<p>My newly minted college graduate is home and starting his job search. He’s applying online and asking for my advice on filling out the online applications – and I have never done this – so I am asking my CC friends!</p>
<p>When they ask for salary requirements and you have to put <em>something</em> – my best guess is to go to a site like glassdoor.com, research what similar jobs in similar firms are paying and put the average? (Which seems like a total game. Give me a range and let me figure out if that’s what I’ll work for. But don’t make me just pull a number out of thin air.) </p>
<p>Are the corporate career websites generally up to date? I am helping him sift through and seeing things that don’t look right. How long does it take to pull down filled spots? Should he only bother with positions that have been posted that are within a week or two? What’s the typical time it takes to get a response?</p>
<p>The whole game seems so new and unfamiliar to me. The last time I actually job hunted was 1986 and I found my job in the classified ads – and it was a good, career oriented, mid-level job in my field that used my education. </p>
<p>I have been in recruiting for 19 years and you are right when you say it has changed! If a position is still posted on a company’s website it probably means it is still open. Now if it is on a website like monster or careerbuilder it could be filled. It is very difficult to get a position removed from those sites. Hopefully he knows about <a href=“http://www.indeed.com”>www.indeed.com</a>. This website picks up </p>
<p>Oops. Posted too son. Indeed.com picks up almost everything out there and is a good place to check regularly. He shouldn’t be spending too much time online though. He should be networking. Does he have an active Linkedin profile? If not, he should do that immediately and should send 10-20 requests to link every day. These should be to people he knows that are in the work place - not necessarily college friends. Professors are good too. He can start with his parents friends, neighbors, older friends that graduated a couple years ahead of him. Once he has about 100 connections he can really use Linkedin to find a job. He also should join any groups that are either local or in his industry. Active groups on LinkedIn will post 10-20 new jobs a week. </p>
<p>We found many of those online jobs apps very labor intensive and many want the same info that is on your resume. Mine tend not to take advice from me, but I would strongly recommend a one page cheat sheet to reference when filling out these apps. (names, addresses and phone numbers of contacts, short sentences describing previous job accountabilities and dates of employment) It also makes it easier for Mom if she kindly offers to fill out an app…</p>
<p>We found many of the large companies tend to leave their postings up for a very long time. (possibly to cast a wider net). Most seemed to remove them when the job was filled - though they are not as timely when it comes to letting the candidate know they are no longer being considered.</p>
<p>My S1 found applying via Linkedin to be the most efficient process. (and successful) Your resume is already loaded, you have written some amazing things about your skill set within your own space perimeters and they can see your child’s amazing smile!</p>
<p>Practicing phone interviews is also a good idea. Many companies want kids to answer questions using the STAR method or one of the similar formats where you state the Situation, tell what Action you took and then give the Results. It takes a little practice to get used to answering this way. </p>
<p>Another avenue to explore is informational interviews. If your son is interested in a specific field, have him think of everyone he knows in that field and come up with a few people who might be willing to meet with him to discuss the field prospects, get advice and generally get his name out there. </p>
<p>My Dh is in a field that is popular among young people, and he has recently given “interviews” to two young guys who were friends of our kids. One of them got a great job that resulted from the chat- not directly, but after a couple of weeks, being introduced to someone who introduced him to someone else, and so on. Have him bring his resume, look sharp and be willing to listen and learn. It takes a lot of patience and gumption, but the personal connection is still an excellent way to find a job. </p>
<p>Companies that get many applications have them filtered by a computer. So your sons job is to put information on the application that the computer program is looking for. </p>
<p>He needs to get past this first step in order to even get a phone call. Often times the computer will pull out the latest 20 applications that fit its criteria and send them on. The hiring person then looks at these 20 recent applications and calls maybe 10 if you are lucky. Then the interview process starts.</p>
<p>So look at the job description. Use as many words in that job description as possible in your application. Every match will ping the computer. Microsoft word…ping. Excel…ping, Linux…ping,…team building …ping. You get the idea. </p>
<p>So each application will be geared directly to the job posted. Read the rules on posting. How often can he update his application to get it to the top of the line? </p>
<p>This is the first step.</p>
<p>Good luck. Do not expect any responses. Some jobs may not actually call for months. Just keep applying in very, very specific ways and he will be well on his way to getting an interview.</p>
<p>I agree with knowing and practicing the STAR method above. Have examples for every question you can think of.
What did you do when you discovered an employee stealing? What have you created on your own time? </p>
<p>Hiring employers and recruiters: Should new college grad include GPA on resume where citing college name, degrees, major, minors, etc.? Go ahead and put GPA in resume, or wait until maybe asked? If one has an ok 3.20 GPA that is not super, but not bad…put it on resume or leave it off?</p>
<p>LIzard – I know the job seeker wants to get as much as possible, especially if targeting jobs in NYC, but when the digital application wants a NUMBER. A precise and specific NUMBER. You know the machine will kick you out if you are too high (and maybe even if you are too low) … so how do you determine the magic number? A range isn’t allowed … it wants specifics.</p>
<p>When I am hiring, I really don’t care what my applicant wants … I tell them what I am going to pay them. But – I am hiring entry level high school kidlets that need mega training. I start them around minimum wage with a raise after training. </p>
<p>I think a lot of just minted college grads get a rude awaking when finding out many employers, especially in business, will not be offering pay too much above minimum wage. The new grads have no experience and that is about what they are worth. It is necessary for many new grads to take their lumps, not get paid initially what they were expecting to get, get some experience after getting foot in door with an entry level job, and work toward promotion and better pay after proving worth and gaining skills useful to employers’ bottom lines.</p>
<p>My kids both had jobs before graduation.
One continued her work study job through the summer and into the school year ( writing a computer language manual), the other will be doing a combination of work, none pays well, but rent is included and the jobs are very relevant to interest/degree.</p>
<p>I couldnt find the thread discussing why some applicants dont hear back, so Im posting here.
Maybe it will help someone.</p>
<p>Someone above asked about groups on LinkedIn. I have found they are not very useful… LinkedIn is best at keeping you in touch with people you have already met. But don’t underestimate the value of that. The OP’s son should have a LinkedIn profile, and should link to anyone he has worked with in the past at an internship, older students he knows who have graduated, parents of friends if they work in an industry he is interested in, etc.</p>
<p>As far as searching for groups on LinkedIn. There is a search bar at the top of the profile page. You can do an “advanced search” and it will ask if you want to search for groups. Then just type in the discipline, city or specific skill set. I will say that it can. to hurt to join industry or discipline groups. Personally I post 5-10 jobs on groups every week. As far as the salary question. Google and find salary surveys in your area - employment groups usually put them out - and then put a specific number down. I would go with the lower end but not too low. Don’t sell yourself short. As far as GPA’s - obviously if it is great I would put it on. 3.5 and above probably. If the GPA in the major is higher you could include that too. </p>
<p>The rules on this depend on who you talked to and time period. </p>
<p>View I heard from one career counselor is if one’s GPA is 3.0 or higher, list it. If one’s major GPA is higher than overall, list that. If it is below 3.0, it’s better to leave it out though doing so could cause some to infer a sub-3.0 GPA. </p>
<p>I’ve also seen people and sent out resumes without GPAs and others who would be willing to list sub 3.0 GPAs…like one cheeky fellow who listed (Really Good GPA) beside the 2.0 cumulative GPA he listed on his resume publicly on monster.com which was considered so amusing it was printed out and posted on a board in a break area at one former workplace. </p>
<p>My son has identified two positions at one company. He’s qualified for both, perhaps slightly more qualified for Position 1; Position 2 asks for slightly more experience. His internships most likely make up the experience level they are looking for. Position 1 (linkedin says he is in the top 10% of applicants) is a “temporary position.” It’s not seasonal and not billed as an internship, I am guessing maternity leave. Position 2 is permanent (linked in says he is top 50% of applicants). They currently have 5-6 jobs posted where he’d be a fit with a little more experience.</p>
<p>Both Position 1 and 2 have the same sort of responsibilities, and appear to be about the same level within the company. (Bachelor’s degree required with some to 1 year experience.) I think he would like either spot – he would like to get a job and get that critical year or two of experience under his belt.</p>
<p>I think that getting into the company in the temp spot where he’s the best fit might allow him to grow into another position there.</p>
<p>Which one does he apply for? Or does he apply for both?</p>
<p>Apply to both, unless they are so wildly different that it makes him look unfocused and desperate. If I get multiple application for similar positions that are related to the applicant’s experience and qualifications, I don’t think anything of it - they are casting a wide net. If, however, I get applications for “janitor” “CFO” “warehouseman” and “cook” I’m likely to think that this person isn’t thinking, and is finding it way too easy to apply to jobs on the Internet.</p>