De-Stressing the Post Grad Job Search

De-Stressing the Post Grad Job SearchDe-Stressing the Post Grad Job SearchAs senior year winds down and graduation approaches, thinking about your post-graduation plans can be stressful. If you dont have a job yet, dont worry. Youre not alone. More than 4 in 5 college graduates dont have jobs lined up. You can make it happen by getting organized and doing your research.Its a good idea to create a plan of action. Narrow down your short-term goals and start your job search with those guidelines in mind. Once youve set goals, youll have a better idea what you need to do next and what types of jobs are a good fit. Create a timeline that includes which jobs you will be applying for along with accounting for any other life changes such as moving to a new city.You may not get your dream job right away. There is nothing wrong with not having a job lined up after graduation or not getting your ideal job right after school. Many people have worked their way up to a dream job by taking less-tha n-ideal jobs in their industries just to get experience. Getting your foot in the door is more helpful than waiting for a big break.While charting your path, research industries and companies that interest you. This can help establish which companies and people you would like to work for and rule out companies that dont share your values.If you are unsure about your future plans- or even if you are- informational interviews with professionals in the field you would like to work in can be a great resource. They are an easy way to learn more about the industry and become informed about the latest trends and developments. These interviews are also a way to explore different careers, new employment opportunities and identify challenges you might face.departure by talking to people whom you already know such as family, friends, professors and coworkers. If theyre not able to help you, they probably know someone who can. Once you have made a list of people you would like to connect with, reach out through email to set up a meeting. Dont hesitate to contact any role models. Many people would love to help someone just starting out in their career. Informational interviews usually last around half an hour and can be casual or formal.After setting up the interview, research the persons career path and current role before you meet. You may want to ask probing questions about their career and how they got to where they are. Its also important to brush up on the latest trends and news in the industry. You will be better equipped to ask questions and keep the conversation flowing. They also might have contacts in the field they can connect you with. Their advice and experiences can be beneficial for your own career path.If you think the meeting will be slightly more formal, dress as if youre going to an actual job interview. If it is an informal informational interview, dress in business casual attire. During the interview start with an elevator pitch to give the other pers on a clear idea of who you are, what your skills are and what you would like to do in the future. While talking to your interviewer, stay engaged by taking notes. After the interview, always send a thank you note.Finding a dream job can be difficult. By having a plan of attack you can keep yourself on track and relatively relaxed. Being up to date on industry news and having a clear idea of what you want to do will help you project an aura of confidence.Priya Sudendrais a recent graduate of theUniversity of Coloradoand is a staff writer forCollegeFocus, a website dedicated to helping students deal with the challenges ofcollege, including housing, finance, style, health, relationships and transferring from a communitycollege to a four-year university.You can followCollegeFocusonTwitterandFacebook.

Questions to Assess Management Skills of a Candidate

Questions to Assess Management Skills of a CandidateQuestions to Assess Management Skills of a CandidateThe manager interview questions you ask, and the interview question answers yourapplicant supplies, are crucial to your assessment of the candidates knowledge, experience, and potential cultural fit within your organization. Hiring a manager or supervisor presents a special challenge. Ideally, you want aprospective employeewho has both management skill and subject matter knowledge about the area he or she will supervise. The subject matter expertise is easier to assess by looking at the candidates past jobs, accomplishments, and degrees. Management skills, experience, and approach are assessed during an interview and by a careful background check. The management interview questions you ask and the interview question answers you receive from your candidates help you evaluate the candidates management skill and experience. Evaluating management skills and approach is daunting. A cand idate may supply superior answers to interview questions, but the described approach may not fit your organization. A manager who professes a participatory, empowering approach to management, for example, might not fit in an organization that is hierarchical and driven by management decisions made at the top. Any hope you have that the new manager will help transform the management style within your organizationunless there is a firm commitment already existing to do sois misplaced. Its more likely the new manager will never fit and leave a failed relationship. In an interview for a manager role, the candidates interview question answers must also allay your fears that the new manager will not gain acceptance from the employees who must choose to follow. Employees, who were likely internal candidates or wanted to be are tough to win over unless the manager is skilled and experienced. Overall Appropriate Manager bewerbungsgesprch Question Answers When you assess the manager job interview question answers from your candidate, pay attention to how your candidate answers your questions. Does he or she appear comfortable responding to each of the situations you describe and question? If not, the candidate may be inexperienced as a manager and may be misrepresenting his or her credentials. Always ask behauptung questions.These manager interview question answers give you valuable knowledge about the candidates experience. Ask How long the candidate has worked as a managerThe number of employees who reported directly to him or her (the number of employees whom he directly supervised with performance assessment and compensation assignment responsibilities)To describe the exact responsibilities and activities over which he or she had oversight for these employees Aside from management experience as reflected in interview question answers, you are looking for answers that reflect the values and approaches that are acceptable and promoted within your workplace cultu re. You are looking for truthful, genuine answers that accurately describe a management style and approach that will fit within your environment. Beware of a candidate who persistently says the right things but fails to back up statements with solid stories that demonstrate the requested value or approach in action. You seek demonstrable experience that is congruent with your cultureand a solid grasp of a managers responsibilities and requirements. Interview Question Answers for Potential Managers These are the interview question answers you seek as you evaluate candidates for a manager role in your organization. If your interview process is well planned, and your candidate profile is clearly described, the skills you are assessing are already identified. The candidates interview question answers confirm his or her capability to perform the job successfully. To establish the candidates skill in each area, the candidates examples and stories must illustrate how he or she effectiv ely approaches and demonstrates competency in each of these manager skill areas. In his or her interview question answers, the candidate must demonstrate the competency to Lead people and motivate employees to follow his or her leadershipProvide an effective process for performance management that gives measurable goals and solid direction to each individuals job and clearly defines management expectationsProvide frequent feedback and coaching to develop each employees performance continuouslyCommunicate the information employees need to perform effectivelyReward and recognize employee performance and contributionsStep up to the responsibility of addressing and disciplining unsatisfactory employee performance Plan, organize resources, direct, assign and delegate, control, and verify the accomplishment of work and department goals to achieve company expectations Conclusion to Manager Interview Question Answers You can select potentially successful candidates by listening to and n oticing the contents of the answers of your job candidates. Never underestimate your ability to assess their answers and read their verbal and nonverbal communication signals. In a recent recruitment, the company narrowed their candidate selection to two applicants. In the debrief meeting, four different members of the second interview team had somehow concluded, on their own, that one of the applicants was a 9-5er, inflexible about hours of work. In a company that honors employees work-life balance needs, but expects every employee to give their all in an emergency or to meet a customers expectations, this concerned the team. And yes, the other person got the job. The team will never know if they made the correct assessment the selected employee is working out well but the power of the content of an interviewees answers, both verbal and nonverbal, should be considered in every hiring decision.

Why You Should Use a Staffing Firm After Being Laid Off

Why You Should Use a Staffing Firm After Being Laid Off Why You Should Use a Staffing Firm After Being Laid Off Being laid off can feel pretty traumatic. Even when you’re expecting it, sometimes there’s just no way to avoid the cocktail of panic, anger, sadness and/or guilt that comes from losing your job .  The good news is that you can do something immediately to begin to rectify the situation: polish up your resume and reach out to local staffing agencies. Whether you’re looking for a permanent job or just want to jump into a quick contracting role, working with recruiting firms can help you get there (and get there faster!).  Here are some of the reasons to get your resume over to staffing companies ASAP after finding yourself laid off. After being laid off , most people want to jump back into a new job as quickly as possible.  Staying unemployed can be scary.  It may make it harder to pay your bills and potentially even hurt your career if you’re unemployed for too long.  (Selling yourself as a candidate is always hard, but selling yourself as a candidate with a huge gap or two on your resume can feel like a Herculean task.)  Staffing companies can often help you find a new role faster.  Because they have relationships directly with hiring managers, as well as their own internal teams to handle the logistics of the hiring process, they may be able to expedite things a bit.  Another reason that recruiting firms can help you find a new job quickly after a layoff is that they give you access to contract roles .  The hiring process for these kinds of jobs can drag less and be less cumbersome, thus landing you back in a new role faster.   2. Staffing firms open more (sometimes hidden) doors for you. The problem with just conducting your own job search is that it’s so limiting.  Recruiting firms don’t just see the jobs that are posted on LinkedIn, Monster, and other popular job boards.  They also get to hear about the jobs that aren’t posted .  The size of the ‘hidden job market’ is certainly in dispute, but some say that at least 30% of open jobs are never posted .  Employers will share them within their own networks and keep their hiring pretty quiet.  If you’re working with recruiters, they might be some of the few people who are told about an open position. In addition to hearing about job openings that are never posted, sometimes staffing companies can even help create a role for you.  Depending on the field, some recruiters will share great candidates with employers (and sell them).  Some employers won’t be able to pass up the opportunity.  They’ll create a new role for the candidate, add them to an existing team, or open a position they weren’t planning on opening just yet.  This doesn’t happen in every field, but it does happen pretty often in fields where the candidate’s skills are high in demand.  For instance, here at AVID Technical Resources , we certainly find that we can sell employers a candidate they didn’t even know they needed.  Why not work with staffing firms and put yourself in the position to be that candidate?! In addition to getting you access to unposted jobs, recruiting firms will give you another benefit after a layoff: they’ll give you access to a much deeper pool of posted positions.  IT recruiting firms have entire teams of people with connections across various industries.  Through their multiplied manpower and connections, they just have access to so many more jobs than you, as only one candidate does.  They also often have paid access to some of the best job boards out there.  If you want to really hit your job search hard after your layoff, consider joining up with a recruiting firm.  Doing so can intensify the power of your job search exponentially.  More jobs to apply to means better odds of finding something you like (and finding it faster). 3. Working with recruiters is like having your own PR firm â€" but even better. The job search is hard enough without a recent layoff.  It can be difficult to make sure you’re presenting the best, most marketable version of yourself to potential employers - especially after you’ve suffered a blow like a layoff.  Layoffs can make a mark on your resume and really dent your self-confidence .  One way to remedy this is by working with staffing companies.  Staffing agencies want to place you, so they help you finesse your resume, your interview skills, and your overall presentation to employers.  Good staffing firms also have an employer’s trust. When they recommend a candidate, the hiring managers will listen.  Having a recruiter on your side can be particularly helpful after a layoff, as they can get a hiring manager’s attention and explain the reason you’re job hunting in a favorable way. Recruiting firms aren’t just good at selling you as a potential employee.  They’re good at selling you as an employee to particular companies.  Staffing firms have an insider perspective because oftentimes they know what really appeals to a  certain employer.  For example, at AVID Technical Resources, we try to create great relationships with the employers we work with.  We know more than just what technical skills a company is looking for in a candidate, we also know the kind of temperament the candidate needs in order to do well with the team they’ll be working on.  We know when the interviewer needs to see a real passion for working with a particular kind of software, or customer service, etc.  We can share this info you with you so that you can edit your resume and prep for an interview accordingly.   Samantha Keefe is an Interactive Marketing Manager  at AVID Technical Resources .  AVID Technical Resources is a leading information technology recruiting company with nine offices around the country.