Would You Hire Yourself?
It’s time for a little introspection. What kind of person do you think you are? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What opinions do others hold of you? Is your personality tailored to your aspirations, or are you measuring up a bit short?If after doing this you find yourself ready to take on the real world, stop reading this and go for it! I’ll be here to back you up. If not, relax… you’re still young and nobody’s perfect. However, there’s no time like the present to enhance your personal resume and to get yourself prepped for success. The following are questions likely to be asked by a prospective employer. More importantly, these are the questions that you should be prepared to ask yourself first.
What are your ambitions?
Speaking clearly about your career aspirations is an important skill to learn. If you can’t articulate what they are and the reasons behind them, set aside some time to formulate an answer. A frivolous response won’t cut it – think long and hard about what you want to do and why. If nothing comes to mind, it might be time re-evaluate your goals.
What have you accomplished? Determination means very little in the absence of evidence. What have you done to prove that you’re willing and able to succeed? A strong, extensive resume or portfolio is a must. Volunteer, enroll in classes, take a part-time job in the your industry of choice; do whatever it takes to build-up a body of work strong enough to support the claims made in your resume.
Who are your references?
Ability does not go unrecognized. Ever hear the metaphor, Birds of a feather flock together? Movers and shakers associate with other movers and shakers. References with legitimate business connections (preferably outside of your immediate family and circle of friends) will score you major points on your resume. Professors and former employers/co-workers are a good place to start – if you’re not sure whether they’ll put in a good word for you, get out there and ask!
How long do you tend to keep jobs?
A checkered job history cannot be explained away easily. Employers look for dedication and stability, because hiring is costly; they’ll want to make sure that you’ll stick around. Unless you work freelance, month-long stints with a company aren’t very meaningful. Make a commitment and stick to it if you want to prove your worth and improve your job prospects.
How well do you think you’d interview?
Do you see yourself coolly breezing through your interviewer’s questions or are you freezing up and biting your tongue? Identify how best to play up your strengths and improve your weaknesses when under pressure. If you’re the nervous type, practice in front of a mirror or an impartial observer (professors and classmates are good for this). Practice makes perfect, and after a few trial runs, your confidence will explode!
Once you’ve fired off a resume or two, try to get inside your prospective employers’ heads. Work out some specific questions that you think that they’d ask and see if you’re ready to tackle them. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Give these suggestions a shot and you’re certain to find an employer willing to give you a shot. Happy hunting!
Labels: career, Interview skills, job history, references
Posted by Seymour Jobs on 11/14/2008 11:21:00 AM
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3 Comments:
Seymour,
Thanks for the advice. As a college student with very limited real-world experience, I am struggling to address the issue of references.
I attend a very large University and have not really had the opportunity to build one-on-one relationships with my professors. For someone with my background, what else can you recommend about how I can go about finding references that will work for my situation?
Thanks!
Chloe,
Join professional organization or on campus organizations that are in your field and get out and network. Don't be afraid to tell them you are in school and want to pursue a career in their field and ask if they can give you some advice. Clue-- people are generally flattered and want to talk about themselves and are willing to give you advice if you ask.
Don't overlook your parents or friends parents contacts. Tell them you are looking to talk to someone in your field to understand it more etc. You never know who knows who and I bet your network is larger than you think.
College is a great place to start deciding what your ambitions are and what you want to accomplish with your life. Although people begin college with an idea of what they want to do with their lives, many of these same people end up changing their minds along the way. I suggest taking a broad range of pre-requisite classes and weeding out the ones you don't like and taking more of the types of classes that you do like. I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life before coming to college. After being here for over a year and taking various classes, I've come closer to realizing and outlining the goals that I have for my life.