3 Keys to Having a Successful Job Search (That a Lot of People Don’t Know About)

3 Keys to Having a Successful Job Search (That a Lot of People Don’t Know About) was originally published on The Muse, a great place to research companies and careers. Click here to search for great jobs and companies near you.

Have you ever heard about someone “cutting the line” to land their dream job?

They’re the people getting the perfect position without ever submitting a resume, or negotiating a sweet signing bonus plus five weeks vacation, or getting hired for a role the company created just for them. How do they do it? Are they just naturally golden? Or do they know something you don’t?

While you might use the word lucky, these folks aren’t necessarily more more talented; they’ve simply perfected a way of approaching the job search in a manner others haven’t been trained in (or are fearful of adopting). This out-of-the-box approach gives them a notable advantage when it comes to standing out.

So what do they know and how can you follow their lead to make your next transition not only more quickly, but more successfully as well?

Do what they do:

1. High Performers Don’t Follow the Application Rules

The standard approach to applying for a position is to follow the application instructions outlined in the job post and get in touch with an internal recruiter. But high performers know that there’s a back door—and that it’s often a better bet.

My client Eric did exactly this. He reached out to people within the company in similar roles to the one he was interviewing for. If the conversation went well, he asked his new contact to introduce him to the hiring manager. (And if you’re unsure of how to go about that, here’s how you can find an in.)

You can identify and contact future co-workers or the hiring manager directly (often through LinkedIn), both to build relationships and to do a little under-the-radar investigation about the company culture.

Just like knowing the hostess at a popular restaurant shortens your wait time, you too can cut the line. Instead of waiting with the crowd, your future boss picks up the phone to recruiting and says “I just talked to Eric, can you make sure he gets an interview?”

2. High Performers Don’t Focus on the Interview

Instead of focusing on scoring an interview at any cost, they decide whether or not a company or position is even worthy of their time. They want to know whether it’s a fit before they sit down across the table from a hiring manager. In other words, it’s having the confidence to remind yourself you’re in control.

For example, you can do a little private investigation work on the company, hiring manager, and other employees. See how they’re talked in the news, and how management responds to press (both good and bad). Regarding your prospective teammates: What kinds of causes do they support? What types of people seem to be employed there? What do they all do in their off hours?

Ironically, this confidence makes these professionals more desirable than the average candidate. When you’re being selective, you do your homework, and that means going into the interview process with a greater level of knowledge and conviction about the organization.

I BET YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GO AFTER ANY JOB YOU WANT NOW

…Within reason, of course, let’s not go completely nuts.

Check Out Tons of Openings Now

3. High Performers Don’t Just Accept What They’re Given

They’re looking for the right job, not just any job. While a lot of people are grateful to get an offer, this group wants a position that gets them closer to their career goals, and, as such, they’re willing to negotiate, ask for more, or turn down an offer that doesn’t meet their minimum requirements.

Obviously, then, it’s critical to know what that “right” job entails. To do this, it’s important to understand your unique strengths, as well as the work environment you’re looking for.”

My client Jerrad, did the hard work of identifying what would make a great move before he started applying to anything. He knew he wanted to move to Nashville and be able to spend time away from his desk. It was also critical that he was in a teaching role, sharing his passions and interests with others. He set a minimum salary requirement, and was keen on finding a position that offered growth.

This list helped him focus his search on companies that appeared to be a good fit from the start. And then when he received an offer, he was prepared to ask for his salary and benefit requirements, as well get the organization to commit to future advancement, all because he’d prepared his “wish list” ahead of time.

Instead of thinking this will cut out too many options and leave you with nothing, remind yourself that being focused on your ideal will help you sort through all the possibilities out there. And it just takes one offer to get you to the next step.

Once high performers know what they’re looking for, they focus on the outcome versus the process. They’re willing to change things up, move pieces around, try something different in order to get where they want to go. Keep your eyes on the prize, and know that you too can be a high performer—if you just know how to play the game.

Want to know how to get hired for what you’re best at? Check out

The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Strengths to Get Hired
.

Here at The Muse, we love introducing you to people who can boost your career. We are working with this contributor on an affiliate basis (meaning we earn a little money when you choose to use their services), but rest assured that we don’t just work with anyone. When it comes to articles like this, we chose to work with this coach not because he wanted a Muse byline, but because his advice was truly awesome. Here’s to finding the career of your dreams!

Keeping Your Customer Pipeline Full

By Chemeketa SBDC

The economic recovery seems to be in full swing and the customers are coming back. This is good news! You may have just about as much work as you can handle these days. Or perhaps you do some of the time, and then make a marketing surge to fill the pipeline when things are slack.

But that’s the problem, right? When you’re really busy you don’t have time to market. And when you’re not busy enough it’s because you weren’t marketing during the boom weeks. The fact is that you need to market continually (boom times and lean times) in order to keep your sales pipeline full.

So how do you do that?

• Always be thinking about marketing your business and attracting new customers. It should be top of mind all the time. Don’t skip networking events. Don’t slack off on continually getting your name in front of current and potential customers. You can’t afford it!

• Reach out to former customers and try to get them to come back. Use social media, email newsletters and other forms of communication to keep in touch with them and invite them to reconnect with you.

• Create a system to put customers on a waiting list if they come to you when you’re too busy to handle them. Don’t let them slip away because they won’t come back.

• Consider getting additional help to handle overflow times. That way you can meet a customer’s need when the need is there. If you put a customer off because you’re too busy, they’ll just go somewhere else instead.

• Think about creating tiered pricing so that you can adjust your prices up or down depending on what your demand is at the moment. This is a strategy to adjust as you go so that you always have customers coming in.

• Ask yourself if you can turn some of your customers into a recurring and predictable income stream, and away from a one-off occasional buyer. The more “bread and butter” customers you have, the easier it will be to smooth out your pipeline and forecast workflow and resource needs.

Access to Capital: What, Where and How

By Chemeketa SBDC

Course Description:

This 3-hour workshop covering the what, where, and how of accessing capital plus a follow-up one-on-one advising session to tailor content of class to participant’s needs.

Components of Class:

Overview of Capital Landscape
Resources for business plans
Creating the financial documents

Morning Sessions Afternoon Sessions9 am – 12 pm 1 pm – 4 pm

October 18, 2017 November 20, 2017
December 6, 2017 April 4, 2018
February 7, 2018
June 6, 2018

Location: Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry, 626 High Street NE, Downtown Salem
Cost: $129
Registration and Information: 503.399.5088

7 Clever Ways to Improve Your Job Search Tactics

Looking for a job, even a summer job, is nothing like it was 20 years ago. Back then, you had a couple of options. You could go to your local unemployment office to see the job postings (later there was a hotline to call instead of having to go in), or you could hit the bricks and start knocking on the doors of every business in town until you found one that was hiring. Today we are going to look at seven clever ways to improve your job search tactics.

Use the Right Job Boards – You may be using job boards, but are you using them right? There are hundreds of job boards you can use, but not all of them are going to be right for your situation. For instance, if you are a student, you aren’t going to be looking at job boards that require you to have a master’s degree. You will have to do a bit of research to make sure that you are only using the job boards that are going to be useful to you.
Do Your Research – Your research skills are going to come in pretty handy now that you are trying to find a job. Not only are you going to need these skills for many types of jobs you may be interested in, you will need research skills in order to find a job. Your research could involve looking into different careers based on your education and skills, or researching the companies you are interested in applying to. Also, look into resume templates and other tools to make your resume look appealing to the potential employers.
Use Automatic Jobs Feeds – It is a good idea to sign up for Google Alerts or other services that are similar in order to track employers, job opportunities, etc. You can set things up so that you get alerts about jobs that interest you and fall into your specific skillset. Doing this can also help to prepare you for interviews, since you can follow target employers, learn what jobs they are offering, see how they are growing, etc.
Take Advantage of Social Media – One way that many people are getting jobs is by using their social media profiles. But, you need to make sure that there is nothing on your profile that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see. So, start cleaning it up. Change your profile photo to a nice headshot. Get rid of the party photos, and don’t make posts that may be seen as inappropriate by employers and others. The more you clean up your profiles, the more you can use social media as an important job search tool.
Start Using LinkedIn – These days, you really do need to have a LinkedIn profile in order to find a great job. Many employers are going to look for your profile as soon as you send them a resume. So, you not only need to have an account, you need to have an active Start contacting those who have influence in the business world, particularly in the area you want to be working in. Get connected with industry experts, and possible future employers.
Stop Wasting Time – You might think that because you are applying for every job you see that you are not wasting time. But, if those jobs aren’t in the field that you really want to work in, you are wasting time, because you could be applying for other jobs that you really want. Also, don’t network blindly. Look for people who are going to be able to help you get ahead and advance in your career, and who are working in the field that you are interested in.

Customer Awareness

By Chemeketa SBDC

If your business (bricks and mortar or virtual) is going to be successful over the long run, you must focus on serving your customers’ needs and desires. The essence of marketing rests on your clear understanding of your customer and delivering a unique product, service, and benefits that he or she cannot get anywhere else.

A customer analysis helps you predict which items will appeal to your customers and make a dramatic impact on how you spend your advertising dollars. Do you have answers for the following checklist?

1. Who are your target customers and what are they seeking from you?

2. Have you profiled your customers by age, income, education, occupation, etc.?

3. Are you familiar with your customers’ lifestyles?

4. Should you try to appeal to the entire market or just a segment?

5. Are there new customer segments or special markets that deserve attention?

6. Do you know where your customers live?

7. Do you use census data from your city or state?

8. Are you aware of the reasons why customers shop at your store? (Convenience, price, quality products, etc.?)

9. Do you stress a special area of appeal such as lower prices, better quality, wider selection, convenient location or convenient hours?

10. Do you ask your customers for suggestions on ways to improve your operations?

11. Do you know what products your customers most prefer?

12. Do you know what seasons and holidays most influence your customers buying behavior?

13. Have you considered using customer questionnaires to help you in determining your customers’ needs?

14. Do you know at what other types of stores your customers shop?

15. Do you visit market shows and conventions to help anticipate customer wants?

once you get answers to those questions, what do you do with the information? Just gathering data is not enough. The answers to the above questions will give you the opportunity to make true management decisions about your business and how you will reach out to your customers with your marketing.

Skills Series: Skill #2 – Teamwork skills are Essential at the Modern Workplace

Our second blog in the series on the key skills that employers seek is about teamwork. Most of the projects/tasks at the workplace, be it in the field of business, science, communication, arts, etc., are carried out nowadays by teams. Based on employers’ surveys, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has concluded that employers search for candidates who have the teamwork skills defined as the capacity to “Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure, and can negotiate and manage conflict.” What do you need to do to make sure that you are ready to be a productive and successful team member at your future workplace? How would you market your teamwork readiness to your potential employer?

The teamwork at the workplace is a complex process. Given current demographic, technological, social trends, team members should deal with a number of challenges to keep their teams productive and stay competitive. For example, at a modern workplace, you may have to work in teams of various size and structure with people of different educational backgrounds and experiences, twice or three times older than you. Your team may be scattered around the globe in different time zones. Such diverse team composition requires many new competences including intercultural and intergenerational communication skills, creativity, adaptability as well as other essential ingredients of successful teamwork, e.g. strong listening skills, responsibility, and time-management skills.

The good news is that AU students have no shortage of excellent teamwork opportunities as an integral part of their AU experience through academic studies, internships, and extra-curricular activities while building upon the diversity of AU faculty and staff, student body, and resources in DC and beyond. You may have already worked in teams while preparing for group projects and class presentations, practicing for, and playing team sports, planning events and raising funds for your fraternities/sororities or student clubs, working part-time or interning. Through these experiences, you have most likely started building the important teamwork competencies. Make sure that you take time to reflect on these competencies and your experiences and identify ways to grow.

Related: How to distinguish the best workplace harassment lawyer?

Academic Work:

Putting a lot of effort into mastering your academic major will help you build the knowledge base to work productively as a team member at your future workplace. Even if you are not planning or unsure about working in the field of your major, you will still have an opportunity to develop your intellectual capacity and transferrable skills that will help you be a productive team member (consult career guides to learn about transferrable skills related to each AU major)
- To excel in your major/minor, build relations with your professors, attend professors’ office hours, utilize ASAC, pursue research/internship opportunities, attend conferences, professional events, panels on, and off campus.
Some AU majors include more teamwork-based courses while others are more lecture-based and independent research. Both approaches can prepare you well for future teamwork. For example, lectures provide an opportunity to practice your listening and comprehension skills and analyze the professor’s arguments and logic – the ability that helps develop synergies within the team.
Interacting with highly accessible and diverse AU faculty will expand your comfort levels in communicating with professionals of different age groups, education, cultures, etc. Meet with professors during office hours, attend faculty led panels, etc. Look for opportunities to work as a teacher assistant, research assistant.
Many major/minors in humanities, STEM, as well as creative majors specifically focus on fostering creativity, thinking out of the box, and communication skills.
Language courses, courses on intercultural communication, as well as studying abroad expose AU students to different cultures and help build intercultural competencies. When you are abroad, look for opportunities to experience or learn about work-related values and cultural preferences. Reflect on how different/similar they may be to your preferences.
Interacting with your peers during group work for your classes teaches a lot about team dynamics, managing conflicts, time-management skills, as well as diversity. Utilize AU advantage as an institution with high shares of students from other countries, states, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints backgrounds. Reflect on your experiences in successful and failed group work. What lessons can you use at the workplace?

Internship/Part-time Job

Doing an internship, whether for credit or not, will give you an opportunity to participate directly in a team or observe a team at work.
Utilize the advantages of the AU location by interning during the academic year in DC and exposing yourself to various workplaces and teams: a federal agency, not-for profit organization, international organization, professional association, art/entertainment organization, etc.
Given the fact that DC has a diverse workforce comprised of people from different parts of the U.S. and the world, you have excellent opportunities to expand your intercultural competencies.
At the workplace, continue to be a student, which means to study, through observation and reflection, how productive and non-productive teams operate, to practice good listening, negotiation, and conflict management skills whenever possible.

Extra-Curricular/Campus Life/ Volunteering:

As mentioned above, the diverse AU student body provides a lot of opportunities to learn how to interact with people different from you.
Increase your intercultural competences by attend AU intercultural events organized through ISSS and CDI.
Expand your experience in teamwork by engaging in student clubs, playing team sports, and participating in volunteering projects. Talk to the Center for Community Engagement and Service.
Look for self-development opportunities: particularly as they pertain to improving your teamwork skills in the areas of oral communication, time-management, conflict-management, etc. You will find many workshops on campus, which teach these skills. Check regularly Today@AU and the events calendar.

How to market your teamwork experience and skills in your application materials and at the job interview? Start by preparing a list of specific examples illustrating your experience in teamwork and in building teamwork competencies through your academic studies, internship, work, sports, extracurricular activities, etc.

In your application materials (resume and cover letters), use relevant action verbs and keywords e.g.: collaborate with, worked in x number member team, partner with, interact, communicate, liaise, or serve as a liaison, facilitate, organize, coordinate, etc.
Be prepared to market your teamwork skills at the job interview. The employer may ask questions directly: e.g., Do you enjoy working with a team or independently? Describe yourself as a team member? The employer will also use behavior questions to learn about your teamwork competencies. Such questions usually start with: “Tell me about the time when…. “ “Give me an example when….. “ Ask your career advisor about typical interview questions, check Career Center books on job interviews, research on-line. Practice giving narratives that highlight your specific experiences. Don’t forget to talk about your experience with diversity, managing and negotiating conflicts.
Also, make sure to read carefully the job description and explore the employer’s website to understand any special teamwork characteristics required or desired by the specific employer.
Attend #Ineedajob workshops on resume/cover letters and interviews, offered regularly by the Career Center. Check AU CareerWeb and the events calendar.
Consult Career Center website resources on resumes and cover letters. Practice and record your mock interview utilizing Interviewstream.
Schedule an appointment with your career advisor to have your application materials reviewed and prepare for a job interview.

3 Resume Summary Examples That’ll Make Writing Your Own Easier

3 Resume Summary Examples That’ll Make Writing Your Own Easier was originally published on The Muse, a great place to research companies and careers. Click here to search for great jobs and companies near you.

There’s one thing you likely already know: If you still have an objective statement perched at the top of your resume, it’s time for some serious updating.

That formal (and, let’s be honest, totally useless) blurb of the past has since made way for something new: a summary statement. So… uhh… what exactly is a summary statement? It’s a few short lines or bullet points that go at the top of your document and make it easy for the hiring manager to understand your experience and qualifications. Basically, it explains what you bring to the table for that employer.

It sounds simple in theory. But, if you’re anything like me, when you sit down to actually crank out that brief little blurb, you’re left staring at a menacing blinking text cursor for a good half hour. Yes, even I struggle with these—and I make my living as a writer.

Fortunately, there’s nothing like a little bit of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. So, I’ve pulled together three real resume summary statements that are sure to get a hiring manager’s attention.

Extract some lessons from what these people did well, and you’ll take a little bit of the stress and pain out of writing your own.

Who Needs a Summary Statement?

Just wait—before we jump right into the samples, this is an important question to answer.

If you’re one of those people who has righteously told yourself, “Psh, summary statement? I don’t need one of those!”—well, you might be right, they work better for some people than for others.

“Summary statements are usually best for more experienced professionals with years of experiences to tie together with a common theme (read: brand). Or, alternatively, they can be used to tie together disparate experiences with a set of key transferable skills,” explains Muse writer, Lily Zhang, in her article on the topic. If you’re someone with a pretty straightforward career history and path, that precious real estate might be better used for bullet points, rather than this type of paragraph. But, if you’re an experienced candidate or are changing careers? This could be just what you need to make your resume a little more cohesive.

1. Start by Saying Who You Are

Editorial-minded marketer and communications strategist transforming the way brands interact with audiences through content. With over seven years of experience at consumer startups, media companies, and an agency, brings a thoughtful perspective and blend of creative chops and digital data-savvy. Entrepreneurial at heart and a team player recognized for impassioned approach and colorful ideas.

Why it Works:

“This is a great example of a concise and compelling summary because it explains who this professional is (first line), puts her experience into context (second line), and highlights her intangible strengths (final sentence),” explains Jaclyn Westlake, career expert, resume writer, and writer for The Muse.

But, what this statement does exceptionally well is start with a powerful statement about exactly who this candidate is and what she does. “If this were the only sentence a hiring manager read about this candidate, she’d still have a pretty good idea what this person is about,” Westlake adds.

2. Make it an Elevator Pitch

High-achieving Enterprise software account manager driven to increase sales in established accounts while reaching out to prospects. Help Fortune 500 companies gain a competitive edge and increase revenue by identifying customer needs, providing recommendations, and implementing technology products that solve problems and enhance capabilities.

Why It Works:

One way to make writing your own resume summary statement easier? Think of it like an elevator pitch. Since employers care most about what sort of value you can add to their organization, it’s smart to follow in the footsteps of this sample and use the bulk of your summary to emphasize not only what you do, but why it’s important. “This summary clearly articulates who he is, whom he serves, and how he helps,” says Theresa Merrill, Muse Master Career Coach.

Maybe you won’t use words like “gain a competitive edge” or “increase revenue” in your own statement. But, give some thought to how your skills and expertise help the overall organization, and then weave that into your statement.

Is there anyone who would say no to that?

Hire a Resume Coach Today

3. Keep it Short

Award-winning journalist and digital producer offering extensive experience in social media content curation, editing, and storytelling. Adept at transforming complex topics into innovative, engaging, and informative news stories.

Why it Works:
This one is significantly shorter than the other statements included here. But, that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective.

“It’s short and sweet,” says Merrill, “It highlights his expertise the right away with a word like ‘award-winning’ and also shares what makes him unique.” When you’re trying to keep things to one page, you know by now that space is limited on your resume ( here’s some great advice about what to cut, by the way). So, the more concise you can make your statement—while still ensuring it still packs a punch—the better.

If you do choose to move forward with a resume summary statement, remember to treat it as your own personal highlight reel. “A summary isn’t meant to be a regurgitation of the information already on your resume,” concludes Westlake, “It should serve to further enhance the reader’s understanding of your experience, specialties, and strengths. It’s also an excellent way to tie your work history together to help hiring managers better understand how your experience would translate into the role they’re recruiting for.”

Think through what you bring to the table and then use these three samples as your inspiration, and you’re sure to craft a resume summary statement that grabs that hiring manager’s attention

The 5 C’s of Credit

By Chemeketa SBDC

Businesses require capital to start, run and grow. Where does it come from? Isn’t that a large piece of the successful business puzzle? Many small businesses must save for years or invest inheritance or retirement funds, while others borrow from friends and family.

While these are successful venues to pursue in raising funds for business, they are not always available. Who is always available? The bank.

Visiting a bank is not a guarantee that you will receive needed funds; typically, about one in four businesses will be successful in getting a loan. Why is that number so low? Banks want to lend in a manner that brings the greatest return for the least risk. In other words, they want to know they’ll get their money back.

So your job as a potential borrower is to demonstrate that you are capable of repaying what was borrowed and that you are a minimal risk to the bank. Banks look at potential borrowers and assess their 5 C’s: character, credit score, capacity, capital and collateral. Bankers often use this term to describe the considerations given to the borrowing ability of a small business.

A bank is going to assess your character. This is often picked up during the interview process and throughout your work with the loan officers. Do you have a history of paying on time? How do you treat your managers, employees, vendors and customers? This is a subjective judgment but is one of the 5 C’s, a piece of the decision-making process.

On the flip side, the next test is not so subjective. Credit score is often a make-or-break consideration. A credit score demonstrates your commitment to meeting your financial obligations. There is not a concrete minimum score; each institution sets its own policy regarding credit scores. Having a high score increases your chances of borrowing money.

Free reports are available, and you should review your score at least annually. This will help you identify ways to clean up your credit. It also provides a basis for comparing yourself to other borrowers, as most reports tell you where you rank nationwide. You can work on your credit score for months and even years in advance of applying for a loan to position yourself to be lendable.

Capacity is where your projections are used. What is your ability to repay the loan? A banker will look for sufficient cash flows to cover your debt repayments, not just to this bank but to all the sources from which you have borrowed funds.

Debt-to-income ratios are used in making these determinations. Most homebuyers are familiar with this computation. When looking at your total debt payments as a percentage of your total income, it must be below certain thresholds determined by the bank to keep its risks at moderate levels.

Next comes the skin-in-the-game test. A lender wants you to invest, not just your time and efforts, but your money into the business as well. Capital. This is often a deal breaker as many people expect to be 100 percent financed. Typically you will need to contribute 20 to 30 percent of the capital. These funds are often raised from friends, family or retirement withdrawals.

The last of the 5 C’s is collateral. Your lender wants to know how it can get its money back if you default and don’t repay. If you pledge real estate or capital equipment as collateral, then you can be forced to sell the assets and the proceeds used to repay your creditor. Remember, banks are risk averse, and having sufficient collateral allows them the best opportunity to recover their funds, but such a drastic measure is typically a worst-case scenario.

Banks are great to work with. They want to lend money. But will they lend to you? Are you bankable? That is for the bank to determine, but if you strive to improve your 5 C’s, you are giving yourself the best chance at raising the funds necessary to start, run and grow your small business.

Dealing Effectively with a Temp Agency – and What to Expect

“A temp agency – are you kidding me?” That’s the understandable reaction of many upcoming or new BAs when someone suggests going to see a temp agency. But for upcoming graduates or unemployed recent graduates, it may be one of a number of options to consider, especially if some of this applies to you…

You are very unclear about the career path you want to pursue, or even the employment sector that most interests you – government? non-profits? private sector? start your own enterprise?
You worked your way through school in a retail job, nannying, etc. – and this limited your opportunities to do internships.
You are facing financial pressures and need to start earning money asap, but working in a hardware store is not an appealing career path.

“Temp-to-Perm” Positions. Try to focus on agencies that emphasize temp positions that could convert into longer-term jobs. Here are a few possibilities in DC:

Careers in Non-Profits http://www.careersinnonprofits.com/
CityStaff http://www.citystaffdc.com/
Ruthi Postow Staffing http://www.rpstaffing.com/
Capitol Works http://www.capitolworks.com/

How to Present Yourself to Temp Agencies

Put a bulleted “Administrative Skills Profile” at the top of your resume, listing the number of words per minute you can type, your software skills, and any experience you have with data entry, other digital filing, physical filing, mailrooms, doing inventory. (BTW, there’s lots of typing-test freeware available on the web.)
Be upbeat & energetic in your demeanor (!) – because the temp agency staffer interviewing you is trying to determine whether their client will like you.
Be ready to answer interview questions without hesitation; e.g., Are you restricting yourself to Metro-accessible employers? (probably say “yes”); Can you work weekends or evenings if needed? (say yes, but probably won’t be necessary); When can you start?
Be ready to prove yourself with the temp agency; i.e. be willing to take an initial offer that is not temp-to-perm, but which will build your credibility with the agency when the employer gives them a glowing report about this. Such initial offers could be a month long or as short as a few days.
Remember – you are not the agency’s client; the employer is.

Finally, applying to temp agencies is just one strategy. You also should be applying for jobs in the normal way, via job boards and contacts; you should be networking you should and trying to get informational interviews. And see your AU career advisor!

A Small Habit That’ll Ensure You and Your Boss Are Always on the Same Page

A Small Habit That’ll Ensure You and Your Boss Are Always on the Same Page was originally published on The Muse, a great place to research companies and careers. Click here to search for great jobs and companies near you.

The perfect boss is a mind reader. They know how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking at any given time, and so they adjust how they treat you and what they assign you accordingly.

You’d probably agree with that statement, right?

But the reality is that managers don’t have this superpower—no one does.

However, communicating more clearly—the real-life fix to not working with mind readers—is something you can do in your office. This is what we call “managing up.”
And if that term scares you or seems impossible in your situation, we’ve discovered the best method to try it out.

In a recent article Quartz writer Khe Hy talks about how his boss’ vague communication stressed him out on a daily basis. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands—with one simple email:

Every Friday afternoon, I’d send my boss a short email with three categories:

· The work I had completed that week

· What I was working on, including any deadlines that may have shifted or obstacles I’d encountered

· What I was waiting on—that is, tasks that I’d completed, but require sign-off from my boss or contributions from someone else

Rather than wait for his manager to guess what he needed from them, he proactively put all that information in front of them so they could easily get back to him with a response, sign-off, or edit. It also ensured his boss was well aware of where he stood in meeting deadlines.

But most importantly, this short email inadvertently tells his boss how he’s getting along mentally and emotionally—for example, if he communicates the same obstacles every week, it opens the door for a deeper discussion about shifting strategies or extending deadlines that’ll relieve some of that stress.

The real kicker? Writing it up only takes Hy 15 minutes (and probably takes his manager less time to read).

Sending this kind of message may seem redundant, but it’s a great way to keep your boss up-to-speed on what you’re working on so that they can manage you effectively—and encourages them to be open with you on what they’re working on, too. Even better, highlighting your accomplishments is the first step toward proving you’re worthy of a raise or promotion down the road.

Even if an email isn’t the right strategy for your team, one thing you can take away from this is the importance of communicating with the people you work with. So often our frustrations stem from assuming someone knows something they don’t—which is why it never hurts to reach out to a team member when you could use a hand (rather than hope they’ll notice you’re struggling and offer to help out), or update them if you’re running behind (so they know when to expect a final product), or simply ask if communicating different (such as emailing weekly progress reports rather than meeting every Monday) might be more effective.

If you make communicating (like really communicating) a part of your routine, you’ll find that hoping your co-workers become mind readers won’t be so high on your wish list.

4 Small Changes That’ll Give You More Confidence When You Talk to Important People

4 Small Changes That’ll Give You More Confidence When You Talk to Important People was originally published on The Muse, a great place to research companies and careers. Click here to search for great jobs and companies near you.

You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel at least a twinge of nerves when interacting with important people. We’re social beings, designed to influence and be influenced, so of course you’re going to notice and react to another person’s success, status, or power. There’s no need to tie yourself up in knots, however. A few small changes in your mindset and approach can help you decrease your anxiety and increase your chances of having a conversation you’re proud of.

1. Name the Problem

Whether you call it anxiety, discomfort, intimidation, or something else, what’s eating at you is fear. This feeling hijacks your rational thought processes, and it’s crucial to ask yourself what, exactly, you’re afraid of if you want to get over it.

The underlying cause of your fear will be unique to you and may vary from one situation to another. General anxiety at the thought of interacting with highly successful people may be due to your perceived inadequacy. Or maybe you were embarrassed years ago by someone powerful, so now you’re afraid that situation will replay itself in your professional life. Those fears have nothing to do with the people you’re afraid of—they’re about you. On the other hand, you may periodically have to interact with a powerful person who really is a jerk, and that can certainly ratchet your fear closer to “zombie-attack” level. But even then, it’s important to be realistic, which brings me to my next point.

2. Replace Hyperbole With Fact

Few people operate from a purely rational and factual mindset day in and day out. Instead, we allow our imaginations to run wild. It looks like this: I once had a new supervisor who physically resembled a previous, difficult boss. I avoided my new manager for a while because of this. Had I not been acting irrationally though, I’d have realized physical similarity doesn’t equate to matching personalities. I wouldn’t have made any assumptions about the new supervisor and instead would’ve given her a fair chance. When you catch your imagination running away, stop, and simply state what’s factual. Let’s say you’ve got a big luncheon that will include some bigwigs and you feel your heart start to pound. Take note of this, inhale deeply, and say to yourself, “Danny Jones is successful and socially savvy. I feel awkward next to him, and I’m afraid I’ll look dumb.”

3. Prepare and Practice

Once you’ve been honest with yourself about what’s driving your fear, you can take action to reduce it, starting with being prepared. Granted, you won’t always have the chance to prep for a meeting with a VIP, but often you will. The more ready you are before the interaction, the more confident you’ll be. This may not completely fix your nerves, but that’s OK—a touch of anxiety can help you perform under pressure. The idea is to reduce or prevent crippling fear. Think back to the example above. Now that you’ve identified what drives your fear, you might think to yourself, “I’ll think ahead about some small talk I can engage in if we bump into each other. I’ll even practice it out loud a few times. Then I’ll feel more comfortable if we should happen to run into each other.” (For your reference: 48 small talk starters you can use in these situations.) Now instead of worrying about what to say if you bump into Mr. Jones, you’re armed with some ideas you can adapt and pull from as needed. And like everything in life, the more you interact with successful people, the more comfortable you’ll be.

4. Mind Your Body Language

Most communication is non-verbal, and that includes the way we communicate with ourselves. If you walk around with slightly hunched shoulders and downcast eyes, not only do you appear unsure of yourself to the rest of the world, but you also communicate that uncertainty to yourself. If you want to feel better when interacting with others, you need to project calm confidence. Stand up straight. Make eye contact. Use a firm handshake. Hold your body still—not stiff, but not fidgety, either—maintaining calm, restrained hand and arm movements while speaking. Think consciously about projecting confidence as you go about your day. (And if you’re looking for a quick tip on how to make that easier, read this.) It’s far easier to practice in the relatively non-threatening environment of your family, peers, local coffee shop baristas, and so on, than to automatically make these adjustments during the interactions with someone you find intimidating. In time, though, the idea is that you’ll generally demonstrate poise—no matter who you’re speaking with. So, let go of your misconceptions, own your own worth, and treat powerful people like people. As Muse writer Lily Herman puts it, “Important or famous people shouldn’t be treated any differently.” Embracing this way of thinking will allow you to talk as two equals, and that’s when the conversation can really take off.

By The Muse

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Swing by to get help with your resume and/or cover letter. Learn about resources to get started with your internship or job search and find out about upcoming events. Peer Advisors are extensively trained by professional Career Advisors and are ready to take your questions! No appointment necessary. Each Quick Question runs approximately 15 minutes.

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The Role of a Master Resume in Your Job Application Process

What do you do when you start working on a new resume? Let me guess—you look up a template and start filling in the blanks, maybe copy/pasting from a resume you’ve used before. It’s a common strategy, but one with many pitfalls. So to avoid the frustrations of working with a template and on a quick deadline, I suggest a radically different way to write your resumes using a tool I call the “master resume.”

Whether you’re just out of high school and haven’t had a job, or if you’re entering a doctoral program after 20 years in the workforce, this method is a way to prepare for any resume needs you could have for the rest of your career.

A master resume is a document that includes everything you’ve ever done, and it’s written just for you. There’s no page limit and no style to follow—just your own notes saved in one place. The purpose of the master resume is simply to store all of the information that you might put on an individual application’s resume.

You can start the process of writing a master resume in any way you’d like—from jotting down notes in a journal, to creating a fresh Word document, to organizing everything in a digital notebook or database. The goal isn’t to have a finished product, but to have all of the information you will need to write a resume in one place and ready for when you need it.

Why would you need all these notes? Let’s back up a bit. When you’re writing a resume for a job application, it’s important to tailor that resume to the job you’re applying for. This means highlighting relevant experiences over the ones that perhaps are not so relevant, and focusing on some skills and accomplishments over others. Done right, it’ll be very rare to have two resumes you’ve written be identical.

How to Get Started

So, what should be included in the master resume? While there is no template, there are certain things you definitely want to include when taking notes. For each job, internship, volunteer opportunity, fellowship, student group, or any other activity you might ever include on a resume, make a note of as much of the following information as you can:

The organization’s name
The organization’s city and state
Your role (whether an official title or a short description of what role you had)
The month and year that you started, and the month and year that you finished
Your duties – what are you expected to do? What does your average day entail?
Your accomplishments – where have you gone above and beyond? What have you been recognized for?
Any starting metrics – for example, if you’re managing a Twitter account for a student group, make a note of how many followers you had on your first day managing the account, so that you can calculate a percent increase during the time you manage it
Anything you can quantify – make a note of what you do weekly, or how many board members you pitched a marketing strategy to, or what ages you tutor as an after-school volunteer
Any other information that helps tell the story of this experience

You can also make a note of your supervisor’s name and contact information. Though that shouldn’t be included on any of your tailored resumes, keeping this reference information handy in your master resume will be helpful when it comes time to create a reference list.

What’s Next?

Once you have all of this information collected into one document, you can start formatting it to look more like a resume by creating section headers and writing your bullet points. Unlike your tailored resume, don’t worry about page length. You’ll be copy/pasting from this document into your tailored resume where you can then focus on page length and the detailed aspects of design and appearance.

For the master resume to really work its magic, it’s important to start one now. Don’t wait until you’re already applying to internships or ready to start your post-grad job search. If you start now, it’ll be easier to remember details from past jobs than if you start a year from now. And once those details are written down, there’s no need to strain your memory as you think back to recall details about an experience from five years ago.

Also remember to keep your master resume updated. Did you just start a new internship, or move into a new leadership role in a student organization? Write it down right away. Did you plan a philanthropy fundraiser with your sorority, volunteer with a local nonprofit’s phone bank, or hit a new milestone on your robotics project? Write it down as soon afterwards as you can. This is all to make it easier for yourself later on, and keep the important, relevant details as fresh and accurate as possible.

Have you used a master resume in your job search? Let us know! We would love to share the tips and tricks that have worked for you with fellow Pioneers.

5 Cover Letter Lines That Make You Sound Like a Robot

Cover letters are a crucial part of any resume. It is there that you can say things that didn’t fit in your CV. It will also be there that you will be allowed to show a bit of personality and prove how excited you are by the possibility of joining the company.

Unfortunately, many people neglect their cover letters. They just copy and paste whatever they found on the internet. Or they just ask someone else to write it for them. And while it is understandable that not everybody has a talent for writing, this type of behavior might cost you a job. So, let’s see them which lines should never be in your cover letter so you can take it from there

#1 – A generic greeting

You are writing a letter to someone. While large enterprises usually applicant tracking systems to scan resumes and make sure they meet the minimal requirements, your cover letter will be read by a real person, not to a computer. And this person has a name and can be of any gender.

So forget the “Dear Sir” and “To Whom it May Concern”. Prove that you are eager to get that job by calling the company or recruitment agency and asking to whom you should address your cover letter. If it is not possible, or you don’t get an answer, at least use “Dear Sir or Madam”.

# 2 – [Your name] is a highly qualified

Please, never write in the third person. It is one of the worst things that you can do in your cover letter. You are not a king or a company to be addressed like this. Plus, reading your name over and over will make the recruiter remember it, but not in the way that you would like. So always stick with the first person.

# 3 – “I am really excited”

One of the rules followed by the best writers is “show, don’t tell”. And while you are not trying to create anything worthy of the Nobel Prize, you can learn from them. That is to say that, instead of saying that you are really excited, you should prove it.

If you do some research about the company and add some interesting facts and ideas you got, it will tell them that you are interested in the job, for instance. This is one of the secrets to writing a create resume, and you should follow it to the dot.

# 4 – “I will provide references available upon request”

You know that your cover letter should be only one page long, and it includes addresses, greetings, and so. Meaning that each word must count. And writing something obvious can also make your recruiter think that you don’t have anything better to say.

So, saying that you will provide references upon request is useless. Of course, you will do it if they ask you to. You better off using those seven words to say something that will add value to your application.

# 5 – Any line misspelt or with grammatical errors

Here is something could certainly kill your chances to be hired. You got just one page to write. So, if you can’t proofread it, chances are that your recruiter will think that you aren’t attentive to detail or that you can’t write a decent e-mail – something usually required in many jobs.

Of course, nobody is expecting that you will write a fantastic copy, except if you are looking for a job as a cover letter writer. But you should at least ask someone to double check your writing for you.

Final thoughts

As you might have noticed, writing a cover letter is a big deal. I won’t lie to you about it. You must plan what you are going to write carefully considering to whom you will talk and the style of company you are applying.

Rules can sometimes be broken, but, generally speaking, stick with has brought results to other people so far. And it passes through avoiding silly mistakes such as these five lines above. Sometimes, it is all that take to impress a recruiter and get hired.

How to Set Up Your Online Store With WooCommerce (In 3 Simple Steps)

When it comes to e-commerce, WordPress users have a wide range of options at their disposal. While the platform doesn’t enable you to set up an online store out of the box, you can use a top-notch plugin to do so with ease. For example, WooCommerce enables you to sell both digital and physical products.

The following advice is aimed at students who are looking to create their own online store to earn extra income. There are multiple benefits to running an e-commerce store, but the main plus point owning an almost passive income stream that operates even when you’re busy with your studies. Plus, if you’re using the right theme and extensions, you’ll be able to add advanced functionality to your site with ease.

This article will discuss why you should consider using WooCommerce, and explain what it can offer you. Then it will demonstrate how to set up the platform in three simple steps, and talk about how using the right e-commerce theme – such as Shoppe – can help you easily implement new features in your store!

Why You Should Consider Using WooCommerce

WooCommerce is by far the most popular e-commerce solution for WordPress, although there are certainly other options. Its ease of use and high level of polish make it the best choice for many stores, both big and small.

However, if you’re still on the fence, check out the ways WooCommerce can help you build a successful online store:

It’s easy to use: Getting started is simple, and you can find plenty of guides (such as this one!) to help you along the way.
The feature set is impressive: WooCommerce has almost all the features you’ll need for your store, including the ability to add, organize, and manage products and inventory.
There are plenty of extensions: If WooCommerce doesn’t offer a feature you need by default, chances are there’s an extension that can help you set it up.
You get access to regular updates: This plugin enjoys a healthy development cycle and has an active community, so it’s always up-to-date.

Now that the case has been made for WooCommerce, it’s time to check out how to set up your first online store using the plugin.

How to Set Up Your Online Store With WooCommerce (In 3 Simple Steps)

Before you can start using WooCommerce, you will, of course, need to set up a WordPress website. Then, you’ll need to install and activate the plugin.

When you’re ready on both counts, proceed to the first step.

Step #1: Customize Your Store’s Settings and Add Your First Products

After activating WooCommerce, you’ll be prompted to run its setup wizard. This is not a strictly necessary step, but it’s recommended to do so, since the wizard will enable you to customize your store’s main settings quickly:

The Setup Wizard will take you through a few simple steps, such as creating the pages you’ll need, choosing your currency, picking your shipping settings, and selecting which payment processors to use.

After you’ve made your way through the Setup Wizard, all that’s left before your grand opening is to add a few products to your store, which you can do from the new Products tab on your dashboard:

You’ll find yourself in the WordPress editor, where you can set a name and a description for your product:

Aside from providing a marketing boost, descriptions are also the perfect place to include any important notes customers should pay attention to. For example, if your product is digital, will they receive it via email? Will it expire, and if so, when? That’s the kind of information a good description should look to include.

This page also enables you to choose between physical and virtual items. In most cases, your store will probably focus on one or the other:

Don’t forget to set a featured image for your item, since that’s going to be one of the first things your customers will see! You can also upload more product images via the Product Gallery widget next to the editor:

When you’re done, remember to preview your product to see how it looks live, then hit Publish when you’re ready. Here’s an example of a product that has been fully set up:

Remember – when it comes to product images, you want to make them as attractive as possible. That means taking high-resolution pictures of your physical items and compelling screenshots for any digital products. One of the main mistakes online stores selling digital goods make is not including screenshots of their products, which can turn potential clients away.

When you’re done perfecting the look of your product pages, move to the next step to learn more about how the right theme can level up your WooCommerce store.

Step #2: Set Up a WooCommerce-Friendly Theme

If you have some experience with WordPress, you probably know how much of a difference using the right theme can make. Fortunately, there are plenty of WooCommerce-friendly themes out there. Picking the right one can make your online store look much more professional.

Your best best is to go with an e-commerce theme designed specifically for WooCommerce. These often provide you with a drag-and-drop page builder you can use to customize your pages quickly and implement designs that are proven to convert visitors. This is critical for any budding online store, since the right design may help you start making a profit earlier than you expected.

On the other hand, if you’re not familiar with the process of designing a website on your own, most e-commerce themes include plenty of pre-designed layouts and demo content to help you kick things off:

There are a lot of features you’ll want to implement as soon as possible to make your online store more user-friendly, and an e-commerce theme can help you get there faster. For example, wishlists are a mainstay of most online stores:

Finally, there’s one feature in particular that you want any good e-commerce theme to pay attention to: product images. As mentioned earlier, the right images can make or break a sale, and advanced functionality, such as an AJAX slider, can help make sure yours pop:

Now that you understand the importance of picking the right theme, there’s only one subject left to discuss that will round-off your new online store nicely – WooCommerce extensions.

Step #3: Consider Installing Extensions

To put it simply, WooCommerce extensions are similar to WordPress plugins. Although WooCommerce itself is a plugin, it has plenty of add-ons that you can use to extend its functionality even further.

Setting up extensions works just the same way as installing a regular plugin, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Take Product Add-Ons, for example:

This straightforward extension enables you to add custom fields and drop-down menus to your products, giving you more control over your items (which is something any store could benefit from).

Product Add-Ons isn’t the only extension worth your time. In fact, there are hundreds of them on WooCommerce’s official repository – some free and others premium. If you want help sorting the good from the bad, an online roundup is a great place to start.

Conclusion

As a student, an online store could be key for topping up your income during your studies. If you’re planning to set up an online store using WordPress, WooCommerce should be the first option you consider. Not only is it one of the most polished and reliable e-commerce plugins available, it’s also easy to set up and benefits from a vibrant (and helpful) community.

Here’s a recap of the three steps you need to take to get your first e-commerce store up and running after installing WooCommerce:

Customize your store’s settings and add your first products.
Set up a WooCommerce-friendly theme.
Consider installing extensions.

Once you’ve done this, an almost passive income stream is at your fingertips! Good luck!

he Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living: Tools for Self-Knowledge

If this proclamation is indeed true, then where does one begin to excavate these multiple dimensions of their life? And, more than that, what is the point?

Well, from the perspective of career and educational planning, the more information we have about who we are and how those factors correlate with job fit and satisfaction, the better equipped we are to make informed decisions. Furthermore, the deeper our self-awareness and understanding of differences in personality, the better able we are to navigate the world of work.

Tools that help facilitate this self-examination include a variety of assessments, such as StrengthsFinder, Strong Interest Inventory and the Enneagram. Each of these assessments help to clarify one’s interests, strengths, and values, in addition to personality traits.

One of the best-known and widely used personality assessments is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). With its basis in Jungian psychology, the MBTI looks at four different dimensions of personality in which individuals tend to gravitate towards one side. The questions posed by the MBTI illuminate preferences on how and where you get your energy (extroversion vs. introversion), how you take in and process information (sensing vs. perceiving), how you make decisions (thinking vs. feeling), and how you orient yourself to and structure your day-to-day life (judging vs. perceiving). There are 16 possible personality types based on the Myers-Briggs and each one of them has distinct traits that describe differences in styles of communication, leadership and group dynamics.

Considering most of us don’t live totally alone, in the remote mountains, interfacing with other humans on a regular basis, is virtually inescapable. To that end, the more we understand about each other, particularly ourselves, the more likely we are to have relationships that are more harmonious and effective. Familiarizing ourselves with the Myers-Briggs framework is immensely valuable, particularly in the context of work; knowing our preferences within each dimension of personality, allows us to find occupations that are better aligned.

For example, as an ENFP, the Intuitive (N) trait will manifest in seeing the big picture; easily identifying patterns and relationships between people, ideas and things; and in an ability to ideate. These parts that are driven by imagination, innovation and forward thinking, will likely need to find outlet through brainstorming and ideating on possibilities for the future, or when solving problems. If you’re in a role that does not support this dimension of your personality, it is possible you won’t be as satisfied, or engaged, on the job. While this only describes one of the MBTI traits, it serves to highlight the value in exploring the connection between who you are and how those unique dimensions impact your experience in life and work. The Myers-Briggs then becomes an ideal springboard from which to uncover the many layers of your personality that can support you in making better aligned career decisions and when navigating differences in communication and group dynamics.

1. High Performers Don’t Follow the Application Rules

2. High Performers Don’t Focus on the Interview

I BET YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN GO AFTER ANY JOB YOU WANT NOW

3. High Performers Don’t Just Accept What They’re Given

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By Chemeketa SBDC

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By Chemeketa SBDC

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Who Needs a Summary Statement?

1. Start by Saying Who You Are

Why it Works:

2. Make it an Elevator Pitch

Why It Works:

DO YOU WANT HELP MAKING YOUR RESUME AWESOME?

3. Keep it Short

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By Chemeketa SBDC

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1. Name the Problem

2. Replace Hyperbole With Fact

3. Prepare and Practice

4. Mind Your Body Language

Sidebar

CONTACT & LOCATION

CAREER & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS

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How to Get Started

What’s Next?

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Why You Should Consider Using WooCommerce

How to Set Up Your Online Store With WooCommerce (In 3 Simple Steps)

Step #1: Customize Your Store’s Settings and Add Your First Products

Step #2: Set Up a WooCommerce-Friendly Theme

Step #3: Consider Installing Extensions

Conclusion

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