Job hunting...any tips?

[MrPopo]

If your school has a career fair or a job center you should get involved with that. When I was in college I made the rounds at the career fair handing out resumes and talking with all of the reps, even for positions I'd never considered. I also applied for every single interview I felt I was qualified for in the job center. Out of the 30 interviews I did I got four onsite interviews and two job offers. And this was back in the fall of 06, when the market was still good.

[Capcomwarrior]

[quote="Luke"}And it is paramount that your business card isn't CRAP!

lmao. That guys business card would end up in the trash so quickly. Does it fit in my wallet? No. Does it fit in a rolodex? No. Does it fit in a rubberbanded stack of other business cards, no. So where am I supposed to keep it? He seems to think it's so impressive (well it was $4) that I'm gonna frame the damn thing and dream about it.[/quote]

I know, its terrible isn't it? It looks like a rave or club concert flyer... not very business-like at all.

[dlmvii]

Thank you for the replies!

Here's the resume I've been passing around...in case anyone has any tips
(Minus personal information)

http://www.uwm.edu/~kwittwer/r.doc

I've heard LinkedIn is somewhat important as well, so I set up an account there, and filled it out as best I could. As for my online presence, not a whole lot is attached to my real name, with the exception of LinkedIn and facebook (which has no objectionable content to speak of), and a few minor things here and there.

As for career fairs, it seems like the one my school puts on is for local jobs, and there is absolutely no way I am living in this city any longer than I have too, so I am avoiding everything in the Milwaukee area. (Madison, however, is home to Epic, which is supposed to be a college-grad friendly company, though they apparently only hire ~1% of their applicants)

[Luke]

I can help with your resume, give me a few days.

Attend all career fairs that you possibly can. A cover letter and resume just doesn't give you the same opportunity that speaking with someone face to face does. It's part of networking, something you really need to get on, and yes, linkedin will help, but don't expect job offers because you have a linkedin profile.

You may not have the luxury of deciding where you want to live, either, so take every opportunity that comes your way.

[dlmvii]

Hurray! I scored my first interview! Of course, now I'm sure I will be incredibly nervous until it happens, at which point I will screw it up, but I can at least try.

Is wearing suits to interviews still as essential as it used to be?

[Luke]

Is wearing suits to interviews still as essential as it used to be?

Yes.

[Capcomwarrior]

Hey, your resume looks good. If you are interested in any suggestions and input, I can take a better look at it and get back at you. My brother was a recruiter for Rolls Royce before he started working for the government, and he taught me quite a bit about resume fab.

I will let you know that in all the resume workshops I attended and all professionals I asked, everyone suggested not including "references available upon request" on the resume. I was told it is best to either include actual references in the resume, or don't touch on it at all, besides in the interview itself, or possibly the cover letter. Some managers I spoke with even admitted it was a pet peeve of theirs to see "references available upon request" at the bottom of resumes.

Just wanted to let you know what I learned about that item. Since you already have an interview lined up, obviously that individual didn't mind too much, but every recruiter/manager is different.

[Luke]

I will let you know that in all the resume workshops I attended and all professionals I asked, everyone suggested not including "references available upon request" on the resume.

Agreed. If they want references, they'll ask for them during the interview.

[dlmvii]

So, sorry for another bump, but I have a phone interview on friday morning....Is there any insight anyone has into nailing a phone interview? This isn't with anybody in my respective department, but an HR person who is maybe trying to make sure I'm not totally unqualified for the position.

[MrPopo]

So, sorry for another bump, but I have a phone interview on friday morning....Is there any insight anyone has into nailing a phone interview? This isn't with anybody in my respective department, but an HR person who is maybe trying to make sure I'm not totally unqualified for the position.

I'd recommend you have a pen and paper handy for scribbling down notes. The HR phone screen shouldn't be too bad. You'll want to show enthusiasm about the position and about the company, and make sure you ask questions about day to day life.