Friday, November 21, 2014

1. Watch & constructively criticize interview videos.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

1. Turn in interviews (due today).
2. Turn in resumes, if not already in. (They were due yesterday.)
3. Do assignment on Google Classroom. Title is "Rhetoric." You         are to list the three major types of rhetorical devices and three of     the other minor types with definitions or descriptions. Turn in on     Google Classroom.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

1. Work on resume.
2. Practice interview questions.
3. Turn in resume (due today by end of period).
4. Interviews are due tomorrow.

Four Things That Can Send Your Resume into the Trash

by Charles Purdy, Monster Senior Editor

•  

• Print

You may be the perfect fit for a job -- but a hiring manager is never going to find that out if he trashes your resume after a mere glance. Even in this age of online professional networking, a great resume is still the foundation of a successful job search.  

It's common knowledge that spelling errors and grammatical bloopers are trash triggers (and these simple mistakes top many recruiters’ lists of resume pet peeves). But is there anything else that job seekers are unwittingly doing wrong? We asked some recruiting managers and career experts about the resume errors that cause them to crumple and toss a resume at first look -- and some of their answers may surprise you.

1. Your Resume Is Badly Formatted

Looks matter. Career expert Abby Kohut lists misaligned indentations and double spaces as a couple of the things that make a resume start to look like it belongs in the garbage. The fix? Use tabs for indents, and search your document for stray double spaces.

Also beware of being too creative. "I don't like it when I receive resumes with funky fonts," says Mona Abdel-Halim, co-founder of the Web-based resume tool Resunate, who echoed other experts we spoke to. "It is not professional and it makes the resume harder to read." When choosing resume fonts, opt ones that are widely used and readable, such as Calibri or Arial, and use no more than two fonts with their associated bold and italic styles.

2. Your Resume Is Immature

Other hiring managers we talked to said they had immediately trashed resumes with pictures on them -- for example, of cartoon character Bart Simpson (in the case of one applicant for a technical writing job) or of a kitten (an applicant for a customer service job). Cute resume additions like these are for kids -- not professionals.

3. Your Resume Is Too Templated

Longtime recruiter Mike Monroe says that unaltered, familiar resume templates from word-processing programs annoy him. "This won't automatically put you in the trash, but it tells me that you have put less thought into your resume than your competition," he says.

Jessica Campbell, an HR manager for talent agency Voices.com, says one of her pet peeves is "when a candidate has used a template resume," but hasn't updated it before sending it. (And if you use Word's Track Changes feature to edit your resume, make sure to accept all changes in the final version before submitting it.)

To prevent your resume from ending up in the trash for this reason, customize your resume for each job you apply for using the language of the job ad and highlighting your most relevant experience.

"When the resume is not tailored to the position, it shows you don't really understand what the employer is looking for and are just hoping your resume fits some of the criteria,” says career expert Heather Huhman, author of Lies, Damned Lies & Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle. “To avoid this mistake, show the employer how you fit those [criteria] through your previous experience, skills and expertise."

4. Your Resume Is Sneaky

Kohut says she immediately distrusts people whose resumes have no dates on them. “Gaps are not a problem,” she says. “The problem is when you try to be deceptive."

David S. Williams, founder and CEO of salary consultancy SpringRaise, agrees, saying that if you are or have been unemployed, don’t try to hide it. “You may be doing yourself a disservice because you may be a strong candidate for a position, but you tried to hide your current status," he says.

A better tactic is to be straightforward on your resume, and then use your cover letter to tell the story of your career's progress -- including information about how you maximized your time away from the 9-to-5 routine. And do remember to write a cover letter -- not doing so is another guaranteed way to get your resume thrown into the trash, according to the experts.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

1.Work on resume (due Wednesday).
2. Practice interview answers.

4 Things Recruiters are Tired of Seeing on Resumes

Cut the gimmicks and focus on what you have to offer a prospective employer.

By Catherine Conlan

Monster Contributing Writer

 

Recruiters look at resumes all day long and they’ve seen it all, including quite a lot they’d rather not see again. If you want to impress recruiters and increase your chances of getting hired, start by eliminating these four things recruiters are tired of seeing on resumes from yours.

Too many meaningless details

 

If you think you’ll impress people by spinning your barista work into a big deal job by using more words to describe it, you’re mistaken, says Tracy Vistine, a lead recruiter with the Messina Group. Being a barista warrants no more than three bullet points, but “it is not uncommon to see resumes for these positions with 15 bullet points.”

 

If you’re in the early stages of your career, you may feel like you need to pad your resume to make it look more impressive, says Vistine, but recruiters can see right through this. “We often see entry-level candidates detailing bridge positions with more enthusiasm than necessary.”

 

Instead, focus on what you’ve accomplished in your jobs, not just the duties you had to fulfill each day, says Don Tebbe, who spent 20 years recruiting executives for nonprofits and who now focuses on exit planning. “Show me, don't tell me, the difference you made in that job, the impact you had on the organization or the world.”

Vague dates 

 

Life happens, and you may have gaps in your employment history. But unexplained absences can be problematic, says Abhi Trehan, recruiting consultant at McNeill Nakamoto. “About two years ago, I started realizing a growing trend in applicants taking out the months from their employment history, making it very vague and up to the reader's judgment. To me, this raises an immediate red flag and makes me think they are hiding gaps in their employment.”

Generic objective statements
 

Deanna Arnold, founder of The People’s HR, says the objective statement must go, because the information it shares is already obvious. “Here is what everybody puts as their objective: To find a position in a dynamic and growing company to fully utilize my years of skills and experience.”

 

An objective statement doesn’t talk about your skills and experience, nor does it set you apart, Arnold says. And finally, “It is obvious that you are looking for a job, otherwise you wouldn't have applied.”

 

Mark Slack, career adviser and hiring manager at Resume Genius, says it’s not the objective statement that’s the problem it’s that people don’t do a good job of writing theirs. “No one wants to read a brief sentence from an applicant about how he or she would like a job in your company.” But a well-constructed career objective can make you stand out.

 

“A good career objective allows a candidate to briefly describe the main skills, qualifications, and experiences that make them an excellent candidate to forward the company's goals,” Slack says.

“References available on request”

This line just isn’t necessary, says Julie Desmond, an IT and software recruiting manager at George Konik Associates. “I have yet to see a resume that says, ‘No references available, no matter how much you beg.’”

 

You can always include references with your application from the beginning, but if you don’t and the recruiter or company you’re applying to wants them, they’ll ask.

Monday, November 17, 2014

1. Work on resume (due on Wednesday, not Tuesday).
2. Practice interview answers.

What Really Happens When You Lie On Your Resume

The risk just isn’t worth what you could stand to gain.

By Catherine Conlan

Monster Contributing Writer

 

Exaggerating the truth or outright lying on resumes isn’t unusual, but that doesn’t mean it’s an effective way to advance your career.

 

“We've recently completed our latest hiring round of eight people,” says Dave Davis, CEO and hiring manager at digital analytics agency Redfly. “Our latest round was a complete disaster. It took four months. Candidate after candidate came in and were found to have lied on their resumes.”

 

It’s just not worth it to lie on your resume, Davis says. “Hiring managers were not born yesterday. A single question is enough to catch you out on a lie. It causes an embarrassment and an awkward situation for everyone in the room.” And once you’ve been caught, you’ve trashed your opportunity to get hired and damaged your reputation.

 

Those are the obvious reasons not to lie on a resume. Here some others.

You really don’t have to

 

If you don’t have the exact skills an employer is looking for but still think you could be a good fit, make the case in your cover letter and let the hiring manager be the one to decide whether to call you in. “Hiring managers are more open to people with transferable skills these days, meaning you don't have to necessarily have direct experience in a field to be employed,” says career coach Alex Simon. Let your credentials speak for themselves and make it clear you’re willing to learn if necessary.

 

“It's far better to admit that you don't know something,” Davis agrees. “Passion and eagerness to learn your way into a position is a far greater quality than being a liar. It's the No. 1 quality I look for. Too many candidates sabotage their chances.”

You won’t get what you want

 

Big lies — such as made-up employers, job titles and inclusive dates of employment — get you bounced from consideration. Smaller lies may go unnoticed, but can land you in a dead-end job, says Resume Deli CEO Joseph Terach. In the long run, that can hurt your job satisfaction and be even worse for your career.

 

“One of the biggest small lies a job seeker can tell is about their career goals,” Terach says. “Most job seekers fear the consequences that honesty would yield.” For example, the honest answer might be “I don’t want to climb the corporate ladder. I see myself remaining in the role for which I’m currently applying.” But many applicants instead say they want to achieve much bigger things.

 

The reason: “Even though you may perform best in a steady work environment and prefer not to climb higher, you’re concerned that admitting as much will be viewed as a lack of ambition or, even worse, laziness,” Terach says.

 

Still, bending the truth about your career goals is unfair to you and your prospective employer. Assuming you get the position, eventually the gap between what you really wanted and what you said you wanted will grow. “Life is short,” Terach says. “Doing things not suited to you or your talents is a waste of something precious.”

You probably won’t get away with it

 

Chances are, you’ve got some kind of online profile with your credentials, endorsements and recommendations on it. “Online profiles are public, thus it's far less likely a candidate will be bold enough to inflate their creds,” says Stephanie Anderson, marketing communication strategist for LinkUp. The people you’ve worked with in the past know your skills — and may get called as references — even if you don’t put them in your official list of references.  

Friday, November 14, 2014

1. Assign interview.
2. Go over interview questions.
3. Assign partners for interview.
4. Practice interview with partner.

Interviewer/Interviewee

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. You are interviewing for a job at Main Event.
2. You will create a real, up-to-date resume (no false information).
3. You must dress accordingly on the day of your interview.
4. You and your partner will interview each other.
5. Your grade will ONLY be based on your answers to the interview questions, not on the answers of your partner.
6. Below are questions that an interviewer may ask. You will practice answering these questions with your partner.
7. On the day of the interview, I will tell your partner which questions to ask (only five per interview). You must be prepared to answer all of them.
8. You will have a smart phone available to video the interview (separately).
9. You will video the interview and turn it in to Google Classroom.
10. Grading rubric for interview (Test Grade):
1. Handshake 10 points
2. Appropriate attire 20 points
3. Five questions 50 points (10 points each)
4. Non-verbal skills 30 points

-eye contact, not

slouching, etc

11. Grading rubric for resume (Daily Grade):

a. Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling 20 points

b. Personal info 20 points

c. Education, experience, awards, etc. 20 points

d. References 20 points

e. Extra 20 points

QUESTIONS:

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What are your strengths?  

3. What are your weaknesses?

4. Why do you want this job?

5. Why should we hire you?

6. What can you do for us that other candidates might not be able to do?

7. Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?

8. Have you ever been on a team where a coworker didn’t pull their weight? How did you

   handle it?

9. What irritates you about other people and how do you  deal with it?

10. Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple

     tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish

     them.



Timeline

Resume will be due Tuesday, November 18.
Interview will be due Thursday, November 20.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

1. Go over resumes.
2. As a group, give critical analysis.

5 Critical Elements of Any Résumé

By Catherine Conlan, Monster Contributing Writer

Whether you’re a freshly minted graduate or a professional with decades of experience, your résumé should include five critical elements. Including these five parts will help you clarify your thinking, focus on key skills and accomplishments, and craft a résumé that will help you stand out from the crowd.

If you’re searching for a new job, check your resume and make sure it has these five critical elements:

An Engaging Summary
Vicki Bacal, owner of The Resume Specialist in St. Louis Park, Minn., reminds job candidates that a résumé objective is “frowned upon. It has been for over 20 years.” Instead, kick your résumé off with a section that briefly summarizes your professional qualifications. “The objective used to tell the employer what the candidate wants,” Bacal explains. “The summary is focused on what you, as a candidate, can do for the employer. This is the feel-good section. It’s equivalent to the handshake. Highlighting soft skills here gives your resume a core of humanity.”

Proof of Expertise 
“Core competencies” is a good title for this section if you have two to five years of experience or are switching careers. For people with longer work histories, “professional skills” might make more sense. Job seekers applying for trades or technical positions can use “technical competencies.” This section where you list your skills, knowledge and experience, Bacal says.

Relevant Experience
This is the section most people focus on, but they end up paying more attention to job duties and descriptions than accomplishments, Bacal says. You should include results, effects and contributions made at your former jobs, along with the company name, job title and years (not exact dates) of employment.

Education Highlights
Institution, dates attended and the degree or certification you received are listed in the education section. Professional development, continuing education, on-the-job training and other nontraditional education should be included here as well.

The Final Touch
It’s possible there are other things you could add to your résumé that don’t quite fit in any of the other sections. For a technical position, this could include experience with proprietary or customized software. For an executive position, you could include leadership activities. If there are major awards, recognitions and accomplishments that deserve a little more attention than a detail in another part of the résumé, they can go here.

There will be differences in some of these sections depending on whether you’re a recent graduate, changing careers or looking to move up in leadership. If you have a question about whether you should include something, Bacal suggests writing “so what?” after it. “If you can’t answer it, then take it out or rewrite it.” As an applicant, “my overriding concern is, how can I differentiate myself from all the other people applying for these jobs? How you do it is to point out the frosting on the cake, not just the cake.”

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

1. Work on resume.
2. Turn in to Google Classroom.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

1. Discuss resumes.
2. Look at sample resume.
3. Create a personal resume.

Sample Resume



Resume Writing Tips

Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes

By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

It's deceptively easy to make mistakes on your resume and exceptionally difficult to repair the damage once an employer gets it. So prevention is critical, whether you're writing your first resume or revising it for a mid-career job search. Check out this resume guide to the most common pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Your resume needs to be grammatically perfect. If it isn't, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like: "This person can't write," or "This person obviously doesn't care."

2. Lack of Specifics

Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. For example:

A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting.
B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer's attention.

3. Attempting One Size Fits All

Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all resume to send to all employers, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.

4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments

It's easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing job duties on your resume. For example:

• Attended group meetings and recorded minutes.
   
• Worked with children in a day-care setting.
   
• Updated departmental files.

Employers, however, don't care so much about what you've done as what you've accomplished in your various activities. They're looking for statements more like these:

• Used laptop computer to record weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference.
   
• Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance.
   
• Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members.

5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short

Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governingresume length. Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where resumes are concerned, will be reading it.

That doesn't mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But don't feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don't cut the meat out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard.

6. A Bad Objective

Employers do read your resume objective, but too often they plow through vague pufferies like, "Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth." Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: "A challenging entry-level marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience in fund-raising for nonprofits."

7. No Action Verbs

Avoid using phrases like "responsible for." Instead, use action verbs: "Resolved user questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff."

8. Leaving Off Important Information

You may be tempted, for example, to eliminate mention of the jobs you've taken to earn extra money for school. Typically, however, the soft skills you've gained from these experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management) are more important to employers than you might think.

9. Visually Too Busy

If your resume is wall-to-wall text featuring five different fonts, it will most likely give the employer a headache. So show your resume to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes, revise.

10. Incorrect Contact Information

I once worked with a student whose resume seemed incredibly strong, but he wasn't getting any bites from employers. So one day, I jokingly asked him if the phone number he'd listed on his resume was correct. It wasn't. Once he changed it, he started getting the calls he'd been expecting. Moral of the story: Double-check even the most minute, taken-for-granted details -- sooner rather than later.

Monday, November 10, 2014

1. Questionnaire.
2. Job interview notes.
3. College interview notes.

Job Interview Tips

Practice
Practice answering interview questions and practice your responses to the typical job interview questions and answers most employers ask. Think of actual examples you can use to describe your skills. Providing evidence of your successes is a great way to promote your candidacy. Also have a list of your own questions to ask the employer ready.

Research
Prepare a response so you are ready for the question What do you know about this company? Know the interviewer's name and use it during the job interview. If you're not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions.

Be On Time
Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the interview location ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

Get Ready
Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for the type of firm you are interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper for note taking.

Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the interview location ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

Stay Calm
During the job interview try to relax and stay as calm possible. Take a moment to regroup. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Listen to the entire question before you answer and pay attention - you will be embarrassed if you forget the question!

Show What You Know
Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions.  When discussing your career accomplishments match them to what the company is looking for.

Follow Up
Always follow-up with a thank you note reiterating your interest in the position. If you interview with multiple people send each one a personal thank you note. Send your thank you note (email is fine) within 24 hours of your interview.

College Interview Tips

1. Tell me about yourself.

This question seems easier than it is. How do you reduce your whole life to a few sentences? And it's hard to avoid commonplace answers like "I'm friendly" or "I'm a good student." Of course you want to demonstrate that you're friendly and studious, but try also to say something memorable here that really makes you different from other college applicants. Can you hold your breath longer than anyone in your school? Do you have a huge collection of Pez dispensers? Do you have unusual cravings for sushi? Read more tips for this question... More »

2. Why are you interested in our college?

Be specific when answering this, and show that you've done your research. Also, avoid answers like "I want to make a lot of money" or "Graduates of your college get good job placement." You want to highlight your intellectual interests, not your materialistic desires. What specifically about the college distinguishes it from other schools you're considering?Read more tips on this question... More »

3. What can I tell you about our college?

You can almost guarantee that your interviewer will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions. Make sure you have some, and make sure your questions are thoughtful and specific to the particular college. Avoid questions like "when is the application deadline?" or "how many majors do you have?" This information is both uninteresting and readily available on the school's webpage. Come up with some probing and focused questions: "What would graduates of your college say was the most valuable thing about their four years here?" "I read that you offer a major in interdisciplinary studies. Could you tell me more about that?" Read more tips on this question... More »

4. Who in your life has most influenced you?

There are other variations of this question: Who's your hero? What historical or fictional character would you most like to be like? This can be an awkward question if you haven't thought about it, so spend a few minutes considering how you would answer. Identify a few real, historical, and fictional characters you admire, and be prepared to articulate WHY you admire them. Read more tips on this question... More »

5. Why do you want to major in ______________ ?

Realize that you don't need to have decided upon a major when you apply to college, and your interviewer will not be disappointed if you say you have many interests and you need to take more classes before choosing a major. However, if you have identified a potential major, be prepared to explain why. Avoid saying that you want to major in something because you'll make a lot of money -- your passion for a subject will make you a good college student, not your greed. Read more tips on this question... More »

6. What will you contribute to our campus community?

You'll want to be specific when answering this question. An answer like "I'm hard-working" is rather bland and generic. Think about what it is that makes you uniquely you. What exactly will you bring to diversify the college's community? Read more tips on this question... More »

7. Tell me about a challenge that you overcame.

This question is designed to see what kind of problem solver you are. When confronted with a challenge, how do you handle the situation? College will be full of challenges, so the college wants to make sure they enroll students who can handle them. Read more tips on this question... More »

8. What do you do for fun in your free time?

"Hangin' out and chillin'" is a weak answer for this question. College life obviously isn't all work, so the admissions folks want students who will do interesting and productive things even when they aren't studying. Do you write? hike? play tennis? Use a question such as this one to show that you are well-rounded with a variety of interests. Read more tips on this question... More »

9. What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?

You don't need to pretend that you have your life figured out if you get a question like this. Very few students entering college could accurately predict their future professions. However, your interviewer does want to see that you think ahead. If you can see yourself doing three different things, say so -- honesty and open-mindedness will play in your favor. Read more tips on this interview question... More »

10. Does your high school record accurately reflect your effort and ability?

In the interview or on your application, you often have an opportunity to explain a bad grade or a bad semester. Be careful with this issue -- you don't want to come across as a whiner or as someone who blames others for a low grade. However, if you really did have extenuating circumstances, let the college know. Read more tips on this interview question... More »

11. Recommend a good book to me.

The interviewer is trying to accomplish a few things with this question. First, the question asks whether or not you've actually read much. Second, it asks you to apply some critical skills as you articulate why a book is worth reading. And finally, your interviewer might get a good book recommendation! Read more tips on this interview question...

12. If you could do one thing in high school differently, what would it be?

A question like this can turn sour if you make the mistake of dwelling on things you regret. Try to put a positive spin on it. Perhaps you've always wondered if you would have enjoyed acting or music. Maybe you would have liked to give the student newspaper a try. Maybe, in retrospect, studying Chinese might have been more in line with your career goals than Spanish. A good answer shows that you didn't have the time in high school to explore everything that is of interest to you. Read more tips on this interview question...More »