Readers:
Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis.
Susie writes:
I'm attending a career fair next week and really want to know the
best way to prepare as this is my first one and I want to be successful at it.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Career fairs are pretty cool events because both employers and job-seekers
are there for a very clear purpose. Employers are trying to gather and screen
a large pool of applicants and job-seekers are there to seek new opportunities
(either directly or through networking).
There are activities you should be doing before, during, and after the fair.
Before the event, get information on the organizations attending the career fair,
choose the ones that most interest you, and conduct research so that you
know a little something about all of them. Polish your resume; I even suggest
making a specific version for each targeted organization. Work on your interviewing
skills by reviewing common interviewing questions and/or conducting
mock interviews. Whenever possible, get one nice suit for interviewing --
in a conservative style and color. Oh, and if you are prone to sweaty
palms, be sure to pack a handkerchief or something else (other than your
suit) to wipe your hand. Finally, work on your elevator speech -- a 15 to 30
second mini-bio that explains who you are, what makes you unique, and
the benefits you will provide. Finally, whenever possible, try and get a
good night’s sleep the night before.
At the event, first survey the layout of the fair and then head to your top
organizations. As you approach the recruiter, remember to smile, make
direct eye contact, and offer a dry and firm (but not crushing) handshake.
Your goal in the short time you have is to build rapport with the recruiter --
so that you will be positively remembered out of the hundreds of candidates --
but remember that you also need to gather more information to judge
whether the organization is right for you. Do not overstay your welcome;
if you see the recruiter looking over your shoulder at the line behind you,
it’s probably time to move on. Make sure you get a business card -- or
at least key contact information (including the proper spelling of the recruiter’s
name). And if you really want to stand out, ask the recruiter if there is
anything you can do for him or her, such as getting a beverage from the
refreshment area; thoughtfulness is a powerful thing.
After the event, sort through your business cards and other contact
information and write thank you notes or emails. And don’t forget to
follow-up with each recruiter about two weeks later to see where things
stand. Because you may have a number of contacts, you might want to
consider developing a system -- such as a job lead log -- so that you
have everything right in front of you.
Get more details of all these activities in my
Career
Fair Checklist, published on Quintessential Careers.
Craig writes:
I am a 21 year-old African-American and I am in my senior year of college. This
year, I will start interviewing for jobs in the field of electrical engineering. My hair
is in a braided fashion, and I am wondering if it would be to my benefit to cut my
hair off or leave it as it is? Please respond when you get the chance.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
First let me tell you this funny anecdote. A clean-cut student walked into my office last
month at the beginning of the semester and asked to speak with me. Not recognizing
him, I gave him my yes-we-can-talk-but-only-for-a-moment look because I was in the
middle of a project. He chuckled and told me his name -- one of my advisees since
he was a first-year student. But he was one of these guys who had long shaggy
surfer hair and often wore a ball cap. I had to do about a triple take before I recognized
him. And to his credit, he said he cleaned up because he knew appearance
mattered in job-hunting. First impressions are critical.
So, that’s the moral of the story. If your braids are tight and the rest of your
appearance is sharp, I would think keeping your hair as is would work. I think
braids often look sharp. Of course, I am also a firm believer in erring on the side
of conservatism, so not being able to see your hair, I would probably recommend
cutting it. You can always grow it back if the company culture allows it.
Better, check with your professors and the career services office and solicit their
advice. If you have a mentor or former boss, get those opinions.
Bottomline, never give a reason for an employer to reject you.
Josette writes:
I've read many articles that networking is the most effective job search tool.
I really want to change careers but I don't know how to go about networking.
I've been stuck in low end, low paying jobs because I don't know how to network.
I want to get out of the dead end rut badly. Currently I'm a temporary
clerical worker.
I want to network badly, but it's hard for me because I'm not a very outgoing person.
Where do I start? What's the best way for a person who's not very outgoing to
start a network?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
My partner, Katharine Hansen, is an introvert -- which some people find
strange when they discover she’s written a book on the subject. Anyone
can do networking. Is it easier for extraverts? Of course it is, but it’s not
their exclusive domain.
Before I begin, let’s start with refocusing networking. Networking is simply
about building relationships with other people. It’s about establishing rapport
and building a mutually beneficial relationship.
So, let me offer you some tips -- tips for all the shy job-seekers out there --
on becoming better at networking.
First, start off networking in a comfortable setting with people you know.
Perhaps a community or religious group. A professional group is another option,
but since you say you’re stuck in a low-end job, I am guessing you may not
currently be a member of a professional group.
Second, consider doing some networking via the written word. Email and postal
notes to former colleagues, professors, and alumni are a great way to re-establish
connections and build a network.
Third, when you know you are attending a networking event, prepare ahead of time.
Use your strengths. Many introverts are great listeners, so stop worrying about
dominating the conversation with witty stories and instead prepare a couple of
questions. All an extravert needs is one question to keep the conversation going
for a while! Ask questions such as, ‘what kind of work do you do?’ or ‘what are
some of the favorite parts of your job,’ or ‘tell me more about your company.’
Fourth, work on your body language. Often introverts avoid eye contact and
appear disinterested – so you should make sure you are sending the right
non-verbal messages.
Fifth, set goals for yourself -- small networking steps first -- and then celebrate
each goal you achieve.
Learn more in about networking techniques in the
networking section of
Quintessential Careers.
Q:
Karen writes:
I had an interview yesterday... and during the interview I was told they would be
calling some applicants back for a second interview next week...When I was
told the pay range of my position I did not speak up then that I felt it was too
low for my skills, and ask if it was negotiable...If I am called back for the
second interview or they just call to offer the position to me, how do I handle
this...The pay range was between $8 and $10...I believe I'm worth at least
$12 an hour starting out... What should I do?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
The general rule-of-thumb with salary negotiation is to put off any salary
discussions until as late in the process as possible -- to the point where
you become the chosen candidate and thus have more bargaining power
than earlier in the process.
That said, you also need to have realistic expectations about what the
employer is willing or able to pay. It’s been my experience that employers
do not pay workers in a given job classification more than the top of the
range – that’s why they have pay ranges and job levels.
So, here’s what you need to do. You need to do a little research and find
out -- if possible -- the exact pay range for this job. If they usually start at
$8 to $10, but the real range is $8 to $14, then you certainly have room
within the range to make your case. If, however, the range for the job is
that small, from $8 to $10, then it is extremely unlikely you are going to
get anything above the top limit.
You may also need to factor in other non-salary issues. For example, if the
company offers a generous benefits package to employees, that may well
make up for the lost $2 an hour, especially given the high cost of health benefits.
You could also look into other options, such as a shorter raise review
window, the possibility of bonuses, or other additional perks.
