Cover Letters and Thank You Letters and Interviews, OH MY!

March 28, 2019 at 3:45 pm (career, communication, Dream Job, Effective Communication, job, Job Hunting, Job Interviews)
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Are you looking for the real reason to use cover letters and send thank you letters? Look no further!

What is the real reason we use cover letters and thank you letters? Well, let me tell you. It definitely has nothing to do with lions and tigers and bears! I have a few good reasons you will want to use a cover letter and follow-up with a thank you letter.

Why a Cover Letter?

  • To show the employer how AWESOME you are
  • And to make them FLIP THE PAGE to your resume
  • This gives you a better chance to get the interview

There are a couple of things to be aware of though. When you’re writing your cover letter be sure not to brag but tell the employer how you can benefit the company. If you’re applying to a few different places, then be sure to change some of your wording in your cover letter for each company. Employers DO NOT have time to read pages about how great you are. It’s important to keep it short and sweet and to the point.

Cover Letter Info

Interview

Now, if everything goes right you’ll get the interview!

Why Send a Thank You Letter?

  • This is for after the interview.
  • It shows you have good manners, of course!
  • This is your last chance to leave a positive impression AND your last chance to get your name in front of them.
  • Did you forget to mention something in your interview? Thank you letters are the perfect chance to say it!

Thank You Letter Info

IMPORTANT

If where you’re applying to specifically asks that you don’t add a cover letter, then don’t. Not following instructions can cause you not to get the interview. So, make sure you know what the employer wants!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

I hope this helps anyone wondering why it’s important to use cover letters and thank you letters. Please let me know what you think! Best of luck to your future endeavors.

Emily Brugh – Business Major @ IUPUC

 

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A Podcast to Reach Your Dreams

February 14, 2019 at 4:44 pm (career, communication, Dream Job, Marketing, podcast, Uncategorized)
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By: Ashleigh Meister

Do you have dreams? Do you dream about getting a degree and finally graduating? Do you dream of what it would feel like to pay off all of your debt and be able to spend your earned money how you want? Do you dream of buying your dream house? What about owning your own business? All of your dreams are possible if you do the work to make them happen.

Rachel Hollis is a mother, a wife, and a self-made business woman who has dreams just like you and she is working towards her goals every day. She has figured out how to reach many of her goals by researching and not taking no for an answer. She created this podcast to share the tools that she used for her own success. Her podcast is called “Rise Podcast”.

In this podcast series, she interviews several successful business people, narrates chapters from her own book, and easily motivates you to actually make steps towards your dreams and goals. Rachel’s audience is mostly made up of females in the “Rise Podcast”. She speaks primarily to women because she was in the same place as her audience at one point in time.

There is a lot of marketing in this podcast. Like mentioned before, Rachel narrates chapters from her book. This is a form of marketing for her book. She also asks you to screen shot the podcast episode you are listening to and post on social media by tagging her in your Instagram stories or post via @msrachelhollis. I think this is very smart and a great way to market herself without saying, “Hey, go follow me!”. She knows how to drive traffic to her other outlets.

Rachel’s podcast may be focused on women but that does not mean that men cannot take notes. She has several interviews with very successful men. While this podcast’s main focus is women; Rachel and her husband have an additional podcast for married couples. This is something that she also markets in her “Rise Podcast”.

“Nobody, not a voice of authority, not your Mama, not the foremost expert in your arena; gets to tell you how big your dreams can be. They can talk all they want, but you get to decide if you’re willing to listen.” -Rachel Hollis

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Internships? How do I Get One? Are They Even Important?

November 7, 2018 at 9:58 am (career, Dream Job, job, Job Hunting, Presentations, Uncategorized, Welcome)

 

Internships are what sets you apart from every other college student who decided to “just” do well in school and not have a job. Those people never came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe they needed some work experience to be considered for a job. As defined by the Dictionary-

In-tern-ship-noun-the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.

There are a variety of internships; the ones that pay money and the ones that you do for free. In other words, just do it for the FREE experience. College students can barely afford a Polar Pop always scraping up spare change, let alone doing free labor. College is hard,  and the real world is even harder.

There are a variety of ways a student can get an internship. The major ways that helped me land the job are as follows.

  • Know what you want to do as a career.
  • Make sure your resume correlates to the desired field.
    • If your resume doesn’t have anything to do with the desired career field, some volunteer work is needed.
  • Develop important relations in high places.
  • Develop a strong work ethic  
  • Apply everywhere, not just places you want.
  • Get help from the school. Sometimes they offer intern help.
  • Search up the companies you are wanting to apply to and figure out the algorithms to their selection process.
  • Research the company you are applying for.
  • Research the role you are applying for.
  • PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Interviewing whether it is with someone or in the mirror.

Internships determine a lot when starting a career field. Many jobs look for “experience” and apparently bagging groceries doesn’t cut it. Go figure? Jobs base the hiring process through the amount of experience and qualifications you have. Remember, dress for the job that you want, never the job that you have.Presentation is key you only have one chance to impress the boss once you get the interview.Polish that resume to look and be the part.

Check out the video below to get some tips on polishing a resume.

 

ByTeresa Idett Cardozo Garcia, Business Marketing Major-IUPUC

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A Typical Job Interview

March 29, 2018 at 4:38 pm (Business Ethics, Dream Job, Effective Communication, job, Job Hunting, Job Interviews)
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I’m sure many of you if not all of you have been through at least one job interview in your lifetime so far. Well, how many of you actually took time and effort to prepare for the interview? Probably not as much as you wish you would’ve.        An interview consists of many simple but huge steps you should always follow. After completing all your resume steps which should have been done in order for you to get an interview, you want to make sure those files and documents are accessible to yourself as well as your future employer. Make sure you always plan ahead and maybe even bring an extra copy of your resume. You should always go into the job interview feeling confident and strong that you have a place to fill the position you’re trying to get. Employers have many jobs other than being a hiring manager. Time is money, don’t waste their time. Most employers will only bring you in for an interview if they feel like you will be a good fit for the position and team. Most interviews for very serious businesses are put together to get to know you more personally. If they know you can do the job, they will always have you come in for a face-to-face interview that way they can get to see how you act in person. Most of the time you’re going to be at work and so they want to make sure they like you at a personal level as well as a coworker/team.        In order for you to do good in an interview, you should always be conversational with the employer. Don’t be shy, speak up and speak to them as if you met a new person. A lot of times people feel discouraged in an interview which results in them being quiet and not showing themselves at a high potential. You don’t want to make them feel awkward, the more you talk the better you will be off. You should always be prepared physically as well as mentally. Going into an interview you should be wearing something that is at least a bit dressier than a regular day for yourself. Maybe slacks, jeans, polos, clean shoes, etc. Dress yourself accordingly to the job title. Although not everyone can look as nice as one another, you should always try to be at your best physical appearance that way they know you are serious enough about their opening position.        Expect the greatest but don’t let that tear you don’t fit the requirements for the open position. You can expect to receive a drug test, background check, legal citizenship, and other requirements for the job. Hopefully this has given you a few helpful tips about a job interview.

 

By Corey Wall, Business Management Major – IUPUC

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The Process of Finding a Job

March 29, 2018 at 1:01 am (career, Dream Job, job, Job Hunting, Job Search)

During your lifetime, you will most likely experience the process of searching for new job. There are many steps you should take when beginning the pursuit of a new job. In this post, I will provide you with three of my biggest pointers for a successful job hunt.  It is important to focus on your network, presenting employers with a strong resume, and maintaining an open mind.

 

Often times, it is most convenient to begin your job search within your network. Networking with professionals, whether it be your friends, family, coworkers, etc. can often lead to information about jobs that are available. On top of gaining inside information through your network, your network acquaintances can often give recommendations to people they know or companies they have connections to if you are seeking employment with one of them. For this reason, it is important to maintain positive relationships within your network. Today, many people choose to keep the people in their network updated through LinkedIn. Utilizing your network will make your job hunt more successful.

 

In addition to taking advantage of your network, it is important to present a strong and updated resume to employers. When employers are reviewing your application their first impression of you will be shaped by your resume. Your resume should always appear professional, grammatically correct, and organized. It is also important to always be truthful on your resume. Often, your resume is the factor that determines whether or not you will be asked to complete an interview. Your resume should represent who you are successfully, and impress employers.

 

One thing that often restricts people while searching for a job is their state of mind. Keeping an open mind can be one your greatest assets while searching for a job. Many people have defined characteristics they are looking for in a job, and they aren’t willing to take a chance on jobs that are outside of their comfort zone. You may not always get the job you wanted, but there are always more opportunities available. Applying for jobs that may not seem like the perfect fit for you, but have potential can often lead to a great opportunity. The struggle of finding a new job will be a lot less stressful and successful if you keep an open mind and a positive attitude.

 

Overall, the process of finding your next job can often be frustrating and time consuming; however, by using my three tips for a successful job hunt you will find the perfect job. The first job you get may not be your dream job, but if you keep fighting and progressing in your career you will eventually find satisfaction with your career. Often times we have to work through jobs that may not be enjoyable, but persistence will eventually lead you to the right fit.

 

By Walker Thomas, Business Major – IUPUC

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