Why Finding A Job Is A Little Like Dating

By Samantha Haimes, Associate Director, Career Readiness

In my role here at the Toppel Career Center, I find myself talking with students and recent grads about the job search on a daily basis. Especially for first time job seekers, the job search process can seem very foreign and daunting. And what else can seem pretty daunting? Between my friends, famiy, and the occasional RomCom, I know the answer to this can definitely be DATING. While I am no expert in the dating department, I do consider myself savvy in the job search process (thanks, Toppel!) so I am hoping to make some connections between these two seemingly separate ideas. Single, married, taken... Whatever! No matter where you find yourself these days I hope you can relate.

So many "fish in the sea"

There are sooooo many jobs out there! It might not always seem like it (especially to those actively searching) but there really are. So many different industries, job titles and levels, responsibilities, and to to mention, innumerable places to live while doing these jobs. But with that, many find themselves confused about where to begin. Just like determining who you want to go on a date with, you need to narrow down your options in terms of a job. You have the outdoorsy type, the movie-goer, and the animal lover; similarly you have the job in the swanky new office, the family-run company, or the job with high-impact responsibilities. And just like dating, you need to weigh your options that may have all, parts of, or none of these sample characteristics. Ultimately you just need to decide what it is you're looking for in a significant other job!

Put yourself out there

Gone are the days where Prince Charming shows up at your house to kiss you from your peaceful sleep and start a life with you (ok did that ever really happen to anyone but Sleeping Beauty?!). So what does that mean? It means you've got to get out there and find your very own Prince or Princess Charmings of the Job Search. Putting yourself out there also means doing more than only applying to jobs online. While this is a necessary step in the process, if you stop there your job search will be slow and unexciting. I found myself searching for a job a few years back in a brand new city, knowing no one. The amount of time I spent at random coffee and lunch dates may surprise you. I went from place to place meeting up with professionals to conduct informational interviews, connect with alumni, and learn about the industry and open job opportunities. It was that effort that actually landed me my first job out of grad school. You should do the same- connect with people on LinkedIn, reach out to alumni from UM, former supervisors/colleagues, etc. What do you have to lose? A bad date? It's worth the risk!

The first date

We have all done it - you have a date coming up and you suddenly have NOTHING in your closet to wear. A trip to Dadeland Mall and [too much] money later, you have a brand new outfit that is going to make you look your best!  While it is wonderful to look your best on a first date, it is equally, if not more important, to look that good on your next job interview. You're probably saying, "Samantha I have heard this a million times...next!" but I can't stress this point enough. You want a company to remember you for everything you bring to the table, not for what you are or are not wearing. So splurge for a nice new suit, work appropriate shoes, and ease up on things like cologne or jewelry - less is more.

How many days should you wait to call?

There's nothing like having a great time on a date and then not hearing from the other person for a few weeks! You're likely on pins and needles, checking your texts and voicemails, just in case you might have missed them. "But whyyyyy haven't they called?!" Nine times out of ten, active job seekers go through this exact same slew of emotions. You have this great interview, you write a stellar thank you note, and then.... crickets. "Did they not like me! But we had such great conversation. Maybe there is someone else?"

Here's a little secret: the hiring process takes [far too much] time. For many companies and organizations, there are many stakeholders and steps in the process of bringing in a new employee. So while they may think you are a perfect fit for their company, there maybe be external factors that contribute to their limited (or lack of) communication. You have a few options here:

1. Pester them constantly until they listen to you and offer you the job.

2. Simply wait to hear from them.

3. Follow up in a professional and timely manner

If I was hiring for an open position, had 20 resumes sitting on my desk, and three of those individuals followed up with me to check on the status of their application and process, permitting they are qualified, I would likely focus on those three applications first. Why? Because they seem the most interested in the position and I want someone working for me who wants to work at my company, not just work anywhere. So wait about two weeks after applying for a job and then follow up with them expressing your interest and reminding them why you're a good fit. If you've recently interviewed, ask about the timeline and respect it. Send updates on things you've been doing and offer to provide additional info or references if need be.  It takes strong organizational skills to follow up with every company you apply to in a professional, timely manner but it can be a game changer. Instead of waiting for a call from your dream date (or in this case, a job) pick up the phone and call them!

The perfect match

They say when you know, you know. Throughout this whole job search process, you should be learning what you Iike and don't like in a job or company. Ideally, the job that you offer and accept is an excellent match for your knowledge, skill sets, and professional goals. Your new "relationship" will take work and putting in time and effort to a new job is going to give you the best experience. So get out there and start applying!

Where Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

By Maura Gergerich, Toppel Peer Advisor

As kids we always get asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Although that is important to figure out it seems to slip people’s minds that where you are affects your success and happiness as much as what you do does. A lot of students currently searching for jobs are happy to go anywhere just as long as they have a job. However, the idea of searching across the entire country and possibly world is just a bit daunting. A great place to start is to research which cities have the best opportunities in your field. Some cities, for instance New York, are practically limitless to the types of jobs found there. But this doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect place for everyone. If the crowded city isn’t your scene don’t lose hope! For many industries, the best job markets are actually not where you’d expect. It just takes a bit of research to find it.

It also helps to keep in mind that even in a city that may not have your career’s ideal opportunities a little extra effort searching may be worth it. If you’re a person who can’t stand the idea of going back to the cold after spending so many years in Miami, even if you find out Gnome, Alaska has the most opportunities it may not be worth it. Forbes.com currently has a list of the top ten happiest and least happy cities to work in across the US. And for anyone who has fallen in love with the sunshine and palm trees of Florida, Miami ranks number one with Orlando not far behind at number 4. These opinions may not exactly align with your own but it’s definitely good to keep in mind that where you are is going to impact your life as much if not more than what company you work for.

The Neglected Job Search Tool

By Marian Li, Toppel Peer Advisor

There are first interviews, second interviews, phone interviews, lunch interviews, and group interviews; you’d think employers covered all their bases since all of the above have purposes and best practices. And then there’s the forgotten interview of the job searching process: the informational one. Informational interviews are underutilized. People, especially college students, are unaware of the opportunities that are presented before them. The title of “student” shields one from the judging, probing stares of an employer when they search for an ulterior motive. As a student, employers gladly take one under their wing and treat the interview as a learning opportunity.

So first off, what is an information interview? An informational interview is a one-on-one conversation with someone who has a job you might like, who works within an industry you might want to enter, or who is employed by a specific company that you're interested in learning about. These interviews are excellent options for plotting a career path or focusing your aspirations. Because they're preliminary in nature, informational interviews are also useful for someone who knows what type of job they want but is still at the beginning of his or her search. It’s also a good way to practice your interview skills without conducting a formal job interview. And it's always good way to network into an organization.

   

Sounds helpful, right? Then how do you conduct an informational interview? For some people, the hurdle of an informational interview isn't understanding its purpose, but going about arranging one. After all, if you're at this early stage, you probably have limited means of approaching industry-specific contacts. Those in the know say the first and easiest solution to this problem is to speak with people within your inner circle. Friends, family members, and LinkedIn connections might know of appropriate sources. See if you can contact a suggested person through email, telephone, mail or otherwise to try to arrange a meeting. Veer away from contacting human resources employees, since their standard answer will be to send a resume, and keep in mind that a company executive might have limited time for face-to-face meetings. You're best option would be to find someone within the role you're hoping to fill, or one-step above that, who is close to a hiring manager.

Now what to do? It would be a shame to ace all the initial steps only to botch everything on interview day. To start on the right foot, Crawford recommends dressing the way you would for a formal job interview. This might mean a dark suit and tie for a corporate office, or some slacks and a button-down shirt for a more-casual workplace. She also advises you bring copies of your resume, a generic cover letter, any work portfolio you have, and some spare business cards. Be prepared to ask questions about a typical work day, the corporate culture, the management style, and industry trends. And cue up responses on your personal career plans, your experience, and your skills. Above all, keep in mind that your goal is to come away with more information—not a job offer.

What do you do after the interview? Take a breath and give yourself a pat on the back if you've made it all the way through successfully setting up and conducting an informational interview. But also know that how you follow up is just as important as how you behaved in the interview itself. And you should always follow up—even if you're disinterested in pursuing the lead any further. If an interviewer doesn't hear back from someone they gave an informational interview, they would feel used. If you're not interested in the company or the field, you should still send a quick thank you. An email will suffice, but if you are interested, then your tone and the frequency of your follow up will change.

How do I Actually Find a Job?

By Kelly Martin, Toppel Peer Advisor 

As a peer advisor, we have tons of students that come in on a daily basis looking for help with their resumes and cover letters, but one question that I seem to get a lot that’s more difficult to answer than questions about resume formatting or how to address a cover letter: how do I find a job/internship?

Often, as soon as I am done working with a student on their document, they then ask me, “now how do I find a job?” With resumes and cover letters, while the content will vary from person to person and job to job, there’s a basic template to follow. With a job search, there are many ways to approach it. So here are some of my observations from personal experience and from watching friends and other students that are on the hunt for jobs or internships.

First, the way you go about searching for a job could be very different from one field to another. As a student in the marine science school, the internships I’ve found have been completely from doing my own research—running a lot of Google searches, varying my keywords, and looking through the websites of as many organizations as I can. I also made a list of multiple organizations that I knew of already and went to their websites to specifically search for a “careers” or “internships” page. However, a business student could probably find job or internship opportunities in their field fairly easily through Toppel and other job websites.  So do some research on your field and figure out what might be the best way to approach your search.

While some things may change depending on your major or field of interest, one thing that will help any person looking for a job: connections. Connections are great way to get an extra leg up in the application process, and may even make you aware of an opportunity you never would have thought of before. So ask your professors if they know of any internship opportunities, ask your friends and family if they know of anyone in your field who may be able to help you out, or even just give you advice. It can’t hurt to ask and you never know what doors may open!

Finally, utilize Toppel! We have an amazing staff here in our office, and there are tons of resources you can use to find a job. From industry panels and career fairs, to advisors assigned to your specific major and job postings on our website (HireACane.com), there are countless ways that Toppel can help you in your job search.

So get out there and show the working world how awesome ‘Canes are, and get some job and internship experience to add to your resume. Happy hunting!

5 Tips to Jump Start Your Job or Internship Search

By Jordan Adams, Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting

“I’ve applied over and over to internships and jobs but can’t get a solid interview, how do I get my foot in the door!!!”  Below is the advice I give to UM students, alumni, my own friends, and family.  
 

1. Fix your resume:   

Your resume is a living document that can always be improved and adapted so it should continually be on your mind during a job search.  Most importantly, it has to be concise and to the point.  Recruiters see hundreds of resumes at a time and only keep reading until they get bored.  This means that your resume should only be one page (2 max for people with significant experience), no paragraphs! (only bullets and phrases), and it should be tailored to the position/organization you are applying to. They took time to write a job description so you should take time to reorient your resume to compliment the position and highlight the skills they are looking for.  

And just as importantly, don’t sell yourself short.  Any job experience is valuable and can relate to your job search.  Worked in the student store as a cashier?  Well, you have excellent customer service skills, assisting over 150 clients daily, and facilitated the implementation of a new digital textbook rental program that has saved the university over $200k annually.  Just remember that bullet points for your experiences should highlight what you did, the skills and tools you used, and positive outcomes.  It is important to orient the bullets to your particular job search and to use specific examples/quantify your experiences as much as possible.  

2. Research: 

The more you know about your job and internship search, the better off you will be.  Research can take many forms.  You may be interested in a specific field, but are not sure about actual career paths or how to leverage your major, or you may know exactly what you want to do, but are not sure how to make it happen.  Either way you have to get prepared and Toppel has compiled great resources to help you such as Career Links that has important industry-specific information, Glassdoor that compiles thousands of company reviews and salary information, ONet Online that provides important industry/occupational descriptions and data, and many more guides and handouts.  Also, once you login to your HireACane.com account, you can;  utilize Vault Career Intelligence to get insider access to industry information and job search advice, discover information about jobs and internships abroad with GoingGlobal, and view the hundreds of jobs and internships available in the system.  Simple online searches can also be useful as you try and find the major organizations in your industry or look at the prominent players in your region.  

3. Network: 

Networking may seem daunting or confusing, but it can be done in many different ways and is completely necessary to find a job or internship these days.  We all know that most people get a job or internship through a personal relationship (“because they knew somebody”) so now is the time to put yourself out there and get to know somebody. Start with friends, family, and your professors.  They should all know your career plans and are the most likely to help you with tips, advice, and job connections.  Your next step is to get involved with student groups and organizations that give you much needed exposure to the professional world.  Many student organizations bring in guest speakers, Greek organizations have professional development events, and Toppel hosts Career Expo’s, Meet-Up’s, and many other career fairs and events that are specifically designed for students and alumni to meet with employers.  And if you are not ready to get out of the house, start connecting on LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and you just need a professional picture and information from your resume to get started.  Once on, you can connect with friends and family to start your network and can explore the group of over 60,000 ‘Canes who work at thousands of organizations worldwide and instantly have something in common with you. 

4. Apply and follow-up: Now that you have an updated resume, did a little research, and started networking, it’s time to start applying!  HireACane.com should be your first stop because you will be competing against a much smaller applicant pool and employers are specifically seeking UM interns and full-time employees.  Pay particular attention to on-campus recruiting because employers making the effort to come to campus want to maximize their time by seeing as many qualified applicants as possible.  Applying directly on company websites and via LinkedIn may be your next step, along with the many online employment websites.  

Don’t forget that the most critical part of the application process is following-up and setting yourself apart from the crowd.  Employers are inundated with hundreds of resumes, many of which come from across the U.S. and even globally, and you need them to take a second look at yours.  There are a variety of ways to get their attention.  If you can find out who the recruiter or hiring manager is, reach out via email or LinkedIn and say who you are, why you would be a good fit for their organization, and provide a copy of your resume (all in 3 to 4 sentences).  Don’t forget about your network, including the career center, and ask anybody you know that has a connection to the organization to put in a good word for you.  You can also reach out to ‘Canes via LinkedIn who work for the organization and ask to chat with them; depending how it goes they may give you some good advice or even pass your resume along.  You never know what will get your foot in the door so try as many angles as possible when you are pursuing your dream internship or full-time position.  

5. Meet employers on campus: Take every opportunity you can to meet employers when they are on campus.  They are making a special trip to UM just to meet you so it is absolutely worth it to see what they have to say.  Many student organizations and Departments across campus host professional speakers and Toppel has multiple events each semester introducing employers to ‘Canes.  Major events include; Career Expo each Fall and Spring, Practice interviews with real employers, specialized career fairs, and Meet-Ups for industries such as Communications, STEM, and Healthcare.  Toppel also hosts a number of company sessions and on-campus interviews that can be found on a continually updated online calendar.  Make sure to RSVP for company sessions and apply to on-campus interview positions before each deadline so that you guarantee yourself the best chance at securing a job or internship.  

You never know when you will get your break so every one of these items may be the key to your success.  Additionally, feel free to stop by Toppel during walk-in advising Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 4:30pm or give us a call at 305-284-5451 to discuss any of these points.  Our job is to empower and connect so don’t hesitate to reach out!