Making Friends With College Career Services Staff

Last week, I met some amazing people. They're the career services staff for a college or university. They are the "careers expert" for between 1,000 and 6,000 people each. That's daunting. But then you have to remember that they're also the career resource for tens of thousands of alumni. (Not that they provide the same services that they do to currently-enrolled students, but they're a resource all the same). And they're not only in charge of resume and cover letter guidance, but arranging job fairs, advising professors on current job search strategy, and many of them also provide career planning, which encompasses helping students choose majors and select classes to fit their career goals.

For those of us in the "traditional" career services field (that is, private practice careers professionals), it's hard to imagine. You don't get to choose your clients (you must work with all students), and there's no room for specialization -- with dozens of majors, you've got to help them all, from the English major (what do you do with them???) to the computer science grads.

How to helop these folks? Those of us who have approached our local career services professionals and been rebuffed (for whatever reason) might be tempted to let them go it alone. But don't give up on them. They're overwhelmed, and think they can do it all. Offer to be on their Career Services Board (if they have one). Volunteer to help them organize the on-campus job fair, or teach mock interviews. If they don't want to work with you, go to the professors, or the student organizations and work that angle.

For college career office personnel: Use resume writers to your advantage. Bring them in to teach workshops. Interview them for your podcasts. Use them to connect to employers and recruiters. After all, the students you work with today, will be the clients of these careers professionals tomorrow. And those alumni you're getting calls from? Refer them out. After all, you've got 4,000 other people depending on you. You don't have to do it alone.

Microsoft Word for Resume Writers

I was talking with an Omaha-based colleague today and we got on the topic of Microsoft Word, because (in addition to resumes), she's been working on a number of dissertations (formatting and editing) and she mentioned how she's used the WordTips forum that Don Orlando recommends to get answers on how to do things like footnotes in Word.

I told her that I had learned a bunch of new ideas from Rhonda Douglas-Charles' presentation on Microsoft Word last week, and I was looking forward to trying some of them out. Rhonda had offered to e-mail tips sheets for the specific version of Word you use, and I just finished taking an inventory of the number of Microsoft Word licenses I have around the office ... at least five that I know of. Yikes! (And since we're 100% Mac-based, they'll all Word versions for the Mac: Microsoft Word SE, Word 98, Word for OSX, and more....)

And then I just opened up Google News and saw that Microsoft is going to be offering a version of Word for the Web that will allow you to store and retrieve (but not edit) Word documents online. Google's getting into that business too. Wonder what that will mean for us resume writers. I'll let you know when I know!

Guest Author: Response Strategy for Frequently Asked Interview Questions

By Michael R. Neece, CEO of Interview Mastery

Each interview question presents your client with an opportunity to present why they are the best person for the job. Your client's response should highlight their positive qualities and avoid presenting reasons to disqualify them as a candidate. For each quality your client presents, have them describe a situation where they demonstrated that quality. Coach them to describe specific examples of their experience where they demonstrated the quality they are discussing. Basically, you want them to be able to prove what they claimed.

For example, if your client states that they " Work well under pressure," describe an example where they did work effectively under pressure and delivered the results required.

Let your clients know that they shouldn't play the interviewer's game with alternative or trick questions. Interviewers often ask trick questions like, "Do you prefer to work alone or on a team?" Tell your clients: "In your response, be like a politician. Politicians answer questions by presenting information they want to present and do not allow reports to trick them." The next time you watch a press conference, notice the kind of questions reporters ask and see how the politician responds. Politicians often answer questions indirectly by presenting information they want to convey. Your clients can use a similar response strategy.

For example, if the interviewer asks if your client if they prefer to work alone or on a team, they are trying to get you to say you're one way or the other. Don't play this game. The reality is that most jobs require us to work independently and in teams. Your client's response to this question needs to show that they have been successful in both situations.

Before responding to any interviewer question, coach your client: "Take your time, breathe, and think about your answer. Thoughtful answers delivered clearly are much better than answers given rapidly. The quality of your answer is not measured by the speed of your response."

Other tips for clients. Tell them:

Be honest and succinct with your responses.

Tell the truth in a positive manner and don't discuss things or events in a negative fashion.

Long answers are less effective than concise responses and tend to make interviewers suspicious. (If you are talking more than 90 seconds without interaction with the interviewer you may be giving them more detail than they want. If you feel you've been talking too long, just stop and ask the interviewer a question like "Am I giving you the level of detail you're looking for?" This question prompts a response and promotes a conversation. Besides, if you're putting the interviewer to sleep with your long answer, asking a question will wake them up.

After your client's response, have him or her ask the interviewer a tag-on question to make sure they are understood accurately and to promote two-way communications.

Your clients deserve the best, so help them practice their responses to frequently asked interview questions (FAiQ) and prepare them to be their best when it matters most.

-- Interview Mastery is the job interview program for candidates covering more than 50 interview topics and situations. The program is based on 20 years of research and authored by Michael Neece, the “Interview Master” from Monster.com who has written extensively on interviewing for both companies and job seekers. Interview Mastery is the most widely used program of its kind and used by job seekers in 66 countries.

Employee Turnover Rates Create Opportunity

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, voluntary employee turnover across America was 23.2 percent in 2005, the most recent year available. This means that, on average, a little more than one in five employees quit their jobs every 12 months. What does that mean for you and your clients?

For you, that means that out of every 100 employed individuals, approximately 23 of them will be making a job change. That's a lot of resumes and cover letters.

For your clients, turnover creates opportunity. If there is a specific company they want to work for, chances are that turnover may open up the position they are seeking.