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Linked In Love

October 8, 2010 by Claudine


Before the fall semester began, I challenged several of my students to the Back to School Linked In Challenge on the Student Branding Blog. I was a tad disappointed with the number of students who I was connected with on Linked In who had half-finished, less-than-stellar Linked In profiles. In the virtual world of the internet, it is almost better to have no presence rather than a negative presence. A half-finished or poorly done LinkedIn profile equals a negative presence.

So I challenged those students. Clean up your Linked In profile and start using it to connect!

In case you missed it, here are a few of my tips from the Back-to-School Linked In Challenge as well as some new suggestions for getting – and giving – the most on Linked In.

(1) Pimp out your profile! Your Linked In profile is your opportunity to include all of that “extra” information you wish you could fit on your resume. It is, essentially, your resume on steroids. You can also use Linked In as an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively in writing.

(2) Customize your URL and include it on your resume.

    HOW TO: Go to “Settings” at the top of your LinkedIn homepage in the upper right-hand corner. Under “Profile Settings”, click the “Public Profile” link. At the top is “Your Public Profile URL”. Click “Edit” (in small print to the right). Once you have entered your custom URL, click on “Set Address” to save it.

(3) Use the summary section to highlight your skills as well as your personality. Make sure you include keywords from your industry. Don’t know the buzz words in your industry? Do some research on your target industry and companies. The Purdue University Career Wiki is the perfect place to start.

(4) Don’t be afraid to connect with people you don’t know. Linked In is about networking. Most of the people on Linked In – even strangers – will be willing to connect with you. Not sure how? Check out this tutorial on informational interviewing and remember to always, always, always personalize an invitation to connect with someone you don’t know.

(5) Give some Linked In Love! Write a recommendation for someone. From my interactions with students, I have found that students often make the mistake of assuming they have nothing to offer professionals such as their professors, their boss from last summer’s internship or, their favorite career counselor. My most treasured recommendation is from a student. Not my boss. Not my colleagues. A student. Consider writing a recommendation for a professor that taught inspired you, a boss that a challenged you, or the advisor that mentored you. It will mean more than you know.

Not sure if your Linked In profile is all it should be? Connect with me by, first, joining the Center for Career Opportunities Linked In group, then sending me a personalized request to connect with me. If your profile is networking-ready, I will accept your request. If not, I will send you feedback to improve your Linked In profile. Let’s connect!

 

Posted in career, college, interview, linked in, networking, résumé, strengths, transferable skills | 1 Comment »

Resources for the Back-to-School Linked In Challenge

August 12, 2010 by Claudine


For the last two weeks, my blog posts on Dan Schawbel’s Student Branding Blog have consisted of the Back-to-School Linked In Challenge. My idea? To encourage students – and others – who have created – yet abandoned – a Linked In profile to revive their profile and actively use their Linked In profile to brand themselves in a positive way and extend their network.

Phase I and Phase II were short posts  with four or five relatively simple steps to strengthen a Linked In profile. The series will continue with Phase III this Friday, August 13th.

In the meantime, here are some resources to utilize to ensure your Linked In profile represents you positively and completely:

LinkedIn Photo Advice – Why you should upload a photo and photo requirements

Professional Headline – This is your opportunity to brand yourself. Don’t blow it. Rock it!

How to Write a LinkedIn Summary For Dummies – I’ve never been crazy about the “For Dummies” genre but this post gives some good tips on writing the dreaded Summary section.

Other good tips and resources:

What is LinkedIn? (Video) – College Grad Life

Making Your LinkedIn Profile Effective – Jason Alba

LinkedIn Tips: Crafting Your Profile – Excelsior Partners

How to Network Effectively – Inc.com

I will continue to add resources to this post as I find them. Feel free to comment with resources you found useful.

Posted in career, college, linked in, networking | Leave a Comment »

What Are Your Strengths?

June 28, 2010 by Claudine


Students tell me it never fails. During a job interview they are almost always asked, “What are your strengths?”, and “What are your weaknesses?” This is a no-brainer. Job seekers should always be prepared for this question. As a career counselor, I cannot think of a legitimate reason why any individual remotely in job search mode should not be able to communicate at least three strengths to a potential employer. (I will address weaknesses next week.)

If you know me at all, I do not expect anything out of my students that I also cannot deliver on myself. That being said…

What are my strengths? According to StrengthsFinder, my strengths are Input, Connectedness, Individualization and Woo. However, if I were asked in a job interview, these are the strengths I would discuss:

(1) I am an idea person. I continuously think outside the box and have multiple light bulb moments every day. To go along with  that, I have the ability to gather information and data to determine if  my ideas are actionable, have the potential to bring value to my organization and its’ stakeholders, and, if so, develop a plan to implement the idea. My best idea? My personal favorite is the CCO Leadership Academy which engages incoming freshmen in a weekly course to identify their strengths (with StrengthsQuest), as well as participate in a service-learning project to build their strengths and develop skills sought by employers. The “return on investment” produced by this idea is immeasurable as expressed and demonstrated by the students who participated.

(2) I take initiative. While some people look for ways to get out of work, I look for work to do. Last summer, during a time that is usually slow and serene in my department, I convinced my director that our website needed to be redesigned. With his approval, I taught myself HTML and learned how to build a website from scratch. Granted, I did have help from two part-time student workers who were handy with flash and asp.net, but the vision was mine. As a team, we eliminated poor content and developed new content, integrated social media, and also created new ways to engage students, connect with alumni, and recognize our 21st Century Partners. The best part about this project? I initiated without it even having been identified as a need by upper management – although it was – and it is an ongoing work in progress that I oversee the creative vision.

(3) Resourceful is my middle name. If I don’t know the answer, I will find out. If my colleagues don’t know theanswer, they ask me. Perhaps I sound boastful, however, I just called my colleague to ask her what she thought my strengths were and this was the first thing out of her mouth. I love knowing information. The world is an exciting place to me with infinite knowledge available to explore, learn, devour…you get the point. Some may not think this is such a strength worth mentioning in an interview but I guarantee my boss appreciates me not pestering her every time I don’t know something.

Keep in mind, when communicating your strengths during a job interview, or even in casual conversation during a networking event, you should be able to provide concrete examples or, as I like to call them, stories about how you have demonstrated or utilized your strengths. While I’ve provided short examples in my summary of my own strengths, I would encourage you to be a bit more detailed.

So…what are your strengths?

Leave a comment identifying one of your strengths with an example of how you have utilized it. The best answer, as determined by me and my readers, will receive a free access code to take the StrengthsQuest assessment, based on StrengthsFinder, which also includes access to the StrengthsQuest website and all of it’s resources!

Posted in interview, strengths, transferable skills | 4 Comments »

Giving Back

May 31, 2010 by Claudine


Since I started this blog in January, I’ve been truly lackadaisical about blogging. My initial goal was very reasonable – 2 blogs a month. Two blogs quickly became one blog which soon became no blogs.

I don’t have a good reason and I don’t believe in . (After all, there is a BIG difference between an excuse and a reason.) I’ve just been busy but aren’t we all?

What’s more, this is not a blog to say, “I promise to do better. From now on, I’m going to recommit to my original goal.” The truth is, I’ve added more to my plate and I don’t know if I will be able to blog on my site – at all.

What’s on my plate?

  • I’ve agreed to blog bi-weekly on Dan Schawbel’s Student Branding Blog. This commitment will motivate me to write more consistently…just not for my own blog.
  • I’m finally finishing my thesis. This endeavor will also force me to write more. I’m actually a bit embarrassed that I never completed it. I have an awesome career, however, no thesis means no master’s degree. What is even sadder? The institution I attended encouraged me to continue with doctoral coursework even though I had not made any progress on my thesis. I’m not blaming them. It’s my own fault for allowing it to happen. But, in my defense, a former student did write a thesis entitled, “Factors that contribute to masters degree non-completion in the Higher Education Program” at the University of Toledo.
  • I’m starting my own non-profit organization. I’ve volunteered for most of my life but since I moved to the Lafayette area nearly 4 years ago, I haven’t made much of a contribution. I plan to change that.

After quite a bit of research, I’ve decided to bring Girls on the Run to Tippecanoe County – and I’m so excited!

    Girls on the Run

    Girls on the Run

The Girls on the Run (GOTR) program encourages girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. The curriculum addresses all aspects of healthy girls’ development – their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

I won’t be able to do this alone. I am in the process of identifying people to join my Steering Committee and Board of Directors. I will also need to raise funds – a lot of funds – to accomplish bringing GOTR to the girls of Tippecanoe Country.

Believe it or not, I’m not a runner. I despise running and I don’t foresee that changing. After all, someone needs to bring up the rear. However, the GOTR program is not just about running. The curriculum addresses a number of the issues children must face in today’s society: childhood obesity, school bullying, and peer pressure – particularly for adolescent girls’ body image.

Want to join me in my mission to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living? Send me an email at claudine@purdue.edu or leave a comment below. I’d love to have you!

Posted in career, passion | 2 Comments »

So…Tell Me About Yourself

March 9, 2010 by Claudine


As a college career counselor, I conduct mock interviews with students almost daily during recruitment season. To make the mock interview more useful, students must complete Perfect Interview prior to scheduling their appointment. Therefore, it confounds me that students – and alumni – trip over my first question during the mock interview:

“So, tell me about yourself.”

This question is often used by interviewers as a breaking the ice question. Trust me on this – nothing about this question is simple, easy or breaks the ice.

Students often tell me they dread this question, however, this is a question all students should be prepared to answer. If you use it as an opportunity to showcase your accomplishments and skills, you should be on your way to acing your interview.

Here are some basics to keep in mind:

DO NOT provide only information that is on your résumé. The employer invited you to interview based on the content of your résumé. Stating, “Well, my name is Tom and I’m majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University” is not only boring but it does not tell a recruiter anything they do not already know.

DO use this as an opportunity to stand-out. Be memorable. Share something with the interviewer that will make them remember you. On that same note, make sure it is appropriate. “When I pledged my fraternity, they dared me to…” can only end badly – even if your interviewer just happens to be a member of your fraternity.

DO NOT “wing it”. Your answer should be thoughtfully constructed. Again, this question may seem like a harmless, break the ice type of question but by answering this question poorly and without direction, you are setting yourself up for failure. Preparation equals success.

DO prepare by identifying how your strengths match the position. By highlighting two or three of your strengths, you have the unique opportunity to focus the direction of the interview.  When deciding which of your strengths to highlight, consider the skills the position requires. Be able to share a short, but detailed example of how you utilized those skills.

DO NOT tell your life story. Your answer should be less than 2 minutes and closer to 90 seconds. Two minutes is a long time to talk. Opening with, “I was born in Chicago but we moved to Southwest Michigan when I was three. I am the middle child and, to be honest, I’m the typical middle child,” does not intrigue your interviewer – at all.

DO tell a story – your story. This question is really about how well you know yourself. Be professional but be yourself. Show some personality.

So…just how do you answer the question? Take some to time to think about the following:

  1. How can you be memorable?
  2. Why should the employer hire you? How do your strengths match the skills required to be successful in the position?
  3. What impression do you want the recruiter to have about you?

Write out your answer. Yes, I said WRITE IT OUT. Then practice it. Practice it with friends. Practice it in front of the mirror. Practice, practice, practice. While you certainly should not repeat it verbatim during the interview, you should be able to consistently and concisely cover your main objectives.

So…

Tell me about yourself!

Want to practice your interview skills? First, log-in to your CCO Express account and complete Perfect Interview. Make sure to save your progress. Once you have completed Perfect Interview, you can schedule a mock interview with a CCO staff member by calling 765.494.3981.  Appointments are based on counselor availability.

Posted in career, interview | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Finding Your Passion

February 13, 2010 by Claudine


A large part of my job involves counseling college students on their future career. In other words, they sit down in my office and say, “I have no idea what I want to do with my life.  I thought I wanted to be a mechanical engineer (or insert any number of careers – accountant, veterinarian, pharmacist, entomologist, computer scientist, lawyer) but I hate my classes. What am I going to do with my life?”

I can definitely relate to my students. Since the age of 8, I was dead-set on being a veterinarian when I grew up. Based only on the fact that I loved animals – and absolutely nothing else – I declared my major as pre-professional zoology. My first two years were rather uneventful academically. The fall of my junior year, however, proved painful. I hated my classes – particularly Medical Microbiology and Inorganic Chemistry. Any desire I had to become a veterinarian waned. Okay…more like totally evaporated. My professors, unfortunately, only encouraged me to stick with it. In the end, I failed…miserably.

This glum story is the short version of how I found my passion. I never want another student to be convinced they should stick with their major because they are “already a junior” or “almost done”.

A recent study found that only 45% of American workers are satisfied with their work. Granted, enjoying your classes in your major does not guarantee you will be satisfied with your career – but it’s a start. Finding your passion takes time and effort. I tell each student I work with that it is a process.

Students often want to take “tests” that will tell them what major they should choose or what career they should pursue. Information is good. In my opinion, you can never have enough information about yourself. By that same token, no single career assessment provides a “magic answer”. Neither the MBTI or the SII will tell you what you should do with your life. Neither, as your illustrious career counselor, will I.

Want to find your passion? Contact the Center for Career Opportunities and make an appointment for career counseling. All CCO services are free to Purdue students and alumni. To make an appointment, stop by Stewart 194 or call (765) 494-3981. Appointments are based on counselor availability.

Posted in career, careersatisfaction, college, major, passion | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Easy Steps to Jump Start Your Job Search in 30 Days

January 10, 2010 by Claudine


It’s a new year, a new decade, and a new semester. If you have not secured an internship for the upcoming summer or a job upon graduation, take these simple steps to jump start your job search now.

In the next 24 hours…

Get your résumé in tip-top shape. Have you communicated your top skills? What about transferable skills? Each year the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) conducts a survey of the top skills and qualities employers look for in new college hires. Make sure your résumé reflects the skills you want to highlight to potential employers.

Don’t have a résumé? The CCO Career Planning Handbook provides a résumé section, beginning on page 12, to help you get started. If you are really clueless and have no idea where to start, download The Resume Workbook for College Students and Recent Grads.

Once you have completed your résumé, stop by the CCO during walk-in hours and have it critiqued by a CCO staff member. You will get valuable feedback on how to improve your résumé and you will be ready to take the next step in your job search.

In the next week… Create a LinkedIn profile. A LinkedIn profile can essentially serve as an online resume. It also, however, provides several ways for college students to network with industry professionals as well as conduct research on potential industries and employers. Not sure what to put in a LinkedIn profile? Read the resources in this blog post and seek out more on your own. Take initiative!

Already have a LinkedIn profile? Give it a makeover. Even though you are a student, your LinkedIn profile should be professional. Include a professional summary with keywords. Get recommendations for previous positions. Join groups related to your major and industry.

Once you have developed or enhanced your LinkedIn profile, learn how to use it correctly.

Develop your elevator speech. An elevator speech – or 30-second commercial – is a short introduction of yourself that highlights your skills to a target audience. You may utilize your elevator speech at upcoming career fairs or networking events. You may also incorporate your elevator pitch in to your LinkedIn profile.

In the next month… Conduct at least four informational interviews to expand your network, your knowledge of the industry, and your confidence. Not sure what an informational interview is? The Quintessential Careers website offers a comprehensive tutorial on why you should utilize this technique. The tutorial even provides you with a list of potential questions to ask.

Apply for positions on CCO Express and other job boards. An internship or job will not fall in your lap. You will need to expand your network and apply for numerous positions.

These steps should get you started on a successful job search. Stay tuned for other helpful information on attending career fairs, acing the interview, networking and other career-related topics.

Posted in linked in, résumé | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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