Things to Remember When Job-Hunting

Job hunting is one of the most stressful processes ever.  Some, however, have more luck than others. But for those of you out there who are anything like me, job hunting is the opposite of fun.  I dread nothing more than finding a job.  What if the job isn't for me?  What if the career I want to go into isn't for me?  What if I fail?  What if I hate it? Job-hunting for me is full of "what ifs."  With that said, you are not alone.  And it is important to remember that you are not as powerless as you think. In fact, you hold the power.

When job-hunting, try and remember that job-hunting itself is a job.  You should be fully committed to finding the right job for you and that best fits your needs, and perhaps your wants as well.  Job-hunting is by no means a science, rather it is an art.  Some simply are better than others in such a process.  Job-hunting is also mysterious and we will never understand why things work and why other times they do not.  Trying to understand these things can not be done, so try and avoid the stress.  And finally, there is no always wrong and always right way(s) to hunt for a job.  Again, job-hunting itself is a job - if your job hunt isn't working, you need to increase the amount of time you are dedicating to finding a job. With that said, do not give up!  You are not alone. 

P.S. - For those of you need help staying on track with job-hunting, visit www.jobsearchpowermeter.com!  

The Secrets of Salary Negotiation

Before accepting a job, a salary must be discussed at some point.  To be prepared for such a discussion with your employer, you should want to and be able to negotiate your salary.  Without going into extreme detail, there are six main secrets to salary negotiation that everyone should pay attention to.

• Do not discuss salary with the employer until after the employer clearly states that they want you.
• This next one is key.  The main purpose of salary negotiation is to reveal the most that the company or organization is willing to pay you to get you in the door.
• When salary does come up, don't be the first one to bring up a salary figure
• Do your research.  Before your interview and before discussion regarding salaries, it is important to carefully research what is a typical salary for your field and in that particular organization. (I find www.salary.com to be extremely helpful!)
• In addition to doing your research on typical salaries within your field/organization, it is also a great idea to research the range in which the company has in mind, and in addition to that, to define a salary range for yourself based on the employer's range. 
• Last but certainly not least, the sixth secret of salary negotiation is knowing how to close the deal.  Avoid leaving the salary an open conversation to save for later.  An important thing to remember about closing the deal on salary is to get it in writing and a signature.  This serves as a contract between both you and the employer.  

Hope these tips have been helpful!  Negotiate away!

Mistakes Made in a Job Interview

Nothing is worse than wondering to yourself for days and months on end why you didn't land that job you really wanted.  Where did you possibly go wrong?  There are ten major mistakes that are made in terms of job interviews that result in a decrease in chance of you landing a job.  These mistakes are described in the best seller, What Color Is Your Parachute?, written by Richard N. Bolles.

1. Limiting yourself to large organizations only.

Going after only large organizations limits your options and your chances are lessened greatly. Landing an interview may be more difficult and you're being compared to tons of other candidates.   

2. Doing the search by yourself for places to visit.
No one wants to go about this type of search alone.
3. Not doing prior research about the company or organization before the interview.
It is like not doing your homework before class.  You are unprepared and have no knowledge about the subject you are supposed to know.
4. Interviewing with the Human Resources department.
Usually the HR department looks for reasons to screen you out, not bring you in..
5. Overstaying your welcome.
If you are being interviewed, you need to have an understanding of when it is over.
6. Only talking about your resume during the interview.
Sure, your resume is important but it is important to talk about other topics also.
7. Talking only about yourself through the interview
It is important to show interest and ask questions to your interviewer.
8. Lack of support in backing up skills you claim you have.
Your resume says you have certain skills but if you can't use examples of how these skills can be applied, you might as well not even list these skills.
9. Acting as if you are begging for the job.
Approaching an employer as if you were a job beggar, is not at all appealing to an employer.
10. Not sending a post interview thank-you.
Saying "thanks for having me" is a huge must after an interview.  They took the time out of their day to listen to you, now take the time to say thank you.  It is courteous and wins in the long run.

There you have it.  Prevent yourself from making these careless mistakes to higher your chances of landing the job!

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great source to use for both personal and professional experience.  Through LinkedIn, you can: build your own network, find job postings and job opportunities, connect with current and former colleagues and  students, showcase your experience and projects, and so much more.

In my case, I am fairly new to LinkedIn and use it to represent myself.  If you are looking to create a LinkedIn profile for a company, you should have an official website and a company e-mail address.  You may connect and link this profile to your personal, individual account.  

A good LinkedIn individual profile should include the following: a summary reflecting yourself, work experience, volunteer experience, skills, endorsements, projects completed, and relevant coursework.

The truth of the matter is, people are always searching on LinkedIn for new opportunities and ways to connect with unique individuals like yourself.  It is important to maintain your profile in order to maximize your opportunities.  

Check out my LinkedIn!  www.linkedin.com/rebeccajordanwatson

The Terrifying Search for Internship

Looking for a job but not sure where to start?  Do you ever find yourself wanting to jump right into getting out into the professional world, but don't want to sign on with a company for a set amount of time just yet? Gaining and trying new experiences is extremely important when trying to figure out what it is exactly you want to do for the rest of your life...

That is where the internship comes in.  Not only are internships something that companies look for when hiring a candidate to see whether or not that person has experience in their field, but they are and should be also essential to your search... your search in determining what you enjoy, and what you don't.  

But of course internship searches are questionably just as intimidating as finding your first entry-level job.  Chances are you are a college student wanting to gain valuable experience to your field.  So where do you start?  Where do you find these internships?

The search for my first internship was over nine months long.  I searched for several months trying to get an idea of what companies want, the related requirements, etc.  Time had passed and I would regularly check for new internships on different sites, applying to some, but not exactly being as proactive as I should have. 

One day it clicked.  I was only a couple of months away from entering my senior year of college.  It was my time to get the experience I needed, and to find an internship where I would be taking all that I learned from my years of schooling and applying it in the real world.  

Yes, finding an internship is intimidating.  For the longest time I put it off.  Here's the good news. You try it, you don't like it, you gained experience.  Time to try something new.  My suggestion is to jump right in, find an internship that appears to suit you, and apply.  I would highly recommend Looksharp.  It is a career site that it is easy, convenient and I suggest it to everyone.  Good luck in your search, but remember, you're here for the experience!

Twitter

What is a better way to get involved in social media than Twitter?  If unfamiliar with twitter, the best way to understand  this social media source is by getting directly involved by creating your own account.   

Known for the infamous hashtag (#), Twitter allows users to search for or find a main keyword(s) that is relevant to a specific tweet.  Another great tool twitter uses is the @ sign, allowing users to directly include a username in their tweets.  Not only that, but Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters each, so the information is very brief and concise, getting to the point.  

In regards to a company, Twitter is great in the sense of promoting a service or product because many people tweet about them, giving their opinions and recommendations. It is always a great idea for a company to be directly involved in social media, including Twitter.  You can gain followers to keep current and potential customers in the loop.  Another great way to use Twitter and social media in general is to see and monitor what is being said about your company.  

So, if you don't already have an account, all you need to do is go to www.twitter.com and click "sign up". From there, you are asked for basic information.  Then, you can create your own unique Twitter username and password.  Once that is completed, you are ready to go and can start using Twitter.  #ENJOY!