The Dreaded Post-Grad Life…

 

The economy is surely making everyone worried about being able to sustain their current or desired lifestyles and the security of their jobs.  The rising unemployment, a stalemate economy, and increasing costs for nearly everything are enough to push us over the edge.  For recent or soon-to-be graduates it is the fear of even getting a job at all, or to wait it out by going on to graduate school for when the economy may resurge. 

Many college grads are finding that six months to even three years after graduating they are still living at home or have moved back home and could not find a desired position for which they originally thought a college degree would get them.  Not to mention, these same individuals have school loans to pay off and do not see any means of being able to fully support themselves in an apartment of their own.  On top of this, they are forced to compete in a stingy job market that is becoming more and more flooded with degreed graduates in the very same position.  So what many end asking themselves is, “What is/was the point?” 

Before the point is established, listed below are several myths floating around concerning what your life will be like nowadays after graduating college and what to expect during the dreaded job search…

10 Myths About Life After College

1. You’ll go through a quarterlife crisis.
2. You won’t find a job.
3. You’ll be depressed.
4. You never afford an apartment.
5. You’ll get a job you hate.
6. You’ll lose touch with your friends.
7. You won’t use your degree.
8. You’ll have to move home.
9. You won’t be able to pay off your loans.
10. You’ll be eating ramen noodles.

http://www.gradspot.com/Lifestyle/Cooking+and+Drinking/10+Myths+About+Life+After+College

14 Myths and Misconceptions About Job-Hunting

1: Registering at Several Internet Job Boards Will Result in Multiple Job Offers
TRUTH:   One of the most prevalent misconceptions in job-hunting is that job-hunting on the Web will result in employers lining up to interview you. While job-hunting on the Web should be one component of a job search for most job-seekers, it should not be viewed as having any higher success rates than applying to help-wanted ads in the newspaper or trade magazines.

2: Want Ads and Other Job Postings Represent the Majority of Jobs Available
TRUTH:  At the very most — and some say this number is too high — only about 15-20% of all available jobs are ever publicly advertised in any medium. The vast majority of job openings are part of the “hidden” or “closed” job market. And the higher the position and salary, the less likely the position will be advertised at all. How can job-seekers discover these jobs? Networking is by far the most effective job search tool you can use.

3: Job-Seekers Who Change Jobs Often are Frowned Upon by Employers
TRUTH:  Ever since the great “downsizing” and “rightsizing” of companies during the 1980s and 1990s, employers have recognized that there rarely is any logical progression — or corporate ladder — within any one company anymore. To get ahead and gain new skill sets, job-seekers often need to make multiple moves. Avoid really short stints — under a year — but otherwise don’t be too concerned with moving around. And if you are concerned, focus on your transferable skills with a functional rather than chronological resume.

4: A Cover Letter is Not as Important as Other Job-Hunting Materials
TRUTH:  Every time you apply for a job, you should send a cover letter written specifically for the position and company you are applying to. The only exception to this rule is when the employer explicitly states that it does not want a cover letter. A cover letter, also known as a letter of introduction or letter of application, must be an integral part of your job-search strategy. A resume is useless to an employer if s/he doesn’t know what kind of job you are seeking. A cover letter tells the employer exactly what job you are seeking — and how you are uniquely qualified for that position.

5: A Resume Must Show a Logical Progression of Jobs and Increased Responsibility
TRUTH:  The most important part of a resume is showing that you have the skills, education (or training), and experience that the employer seeks. Most employers will spend less than 20 seconds reviewing your resume, which means you need to focus on the key components of your resume that will result in getting a job interview.

6: As Long as You’re Sending out Cover Letters and Resumes, You’ll Get Interviews
TRUTH:  Maybe in the tightest of job markets, or maybe if you are only applying to specific positions for which you are perfectly qualified, will this kind of passive job-search strategy produce any job interviews. Job-seekers must be proactive in your job search. You must follow-up every job lead. Call employers and request an interview. If you are under-qualified for a position or changing careers, request an interview anyway. You may not be qualified for that specific position, but the employer may have other openings (or know of other openings).

7: Lowering Your Salary Demands Will Make You a More Attractive Job Candidate
TRUTH:  Job-seekers should never lower reasonable salary demands because doing so will just make you appear desperate for the job — and will likely result in your not getting the job offer. And even if you got the offer and accepted it, you would most likely never be happy in your job or with your employer because you would feel you were cheated out of the salary you deserved. As long as your salary demands are within acceptable range for the job you’re seeking as well as the industry and location of the employer, stick to them. And never be the first to bring up salary; let the employer raise the issue.

8: If You Can’t Schedule Job Interviews Between 9 am and 5 pm You’re Out of Luck
TRUTH:  While it’s certainly true that a majority of job interviews are conducted during traditional business hours, employers will certainly find time during “off-hours” to interview desirable job-seekers. And it’s often better to interview during these times because there are fewer distractions.

9: The Most Qualified Job-Seekers Get the Best Jobs
TRUTH:  Probably the biggest misconception about interviewing, it is not always the best qualified person who gets the job, but the job-seeker with the best mix of qualifications, interviewing skills, and rapport with his or her interviewer(s). So, don’t be too cocky if you feel you are the most qualified person for the job – and don’t be too discouraged if you don’t feel you exactly match up with the job. If you get a job interview, it’s because the employer thinks there is a strong enough match of your skills, education, and experience to do the job — and at the interview, you need to prove why you are the best person to fill the job.

10: Headhunters and Executive Recruiters Have Your Best Interests at Heart
TRUTH:  Headhunters and executive recruiters get paid by the companies that hire them to fill their open positions, so where exactly is their loyalty? With their client companies, of course. Recruiters will not market job-seekers to companies; instead, they try to fit job-seekers into well-defined positions with the companies that employ their services.

11: Changing Careers is Nearly Impossible
TRUTH:  As the workplace continues to change and evolve, more and more people will change careers in their lifetimes — and many will change careers multiple times. As long as you have a plan and do your best to stick with it, you should be able to switch careers. That said, switching careers is not easy. It takes much effort to switch careers and may involve getting more education (or training), getting experience in the new career field, and focusing on how the skills you currently possess transfer to the new career field.

12: Job-Seekers Should Not Have to Sell Themselves to Employers
TRUTH:  For better or worse, job-hunting is all about marketing yourself to employers — which often means using some key selling skills to close the deal and get the job offer. You are the product, and you need to show the employer why you are the best product for the job. In today’s job-hunting environment, the most successful job-seekers are those who understand the value of marketing and apply to themselves those principles that companies have used for years to successfully sell their products.

13: If You’re Over 50, You Will Have a Hard Time Finding a Job
TRUTH:  The baby boomers are completely redefining the meaning of age and older works, and thus older workers should theoretically have a lot fewer problems finding new jobs than in the past. The critical issues are whether you have the skills, education, and experience that the employer seeks — and whether all those are current. You also have to have the proper attitude — that you are a team player, not a seasoned professional who knows all the answers and is unwilling to change. And, of course, if you are employed in an industry that focuses more on youth, then it may still be harder for you to find a new job.

14: When Times are Tough, Take the First Job Offer You Get
TRUTH:  Job-hunting is streaky.  Should you take the first job offer that comes along? Only if you are sure that the job and the compensation represent the right career move. If not, a better offer will come along — and as long as you are not about to lose your house or suffer other financial or emotional consequences, you should hold out for the job offer that best fits the direction you want to move in

Valuable Tips for Post-Graduates in Today’s Economy…

– Take a resume/interview workshop. Know how to shake hands and look someone in the eye.

– Obtain an internship or work for a nonprofit. Have as much hands-on experience outside of school as possible.

– Be willing to relocate.

– Research the companies to which you’re applying, so if you get called for an interview you know what you’re talking about.

– Get involved in campus leadership; hold a position at a campus club or organization.

– Make personal connections and take advantage of your networking system.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-04-14/news/17193616_1_job-market-graduates-college/3

 

There you have it.  There IS a point to it all, and what you need to do it continue to refine and expand your skill set, networks, and experience in order to make you a more relevant and competitive candidate for whatever the economy throws at you.  Do not be a victim.

Come in There Swinging to Interview Curveballs

 

Prepping for an interview after college can range from paralyzing nervousness to arrogant overconfidence in oneself.  But one thing is for sure, first impressions aren’t everything in an interview, but the only thing.

It is advised that no matter how tough and open-ended the typical interview questions may be for you particular case, there are some important steps that you should take, pre-interview, to soften the blows of natural employer intimidation and your own nervousness…

1.   Being well-prepared will boost your confidence and lower your anxiety. Spend at least three hours preparing for each interview, and know the company’s latest actions, what it does, how it does it, and who its customers are.

2.  Draft answers to the most common interview questions and practice how you will respond with these answers.  By doing this it shows the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in the company and the position.

3.  Have good directions to the interview site in order to estimate the amount of time needed to get to the interview on time.   Being late is perhaps the one of the most preventable of all interview mistakes.

Below are some commonly difficult-to-answer interview questions and how best to craft your answers in a natural, not over-rehearsed way:

Why should we hire you?

This question gives you an open door to really market yourself.  Briefly go over your strengths, skills ors qualifications that you bring to the position discussed.  Try to come up with something that isn’t just “hard working and motivated.” Set yourself apart from this cliché response by expressing what unique qualities you have.

Why do you want to work here?

This question will reveal how prepared you are for the interview and how much you know the company.  Like expressed before, know the company, the industry, its customers, and its direction.  Matching your qualifications to the company’s direction or philosophy is a good strategy as well.

What are your greatest weaknesses?

Express a weakness of yours but show how you have improved upon it and turned it into strength of yours.  This shows that you are self-aware and self-correcting, showing even more initiative. 

Why did you leave your last job?

Be careful not to be too negative if in fact your last job ended that way.  Be diplomatic; find some positives to discuss along with negatives if your previous employment experience wasn’t so great. 

Describe a problem situation and how you solved it.

This question may be one of the most difficult if you’re just coming out of college and do not have much professional experience.  Effectively answering this question will review critical thinking and prioritization ability. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Be specific with this one, and make sure that accomplishment relates to the position you applying for.  Think of the qualities that the company is looking for and demonstrate how through achieving that accomplishment you are meeting their needs. 

What are your salary expectations?

This question may be difficult for those with little experience, so research salary ranges in your field to get an idea.  DO NOT discuss salary expectations before being offered a job unless the employer asks for this information.  Let the interviewer know that you are negotiable about salary, if asked give a range rather than a specific number. 

Tell me about yourself.

This is the broadest of all the common questions asked during an interview.  Stay relevant because the employer is trying to read your professionalism.  Choose to discuss a couple key points (i.e. career goals and professional experience) and try to stick to those points. 

Here are some other common interview questions which may pose difficulty and may need additional preparedness…

1. What is your biggest pet peeve?
2. What can you do for us that someone else can’t?
3. Why should we hire you?
4. What do you look for in a job?
5. What do you think your responsibilities should be?
6. How long will it take you to make a meaningful contribution to this company?
7. How long do you intend to stay with this company?
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
9. What is your biggest failure?
10. What do you think of your previous employer?
11. What do you think you are worth?
12. Are you successful?
13. What types of individuals do you have difficulty working with?
14. Are you a team player?
15. Do you prefer to work alone or be a part of a team?
16. How did you prepare for this interview?
17. Do you feel you are over or under-qualified?
18. How has your education prepared you for your career?
19. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change
20. Describe yourself in five words.