Hints For Landing Your Dream Job
Whether you are looking for a part-time job or planning for your career, make yourself stand out and employers will take notice.
Staff at Student Paths, the post-high school transition publication and program, talked with a lot of hiring professionals and they agreed — the little things count.
Keep It Simple
Employers don’t want to contact someone at SuperHotGuy@hottie.com for an interview. The email address is unprofessional and tacky. Use a simple e-mail address with your name or initials for employment applications.
An internship coordinator told Student Paths that he advised a graduating college student to change her "truck princess" email address. "If you want people to take you seriously, change your e-mail address."
Be Confident
Make eye contact with job interviewers and answer questions with confidence. Hiring professionals say that if you visit a company looking like a slob and wearing baggy jeans, employers will have a negative impression about you, no matter how good your skills.
Look The Part
"The first impression is just so important," one hiring professional told Student Paths. "From wearing clean clothes that are pressed to approaching an interview in a way that is serious and focused, that is the stuff that makes you stand out from the crowd."
Nail Down The Soft Skills
Soft skills are transferable skills you bring with you to any job. They have nothing to do with how smart or talented you are. Rather, they deal with how you present yourself, communicate with people and follow through.
Soft skills are what set apart one job candidate from another. An internship program coordinator said, “You can come in with technical skills in, say, finance, but if you don’t have the awareness of what it takes to succeed and apply that in a practical way, you will not be as successful as quickly.” All employers want people who interact well with customers and coworkers, are willing to learn and have a positive attitude. More about soft and transferable skills.
Experience Is Everything
Many hiring professionals advise job seekers to get some type of work experience as early as possible. “You can mow lawns in your neighborhood and start a little business or get involved with babysitting," one person recommended. "All of those things are about learning how to keep commitments, to be on time, to deliver the product promised and to do quality work."
Student Paths has more tips for succeeding at work and college, including a publication and classroom guide for high school students and teachers. www.studentpaths.com
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