Mini Mock Interview…What’s It All About?

By Kiernan King, Toppel Peer Advisor

Interviews are a necessary component of the job application process and Toppel offers a service to help make that process run a tad smoother; The Mini Mock Interview. To obtain one, simply come to the office for walk-in advising and meet with a fantastic peer advisor or graduate assistant. Getting ready for Medical School? Preparing for Graduate School? Hoping to land your dream job? We offer mock interviews in all of these areas Monday through Friday 10am – 4:30pm. 

Interviews will always begin with the dreaded, “Tell Me About Yourself” question. To answer such, one must stay relevant and keep the answer professional. Consider these five easy steps:

1. Be Gracious. (Thank them for taking the time out of their day to meet with you)
2. “My name is ____.” It’s never a bad idea to remind the employers who they’re potentially hiring.
3. “I’m originally from…” Geographic relevance goes a long way and is one of the easiest ways to connect with someone.
4. Use connecting words. “I’m currently a _____ at _____.” Here you can list your title and where your most recent and relevant experience comes from.
5. “And this is what I do…” The final step is the trickiest yet most important. Here you need to explain step 4 with a brief example of why they should consider hiring you over someone else.

Remember, the elevator pitch should be less than three minutes. Be careful not to overdo it. Be articulate, use general phrases. Your rhetoric and ability to summarize will be graded here.

• “What do you know about our company?” The easiest way to answer this question: research, research, research! Gather all of the information you can because it will show the employer you’re truly interested in working there which will also impress them. If the least you do is read their Wikipedia page, you’ll know that much more about that company. Also see if you can find a story about the company in your local newspaper. Information on current events can give you a leg up on the competition.

• You will be challenged on your previous experiences. Not only do you need to research the company, but be sure to go back through your own résumé and remind yourself of the many experiences you’ve had, your responsibilities there, and what you accomplished. Be sure to “flip” any negative aspects about these positions into positive ones.

• Be sure to highlight your interpersonal skills. These can always be backed up by hard skills listed on your résumé, but in order for your personality to really shine you need to refer to examples of how you positively impacted a colleague, peer or client.

• Midway through the interview we may pause and asses the number of “ums” and “likes” said. This critique is only to help you avoid saying these words and to get you feeling comfortable with a little bit of natural silence. A note about your body language may be mentioned as well.

• When employees ask you about your strengths, a good formula to go with is to start with a word. Turn that word into a sentence and then make that sentence become a story. Avoid cliché answers and be sure to say a skill for a weakness and not personality traits because skills can be taught and adjusted more easily than habits.

IMPORTANT: have a minimum of 3 questions to ask an employer at the end of an interview! One can be an overarching question, one can be related to what they find rewarding/challenging and one may be about opportunities for growth within the company, for example. Be sure to never ask anything personal.

Final tips: invest in resume paper and bring about 5 copies to an interview, go easy on the cologne, perfume, practice a firm handshake, be sure to iron your shirt and know how to tie a tie! While dressing professional is not required here, if you choose to do so we can offer a note or two on your outfit.

Don’t approach this mock interview, or any interview, like a test that you studied for the night before. You don’t want to sound rehearsed and the best thing to do is be yourself. The peer advisors and graduate assistants will listen to your answers and will provide honest feedback. Come see us, we don’t bite! 

Interview Faux Pas

By: Robert Vanisko

At the Toppel Career Center, we have tons of advice for students who are interviewing for jobs and internships. Today, however, we are going to focus on what not to do when interviewing for a job or internship.

Being underdressed: When attending any type of career related event, one of the worst things you can do is show up underdressed. Whether it is a job interview, career fair, networking event, etc. showing up underdressed will make you stick out like a sore, unprofessional, thumb.

Showing up late to an interview: There are few things that can kill your chances of getting a job faster than showing up late to an interview. In a job interview, employers want to see if you are going to be a good fit with their company. No matter what your excuse is, showing up late immediately throws up a red flag and makes you seem like an unreliable employee. 

Obnoxious name-dropping: While you may have friends in high places, make sure you are not obnoxious about it when dropping names. While these contacts may be very helpful in getting your foot in the door, you need to make sure you don’t come across as arrogant in the interview.

Bad mouthing former bosses and co-workers: While you may feel that some of your past career failures have been the result of your former bosses and co-workers, a job interview is not the time to say it. This makes you come across as selfish and not a team player. Plus, you never know who the person interviewing you is friends with.

Having your phone turned on: Even if you have it on vibrate, nothing says “I don’t care about this interview” more than having your cell phone turned on and distracting from the interview. Having a cellphone ring or vibrate mid-interview can quickly turn the tide of an interview against you, either by throwing you off while you are trying to answer a question or by angering the interviewer. While cell phones have been working their way more and more into everyday life, they still have no place in an interview.

Luckily for you, you now know to not do any of these things when interviewing for a job or internship. If you have any more questions regarding interviews or any other part of the application process, feel free to come to Toppel for an Interviewing Skills Workshop or a Mini-Mock Interview. 

How to Take Advantage of Toppel during your Freshman Year

By: Constanza Schubert, Toppel Ambassador

Are you a freshman? Or when you were one, did you think that all this career development stuff should be done later down the road? False! As cliché as it may sound, it is never too late for you to attend Toppel events! The career expo can be useful to any student, regardless of major or year. I attended the Fall Career Expo as a freshman, and I learned that it actually requires plenty of preparation.  It was a great opportunity for me to get a practice round, so that when I attend at a more crucial point, I am prepared and know exactly what to expect. During my first semester, I attended several workshops and programs from Toppel, and I will recommend which are the most crucial ones for incoming freshmen:

Freshmen and Sophomore Orientation: This workshop is the first one a freshman should go to, because it’s like Toppel 101; it informs students on everything that Toppel offers, including career assessments, Toppel workshops & expos, and how one should go about looking for an internship (no, it’s not too early for you to start searching!) on the HireACane website. This workshop is essential, because you don’t want to become a junior that has never heard of Toppel and doesn’t know the first thing about searching for internships.

Effective Resume and Cover Letter Writing: I cannot stress how important this workshop is. There is actually plenty information that the Toppel staff covers that is not as “common sense” as you’d expect. At the workshop, you receive a detailed Resume writing guide that includes resume templates that are according to industry. Use this guide as you prepare to submit your resume on HireACane.com. This way, you will be able to get your resume approved quicker.
Note: Several Toppel events require that you have submitted your resume on HireACane. Do it as soon as possible to avoid any complications. Click here to see a previous blog post about writing a resume: Jam Your Way to a Perfect Resume.

EPIC Program (Employer Practice Interview and Critique): This was by far my favorite program from the ones I attended. Prior to the Career Expo, Toppel hosts EPIC, a program where they bring in employers to conduct mock interviews. When you RSVP, you pick the company of your choice and can pick whether you want a mock interview or have your resume critiqued. I had a mock interview with Northwestern Mutual, and at the end the employer gave me extremely helpful feedback. This is one of the best ways to prepare for the Career Expo, or to just enhance your interviewing skills.

Diversity Etiquette Dinner: This is one of the most unique events that Toppel puts together, in conjunction with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. This year’s dinner occurred on Monday, November 5^th.  When you RSVP, you get to choose with which employer you want to sit, and there is a wide variety, from a Miller School of Medicine table to a Pre-law table. The host covers all the specific etiquette rules one must know while having dinner in a professional setting, and students get to ask questions of their own while eating a delicious full course meal (for free!). Watch a quick video of this event.

All of the events listed above, with the exception of the etiquette dinner, will also occur during Spring semester. Get started now, for it will benefit you later!

I am a Junior and I have not done an internship yet! What do I do?

By: Robert Vanisko

Once you become a Junior and realize that you are over half way done with college, it can be a startling realization that there is not much time left until you are out in the real world.  But for some of you, there is one problem; you have no internship experience yet.  Sure, you worked in that restaurant during high school or have an on campus job at UM, but internships are what is important… right?

Luckily for you, there is still plenty of time to get that experience before you have to apply for real world jobs.  The Toppel Career Center has tons of great resources to help you find what you are interested in, identify possible internships in that field, and get you started on applying for them. 

The first and most important step is identifying and defining what field you are interested in working in.  Many of you will pick something in-line with your major, but others of you are less sure.  For those of you who don’t know what field you would like to work in, Toppel offers three different career assessments that you can take to determine what you want to do, the Self Directed Search, the Type Focus, and the Strong Interest Inventory.

Once you determine what type of internship you want to do, the next step is to search for available internship opportunities that you want to apply to.  Using your HireACane account, you can search for internships on your account or create a UCAN account.  UCAN, which stands for the University Career Action Network, is a database of internships posted by the University of Miami and the 21 other universities involved.  Currently, there are more than 1,300 UCAN internships available and more than 900 jobs and internships available on HireACane.

Once you have picked out the internships that you want to apply for, you have to prepare yourself to apply.  Toppel has plenty of resources to help you create and edit your resume and cover letters, and prepare you for your interviews.  They offer Effective Resumeand Cover Letter Writing Seminars as well as written guides to help you create these documents.  Toppel also offers Interviewing Skills Seminars as well as Mock and Mini-Mock Interviews.  It is very important to practice your interviewing skills before you go in for a real interview, so be sure to make use of these programs.

While finding a summer internship may seem like a daunting task while trying to balance the academic life and social life of junior year, it is actually quite simple as long as you follow the steps listed above.  For more information on all of these programs, be sure to visit hireacane.comhttp://www.sa.miami.edu/toppel/mainsite/Students/Home.aspx.  

A Photographer’s Perspective to a Successful Job Search

By Edward Cruz

Prior to looking through the viewfinder of a camera, a photographer needs to make a few decisions on what they are shooting. For instance, what is the purpose of the photograph? Is it to evoke an emotion, share a scene, or focus on a specific subject of interest? When preparing for an event shoot, other items that need to be considered include the client’s needs, the venue layout, and inventory of equipment needed to capture the event. As an aspiring photographer and a full-time career advisor, I have observed many similarities between shooting an event and gearing up for a job search. Let me explain.

One of the most common emotions many photographers face when starting out is their worth. Many times, the question that has run through my own mind is, Is my work up to par? or Is my equipment good enough to start out as a ‘professional photographer’? Well, in many cases we soon realize the equipment only enhances what we already have within. Having an eye for pictures is a tough skill to teach, many times a person either has it or they don’t. Learning the technical aspects of photography can assist someone in taking the camera off the auto mode. However, after that is accomplished, the creativity or skill required to take a great picture is not found in the equipment used. It is found within the person behind the lens. It comes from an interest, a passion, a curiosity to see the world differently and to express that view through the pictures taken.

As a job seeker, the common themes are similar. The questions that are raised include:

Is my resume good enough?

Are my skills top-notch?

Do I have enough experience to be marketable?

Before attending an event shoot, there are a few steps that photographers must take to ensure a quality product and experience for the client. In a similar fashion, a job seeker, recent graduate or not, should take similar steps to ensure a successful transition or career search. First, conduct an inventory of equipment; secondly, meet with the client; thirdly, conduct a walkthrough of the venue.

Inventory of Equipment

Prior to working an event, a photographer must conduct an inventory of their equipment and be aware of the type of event. One must understand the layout, the event schedule, the subject, and the purpose of the event to capture the best pictures possible. As such, a job seeker should take time out to conduct an inventory of their own equipment or skills that make them unique and standout from the crowd. Just as photographers need to analyze their own work, interests, and the passion that fuels their creativity, a job seeker must determine where their interests lie, what fuels their passion, and provides them with meaning. Unfortunately, there is not a standard response that encompasses every person. Therefore, one of the first things necessary for any job seeker is to understand who they are, what have they accomplished, and what they enjoy. I provided a few questions that can assist in this first step.

• What are my interests; what am I passionate about?

• What interests you most in life? 
•  Favorite hobbies
• A Particular subject matter 
•  Lights fire within 
•  Gives meaning/satisfaction 

•   What are my values?
•   Non-negotiable (regardless of pay, location, job title, etc.)
• Family traditions/background and upbringing

• What skills/strengths would I most like to use? 
•  Skills you find yourself using over and over again – they may reveal what you do well and enjoy doing 
• Recall an accomplishment and determine the skills used during the achievement 
• When possible, do not forget to quantify your results

 As mentioned previously, event photographers need to answer a few questions prior to an event. However, some of these questions cannot be answered on their own. Therefore the next step can be extremely important if a photographer is to be successful at their next event. Remember, there is not a cookie cutter way to conduct a job search and there is not a set way to shoot every event. This brings us to our next step, meet with the client. 

Meet with Client

It is extremely important for a photographer to conduct a meeting or multiple meetings, if necessary, with their client to fully understand what the client’s needs are, what they expect, and what they would like to be captured within the photos taken. For example, when shooting weddings, the details of the day are important like the decorations used, the bridal party’s dresses and tuxedos, the rings, and most importantly the bride’s dress. Other items to consider would be the family and friends in attendance. Knowing which people are important to the bride and groom to include in photos can ensure they receive a product they’ll be happy with. When a client is happy, through word of mouth, a photographer receives more business and clients, and the cycle continues. This step is a major piece that some individuals do not consider or tend to overlook. The importance of understanding what you are trying to accomplish at an event that is being photographed or conducting a job search is extremely important. Before we can get to the end result, we have to remember without a roadmap it could be difficult to go from point A to point B. It is vital to prepare and to network to ensure success.

Like a photographer, a job seeker should be using meetings, specifically informational interview meetings, to make a great first impression on a person who has the ability to hire them or refer them on to another client. When setting up an informational interview, be prepared to ask the right questions to get the information needed to be more prepared and to make a better decision in a future search. Please be patient with this process, in most cases, the results will not be instant.

Additionally, remember this is a networking opportunity. So the first impression is extremely important to continue the relationship past the initial meeting. The question most commonly asked during my advising meetings is, How should I prepare for an informational interview meeting or an upcoming interview? My response, besides becoming more self-aware (discussed in the previous section), is take the necessary time to research the company (discussed further in the next section Conduct a Walkthrough); understand its mission/vision and how it fits in with your own values or outlook on life. Next, learn as much as possible about the services/products provided or sold, the competitors, and the organization’s most recent accomplishments and/or shortcomings. As you determine who you should first reach out to, remember to first utilize your already established network or connect with fellow ‘Canes through resources such as LinkedIn. The goal of these meetings is to learn more about the unwritten stories or experiences of individuals that most likely will not be available through a company website or other promotional materials.  

Here are sample questions you can use on your next informational interview or in-person networking encounter:

• What are tasks/duties performed during a typical day/week/month?
• What type of degrees, courses, internships should be completed to be a competitive candidate upon graduation?
• What are the keywords or buzz terms I should include in my resume or cover letter when applying in this field?
• What skills/characteristics are important to have or acquire?
• Who else would you recommend I speak to?

Conduct a Walkthrough of the Venue 

Prior to any event or meeting, it is recommended for a photographer to conduct a walkthrough of the venue to be the most prepared to succeed. Once a walkthrough is completed the photographer and staff are more familiar with the lighting and layout prior to arrival on the event date. The walkthrough allows the photographer to anticipate any possible challenges ahead of time, resulting in less distractions and more freedom to be creative the day of the event.

It is the responsibility of the job seeker to conduct similar research, either in the field or online. Today, there are a variety of resources to assist candidates with their research on an organization, industry, or position. Students and recent graduates should take advantage of the Toppel Career Center’s HireACane website by logging into their account (scroll to the bottom of the page and click the green Go button). Once you login to HireACane, you will have access to a variety of online resources paid for by the Toppel Career Center. Take advantage of these resources to find job postings and to conduct company and industry research. By utilizing these resources you will be better prepared and have a sharper focus of what you would like to accomplish within your search. Also, do not forget to take advantage of a mock interview prior to experiencing the real thing. During this simulation interview, one of the Toppel advisors will ask you questions tailored to a specific organization, job or industry of your choice. To schedule a mock interview, you must first attend an interviewing skills workshop at the Center. 

Just like the advantage a photographer gains by preparing ahead of time for an event shoot or client meeting, a job seeker will gain a similar advantage through preparation. They will become more confident, relaxed, and better able to share their experience with another person during an interview or informational interview meeting. As a result, they will leave a lasting positive impression on people they meet.