It’s official, summer is
here. And with that comes the search for a summer job to occupy your time and hopefully
add to the stash of money you have hidden away in your closet. Or maybe you’re looking
for a summer internship or even a full time job after graduation. Whatever your
search entails, here are some tips to help you land that interview and job. It doesn't matter if you are a teenager looking for your first job or a college graduate in
search of full time work, everyone could use a reference on improving your job
hunting skills.
1.
Start
looking now. The best time to look for a job is
today. Well, let me amend that statement; it is good to stay alert and be cognizant
of potential job opportunities. You never know when your shot will come so you
need to stay ready for it. If you are in high school looking for a summer job
it is good to start looking about a month or two before the semester ends. If
you are a soon to be graduate looking for a full time professional position the
best time to start seriously looking and getting interviews is around October.
First, this shows companies that you are serious about your job search and that
you are forward thinking if you start your job search that early in the game. This
also gives you enough time before graduation to scope out companies and do your
research to find the right fit for you, which leads us to the next tip.
2.
Do your
research. This is crucial to landing not just
a job, but the right job. Whether you
are looking for part time summer work, an internship, or a full time position,
researching the companies and positions that interest you will go a long
way. Companies want to know that you
care, not just about finding a job but doing a good job and one way to display
that is by putting the work in to conduct worthwhile research. Researching a company
and having the ability to display your knowledge of the company and position
you are applying for is a great way to show initiative, which is looked at highly
favorably. It shows that you have the ability to think and to make decisions on
your own.
3.
Get the
word out. More
people you inform of your job search the more opportunities for networking you
create. Networking is not a bad word, or it doesn’t have to be. I will admit, I
used to associate a negative connotation of selfishness and self-serving
attitudes to the concept of networking but when you really understand it, it is
actually a whole different animal.
Networking is nothing more than a connection that mutually benefits both
sides. Clear cut, I know. Let’s use an example, for instance, if you are in a
college club and they pay for the students to go to a banquet for a
professional association. This would be a perfect opportunity for the students
attending to connect with the professionals also in attendance to learn more
about companies in a specific industry and gain contacts. These contacts could
then lead to future job opportunities. On the other side, another example of networking
is your mom introducing you to the spouse of one of her coworkers who is
looking to fill a position in a field that you happen to be interested in..
See? It’s not all bad. Also make sure to take advantage of your school's Career Services center if you are in college. That is one of the best ways to connect with companies to find the right job for you.
4.
Dress like
you mean it.
When you finally receive that interview, you should walk in as
professionally dressed as the occasion calls for. Usually this means a suit and tie (or blouse
for ladies) and nice shoes. If you are a
teenager applying for a summer job that option is probably not necessary,
(unless you just really want to impress them…) dress slacks and a nice shirt
and tie for guys and a business skirt or pants and blouse for ladies are good
options. If you are applying for a full time position or internship, your best
bet is a suit. However if you do not have the suit and cannot afford to buy one,
the option of dress slacks and tie or blouse is still applicable. Here are some
examples:
Bottom
line: do not, under ANY circumstances
walk in to an interview wearing jeans, t-shirt, or tennis shoes, even if you
have to borrow clothes from a friend. But you already knew that, right?
5.
Be prepared.
Review
your resume and make sure it is up to date. Also, make sure to familiarize
yourself with what is on your resume and be prepared to give detailed accounts
on some of the activities and roles included in your resume. You should also practice. Practice practice
practice. I can’t say that enough. We’ve all heard the saying practice makes
perfect. Well, in this case, practice makes better, which is what we are going
for. Mock interviewing and practicing
your interviewing skills will be an immense help when you finally have to face
the real deal. You will already be rehearsed on how to approach some of the
potential questions thrown at you and because you already got most of your
jitters out with the mock interviews. That isn’t to say you should come to your
interview with some rehearsed script that you spit out to the hiring manager
but practicing will help you come in to the interview much more relaxed and
will allow you to be yourself.
6.
Show off. Not in the arrogant, “I’m all
that” kind of way; but it is perfectly fine to play up your strengths in an
interview. I think it is pretty much expected. While a hiring manager doesn’t
want to hire some arrogant know-it-all, they do want to see that you have
confidence in your abilities and can speak on leadership roles you have
assumed. Leadership roles can be found
in a number of places, whether it’s past employment positions, extracurricular
activities, volunteer work, holding a position in a club on campus or
organizing events on campus or at school. These are all highlights you can
point to in your interview to display your dedication, hard work and
responsibility.
7.
Be
yourself. Don’t walk into that interview room trying to
be someone you think they want to see. Employers want to know what they are
getting so transparency is key. I’m not saying to start throwing all of your
flaws on the table for everyone to see but it is important to remember that
hiring managers are not dumb. Fabrication
can be seen from a mile away so it is best to be yourself and if they like you,
great! If not, you probably wouldn’t have liked working in an environment where
you didn’t fit in anyway. Their loss.
8.
Follow up. After your interview it never
hurts to pass along a letter thanking your interviewer for the interviewing
opportunity. In this time you can also reiterate some of your strengths and why
you would be the ideal fit for the position.
This helps to keep you on the employer’s mind after the interview and
lets them know that you care enough to take the time to thank them.
I
hope these tips help. If you are a teenager looking for a job click here for a video talking about some
of these tips. If you are a college
student or graduate, click here for interview tips.
Stay cool kids,
xoxo
