new 15 career tips for recent grads

Do Your Research

Before you go in for your interview, be sure to research the company you are applying to. By having an in depth understanding of the company as well as some background information on whoever is interviewing you, you will come across as prepared and interested in the company.

Practice Interviewing

Take time to practice interviewing before you go in for an interview. Have a family member or friend ask you the most common interview questions so you can be polished and know what you are going to say ahead of time instead of winging it.

Come Prepared With Questions

At the end of any job interview, the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them. Make sure you have a few questions to ask the interviewer. This can be anything from “what do you like best about your job?” to “how would you describe the work atmosphere here?” By asking a few questions, you show interest in the interviewer and the company.

When in Doubt, Dress Up

If you aren’t sure what kind of dress is expected of employees, be sure to go more formal than informal. By dressing up, you show that you are professional and that you are taking the interview process seriously.

Be Flexible

When applying for jobs, be flexible about where you apply. Don’t limit yourself to just one city or one company. Keep an open mind about all potential opportunities.

Keep Building Your Resume

While you apply for jobs, continue to build your resume. Take on an internship, volunteer, or take on a part time job. By continuing to build your resume and increase your skill set, you make yourself more marketable to potential employers.

Figure Out Where You Are Going Wrong

If you aren’t landing any jobs, take a look at where you are going wrong. If you aren’t getting any interviews, go back over your resume and spruce it up by getting more experience or adding information to it. If you are getting interviews but not jobs, practice your interviewing skills so that you can be more successful in your interviews and potentially get job offers.

Utilize Your Network

Reach out to the people in your professional network for their assistance in your job hunt. Oftentimes when it comes to getting hired, it’s not what you know but who you know. So send along your resume and have your contacts pass it along to anyone they know at their

Don’t Rely Solely on the Internet

When searching for a job, don’t depend solely on the Internet. Be sure to attend job fairs, industry events, and utilize other networking opportunities to get your resume out there.

Have an Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a 30 second spiel about your experience and career goals. Having an elevator speech is not only a great way to quickly introduce yourself at networking events but is also a good way to answer the “tell me about yourself” interview question.

Sign Up for LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great way to get all of your professional contacts in one place for networking. Sign up for LinkedIn, add everyone you know, and make sure to fill out your profile completely. LinkedIn also has a job search tool, so take advantage of that.

Send Thank You Notes

After every interview, be sure to send thank you notes to each person who interviewed you. Sending a thank you note shows that you appreciate the interviewer’s time and gives you an advantage over candidates who don’t send thank you notes.

Do What You Love

No matter what, take a job that you will love. If you don’t, you will be miserable and probably won’t end up staying at your job very long. Be sure you are happy with what you are doing.

Don’t Get Discouraged

If you are getting lots of rejections, don’t get discouraged. Remember that times are tough right now and getting a job is hard. Keep sending out your resume and stay positive.

Utilize Your School’s Resources

Most schools will give graduates access to their career center up to one year after graduation. So head on over to your career center to get your resume critiqued, practice your interviewing skills, and check out recent job postings.

ELEVEN CAREER TIPS FOR THE YEAR 2011

1. Take responsibility for your own career development. Many large organizations have scaled back on training and development-a common outcome of the economic downturn-and small companies can rarely provide significant support. Simply put, your career rests in one set of hands: yours.


2. Be strategic. Have a long-term career strategy or, at the very least, a sense for where you’re headed. Ask yourself, “What do I really want to do?” or “Where do I see myself in five to ten years?” Seek people in similar roles and ask for their advice.


3. Work in step with your company’s goals. Connect the dots from your role to your company’s vision and key objectives. How does your work align with the organization’s goals? What can you do to maximize your contributions?


4. Be customer-centric. Whether your customers are internal or external, know their wants and needs, and be fervent about meeting them. Bring the voice of the customer into your day-to-day work and let it enhance your decisions and deliverables.

5. Collaborate. Working with and through others is requisite to innovating, creating, and producing business results. Adopt a mindset for teaming and collaborating, and put it into daily practice.


6. Hone your communication skills. Communication skills can make or break careers. Pick one area that needs your attention-considering skills such as listening, presenting, influencing, persuading, or distilling messages-and commit to improvement. Take a class, practice with a trusted friend or colleague, or join a group such as Toastmasters.

7. Cross over functionally. Many successful executives have risen through the ranks by taking cross-functional roles, such as moving from finance to sales or from marketing to IT. Follow their lead and you can grow your skills, your network, and your political capital.

8. Expand your experience. Volunteer for special projects or assignments that are outside your everyday role. Discuss your goals with your boss, an HR representative, or a senior leader, and ask for help in finding opportunities to broaden your experience base.


9. Find a guide. Mentors can serve as influential role models and provide important guidance for your career. Reach out to a potential mentor within your company or industry and see if he or she would be open to mentoring you for a specific purpose and timeframe.

10. Network-now. The best time to increase your network is today. Starting now, get involved in groups such as professional associations, charitable organizations, or even sports leagues. Step into leadership roles and make your expertise known.


11. Specialize. Today, companies look for specialists, not generalists. Develop a personal brand, distinguish your skills and strengths, and determine how to best market yourself.

Making A Midlife Career Change

It's never too late to make a career change. Here are some tips to help you get where you want to go:

• To begin your search, visit your city's employment office. They never have any jobs you'd actually want, but sometimes they have free coffee.
• If you are married and have children, it may prove difficult to change careers while maintaining financial stability. Consider moving across the country in the middle of the night and assuming a new identity.
• You were born to be an insurance claims adjuster, and the stars know it. Chase that dream.
• Switching to a brand-new field is a great way to reexperience that lost, helpless, fish-out-of-water feeling that sickened you so in adolescence.
• Why not sink your life savings into self-publishing a book of essays about your reflections on aging? There's a gold mine for ya.
• Attack your search for a new career head-on. Use a blunt, bludgeoning weapon and emit a blood-curdling shriek while charging forward.
• Know what you would be good at? Writing movies. After all, you watch a ton of them, and it's just thinking up stuff for people to say.
• It's easy to go from store greeter to grocery bagger if you just believe in yourself.
• You're never too old to go back to college. It's just that you're way too old to fit in socially in any way.
• Going from professional dancer to welder is the reverse of the traditional path. But you must do what you must do.
• Having the right mental attitude is the first step. Try not to think about how old, pathetic, and unqualified you are.

Where Can Fine Artists Receive Career Help?

Career advice to artists comes in a variety of forms. There are workshops that nonprofit arts service organizations offer from time to time, focusing on specific topics (tax time accounting, law, finding a gallery, for instance) and workshops -- the online ones are referred to as "webinars" -- that for-profit organizations offer, usually addressing the same topics. The continuing education divisions of some art schools, or universities that offer art degrees, may also hold workshops and classes on these and other subjects. State arts agencies periodically offer seminars on how to apply for funding to them. An assortment of business and career books for artists are available as well.

For those who prefer the more personal touch, artists may consult on a wide range of career matters with artists' advisors, either face-to-face or over the telephone, depending upon where each party happens to live.

Advice sometimes is free, oftentimes not. State arts agencies usually do not charge for their seminars, and continuing education talks are either free to the public or a nominal fee is asked. Nonprofit arts service agencies generally charge their members lower rates for attending the workshops than nonmembers ($20, for example, as opposed to $30), and career books usually cost somewhere between $10 and $30. Artists' advisors are the most expensive option, charging hourly rates (not including the cost of the telephone call) of between $100 and $500 per hour. (Katharine T. Carter & Associates of Kinderhook, New York adds travel time and travel expenses to that $500 fee when making an in-studio consultation.)

Artists' advisors can be distinguished from business managers (whose job is to run the artist's career) and reps (whose aim is to sell work) and public relations firms (whose aim is to publicize) by the fact that their primary goal is to set the artist on a career path. Advisors may draft a press release or a press packet for an artist, in the manner of a publicist, but more likely they will offer ideas on how the artist could create the release him -- or herself. Rarely if ever will an artists' advisor take on the job of contacting members of the press.

Tips for parents

Here are a few tips to consider:

Be receptive to and listen when your teen wants to discuss career and/or college plans.Have your teen explore career and college options and collect as much information as possible.

Encourage them to capture their ideas on paper. One idea is to create a scrapbook of their plans for career and college.

Be aware of various deadlines for applications to colleges and financial aid. Put them on a calendar that both you and your teen can look at.

Suggest that your teens meet with a school counselor at least once a year, beginning in the 10th grade, to learn more about college and career planning.

Be supportive of your teens, and meet with their counselor if you sense that he or she needs additional help.

Encourage your teen by helping them see the connection between college and career.

Emphasize the importance of selecting a major that helps them prepare for a career.

If your teen is undecided about a career direction, do not try to fix it. Let him or her look into all the possibilities.

Which career is right for you?

Finding the right career can be hugely rewarding, so it’s worth putting some effort into career planning. Start by thinking about what motivates you as a person, then identify careers that match your skills and interests.

Finding a career to suit you

While it can be tempting to skip straight to looking at specific careers, it’s often a good idea to first spend some time thinking about what motivates you as a person.

What are your interests, inside and outside work - and what are you looking for from a career? Once you’ve worked this out, you can start building up a picture of your ideal job - then find out which careers match it most closely.

Career planning: where to start

Unless you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to do, it can be difficult to know where to start. And if you do have a career in mind, how do you know whether you’ve considered all your options?

As a starting point, you could try sitting down with a piece of paper and listing:

* courses you’ve taken in the past, or are taking now
* any jobs you’ve had, including voluntary work
* interests outside work
* any other significant experiences, like travelling
Then ask yourself:

* why you chose to do them
* which parts you really enjoyed
* which parts you found frustrating or boring
* which parts you were best at
* which parts you found a challenge
* what other people have said about your contribution
* what other people have told you you’re good at

You should start to see some patterns emerging: the types of skills you enjoy using, the sort of environment you perform best in and the types of people you like working with.

You can use this knowledge to help pinpoint areas of work you might enjoy.

Online tools, like the Career Values Tool, can also help you work out what's important to you in a job.

Exploring types of careers

Once you’ve got an idea of areas you might want to work in, the next step is to check out some career profiles. These will give you information about the opportunities available in a particular line of work - and what skills and qualifications you’re likely to need.

You can also get information about careers in particular industries from Sector Skills Councils. Find the council for the industry you’re interested in through the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils. Visit site -
http://www.sscalliance.org/SSCs/LinkstoSSCs.aspx

Help with career planning

Talking to a careers adviser may help you focus on what you are looking for from a career - and work out how to get where you want to be.

Careers advice by phone or email

Call the Careers Advice Service on 0800 100 900. You can also book a free call back from an adviser, or send a question by email.

Visit here - http://careersadvice-findacourse.direct.gov.uk/pls/hot_ca/aff_page_pls_ask_advisor?a=260405&f=AI

Careers advice in person

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to get free, face-to-face advice from your local nextstep service.

Visit here - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/GetLearning/DG_071762

Career planning and advice for young people

Follow the link below for tips on career planning and sources of advice if you’re under 20.

Visit here - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/Workandcareers/Planningyourfuture/DG_066169

If you’re a graduate or you’re working towards a higher education qualification

Follow the link below for sources of information and advice on graduate careers.

Visit here -
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/ChoicesAfterYouGraduate/DG_4017755

How to write the Chronological Resume

While there is no one correct resume style, there are some general guidelines to follow to prepare a high quality resume. Plan to group information under category titles that employers will easily recognize, such as objective, work experience, and education. Follow the step by step outline below to write and lay out your resume into a chronological resume style.

1. Provide your full name, address and telephone number with area code.


2. Objective
   
   Write only one objective statement per resume. The objective should state what position you are applying for, and include a couple of reasons why you should be considered for the job. It is a good idea to write the objective to aim toward the employer's job duties and needs.


3. Work Experience
   
   
   
   
   • Begin with your most recent employment and continue backward to report your work history or volunteer activities.
   
   
   
   • List the dates of employment.
   
   
   • List the name and address of the employer.
   
   
   • List the job title.
   
   
   • Explain job duties and responsibilities in one to two sentences followed by a bulleted list.
   
   
   
   • Try to begin each bulleted sentence with an action word.
   
   
   • Write about your experience and skills to aim toward the job requirements.
   
   
   • Provide the most information about your most recent job. For example: write a brief description consisting of a few sentences followed by a short list of bulleted items.
   
   
   • Provide less information about your remaining employers with a briefer description and fewer bulleted items.
   
   
   • Show growth and progress with responsibilities.
   
   
   • Stress achievements and accomplishments.
   
   
   • List any volunteer work or civic activities that you are involved with that are related to the job. Include the dates of your volunteer service.
   
   

   Example:
   
   (Date)
   
   2000 to present Job Title Employer's Name and City and State
   
   Explain job duties with one to two brief sentences. Then add a bulleted list that explains your responsibilities and accomplishments. Begin each sentence with an action word.
   

   
   
   • Built . . .
   
   
   • Installed . . .
   
   
   • Repaired . . .
   
   
   • Ordered . . .
   
   
   
   

   1997 to 1999 Job Title Employer's Name and City and State
   
   (As above, except briefer. See "Sample Chronological Resume" below.)

   
   
   
   
   


4. Education
   
   Under education, start with your highest degree.
   
   Avoid using dates.
   
   Include academic honors.
   
   Leave out high school information if you have college education.




5. Licenses or Certificates
   
   List job-related special licenses or certificates that you may have, such as special class drivers license, guard card, or certified nurse assistant certificate.




6. Activities (Optional)
   
   List community activities or club memberships that you are involved with that are related to the job.

Modify a Bad Reputation

Reputations are built after a stream of first impressions meet and people start communicating and comparing notes about their experiences then reveling in the common ground whether it be optimistic or negative. It is just a human nature and an important endurance skill.

It takes consistent change of performance for an extended duration of time to change a bad reputation. It also takes readiness on the part of the one who made the judgment to let go of their personality and be open to changing their mind. No easy task to change a reputation to be positive.

Priority -1: Take on a marketing campaign emphasizing the change. Be serious in admitting an accepting about why things needed to change and the ensuing empowerment and eagerness since making the change.

Priority -2: Struggle to make every future first impression optimistic to the extent possible. Release the anxiety when finding those who refuse to let a reputation to change or who form a unenthusiastic first impression due to reasons you can’t control.

Top Tips for Interview

An interview is a discussion between you and an employer to find out if you can do the job. However, there are certain rules and conventions to follow in interviews. Here's a checklist of the main do's and don'ts.

Do's

• dress smartly, look bright and attentive, and speak clearly and confidently. Don't forget that only 7% of the interviewer's opinion of you is formed by what you say - the rest is judged on how you look, act and sound


• find out where the venue is beforehand, how to get there and how long it takes


• get your outfit ready the night before


• find out what kind of interview it will be so you can prepare


• examine the person specification and your CV/application form, and think about what type of questions they will ask you


• prepare answers for the main questions - for example, why do you want the job, what are your strengths and weaknesses, what are the main tasks in this job


• make about three or four points in each answer


• quote real examples of when you've used certain skills - just saying you've got a skill isn't enough


• take your time when answering the questions. Make sure you understand the question and take your time if you need to think


• sell yourself. No-one else is going to! Be positive about yourself and your experiences


• prepare some questions to ask at the end - use it as an opportunity to find out more about the role and the company. But don't ask about money or perks just yet!


• when discussing salary, know your market worth and start by quoting a little higher than this


• get feedback on your performance, whether you were successful or not


• turn off your mobile! Treat the interviewers with respect and give them your undivided attention


• keep your answers focused on what you can do for the employer, not what they can do for you

Don'ts

• don't be late!


• don't swear or use slang words


• don't slouch in your seat or do anything else that makes you look disinterested


• don't smoke


• don't lie! The interviewer may see through you. Even if you get the job, your employer can dismiss you if they find out


• don't let your nerves show too much. A few nerves are normal but extreme nerves will affect your performance. Use breathing techniques and try to remember that it's not a life and death situation - there are plenty of jobs out there!


• don't be arrogant and assume you've got the job. Nothing turns off employers more than someone who is disrespectful and over-confident


• don't discuss controversial topics such as religion, politics and gender relations


• don't read from notes or your CV. You should be familiar enough with your own history to be able to talk about it unprompted


• don't criticise former employers or colleagues. Interviewers may mark you down as a troublemaker and a gossip


• don't argue with the interviewer, no matter what. Remember to keep things positive!