http://chronicle.com/blogs/onhiring/who-are-you-really
This article is written for academics. It doesn't really describe my mindset as I look at the credentials of potential faculty.
But I will admit to having googled candidates to get a general "feel" for who they are. And yes, I do find it irritating if I find "only tax records or a number in the white pages." That means I have to do more digging.
I don't (as the HR professional who wrote this piece says she does) get suspicious that the person I'm googling has done a purge of objectionable material. Maybe I need to change that mindset...
Nevertheless, consider manicuring and curating your online presence. What do people find when they search for you?
One thing to consider: If you have a common name--if your name really is "Jane Doe" or "John Smith"--consider dropping in at least a middle initial (if not a complete middle name) to keep your profile distinctive.
From the English Department at Niagara University. Clips and comments specifically for English majors. Finding a job; upcoming events; money management... the essentials of a professionally fulfilling life after college!
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Thursday, October 31, 2013
Niagara University's new president
See this link for a writeup in the upcoming Sunday Buffalo News! http://dailypost.niagara.edu/father-maher-profiled-in-the-buffalo-news/
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Kobayashi Maru and the Job Search
Okay, so what does a Star Trek reference have to do with
your job search?
In the first series of Star Trek films (from 1979 on, as
well as in novels and video games spun off from the films), Captain James T.
Kirk faces a test at Starfleet Academy. All aspiring officers must face this
test, to have at least a simulacrum of the emotionally wrenching decisions they
may have to face.
The test uses a fictional ship named the Kobayashi Maru. Its captain (the
aspiring officer in Starfleet Academy) must decide whether to abandon the ship
and its crew to destruction, or rescue the crew--by entering treaty-regulated
space, and likely starting an all-out war with the Klingons which will result
in the deaths of millions.
Kirk is the only one to pass the test, which is clearly
rigged as a lose-lose situation. How? He reprograms the computer administering
the test!
The moral of the story for your job hunt? When given an
"either/or" proposition, choose "both." Or more generally,
think outside the box.
That was also the message of this recent post in Psychology Today. Fourteen teams of
students were given $5 and 2 hours. They were instructed to make as much of
profit as possible. Some of the teams made $600 or more! How? They applied the
principles of the Kobayashi Maru
test! Read more here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creativityrulz/200908/the-5-challenge
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Your Resume Won't Get You a Job
Whaaatt?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/not-r-sum-gets-hired-163838046.html
(Thanks to the tip-off from Beyond.com for reference to this article!)
Nope. Your resume will not get you a job, any more than
teaching will get you tenure in a college job.
Whaaatt? Teaching
isn't important?
Nope. Dirty little truth of academia: the college does not
care how well you teach. Bad teaching can hurt you, can get you booted out the
door. But good teaching is meaningless when it comes to earning tenure.
In the same way, a resume cannot get you a job. It can make
you someone an employer will not hire
(for so many reasons: typos, lack of credentials or experience, bland and
boring language). But it can merely place you in the "to be
considered" pile.
That said, here are some tips to having a resume that will
work for you, not against you:
And if you would prefer a snappy YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKPZUNmECVs
I listened to it! I liked it! It's actually quite good! (I
usually hate YouTube teaching videos.)
Monday, October 28, 2013
Groups on LinkedIn
Join a group.
That sounds familiar--remember when you were thinking about
how to get into the college of your choice, and your high school counselor said
you should be involved in some extracurricular activities?
Same goes for job-hunting.
Now that you're on LinkedIn, sign up for the conversational
entities known as Groups. Find ones that match your interests, hang out a bit,
and jump into the discussion. How and why in the above post.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Networking as a Science
Networking is an art, of course--engaging others, offering
them solutions, finding a great mix of people who may be in a position to
return a favor in the eventual future.
But there's a deliberate set of calculations that can help sharpen
your network's effectiveness.
First, consider the mix of people; Harvard Business Review
suggests a ratio of 2 insiders and one
outsider. In other words, cultivate relationships with people who have various
perspectives on a given company, field of inquiry, or other parameters of your
job search. Read more here: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/10/to-diversify-your-network-follow/
Second, understand that people you don't know well may be
exactly the people who can refer you to a great job--because they don't run in
exactly the same circles you and your friends inhabit. The key to getting these
folks to help you is "tie activation." Read more here: http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/personal-connections-matter-hired/
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Infographic and Feminist Commentary
Here's a pretty infographic jam-packed with
information: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/shortcuts-first-job/
You not only get statistics on who is
unemployed and where, but information that will help you tailor your job search
and career development.
For example: did you know that "100% of
employers find it acceptable to negotiate job offers"? And that 90% of
them will low-ball you on their first offer, because they expect you to come
back with a slightly higher counter-offer?
I don't know what the statistics are--but
women in particular are trained to avoid negotiating. Why is it that when we
get a job offer, we throw ourselves on our knees and clasp our hands together
in thanks--for even thinking to hire us, much less asking for more than was initially offered? And why do you think men get paid more than
we do?
Don't leave it to a hair-coloring and makeup
commercial (L'Oréal) to tell you
"you're worth it"!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Don't Shoot Yourself in the Foot
The title of the article I've found for you today is usually
the sort of thing I scroll right past: "How to be the worst job seeker on
the market."
Sometimes, these articles will provide great comic relief.
They'll give you a chance to self-congratulate that you aren't making glaringly
obvious errors:
- Literally circling ads in the "help wanted" section of your newspaper as your only strategy for finding openings. A paper newspaper.
- Sending out a resume with lots of misspellings.
- Showing up half an hour late for the interview, smelling like booze (or worse).
- Trash-talking a former employer, or even your college, for any reason.
But this article should be a good reality check for today's
college students nearing graduation. It's very much worth reading--focuses
mostly on SEO. What, you don't know what SEO is? You should... read on!
In the same vein, here's another link to a useful blog
post--how to do some self-examination about what you may need to improve if you are not getting the responses you
expect from your job applications:
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