Q: My incoming college sophomore daughter (who is studying Wildlife ecology) just got back from a raptor workshop (birds of prey) and brought back some amazing photos of her holding hawks and baby hawks.

Thanks,
Carol

A: Hi Carol, What an awesome experience for your daughter and the pictures are amazing! I would absolutely send the pictures to her network of people, especially the Dean. It can never hurt to let people know what you are up too especially when it is a super cool experience like the one she had. I am not sure if she just took this workshop for fun or if it was required but if she took it for fun. . .I would definitely put it on her resume but it will also show the Dean how dedicated and passionate your daughter is to her major.

I would even start a tumblir account where your daughter can post pictures, videos and blog about her experiences! It is a really cool site and also a great place to send people if they want to learn more and yes definitely post the pictures to Facebook!!

Q: Ask Amanda: I recently read a trend watcher report predicting that LinkedIn will replace resumes. Your thoughts?

A: LinkedIn is vital to every professional whether you are looking for a job, starting your own business or absolutely loving what you do with no plans for leaving! LinkedIn allows us to tell our professional story through our experiences but also relates other people’s experiences with us too.

Do I think resumes will go away? Not really, I can’t print out a LinkedIn profile and have it in front of me while conducting an interview . . . well I guess you could if you are using an ipad. The two of them definitely work hand-in-hand and compliment each other nicely and I think more people will follow up for more information on LinkedIn but resumes are a nice and easy snapshot.

I will throw out the question that if we moved away from resume submissions and LinkedIn started charging people to use this site, would people pay to post their experience? I don’t think I would.

Q: Hi Amanda, I graduated from college a couple weeks ago and have been searching for a job since February. I am currently looking for a position that incorporates writing, but I’m having a rough time. Do you have any suggestions for me? I know what I want to do, but I don’t know the steps I should take to get there, and I’m starting to become frustrated with my job search.

A: Hi Samantha,

Thanks so much for your question! The hardest part is over, which is figuring out what you want to do, now how are we going to get you there? Find people in the community by either using LinkedIn or calling companies that are doing exactly what you want to do and schedule an informational interview with them. This opens the door to expand your network and get some face-time with a person that could hire you! You are also able to hear what the industry is really like and the experiences of “breaking in” from someone that has been there and done it before. Who knows. . . it might even lead to a job offer!

Finding a job is never easy, it takes patience, motivation and stick-to-itiveness. If you want something, YOU have to go out there and get it. Take a chance on yourself and believe you can make it happen because if you don’t believe in yourself. . . how is anyone else going too?

Good Luck Samantha!

A: Job fairs can sometime seem overwhelming and tiresome and soon you begin to doubt whether you’ll ever be noticed. As you check out your competition, you realize that you’re seeing cookie-cutter images of you! Lots of black suits–so much so that you begin to wonder whether the recruiters can even begin to tell you apart! If everyone’s hearing the same advice on how to dress, chances are the resume format is similar too. If you follow these simple steps to standing out in a crowd, you will become more than a face in the crowd!

Planning for the Big Get Noticed Project (aka Getting the Job):

Preparing before the job fair:

1. Plan for the event: Give yourself plenty of time before the event to prepare. Meaning if you heard about the event months ago commit to attending, not at the last second but well in advance. If staggered timing, some job fairs allow those who register first to enter ahead of the others. See step 2 . . .
2. Visit your campus career center to get a listing of all businesses that are going to be at the job fair. Start making a list of companies that you will want to work for and want to meet.
3. Reasearch the companies you have identified as your targets and know the product or service along with their mission, vision and culture.
4. Use social media tools such as LinkedIn, facebook and twitter to find current employees and recruiters that work for that company.
5. Connect with them! I cannot stress this enough. Start a conversation, ask them out to coffee, let them know that you are interested in learning more about the company. (This is why networking skills are so important.)

Go Time:

1. Always wear something that is a conversational piece. Standard attire is black suit however add some flair with a brooch, a colorful scarf or a statement necklace. We always remember a special fashion piece on someone and the same rule applies here.
2. Recruiters realize that most of you are going to be recent college grads and may not have business cards. However, make sure you print some before you go. Always leave an impression so be prepared and provide a card!
3. Always ask them for their business card, that way you have their information and direct line and email for follow up.
4. You have already done your homework on the companies you are most interested in, so now introduce yourself!
Remember to refer to how they know you. Example:

Hi Jane, I wanted to introduce myself, I am Amanda and we
connected through LInkedin. It is nice to finally meet you in person, thanks
for all the great tips.

5. Follow up, follow up, follow up. Be sure to send a thank you email as well as a handwritten note. Mention something that the two of you talked about so the recruiter has a point of reference and can easily remember you because you connected before hand, did your homework, wore a conversational piece, left a business card, got a business card, introduced yourself and followed up!

The next time you visit a job fair it will feel more like a networking event than just another competitive group meet-and-greet!

A: Here is my list of the top 10 questions to ask during an informational interview.

1. What is your typical day like?
2. How did you get started in the industry?
3. What are your day to day expectations?
4. How is your company structured for growth?
5. What is your position’s growth pattern?
6. What advice do you have for someone interested in working in your industry?
7. Why do you love your job?
8. How does your company handle competition?
9. Does your company use social media? In what ways?
10. Would you mind recommending some other people I could talk too?

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