Articles - Page 202 of 258 - The Voice of Job Seekers

How To Nail Your Entry-Level Job Search [INFOGRAPHIC]

You’ve got a 4.0, created the perfect resume, and established a flawless network of connections, but it takes a lot more than these things to gain the attention of employers. Today more than ever before, competition is fierce in the entry-level job market. As an entry-level job seeker, you’ve got to go above and beyond to outshine other job applicants.

There’s no magic formula for catching the attention of every employer, but there are several ways you can gain an edge during your job search. The following infographic, compiled by InternMatch, an online platform connecting the best intern candidates and employers, showcases some job search facts and measures you should be taking to land your entry-level job before the rest of your graduating class. Here are a few noteworthy points:

Only 6.6% of students completed their first internship after they graduated
47% of interviewers said little to no company knowledge is the most common interview mistake
1 in 6 job seekers credit social media for their current job
About 81% of managers felt that volunteer work makes graduates more attractive job candidates

Take a look at the full infographic below!

What do you think is the best way to catch the eye of employers?

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Talking About Career Services and Social Media

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

I wanted to reintroduce David Nicola, Director of Career Services at Laurus College in California from our conversation last June because I think he embodies the spirit that is engaging students using social media to help with the job hunt. If every college had an advocate such as David, the overall state of the relationships with career services and students would be in a better place.

In talking with him over the last few months both of us agree of how colleges and universities should be more aggressive in directing students to think “career development” from day one. Students at his college are required to attend workshops about resume writing and etc. at the beginning of his or her college degree.

I mentioned in the show and previously that I met David in the Linked In forums and connected with him on other social networking sites. He is quite passionate about helping people in general and students in finding solutions to their job search challenges. You can also find articles that he has written on different career and recruiting sites where he gives solid advice on the job search.

Want to know more about David Nicola, you can email him at [email protected] or his Twitter handle. This interview is a re-edited version from last June, Career Services, a More Dynamic Approach.

Please enjoy our conversation!

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Being Under-Employed is a Butt Fumble

A “butt fumble” is under-employment and even the people who love you will not hesitate to ensure the blame is 100% yours.

You have to call your parents to let them know you are still under-employed, which is just as embarrassing as a butt fumble, even if you’re not a New York Jets quarterback. You point your parents to J.T. O’Donnell’s Linked In article and say “Hey look, my situation is the new normal.” In return, Dad shows his $80,000 investment in your college education only to show a diploma and a lousy resume your university’s career services helped you write. You’re an under-employed job seeker. Welcome to the new normal.

If you are moonlighting, or in a job you’re over-qualified for, you are under-employed.

If you keep reading, there are some ways to turn your plowshares into swords, or at least bring more value to your under-employed position. At worse, you won’t feel so bad about your parent watching you butt fumble.

Butt…

The infamous “butt fumble” was caused by the quarterback running into the butt of his own lineman. It is one of the humiliating team errors of sports history in recent years. Nonetheless, it was on regular rotation on ESPN from December 2012 to August 2013 sealed the “butt fumble” legendary status. It is consistently voted the “Worst of the worst.” In your mind, you keep replaying the decisions that led to where you work. STOP replaying those scenarios and START planning new ways to change the game!

But…

While you are trying to make sense of it all at your current job that brings you un-satisfaction, go ahead and bring value to your under-employment position:

Change your mind, not the scenery. If you don’t unload the attitude, the inward focus, and the apathy, then no one else will work with you.
Be the main source of encouragement. Whether you fume quietly at the success of others or oppressed the disgruntled beast, it is a symptom of knowing that you are currently under employed and perhaps, underserved. Now it’s time to start being the first to congratulate and become interest when others succeed. If you’re savvy enough find out what that person did to move to your next ideal place (assuming that is what you want).
Start vocalizing your ambition to find a solution. You may not be the only one with a desire to fix things. Others may have insight that you don’t have.
Become the primary resource to discovering the solution. Be the subject matter expert by learning the history, what has worked in the past, and what works now.
Continue to sharpen your premium skill set. The one thing you don’t want is for your training to depreciate in value. In most cases, you will need to find value in your secondary skills (the under-employed job skill).
Incessantly invest in education. If you graduated in 2012, yet have not found a job that mirrors you degree, and have taken a class since, it’s time. Even if it’s free and online, look for the value in good paid classes that would count for continuing education or certificates. Otherwise, you’re entering the “irrelevant zone.”
Don’t be afraid of high profile projects. You may have a unique perspective no one has approached. At the same time, don’t shy away from the vase shattered in a thousand pieces. If you are able to make sense of a small piece of it you have made a case to continue and possibly shine.
Accept criticism and praise similarly…with grace and humility. I’ve learned to thank people for their criticism the same as praise, but I don’t weigh them the same. Criticism can hurt but can be helpful, but if you fight it without understanding it could be overwhelming. Praise can be as damaging if people do not know you or the work you do, especially if you grasp it quicker than criticism. I tend to sort criticism and praise out equally, looking to accept or discount both.

There will be more on this subject as I know it will become a very hot topic. We are a culture that has ignored the under-employed. We naturally replay embarrassment and folly over and over if there is a victim. You’re not that victim. Instead, that replay should be showing the feature preview of your success.

Perhaps you are underemployed, and has read this and thought that I left some points out. Did you go from under-employed to gainfully employed? What did you do to change? Please share below.