Ready or Not, Here You Come

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Part-time Program Professional Development Series
Ready or Not, Here You Come! A Turbo Crash Course
in Job Hunting Presented by Jill Clouse November
21, 2008 j-clouse_at_kellogg.northwestern.edu
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Agenda

• Reality Check
• Youll Need a Map to Get There
• Network, Network, Network some other things too
• Obstacles Roadblocks

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Its all about ME, Right? Wrong.
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Money, Money, Money
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(No Transcript)
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Today
One Month
Four Months
Six Months
FINANCIAL TIMELINE
EMOTIONAL TIMELINE
PLAN A
PLAN B
PLAN C
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Support System

• Stakeholders
• Personal Board of Directors
• Classmates
• Career Coaches

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Questions?
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Youll need a MAP to get there

• Self Assessment
• Company List
• Brainstorm your Network
• Marketing Materials
• Progress Tracking Mechanisms

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Self-Assessment

• Self Assessment Workplan
• Goal Setting
• Career Leader
• Ask Around

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You cant hit the bulls eye without having a
Target(s)!
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Whom to Contact
YOU
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Best Product on the MarketYOU!

• Pitch
• Resume
• Cover Letters
• Other correspondence

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Track your Progress
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Questions?
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Network, Network, Network (and some other things
too.)
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(No Transcript)
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Job Sourced through Additional Contacts
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Where to Network
Less Formal
More Formal

• Classes
• Social events
• Hobbies/interests
• Travel
• Everyday activities

• Professional club meetings
• Informational interviews
• Company events
• Conferences
• Networking events

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Informational Interviews

• Purpose
• Warm up a cold contact
• Focuses on information
• Can be similar to a job interview-except you ask
  the questions

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Informational Interview Tips

• Prepare your questions, but dont sound scripted
• Meet in person, if possible
• Ask questions on topics in which you are truly
  interested and that will engage
• other person
• Demonstrate knowledge and passion for your
  function, industry, company,
• targets
• Thank you notes and follow- up are essential
• Questions to avoid
• Questions about compensation
• Questions that are basic and could be answered by
  reading
• Negative questions
• Asking for an introduction
• Asking that your resume be forwarded
• Asking for a job

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Become an Expert Networker

• Focus on establishing strong personal connections
• Greatly appreciate any kindness dont expect
  anything
• Approach relationships with a long-term
  perspective
• Help others more than you seek help for yourself
• Dig Your Well Before Youre Thirsty
• Put your ego aside
• Set networking goals for yourself
• Track your contacts and conversations

Book by Harvey McKay
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Revise your Marketing MaterialsYour Resume!

• Format should be user friendly
• Avoid technical jargon
• Proofread, proofread, proofread
• Highlight universal/transferable skills
• Show Results Outcomes

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Build the Bridge

• Select relevant experiences
• Throw out non-relevant items
• Industry/Buzz Words
• Use all sections of the resume

Required Skills and Experiences
Your Experiences to Highlight
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Show Results Outcomes


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Types of Results

• Increased (sales, profit, revenue)
• Decreased (costs, inefficiencies)
• Provided solutions
• Increased value
• Streamlined processes
• Presented to senior management
• Delivered on time/early
• Delivered on budget/under budget
• Elected, Awarded
• Promoted Early

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Revise your Marketing MaterialsYour Cover
Letters!

• Be succinct keep letters to one page or less
  with 40 white space
• Address why you are the best candidate for the
  job dont rehash
• your resume
• Mention why you are interested in the company
  dont give
• generic reasons
• Spell check and proofread your letters dont
  insert the wrong
• information
• Dont copy sample cover letters word for word

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Cover Letter Basic Structure

• Date
• Recipients name, title and address
• Salutation
• 1 Introduce yourself and why youre writing (to
  meet with you,
• to thank you, etc.). State the connection in
  first sentence.
• One paragraph
• 2 Something to link the reader to you.
  Information about your
• background, qualifications, areas of interest,
  details, etc.
• Remember dont just repeat whats on your
  resume!
• One two paragraphs or a short bulleted list
• 3 Wrap-up. Include contact info and, if
  appropriate, request action and take
  responsibility for follow up. One paragraph
• Closing

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Questions?
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Interviews--Always be Prepared!!!
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Interviewing Tips

• Know the company
• Know your stories
• Make it easy on the Interviewer
• Be an Active Listener
• Prepare thoughtful questions for the end
• Know your nervous tendencies and neutralize
  them in advance
• Always send a thank you note
• Follow-up Patience

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You Have the OfferDecision Making Time!

• Check in with Part-Time Program Career Coaches
• Check in with your Personal Board of
  Directors
• Revisit your self-assessment
• Consult your Stakeholders

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Tips for Negotiating

• PREPARE!
• Focus on the relationship aspect think long
  term
• Be up front with companies about timing
• Prioritize all negotiable itemswhat are your
  deal breakers?

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Wrap-Up
It is your responsibility to make strong, even
personal relationships in your business
practices. Relationships are just as important
as what you know. -Keith Ferrazzi Author of
Never Eat Alone
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Obstacles Roadblocks

• Hiring Freeze
• Lower Level Opportunity
• Other Obstacles?

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Overcoming Roadblocks with Networking

• No contacts at a company of interest
• Find contact names on company website
• Ask others in the industry if they know of anyone
  at the company
• Contact will not return phone calls
• Be patient
• Be persistent wait and try again once or twice
• Try a different form of contact
• Conversation does not go well
• Thank the person for their time
• Circle back to the person who referred you
• and ask for additional ideas
• No contact information
• Call the companys main switchboard
• Find the persons gatekeeper
• Guess the persons email address

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Helpful Resources

• Part-Time Program Intranet Career Resources
  Page
• Northwestern Library Business Resources Page
• Part-Time Program Career Coaches
• EMA Full-Time Program Professional Clubs
• Other Professional Development Series Workshops

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General Tips

• Keep current on target industry and job market
• Dont be discouraged if contacts are slow to
  respond
• Do as many in-person meetings as possible
• Keep active within all job search phases
• Focus on INFORMATION during Informational
  Interviews
• Reciprocate as much as possible
• Practice stories until they sound natural
• Take breaks!
• Rememberits a small world!

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Thank you Happy Thanksgiving!