Career Development
Market Yourself in the Job Market
are not alone. In fact, you will likely be competing with hundreds of your peers also fresh out of school and willing to do whatever it takes to slide through that nar- row opening of corporate America. Just getting noticed out of that large pool of applicants is difficult enough, and some corporations still carry over prejudices based on ethnicity, gender, age, disabi- lity, physical appearance and educational background. It is important to give your- self every advantage possible. Your first advantage comes with sen-
I
ding an effective résumé with a cover let- ter. These two items won’t get you hired on the spot, but they are the main factor in getting you that interview. Since a résumé can’t reflect your body language, impec-
f you are a future college graduate, you face a challenging job market, but you
cable dress and respectful demeanor, you must advertise yourself effectively with the written word. Many books and web- sites exist to help you write an effective résumé and cover letter, but it will be of greater benefit to show a draft to your professors in the subjects that relate to the field you are entering, or to professional acquaintances in that field. As an upcoming college graduate, you
will have to tailor your letters differently than you would if you had extensive work experience. Internships, volunteer work, fraternity/sorority positions, extracurri- cular activities, campus activities, foreign travel and research projects are all valid college experiences to emphasize along with your coursework and previous em- ployment. If you live in student housing during the school year and live at home during the summer and winter breaks,
make sure employers have every possi- ble means to reach you. Make sure your résumé has both your campus and home addresses, phone numbers, cell phone numbers, fax numbers, pager numbers and email addresses, if applicable. Speaking of email, take a look at the
email address that you give to intervie- wers. “Cute” addresses like “love2shop@
domain.com” appear juvenile and will not get you taken seriously. Search engines like Yahoo! and Google offer free email accounts that you can use if you don’t al- ready have a professional email address. The best account name to use is something simple, preferably your full name or your last name and an initial or number, such as “
Jane.Doe@domain.com.” This type of email address gives the added benefit of reinforcing your name in an interviewer’s mind.
While you’re on the internet, do a se-
arch of your name. Is anything potentially embarrassing attached to your reputation on the internet? Keep in mind that em- ployers are aware of the same technology you are, and they can use it to screen ap- plicants. If you have a personal blog, ho- mepage, or post on newsgroups, keep in mind the principle regarding professio- nal email addresses. Don’t post anything under your name you wouldn’t want an employer to see. Save writing abo- ut your political beliefs or your weekend activities for posting under a username, before and af- ter you are hired. Using common sense and
good advice from those with ex- perience can help you get that first foot in the door with the right résumé and cover let- ter. If you can sell yourself on paper, imagine the im- pression you can make in person.
Source: BlackPRWire
46
www.blackeoejournal.com
The Black E.O.E. Journal
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100