Career Chat

What? Recruiters look at my tweets? TechRepublic asked experienced IT Recruiter Tim Heard and had some very interesting observations and advice. Here’s a summary of his response:

People use Twitter for a variety of reasons – just think of how and why you use it. Then try to imagine what a recruiter will look for in your tweets. On a positive note, your tweets can demonstrate your competence; your compassion, interest and empathy; and possibly a way for them to connect with you. (Heard suggests that you provide a link in your profile to a place that allows someone to e-mail you directly.)

On the negative side, tweets that seem amusing to you and friends, may come across as pompous, mean and insensitive. He points out our polarized society and points out the consequences if a hiring manager of your “dream job” happens to be of political party targeted by one of your tweets. And while an employer may be impressed with our abilities as a “Twitter Black Belt” expert in your field, if your tweets are occurring all hours of the day or in the wee morning hours, he will have concerns about your productivity.

In general, the hiring manager is looking for someone who knows how to do his/her job well, and will be productive. This generally means someone who is bright, but not egotistical, someone who can stay on task and get the job done and someone who works and plays well with others.

Here’s the article:
What Do Recruiters Look for in Your Tweets?

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) just released the results of their early Fall 2010 survey results of which “soft” skills employers are seeking in potential employees. The top skills are: ability to work on a team; verbal communication skills; decision-making/problem-solving skills; the ability to obtain and process information; and the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work.

Other employer preferences noted in the study are some type of relevant work experience, and leadership experience. Nearly three-quarters of employers reported they also use use GPA, typically 3.0 or above, for screening entry level candidates.

Teamwork, Verbal Communication Top “Soft Skills” Employers Seek in Job Candidates

Need help identifying your soft skills? Not sure how to word them on your resume? The Career Development Center career advisors can help.

All current Loyola students:

Login to RamblerLink using your Loyola username and password – the same username and password as you use for LOCUS and Blackboard.

Whether you are looking for a part-time job, federal work study jobs, an internship, or a full-time position after graduation, RamblerLink is your resource for hundreds of job listings. Students and alumni can browse job postings, apply for positions, sign up for on-campus interviews, view upcoming employer information sessions, workshops and career fairs.

Looking for a part-time job to pay a few bills? A great internship? Community-based Federal Work Study Job? Service Learning volunteer opportunity? How about a full-time job?

Here’s the perfect career fair for Loyola students and recent Loyola alumni:

Fall 2011 Job, Internship & Service Fair
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Halas Sports Center, Lake Shore Campus

Feeling stuck in your job search? Tori Johnson, founder of Women for Hire, has formed a free month-long virtual job club. The club is for anyone who has become frustrated with their job search, whether you’ve been searching for months or are just starting your career.

Club participants will be given a task each day, aimed at “rebooting and re-energizing” your job search. According to Tori, “while there’s no guarantee of employment, if you follow our advice and actively engage each day, you will get results.”

For more information and registration, check out “Join My Virtual Job Club.”

CareerRookie just posted an article from CareerBuilder “5 Ways College Gave You More Training Than You Thought” with some great tips of pulling relevant experience into your resume. Experience can be gained from coursework, volunteer experiences, leadership roles, clubs and extra-curricular activities as well as from part-time jobs.

I just attended my second WordPress “WordCamp Chicago 2011″ conference last weekend. WordPress is the open source software used to create websites and blogs. In addition to the usual “techies,” the conference was loaded with people making a living from designing websites or blogging as a career. They work as independent contractors who set up and manage websites or blogs for companies, bringing their marketing and PR efforts into the wonderful world of social and digital networking.

RamblerLink continues to receive loads of jobs and internships seeking candidates to help build or increase an employer’s web presence and social network. Check it out!

Loyola freshmen and transfer students, as well as all other current students, can now log in to our RamblerLink job search system to search for jobs and internships.

Step one: complete or update all of the information on your Profile screens.

Step two: uploade your resume in the Documents section.

Step three: Click the Jobs tab, select RamblerLink jobs, and starting searching.

• Seeking a part-time on-campus job? Use Loyola in the keyword field on the job search form.
• Seeking a Community-Based Federal Work Study job? Use FWS in the keyword field on the job search form.

As always, contact the Career Development Center if you have questions or need help.

When we the last time you revised your resume? Proud of it now? Great! Now make sure to replace any old resumes you uploaded in jobsites.

One of my colleagues prepares for an appointment with a student by looking at their resume in RamblerLink. When the student presents a wonderful new version, she asks why their old resume is still in RamblerLink. More often than not, they have completely forgotten they uploaded their resume. Unfortunately, if they had selected to include their resume in a filtered or opt-in resume books, their old poorly-constructed resume may have already made a bad impression with those employers who have access to the books.

In addition to our own RamblerLink system (in which all Loyola students have accounts), lots of other websites ask you to upload your resume. It’s important to keep a record of these different websites so you can keep your information and resume current.

In this fast-paced, technology-driven world formality is often overlooked as we jump from one task to the other. Entire conversations take place on three-inch screens using acronyms that would frustrate the most seasoned code breaking intelligence agent. While some things have changed in the way we communicate a simple “thank you” can go a long way in your job search.

Keep these tips in mind:
• Make sure to get a business card or contact information from each person you meet. Start a file that includes any cards or handouts you collect from the people you meet.
• Buy some professional cards and envelopes. When you have an interview or do any type of sit-down meeting get a feel for the people you are talking to. Some people appreciate the real thing over the electronic version. Administrative assistants might also give you some valuable insight into this if you remember to ask before you go.
• Be prompt. Try to get this done and out within twenty-four hours of meeting with someone.
• Individualize the note. Make sure that you bring up something from the interview or discussion that you had with the person. This isn’t the time to use a form letter; show that you are an attentive listener and ready to meet the needs that they expressed.
• Do this frequently and strategically. Send a “thank you” when you meet someone at a career fair, after an interview, even after they offer you the position. If you are grateful let them know how much you appreciate it.

This is a simple task that when done consistently can only help your chances of getting an interview or, even better, landing a job.

–Matt Lawson, Graduate Intern