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How to be Relaxed for Your Interview

by Admin / May 24th 2011 / No Comment

The day is finally here. You’ve been filling out applications for weeks. You’ve contacted a couple dozen employers. You finally found the perfect job and they gave you an interview.

The problem: nerves. You don’t want to be a nervous wreck when you enter their office. Good employees are calm, cool, and collected. But how do you keep from being nervous?
Research early

The first thing you can work on is to know the employer well. Most of the time, this will require researching. But if you wait to research until the night before your interview, you’ll be more nervous.

Thus, you should research the employer at least a week before the interview. Gather the important data about their business, the office, the city in which they are located, etc. Try to understand their typical clients or customers. Perhaps most importantly, find out what you can about the person who will be interviewing you. Also, don’t forget to research the position for which you are being considered.

But how do you remember all this info for a whole week? Take notes. If you write the key facts and figures down in a text document or on paper, you’ll have an easy reference. Glance back over this data a couple times before the interview and make sure there’s nothing you need to add. You’re already well on your way to a relaxed interview.
Prepare the day before

On the day right before interview day, make your final preparations. Make sure your clothes are clean, pressed, and ready to go. Ensure that you have maps to get to the interview location. Glance over your fact sheet again to refresh your mind.

If all has gone well, everything will be in order. However, if you need to make a quick trip to the store to get socks that match your suit, you’ve got plenty of time. This is only the day before, so you have a cushion between now and the interview.
Clear the day’s schedule

A big key to having a relaxed interview is being able to focus on it. If you’re worried about making your next appointment on time, you will naturally be stressed.

The best advice for this is to clear your schedule on interview day. At least give yourself an hour or two buffer around the interview slot. This should provide time to get there, do the interview, and then get to your next obligation.

If you cannot help having a tight schedule, inquire with the employer ahead of time approximately how long they desire your presence. Some interviews might last 15 minutes, while others could require the whole afternoon. Know ahead of time, and you can plan accordingly.
Relax in the evening

The evening before the interview is time to just relax. Make yourself a nice cup of tea, have a small glass of wine, or just enjoy a casual dinner with friends or family. Do not do anything too strenuous, and definitely do not stay up late.

Relax, try to take your mind off tomorrow, and know that you’ll do fine.

in Job tags: Interviews

Network During the Holidays

by Admin / May 20th 2011 / No Comment

It’s never time to stop your professional networking, especially around the holidays. In fact, this time of year presents two great opportunities to build your network and keep in touch with contacts.
Hob Nob Over Egg Nog

You are most likely invited to numerous holiday parties. With friends and family to see, you will have your share of events to attend during the holiday season. Instead of dreading these gatherings, you should see them as an invitation to meet new people.

Sure, a lot of the parties will be the same people you have seen time and again. However, you will likely see some new faces as well. This is your key opportunity.

Networking in this context isn’t really different from any other gathering, but you do not want to shove your business card in everyone’s face. In fact, at holiday parties you should be a little more reserved and conservative in your contact. People are there to have fun and celebrate the holidays, not gather business cards.

A good method to use at these gatherings might be to only offer your card if asked. You do not have to be shy about mentioning your profession, or the value you could provide to someone’s business, but you don’t want to look like a business card troll.

Finally, keep in mind the value of people you meet at these parties, and conduct yourself accordingly. In other words, act in a kind and professional manner. Don’t get drunk and wear the lampshade on your head while dancing on the table.
Send Holiday Cards

The second way to utilize the holidays for networking is to send holiday cards to your networking contacts.

The same caveats for parties apply to the holiday card situation. You must remain professional. You also do not want to send an overtly business-type holiday card.

Basically, you should come up with a list of people to whom you want to send cards. These could be your more important contacts and/or people with whom you are out of touch. Send as few or as many cards as you would like.

Importantly, be sure to tailor your cards to the religious beliefs of each recipient or just send a generic “holiday” card. You want to reconnect with people, not offend them.

The message for your cards should be sincere. Hopefully you will have a list that enables a personal message in each card. Try to show real interest in the recipient’s life and things that are meaningful to him/her.

If you use these tips carefully, you should find the holidays productive for networking. Just use your discretion and respect that it is the holiday season.

in Job tags: Social Networking

Clarify Responsibilities to Improve Job Performance

by Admin / May 6th 2011 / No Comment

You’ve landed the job. You’re working 40 hours a week at a company, and your plate is filling up fast. Pretty soon, you have more work than you can handle. What do you do? Clarify your job responsibilities!

If you clarify exactly what you are responsible for, you will do a better job. You can focus on the things your employer sees as vital. Your performance will increase, along with your salary and your advancement possibilities. But how do you accomplish this?

Find your supervisor

This may sound like an easy task. However, the chain of command might not be clear in some companies. Perhaps you are a general support staff member, and you get projects from several different people. Who is your central supervisor?

To find this out, simply talk with your higher ups in the company. Flat out ask them (in a nice way) who should be overseeing all of your work. If they don’t know, get them to find out. Someone should be your clear boss. They don’t have to give your daily commands, but someone should have ultimate responsibility for your work.

Ask for priorities

Once your company identifies your supervisor, it is your time for action. You must gather your current tasks and go talk to him.

Ask your supervisor to prioritize your work. Simply tell him that you have more work than your schedule can permit. Be clear that you are not being lazy, but that you want to make sure the important tasks get done first and are not delayed.

Work, based on priorities

Now that you know what tasks are most important, do those first. You might still have the exact same number of tasks on your plate, but you can feel free to let some things rest until you have time.

This doesn’t mean that you forget about tasks or let them die away. To the contrary, you should work on the lower priority tasks whenever you can. Maybe you have some downtime during an urgent project. Perhaps you can catch up a little on a weekend.

Supervisors, read this too!

Importantly, if you are someone’s supervisor, pay close attention to this article. You must understand that not all work can be done immediately. Your employees must prioritize. You can help this process by making your priorities clear.

Advance your career

Now that you know these basic priority communication skills, your career should benefit. There is no magic formula to this. You simply should communicate your time demands to your supervisor. Hopefully your supervisor will cooperate. This will result in better work product for her and a better career for you.

in Job tags: Career, Hints, Tips

Telephone Etiquette for Job Seekers

by Admin / February 24th 2011 / No Comment

In today’s job market, you will likely conduct much of your networking and job searching remotely. The combination of email and telephones makes meeting in person almost superfluous, except when actual interview time comes. Thus, having a firm grasp on telephone etiquette is essential for any job seeker. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Be courteous and polite

It should go without saying, but appropriate and formal manners should be used at all times during any job search. This rule definitely applies to the telephone.

Think about it. The first interaction anyone will have with you is likely to be over the phone. Since first impressions are so important, you do not want to be rude or impolite during these initial phone interactions.
Record a simple voicemail greeting

Part of being courteous with telephone interaction is being professional. Since employers might reach your voicemail when they call, you definitely want a professional greeting. If your current greeting was recorded at a party a couple weeks ago, redo it. Don’t try to be funny. Be simple, professional, and to-the-point.

Something like this would work well: “Hello, you have reached Andrew’s voicemail. Please leave a message.” Be sure to include your name and/or phone number in the greeting, so callers will know that they are in the correct voicemail.
Return calls promptly

The other day I overheard someone talking about his voicemail. He commented that he rarely checks it and hardly ever returns any calls that he misses. Don’t be like this.

Employers are looking for candidates who are prompt, responsible, and reachable. If an employer cannot even reach you to schedule an interview, why would they want to hire you? If you are searching for a job, be sure to check your voicemail daily and return any important calls promptly.
Leave voicemail messages when you call

How do you expect to connect with someone, if you never leave a voicemail when you call? Employers and recruiters are usually busy people, so it is crucial to leave a clear voicemail message if you do not reach them directly.

The basic rules of voicemail messages are simple:

Leave your name and phone number twice, slowly the second time
Provide a context for your call (e.g., scheduling interview, application follow-up)
Keep it short and direct

Think outside the phone

Finally, try to apply these principles and ideas to all of your interaction with employers. These are basic ideas to aid communication and develop a coherent, professional image. They can be applied to email, letters, and even personal interaction. Continually hone your communication skills, and your career will be better off.

in Job tags: Hints, Job

Job Market for Third Year Law Students

by Admin / December 11th 2010 / No Comment

If you are a third year law student, most of your classmates have probably accepted jobs for after graduation. If you’re reading this, you might not be in that position.

Fortunately, there are still many available job opportunities, even once your final year of law school has started. You just have to know where and how to look.
What type of job do you want?

There are plenty different jobs still available at this point. You need to decide the kind that interest you, and then start researching them. Here is a partial list:

Large firm – These firms are almost constantly hiring. They have regular hiring cycles, and usually hire a large class of incoming lawyers every year. Your career services office probably knows at least some firms who are still looking for people to fill their needs in the incoming lawyer class. You can also contact firms directly via email, mail, or phone, to inquire whether or not they have space.
Small firm – Smaller firms have irregular hiring practices. They can’t afford to pay lawyers who don’t have work to do. Thus, they only hire when there is a strong need. Lucky for you, some of these firms will be hiring in the coming months. The key is to get in touch with them and make sure they think of you.
Public interest – Non-profit organizations have differing needs, depending upon their size, purpose, etc.
Government – Like public interest groups, government agencies have differing needs. Judicial clerkships are a definite option to consider during your third year. Also, prosecutors’ offices will usually accept applications during your third year. There are also a plethora of agencies at the state and federal level. Many of these have ongoing needs where you can get your foot in the door.

Contact early and often

After you know where you want to work, it’s now time to get in touch with your prospective employers. An important concept of job searching during your third year is to get your name in front of the employers and stay in contact with them. Since many needs are changing and evolving over time, you need to remind employers that you are looking and interested in them. Do not let employers forget about you, but don’t harrass them either.

Part of the contact during this process is maintaining network relationships. These are key during the third year job search. You must expand your network into prospective job areas and keep in touch with your contacts.
Don’t give up

The hardest part about looking for a job during your final year of law school is handling the stress of the process. Third year is hyped as your time to relax, and your friends are doing just that. But you can’t let that get you down. There are lots of legal jobs available, and one is waiting for you. You just need to be flexible, maintain contact, and keep searching.

in Job tags: Job

6 Tips for Filling Out Job Applications

by Admin / April 16th 2010 / No Comment

If you’ve filled out many job applications, you know it’s a time consuming process. You’ll need lots of details about yourself, education, and work history. Fortunately, we’ve got some handy tips to smooth the process along.

Keep copies of old job applications

This might be putting the cart before the horse, but you’ll see why it’s useful. If you are applying for a job, and you have the completed application from your last job, you’ll have almost all the information you need, right at your fingertips.

If you have to fill an application out while in the employer’s office, getting a copy might not be an option. However, if you can take the application home, make a quick copy or scan the application into your computer. It will ease your life later.

Never leave a line empty

Employers want to know that you’re thorough. If your application is riddled with empty lines, an employer will wonder if you simply overlooked some things.

If something does not apply to you, simply fill in N/A. This means “not applicable.” If you are unsure of what to put in a blank, ask someone for advice. Don’t just leave it empty.

Proofread and check for errors

Good employees don’t make mistakes on important documents. Your job application is one of the first documents an employer reads about you. To have the best shot possible, make sure your application is error-free.

Fill it out neatly

If your application is unreadable, it’s no good. If you can print nice and clear, do so, using black or blue ink (no funky colors). Better yet, try using a typewriter to fill out the application. If you don’t have one, your local library might have one for public use.

To fill out your applications digitally, you can use PDF software. Some employers might have applications online, which you can fill out using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If the application is on paper, you can scan it into your computer and edit it using Acrobat Professional ($449) or Foxit PDF Editor ($99).

Return it timely

How long does it really take you to fill out a job application? If you take two weeks, the employer will likely fill the position before your application is even returned.

The best method is to fill out the application and return it ASAP. Don’t do it so quickly that you make mistakes. But make sure to return it promptly.

Dress nicely at all times

Just because you’re only picking up an application doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress nicely. As a rule, you should dress at least as nice as the current employees. Present a consistent professional image, even while picking up and dropping off your application.

More tips?

There are many more tips for job applications, but this is a start. Remember the cardinal rule: be professional.

Do you have some good application tips to share? Leave a comment for us!

in Job tags: Applications, Job

Do You Want a Job or a Career?

by Admin / June 24th 2008 / No Comment

You may be thinking to yourself, “What’s the difference?” Hopefully I can help you out with this subtle, yet important, distinction. Even more importantly, we’ll see why it matters.
Jobs

What was your very first paying job? I mowed lawns to earn some pocket money, but my first real paying job was at Taco Bell. Did I want a career in the restaurant industry? Certainly not. However, this job put gas in my car through high school. I also learned some general job skills, along with gaining customer service experience.

The point is that a job is a specific position you fill with a specific employer. It is the tree in the forest. Some are small, some tall. Some may fit like a glove, while you might hate others.

Just like all trees eventually wither and die, jobs are almost always temporary, when compared with your entire working life. Very few people begin and end their working life at the same job.
Careers

Now that you see the tree, let’s look at the forest. In essence, your career is the sum total of your education and work experience. Think of it as the coherent theme on your resume. It’s even broader than your resume “objective.”

I started off with lawn mowing and Taco Bell. I am now only six months away from my first full-time position as a lawyer. Does that mean that this position completes my career? Of course not.

I’m excited about my first real lawyer job. But it’s just that: a job. My chosen career is to be a lawyer. Thus, this job will fit in great with that, especially in me gaining some vital experience and on-the-job learning. However, I will definitely keep my eyes open for where my career might lead me next. What other paths does the forest have?
Eyes on the trail

Of course I have to keep up the metaphor! But seriously, all this talk about jobs versus careers is really important. As you now see, jobs don’t usually last your whole life, but your career will. This has profound practical implications on your everyday life.

In a nutshell, you should never give up your professional efforts at sustaining your overall career. If you focus too narrowly on your current job, you might find yourself unemployed some day without a clue about where to go next.

Since there is a lot to digest here, we’ll break it up into several posts. For now, please think about your job(s) versus your career. Separate the two in your mind. Check back here at Job Tuition for the rest of this series. Or subscribe by RSS for easier reading.

in Career, Job tags: Career, Job

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