Henry Ford College Career Services Office

Career Planner

Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.

- Henry Ford

Contents

Explore …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Using Information Interviews & Shadowing to Find Your Career ………………………………………………..5

Finding a Profession(al)

Asking Questions

Following Up Your Interview

Help Your New Grad Find a Job ………………………………………………………………………………...... 6

Tips From Employers Who Are Hiring …………………………………………………………………………….. 7

Perfect Your Qualifications

Get Experience

Build a Network

Career Exploration – Get the Facts ……………………………………………………………………………….. 8

Top Job Sites ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10

Job Search Sites ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11

Relevant Work Experience a Kay for Job-Search Success ……………………………………………………. 12

Effective Networking the Key to Job Search Success ………………………………………………………….. 13

Prepare ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

Resume Check List …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15

Resume Rubric ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16

Robert Fictional – Sample Resume ………………………………………………………………………………. 17

Action Words ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18

Cover Letter Rubric …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19

Robert Fictional – Sample Cover Letter …..……………………………………………………………………… 20

10 Tips for Top Notch References ………………………………………………………………………………… 21

Robert Fictional – Sample Reference Page ……………………………………………………………………… 22

Sample Faculty Reference Letter …………………………………………………………………………………. 23

Interview Rubric ……………………………………………………………………………………………………... 24

Do Your Homework before the Interview ………………………………………………………………………… 25

Employer Website’s

Research Employer’s

Pre-Employment Inquires Related to Disabilities………………………………………………………………… 26

Thank-You Notes …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27

Connect ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 28

When to Call …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 29

Introductions and Whom to Call

Leaving Messages

Talking to Interviewer

Choosing Among Job Offers ………………………………………………………………………………………. 30

Benefits Count ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 31

Health Insurance

Annual Salary Increases

Tuition Reimbursement

401(k) Plan

Tips for Maximizing Career Fair Success …………………………………………..…………………………… 32

Explore

  • Focus II – an assessment test with the intent to help narrow down what you want to do for a living.
  • Research – let us help you learn more about your dream job.
  • Pay rates, job availability, typical duties & more!
  • Job search – there are TONS of on-line job boards out there!
  • Articulation Agreements – a follow a plan here that will set you up to continue your education at a four year university.

Prepare

  • Get assistance with – resume, cover letter, job search, interview
  • Gain experience while continuing your education!
  • Work Study, Co-op, full or part time positions

Connect

  • Network NetworkNetwork!
  • Interact with employers face to face through – career fairs and on campus recruiting events.
  • Use social media to your benefit! Find employers on many of the top social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
  • Use your co-op or work study job to connect with employers

Using Information Interviews and Shadowing to Find Your Career

The best way to explore a potential career choice is by speaking with and/or following someone who works in that career. Do an information interview. Learn first-hand about your chosen profession by asking questions about tasks, business environment, and educational background. Shadow a professional. Follow someone in your career choice as they go through a typical day or week on the job. Ask questions and observe the work.

Finding a Profession(al)

Finding someone to interview or shadow is not difficult. Ask your parents and your friends’ parents if they know someone you can interview. Ask your professors for recommendations of professionals in the field. Go to your career center: Many maintain lists of alumni and employers who are willing to help in your career exploration.

Next, call or write a letter requesting an information interview or job shadowing. People who like their jobs tend to enjoy talking about them. You compliment the professional by expressing an interest in the career. In your phone call or letter, explain how you found the person you want to interview and request time for an appointment. Emphasize that you want to find out more about the career—you’re not looking for a job. If you’re lucky, the professional you contact may have other colleagues you can interview also.

Asking Questions

Takes notes during your time with the professional. Here are some questions you might ask:

  1. What is your typical workday like?
  2. What do you like most (and least) about your job?
  3. What skills/abilities are most important to succeed in this job?
  4. What is your educational background?
  5. How did you get started in this field?
  6. What courses were most helpful to you and which would you recommend?
  7. What is the best way to get started in this field?
  8. Do you have any additional advice to help me prepare?

Following Up Your Interview

Review your notes. What was your impression? Did you leave the interview feeling as if you can envision a future in this occupation or were you discouraged—you don’t feel you learned enough about the occupation or the job description doesn’t sound appealing any longer?

Take your thoughts and concerns to the career center staff and get feedback on the next step to take in your career exploration. You may want to do additional information interviews in this career path or you may want to reexamine your goals and find a different path for your interests.

No matter what you decide, send a thank-you note to anyone you interview or shadow. Whether you decide to forge ahead on that career path or find another one, this professional may be a good person to network with when you begin your job search.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder. .

Help Your New Grad Find a Job

As parents of graduates facing a tough job market, what can you do to assist your son or daughter in transitioning from the secure world of classes and residence halls to the unknown reality of what lies ahead? Here are some suggestions:

Ask how you can help.
Your son or daughter may have specific ideas about ways you can assist. Your editing skills may be the second pair of eyes needed to critique a resume; your managerial skills could be useful as a mock interviewer; your research skills might uncover some new job leads. Think about how your role as something other than mom or dad could be helpful.

But don’t be pushy: Let your new grad take the lead.

Suggest a visit to the campus career center.
The campus career center provides a wealth of job search resources—job postings, career fairs, resume assistance, and career counseling, just to name a few. Make sure your son or daughter is aware of the office. If your new grad isn’t near his or her alma mater, suggest that he/she call the career services offices at local colleges and ask if help is available.

Offer networking contacts.
Networking is one of the most effective ways to find a job. With your child’s permission, talk to your co-workers about your son or daughter’s job search. Discuss it with neighbors and friends. You never know who may know of a job opportunity.

Be ready to hear new ideas.
Your new grad may mention attending graduate school or raise a new career goal. Listen to new ideas with an open mind, making positive suggestions when appropriate. Ask open-ended questions to show your son or daughter that you’re interested—and the answers will help your new grad think through the new ideas.

Provide a sounding board when frustrations overflow.
The nightly news about unemployment is stressful. Imagine trying to complete your studies and conduct a job search, too. If your child calls to talk, but really needs to vent, listen. Sometimes the best thing you can say is nothing at all.

Give an early graduation present with the job search in mind.
Don’t wait until May to say congratulations. Now is a great time to give a graduation present that will be used during the job search and first year on the job. Looking for ideas? Interview suits, briefcases, portfolios, and memory sticks are great gifts for the new grad.

Reassure your new grad that a tough job market is temporary.
The ebb and flow of the economy is constant, and brighter days lie ahead. You’ve likely experienced similar ups and downs. Convey your experience to your new grad.

Look and listen for signs of depression.
If your son or daughter talks about skipping class, exhaustion, or loss of appetite, he or she might need some help. If your student is still on campus, contact appropriate campus representatives (residence life offices, counseling centers, and so forth) for help.

Remind your new grad that you are proud of his or her accomplishments.
A sour economy should not take away the success of earning a college degree. Be sure your son or daughter knows that you are proud of this achievement. Send a card or make a phone call to specifically convey this message.

by Kelli Robinson. Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder.

Tips From Employers That Are Hiring

The best job-search advice comes from the employers that are hiring. If you take the time to follow this advice, you'll be better prepared than your competition for your application and interview.

Here are some things you can do to aid in your job-search success:

Research the Company

  • What products or services does the company produce and sell?
  • Where is it located?
  • How well did the company do last year?
  • What activities by this company have been in the news lately?

Learn something about the company with which you want to interview. Read its website and its annual report. Search for news stories mentioning the company. Use this information to customize your resume and cover letter for the position you want. Impress the interviewer by knowing something about the company. (Learn more: See Researching Employers)

Perfect Your Qualifications

A high GPA is important. It means you know the subject matter. However, employers are looking for people with "soft skills," too—skills you can learn through extracurricular activities such as leading a team, taking part in a group task, or organizing a volunteer project. Employers want to find communication skills, a strong work ethic, teamwork skills, initiative, the ability to relate to co-workers and customers, problem solving skills, and analytical skills.

Get Experience

Year after year, the majority of employers taking part in a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) say they prefer to hire job candidates who have pertinent experience. For college students, typically, relevant experience is gained through an internship.

In fact, an internship can be the "foot in the door" to a job with many employers: NACE surveys show that newly hired employees often come from the organization's own internship program.

Build a Network

Whether you get the job you want—or even hear about the job opportunity you want—could easily depend on who you know.

Here's where you will find people to build your professional network:

  • Business and professional social networking sites
  • Professional associations (online and in person)
  • Career fairs
  • Company information sessions
  • Your school's alumni network
  • An internship or co-op program
  • A student professional organization

Career Exploration – Get the Facts!

Career Exploration Options/Resources:

1)My Next Move

My Next Move is an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options. My Next Move has tasks, skills, salary information, and more for over 900 different careers. Users can find careers through keyword search; by browsing industries that employ different types of workers; or through the O*NET Interest Profiler, a tool that offers personalized career suggestions based on a person's interests and level of work experience. This site can give you a great overview of careers that may be a fit for you!

2)Job Shadow

Job shadow is the website to go read about interviews from people. Real people talk about their experiences and the career they have. Read and explore the different career options.The #1 online destination for people searching for quality career information and inspiration.

3)Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is an online career guidance resource that provides information on hundreds of occupations in the United States. Updated every 2 years by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the OOH allows students to explore different aspects of occupations in greater detail than ever before.

4)US News & World Report

A great independent source for career advice and information. US News & World Report is recognized as one of the best research and analysis publications in the world.

Top Job Sites

Here are some great job sites the Career Services Office recommends you check out!

HFC Job Leads

careers.hfcc.edu/

Social Connection

Top Search Sites

Canadian Job Site

Job Search Sites

General Sites:

AllStar Jobs

Beyond – The Career Network

Career Exposure

Career.com

CareerAge

CareerBuilder

CareerOneStop

CareerSite.com

Contract Job Hunter

The Career Key

Health Care/Medical Sites:

Health eCareers Network

Medzilla

Human Resources Sites:

HR Connections

HR Hub

International Sites:

EscapeArtist.com

International Job Center

LatPro (Spanish)

OverseasJob.com

Wow Jobs (Canada)

Relevant Work Experience a Key for Job-Search Success

We know that recruiters looking for candidates to hire for their organizations want college graduates who are a proper fit for their culture and industry. But, without being hired full time, how can you demonstrate that you can perform at a high level on the job?

The best way to impress potential employers during your job search is to gain and highlight relevant work experience.

Nearly three-quarters of the employers taking part in the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) Job Outlook 2012 survey said they prefer to hire job candidates who have pertinent experience. On the other side, just 4 percent of employers said experience didn’t factor into their decision when hiring new college graduates.

For college students, relevant experience is typically gained through internships. In fact, an internship can be your way to get your “foot in the door” to a job with many employers: In a separate NACE study regarding internships, responding organizations reported that 42 percent of their 2011 college hires came from their own internship programs.

Simply put, employers are looking for evidence that you can do the job; the internship provides you with that evidence. Be sure to visit the career services office for guidance on internships that can support your career goals.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder. .

Effective Networking

The Key to Job Search Success

Networking is one of the fastest ways to find new opportunities for your career, but it's also one of the most daunting. Walking into a room full of people you don't know, trying to think of a clever way to ask for a job -- is it any wonder that networking is often passed over for less interactive forms of job searching? Here are the five things you want the people you're networking with to know about you:

1. Your contact information and "elevator pitch"
You should always carry business cards with you, but it's especially important at a networking event. Even if you're currently employed, having a quick and convenient way to give someone your contact information makes it easier to make connections. There are websites that will print affordable, custom business cards for you. Include your name, title or industry, email address and phone number, as well as any personal websites or online portfolios.

This is your chance to brand yourself, so think about what you want others to know about you and what kind of relationships you're looking to establish. Practice introducing yourself in less than 30 seconds. Giving a new contact your "elevator pitch" helps you speak about yourself confidently, and sharing your business card communicates that you're interested in establishing a professional relationship.

2. Something that makes you a specialist in your field
After initial introductions, share something that establishes you as a specialist in your field. Maybe you are an accomplished salesman, were recognized in your discipline or work with a niche group of customers. Just as in a job interview, have an answer for why you're a leader in your profession. You want to give people you meet a reason to want to talk to you, instead of somebody else in your field.

3. A creative project you're working on, either on your own or at work
Initiative is a favorite business buzzword, but it does have merit and is worth mentioning. Demonstrate your ability to act on your own and make hard decisions by discussing a side project, such as launching a website, writing a book or leading a team. You may find somebody who has valuable insight on your project or who may be interested in collaborating on it.

4. You're interested in their profession, too
After a conversation ends, you don't want a person's memory of you to be, "Me, me, me." If done incorrectly, networking can turn into two people talking about themselves and asking each other for favors. Take the time to get to know the person with whom you're speaking. Share your "elevator pitch," convey why you're a specialist and mention current projects, but take the time to hear his point of view, too. After networking, can you recall the people you spoke with because you have a better understanding of who they are? Or can you only recall what they can do for you?