Top 10 Job Hunting Tips of 2010 – Lindsay Pollak

I absolutely love end of year lists, and swooned when I found Time.com’s list of The Top 10 of Everything of 2010.

Although Time’s list of lists is pretty comprehensive, ranging from
apologies to new species to Twitter moments, I wanted to add my own top
10 list — top 10 tips for job seekers. Here are the tips that readers
found most helpful this year.

1. Ask for honest feedback. Recruit a trusted relative, career
services staff member, professor or friend to assess you honestly as a
job seeker. Ask the person to list your best qualities and most
impressive accomplishments. On the flip side, ask for constructive
feedback on your weaknesses. Find out if the things you’re most
concerned about — lack of experience, a less-than-desirable GPA,
shyness, etc. — are legitimate concerns or if you’re obsessing over
nothing. If your fears are unfounded, let them go once and for all!

2. Don’t be turned off by the terms “internship” or “part-time.” This tip came from Lauren Porat, co-founder of UrbanInterns.com.
In a difficult job market, sometimes you need to be flexible and
“settle” for a less-than-perfect opportunity, such as a non-full-time
job. According to Lauren, many people have developed incredible careers
by serving multiple part-time clients. Also, starting out this way may
allow you to get your foot in the door with some very cool, interesting
startup companies.

3. Overprepare. Think about your confidence level when you walk into
a test for which you’ve studied really thoroughly versus how you feel
walking into a test for which you’ve skimmed your notes for ten minutes
the night before. Most people don’t realize that a job hunt is
something you can study for. Before attending a job fair, spend an hour
or two on the websites of companies that will have booths. Before a
job interview, spend an hour reading the organization’s website
(especially the mission statement, recruiting pages and recent press
releases) and study the LinkedIn profiles of the people who will be
interviewing you. Read e-newsletters and blogs from your industry to
keep up with current events that might be discussed at a networking
event. The more preparation you do, the more confident you’ll feel when
you interact with recruiters and other professionals you’ll encounter
during your job search.

4. Do not ask to “pick someone’s brain.” Okay this one is more about
how not to ask me in particular for advice on your job hunt (or
anything for that matter!). Some people don’t mind this phrase, but I
definitely do. Why? First of all, I think it sounds kind of gross
(think about it). Second of all, it is very one-sided: if you are
picking my brain, what’s in this conversation for me? It feels as if
I’ll be left brainless afterwards. My advice is to always request
advice in a way that makes the ask-ee feel respected and like he or she
will leave the conversation with something, too.

5. Clean up your online image. According to a recent Microsoft survey,
85 percent of HR professionals responding said that positive online
reputation influences their hiring decisions, and 70 percent said they
have rejected candidates based on information they found online. Make no
mistake about it: your online image will affect your job search and
your career. If you haven’t already, set up strict privacy settings on
all social networks (often, including on Facebook, the default setting
is for all of your information to be public, so check every setting!),
take down any inappropriate pictures or content, set up a 100 percent
professional profile on LinkedIn and Google, and think twice before
posting any new content on Facebook, Twitter or a blog. In many
recruiters’ minds, you are what you post.

6. Spell recruiters’ and hiring managers’ names correctly. Of the
emails I received responding to a part-time position I posted this
year, about half (!) spelled my name wrong. To me, that was an instant
sign that a candidate lacked attention to detail. None of these people
were called for an interview.

7. Don’t be too early for a job interview. While we’ve all heard the
advice never, ever to arrive late to a job interview, employers are
equally peeved when you arrive too early. By all means get to the
company’s building or parking lot as early as you’d like, but don’t
enter the actual office any more than 15 minutes before your scheduled
interview time.

8. Focus on what you can do for your employer, not the other way around.
In cover letters, email messages, conversations with recruiters, salary
negotiations, etc., make sure you frame your value in terms of what
you can offer, not what you need. Recruiters roll their eyes at cover
letters that begin with, “I would like to find a position in which I can
learn.” Likewise, negotiations fail when you ask for more money
because, “I need it.” You’ll have a better chance of getting what you
want when you focus your argument on how it will benefit the company in
terms of increased sales, more productivity or lower costs. Always ask
yourself, “What’s in it for them?”

9. Never call to say “Just following up.” There is a fine line
between appropriate persistence and pointless pestering. It is
absolutely fine to call or email a recruiter to say thank you for a
company information session, to ask a few questions or to mention that
you’ll be attending another event they are hosting. But “Just calling
to follow up!” doesn’t add much to your candidacy. If you find yourself
calling multiple times with no response, you may have to accept the
fact that, as the famous dating book title says, this particular
employer is just not that into you.

10. It’s never too late to say thank you. I’ve had a lot of students
ask me “how late is too late to send a thank you note?” and I truly
believe that a thank you is always warranted and always appreciated,
even if it comes much later than expected. If you do find yourself
sending a belated thank you, simply say something like, “I truly
apologize for the delay in thanking you…” or “This note is late but I
am deeply grateful…” It’s better to feel a bit awkward and do the right
thing than to hope the person doesn’t notice that you never showed
your gratitude.

What other job hunting tips were most helpful to you in 2010? Please share!

Tags: advice for college grads, career, Career Advice, employment, First Job Out of College, Generation Y, Job Hunting, job search, job searching, jobs, Networking

**TIP**:  Often new grads are unaware of how to market their newly fine-tuned skills to potential employers.  Yes, you may not have the “real-world” experience, but you have plenty of skills and abilities that those who have been out of school for a while probably don’t have. 

But don’t take my word for it, check out this great article and interview aimed at showcasing how Gen Yers (aka Millennials) are staking their claim on in the business world. 

What is the “Gen Y Way” at Work?

For this week’s post, I had the pleasure of conducting a Q&A session with Jenny Floren, founder and CEO of Experience.com and author of The Innovation Generation: The Gen Y Way: How New Thinking Can Reclaim the American Dream.

Here is what Jenny had to say about Gen Y and how they approach their job searches and careers:

1. What do you feel Gen Y job seekers have to offer that older (more experienced) candidates don’t?

Gen Y has been brought up using the Internet, watching live, 24/7
news, expecting instant communication and emerging as the world’s first
generation of “digital natives.”  Today’s global economy brings new
challenges and new rules; it truly is a new world–and Gen Y speaks the
native tongue fluently.  Their unique perspective and new thinking -also
known as the “Gen Y Way” – brings a new view on a more socially
conscious, global world.

2. You mention in your book that Gen Ys have a ‘why not?’ attitude.  What do you mean by this and how is it an asset?

Think about it this way – in your own working environment have you
learned more from the folks who have taken your direction as law or
those who’ve stepped up to the plate and asked “why”?

In my opinion, an office full of robotic employees can only get you
so far.  Gen Y asks questions.  They’re inquisitive and it’s been
interesting to see some media thought leadership that’s condoned this
quality.

When Gen Y questions the status quo, it’s because they’re looking at
the situation through a different lens, and what they see doesn’t add
up.  They see that the old ways don’t work–and they can’t help but
question why we’d want to continue down the wrong path.  This type of
questioning shouldn’t be chastised–it should be celebrated and rewarded!

3. What are employers’ biggest misconceptions about Gen Y?

“‘Generation Whine’ is entitled and needy.”  For the past 15 years,
I’ve been able to observe this remarkable group.  What Gen Y really is,
is the most misunderstood generation in history.  This group is bringing
new perspectives, new values and new thinking to the table – and this
is exactly what we need to solve the challenges facing our world today.

They question old thinking and assumptions, and the reality is (as
mentioned above) some people don’t like having their feathers ruffled.
Gen Y also looks for collaborative methods to get the job done, which
can differ from other generations’ beliefs that it’s a one (wo)man show.

At the end of the day, they’re less focused on financial endeavors
and more so on creating a new set of life experiences and a balanced
living.  Gen Y isn’t whiny; what they are is in constant pursuit of new
opportunities to learn and grow.

4. What is Gen Y’s impact on the workforce (positive or negative)?

I’m obviously going to say positive, but don’t take my word for it! 
Here in Massachusetts, efforts to attract and retain young, educated
talent are a high priority.  The Massachusetts Innovation &
Technology Exchange (MITX) launched a “Recruit and Retain” initiative to
promote the growing new-media industry in the state, and to counter the
misconception that all “cool” innovation is happening on the West
Coast.

Today, many mainstream companies are attempting to step up the
marketing of New England to attract the up-and-coming talent that is so
critically important for innovation and growth.  This effort by MITX and
New England companies is indicative of the fact that the world is
beginning to place a higher value on the Innovation Generation’s fresh
thinking.

One need look no further than President Barack Obama’s utilization of
social, collaborative technology in his campaign in order to assess the
value of this new type of thinking.

Do you agree with Jenny’s assessment of Gen Y? How do you feel about
being a member of this generation or working with Gen Ys? Please share
your thoughts in the comments!