How Can Pinterest Interest Your Future Employers?

Are you an addict of Pinterest? Are you looking for a job? If so, have you ever thought of using Pinterest to enhance your job search efforts?

In a recent article, “Using Pinterest as a Job-Search and Branding Tool,” it states that Pinterest is a great way to market yourself to future employers, especially if you are an art, graphic design, marketing, or other heavily visual major.

Tips on how to market yourself by using Pinterest:

• Create a resume board where you pin pictures related to your schooling and experiences. (Pin pictures of organizations you have interned for and student organizations and activities you have been involved in.)
• Create a portfolio board where you pin examples of the work you have created.
• Pin a copy of your resume.
• Create boards that are related to your interest to give more insight about you.
• Place your Pinterest URL on your job-search materials, including resumes, cover letters, e-mail signatures, profiles on LinkedIn, and more. *Make sure you use your actual name as your Pinterest page name so people can easily find you through a search.
• Make sure you provide a description of each picture you pin so the employers know what they are looking at.
• Keep your Pinterest clean and professional!

Now that you know how to interest employers by using Pinterest… Get to pinning!

Sharol Miller

Career Educator

Stay Positive With Your Job Search

If you follow the career services' social media, you may have read this article already.  It’s called “Tips for Staying Positive In a Job Search” found on http://blog.resumebear.com. As I read this article, I was able to relate.  I am a senior graduating in just a couple weeks, so I know more than anyone just how tough and emotionally draining the job search can be. I’ve gone through many ups and downs, but staying positive is the key.

Some of my favorite tips from the article are as follows:

Stay away from whiners and complainers

You are probably already on edge and emotional.  If you are surrounded by people that constantly whine and complain, they are only going to bring you down further.  Find people who push you and energize you!

Do Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins.  Endorphins make you happy.  Take a quick walk, go to the RAC, dance or whatever else it may be.  This will help from keeping you down and will motivate you on your job hunt.

Change your attitude by looking at the positives
Ask yourself: What went well today? What are the three best things I did in that interview? These questions will help you keep the right attitude.  Things are always going to go wrong with every situation, but it’s how you look at the situation that really matters. Attitude is everything!


Celebrate Small Successes
“Focusing on the small wins gives you the energy and confidence to tackle the bigger challenges that you know still lie ahead.”


Let Yourself Have a Bad Day
Job hunting is an emotional thing.  Everyone has ups and downs, so let yourself be emotional. 


For me, a lot of this has been easier said than done, but everything on this list has helped a ton.  Try it yourself and let us know how it works for you!


Ashley Salim
Career Educator


Photo Credit: Ms. Career Girl

Technology and the Economy (and Jobs)

The world today is one of ever-changing technology. Things like iPads, electric cars, and advanced computing technology have significantly changed the world in only the last few years. How will technology affect the economy and jobs of the future?


The correct answer is that it’s impossible to know, but we can look at what we know to get an idea. One thing we know is that technological innovations are happening faster and faster. From the 1940’s to the 1980’s, computers went from objects so large they required an entire room to be housed to desktop computers such as the early Macintosh. By the 1990’s and 2000’s, the invention of operating systems and wide-spread use of the internet transformed computers. By the 2010’s, people were using iPads and accessing the internet from almost anywhere, wirelessly.


I highlight computers because they have changed the work world more than any other technology in the past few decades. Database software has reduced or eliminated the need for storage of physical files. Word processing and communications software has reduced the need for administrative assistants. Industry-specific technology such as bar code processing has made companies like Wal Mart wildly successful, leaving others behind. 


Asking what will happen in the future is inexact, but interesting to think about. When thinking about careers and what you want to pursue, considering what might happen to that field, how technology might affect its future, can help you foresee opportunities and threats. For example, what if someone decided to open a small business selling beepers in 1997? It probably wouldn’t have worked out.


This is the first in a series of blog posts relating to technological changes and how they affect jobs.  If you’re interested in this topic, I recommend this article by Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman. It was written in 1996 from the prospective of someone living in 2096 reporting on changes in the last century (1996-2096). In the 16 years since it was written, many of the points hold true to what has actually happened.


Landon J. Latham
Career Educator

6 Steps to a More Marketable Linkedin Profile

According to the 6 Steps to a More Marketable Linkedin Profile article by inc.com, Linkedin is arguably the most effective social network for business owners and professionals. Since some Linkedin users may not be getting the full advantage of the emerging social network, the article discusses six steps to tune up your Linkedin profile.

1.      The first step to take in tuning up your Linkedin profile is to consider your goals and market those rather than revising your resume and think about keywords that employers would like to see. Keywords that are relevant and valuable to your respective industry are also significant to incorporate into your Linkedin profile because employers will hopefully see them and be drawn to your devotion to the industry.

2.      Layer any keywords that you use in your profile within your headlines. When employers use Linkedin to search for potential employees, they scan for keywords.

3.      If you have a lot of work experience listed on your Linkedin profile, distinguish which positions are relevant to your current goals and simply just list those. When employers review your profile, they want to be able to skim your profile and come out with a fairly accurate feel of your experience and personality. With various unrelated experiences listed, the employer may get the impression that you are disheveled and have not established concrete goals.

4.      As previously mentioned, experience is very important, but it is beneficial to remain cognizant of the fact that personality should shine through in your Linkedin profile as well. Make the employer want to work with you.

5.      Another central factor on a Linkedin profile is the photo. The photo on your profile serves as your logo and should reflect who you are in a positive way. According to the article, “the best photo strikes a balance between professionalism and approachability, making you look good but also real”.

6.      Lastly, an imperative part of achieving a Linkedin profile that is up to par is getting recommendations. Recommendations give employers the idea that although your profile is essentially you speaking about yourself, others appreciate you as well.

SShayla Frinks

Career Educator

Resume Workshop 101

Over the years, many wise people have said you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. When job seeking, this saying is particularly applicable. Constructing an impressive resume in the proper fashion is one of the most valuable things you can learn how to do in life. Below are just a few basic resume tips that are important to remember when building a resume:

· Don't overcrowd your resume. You are not writing a biography on your life, so keep it simple, brief and clean.

· Use a legible font.

· Keep the font color black.

· Keep your resume to one-page if you can.

· Upon gaining more work experience, if you must have a multi-paged resume, print on one-side only.

· Avoid using more than two font sizes on your resume.

· It is unnecessary to include references in your resume-Unless instructed specifically to do so by an employer, do not do it.

· Avoid Spelling Mistaks (ß like that one)-make sure you carefully read every word on your resume and perform spell check on the finished product.

· Have a friend proof read your resume.

· Be honest and expect to be asked about anything you have on your resume.

· If you are having any problems putting your resume together, come to CAREER SERVICES and we'll assist you!


Keisha Francis
Career Educator

Can I have your Facebook password?

If, “of course not,” was your answer, how would you tell this to a potential employer that is interviewing you? Yes, in recent news this question is being asked in interviews. How would you respond to this question and is the job worth giving up your personal information?

The article, “What to Do When a Potential Employer Asks for Your Facebook Password,” offers some advice of how to approach this situation. Companies doing this have a reason and that is to “get better insight on who you really are.” Some interviewers will ask you to take them through a tour of your Facebook right on the spot. Would you be willing to do this? You would think this would be banned, and currently it is, but only recently in the state of Maryland.

Since you do have the right to your own privacy and personal life, here are few suggestions of how to respond eloquently and respectively to an interviewer that wants the password to your computer from the above article:

• "I am very careful with my personal, private online persona and do not feel comfortable giving out any passwords. But you can feel free to look at my profile as it appears to you as a company right now, if you would like."
• "I would never participate in social media on the organization’s time and ask that the organization will respect my personal social media rights outside of work."
• "My LinkedIn network is a great place for you to review my professional experience and see the professional connections that I have that may be of benefit to your organization."
• "Is that something that is required to move forward with this job interview?"

As stated before, it is your personal life and your privacy so it is your choice of how you will respond to what I consider one of the toughest interview questions. In the end you really have to think about whether the job is worth it. Like the article asks, “Is it really worth it to you to have a job where you will be watched all the time?”

This is a recent issue and only one state has taken a stand, so with that being said, be prepared… you never know whether your future employers might want the password to your Facebook account.

Sharol Miller

Career Educator

I Love My Major, But...

So you’ve done your research, found your passion and settled on the major that seems like it was calling your name.  That is all great and exciting, but now are you asking yourself, “What can I do with this major?”

Don’t let that get you down.  There are several ways to get on the right track and start preparing for your career.

Research

Look up all the different options you have with your major.  It’s probably a lot more than you think! We have tons of options here at Career Services like, “What Can I Do with a Major In” handouts, assessments you can take and access to research websites like Chronicle Career Library. 

Informational Interviews

Find juniors and seniors in your major and ask them what they are thinking about doing when the graduate.  Don’t stop there, find professors and people in different occupations and ask them questions about what they are doing on a daily basis.  See if these things interest you.

Job Shadowing

Once you have found different occupations, job shadow someone in the industry.  This is one of the best ways to see what you could potentially be doing.  You’ll find that it might be a lot different than you originally expected. 

I have been in this boat before.  Many people go through it.  I did my research, interviewed many people and did job shadowing.  All of these things helped me more than I ever expected and it can help you too!

Ashley Salim
Career Educator

Photo Credit: http://www.brockport.edu

Business Cards?

Many students are uncertain as to why business cards will be beneficial to them when it comes to job hunting and networking. I assume that most college students feel that business cards are meant to be distributed by savvy CEOs and aggressive attorneys, but not by them. This is simply not the case. Business cards are a marvelous way to market yourself to employers and may give you a competitive edge over your competition. For collegiate students, a business card should maintain the concept of professionalism and never be anything too over-the-top or extravagant. It should include, at the very least, details such as degree, majors, minors, and the chosen contact information that you would like to provide. It is also a great idea to create a Linkedin profile and insert a Linkedin profile link on your business cards alongside your basic contact information.

According to 6 Ways Your Business Card Can Still Pack a Big Punch, a fairly new and innovative company known as MOO, creates and sells business cards that are about the size of a stick of gum and have seen amazing growth in the previous years. The company was founded in 2004, and has since seen an annual growth rate of over 100%. Richard Moross, the CEO of MOO, states that even though many of today’s information is communicated via mobile devices, “there is still something important about real-world tokens, though. MOO’s mission is not just to transfer information, but to keep it.”  


Shayla Frinks
Career Educator

What is My Communication Style?

We all have a communication style. Have you ever wondered what yours was? Knowing which style is most like you can enhance both your professional and personal encounters with others. If you have never done any research into what your particular style may be, you hopefully would have discovered it by the end of this article.

There are three typical communication styles:

Passive

Assertive

Aggressive

If you have a passive communication style, you avoid expressing your feelings. You put the rights of others before your own, which minimizes your own self-worth. With this communication style, you are implying that you feel inferior to and less important than others. You typically do not express your needs or true feelings. You are soft spoken and display submissiveness.

If you have an assertive communication style, you have no problem expressing your feelings as long as it is not disrespecting or hurting another person. You generally express your true needs and thoughts with ease while maintaining self-respect and the respect of the other party/parties involved. You display higher self-esteem and imply feelings of equality to whoever you come into contact with.

If you have an aggressive communication style, you typically stand up for your rights while violating the rights of others. You feel as if no one else’s opinion is as important as yours and you believe that you are superior to others.

Remember, your communication style may make or break your relationships with others. If you are not currently communicating the way you would like to, it is not too late to work on a new style!

Keisha Francis
Career Educator

The Hidden Side of Law School

If you ask people what are the “best” careers, two of the answers you will hear the most will be doctor and lawyer, for good reason. Traditionally, doctors and lawyers have been well respected; pillars of the community. Both careers require respected, well known professional degrees. And both are lucrative; the median annual salary is $166,400 for physicians and surgeons and $112,760 for lawyers (according to the BLS). Therefore, it would seem pursuing either career would be a good decision.

The aging of the population, combined with increased access to healthcare, is likely to ensure a strong demand for doctors in the future. But what about lawyers? Contrary to conventional wisdom, the decision to pursue a career as a lawyer may not be as lucrative as many assume. The field has changed, and there are many factors prospective lawyers need to consider.

• HIGH Tuition - Law School is EXPENSIVE. According to U.S. News and World Report, in-state tuition for the University Of Georgia School Of Law is almost $16,000. Out-of-state tuition is worse; for the University Of Florida it is almost $36,000. Private universities? At Emory, tuition is over $43,000 per year. Why is law school tuition so high? Law schools are a major money-maker for the universities that house them. Lawyers are relatively cheap to educate – classes usually aren’t especially small and specialized equipment isn’t needed. The profit made from law schools covers costs over the rest of the university. So when paying law school tuition, you’re paying for not only your education, but someone else’s too.
• Increasing Tuition - Try to rank the following in terms of highest inflation on average (prices increasing the fastest): Health Care, Undergraduate Tuition, Law School Tuition. The answer: 1) Law School Tuition, 2) Undergraduate Tuition, 3) Health Care. That’s right, the price of law school tuition is increasing faster than regular undergraduate tuition and even much-discussed health care costs. Considering the already-high tuition rates, that’s a scary thought for prospective lawyers.
• High Debt Loads - With law school tuition as high as it, most students not related to Mitt Romney are likely to graduate with a lot of student-loan debt. Say you graduate with $100,000 in debt (easily obtainable). If you consolidate that into a single loan with a 6.8% interest rate (standard federal rate) with a 25-year repayment plan, your monthly payment would be $694.07 per month! If you graduate from law school when you’re 25, that would be $694.07 per month, every month, until you’re 50!
• High Underemployment - The high debt loads are fine, if it’s worth it. Plenty of students will graduate and go on to great jobs at big firms and make lots of money. Those students, however, are likely to have top grades and graduate from highly ranked law schools (think Ivy League). Middle and lower rung students aren’t likely to land the big job. They’re more likely to take jobs as low-paying public defenders, or even positions that don’t require a J.D. Nothing wrong with that…unless you have a monthly student loan payment that takes out a significant part of your salary.

The point here is not to bash law school. Many who go to law school will go on to have very successful careers, but some won’t. The more informed you are, the more likely you are to make the best decision for you.

Landon J. Latham

Career Educator