Acing the Phone Interview

By: Teri Grimes

Last week, we had a corporate recruiter named Abby Kohut speak to our class on a few tricks she picked up from her 16+ years of experience on the job. One of the topics she covered stuck out most in my mind because of my recent experience with them: phone interviews. She shared with us the recruiter’s perspective on what makes a good phone interview, and how to avoid the pitfalls that made recruiters not call you back.

The purpose of a phone screen is to find out if they want to interview you further. If at the end of the phone call they don’t specifically schedule a date for your next interview, that means that they probably don’t. If the recruiter says something like “I’ll pass your resume to a hiring manager” or “we’re not scheduling right now but we’ll keep in touch,” that usually means that they’re not interested. Why don’t they just come out and say it instead of using language that could keep your hopes up? Because then you might ask why you weren’t fit for the position and after they tell you, you still might argue to defend yourself. This way just keeps the recruiter on schedule by not dealing with unhappy candidates.

The number one rule of phone interviews is to always answer your phone. Recruiters have a certain number of candidates that they have to reach per day, and if you don’t answer your phone they might move on to the next person on the list and skip you entirely. No matter what you’re doing, however, tell them that you’re not in a place where you can talk and ask if they can call you back in half an hour or if you can call them back. Even if you’re at home and ready for an interview, say that you aren’t. This way, you have half an hour to research the company and use your knowledge to impress the recruiter. Know everything you can in that half hour about the company and the job listing.

Be aware of your first impressions on the phone as well. If you see an unlisted number and think that it’s a telemarketer, you might answer in a way that sounds boring and unhappy. This will be the recruiter’s first impression for you. If instead you say something like “Excellent, I have been waiting for your call!” The recruiter will be excited to talk to you as well. Keep in mind that phone calls often make you sound mellow and tired even if you’re an enthusiastic person. Try to keep your energy up by walking around the room, possibly occasionally passing a mirror and smiling at yourself. Recruiters can hear a smile through the phone.

Be sure to be using the C-A-R stories I blogged about earlier, and with these tips you should ace any phone interview!

Switching Majors

By Sarah-Jean Murray

Switching majors was the best thing I've ever done in my college career. It was a nerve wracking decision, however I now know that I'm right where I want to be. Should you do the same thing? When switching to a different major there are several things to think about beforehand. Being frustrated at the amount of schoolwork you have or not getting along with a professor are not good enough reasons to change majors. You'll get your work finished and you'll pass the class and move on. However if you are truly unhappy in your major or you feel passionate about another subject, then maybe you should switch directions.

Changing career directions is not something to take lightly. This is an important decision that will affect the rest of your career. There are some things to consider if you are thinking about switching. Graduating on time is a huge factor in the decision making. Many students may not want to or can't afford to stay in college for more than 4 or 5 years. Staying in college for even an extra semester or two can be expensive and time consuming. Sometimes, however the classes you've already taken may be able to count towards the other major you are considering. This usually happens if you are switching majors within the same department or school. Talking with your advisor is the best way to decide if you can graduate in time and if not, would it be worth it to stay in school longer. You may also consider taking summer classes or having a heavier course load for a few semesters.

Then you should consider your skills and talents. Maybe you're in a major that isn't suited to what you're skilled at. Bad at math but you're majoring in physics? This may not be the place for you. Think about what you're interested in life and what motivates you. What are your passions? What activities do you pursue in your free time? All these things could help inspire you in choosing a new major.

Are you switching because you fear there may not be a job after college? Do some research about the field you're majoring in and talking to some professionals and professors. Sometimes the fear of the great unknown may prevent you from pursuing something you really love. Don't let worry about finances stop you from going after a career that inspires and motivates you. Don't choose a boring office job instead of doing something you love just because of money. Of course there are times when money is the thing that motivates you but don't let it become the deciding factor. As liberal art majors, we have many opportunities that we don't even know about. More and more companies are hiring liberal art students because of the communication and people skills we are developing during school. Sometimes the job you get after college will have nothing to do with your major simply because you have gained skills during school that are valuable to employers.

Then of course there's one of the biggest reasons you want to change your major: you completely detest it. Classes don't interest you and the whole thought of what your major entails puts you to sleep. You're stressed, you're bored, you're not being challenged enough. These reasons alone is a big enough reason to change majors. For me, it was because I had lost interest in the subject I was studying. The actual career prospect I was facing was nothing like I imagined when I entered college and so I decided to switch to something that I felt strongly about (adding a second major was just the icing on the cake).

That being said, I encourage you to stick with the major you have chosen for at least a semester. Sometimes freshman or low level classes are not interesting and you just have to push through it to get to the exciting, challenging classes. No matter what you're thinking about, always talk to your advisor. They will have the knowledge and the resources to help you fully decide on a plan of action. Also talk to your peers and professors. Those around you could lend you insight on the situation and even lend their own experiences and perspective.

No matter what, follow your dreams.

Time to Vote

By: Samantha Werry

Every four years, the presidential voting polls are open. The last time the country held the presidential elections, I was just 1 month shy of being 18, meaning, I was obviously too young to have the opportunity to vote. So if you are like me, this is your first time voting! I will admit, I was nervous to go out and vote since I had never done it before. I did not know the process as well as the older, more experienced voters. The one thing I did know is how long it would take for me to stand in line and wait to vote. I planned accordingly and made sure I had time in my day to vote without having to miss any classes.

One of my friends posted online that their classes were all canceled today in order to let them go out and vote! At first, I believed this was a great idea, but then again, it doesn't prepare us for the “real world.” Once you graduate and get a job, you have to priorities what needs to be done in the day and how. I know we are all in college, but sometimes, you need to get up early and do something important to not only yourself, but also the entire country.

Voting is incredibly important because we have the privilege of taking part in deciding the direction in which we want our country to go. People might think they would do more harm than good by voting since they do not pay attention to the polls. I believe it is always important to take this seriously and do your research. I understand that everyone is tired of the political ads and just want to ignore this, but this is your life we are talking about. If you want change, if you believe something is going right or wrong, or if you simply want to make a difference, take your time and realize what you really want for your life. I really encourage all of you to educate yourselves as much as possible and get to the polls and vote!

Over-Communicate Clarity

By: Maureen Corbett

Today in our morning intern meeting, Lisa continued her series of mini-lessons by discussing Patrick Lencioni's third discipline of organizational health: Over-Communication of Clarity. She explained how successful organizations are able to portray their brands and company goals to not only their own employees, but to the rest of society as well. The way they go about doing this is by building a brand and then saturating it with many different communication styles. Repetition  is key here, because in order to make sure their goals is being accurately portrayed to the public, companies must use multiple media sources and simplistic messages to grab their audience's attention.

This got me thinking about how I can over-communicate my own personal goals to future employers. If the idea is to be clear when expressing myself, how can I make sure that a future employer understands that I am the right person for the position? After today's meeting, I believe the best way to do this is to use the same process of over-communication. I need to build my own personal brand of success, and then make sure it is obviously stated in every part of my life. This means having a resume that accurately expresses all my skills and qualities. I also need to have a professional social media profile on all media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I need to be able to clearly and accurately sell my self in any type of interview. All of these different outlets of communication are the best ways to go about expressing my professionalism.

Need To Know

By Corinne Feight

Do you think you are all set to graduate? Are you graduating in December or holding on a little bit longer until May? Well according to Forbes magazine there are a couple things that we, as soon-to-be college grads, need to know about money. Many students graduate knowing nothing…don’t let that be you! Mary Morrison, a professor in personal finance at Stanford for the past 14 years, teaches us the top ten things we need to know.

1. Don’t make career decisions based on dollar amounts. Think big picture. "If you're offered X dollars in New York City, it's not the same as the same amount in Kansas City. You have to evaluate what you want out of your career and what the benefits are of those decisions," says Morrison. When evaluating job offers, know the difference between benefits and perks. "You might think it's cool to be able to throw a Frisbee down the hall, but what's that compared with dental insurance?" she asks.
2. Figure out how much you will need up front to move and start your life. Apartment rentals require deposits, as do some utility companies. You may need a moving van, and you may have to wait four weeks for a first paycheck. "You have to figure out what you'll need to live on before that first paycheck," Morrison says. "Few people's parents can write them a check for $3,000."
3. Know what your take-home pay is—it’s not as much as you think. This starts with filling out your W-4 tax withholding form correctly and getting the right amount of tax taken out of your paycheck. You can't start fashioning a budget without knowing what you have to work with. "A paycheck and the dollars into your hand are not the same thing," Morrison says. "You and the married guy next door with three kids will not get the same check for the same salary."
4. Be realistic about your expenses and essentials. “Some students have lived in an apartment before, but after college it's not a big party and eating your roommates' food late at night," Morrison says. Rather it's time to grapple with expenses like transportation, health care, food, entertainment and incidentals. Plan everything. Many students expect to live on $50 a week for food, so Morrison brings to class an unappetizing selection of $50 worth of groceries to show them what that money will buy. "You will not live on rice and beans. You will go to the deli. You will buy coffee," she says. You don't have to deprive yourself. Just be realistic. "I don't care if they get a pet snake," Morrison says. "Just know how much it costs."
5. Understand cash flow. Find out not only exactly how much you’ll be paid, but also precisely when, and when your bills will arrive.
6. Keep an emergency account. Bad things happen, and they will happen to you. "You'll be sick. You'll be hurt. Life will happen to you the same ways it does to everyone else," Morrison says. Be prepared mentally and financially for this reality.
7. Know when to use a debit card or credit card. "I think students should have credit cards," Morrison says. "They are safer from theft than debit cards, and paying off a credit card every month will help a young person build a credit history and, hopefully, a good credit score." However, for routine purchases like going out to eat, buying gasoline or going to a movie, students should use a debit card, she advises. "It will protect them from the typical 'I spent how much this month?' experience. Credit cards should be for major, hopefully planned, significant purchases."
8. Get renter’s insurance. Look carefully at the insurance options provided by your employer. For example, everyone needs worker's compensation insurance. Never drive with minimum liability auto insurance. Financially protect yourself from a "roommate who might run off to Puerto Rico," as Morrison puts it, with a security deposit or legal agreement.
9. Begin contributing immediately to a 401(k) plan or an IRA account. "Even if you start off slow and modest, it will make a huge difference," Morrison says. You may miss the $50 or so you put aside out of each paycheck, but it will grow and grow and save you from panic later.
10. Don’t be afraid to invest. "I tell them that a savings account is a risky investment, because it means you're betting that there won't be inflation," Morrison says. Diversify, diversify, diversify.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/02/10-things-every-college-grad-needs-to-know-about-money/

It is time, help yourself

By Yameng Zhang

Abby Kohut is the author of 101 Job Search Secrets with over 15 years of recruiter experience. On Thursday evening, she shared some of her invaluable secret advice to college job seekers.

    There is one thing that kept me thinking—to help ourselves to get a job, we’d better help others. This may sounds like a Bibletalk like “you have to love others to love yourself”. However, it started to make sense after I heard her explanation. In a world networking works everywhere, how can we really use our network to help us on job hunting? Be a good person who is willing to help first to make a good impression.

    Everyone has connections somewhere, maybe those are not directly help us right now, but some of those connections may just be the ones your friends or acquaintances are looking for. So before you try to figure out whom to ask for help, find out what you can offer them first. Believe Abby or not, helping the others is helping yourself.

Want to know more about Abby? please visit http://www.absolutelyabby.com/home.html

Best Interview Practices

By Teri Grimes

We all know that interviews can be intimidating for the average person. What really helps to calm you nerves is having a solid plan in place for exactly what you’re going to do before, during, and after the interview. Most plans should look something like this:

BEFORE: Arrive about 10 minutes early. Don’t be any earlier than that, and don’t get there really early and sit in your car until you can go inside. People will probably see you in the parking lot and think you’re really creepy. When you do go inside, greet the receptionist and let them know the person that you’re interviewing with. If you have an email correspondence or something from the interviewer, it may be a good idea to print it out so you know their name and title exactly before you accidentally make yourself look unprepared. When the secretary asks you to take a seat, make sure you have good posture when you’re sitting down and you aren’t acting like the waiting room is your own living room. You can sit quietly and review your resume or portfolio, but occasionally look up and notice your surroundings. When you’re waiting in the lobby, you’re still saying something about who you are as a brand.

DURING: Once the interviewer arrives, make sure you have a firm and confident handshake. You don’t want to be giving a ‘princess-kiss-my-hand’ hand shake, that creeps people out too. Keep in mind that a good interview should sound like a conversation and not be so one sided. Make sure you do your research so you can ask good questions, and constantly prepare yourself for what they might ask you. Be prepared for how you may react if they ask you any ‘illegal questions’ such as your health, religion, politics, etc. and know how you want to answer them. Come up with about five points ahead of time that tell stories that highlight skills relevant to the job description. You can even write these all out so you really have it memorized by the time you get there. Practice active listening by rephrasing the question in the answer. If you don’t know the answer, admit is, but then try to connect it to some other relevant skill that you have.

AFTER: Thank them for their time, shake hands again, and ask about the timeline or next steps before you hear back from them. DO NOT ask about how much the job pays unless they offer that information already. Follow up the interview with a thank you note or a thank you email within 48 hours, and try to be specific and mention something that you and the interviewer connected over. Anything that you had a good conversation about, bring it up again and help them to remember which candidate you were. Don’t be afraid to follow up with them again if they haven’t reached out to you and the deadline has already passed. If you hear back from them and you didn’t get the job, be polite and feel free to ask suggested areas of improvement.

Hopefully with this plan in place, you can enter your interviews confident and ready!