resume FormatsChronological: Information in each section is organized in reverse-chronological order
Skills-Based: Experience, accomplishments, and skills are organized separately from your work history.
Your BEST information must be in the top half or third of the resume. (will change over time)
Initially, employers spend 15-30 seconds looking at a resume! Will you make the cut?
Chronological Sample JANE SMITH
221 Main Street· Indianapolis, IN 46202 (317) 274-4000· [email protected]
HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS: Six years of office administration experience Effective organizational and time management skills Experienced with all Microsoft Office products Excellent oral and written communication skills
RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE: Office Support, THE HOOSIER COMPANY, Indianapolis, Indiana 2006- present
Ready documentation for A/P checks Update weekly print-outs of compliance and job cost reports and ensure
delivery to project managers Prepare and post outgoing mail Sort, open, date, and distribute incoming mail to appropriate recipient Copy weekly compliance reports in triplicate, sort, file, and mail to clients
File Clerk, DUFFENS OPTICAL, Indianapolis, Indiana 2003-2005
Filed client records for daily optical orders and purchases Researched customers’ original and repeat optical orders Greeted and directed guests to appropriate department Delivered records with incoming “job” to appropriate workstation
File Clerk, REDIRECTIONS, Carmel, Indiana 2001-2003 Filed account documentation Established new files for new accounts Re-organized files in a more efficient location Performed annual transfer of files to storage
ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE: Sales Clerk, OSCO DRUGS, Indianapolis, IN 2005-present
Greet guests and provide a welcoming environment as they enter the store Assist customers with purchases Perform money transactions to conclude purchases Stock and straighten merchandise on shelves
Although Jane earned her office administration skills via three separate jobs, the experience can be added together
Position your indirectly-related experience near the bottom of the page
Skills-Based Sample
RELATED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Office Administration Proficient computer use of Microsoft Office and MacWrite II Verified accuracy and completion of customer sales orders and invoices Maintained petty cash accounts totaling $5,000
Customer Service Received recognition for highest sales 3 consecutive months in Men’s Apparel
department at J.C. Penney Provided prompt and courteous customer service at all times Responsible for serving up to 100 customers during rush periods
Leadership Trained co-workers on frontline service techniques Wrote shift schedules, ensuring proper staff coverage for rush
periods Maintained accurate inventory log, completing order log for
manager Supervised up to 4 co-workers in manager’s absence
WORK HISTORY:
Administrative Assistant, Boss Business, Inc., Indianapolis, IN January 2007 – Present
Sales Associate, J.C. Penney, Greenwood, IN August 2005 – September 2006
Crew Member, McDonalds, Indianapolis, INDecember 2004 – August 2005
Work History and/or Experience
Jennifer Student [email protected]
123 IUPUI Lane Indianapolis, IN 46202 317-555-1212 Work History:
InternIndiana Sports Corporation, Indianapolis, IN Summer 2009 Assisted with media relations for Indiana Sports Corporation Wrote press releases and conducted follow-up with media Edited Indiana Sports Corporation publications and event materials Served as primary media contact for Youthlinks Indiana Charity Golf Tournament Recognized by supervisors for strong on-camera presence
Server O’Charley’s, Indianapolis, IN January 2008-May 2009 Successfully managed a 20-hour work week while attending IUPUI full time Used effective communication skills to take and serve food orders promptly and accurately Demonstrated expertise in handling multiple tasks in a fast- paced environment Selected by manager to train new staff members
Objective, EducationJennifer Student
123 IUPUI Lane Indianapolis, IN 46202 317-555-1212 Objective: Seeking an event planning/PR position that will capitalize on my education,
experience and excellent communication skills. Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies Expected December 2010
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
Major GPA: 3.5
-Worked part-time and earned scholarship to cover educational expenses.
When creating a career objective, consider: “Seeking a position within the field of ____ utilizing my ____, ____, and ____ skills.”
**Focus your objective on what you can do for the employer rather than what they can do for you!**
Other Resume SectionsDepending on your experience, some of the
following sections might also be included in your resume:
ActivitiesHonorsCertificationsComputer SkillsCommunity ServicePublicationsRelated CourseworkSummary of Qualifications
Common Resume SectionsExperience
This section can include more than just paid experiencesInternshipsVolunteer workStudent organization involvementCampus jobsAny paid/unpaid experiences that demonstrate the
skills and experiences the employer seeks in a candidate
Review Current ResumeOne experience at a time:
What does each one say about you?
How does it fit the position/company/organization?
If it doesn’t fit, rewrite or eliminate it
What’s missing from the resume?
Go back to job posting- is there more you can add?
Emphasize your accomplishmentsWhat makes yours a better product than others?Proofread, proofread, proofread!
Critical points in your job search…
Be able to articulate skills, interests, etcJob correspondence has to be GREATNetworking opens up many more positionsDoing research shows your level of interestSuperb interviewing sets you apart
Then the cycle continues; more self-focus, refining job correspondence, new and further developed contacts, deeper research…
Set Goals for YOUR Career Journey
Take Action!
What will you do ___________ ?• Today• Next week• In a month• By summer• 1 year from now
“When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” -Seneca
