Job Search
Jobs to Tweet About
01/08/2010
Among the social media sites, Twitter is a great new tool to help in your job search. Twitter is up-to-the-minute, useful, and unmatched in current social media. Here are a few tips to make Twitter work for you in you job hunt.
Be Careful With Your Username: When setting up your Twitter account, use your name like “JohnSmith” or “SSnyder.” Don’t name yourself “Dinosaur77” or “SuperHotDude5.” It won’t impress a future employer and will make it difficult for people to find you and your Twitter feed.
Continue Reading “Jobs to Tweet About”
Find Your Next Job Using Social Media
01/11/2010
Searching the Internet isn’t a new concept in job hunting, but social media is. It’s easier than ever before to search for exactly the job you want, just by utilizing social media.
Look Around: There are many social media opportunities for finding a job and using more than one in your job hunt is definitely a good idea. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Craig’s List offer a whole new mechanism for looking for your first job, both on the local and national level. As far as the web goes, don't discount blogs either, especially local ones, which not only offer great tips for getting your first job (like this site) but may also serve as a message board for new job opportunities in your town.
Continue Reading “Find Your Next Job Using Social Media”
How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter
02/16/2010
Using a cover letter is important when applying for a job. A lot of young applicants believe that cover letters are only for those applying to high level positions, but they are also important when applying for a first job. Cover letters go beyond what your resume conveys, by providing prospective employers with a greater knowledge of who you are and why you will fit well within their organization. Writing a cover letter may seem like a burdensome extra step, but if you follow this simple template it should actually be fairly easy to write. After all, you’re already an expert on yourself!
Continue Reading “How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter”
Using LinkedIn to Find Your First Job
03/10/2010
Founded in 2002, LinkedIn with more than 55 million registered online users. LinkedIn is the most well known and widely used professional social networking site in the world. LinkedIn has gained credibility because of its “gateway access approach” which limits your contact to people you are connected to directly or through other people.
By keeping unwanted soliciting at a minimum, the site not only allows users to search for jobs in their area, but also view profiles of the companies they might be interested in working for. While the advice below might be more applicable for college age students, students in high school may find the advice useful as well. Networking through LinkedIn can help you find a job directly, or help to keep you in contact with those you’ve met—and that may eventually lead to a job offer!
Continue Reading “Using LinkedIn to Find Your First Job”
Networking Your Way to a New Job
03/17/2010
Did you know that over 60 percent of jobs are found by networking?
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “It’s not always what you know, but who you know.” If you take that to heart, it could just help you land your first job.
You already have a built-in network—it’s called your friends, family, teachers, coaches or other people you know and look up to as mentors. Put your contacts to work for you by talking to them about your job search and asking for their advice. You may be surprised by the opportunities that turn up.
Continue Reading “Networking Your Way to a New Job”
Volunteering: Good for the Heart and Good for the Resume
03/19/2010
When you volunteer your time and hard work, you have an amazing opportunity to make a positive difference in your community. However, you may be surprised to find that volunteering can actually benefit YOU the most.
In today’s economy, many first-time job seekers are finding it difficult to get hired. It may be more productive to focus your time and energy on identifying the right volunteer opportunity and then treating that experience as a paying job.
Continue Reading “Volunteering: Good for the Heart and Good for the Resume”
Don’t Let Your Social Networking Bring You Down
03/29/2010
We’ve covered how to use social networking sites to obtain your first job. However, you should be aware of the negative impact careless social networking habits can have on your employment prospects.
Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are all great ways to update your friends on your current mood or your recent trip to San Diego. But what would a prospective employer think if she saw your pictures from that “crazy Friday night?” Employers have the same access to social networking sites that you do, and in the technological age, it’s routine for them to screen the profiles of candidates who have applied for positions.
Your potential employers aren’t trying to be overly critical of you. But they are trying to select the best possible candidate to join their team. Don’t give them a reason to doubt your judgment or your maturity.
Continue Reading “Don’t Let Your Social Networking Bring You Down”
We Want You…To Be Our Intern
03/30/2010
The First Jobs Institute (FJI) seeks an energetic intern with a passion for exploring new ways to connect people and drive business. Being innovative and taking initiative are a crucial part of this experience.
The FJI Social Media / Networking Intern will have the opportunity to gain experience working with social media in a business and public relations setting including implementing ideas that extend the First Jobs brand through web-based marketing. The FJI internship offers you an opportunity to market our non-profit, network, and improve on the existing mission.
Continue Reading “We Want You…To Be Our Intern”
Perfect Jobs for Shy Teenagers
04/06/2010
So you don’t have the most outgoing personality and the thought of getting a first job this summer working directly with customers, making sales calls, taking people’s orders, or standing at a cash register has you wishing summer would never come. But we have some great news for you! There are plenty of first jobs that are perfect for those of you who are just a little quieter and more reserved than your outgoing peers.
If working primarily with customers isn’t high on your list of ideal assignments, here are your best bets for a first job:
Continue Reading “Perfect Jobs for Shy Teenagers”
Perfect Jobs for Outgoing Teenagers
04/21/2010
In our last post, we offered suggestions for shy teenagers looking for their first job, but what if you are the opposite of shy? What if you would much rather be the center of attention and interact with different kinds of people? Well good news! We have just the jobs for you!
Server: As I’m sure you know from eating out, when you have a friendly server, you have a more enjoyable dining experience. By landing your first job as a server you will be able to use your outgoing personality to interact with customers while learning valuable skills about promptness, service and hospitality, and the importance of taking pride in your work.
Continue Reading “Perfect Jobs for Outgoing Teenagers”
Career Advisor Says: Words to Never Use in Your Resume
04/28/2010
Career advisor Liz Ryan was on “The Early Show on Saturday Morning” this past weekend with advice on how to make your resume stand out. Although her advice was directed at all job seekers, the advice is especially helpful for those of you who are looking for your first job and writing your first resume.
When writing a resume it is easy to throw in popular catch phrases or terms like “team player” or “strong work ethic.” But the problem with these phrases is that everyone else is also including them on their resume, preventing you from standing out!
Continue Reading “Career Advisor Says: Words to Never Use in Your Resume”
Can’t Find a Job? Create Your Own!
05/07/2010
Summer is right around the corner and if you have been striking out with the traditional paths to summer employment, maybe it’s time to get creative and start your own business! Starting your own lawn mowing, babysitting, dog walking, tutoring, or car washing service will allow you to do something that you are good at and enjoy while also learning valuable skills.
Continue Reading “Can’t Find a Job? Create Your Own!”
10 Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE Your Job Search: High School Edition
06/09/2010
Before you even consider starting your job search, you should ask yourself the follow questions:
1. How much do I want to work?
Think about how long and how many hours you want to work. Three months during the summer? Or do you want to continue working during the school year?
Continue Reading “10 Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE Your Job Search: High School Edition”
A Teenager’s Guide for Filling Out a First Job Application
06/15/2010
The job market for teens this summer doesn’t look great. But that doesn’t mean finding a first job this summer is impossible. One of the best ways to increase your chance of getting your first job is to increase the number of places you are applying—and that means filling out lots of applications.
The hiring managers at most entry level jobs use a standard application as a screening method to decide which candidates to interview. The good news is that most of these applications are similar. Some companies, particularly large chains, have started using computer terminals to collect applications, but many businesses still ask interested candidates to fill out paper forms.
Continue Reading “A Teenager’s Guide for Filling Out a First Job Application”
A Social Media Internship Could Jumpstart Your Career
07/20/2010
Is your Facebook page overflowing with Mafia Wars and Farmville updates? Do you tweet so often you make Demi and Ashton seem shy in comparison? If so, you just might be ready to apply for a social media internship!
Employers in every industry — restaurants, media companies, hospitals, retail stores and others—are offering paid and unpaid internships to bright, enthusiastic, young candidates who understand social networking the way fish understand water. If you’re interested in pursuing an internship opportunity in this evolving field, here are some helpful hints.
Continue Reading “A Social Media Internship Could Jumpstart Your Career ”
10 Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE Your Job Search: College Edition
08/03/2010
Before you consider starting your job search for the upcoming semester, you should ask yourself the follow questions:
What skills do I have?
Do you have any special skills or strengths that would contribute to a work place? Is your major or course of study something that Are there strengths that I have that I could contribute to a work place? How is my major or course of study in college contributing to a potential job opportunity?
What is my main goal? What do I hope to achieve with my job?
What are your main goals for a job or internship? Think of the top five things you hope to gain from a work experience. Are your goals realistic? Are they things you can achieve over the course of a semester?
Continue Reading “10 Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE Your Job Search: College Edition”
How to Ask for a Reference from your Employer
08/12/2010
One of the great things about having a first job is that you now have a previous employer to ask for a reference in the future.
You probably had to provide personal references when you applied for your first job—people who have known you and who vouched for your dependability or character. Now you will also have a professional reference who can speak to your abilities on the job and in a workplace. Before you put a former employer down as a reference here are a few things to keep in mind:
Continue Reading “How to Ask for a Reference from your Employer ”