Getting a Job in a Competitive Market

By Katie Cianci Senior Area Recruiter, Kaiser Permanente

At the end of this Seminar, you will be able to:

Understand the basics of what employers are looking for in making hiring decisions Have a better understanding of your core competencies and what jobs are more suitable for you than others Have learned how to stand out from the candidate pool and increase your likelihood of being hired Build confidence in yourself Be better prepared to meet the employers expectations once you are hired
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Job Search Techniques and Internships

Networking!
y FACT: 70% of jobs are found through networking y Its about relationships and information, not job hunting y Most people like to help others find resources and

connections y You are part of many networks (family, friends, colleagues, civic clubs etc) y Each member of a network may know of an available job

Tips for Successful Business Networking

y Networking is about being genuine, building relationships y Pick groups that will help you get what your looking for y Visit as many groups as possible that sparks your interest y Hold volunteer positions in organizations y Be able to articulate what youre looking for and how you may

help others y Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. y Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa

Tips to Improve your Networking Skills

y Know Exactly what you want form others, have a plan y Have a positive attitude y Talk to strangers y Share Information y Dont ask too much at one time y Dont forget to follow-up on leads y Keep it brief y Continue your efforts- after youve secured a new position

Information/Career Interviews
y Meeting with a person who currently does a job you think y y y y y

you might want to do Help you focus your career choice and job search Discover skill sets that are required Get a strong understanding of position, be more prepared for interview in that industry Person you speak with can be a valuable contact in future Ask for a name of another person in field to speak with/ ask to use their name

How to prepare
y Get a basic knowledge of the field y Be responsible for managing the discussion, develop

sophisticated questions y Be prepared to talk about yourself, think about your strengths and skills y Be current in field before meeting y After career interview, send a thank you letter and touch base with your contact as you progress

Sample questions to ask in Career/Information Interviews

y How did you get into this field? y What kind of training/background do you have? y What does it take, in your view, to succeed in this field? y What do you like best about your work? y What kind of person seems to do best in this sort of work? y Do you have any suggestions on my job search strategy? y Do you mind if I stay in touch with you regarding my career

campaign? y Can you suggest another person I might speak to? Can I use your name?

Internet Job Search

y Ask your librarian, they have a plethora of information to help y y y y y

you- Library Database, Carl System, Eureka Best Directory: reference source on insurance companies Business Periodicals Index- Wall Street Journal, Fortune etc. Directory of corporate Affiliates- list of 4,000+ corporations with address, telephone numbers, geographic index etc.. Guide to American Directories (Bernard Klein); Lists directories in virtually all career fields, many free Directory of Executive Search Recruiters, Kennedy Publications

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Internships
y Talk to your student advisor about finding internships; y y y y y

Dr.Lou Rubino and Dr.Jerry Seliger Get advice from student Career Center Cold Call organizations in which you want to intern, just ask! http://www.internships.com/ costs $11 year http://www.internjobs.com/ free http://www.collegerecruiter.com/

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How To Get A Job

Resume
y Key points (sum it up) y Clean layout y No 9 font y Customize your resume to the job you wish to apply for

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Employment Application
y Tell the truth y Must be thorough y No abbreviationsspell it out y NEAT y No gaps

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Company research
y Research the company.history and market including

product and competitors y Know the position which you are applying for and what you bring to the table y Strong weakness (know both good and bad) y Company stability

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How to get an employer to notice your application

y Make sure you are a qualified applicant y Never apply when you do not meet the basic criteria y Strong cover page and references

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Your style
y Job satisfaction over mere employment is vital y Seek win-win situation y Do not apply to a job just for a job y Remain positive and optimistic

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Dress Code
y Business attire/color y No flashybold colors y Ironed y Stand up straight y Conservative/no urban dress

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Personal Touch
y Thank you letters or email immediately y Follow up call and or email

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Creating an Effective Resume

Effective Resume
y Your personal marketing brochure of what you have to offer a y y y y y y

potential employer. Excite interest and the attention of the Manager or Recruiter at the beginning of the resume. Attract the reader to your abilities, skills, and experience that make you qualified for the job Create a favorable impression that will encourage additional questions and ultimately an interview. Be attractive to the eye, easy to read. Organized and concise to read quickly. Literate, demonstrate accurate punctuation, grammar and spelling, free of any errors.

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Preparation
y Know what type of position you are applying for. y Write down your knowledge, skills, experience that makes you y

y y y

qualified for that position. Review a job description of your ideal job. Identify in the qualifications and job duties where your skills and experience match up. You will use this for your Summary of Qualifications. Write down dates of employment, job titles, company, etc. Document your duties and main accomplishments for each job. Identify your key skills and experience for your Summary of Qualifications.

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Format
y Determine which resume format fits y Snapshot of your experience and y

your situation: Chronological, Functional, Combination y Create one template resume and tailor to fit each job you apply to (one in text format and one in Word/PDF format) y Use action phrases and avoid personal pronouns ( I or We) y List responsibilities, accomplishments rather than focusing on complete sentences.
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y y

skills, keep it brief with impact 1-2 pages depending on experience (general rule: 3 years or less, keep to 1 page, over 3 years, 2 pages) Font: 10 pt 14 pt Arial or Times New Roman. Heading: 16pt -18 pt, Bold for your Name, 10-12 pt. for contact information Margins- 0.5-1.0 top, bottom and sides

Content
Heading: Name and Contact information Summary of Qualifications/ Professional Skills Education (if you just graduated) Experience/ Professional Experience/ Relevant Experience Volunteer Experience (if applicable) Skills (optional) Activities (optional)- great if you have been involved in college programs such as holding a leadership position in Church, Associations, Fraternity or Healthcare Associations y Note: Always have several people review your resume for errors and content.
y y y y y y y
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Common Resume Errors

y Objective Statement- Waste of space and time. Your objective is

y y

obvious, you are applying for a specific job. Use the space more wisely to showcase your skills. Typos- Proofreading is essential. Incorrect dates of employment or no dates of employment- make sure you always update your resume with correct dates (use month/year if you dont know exact dates). Inappropriate email address: Instead use jane.smith@yahoo.com Avoid emails such as: sexykitten123@yahoo.com or studlyhunk23@aol.com Messy, unorganized format- Be neat, concise, and use a visually attractive format.

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Common Resume Errors

y Boring- Use action words and accomplishments rather than

listing all your job duties. This is not a job description but rather a marketing brochure. Make it interesting! y Too detailed- Dont get too detailed in your narratives. Remember this should be easy to read in about 5 seconds and excite interest in learning more. y Irrelevant information to the job you are applying for is a waste of space and time. Make sure you tailor your resume and leave out skills or information that are not relevant.

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Cover Letter
y Keep it brief and to one page. y Paragraph 1 How you heard about the position y Paragraph 2- Why you are interested and what you have to

offer y Paragraph 3- Closing to include how they can contact you. Dont be too pushy and assuming that you should follow up. If they are interested, they will contact you.

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References
y References available upon request is not necessary. y Rather, on a separate page, list your References to include: y Name y Company y Title y Relationship to you: (i.e.. Professor ,Manager, Supervisor, Co-

worker) y Direct Phone y Email y Only list Professional References. Previous Professors, Co-workers or Managers/Supervisors. y Friends and Family members are not considered professional and do not provide constructive references for you.
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References
y Always ask permission to use as a Reference prior to

y y

y y
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including on your list. It is professional courtesy to ask and it also gives your reference notice that they should expect a call from a potential employer. Good references are the key to securing a position. If you able to accumulate letters of references, that is always impressive. Keep in touch with your references and always leave on good terms. You never know when you may need your former boss, coworker or professor as a reference. Good performance, professionalism and good work ethic help you in the future. Only present Reference List when requested.

The Interview
y Dos and Donts y The Tough Questions y Primary objective of the Interview

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Post-Interview

Thank You Letter

y Two questions you should always ask during the interview: y What qualifications are you looking for in an ideal

candidate? y Describe the culture of your department and your organization. y Always ask for business cards of the interviewers y If you have multiple interviewers, create a thank you template and then tailor to each interviewer

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Thank You Letter

y Email is the quickest way to thank your interviewers. y Letters by mail are more personal, however take longer to

arrive and likely a decision has already been made. y Email your thank you letters to each interviewer within 24 hours (ideally that same day). y Keep it short and concise

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Thank You Letter

y Format y Address: Dear Mr. or Mrs. Smith, y Paragraph 1: Thank you for their time. y Paragraph 2: Express interest in position. Indicate why you

are the ideal candidate and why they should hire you. y Paragraph 3: Describe how you will make a contribution and what you like about their team or the interviewer. y Paragraph 4: Thank you for their consideration and you look forward to hearing from them. Offer to provide additional information if it will help in the decision.

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Sample Thank You Letter

Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name: Thank you for your time this afternoon to further discuss the Project Analyst position at Kaiser Permanente. After learning more about the position and your department, I remain excited about the opportunity and believe it is an excellent match with my skills and experience. In addition to my enthusiasm, I will contribute strong analytical skills, professionalism, and a proven ability to manage multiple projects. The creative approach and patient focused culture you described during the interview confirmed my desire to work with you. If selected for this position, I am confident that I can begin making immediate contributions to your team and Kaiser Permanente. I appreciate your time and consideration. Please feel free to contact me at (213) 456-0909 if I can provide you with additional information to assist you in making a decision. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Julie Smith
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After the Thank You

y Be patient. Making a hiring decision can take days or weeks. y Dont be pushy. If they say it will take a week, expect it to y y

take 2 weeks. If you are selected as the finalist, you will be contacted. After sufficient time has passed and you have not heard from the manager or recruiter, it is appropriate to follow-up with the recruiter. If not selected for this position, be polite and ask to be considered for future positions. Do not argue with the Recruiter or the Manager. Always take an interview as a learning opportunity to improve and do better the next time.

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Tips for the First Day on the Job and Beyond

10 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression

Have a Positive Attitude y Nothing works better in all situations than having and expressing a positive attitude y Dress Professionally/Blend in With Co-Workers y You should never underestimate the importance of dressing professionally in your new job y Dress how you want people to perceive you y Perfectly groomed means efficient and reliable in work; unkempt means disorganized and therefore difficult to trust y Ask Questions/Ask for Help y No one expects you to solve all the organization's problems on your first days on the job y Employees generally never get in trouble for asking too many questions y Not asking questions and making mistakes will negatively impact how people will perceive and trust you
y
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10 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression

y Work Full Days y "Be on time, come in early, stay a little later," y "There's nothing that can affect your reputation faster than routinely

coming into work late or leaving work early y Ask your boss if he/ she can set goals for you y Try to establish quantitative goals that can be tracked over time y Dont just meet the goalsExceed them! y Track your accomplishments y Show Appreciation y Nothing works like kindness and genuine appreciation y Show your appreciation to everyone who helps you learn the ropes during your first days on the job -- from your co-workers to receptionists to the human resources folks.
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10 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression

y Meet and Network with Key People in Organization &

Profession y Take advantage of every opportunity to network with key people in your organization and profession y Networking with key people can also help you in finding one or more mentors. y Find a Mentor y A mentor is someone who can provide you long term professional and career guidance y Mentors can help direct and advance your career within the organization y Mentors can also provide you direction and help you navigate through the organization when issues arise
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10 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression

y Listen More than Talk y Don't act like a know-it-all right off the bat y We have two ears and one mouth so that we listen twice as much as

we speak y Keep Your Boss Informed -- of Everything y Your boss is not a mind-reader, so keep him/her informed on how you are doing and the status of your projects y Try to establish check in meetings or one on ones with your boss y Your job is to make your boss look good y Dont wait until the last minute to give your boss a heads up if something isnt tracking to plan y If you are swamped with work, inform your boss about it

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Final Thoughts

Being the newest member of the organization -is both challenging and exciting Remember to relax, keep your mind open, get to know your team members, and do your work well You should go far in making a lasting impression and reputation!

Source: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

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