Have I Shared Too Much?

I'm loving this video for a whole bunch of reasons: the jabs at LinkedIn and the consulting industry; the reference to Bieber Fever; and how this job interview is at the same time both totally ridiculous and absolutely believable.  Check it out for yourself.

The Thank You Note Question

To e-mail or not to e-mail, that is the question. The “thank you note” question to be exact. In an age of “every little bit counts,” I’m increasingly seeing students stressed over the appropriate format for a thank you note. So these students have come into our office to ask the career guru her advice, but unfortunately, there’s not straight answer to this question. That being said, I do have my own thoughts on the subject.

Send personalized, conversation-specific thank-you note via e-mail within 24 hours of the interview to ALL persons you interviewed with. This ensures that your note will be received before any immediate decision-making discussions take place. If this is all you do, you’re fine. Really, you are.

If you really want to go the extra mile, you may also drop hand-written thank you note in the mail ASAP. This is in addition to, rather than instead of the e-mail described above (see reasoning above). While most employers tell us that a thank you note sent via e-mail is fine, or that thank you notes don’t matter at all (WRITE THEM ANYWAYS!), some employers maintain that a hand-written note does set one very strong candidate apart from other very strong candidates.

Admissions Interview : College :: Networking : Career

A recent article in the New York Times about whether college interviews really matter got me thinking, apparently in a very SAT-like-way (I love me some analogies), that admissions interview are to the college exploration process as networking is to the career exploration process. As Karen Richardson, associate director of admissions at Tufts notes, “the interview is every bit as much for the student to learn more about an institution as it is for the institution to learn more about a student.” And networking, when done proactively, is done for exactly the same reason. For the student deciding between a Master’s in social work or a doctorate in clinical psychology, the best way is to talk to do information gather. And what’s [one of] the best way[s] to gather information? You guessed it, informational interviewing! Just like you thought about what college you wanted to go to with a critical and thoughtful eye, so to should you approach your future career. Other similarities between admissions interviews and networking: they both allow you to gather more information on the college/profession of your choice, which will allow you to speak more compellingly about your reasons for choosing it; they demonstrate interest; and both are excellent preparation for future interviews. As Kelly Sortino, director of college counseling at Crystal Springs Uplands School in California and a former admissions officer at Princeton University, astutely points out, “interviews in general – for jobs, etcetera — aren’t going away.”

Way Too Busy Wednesday

Things have been really hectic around here (i.e. work), so I'm creating a new series of posts for days or weeks just like these. I dub thee: Way Too Busy Wednesday. So, here's the first gem I've been saving for exactly this kind of thing.

P.S. In case, you weren't sure, the career advice take-away here is DON'T DO THIS.

How Starting a Blog is A Lot Like the Job Search

Having been on the job market twice now during the last year (and trust me, the first go-around took awhile), I've noticed some similarities between the job search and my own newbie blogging endeavors.  In no particular order, here are my thoughts on the subject: 

At first, you rely on your inner circle
Asking for people to follow you is sort of like asking people to help you with your job search.  It's a little uncomfortable, and you sort of wonder if you're just being a pain in their you know what.  So naturally, you start with your loved ones first.  It's no surprise that my current (8) followers are comprised of my mother, grandmother, boyfriend, best friends, and their respective significant others.  And the fact that your best friend reports that her boyfriend really likes your blog (thanks Chandra!) is just as awesome as the fact that he's more than happy to introduce you to a colleague or tell you what it's like to be a [fill in the blank]. 

Networking is still the name of the game 
During your job search you try every method of announcing your on the job search.  You update the headline on your LinkedIn profile, you incorporate the words "job" and "seeker" into your twitter bio, and your gchat status links to your resume (okay, maybe not that last one).  Same thing goes for your blog.  And, yes, in this case I really did link my gchat status to my blog.  And, yes, I still have only 8 followers.

You spend way too much time thinking about how you come across to others
How many times did you edit that four sentence bio that appears just under your name?  And how many times did you tweak your resume?  Sending out job applications just seems to take way too much time and effort, as does crafting blog posts, tweets, and returning to the internal debate over whether you should or should not post your blog on Facebook.

It becomes a total chore
Enough said.

You delight in the small successes
A phone interview? A re-tweet? The weekly e-mail from your mom confirming that she still loves your writing and thinks your blog is truly profound?  All are worth celebrating!

What Not To Wear

I'm too often shocked by the young woman who show up for career advising meetings (and who knows what else) either dressed as bums, or wearing totally risque, suggestive, and ill-fitting outfits.  I fear for these  girls, who I'm afraid may not have caught the underlying subtext in my cautionary plea to wear something "professional and modest" to the interview.  Of course, a small part of me goes out to these ladies who might just want to be comfortable and/or show off some style (if you can call it that).  When I was a small child I would throw mini-tantrums at the thought of wearing uncomfortable shoes, skirts, and tights, while my brother got away with little more than pants and a polo.  And truthfully, the injustice of it all stills gets me today.  Yet the reality for us women is, stockings, heels, and Ann Taylor pantsuits, not this type of trendy attire or sweatpants, are necessary if you want to be hired or taken seriously in most professions.

Beginner Interview Tips

As the class of 2011 starts to feel the pressure of the job search process, I’m seeing more of them in my office, eager to review and rehash their interview experiences. One student’s story, reminded me of a very important point of emphasis for any job seeker: it’s not about what the job seeker (you) wants, but what the employer needs. The employer cares a lot less about why a given position appeals to you, will advance your career, or matches your interests, but rather how you will advance the organization.
Here are some tips for novice interviewers:

Obsess Over the Job Description
Read each individual point of the job description and identify the skills and experience you have that will enable you to successfully perform that responsibility or task.

Do Your Research
Identify the skills, strengths, and character traits that you possess which will allow you to contribute to the overall goals and mission of the organization.

Make Your Pitch
Market yourself! By reading articles and the company’s website, determine what the organization is looking for, and then demonstrate that you’ve got it.

A Smarter Search

I recently met with a senior who was prepping for an interview that afternoon with a local marketing firm. I wasn't familiar with the company he was referring to, so I took a few free minutes that afternoon to check out their website and open positions.  Immediately I saw that this was a firm specializing in "direct marketing."  In other words, door-to-door sales.  Which brings me to an important point: Do your homework when applying to jobs.  As soon as I got to the company's website, I spotted several red flags.  First of all, the company did not request a resume or a cover letter from its applicants.  Second, it was difficult to decipher who the firm's clients were. Third, all social media links were about a year old - very unusual in this field.  Not surprisingly, after debriefing with the student, I learned that he was conducting his job search largely through large online search engines.  While I understand that these type of websites can have a place in a senior's job search, I strongly urged this student to reach out to alums in his field of interest, as well as target companies, rather than simply responding to online ads. It is easy to be seduced by the appeal of easily accessible, seemingly lucrative online job postings, but to really make progress in the job search process I recommend conducting a smarter search.