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CES invited Puget Sound alumnus (and CES Office Coordinator) Ben Bradley ‘08 to write about his experience using LinkedIn while conducting a post-graduation job search:

Networking fascinates me.

I used my time in school to get as many informational interviews as possible. The statement, “I’m a graduating senior, and would love to hear more about what you do” became my mantra. I also began utilizing LinkedIn much more thoroughly. Other social networking sites were great for staying in touch with friends, but didn’t feel appropriate for my professional network.

I had a slow start, connecting first with former colleagues, internship managers, and the people who provided me with informational interviews. But that got the ball rolling. Over time, LinkedIn became my digital rolodex — one that kept me updated on what my network was currently doing. Unlike an e-mail address that changes any time someone switches companies, causing weeks if not months of challenge to get back in touch, I now had a way of staying connected no matter where someone moved.

After graduating and entering the field of Management Consulting, I continued to develop my network at a steady pace. I made one or two connections each week. I maintained this pace until the economy’s downturn created a change in my circumstances. Lay-offs came unexpectedly over night, and I was suddenly, weeks before Christmas, a victim of my company’s revenues running dry. That morning, I had less than an hour to get what I needed off my company laptop. That was when it hit: Unlike an episode of Madmen, where when you leave, you must stealthily sneak your contact’s information out with you, LinkedIn allowed me to take my network with me.

Post-holiday season, I began making phone calls, and sending e-mails and LinkedIn messages to everyone I knew. I let them know of my circumstances, and set up coffee dates, lunches, happy hours, and dinners. Without LinkedIn I would have struggled to remember the names of everyone I had met over the past few years.

At the same time, I realized I needed to continue to build my network. I set a goal of 3 connections a day.

I found people I had initially resisted adding because I had put them in the “friends” category, not realizing that upon graduating, they were also part of my professional network. I connected with professors, university administrators, and others with whom I had informational interviews. I was put in touch with HR recruiters, alumni who owned businesses and friends’ family members who had leads on hiring within their firms. All of these people worked their way into my LinkedIn network.

After months of searching and realizing I wanted to be in a different field than consulting, I landed back at my alma mater, the University of Puget Sound, in the office of Career and Employment Services. I am now working in a role where I am able to use my knowledge of networking to assist students going through the same struggle I endured — trying to figure out what to do when you can’t find a job, or where to begin your career search.

LinkedIn provides a 21^st Century Rolodex that not only holds a name and phone number, but updates, history, and opportunities to further develop one’s network. It kept me actively connecting with new people during my time of unemployment, and held my morale from waning thanks to the ease with which I could keep in touch with my network.

There is a sense of comfort in knowing that a network built with LinkedIn is yours, not that of your company. When you leave, whether by choice or economic pressure, your network is not being “let go” as well.

Want to know more about using social media in today’s job search? Ben and Sue will be leading a discussion on this very topic next week – we hope to see you there!

Work from home and make up to $800 a day!

Attend our seminar to learn how to operate a successful business! (we invite you to read testimonials from success stories)

We work exclusively with top companies hiring for entry-level positions! (all you need to do is pay our monthly fee and we’ll help connect you with them)

Have you seen/heard about these opportunities? At first glance, they might seem appealing, especially in an uncertain job market. However, they may all prove to be too good to be true! Members of the University of Puget Sound Alumni Council Career and Employment Services Committee offer tips on avoiding scams:

“Discern the source of the information, be a critical thinker; apply the critical analysis that you learn in the classroom to your job search.” Ted Meriam ’05

“If you look for opportunities on job boards (including Craigslist), note that legitimate employers will include the employer name. It’s always beneficial to then go to the employer’s website to confirm that the opportunity is available.” Lacey Leffler ’03 and Lael Carlson ’02

“Look for professionalism in the postings (spelling errors, wacky formatting may be red flags).” Shannon Hughes ’92

“Don’t consider anything that requires an up-front investment.” Lacey Leffler ’02

Quick Consumer Tip from the Consumer Protection Agency: “A deal that sounds too good to be true usually is! Be wary of promises to fix your credit problems, low-interest credit card offers, deals that let you skip credit card payments, work-at-home job opportunities, risk-free investments, and free travel.”

Many reputable job boards offer security information to their users. For example, Monster.com’s security center offers advice on “avoiding online fraud.”

Other resources to check out:

CES Job Seeker Beware

Blog post on Identifying and Avoiding Job Scams

FTC Money Matters Job-Hunting/Job Scams

Evaluating Work-at-Home Opportunities

Avoiding “Wealth Building” Schemes

If you think you have been the victim of a job search scam or any other fraud, it is important to report the fraud to the local police department. You may also consider filing a report online with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). In the meantime, be safe, be savvy, and protect yourself.

Sometimes the best networking happens when you least expect it.

Saturday morning I was at a coffee shop in Gig Harbor looking for a spot to set up my laptop. Though not crowded, all of the “good” spots were taken – the comfy armchairs with the side tables to hold your coffee, away from the sun’s glare that renders the screen unreadable. The only spots left were at the bar facing the window that looked out on the street. Even with the sun obscured by cloud cover it was still too bright to read. Feeling defeated, I was thinking about leaving to find a dark, dank Starbucks.

A woman sitting at a small table in the corner saw me waffling and offered me a spot at her table saying she would be leaving soon anyway. I sat down gratefully and while setting up my techie gear we chatted. It turned out she was just laid off from her job the day before. She asked me what I do, and I enjoyed telling her, “I help people find jobs.” I explained my role here at Puget Sound working with college students. After being surprised by the absolute serendipity of our meeting, she asked me a million questions about things that were burning in her mind.

Her first question was pretty typical: did I know of any jobs in her field? I didn’t, of course – I work with students looking for entry-level positions, and she was at a senior career level. But she didn’t end our conversation there, as most people would have. She continued to ask questions about things someone in my role might know. What was going on in the job market? How had job search techniques changed? What advice did I have for someone looking for work in this economy? I couldn’t point her to specific openings, unfortunately, but I was able to help her with all of her other questions and our conversation ended on a very positive note. We exchanged cards, and even though I may not know of positions in her field, if I do hear of something, I will certainly contact her. After all – she gave me a seat at her table.

There were three things this woman did that made me want to help her:

• She showed genuine interest in me and the conversation was natural
• She didn’t stop the conversation when I didn’t have an answer to her first question
• She asked for the opportunity to stay connected by asking for my card

Students: keep this in mind as you go about your daily lives. There are times to be very deliberate about networking, say at an event like ASK Night, but more often than not, opportunities just present themselves at random moments. Networking happens every day, and an opportunity can crop up anywhere to make a new connection. You never know who you’re going to meet!

Not sure if you’re ready to attend ASK Night? You are! Here are some typical students we encourage to come to the event and some tips for success:

Which type sounds more like you?

I-Don’t-Have-A-Clue: This could be a first year student or a graduating senior, and they worry that they have to have made some clear decisions about their career path in order to start networking with people. But networking is a great tool for discovering what you want to do with your life, and what better place to start than with a group of people whose sole mission for the evening is to talk to students about the kind of work they do. A great opening line for these students? “I’m still gathering information about different career paths – what did you do to learn about different options?”

I-Can’t-Make-Up-My-Mind: This student has done some exploring and has some areas of interest, but can’t pick between them. That’s quite all right – many alumni can definitely relate! A great question for these students to ask? “I’m debating between a few different directions – how did you decide the right path for you?”

I’m-Scared-To-Talk-To-People: For these students an event like ASK Night is the perfect place to start. Consider it networking with training wheels. This is the only kind of networking event where the entire room of professionals is there simply to help students. Because they are alumni there is an automatic connection. Plus, CES staff will be on hand to help make introductions. A great tip for these students? Research beforehand and know who you’d like to meet, and then ask a CES staff member to help you approach them.

I’m-Ready! Let-Me-At-’Em: These students certainly know what they want! But often we see these same eager students walk away disappointed. Why? “There was nobody there representing my field/my target professional didn’t make it to the event.” We remind these students that networking is about making connections with a broad group of people because it’s not necessarily about what these folks do, but who they know.

Each person has a personal network of contacts and every interaction is an opportunity to tap into that group. For example, the Computer Science student who ends up talking to a Religion major might be surprised to find out that her husband’s sister works for a technology company. Also, all alumni have been in the same spot current students are – they can share their stories of navigating a job search. A great suggestion for these students? Talk to everybody, show sincere interest in them as people, and let them know what your goals are.

Actually, all of these tactics are useful no matter where you are in your career search. Whether you’re still trying to figure out what your options are, or you are actively engaged in a job search, you can get something of value from ASK Night. We hope to see you there!

Dr. Phil Gardner of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute recently visited campus and I hosted him during four days of meetings with students, faculty, alumni, staff, and career service professionals from the Seattle area. Dr. Gardner is the national expert on the job market for college graduates, and while it’s hard to summarize everything he said, there are a few key points I’d like to pass along to Puget Sound students:

• If you’re waiting for the recession to pass and for the job market to get back to “normal,” that’s not going to happen. We’re forging new territory: employers are recruiting in new ways, entry-level jobs require more advanced skills, technology will play an increasing role in the workplace… And liberal arts graduates are well positioned to succeed because of the skills they develop as part of their education.

• Small to medium-sized employers (fewer than 250 employees) will be the employers most likely to hire.

• The majority of positions will not be advertised in traditional ways like online job boards. Networking will be absolutely imperative.

• Entry-level positions require new and more advanced skills that involve analytical thinking, working in teams, developing creative solutions, leveraging technology, and leadership (among others). Check out this list of competencies employers seek in college grads from Michigan State University (where Dr. Gardner works).

• Work to build experiences outside of the classroom; it will be essential for success. Develop the skills and competencies employers seek through career-related experiences such as internships, part-time jobs, volunteer opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures, and others.

• Thinking about riding out the recession by going to graduate school? You might want to think again unless it was already in your career plans or a graduate degree is required for entry-level work in your field of interest. Career expert Alexandra Levit agrees.

• Be resilient! Engage in optimistic realism. The reality is, this is a tough time to be searching for a job. But, as a liberal arts graduate, you have built a strong foundation that will help you succeed. Learn to tell your story, develop and maintain your networks, and be an active job seeker. Take responsibility for your job or internship search and use the resources available to you (CES – hint, hint) to map out a plan. It’s up to you.

Could you explain who you are and what you have to offer to an employer in just 15 seconds? Have you ever had to introduce yourself to a stranger and found yourself stumbling through the process? Welcome to the club – many people find this intimidating. It’s natural to be nervous.

And yet, it’s a skill we all need to learn. Even the most silver-tongued of people have difficulty talking about themselves off the cuff in professional situations without preparation and practice. 

For years people have been talking about the “elevator pitch,” a term that came into vogue when the internet was new and web development companies were searching for capital. Companies that could explain themselves in a simple pitch were more likely to get funding. The best pitches were those that explained their business during a short elevator ride with potential investors. Essentially, these companies had to describe and sell an idea in 30-seconds or less. The same concept is applied to careers when meeting potential employers or networking contacts. 

There are a variety of situations where you could use an elevator pitch. Career Fairs and networking events are obvious places, but the “pitch” is useful almost anytime you need to introduce yourself to a stranger, like at a conference, a meeting, or even standing in line at the grocery store. The key is adjusting your pitch to your audience.  For instance, imagine you’re at the Career Fair and you have an interest in a particular field. You might try introducing yourself like this: 

Hello, my name is ______ and I’m a junior Comparative Sociology major. I’m interested in building on my experience and interest in environmental sustainability with an internship in an environmentally-friendly organization. I noticed that the summary about your organization in the Career Fair booklet mentions that you are focused on conservation with an emphasis on the Pacific Northwest. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

Or, say you meet an alumna at an event on campus who works at an organization you find interesting. You might try this:

Hello, my name is _____ and I’m a senior Theater Arts major. I’ve been involved with Student Theater Productions for two years and I’m interested in learning more about professional roles in organizations that support the arts. What do you enjoy about the work that you do for ______ organization?

See? It’s just a conversation starter, but one most people would struggle to get out effectively when on the spot. With a small amount of preparation and practice, you too can impress the potential employers and networking contacts you meet.

Not sure how to get started? There is a solution! Below is a great tool to help you develop a coherent pitch in just five minutes. The 15-Second Pitch will walk you through the steps to create a brief pitch you can use at the career fair or tailor for any kind of situation.

True confession time:  my first resume was awful.

I used a Word template (like millions of others – not exactly a way to stand out), my job descriptions were vague (“assisted with…”, “responsible for…”), and I had massive amounts of white space because I thought I could only include paid experience. When I look at it now I have to fight the urge to take out the red pen and edit. I’ve kept every draft of my resumes over the years, partly because it’s kind of funny to see how bad they were, but mostly to see how they’ve improved.

A resume isn’t a static document that you can check off a list and say “whew – that’s done!” The document will always be in a state of flux because it’s not meant to be a history of your experience. A resume is a marketing tool, a representation of what you have to offer an employer right now. What you include on your resume will vary because you need to tailor your experience towards the requirements of the individual job you are applying for.

Everybody’s resume has to start somewhere.  Just like with any paper you want to do well on, you need to write a draft to get your ideas out. Think of your first attempts at writing a resume as a rough draft. It will get better, and stronger, as you flesh out statements and learn how to format and organize the document according to a commonly accepted set of basic standards. This is part of the learning process. CES has a thorough resume guide to help you get started, but you will need to go through several rounds of reviewing and gathering feedback before your resume becomes the tool that will best represent you to prospective employers.

The Career Fair is at the end of the month and provides a perfect excuse to get started on crafting a resume.  Here at CES we have daily drop in hours from 2-4 p.m., and appointments are available from 8-5 p.m., five days a week. We can help you take your basic resume and turn it into one that is far from awful, and just might impress employers!

Did you know that CES houses more than 700 books in our Career Resource Library? These books are available for you to examine in person when you come into our office, or borrow for up to ten days. We update the library with new books every summer and over the course of the academic year we’ll be highlighting some of our newest acquisitions.

Comparing the process of finding the right career to that of finding the right partner is an effective metaphor. There is plenty of overlap between how you evaluate options, present yourself effectively, and make decisions in both situations. Courting Your Career walks you through sections on self-assessment and exploration (“What’s Your Type?”), developing a job-search plan (“Playing the Field”), and networking (“The Meet-Market”), as well as in-depth guidance on resumes, cover letters, and interviewing. Does the metaphor wear thin? Perhaps – but the information is solid and well-presented.

Looking for other books? You can search the Career Resource Library and head over to Howarth 101.

Talk to any recent graduate out there in the job market and they will tell you, “I wish I’d started thinking about career stuff sooner.” Here at CES we’re big proponents of the “start-early” mantra (seriously, we get giddy when a first-year student comes in wanting to talk about career options). We also understand that the whole topic of careers can be overwhelming and students may feel pressured to make decisions. Here are some simple things you can do to help your career that – bonus – also improve your academic experience:

• Get to know your faculty – make use of office hours. Talk to them about their fields of research and their early job history. When you need letters of recommendation, suggestions about internship possibilities, or a potential contact, your professors can be a helpful resource.
• Talk to alumni at every opportunity – if alumni are participating in an event on compus, get involved! They are usually thrilled to talk to current students and they can be your best sources for the inside scoop on their industries and organizations. (Shameless plug – we bring alumni to campus every year for our ASK Night event).
• Interview at least one professional about their career – we guarantee that somebody you know is doing something you find interesting. Is it your favorite Uncle Rob? Or your best buddy’s mother? How about your sister’s boyfriend’s cousin? Play a little “six-degrees of separation” with your friends and family and you can probably come up with someone who will sit down with you and tell you about what they do.
• Get involved on campus or the community – volunteer for roles with responsibility. Resume-building experience can come from anywhere!
• Spend thirty minutes talking with a career advisor – get to know CES and our resources. We’re here to guide you.

No matter where you are in your education these suggestions can help you explore your career options and enhance your academic experience.

One last thought – we are so glad it’s FALL! We have missed the sight of students on campus and we’re excited to have you here!