The Hidden Job Search Checklist

Job Searching can be a very overwhelming and sometimes very frustrating, especially in a slow economy! Of course many know about the importance of updating their resume, brushing up on their interview skills, and creating a cover letter. However, there are many steps that one should take when job searching that are commonly missed. Below is a list of four steps, commonly missed by applicants, that when completed can help you find a job!

• Have a record keeping system- Track all calls, names, notes taken from meetings and phone calls, resumes sent, interviews, etc.
• Keeping records will help you to keep track of who you've talked to and your standing in the application process with each employer. 

• Practice your "reason for leaving" speech.
• Explain what happened without mocking your previous employer. 

• Attend a professional networking event. 
• Talk to others about your job search. They may be able to connect you with someone who's looking for someone with your talent! 

• Prepare short, written versions of your biography.
• These are useful for emails, job search websites, etc. 

Indiana Statewide Virtual Career Fair

SAVE THE DATE!

February 5, 2014

State of Indiana Collegiate Talent Search

Sponsored by CDPI

Meet Employers Live in a Virtual Setting!

FREE for all students and alumni of Indiana colleges and universities!

http://indiana.careereco.net/

Consortium Information-Participating Schools

How to Write a Cover Letter

Cover Letters are perhaps one of the most important documents your future employer will see! Along with resumes, cover letters shape an employer’s first impression on who you are and what qualifications you have.  Below are some tips to keep in mind while writing your cover letter.

Be specific

Make sure you address the cover letter to the specific person within the company who will be reviewing your cover letter. Do research online and if necessary feel free to call the employer and ask for the appropriate individual's name and job title.

Sum up your qualifications
In the middle couple paragraphs, discuss your qualifications for the position. It is important that the employer know several of the key reasons why you are qualified, along with specific examples to prove your qualifications. However,  don't make it too wordy! On average, an employer reviews a cover letter for a 8 seconds. Because of this, key qualifications must be discussed succinctly!

Follow the formatting

Be sure to follow a strict business letter format when writing your cover letter. Examples of this formatting and sample cover letters can be found HERE.

To have an Objective or not to have an Objective, that is the question?

It seems everyone has an opinion on the "objective" section of the resume. Below are some excellent points to think about before placing one on your resume:

1)      An objective can provide a resume with direction when it might not otherwise have a clear one.

2)      An objective can note the target of a career transition when the resume content only details transferable skills from indirectly related experience.

3)      An objective can help the student with extremely limited experience demonstrate a goal in mind to prospective employers.

4)      An objective can provide the introduction you need when a contact is passing along your resume as a referral to another contact and so on and so on.

5)      An objective is unnecessary when there is a strong clear theme to one’s resume.

6)      An objective is unnecessary when you are sending a cover letter in which you discuss your intentions as an applicant.  (Alas, the devil’s advocate in me voices the opinion that many employers don’t read the cover letter, so maybe an objective is still needed.  Ah, the cover letter.  A tale for another blog entry!)

7)      IF an objective is used on the resume, please be specific.  I actually saw one recently that I shall paraphrase as the following, “Looking for a position in the working field.”  Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but you get my meaning.

In sum, there are many diverse opinions on this subject, so make sure it fits your resume and needs at the time you are updating your resume.

Pulled from: http://blog.naceweb.org/ 

Check this out:

Connecting the Dots: Social Sciences and Humanities in the Corporate World | The Big Slice

This article discusses the importance of a liberal arts degree versus something more "black and white" like a business degree. Very interesting, and something to think about when you are choosing a major!

Employers also want to know that you are well-rounded and have experiences, thoughts, and opinions on matters outside of their subject matter.


http://thebigslice.org/connecting-dots-importance-social-sciences-humanities-corporate-world/

TOMORROW: COCOA & CAREERS

10am-12pm

Friday, November 1st

KT Lobby Next to Mastodon Bones

FREE Bon Bon's Hot Cocoa & 

Giveaways from Career Services

a part of National Career Development Month

For the listing of all events, please visit: http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/career/news/

Celebrate National Career Development Month!

November is National Career Development Month and we think everyone should celebrate!  Career Development is a continual process and we should always be thinking about what's next.  What can you do to help explore or develop your career this November?  Here are some ideas:

• sign up for a conference in your industry
• talk to your supervisor about wanting to do something new
• take a class on your favorite subject

IPFW Career Services likes to celebrate by doing employer site visits and of course giving away hot chocolate and free career advise to our students.  If you're on campus during November, look for these activities.

• Friday, November 1st - Cocoa & Careers - What can Career Services do for you? - KT Lobby - 10am-noon
• Wednesday, November 6th - Cocoa & Careers - Internships & Jobs - KT Lobby - 10am-noon
• Thursday, November 14th - Cocoa & Careers - Resumes - KT Lobby - 10am-noon
• Tuesday, November 19th - Cocoa & Careers - Interviewing & Networking - KT Lobby - 10am-noon
• Wednesday, November 20th - STEM Careers Site visits - BAE Systems & Logikos - 11:30am-5pm - visit both employers and network for possible internships, jobs, or just to make a connections (for current IPFW students only)

We will also be hosting a couple Employer Information Sessions, but the dates are still being determined.  Look out for the following organizations visiting campus in November:

• FBI
• Quincy Recycle

Choosing a Major

Perhaps the most challenging question students face prior to attending or while in college is the question of what to major in. With so many different options available, it seems that there is nearly an endless list of options! We are here though to help you through this process! Below is a list of a number of activities to get you started in the career search process! 

Visit Career Services in Kettler Hall 109

• Speak with a career counselor about your options
• Take a free Focus Assessment (call the office at 260-481- 0689 for the access code)- A number of other career assessments are also offered through our office

Take a class to help you make career decisions

• EDUC X210 and EDUC X310 are designed to help YOU with various Career Topics including career exploration, self-assessment, internships, job search strategies, and much more! 

Conduct an informational interview 

• Talk to somebody who's in the field you're interested in  about their job. Not only is this a great opportunity to better understand the profession, but it's a great opportunity to network!
• Sample questions:

1. What is a typical day like in this position/ industry?
2. What degree/ qualifications are need to enter this field?
3. What do you like least/ most about your job?
4. What is the entry-level salary range for a position in this field?   

Do Online Research!

• Many colleges and organizations have devoted a lot of time to sharing free career information online. Some websites the Career Services office recommends includes O*netonline.org, Career Services Major Information, and Career OneStop
• Disclaimer: We advise you to be critical of the information you find on these or any other Web site and encourage you to make an appointment with a career counselor if you have any questions. Career Services does not take responsibility for the information contained on these Web site or for any address changes. 

SAVE THE DATE--Job Fair Prep Sessions!

Tuesday 9/24 | 10am-4pm

Wednesday 9/25 | 10am-4pm

Career Services KT 109 

 

ARE YOU PREPARED? 

• Bring your resume for a quick review 

• Discuss how to work a job fair

• 

  What's the best way to follow up with employers afterward?

• Dress for success!

Fall Job Fair

Thursday, September 26th

10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Gates Athletics Center Fieldhouse

OVER 80

Employers!!!

Student Employment Job Fair

Interested in obtaining a part-time job on campus or in the Fort Wayne  community?

IPFW Career Services will be hosting it's second annual Student Employment Fair on Thursday, August 29. With 40+ employers now attending the fair, you won't want to miss out!

Who: Community employers, IPFW offices, and IPFW students!

What: Student Employment Job Fair

Where: Walb Ballroom (room 126)

When: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

If you would like help with preparing for the fair, please contact the career services office and schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor or plan to attend drop-in sessions from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Career Services Office, Kettler 109.

If you have questions or would like to contact the Career Services office to schedule an appointment, please call 260-481-0689.

What's stopping you?

So you're ready for a job search, or a career change, or just something different... but no matter how you try, it's difficult to make any real progress on this goal.  What's stopping you?  If your answer is, "I don't know" with much exasperation, then there may be some hidden walls that have been built up (over time) and are innately preventing you from moving forward.

Negative Career Thoughts & the Walls we build

There is an excellent career assessment which can help individuals uncover the specifics of these walls.  Experts at Florida State University have developed the Career Thoughts Inventory which has excellent results when interpreted by a trained career counselor.  Here are three of the potential walls that you could be building or have built which are preventing you from moving forward with your career dreams.
 

Decision Making Confusion

Decision making confusion could come from a variety of things impacting your search.  The first thing any job seeker or career changer must first identify is, "what do you want?"  Can you verbalize to others the type of job you're seeking?  If this is difficult for you because you don't know what you like or you like too many things that it's hard to choose one, then Decision Making Confusion may be blocking your progress.

I don't know what I want to do

First determine if you don't know because of lack of exposure to options, or lack of confidence in yourself.  When you don't even know what's out there, then it can be very difficult to know what you would like and not like.  It's time to get exposure through career assessments, job shadows, informational interviews, and career research.  A career counselor can help you with this.  Most colleges will have an office, or you can locate one in your geographic region through a professional association like National Employment Counseling Association or National Career Development Association.

If you are feeling a sense of being stuck with low motivation, then I strongly recommend meeting with a career counselor (who has a mental health background) or a local mental health counselor.  There could be something rooted deeper than just finding a new job that's preventing forward movement.  Some key giveaways that would indicate a deeper issue are negative self-talk, hopelessness, and low motivation for regular daily living.  Here is a resource from American Counseling Association to find a local counselor.

There are too many options, it's hard to pick one

This could be an issue because you haven't fully explored the many options you're considering.  Often people find it difficult to choose because it's believed they can do all the jobs they're considering.  This may be true, but which one(s) would you prefer to do?  I strongly recommend job shadowing and informational interviews so you can learn about the good/bad/ugly of the actual job.  Job shadowing is great to learn what a typical day is for any job, and an informational interview can help you hear about the realities "from the horse's mouth."  I recommend job shadowing for at least 1-2 full work days, but informational interviews usually only take 30minutes-1hour of the employer's time.

Commitment Anxiety

John Krumboltz has a happenstance theory that believes some career paths don't actually have a direction or specified goal.  Many people will make job and career choices based upon the opportunities that are presented to them.  This is perfectly acceptable!  Having said that, employers want to hear from candidates a sense of passion and drive for their job opening. So, before you start job searching you still need to make a plan as to what types of jobs you want to focus on during the search.

This is more about analyzing which option you would prefer to do 40 hours/week and 52 weeks/year, knowing that you are never locked into a job and can always take different directions later.  I don't like to force a job seeker to limit their job search, but rather focus the search towards their top 2 choices.  Then, once that job search is underway they can start including the next 2 choices.  If you like to have options this job search strategy can be helpful, but remember to tailor your resume and cover letter and keep very accurate notes on the companies you've contacted for employment.  With more options comes more chances to get confused.  In the end, as you're offered a job, you will have to make a commitment to be employed.  If this is still scary for you, then maybe further counseling is recommended to determine the source of the commitment anxiety and develop coping skills.

External Conflict

This wall could be the most difficult for people because it's more about how other people play a role in your life.  Are you a people-pleaser and want others to like the decisions you make?  You may prone to having an external conflict.  Everyone has somebody they want to either make proud, or they don't want to let down.  Who's that person(s) for you?  Maybe it's your spouse, children, or parents (all very common).  It's perfectly normal to feel a little pressure when you have significant others in your life, but the issue becomes more serious when those significant others prevent you from pursuing the career direction that suits you best.

The typical external conflict I see with college students is parents. Parents, may want what's best for their child, but in the end are actually causing more harm than good by preventing their child to make their own decisions and understanding what it means to accept the consequences of their decisions.  They may have created someone who blames others for their own failings.  Think about it, if all your decisions were made for you, then you have no ownership and can easily blame someone for making you do it.  In the end, the person who has to live with your decisions is YOU!  If you choose to please your parents (or significant others) then you are also accepting the consequences of that decision, which could range from unfulfilled careers to depression.

Overcome Your Wall

Now that we've discussed the 3 potential walls to your career development, I hope you've come to a realization what might be blocking you from making forward movement in your career.

Simple Steps for Forward Movement

Decision Making Confusion

1. Job Shadow/Informational Interviews
2. Career Research on www.onetonline.org
3. Use a pro/con list to evaluate the options

Commitment Anxiety

1. Make a list of all the options you want to consider
2. Rank order according to preference
3. Start with your highest choices when job searching

External Conflict

1. Talk to the person(s) that you're having the conflict with
2. Use the research done on your career choice to support your decision and educate the person(s) on your choice
3. Seek out counseling if you are apprehensive about having this conversation or there is a deeper conflict with the person that needs addressed first.

Karen Campbell, MA, GCDF

Assistant Director of Career Development

Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Getting Started with Your Resume

A quick video tutorial on starting your resume!!

Negotiating A Salary

Perhaps one of the most challenging components of the job search process, negotiating a salary, comes after receiving an offer.

To effectively evaluate a job offer, you must consider much more than just the salary. You should also consider other benefits such as health insurance, pension- plan options, and holiday, vacation, and sick-day policies. You should also do research on compensation for similar positions in the area and the cost of living for the given area.

In addition to these considerations, below are some tips which you should keep in mind as you meet with the interviewer to negotiate your salary.

• When meeting with the recruiter, be sure to mention two points about the offer which you like best, so the interviewed doesn't feel as if you are simply meeting just to earn higher pay.
  
• When presenting your concerns, share them briefly and gauge the reaction of the interviewer before furthering in detail.
  
• Clearly express which points of the offer you would like enhanced.
  
• Give the recruiter sufficient time to take your conversation into consideration and be sure to thank them for their time.

Thinking Like an Interviewer

The Seven Point Plan
adapted from The Perfect Interview by Max Eggert

Preparing for an upcoming job interview?  During your preparation, take some time to think from the perspective of the interviewer.  If you'll be meeting with someone from Human Resources, it's likely they've had some training on how to conduct interviews.  The following seven points illustrate the areas interviewers are likely to examine during interviews with potential job candidates.

1. Attainment:  Do you meet the academic and professional experience qualifications? Does your experience make you the right person to be successful in the position?

2. Disposition: What is your personality like?  How will your personality affect the fulfillment of the open position? 

3. Special Aptitudes: Do you have any special aptitudes/competencies/talents that would benefit the company or position?

4. Interests: How do you spend your spare time/money?  What might this say about your potential to be motivated and successful in the position?

5. General Intelligence: How intelligent are you?  How will your intelligence be used in the position?

6. Physical Aspects: Do you have the appropriate health, build, and physical stamina to successfully fulfill the open position?

7. Circumstances: What effects have your personal circumstances had on your career development and success?  How will current and future circumstances affect your performance if selected for the position? 

By thinking through these concepts before the interview, you'll be better prepared to answer questions that may seem completely irrelevant but really examine one of the seven different areas.  Once you understand what the interviewer is looking for, you'll be able to provide an answer that summarizes your experiences and demonstrates that you're the right person for the job.

Want more information about interviewing? Interested in doing a mock interview? Contact IPFW Career Services at (260) 481-0689 or come to Kettler Hall Room 109 to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.  Drop-in availability: Monday-Friday 10am-2pm.   

8 Career Change Helpful Thoughts

adapted from 

http://www.careerealism.com/risk-what-the-romans-can-teach-you-about-career-change/

1. Is it Purposeful--are you moving up in your field or changing to something you are more passionate about?
2. Value your Values--you already know what they are, they help you in your decisions everyday for what you eat and say, but what are they telling you about your career? Is it about a bigger salary? More time off? More team building instead of independent working?
3. Inner Truth--be honest with yourself and accept who you are and what you want
4. External Factors--be perceptive of how your decisions are influenced; what are your family and friends pressing you to do based off their own needs/values?
5. Serendipity--what's lining up and making the most sense as doors open and connections are made?
6. Balance--reflection and action should be balanced so you understand the decisions you are making and the extent of their chain reactions
7. Rehearse--practice your "exit" from your current job; you don't want to burn bridges, you never know when you might need their help one day
8. Knowledge--research the career fields you are thinking about changing to 

Interested in a Fall Internship?

If you're interested in a fall internship, now is the time to start applying! Internships offer a variety of benefits to students as they seek to further professionally develop themselves in preparation for their future career.

Benefits of an internship include...

• Acquiring practical and relevant work experience- the majority of employers prefer to hire candidates with relevant work experience
• Identifying and/ or assessing interests, skills, and desired career paths 
• Learning day-to-day business functions
• Increasing marketability and value to employers

The Career Services Office is no implementing the Train-A-Don Internship Program, a program designed to help IPFW students prepare for internship application and assisnt in the internship search process.


How to apply to the Train-A-Don Internship Program...

• Create a resume and a cover letter
• Please refer back to the Career Guide or schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor to assist you with your resume
•  Apply for the Train-A-Don program by signing in to your JobZone account and applying to the "Train-A-Don Internship Program" job post
• You will need to submit a resume and cover letter (specific instructions for how to create your cover letter can be found on the job posting)
•  Once you have applied, a Career Services staff member will reach out to you to discuss the next step 

Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs

Interested in pursuing a career field that is fast growing and high paying?  The Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs are occupations that are projected to grow in number and salary by 2020.  Data to create the top 50 list is gathered from Hoosier Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), produced by Indiana's Department of Workforce Development.

Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs are also split into 16 different Career Clusters. Each cluster highlights the specific skills needed for success in a particular industry. Below are the 16 different clusters:

• Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology, & Communications
• Business, Management, & Administration
• Education & Training
• Finance
• Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security
• Manufacturing
• Marketing, Sales, & Service
• Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM)
• Transporation, Distribution, & Logistics

Finally, when checking out the Hoosier Hot 50 list, keep an eye out for the yellow flame.  This symbol indicates that the job in in demand right now. 

What Not to Wear-Career Fair Edition

The grad interns in our office had some thoughts about what we saw at the job fair...and therefore what NOT to wear!

In summary, the 2013 NICE Spring Job Fair had a 

Grand Total of 726 students & alumni and 118 Employers!! 

A lot of people to make excellent first impressions!

Tip #1: If at all possible, try to attend without your children. This can be distracting and possibly  create a bias against you from the employer [Will they be able to attend work every day on time and make necessary arrangements for their children if they cannot attend the job fair without them?]

 Tip #2: Do NOT wear jeans to a Career Fair, this event is professional business attire only. How are you setting yourself apart?








Tip #3: Wear clothing that allows for no distraction. The employer wants to concentrate on you as a person and your conversation with them, not your "loud" outfit you recently bought.

 Tip #4: Leave your pajamas at home for sleeping, not for obtaining a professional position and making that first impression [You want them to see you are a go-getter, ready for work, and willing to take the time to get ready...right?!]





Tip #5: Printed jeans/leggings/jeggings....again, this outfit almost sends the professional vibe until the pants. The employer wants to meet you as a future employee and professional, not your style preference.

Tip #6: Rain boots? The job fair is pretty dry, no chance of rain in the forecast. Again, this tells the employer you did not take the time to get ready. What else does that say about you?

For the continual learner

It may be close to summer break, but there are great ways to keep your brain active and learning over the summer.  And, for those that share my nerdiness of the pure enjoyment of learning... here is a great resource with FREE online courses from reputable colleges.

www.openculture.com
There is an abundance of resources available at Open Culture and as I explore the site more and more I get excited for all the resources available, like free textbooks, eBooks, movies, audio books, and more.  Here is what they say on their About Us page.

Open Culture brings together high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community. Web 2.0 has given us great amounts of intelligent audio and video. It’s all free. It’s all enriching. But it’s also scattered across the web, and not easy to find. Our whole mission is to centralize this content, curate it, and give you access to this high quality content whenever and wherever you want it. Free audio books, free online courses, free movies, free language lessons, free ebooks and other enriching content — it’s all here. Open Culture was founded in 2006.

Check out their online learning section at  http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses and you can learn about Archaeology  Photography, Philosophy, Game Theory, World Cultures, Foreign Languages, and so much more.  I have a feeling I will be nerding out this summer and learning Italian!  What will you do to keep your brain sharp this summer?

The Northeast Indiana Career Enrichment Fair (NICE) is only...

...10 days away
...8 business days away

WHEN: Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: IPFW Gates Center Field House, Fort Wayne, Indiana

  

PREP SESSIONS: April 9 & 10, 10:00-4:00pm, IPFW Career Services, Fort Wayne, Indiana

FOR STUDENTS

The NICE Career Fair is open to students and alumni of any accredited college and university. The committee strives to bring employers and candidates together who can discuss internship and full-time employment opportunities.

There is no charge for students and alumni to attend.

There will be a photo booth for students to get a free, professional picture taken, which can be used for profiles.

If you have questions about the event or how to prepare for a job fair, contact Career Services at 260-481-0689.

Looking for a new opportunity? NICE Career Fair will have over 100 employers!

More info at:

http://users.manchester.edu/facstaff/ejbushnell/nice/

Job Fair Prep Sessions

With the NICE Job Fair right around the corner (April 11^th), it’s time to start preparing! The Career Services Office is offering job fair prep sessions two days before the Fair to help prepare students for the fair. 

Prep sessions are April 9^th & 10^th in Kettler Hall 109 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. At the prep sessions you may: 

•          Perfect your resume by getting a free critique
  
•          Receives tips regarding employer interaction
  
•         Learn about professional dress 
  
•         Practice your elevator pitch

Mock Interviews: Practice Makes Perfect!

Soon-to-be grad? Ready to obtain a full-time postion but anxious about the interviewing process? Why not schedule an appointment for a mock interview with a Career Services staff member?

What is a mock interview?


One of three interviewing rooms available
 through IPFW Career Services

A mock interview is a practice interview and a good place to make mistakes and learn interviewing strategies. A Career Services staff member will try to make the mock interview as realistic as possible by role playing the employer and asking typical interview questions. Mock interviews can be taped so that you can see and hear yourself being interviewed. After going through the typical interview questions, the staff member will review your answers with you and give you feedback and suggestions on how to ace your next interview!

Why do a mock interview?

• Practice makes perfect! A mock interview gives you the practice you need.
• Increase your odds of getting the job.
• Gain confidence, and more importantly, the knowledge and interview skills you need to sail throught the interviewing process.
• Idenitfy two or three of your top selling points and determine how to illustrate them in an interview.
• Practice your interviewing skills in a safe place and gain valuable feedback.

Ready to schedule a mock interview? Call IPFW Career Services today!