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3 Entry-Level Job Seeking Mistakes to Avoid
March 20, 2012 by William Frierson
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast
Are you an entry-level job seeker looking to get out there and find your first position? Making your first attempt marks the beginning of quite an adventure as you look to meet your goal of entering the workforce. As a newbie, it is easy to make a few mistakes here and there that could slow your ability to find work. So to get a successful start, here are some entry-level mistakes to avoid: Continue Reading
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How Much Education Do You Need?
June 04, 2008 by pink_rain09@msn.comPink Floyd chanted the anthem for at least two generations of teens when he sang the lyrics, “We don’t need no education…” Little did his listeners realize that the seeming freedom from tyrannical instructors and educational systems that they were chanting about wasn’t really the nirvana that they were imagining. Luckily, most of these youth weren’t quite as revolutionary as they imagined themselves to be and went on attending class and even college. Had they truly turned their backs on their education, they might have found a world far more frightening than Pink Floyd’s depiction of the Machine or learned just what it was like to be a brick in the wall.
The reasoning behind this statement are sound. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics has released a report that details the projection of availability for entry level jobs through the year 2014 and the educational requirements that will be required to obtain entry level jobs within these industries. Known as the Occupational projections and Training Data, or Bulletin 2602, this compilation of research was released in February of 2006. Dividing jobs into categories based on the level of education required, the projections indicate that the majority of available entry level jobs through the year 2014 will require at least some college education and those possessing degrees will have even greater chances of successfully finding entry level employment in their desired field of work.
What does this mean to the college student today? Basically, don’t lose hope. Even though attending classes and balancing the student lifestyle and budget can be difficult, the entry level employment opportunities of the future will require you to demonstrate the skills you are learning today. -
Dealing With Problem Coworkers
June 02, 2008 by pink_rain09@msn.comFor the college student entering the workforce with their first entry level job, some advice is indispensable. There are several opportunities for ones career to go astray during the time when you are learning work ethics, office politics and the rules of the work force. Learning how to deal with problem coworkers can be a very important lesson and knowing the techniques before starting your first entry level job is a great way to insure that your career stays on track.
Problem coworker number one is the dishonest employee. This is the fellow that tells you how to shortcut everything in the office. He will tell you that arriving late is fine if you have your friend clock you in on time, an extra five minutes in the break room is no problem and taking a few office supplies home is okay because no one will miss them. The dishonest employee can cost you your job and your reputation. Solution: Don’t get involved with this guy or his methods. Let him know that you are honest and value your reputation with your employer. If you can prove that he is doing something dishonest, it is also your duty to report this to your supervisor so make sure this problem coworker knows where you stand.
Problem coworker number two is the lazy employee. Working in your first entry level job, you value the opinions and experience of those who have been working in the field for a while but it is easy to be snared by this fellows game. He is the guy who asks “hey, can you help me out?” over and over again. What you are seeing as a favor at first, quickly becomes a doubled workload for you. Solution: Don’t confuse respect with being a private servant for this fellow. An occasional favor to help a coworker is one thing but if the employee can’t pull their own weight on a daily basis, how do you expect to do his job and yours? Politely decline the request and let them know you have your own workload to handle.
By knowing how to recognize these two problem employees, you can save yourself a lot of stress on your entry level job and keep your career on the right track. -
Writing Effective Cover Letters
May 13, 2008 by pink_rain09@msn.comFor the college graduate seeking entry level employment opportunities, knowing how to write an effective cover letter is a very valuable skill. Your resume introduces you to the business world but your cover letter is what personalizes it and introduces you to the company you propose to work for.
Cover letters should be kept short and to the point. The letter should introduce you and explain why you are interested in the entry level positions the company may have available as well as what you feel you can bring to the company. Your resume will substantiate your claims but the cover letter puts them on the table.
Because a cover letter is so vital to how your resume will be received, there are a few points to which you should pay extra attention. First, make sure the cover letter is addressed to the proper person. If you want a job in the accounting department, address the cover letter directly to the person in charge of that department including proper titles. This not only shows respect. It also indicates that you have took the time to research the information and displays your character as being motivated and thinking.
Secondly, pay attention to grammar and spelling in your cover letter because these two things speak volumes about you and can be determining factors in whether you receive an entry level job offer or get laughed at around the water cooler at Christmas. Even professional writers make mistakes so use the spell check function on your word processing program and have a friend read the finished product over for grammatical errors.
Finally, be certain to use a good quality paper and a clear font to make your cover letter more noticeable and easy to read. By following these suggestions, you can write effective cover letters that will help you to obtain an entry level job. -
When It’s Over…
by pink_rain09@msn.comAlmost every college graduate will reach a point in their career where the function they perform is no longer needed by the company they work for. When this time comes around, handling it properly can make a difference to your future success. Being such a common experience, a few words on the proper way to handle downsizing are in order.
First of all, don’t get mad. Jobs end every day. If you started with this company working an entry level job and climbed up the ladder, they are likely just as sorry to see you go as you are to be losing your job. Throwing childish fits or making threats isn’t going to change the decision but it might get you black listed for future references and entry level job opportunities could become very rare. It’s okay to be upset but save the ranting and raving for when you get home.
Ask for a going away present that companies like to call a severance package. Not every company will concede to this but most larger companies realize the effect on morale and future business that a disgruntled ex-employee can have. They want you to leave on as good of terms as possible so even some entry level jobs may offer a severance package to smooth things over.
Finally, get back on the horse that threw you. The corporate world is a tough place. When you get thrown, get up and jump right back in. Sitting at home, wasting your time on depression and spending your savings into oblivion is only going to make matters worse so go hunting for a new entry level job as soon as possible.
By realizing what to do when it’s over, you are ready to let it begin again. -
Using Team Work To Find A Job
by pink_rain09@msn.comTraditionally, people have considered the search for entry level jobs to be a solitary expedition. A single college graduate going out into the world to make their fortunes has been the long held perception of the college educated job seeker. But thanks to the power of networking, you no longer need to be the lone wolf on the hunt for an entry level job.
More and more, college students and recent graduates are realizing the value of collective experiences when seeking entry level jobs. If you and a few friends are also seeking to find entry level jobs, why not take the time to share the experience? By making the search for entry level employment a group experience, you can cover a greater amount of territory in your search, share each others disappointments and cheer each others successes. Additionally, being part of the group of steadfast entry level job seekers may help you to further your career as you and your friends advance through the business world and share your network of friends and contacts. You never know when your friend who is looking for an entry level job in the computer programming department is doing so because his parents are successful business owners in the marketing field and he doesn’t want to go into the family business but he would be more than happy to see the job in his parents company offered to you.
Entry level job searches are no longer the domain of the individual job seeker. The new entry level job hunt is a team sport. -
Using A Bad Experience To Make Your Resume Shine
by pink_rain09@msn.comAlmost every person who has ever been employed in an entry level job can relate a bad experience that happened to them at some point in their careers and you likely have had similar experiences. Maybe you hired into a firm to fill an entry level network administrator position and found that the technology dated back to the stone age and there was no budget for upgrades. Perhaps you were an entry level programmer on a project that had so many bugs you considered hiring an exterminator. We all have had our share of entry level job misfortunes but did you ever consider that these dark clouds could have silver linings for your future career?
Believe it or not, a bad experience on an entry level job can be an advantage on your resume if you play your cards right. How so? If you found a resolution to the situation, it illustrates your abilities in problem solving and conflict management, two things that are very desirable in new entry level employees. Being able to say “Yes, the experience was difficult but I found this solution” is a unique way to put your resume into a new light.
Don’t be afraid to brag a little. Anyone can do a job well when everything is working perfectly but only the elite can deal with a crisis situation and trun it around towards their favor. Employers offering entry level jobs will appreciate this and your problem solving skills may land you a new job.
A word of caution, however, is in order. When adding less than stellar experiences to your resume, don’t include things that are interpersonal, give away trade secrets of your former employer or aren’t job related. No one wants to know about the coworker who talked on the phone too loudly, it sounds whiney and petty. Giving away a trade secret could not only get you sued by your former employer, it displays a lack of loyalty to your new prospect and things that aren’t job related, probably aren’t going to mean much to your new prospects opinions anyway.
All in all, adding your bad experiences to your resume helps to put you in a good light with new entry level job prospects, -
Two Resume Or Not Two Resume
by pink_rain09@msn.comKind of a silly title but it gets directly to the point. In today’s entry level job hunting environment, there are new rules to play by. Years ago, you typed up a resume and stuck it in a big manilla envelope in the back of your file box and forgot about it until you were looking for work. That resume might have been great but more is needed today.
Don’t throw away the manilla envelope just yet. You still want your paper resume handy but please be sure to update the information on it. While you are updating the paper resume, take the time to check that it shows intention rather than history. Do this by writing things that demonstrate what your education, skills and abilities will allow you to do rather than giving long and detailed listings of where you have went with them. Then, while you still have your computer fired up, you get to start work on your second resume…
Whoa, wait a minute… Did he just say second resume? What for? I know what you’re thinking but let me explain. The second resume is your online resume, an electronic version of your manilla envelope with a few tweaks. For your online resume, be sure to include all of your pertinent information that entry level job seekers resumes usually contain but then go back through and add a few target words. Think about what you would type into a search engine if you wanted to hire someone for the entry level job you want and then find a way to include these keywords in your online resume. By doing this, you insure that prospective employers with entry level jobs to offer can find your online resume, sometimes even before you knew they were hiring.
Two resumes may sound redundant but the results are far from run of the mill. If you are a serious entry level job seeker take the time to update your paper resume and create your online resume today. -
The Virtual Interview?
by pink_rain09@msn.comThe Internet has waved it’s magic wand again and a new tool has fell into the hands of the recent college graduate looking for entry level job opportunities. No longer do you have to pass up a golden opportunity for an entry level job in the field you always wanted because you couldn’t afford to risk the cash to travel several hours from home or take a week off from your regular job to travel to an interview on the other side of the country. The power of the Internet has solved this with its new brain child, the virtual interview.
The virtual interview has a lot in common with the traditional interview with some very distinct differences, the main one being the lack of a face to face meeting. This facet of the virtual interview can be a bit unsettling for the first time or two but quickly becomes more natural. The use of audio and video equipment connected to your computer can make this lack of proximity seem almost negligible, even with an interviewer for an entry level position located halfway around the world from you. Thus, it is important to put your best foot forward in the virtual interview just as in the real world.
Make sure to dress appropriately and have everything you need for the interview prepared before hand and within easy reach of your computer. Additionally, make sure the area that will be within the view of your video equipment is organized and businesslike as this will be observed by your interviewer and help in forming their opinions. If you have children, a roommate or pets that might create a disturbance during your virtual interview, arrange for them to be somewhere else while you are interviewing for your entry level job.
By following these tips, a virtual interview could get you the entry level job you want while sparing you the expense of travel for the sake of an uncertainty. -
The Two Types Of Goals Every Job Seeker Needs
by pink_rain09@msn.comFor those people seeking to find entry level employment, your goals are very important. These goals will help you to find your own niche and fit into the world of business. They will also provide motivation for your career choices and shape your destiny in the corporate world.
For the entry level job seeker, short term goals may seem an immediate priority. Short term goals include earning money to pay for rent, food for the weekend or school. These goals are important and usually they are what originally motivates a job seeker to start looking for an entry level position but even though these goals have a high priority and immediacy to them, long term goals will have a deeper impact upon your success.
Long term goals include things such as establishing a career in a certain field or being able to support yourself and your family while living in a certain locality. Long term goals may also include retirement with a certain sum of money in your savings account. These goals are generally the ones which shape a career. Many times people speak of long term goals as looking at the big picture. This is because it is often difficult to see these goals at work until they are nearing completion because the time frame they cover is so much more expansive than that of the short term goals.
By understanding the differences to these two types of goals, you can better discern which entry level job opportunities meet the needs of both types, thus finding greater satisfaction in your entry level job.
