David – Page 9 – Penn & Beyond

Pay it Forward

By: David Ross

I’m sure we all can remember some point in our lives when we relied on the assistance of others as we progressed through an internship or job search. Even though we ultimately applied for those internship and job opportunities, interviewed for those positions and ultimately secured employment – at some point during the process someone else did us a favor. Whether referring us to a job opening, serving as a reference, agreeing to an informational interview or simply offering some advice, the kindness and generosity of others has helped all of us at some stage of our careers.

So I encourage you to “pay it forward” and consider how you can serve as a resource for others. If you are not able to directly hire or recommend someone for an opening, you can still be very helpful to those seeking opportunities in a variety of ways. In my experience, I have found people to be grateful for your time and willingness to offer your insight and advice. It may not seem like much and may take up time that could be spent doing other things, but you may be surprised how the time you do provide for others can be very helpful for them.

Don’t worry if you don’t have many influential contacts – something as simple as directing someone to the appropriate contact person or alerting someone to a new or upcoming internship or job opening you hear about can be extremely helpful. For those with busy schedules, it can be so easy to remain focused on our day-to-day routines and forget that other individuals may be searching for any tidbit of assistance we can provide. If you are unsure what assistance you can provide, I encourage you to take a moment to really think about some of the small things you can offer. For example, sharing your story and some of the lessons you’ve learned thus far can be very informative and illuminating for others.

Remember, at some point in the future you may seek someone else’s help as you transition from one position to the next. Who knows – someone that you help out now may “pay it forward” and be that person that returns the favor in the future.

Job Postings: More than meets the eye…

By: David Ross

So by now some of you have probably seen more job postings than you care to think about. After reading through a few of them, it can be easy to “cut to the chase” and focus on applying for the position. While applying for job openings of interest is imperative, important clues can be revealed in job postings – minor details here and there – that not only signal whether the job is truly a good fit for you but also help you improve your application.

One of the first things job seekers look at is the position title. The more impressive the title sounds, the more interesting or significant the position may seem. Perhaps this is true in some instances, but it’s important not to instantly dismiss a position just because the job title is not exactly what you are looking for or what you ideally envision. Some organizations use their own classification or terminology for positions that may not make a lot of sense to those outside of the organization. But if the job responsibilities and tasks seem interesting, the position could be one of those hidden gems that ends up a strong fit for you. Another thing to look for is the experience/education requirement. Some position titles may imply a level of experience or education that doesn’t match your background. But looking closely at the details may reveal the position is indeed appropriate and can ensure you don’t miss great opportunities.

While on the subject of job duties and responsibilities (and even qualifications), it can be easy to lose sight of their significance. For some positions, you may already know what the job entails or have performed similar roles in the past. While that information and experience is certainly valuable, still be sure to carefully read through the job duties and responsibilities section. Similar roles in different organizations may vary in terms of the actual day-to-day assignments and responsibilities. Beyond that, any information in this section can provide tangible topics for you to consider addressing in a cover letter. Companies spend time including descriptions and overviews in their job postings for specific reasons – so why not focus on addressing these areas in your application materials? Detailed information listed in job postings can be helpful in attempts to tailor your cover letters to job opportunities at each organization.

What can also be quite interesting is information not included in the job posting. Sometimes postings can be somewhat vague or address some points of interest while neglecting others. For example, one posting may clearly highlight and indicate the requisite job duties and qualifications but neglect to signify how that position fits within the company’s organizational structure. For someone that values working in an organization as part of a team within a department, no mention of organizational structure may leave the applicant wondering about fit. Pay attention to any information important to you that’s missing from a job posting and use that as the basis for one or two questions to ask at the end of an interview. If you are focused on opportunities in one particular industry, it may be helpful to examine multiple job postings at different companies in that industry to compare and contrast them. What details are missing from one listing that are indicated in another?

Regardless of where you find a job listing (and I can’t emphasize this point enough), really stop to think if the posting is legitimate. Sometimes job opportunities are just too good to be true. I can think of several stories I’ve heard where applicants saw a job posting, applied for the position and found out the job really wasn’t as advertised. If you have a funny feeling or sneaky suspicion, don’t be afraid to ask questions or research to try to find more information.

These are just some of the ways to scrutinize job postings to reveal valuable information. Remember, sometimes there’s more than meets the eye…

Why Leadership and Involvement in Activities Matters to Hiring Managers…

By: David Ross

For anyone that’s gone through the internship or job search process as a student, you’ve probably encountered those infamous words: “leadership” and “activities.” During interviews, you may have been asked questions (directly or indirectly) focused on leadership and participation outside of the classroom at Penn. Ever wonder why leadership and activities are scrutinized by companies?

Each organization values and considers the extent of your leadership and involvement in activities in different ways. However, leadership and involvement in activities provide some interesting information about internship and job applicants. Fair or not, those with significant leadership experience are very desirable to some companies. Why? Because leaders typically have a certain drive and passion to achieve. Leaders also may showcase strong project management skills, people management skills or both. Sucessful leaders may also have strong interpersonal skills, ability to work effectively with teams and take ownership and responsibility for projects. Given that past experience may predict the future, anyone who has demonstrated leadership experience and can highlight accomplishments or successful outcomes instantly becomes a candidate with a track record of success.

So what if you are not in a position to lead an organization? Keep in mind that you can be a leader or demonstrate leadership experience in many ways within an organization or club. Perhaps you are destined to lead a committee working on a big event or new initiative. Or you may find yourself presented with the opportunity to lead your peers or fellow group members on a project. Either way, both are excellent situations for individuals to utilize and develop their talents and skills and hopefully generate postive, tangible outcomes. And while leadership can be important and valued, involvement in activities can be very important as well. Simply joining a club or organization and just going to weekly meetings does not reveal much to recruiters. What’s more significant is how you can impact an organization you are a part of – any tangible improvements you can make to the greater good of the organization are valued.

So remember – get involved outside of the classroom. Pursue your passions and dreams. Embrace leadership opportunities that present themselves. Not only will you find these experiences worthwhile, others will value them too.

I Don’t Know What to Write…Help!

By: David Ross

We all have those moments when we’re working on something and just don’t know how to get started. As a counselor, I’ll receive several questions about cover letters. What are they? What should be included? What are recruiters and hiring managers looking for? What makes a strong cover letter? How do I write the best, most unique, outstanding cover letter ever written? Slight exaggeration – but people always want to know this.

So why cover letters? What the’s purpose? A cover letter is a great chance to tell your story – not a detailed autobiography from childhood, but your story. Ideally you can use this forum to give more insight into your background – skills, qualifications, experience and convince an employer to interview you for a position. A strong, well written cover letter by itself will not get you hired but may be helpful as one piece of your application for a position.

What are areas or topics to cover in a letter? You want to think carefully about your education (not only majors/minors/classes, but also projects/cases/presentations), activities and of course work experiences. Identify the most relevant things you’ve done and highlight them in your cover letter.

Another thing that’s easy to overlook is your interest in the employer and organization. It’s natural to assume that because you’re applying for a position that you are demonstrating interest and the employer realizes this. However, that does not explain the rationale or motivation behind why you want to work for a certain company or organization in a specific role. You may actually make your letter more memorable if you express your reasons for being interested in the position. If you can include something interesting you’ve found in your research on the company, even better. But of course avoid common, trite generalities here.

Having read many cover letters and cover letter drafts, I would recommend avoiding the following pitfalls. Number one – try to avoid using a negative tone and do not draw attention to your weaknesses or flaws. Your letter should focus on reasons to bring you in for an interview not the opposite. Number two – avoid going on tangents and dwelling too much on a single experience. You may have a very interesting and unique example to share, which is great. But try not to get caught up on providing a lengthy, detailed account of a single experience. Your letter should cover a few key areas of interest to the employer opposed to one particular experience. Number three – try not to write things just because you think the employer wants to see them. You do want to focus on the things an employer values in a candidate, but make the cover letter your story. Let your letter reveal something about you that may not be readily evident. And number four, do not restate verbatim what is listed on your resume. You can certainly expand on a few items on your resume or consider adding information to supplement what’s listed on your resume.

Spring is in the air…

By: David Ross

Well, it was a few days ago. How quickly things change. 60 degrees, sunshine one day…40 degrees and rain the next. At least the snow is gone? For now? For good?

Career Services was open this past week as many students left town for Spring Break. It’s amazing how a change of pace can re-energize you for the rest of the semester. As Spring Break comes to a close (and I’m sure it has gone by too quickly for many people), now is the time to prepare and make plans as you finish up the semester.

If you have a chance, take some time to stop and reflect on where you are with your plans for the summer or after graduation for seniors. Is there anything you need to do or focus on over the next two months? Before things get busy again with academics, devising your plan of action may help keep you focused. Now may also be a time to reassess your goals and priorities and determine if you need to make any adjustments. Do you need to tweak your resumes or cover letters? Or perhaps expand your job or internship search? Whatever your situation may be, try to make the most of any free time you have now.

Enjoy the last few days of Spring Break and we will see you back on campus next week.