October 30, 2012

What advice will I give a high school /college student?

Eight months later I am back and ready to provide advice and help! Yesterday I was asked an interesting question that I thought was important to share with you. I was asked "What advice would I give to a high school student?" First off I love working with high school and college students because I feel that I am able really make an impact in their job selection and preparation process. What advice will I give? Middle/High School Student 1. Pay attention to your classes and make the best grades you can ensure to obtain the highest grade point average possible. 2. Spend your spare time volunteering with a nonprofit organization to obtain real life experience. If you have already identified a field that you are interested in pursuing in college, then volunteer in a nonprofit that will help you obtain experience and talk to persons in your field of interest. Often times, professionals in their field do not mind providing information and mentoring about their industry of expertise. 3. During High School years, it is also recommended to identify colleges that you are interested in attending as well as taking the SAT testing. Evaluate the program, visit the college if you can and ensure the college has a Career Services Department. 4. Read lots of books, newspaper and learn how to effectively research trustworthy information. Get in the habit of reading and researching. This will make it easier for you in your college years. College Student College years are the years of growth for every individual. It is the time when a day length can be up to 12-15 hours a day. What do I mean by that? It is the time when everything takes place. What do I recommend? 1. Make sure to pay close attention to your studies and obtain high grade point average. Studying hard will allow you to gain all the theoretical information needed to successfully work in real life. 2. Visit the Career Services Department and make an appointment with the Career Advisor. Attend to any networking, workshop, resume critique session you can. Why? Because you want to be prepared for the real world when you graduate and you want to make sure that you are prepared for when your graduation date comes. The Career Services Department is designed to prepare, educate and place students after graduation. They are also able to obtain internships/volunteering opportunities in your field of study. 3. Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer or try hard to obtain an internship of your field of study. Often times, college student think on the fact that they need money to party, pay car note, car insurance, etc. and spend much time working at department stores, fast food restaurant, etc. without trying hard to prepare oneself in the field of interest. When looking for employment education and experience is taken into consideration. Never forget that. Additionally, volunteering/interning will allow you to meet people and learn new concepts. 4. Network Network Network. Have you heard the concept "It is all about whom you know" at times this is good. When looking for work part of the process is references. Volunteer/Internship will allow you to form a solid base of references and persons you can ask for advice when needed. These advices will help you successfully work towards your employment dreams and grow within an organization.

February 6, 2012

Is Your Facebook Status Hurting Your Chances Of Landing A Job?

http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/facebook-status-hurting-chances-landing-job/

Great article from www.glassdoor.com

January 15, 2012

Should I put my home address on my resume?

When speaking about resume and what the contact information should include, I often get if we should include our mailing address or not. This time around I thought important for me to talk about this. As we already know we should always include our names (a few points larger font than the one we used for the rest of the resume), phone number (home or cell phone) and email address.

If you noticed I did not mention the home address. Some believe that an address should be left out because they are afraid employers plug it into Google maps to see if a candidate is not in an acceptable range from the job or not. I actually have different reasons as far as why we should not include our address on a resume.

My reasons to leave it out are as follows:

1. Privacy: Now days, it is almost a requirement to upload and apply for a job via internet. There are many job posting sites that are public for employers to look for potential candidates. There are also many sites that a resume can be uploaded to get noticed. After the resume is on the internet, there is no control over who sees it and where it ends up.

2. Then and Now: In earlier years, a home address was placed in case an employer wanted to send written information to a potential job candidate. Now days, an email serves that function. Employers rather communicate in a manner that will be fast and effective.

3. Consistency: This last reason is one of my personal ones. I believe that in modern times we are individuals of movement. Often times we find ourselves moving from an apartment or home. An email on the other hand, does not change. When listing an email, do not use a work email. Instead, use a personal one.

Now that I have revealed why an address should be left out, I must close saying that it is purely a personal choice. Including your address or not will not increase or decrease your possibilities of obtaining the position.

Good Luck!

January 2, 2012

Happy New Year! 2012 will be a year of new beginnings and when dreams will be realized.

For some, new years is often accompanied with new career and new start to college. If a new college, I recommend before spending your money, check the accreditation. I will strongly suggest that this be done when applying small and not well known colleges or higher learning institutions.

For more information on college accreditation please visit http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Index.aspx.

Another important fact to know when looking and applying for college is to research the program that you are interested in. Many have organizations where you can research which college provide the best and recognized programs. For example if you are interested in law, you can begin your research by visiting www.americanbar.org.

Good luck and good colleging!

December 18, 2011

Importance of making a personal appearance

When looking for employment opportunity, it is important to take a day or two out of the week to make personal appearances. Why is this so important? Because you are able to make contact with the employer/hiring person and show them the person behind the resume. While applying online is valuable, it is very important to dress up, make a personal visit and introduce yourself and your resume to the employer that you would like to work for.

I have heard so many stories of individuals looking for work on the internet but have not got an interview until they actually make a personal appearance. Good luck with your job search!

December 1, 2011

Can Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin Really Get You a Job?

Greetings!

I encountered a great article that I thought will be great to share with you. Simply click on link below.

Can Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin Really Get You a Job?

Thank You.

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