Resume and job advice for college grads: Six tips for success

Congratulations graduates! You are done with school and ready to join the working world. Here are six tips to help you get ready to find a job:

Congrats grads! Here are six tips for success.

1. Get your resume ready.

Resumes should tell a story about who you are as a person and what your skills and talents are. Clearly, a 21-year old is not going to have the same resume as a seasoned pro, but employers know this, so don’t worry about impressive credentials. Just do the best you can with your experience so far and find things that highlight your strengths and skills.

2. Showcase your skills and responsibilities.

Any kind of job, internship, volunteer work, or affiliation should go on your resume. Whatever you did that reflects leadership and responsibility should go on your resume, whether it’s lifeguarding or babysitting or serving as chair of the school’s housing committee. Did your manager give you responsibility, like locking up at night, opening in the morning, or making deposits? Did you serve as membership chair for your sorority? Captain of the baseball team? Chairman of the campus recyclers?

If you volunteered put it on. Volunteering shows a level of social and community consciousness and commitment that many employers find valuable. It’s also good work experience, especially if you served in a leadership or managerial position.

And one last thing: never, ever lie, fudge the truth, or exaggerate what you did. Ever.

This is a resume no-no!

3. Don't be clever.

Resumes should be simple, easy to read, and written in a standard format. Don't get fancy or creative. Don’t use fancy fonts or colored paper. You want to stand out because of who you are, not because your resume is kitschy. Unless you’ve had a lot of jobs, don't go over one page. And always, always, always spell check. Nothing sinks a candidate quicker than misspelling liaison.

4. Use your college.

Your college wants you to be a successful alum, so most colleges provide a career center or alumni network that you can use. These services can be a mixed bag, but they are always worth checking out. Many colleges offer career counseling, job fairs, and internship programs. Some will set up real or practice interviews for you, help you with your resume, and hone your interview skills. Many offer personality and skills tests that can help you focus on your career choices.

You should definitely leverage the alumni relations department, especially at schools with a lot of school spirit. Most alumni who registered with the career center are more than willing to help new graduates. Usually, these alumni are broken out by profession and can be counted on to provide information about a certain field, advice on getting into it, and will review your resume. They may also off internships, informational interviews, and invaluable contacts in your field. Don’t be shy—this is networking, and it is one of the best ways to get a job.

5. Use your family and friends.

Does your roommate’s dad work for the a company you like? Does your mom’s best friend have your dream job? Is there a professor who thinks you’re great? Does a friend or neighbor have a parent, sibling, or associate in your field? Network with the people around you. You may be surprised that your Aunt knows so-and-so, who can land you a great job or at least an interview. Cast a wide net, and don’t be shy. This is what networking is all about.

6. Don’t take the summer off.

While this is your last summer of “freedom,” think twice about taking the summer off before you start looking for a job. There are millions of other graduates (and seasoned workers!) who are getting out of the gate and into the market. Look at the hiring cycle of your desired profession or industry. If you want to enter one that actively seeks college graduates, then taking the summer off is not a good idea. In other professions, entry-level jobs may open up all the time, so taking one last summer off may not be a big deal, but remember: jobs are scarce and the market is tough.

Use these six steps and they will pay off. Good luck!

Nine tips to make the most of your internship

Internships are a great opportunity to experience working life for the first time or explore a new field, market, or industry. They are also good for networking and making contacts. Internships are great resume fodder, too. In fact, more and more organizations consider internships an integral part of career development.

The Internship -- coming soon!!

Whether you are just entering the working world or are a seasoned worker looking to make a change, internships can be incredibly valuable. Well, that’s IF you take your internship seriously.

Here are nine tips to help you make the most of your internship:

1. Treat it like a real job. Take it seriously. Be on time and act like you belong there. Even if your employer doesn't take the internship seriously (which, unfortunately, happens quite often), you should.

Take your internship seriously. 

2. Dress for success. Try not to look like an intern. Dress appropriately for your environment and as professionally as you can. In fact, dress like you already work there. How are other employees dressed? How does your boss dress? Follow suit.

3. Be clear on your personal and professional goals. Before you start, try to determine what you want to get out of the internship. Do you want to learn or hone a new skill? Understand an industry? Network with professionals? All of the above?

4. Network and connect inside the organization. Don't just stick to your cubby or section; network throughout the entire organization. People may be more receptive to you because you are in a “learning” position, so they may be happy to grant you informational interviews. Cast a wide net.

5. Support the other interns. Be sure to connect with and support your fellow interns. You are all on the same playing field at this point, but one day you may be in a position to help or hire someone, or they you, so be gracious and supportive of your intern colleagues.

6. Request real work. Chances are, interns are not going to be given important work. But that doesn't mean that your only job has to be getting coffee or taking lunch orders. Don't be pushy and overwhelm your boss, but ask if there is something substantive you could work on, like a project or presentation. Do you have special skills that might be useful, like social media or event experience? Let them know that you are ready and willing to work.

Do a great job, whatever they ask you to do.

7.  Appreciate the menial. By the same token, everyone has to start somewhere and “menial” tasks are an important part of organizational life. These tasks build trust, so say yes to any request. Do more than is required and do the best job you can. If you are asked to get coffee, be the best damn coffee-getter they've ever seen. Be outstanding at every task you are asked to do. People will remember you for it.

8. Exhibit a positive attitude. Be a yes person. Smile and be pleasant. Treat your internship like a 12-week job interview. How do you want them to remember you? Positive, with a can-and-will-do attitude? Or bratty, with a this-is-beneath-me attitude?

9. Show gratitude and follow up. When your internship is ending, do a goodbye tour. Go around and thank everyone you met and worked with, including secretaries, security guards, other interns, etc. When it’s over, send hand-written thank you notes to the people you worked for. If you really liked it there and are interested in employment, be sure to follow up in 6-8 weeks, then again in 12 to see if there are any openings. Be gracious and appreciative, and stay in touch.

The best way to make the most of your internship is to take it seriously, be professional, and treat it like a real job. Trust me: if you take it seriously, you can meet great people and learn skills that will stay with you throughout your working life. Good luck!

How to run an effective intern program

Summer is coming, and for many businesses that means interns. An intern program can be incredibly valuable for your business, but only if it is executed properly. Great intern programs require a great deal of work, thought, and follow through. Many organizations just kind of slap them together, but this is a mistake, because intern programs can be incredible tools for your company.

Summer is coming, and so are the interns!

Yes, intern programs are hard work to run but they can pay off big time—for both your company and the intern—with the right focus, structure, and execution. Great intern programs all have one thing in common: the organization takes it seriously. Here are the four main things to consider when fashioning and running your program:

1. Set clear goals and purposes. Determine what you want to get out of the program. What are the goals and purposes? Is it recruiting and training new talent? Hiring cheap summer help? Marketing your company?

2. Establish structure and strategies to meet those goals. How will you meet these goals? How and where will you recruit? How are you onboarding, evaluating, and tracking the program?

3. Make sure you get management's support and buy-in. No program will succeed if management isn’t on board. Are the managers of the interns on board with the program? Do they understand the goals? Do they have the proper training and resources to create valuable experiences for both the organization and the interns?

4. Consider what the interns will get out of it. Your interns won’t just work there, they will also broadcast their opinions about your organization, so make sure they say the right things. Are you providing them with a valuable experience? Did you meet their expectations? Would they recommend your organization to other interns or prospective employees? What will they say about you?

Great programs share the same traits. Bad programs do too! Here are the three most common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Mistake 1: Not ensuring your managers are in alignment with the program goals. The people managing the interns are the key to your program’s success. Make sure you choose the right people to work with the interns, have trained them properly, and that they are on board with the program’s goals.

Give your interns real work to do.

Mistake 2: Not providing meaningful work or professional development for your interns. Your intern program shouldn't be about be fetching coffee, it should be about introducing young adults to the workplace in general and your company in particular. They want to learn and make a meaningful contribution, so give them something real to do.

Mistake 3: Being all flash and no fire. This is when organizations spend the summer wining, dining, and schmoozing their interns instead of actually seeing if they would be a good match for the organization. Law firms and Wall Street firms used to be notorious for this. But research shows that there isn’t much correlation between the money spent and the retention it inspires, and lots of firms are rethinking this practice. Find a way to make the internship meaningful to both parties.

5 Tips to Creating a Positive Professional Image

A positive professional image is essential to a successful career, no matter your age or field. Whether you are looking for a job, starting a new job, or a seasoned workplace veteran, it's a good idea to learn (or review) the basics of creating a positive professional persona. A professional persona includes four elements:

• Attire and clothing: How you look.
• Body Language: How you hold and present yourself.
• Attitude and behavior: How you think and act.
• Conversation and language: How you communicate and engage others.

Your professional image speaks volumes about you and will help you develop and establish a positive reputation. Here are some tips:

1. First impressions are critical. This is especially important for those entering the workforce, interviewing, or starting a new position. People form their first impressions in three seconds. In a flash, they are forming judgments about your competence, your personality, and your values. And once that impression is formed, it is very difficult to change. So be sure your first impression says what you want it to say—namely, that you belong.

Be sure to make a good first impression.

2. Look the part. Dress for success by dressing like you belong at that company. Your professional attire should say, I belong here, not look at my cleavage. You want people to imagine you not just in the position you are in or interviewing for but running the show someday.

Of course, much depends on the profession and field. What is appropriate and professional for a television station may be different from an investment bank. So look around the organization. Who is really successful? How do they dress? What do their clothes say about them? Follow their lead. And remember: never out-status the person interviewing you or managing you.

Cleavage at work? That's a no.

3. Act the part. You need to exhibit a positive, respectful attitude. You want to be confident but not cocky, polite but not obsequious, friendly but not annoying. Are you someone they will want to hire or work with? Can you fit in and get along? Are you a team player? Be authentic, polite, and positive. Be your best self.

4. Use positive body language. Your body language is a crucial element of your image. It has to inspire trust, because business is a financial venture, and approachability, because business is conducted through social networks. Creating a professional persona through body language means:

• Carrying yourself confidently.
• Making eye contact when speaking.
• Offering a firm handshake.
• Sitting and standing up straight.
• Using open body language—facing the person speaking, squaring your body directly toward others, without folded arms.
• Smiling and saying hello to people.
• Putting away the iPod. When you listen to your iPod, others may view this as disengagement, and that is not the message you want to send.

Firm handshake, good eye contact, nice smile. Check, check, check!

5. Make sure your e-life matches your professional image. Say you’ve created this terrific professional image at work but your on-line image is that of a weekend boozehound, or you are notorious for sending annoying chain e-mails. That's a bad move professionally. Everything you post and send on-line—and everything posted about you by your friends—can and will be seen by your employers and colleagues.

Clean up your e-life. Do a search and take down anything that makes you look bad, and ask your friends to do the same. And make this a weekly thing—be proactive and regularly search for negative images and posts. Don’t let your on-line life sabotage your well-crafted professional image. Be as careful on-line as you are in the office.

~

Your professional image involves the way you dress, speak, interact with others, hold your body, and use electronic media. Knowing the importance of image and the way others see you is the best way to project the professional image that will help you be successful.