How to get hired
From writing a resume to interviewing, the Career Development Center offers advice on how to get a job
by Brittney Hansen
Issue date: 3/27/08
Section: Campus News
Many students might have noticed a recent increase in advertisements for summer employment, but with today's economy, they may need to get a jump start on their job search.
"The housing market is a little frightening to job seekers and employers, so sooner is better," said Matt Carlson, career exploration coordinator in the Career Development Center (CDC) at Minnesota State. "You certainly don't want to wait until May if you're graduating in May."
Those who have not begun their search should not be discouraged, however.
"It's never too late to get started and there's certainly still going to be jobs available," he added. "I still see things posted now for the summer, so it's not too late."
Skill Assessment:
According to Carlson and the Job Search Handbook available in the CDC, knowing oneself is a crucial first step in the process. Students looking for employment - whether it's a summer job or the beginning of their career - should be able to assess their skills and what they have to offer to an employer along with what they want out of that particular position.
According to the handbook, the most important skill is communication.
"While employers rate communication skills as one of their most desired characteristics, they also report that they are the skills that are most lacking in today's job candidates," said Marilyn Mackes, NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) executive director. "There is such a heavy emphasis on effective communication in the workplace that college students who master these skills can set themselves apart from the pack when searching for employment."
NACE surveys employer members annually to learn what employers are looking for in job applicants. According to the NACE Job Choices 2007 survey, communication skills, honesty, integrity and teamwork skills were the qualities most sought after by employers. Also on this list were strong work ethic, flexibility, interpersonal skills, organizational skills and computer skills.
For those who would like to improve their skills, the handbook suggests:
• Improving verbal and written communications skills by enrolling in writing and public speaking classes
• Developing interpersonal and teamwork skills by becoming active in campus events and organizations
• Obtaining work experience while in school in order to learn what the workplace is actually like
• Completing an internship to gain work experience
• Volunteering in the community
• Working a part-time or summer job to improve basic customer service and time management skills
"They really want good communication skills," Carlson said. "They want people who can work in an organization, who can work in teams, who can basically come to our workplace and be productive, fit in, and come in with a certain amount of enthusiasm and intelligence."
Building a resume and cover letter:
A resume and cover letter is the first opportunity to learn about a job applicant. The purpose of a resume is to secure an interview, not a job, according to the CDC handbook. The purpose of a cover letter is to catch the attention of an employer, and job applicants should communicate key qualities they possess and their interest in the position through this letter. The resume should give employers a one- or two-page outline of an applicant's background.
A resume should include:
• Contact information such as name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. E-mail addresses should be professional and not something like, hotchick24@yahoo.com
• An objective or the position you wish to obtain. Information in the resume should then support this objective.
•Educational background, listing institutions in reverse chronological order. If you have completed an undergraduate degree, it is not necessary to include high school information.
• Coursework related to the position. This section is optional, but may be beneficial.
• Experience, again listing the most recent work or volunteer experience first. This portion of a resume may include volunteering, internships, field experience or part-time jobs and may include a variety of subheadings.
• Extracurricular activities and student leadership positions
• Skills applicable to the position desired
Although resume templates are available on Microsoft Word, it is generally recommended that applicants not use a template and customize their resume to suit their specific objectives and personality.
"Most of our students are comfortable enough with Microsoft Word that they can make a resume without a template and it allows them to look unique and different rather than a cookie-cutter template," Carlson said. "We usually recommend people move away from the template as soon as they can, but if that helps them get started, why not."
For an undergraduate student, it is acceptable to use only one full page for a resume and to omit some work experiences, especially if previous work experience is unrelated to the position. If students are unable to fill one page or are already on a second page, it could be beneficial to include those jobs to demonstrate general skills, customer service experience, time-management skills or any other skills utilized or obtained in those positions.
Dress to impress:
In a competitive job market, first impressions are everything. Non-verbal communication such as handshakes, eye contact, posture, listening skills, clothing and accessories are important to employers, according to the CDC handbook. The handbook also states that it is better to be over-dressed than under-dressed and recommends dressing one or two levels higher than the position being applied for.
Job seekers should wear their interview attire prior to the interview to make sure that it fits correctly.
Preparing for an interview:
Once the applicant is dressed for success, there are questions he or she should anticipate and prepare for in advance.
Common interview questions:
• "Tell me about yourself." This is an open-ended question that one can easily prepare for ahead of time. The answer should focus on academics and related experience.
• "What is your greatest strength/weakness?" Job seekers should be honest, but be careful to minimize weaknesses.
• "Why should we hire you?"
• "Why do you want to work here?"
• "Why did you leave your last job?"
• "How would previous employers or professors describe you?"
• "What are your long-term goals?"
"Everyone prepares a little differently," Carlson said, "Some people go to great lengths; they'll actually practice questions in front of a mirror. We've had many students who've already taken practice interviews with employers or mock interviews with our staff and there's a practice video interview."
The video interview is a new addition to the CDC. This computer program contains more than 1,500 interview questions, sample answers and tips and records a student's response so they can play it back to themselves to improve their response.
"That little bit of preparation can really improve your comfort in an interview and your answers," Carlson said.
The CDC, located in Wigley 209, offers "Quick Stop" services for resume and cover letter critiques, interview tips and job search assistance, and are available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Carlson said he knows from experience that students who use the CDC are better off than those who don't.
"Searching for a job is hard work and it's an intimidating process and we'd like to have them use our library and our website and our resources," he said.
Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor
"The housing market is a little frightening to job seekers and employers, so sooner is better," said Matt Carlson, career exploration coordinator in the Career Development Center (CDC) at Minnesota State. "You certainly don't want to wait until May if you're graduating in May."
Those who have not begun their search should not be discouraged, however.
"It's never too late to get started and there's certainly still going to be jobs available," he added. "I still see things posted now for the summer, so it's not too late."
Skill Assessment:
According to Carlson and the Job Search Handbook available in the CDC, knowing oneself is a crucial first step in the process. Students looking for employment - whether it's a summer job or the beginning of their career - should be able to assess their skills and what they have to offer to an employer along with what they want out of that particular position.
According to the handbook, the most important skill is communication.
"While employers rate communication skills as one of their most desired characteristics, they also report that they are the skills that are most lacking in today's job candidates," said Marilyn Mackes, NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) executive director. "There is such a heavy emphasis on effective communication in the workplace that college students who master these skills can set themselves apart from the pack when searching for employment."
NACE surveys employer members annually to learn what employers are looking for in job applicants. According to the NACE Job Choices 2007 survey, communication skills, honesty, integrity and teamwork skills were the qualities most sought after by employers. Also on this list were strong work ethic, flexibility, interpersonal skills, organizational skills and computer skills.
For those who would like to improve their skills, the handbook suggests:
• Improving verbal and written communications skills by enrolling in writing and public speaking classes
• Developing interpersonal and teamwork skills by becoming active in campus events and organizations
• Obtaining work experience while in school in order to learn what the workplace is actually like
• Completing an internship to gain work experience
• Volunteering in the community
• Working a part-time or summer job to improve basic customer service and time management skills
"They really want good communication skills," Carlson said. "They want people who can work in an organization, who can work in teams, who can basically come to our workplace and be productive, fit in, and come in with a certain amount of enthusiasm and intelligence."
Building a resume and cover letter:
A resume and cover letter is the first opportunity to learn about a job applicant. The purpose of a resume is to secure an interview, not a job, according to the CDC handbook. The purpose of a cover letter is to catch the attention of an employer, and job applicants should communicate key qualities they possess and their interest in the position through this letter. The resume should give employers a one- or two-page outline of an applicant's background.
A resume should include:
• Contact information such as name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. E-mail addresses should be professional and not something like, hotchick24@yahoo.com
• An objective or the position you wish to obtain. Information in the resume should then support this objective.
•Educational background, listing institutions in reverse chronological order. If you have completed an undergraduate degree, it is not necessary to include high school information.
• Coursework related to the position. This section is optional, but may be beneficial.
• Experience, again listing the most recent work or volunteer experience first. This portion of a resume may include volunteering, internships, field experience or part-time jobs and may include a variety of subheadings.
• Extracurricular activities and student leadership positions
• Skills applicable to the position desired
Although resume templates are available on Microsoft Word, it is generally recommended that applicants not use a template and customize their resume to suit their specific objectives and personality.
"Most of our students are comfortable enough with Microsoft Word that they can make a resume without a template and it allows them to look unique and different rather than a cookie-cutter template," Carlson said. "We usually recommend people move away from the template as soon as they can, but if that helps them get started, why not."
For an undergraduate student, it is acceptable to use only one full page for a resume and to omit some work experiences, especially if previous work experience is unrelated to the position. If students are unable to fill one page or are already on a second page, it could be beneficial to include those jobs to demonstrate general skills, customer service experience, time-management skills or any other skills utilized or obtained in those positions.
Dress to impress:
In a competitive job market, first impressions are everything. Non-verbal communication such as handshakes, eye contact, posture, listening skills, clothing and accessories are important to employers, according to the CDC handbook. The handbook also states that it is better to be over-dressed than under-dressed and recommends dressing one or two levels higher than the position being applied for.
Job seekers should wear their interview attire prior to the interview to make sure that it fits correctly.
Preparing for an interview:
Once the applicant is dressed for success, there are questions he or she should anticipate and prepare for in advance.
Common interview questions:
• "Tell me about yourself." This is an open-ended question that one can easily prepare for ahead of time. The answer should focus on academics and related experience.
• "What is your greatest strength/weakness?" Job seekers should be honest, but be careful to minimize weaknesses.
• "Why should we hire you?"
• "Why do you want to work here?"
• "Why did you leave your last job?"
• "How would previous employers or professors describe you?"
• "What are your long-term goals?"
"Everyone prepares a little differently," Carlson said, "Some people go to great lengths; they'll actually practice questions in front of a mirror. We've had many students who've already taken practice interviews with employers or mock interviews with our staff and there's a practice video interview."
The video interview is a new addition to the CDC. This computer program contains more than 1,500 interview questions, sample answers and tips and records a student's response so they can play it back to themselves to improve their response.
"That little bit of preparation can really improve your comfort in an interview and your answers," Carlson said.
The CDC, located in Wigley 209, offers "Quick Stop" services for resume and cover letter critiques, interview tips and job search assistance, and are available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Carlson said he knows from experience that students who use the CDC are better off than those who don't.
"Searching for a job is hard work and it's an intimidating process and we'd like to have them use our library and our website and our resources," he said.
Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor
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