All posts tagged resumes

Your Guide to a Job Search

by Kristy Amburgey

Jobs

Your job search begins as soon as you select a degree program to pursue, a new career path or an expanded role within your current realm of expertise.  Your job search should encompass a variety of activities, including research and preparation, self-evaluation, networking, etc. until you actually have a job in hand.  Even then, you should continue to grow your professional knowledge and connections to further your career until you reach your ultimate goal.

Identify Career Paths and Options

Any job search begins with an understanding of what you hope to do professionally in your life.   As you make decisions about your future, consider various career paths and options that match your personal and professional goals and personality.  Opportunities can range from positions directly related to your courses of study or not related to your degree but that use the skills you learned in college.   You can have one career path in mind, or you might be open to several different options.

Research Jobs and Companies of Interest

After you have determined the job type you want to pursue, you now want to find out the various job titles that encompass your career path, and you need to identify the companies that offer these roles.  In addition, you want to learn about the companies’ expectations, what the job requires of candidates (at a minimum) and what the job would entail, matching it to your preferences.  Be sure to get a realistic picture of who the company typically hires for your desired role and how both your background and your personality fit that job.  Make informed career decisions based on accurate research you have conducted.

Create a Targeted Company List

Any job search should be focused (avoid the “I will take anything” approach).  One way you can focus your search and help yourself down the road is to develop a targeted company list.  The list can be as long or as short as you want, but it should be focused on the companies that offer the job or an iteration of the job you want.  Your company list should evolve as you continue through school, find new companies and gain new interests; routinely monitor your list.  Don’t be afraid to go outside of your targeted companies to find opportunities, but you should do your due diligence on the company before applying to jobs.

 Prepare Job Search Documentation

Using your resume, cover letter and other documentation, your goal is to prove you can not only do the job but positively impact the company’s bottom line.  Focus your resume and cover letter on one job type at a time, customizing the resume using the job description as you apply for positions.  Ensure that each part of your resume is focused on showcasing your accomplishments by listing outcomes and results of your experiences (from work to academic to project).  Quantify your accomplishments as often as possible using dollar amounts, numbers and percentages.  Avoid using terminology (i.e. fluff) that gives employers no real useful information upon which to make a decision about you as a candidate.  As always, proper grammar, accurate information, consistency, clean formatting and ease of reading are all important factors in your job search documents.

Consider Additional Skills, Trainings and/or Certifications

Going back to the career path research you completed, you should have an understanding of what a company expects from their candidates.  If you are not sure, check out a variety of job descriptions or ask your professors or people in your network.  If you are missing a requirement, take the time to complete it before graduating, if possible.  If you must wait to obtain additional skills or trainings, have a timeline for when you hope to accomplish them.

Gain Relevant Experience and Skills

Relevant experience can come in a variety of forms, including co-op/internship positions, projects, research, job/summer jobs/part-time positions, on-campus clubs or organizations, volunteer work, conferences and professional organizations, to name a few.  Through any experience, you should work to further develop your leadership, communication, initiative, analysis and other skills that apply to any job type (also called transferable skills).

Maintain a List of Achievements and Accomplishments

In order to accurately communicate your accomplishments, you need to keep track of them.  Maintain a list of things you achieved in any academic, work, group or other experience.

Network

In reality, networking is an action that you began early in your life.  Now it is time to build your network into a more formal support system for your job search and professional growth.  You can build relationships in any number of ways, but you want to place yourself in situations where you can make a positive impression on a future employer or future advocate.  Brainstorm about ways you can connect with others; do not fall into the trap of assuming you know no one.  Your network may fall outside of the job type you are pursuing, but keep an open mind about building relationships with people from all professional backgrounds.

Apply for Positions

Approximately six months to one year before graduation, begin to apply for positions, especially for entry-level candidates.  Some career types are more likely to hire as needed, so you may need to wait closer until you are degree complete to pursue a job.   As you apply for positions, you must gain insight into how the company selects candidates to interview, always following directions.  Many companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where the system scans your resume for key words before being viewed by a hiring manager.  In these cases, you must reverse engineer or integrate key words from the job description and your knowledge of the company into your resume and cover letter.  Another important reminder is to keep track of the positions for which you applied.

Interview

Interviewing skills need to be developed and practiced.  Prepare for an interview situation by researching the company, understanding the position, having stories to relay during the interview and giving evidence of how you can help solve the company’s problems.  Practice your interview skills by reviewing and answering sample questions, either with a partner or by planning out your answers.  Ensure you have questions to ask the employer and always put your most professional self forward, from your dress to how you present yourself.

Follow-up

After an interview, networking event or other activity where a person helps you, follow up.  A thank you note or email is appropriate, and a phone call or other act of kindness can be nice as well.  Avoid contacting a person too often as they will soon lose their desire to help you, or you may even lose out on the job after an interview if you are too persistent.

Understand the Salary Process

Once you are offered a job, you will also be extended a salary and benefits package.  Typically, you want to avoid talking about salary until you have been offered the job; only if a company requests the information should you provide an expected salary, preferably as a range.  Once you have been extended the job with salary, you can decide to accept, negotiate or decline the offer.  Understand that factors such as your negotiation strategies, your worth, the cost of living, the company’s salary standards and more impact your offer.  Ensure you understand what you bring to the negotiation table if you decide to ask for more money or benefits and always thoroughly research the typical salary ranges for your industry, for the company and for your job type.

And Network More

Networking should be an ongoing activity in any professional career.  Never stop meeting new people and growing current relationships.  Most employers prefer to hire someone who has been recommended to them, so make sure you continue to place yourself in a position to be the recommended candidate.

A job search is a personal journey, but there are some common steps that you should take to put yourself in the best situation for job search success.

Kristy Amburgey is the Associate Director of Career Services – Daytona Beach campus and currently manages marketing and employer relations for the department.  She has been with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for approximately 10 years and with Career Services for nine years.

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by eraucso on April 25, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on April 25, 2013

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How To Get Your Résumé Noticed In The Online Application Process

By Mark Lyden

Before you apply to any job opening, before you set up any account or profile on any website, before you do anything, wouldn’t it be nice to have the inside story on what the manager is looking for in a candidate?  Especially the required skills or knowledge they want you to have so you can highlight that on your résumé?

Now, I can’t tell you what key words and phrases they are going to use.  But let me enlighten you on how this often gets done.  You have a person sitting at a computer.  Their job is to essentially screen all the résumés that are associated with a particular job.  You know what is scary?  You would think that these people understand the difference between, for example, an industrial engineer and mechanical engineer or the difference between finance and supply chain management.  Well, many of them do, but a significant amount may not, and some don’t have a clue! Ironically, the same thing I just told you to do, they do.  They just look at the job description and simply look for the key words and phrases the manager put down, type them into a field on the computer, and press “enter.”  Then whoever doesn’t have those key words or phrases in their résumé, exactly how they typed them in is simply counted out.  But be careful.  You need to incorporate those key words and phrases verbatim.  Remember, you don’t know how sophisticated their screening system is.

Whether you think that is totally unfair or not, it is a reality in many companies.  So use this to your advantage.  Outmaneuver the computer-screening process so that you have the best chance of being looked at.  I am not saying to lie or cheat.  I am just saying to completely cater your résumé to each and every job you apply to.  Use the 7 Critical Steps and you will have a far better chance of getting to the next step in the process:

  1. DON’T FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS when a company website tells you how to apply! Before doing anything else, go to the company website and print out all the jobs that you qualify for and not just the ones that you are most interested in.
  2.  Take a highlighter and highlight all the key words and phrases in the job description used to describe the skills, knowledge, and years of experience they want or prefer.
  3. Take the key words and phrases you highlighted, verbatim, and incorporate them throughout your résumé.
  4. Create a heading at the very end of your résumé labeled “INTEREST AREAS” and take all the key words and phrases you previously highlighted and list them, verbatim, under this heading.
  5. NOW follow the directions of the site, which may include setting up an account online.  Make sure to take those same key words and phrases and incorporate them into your profile or the “interest areas” section, if they have that option.
  6. Apply for the job.
  7. As you apply for more openings, continually update the key words and phrases in your résumé in your profile or interest area section.

This is called “reverse engineering” your résumé.  From the job description, see what they want first.  See what are key words and phrases are that they want to see.  Then adjust your résumé and apply.  Just remember:  to do it right, it will take you about forty to forty-five minutes to take your “base” résumé and transform it into a résumé specific for each job.  Approach it this way:  each job that you apply for is the ONLY job your résumé is geared to.  It may sound like a lot of time and effort, but to stand out and to get contacted, your résumé can’t just be a good match; it must be a GREAT match.  This is the way to ensure that is the case for each and every job you apply for.

When I teach seminars on this topic, some ask, “Won’t they look at my résumé and count me out when they see that I just listed all the key words and phrases in the ‘interest areas’ section of my résumé?”  The answer is they might, especially if you haven’t first incorporated those same key words and phrases throughout your résumé.  That is why doing both is critical.  For example, just incorporating the key words and phrases into your résumé is great and might get you through to the next step, but might not raise your percentage compatibility to a high enough level and you miss the cut off.  Remember, with the online processes being the way they are at most companies, there are very few ways for candidates to stand out.  There could be ten candidates that by luck score a higher percentage compatibility, and although you meet all the qualifications, others are “more qualified” according to the computer, and you are counted out.  That is why having the “interest areas” section helps.  Again, it helps boost your compatibility percentage.  Moreover, if you just cut and paste all the key words in the “interest areas” section without also incorporating them into your résumé, they will probably see this and count you out.

When I say to incorporate the key words and phrases into your résumé, what I mean is to have them distributed throughout your résumé.  Change or add bullet items in appropriate places.  Change your objective to have some in there.  The more time you spend doing it this way, the more calls you are going to get.  Try the 7 Critical Steps.

Lastly, if you are applying to jobs online and you are quickly getting counted out, that is the BEST indicator that you are not doing a good enough job at catering your résumé to each specific job.  If you find yourself in that situation, you must go back to the 7 Critical Steps and follow that advice step by step.  Remember, when you are applying to a particular job, your résumé should be entirely focused on just that one job.

ABOUT MARK LYDEN

Mark Lyden is an expert at getting people jobs…in THIS difficult job market. He has already helped thousands with his advice because it is different and it is PROVEN to work! The advice he gives is not the traditional advice that can be found on the Internet or being given by most career professionals. Now and for the last 15-years, Mr. Lyden has been a Professional Lead Recruiter for a Fortune 50 company. Mark is the author of: College Students: Do This! Get Hired!; Veterans: Do This! Get Hired!; and, Professionals: Do This! Get Hired! Visit DoThisGetHired.com for additional information. A substantial portion of the proceeds from book sales are donated back to charity to help veterans and to help the stray and abandoned animals at Logan’s Run Rescue.

Now and for a limited time, ERAU students/alumni can get a discount on any of the books by visiting: DoThisGetHired.com/ERAU.html

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by eraucso on March 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Employer Insights, Job Search Advice
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Preparing Your Resume and Cover Letter for the Virtual Hiring Event

by Kristy Amburgey

VirtualHiring-final-trans400pxThe Career Services Office is hosting the Virtual Hiring Event (VHE) for ERAU candidates seeking full-time employment. The VHE will be Monday, February 11 – Thursday, February 21 in the EagleHire Network with preview days on Saturday, February 9 and Sunday, February 10. Job seekers will have the ability to view and apply to full-time job postings from companies who are seeking candidates.

In order to best prepare for the Virtual Hiring Event, you need to have an up-to-date resume and cover letter ready to use.  Some companies will have you submit your resume via EagleHire Network, so you need to have a “ready” resume in the system.  Other companies will direct you to their websites for application.  Either way, you need to ensure that your resume and job search documentation is suitable for the application process.

To prepare both your resume and cover letter, here are several key tips to understand and use.

  • Customize your documents for each and every position you pursue; using the job description and your company research, integrate key information into your resume and cover letter to prove that you have what it takes to do the job for that specific company
  • Focus the documents on what you can offer the employers and not necessarily on you
  • Relate your experiences and accomplishments to the employer’s needs; ensure that an employer can answer this question using the information you provide – “can this person positively impact my department and my company?”
  • Showcase your achievements; provide outcomes and results of your experiences instead of just listing general skills that most anyone could have
  • Avoid submitting generic documents that are addressed and customized to no one or nothing in particular; take the time to submit a resume and cover letter that was meant specifically for that job and that company
  • Ensure that a reader can understand what you want by reviewing your documents; an employer does not want to guess what job you want or why you are applying even after reading both documents
  • Prioritize and organize your documents; ensure that the important and relevant information is towards the top of the resume and is read from left to right; organize your cover letter so that you have three to four paragraphs
  • Know that an employer spends no more than 30 seconds reviewing each document if at all; most readers only glance at a resume to obtain a first impression; keep both documents easy to read and make it easy for them to find relevant information quickly
  • Rely on several people to review your resume for grammar, clarify and formatting; use spellcheck as well but follow it up with a review by someone who knows resumes
  • Review all information to ensure it is 100% accurate and verifiable

For resumes, here are some additional points.

  • Follow all general resume rules such as having some white space on the page, being consistent with all formatting, using font size no smaller than 10, spelling out abbreviations, avoiding using the personal pronoun “I”, etc.
  • Remove resume errors to prevent your resume from being dumped into the trash; remember that every recruiter will have their own set of standards and pet peeves, so do your best to understand the company you are pursuing and revise your resume to their standards
  • Understand Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS); many employers use this type of application system to preview and then select resumes for further review; once your resume is submitted, the ATS program will evaluate your resume based on programmed algorithms that match your document to predetermined words/order of words, including qualifications, skills, key words from the description and more; understanding the mechanics of ATS will help you know why customizing your resume is so imperative; also avoid using tables, graphs, images, etc. in your resume as most of these inserts won’t translate into an ATS program
  • Treat the resume as a marketing document that appeals to your target audience and not as a historical summary of everything you have ever done

For cover letters, here are some additional points.

  • Use a traditional one-page, business letter format
  • Address your cover letter to a specific person; do an internet search (LinkedIn, for example) to find the correct name if it is not listed in the EagleHire Network
  • Keep the cover letter concise but detailed; for example, when relating your background to the employer’s needs, give three to four accomplishments composed using a few sentences for each

As you select jobs to apply to via the Virtual Hiring Event, take the time to customize your resume and cover letter, if needed, for each position.  Leave the employers wanting to talk to you further; create documents that show employers how you are going to help them and why you are the best candidate for the position.

Kristy Amburgey is the Associate Director of Career Services – Daytona Beach campus and currently manages marketing and employer relations for the department.  She has been with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for approximately 10 years and with Career Services for nine years.

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by eraucso on January 24, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on January 24, 2013

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Using Study Abroad Experiences after the Experience

by Sandi Ohman

Brazil … Berlin … Istanbul …  London … Luxembourg … Madrid … Paris … Sienna…

ERAU Study AbroadSounds exciting – learning in a new environment, seeing sites you’ve only researched on the internet, and making new friends!  The Study Abroad experience is part of many students’ college experiences.  There is a lot of excitement leading up to the experience, and most students are still excited once they are home.  However, the dilemma can be how to use this experience for professional development or for the benefit of the job search once the student is back in the country.

Students will typically take classes while they are abroad, so they will have some tangible education, knowledge and/or skills that can more easily be demonstrated on a resume.  It is the broader, intangible knowledge and skills that are harder to demonstrate.  Some of the intangibles learned and experienced from a Study Abroad opportunity are:

  • Exposure to working in an international environment
  • Experiencing international cultures
  • Learning a different language
  • Learning in a different language
  • Network of international contacts & friends
  • Problem-solving skills in challenging situations

Other ways that a Study Abroad experience can be beneficial after the experience is over include:

Work Experience – A variety of departments on campus will employ students to work in their offices.  Experience having lived and/or studied abroad can be desirable since there are bound to be international students that visit those departments.  Some specific departments that have an international connection are: International Admissions, Study Abroad, Language Skills/Language Institute, Campus Visit, International Student Office, Housing, Diversity, and Career Services

Graduate School – International experience can help with admission to graduate schools in the U.S. and Abroad.

Scholarships – Scholarships exist that allow undergraduate students that have studied abroad and want to return to pursue graduate studies.

Job Search – International experience and educational study is recognized by companies with a global presence.

Additionally, Study Abroad experience can enhance your resume.  This experience can be incorporated in a resume in a few different ways.

Summary/Objective Statement – This is typically where the writer will share with the resume recipient the purpose of that resume.  Sometimes this can be a one sentence objective statement, and other times, a couple of sentences including skills offered to the company or position are more effective.  Skills that can be mentioned here are language skills, working with different cultures, adaptability/flexibility, working in challenging situations, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Education – Study Abroad experience can be mentioned on the resume in the Education section as a subsection under the college/university they completed the experience with or as a separate educational experience.  Mentioning the classes or course of study completed while on Study Abroad could be done here as well.

Project Experience – Depending on the educational accomplishments, list project experiences (group or individual) and highlight them in this specific section.

Activities – As a resume becomes full with relevant experience, i.e. research and internship experiences, the study abroad experience might not be so prominent on the resume.  The activities section can be a place to move Study Abroad experiences to, allowing for more room higher on the resume for more relevant experiences.

Take note that resumes should be customized, depending on the positions being applied to, by highlighting experience that demonstrates a good fit for the company and the position.

Experience living abroad has become an experience that many employers value.  Companies that have a global presence appreciate international experience, since they have international customers and opportunities arise within the company to work and travel abroad representing the company.  Government agencies have indicated their interest in candidates that have worked, lived or studied abroad, especially if the agency has any connection to homeland security, i.e. CIA or Department of State.  Some graduates have found an unexpected career from their time studying abroad: teaching English as a second language, for example.

International experiences are definitely valuable opportunities – they broaden the perspective of the student at the time, but this experience can also give the intern or full-time candidate an extra point to market to an employer.  That is a definite synergistic bonus!

Sandi Ohman is the Senior Program Manager in the Career Services Office at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  She has been with the university for over 9 years and has advised students in most all degree areas while in Career Services.  Sandi brings additional experience having worked in the finance industry for over 6 years in her previous career.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida, and her Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. 

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by eraucso on November 29, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on November 29, 2012

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Check Out The New and Improved ERAU Career Services Website

http://careers.erau.eduEmbry-Riddle Career Services has a new website! Please update your bookmarks and check us out at http://careers.erau.edu.

The new Embry-Riddle Career Services website is inclusive of all three campuses and includes information on everything you need to know to be successful in your job search, including, but not limited to:

  • Upcoming events, including the Industry/Career Expo
  • Career planning
  • In-person and social networking
  • Resume/CV tips and samples
  • Cover letter and references tips and samples
  • Interviewing preparation
  • Resources for special populations, including military transitioners, career changers, international job seekers, displaced professionals, disabled job seekers, and PhD candidates
  • How to access and utilize the EagleHire Network, Embry-Riddle’s online career management system
  • Co-op/Internship Program information
  • Interns in Action
  • Federal employment, civic service, and research opportunities
  • Useful links
  • Information on the services and resources available at each of the three ERAU campuses
  • How to recruit candidates for full-time and co-op/internship positions
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by eraucso on September 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on September 26, 2012

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Get Your Resume to Employers at the Industry/Career Expo!

EagleHire Network LogoYou can still get your resume to employers recruiting at this event!

Through the EagleHire Network, resume books are available allowing you to submit your resume to companies attending both Industry/Career Expos.

To publish your resume to any of the resume books in the system, log into your EagleHire Network account and mouse over “Documents” in the upper navigation bar, then select “Publish a Resume” – you will then select from career focus-specific resume books in the system.

We are informing all Expo exhibitors at both the Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses to log in and access the resume books in the system.

Note that if you haven’t already uploaded a resume into the system, it will first need to be approved before you can publish your resume to the resume books in EagleHire.

Resume Book Tips:

  • If you already have one or more resumes published in EagleHire, double-check to make sure your documents are up to date with your current contact information and most recent experience.
  • Only submit your resume to those resume books that apply to your level of experience and areas of expertise/career focus. Submitting your resume to every resume book, including those with no relevancy to your background, will not increase your chance of getting a phone call…if anything, it may decrease your chances.
  • Be proactive – research the companies attending the Industry/Career Expo at the Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses and apply online to any opportunities of interest.
  • Submit your resume to resume books even if you plan on attending the Industry/Career Expo. There are nearly 1500 linked employers in EagleHire who have access to log in to the system and search for resumes at any time throughout the year.
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by eraucso on September 20, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Announcements, Career Services Resources, Industry/Career Expo
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Posted by eraucso on September 20, 2012

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Spellcheck, Both Friend and Foe

by Kristy Amburgey

I love spellcheck!  I rely on this system tool just as I would a dear friend.  Its seemingly endless wealth of knowledge gently points out my mistakes and goes ahead and solves my spelling and grammatical errors.

But as can be with friendships, there are challenges.  Spellcheck does not capture all the errors, misspellings, wording confusion and other writing issues.  Alas, this friendly system can become one of your biggest foes if you don’t follow up the spellcheck with a thorough review of your own.  If something is in all caps, spellcheck won’t identify spelling errors.  If a word is spelled correctly but misused, the system rarely gives you notice.  When words have more than one spelling option, multiple meanings, and other issues, our dear-old spellcheck just won’t give you a straight answer about them.

Here are a few tips to remain friendly with spellcheck and ensure it is working for you.

  • Use the all-caps effect when formatting your document: instead of turning on the caps lock, type out all words intended for caps first; once spellcheck has been able to review it, go back and use the text or font effects for all caps
  • Select the “Use Contextual Spelling” and “Automatic Grammar Checking” options in Microsoft Office: these options will further help you with solving wording and grammar confusion (check out all the proofing options in Microsoft Office to select the best option for you)
  • Watch for words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings: dual/duel, hear/here,principal/principle, threw/through, to/too/two
  • Know that some words sound somewhat similar but mean different things: accept/except, affect/effect, assure/ensure/insure, chose/choose, farther/further, lose/loose, than/then
  • Catch words that are spelled correctly but are often misused or interchanged for another word: collage/college, Embry/Emery/Emory, except/ expect, major/mayor, performed/preformed, personal/personnel, summary/summery, were/where
  • Pay special attention to verb tenses that can cause confusion: lead/led
  • Be aware that even just one letter off can completely change the meaning of a word: advance/advanced, appraise/apprise
  • Understand the difference between contractions, to combine two words, and words of possession: it’s (it is)/its, they’re (they are)/their/there, you’re (you are)/your

Admittedly, such a topic seems straightforward and nothing that is out of the ordinary.  The reality is that all of the above errors have at one time or another been found in resume reviews.  These errors occur, some of them (I am talking to you preformed) quite often.  Many of these glitches can be contributed to overly fast typing, distraction or just a common mistake.  Sometimes, you may need to do more to prevent these errors like implementing the use of grammar-based websites, dictionaries and other resources to learn about the words or subjects in question.  Remember, an employer is looking for any reason to eliminate your resume from further review.  Please don’t give a company an easily prevented grammar or spelling error as reason to toss your resume to the side.  Use your friend, spellcheck, to catch common errors.  But you also want to ensure that you thoroughly review your document for things that slip through the system.

Kristy Amburgey is the Associate Director of Career Services – Daytona Beach campus and currently manages marketing and employer relations for the department.  She has been with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for approximately 10 years and with Career Services for nine years.

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by eraucso on June 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Job Search Advice, Workplace Advice
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Posted by eraucso on June 18, 2012

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The Resume Mystery: Solving Your Case for Employment

by Kristy Amburgey

Mystery movies, TV shows and books abound.  CSI, Sherlock Holmes and every Law & Order show imaginable are there to intrigue you and grab your attention.  The tenet of most of these amusements is the protagonist’s ability, much of the time, to establish evidence of a case and solve some great mystery.  With this image in mind, I ask you to examine your own resume and whether or not it establishes your case for employment.  Is an employer able to find evidence of your abilities, accomplishments and goals through your resume, or does your document create a mystery that not even a seasoned sleuth could solve?  The goal of your resume is to establish what job you want, how you can contribute to the company and that you meet the qualifications set forth by the company.  Understanding the need for a solid resume, I want you to pull out your magnifying glass and start combing through your background to build a case for your desired job.

To build your case, it is important to understand what the employer expects.  Read the job description, research the company and review feedback you have on the organization.  What are the company values?  What are common key words for this type of job?  What are the top qualities they want in a candidate?  What educational accomplishments are expected?  What advice did you receive from your contacts about the company?  Start the case-building process with your research and the job description.

The next step in building your case is taking your insight into the job and company and actually composing your resume.  Don’t skimp on the time you take with this process.  For every point in the description, ask yourself if there is an accomplishment from your past that would prove your ability to do that task.  You won’t necessarily have accomplishments related to all of the job description’s points, but you should integrate as many as you can that relate to the job.  What you don’t want to do is add accomplishments just to add them; keep each point related to the job and company.  Formatting your accomplishments as action-oriented content is an important part of the composition process.  One way to format your accomplishments is to start with an action verb and then list the description and outcome.  At times it is better to start with the action-focused outcome and then provide the description.  In each point, you must be concise and focused.

While building your case via the resume, you may get stuck from time to time, especially if you don’t have specific experiences related to the job.  At this juncture, brainstorm about your background to see if you have supporting evidence for success based on your previous experiences.  Consider all aspects from your past, including work, academics, professional memberships, leadership experiences and more.  These past accomplishments may be directly or indirectly related to the job you are pursuing.  When you do get stumped, use the below questions as prompts to work your way through the job description and resume evaluation process.  These questions should be used to guide you through the process as opposed to what you absolutely have to include in the resume.  Remember, what you list still needs to relate to the job you are seeking.

  • For any project, work or academic, what skills did you use to achieve the desired outcome?  What was the result of the project?  Did you get any recognition from the completion of the project?
  • When you had your last review or evaluation, what was an area or skill for which you received kudos?  Is there an accomplishment that exemplifies your evaluated strength?
  • In any of your work accomplishments, do you have quantifiable information to provide?
  • If you worked with people, do you have any positive feedback, ratings or other items that exemplify your people skills?
  • When you analyzed a situation, what was the outcome?
  • When you resolved a situation or problem, did you obtain favorable results?
  • If you ever advocated for implementing something, did a positive change occur?
  • What have you initiated?
  • How has your management style helped your team succeed?  Did you make positive contributions to the growth of your employees?
  • If you trained others, were they successful?
  • How many clients or customers did you handle at once?  How many projects or tasks within a project did you balance?
  • Did you design or develop a new product, idea or method that was used?
  • Did you improve a function or process?
  • Did you positively impact your organization’s bottom line?
  • Did you identify a new stream of revenue or money saving tactic?
  • When organizing and planning, was the event, project, program, etc. successful?
  • Did you follow company, federal or other regulations to achieve something?
  • Were you creative or resourceful in a way that led to a success?
  • Did you volunteer to take on work above and beyond what was expected?

These questions are great when developing your resume, but there are some job types in which you won’t have numbers to include or specific outcomes to list. There are jobs in which education, ratings, time and/or certifications are more important in the hiring process. Regardless, I still recommend that you use this exercise to identify the results you can list, which may include more qualitative accomplishments than quantitative details.

Just like with a good mystery, your case for employment has to emphasize solutions and minimize doubt about your ability to do the job.  For your resume, you need to establish, as best you can, a solid case for employment and remove doubt from an employer’s mind about your ability to do and succeed in the job.  To do this, you should integrate concrete evidence of your accomplishments into your resume so that an employer can best judge your fit for the job.  Use your resume to create a tantalizing story of accomplishments, successes and outcomes, and you will have cracked the case.

Kristy Amburgey is the Associate Director of Career Services – Daytona Beach campus and currently manages marketing and employer relations for the department.  She has been with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for approximately 10 years and with Career Services for nine years.

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by eraucso on March 8, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on March 8, 2012

http://eraucso.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/the-resume-mystery-solving-your-case-for-employment/

International Students: Maneuvering Through a Job Search

by Adriana Hall

A job search requires countless hours, patience, dedication and a sense of action.  A job search for an international student requires the same sense of dedication, but there are some added maneuvers to implement into your search to emphasize your skills and accomplishments in this competitive job market.

One of the biggest challenges to finding employment as an international candidate is that many employers in the United States are required by law to hire only U.S. Citizens due to security.  Employers may also be reluctant to hire international candidates because the process can be both intimidating and overwhelming.  In addition, the current economic downturn produces even more competition among candidates for available positions.

The great news is that there are employers who are willing to hire foreign nationals who demonstrate during the recruiting process that they have not only the skills necessary to perform the job, but the personality to fit into the company.   International candidates also have skill sets that they can bring to the job search process to help them stand out from other applicants.

From demonstrating your skills to identifying your qualities, another important part of the job search process as an international applicant is to become familiar with U.S. immigration practices and procedures.  That way, it is easier to talk to employers about immigration policies, which can make the employer feel more confident in the entire process.

Here are some important tips to help international candidates through the job search process.

How do you stand out as an international candidate in this very competitive market?

  • Build a strong cover letter, resume/curriculum vitae (CV, if applying overseas).  The resume is the first impression an employer has of you; it is your own marketing tool
  • Maintain a strong GPA
  • Master the English language.  Enhance your communication skills by talking and speaking up in class, giving presentations, making friends, talking to Americans, taking communication courses, attending Career Services professional development presentations, joining and participating in on-campus organizations and reading newspapers and academic publications
  • Practice interviewing.  The first step to preparing for an interview is having an understanding of your values, skills, qualities and accomplishments  and being able to speak about them to a potential employer
  • Attend career fairs.  Meet recruiters and learn about various companies
  • Pursue internships and co-ops to open doors to possible full-time opportunities

How do you start navigating the job market in the U.S. and overseas?

  • Research companies in your career field that have multinational presences
  • Focus on occupations that most often sponsor international candidates
  • Look for opportunities in your own country
  • Become familiar with bilateral agreements that your country has in terms of employment with other countries
  • Network, Network, Network!  Contact friends, classmates, neighbors, family members, professors, alumni and community members and share your interest in obtaining employment with them.  Knowing the right people is more important than ever.  Alumni are a great resource. Consider creating an account on LinkedIn and actively using the system. You can find alumni from around the world that are in your area of interest and expertise and establish a connection

What skills can you emphasize during any job search interaction?

  • Language skills
  • Ability to adapt to new environments
  • Multi-cultural experiences
  • Global perspective
  • Plus, all your  technical skills, attributes and accomplishments

Job seekers often have the same sense of dedication and commitment to their job searches.  As international candidates seeking employment in the United States, it is important that your job search includes a focus on the hiring process knowledge and an emphasis on skills that differentiate you from other candidates. Use these recommendations to maneuver through the job search process and land a position.

Additional Resources

Adriana Hall has a Bachelor of Arts in Languages (Spanish-English) from Colombia-South America and a Master of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  She has been with ERAU for 9 years. Adriana worked for the Department of State in Colombia at the United States Embassy before moving to the U.S. ��� mr �(�� Career Services.

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by eraucso on February 16, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on February 16, 2012

http://eraucso.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/international-students-maneuvering-through-a-job-search/

Publishing Your Resume in the EagleHire Network

by Alicia Smyth

Did you know that there are over 1300 employer contacts in the EagleHire Network who are linked to the system? Over 1300!

That means that if you do not yet have your resume published to the plethora of resume books in the EagleHire Network, you are missing out on the potential for employers to find you. That’s right…find you. That’s because the employers who are linked to the system have the ability to search resumes that are published in resume books.

If a linked employer sees your resume, there are a few things that could potentially happen. They may invite you to apply for a specific job posted on the EagleHire Network with their company, they might download your resume to their computer to print or save to contact you later, or they may glance at your resume and do nothing more. In any event, you can review the companies that see your resume in the “Documents” section where you manage your resumes.

Keep in mind that you don’t know who is reviewing your resume before they do so. If you are currently employed and want to keep your job search confidential, it might not be a good idea to publish your resume in the system.

If you decide to publish your resume in the system, follow these guidelines:

  • Make sure that you keep your EagleHire Network account updated. Linked employers have the ability to search the system based on specific criteria that comes from your account data and resume. That said, they can only see your GPA, resume, expected graduation date, and degree.
  • If you are publishing your resume to a general resume book, make sure the resume you submit is relatively general in nature (i.e., don’t address a specific company). If it is a career focus-specific resume book, you should have a resume that reflects that particular career focus.
  • If you find that your resume has been reviewed by multiple companies but you are not being contacted, it might be time to evaluate your resume to ensure that it includes effective content, appropriate grammar and spelling, etc.
  • If you get a job, be sure to remove your resume from any and all resume books in the system. Otherwise, employers may contact you.
  • Be aware that at any time,  an employer could contact you via phone or email. Make sure that you answer your phone courteously, especially if you do not recognize the number. Make sure your outgoing voice mail message is professional as well.
  • If an employer contacts you with an opportunity you are not interested in, be polite and remember that you put your resume out there hoping for a response from potential employers. Never be rude to a potential employer and always thank them for their consideration even if you have found another opportunity or are not interested.

To publish your resume in the EagleHire Network, it must first be reviewed and approved by a Career Services staff member. You will receive an email notification when this occurs. At that point, you may log in to your EagleHire Network account, mouse over “Documents” and select “Publish a Resume.” From there, you can choose which resumes you want to be published into the various resume books in the system.

Having a published resume in the system should not replace your active job search efforts. Continue to proactively apply for job openings in the system and elsewhere on the internet and through your personal and professional contacts.

Alicia Smyth has been with the Career Services Office at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University since 2000. In her time at Embry-Riddle, Alicia has worked primarily at the Daytona Beach campus but has also served in roles with Prescott and Worldwide. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida. Alicia currently serves as the director and information systems manager for Career Services and loves all things social media and technology. 

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by eraucso on November 4, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by eraucso on November 4, 2011

http://eraucso.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/publishing-resume-in-eaglehire-networ/

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