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A Guide For The Recent Grad

You’ve taken your last set of finals, received your diploma, and are excited about starting a new chapter in your life…now what? Finding your first job post-graduation might be the toughest and most frustrating time in your life thus far. Never fear, the Wilson Group is here! We have outlined three tips to help you through this stressful time.

Find a Mentor:
The best way to know where to start your career is to learn from the past life of someone you look up to. Find a mentor that is in the same field you are hoping to go into and talk to them about how they got started. Not only will they give you advice on how to kick off your career, but they also might be a useful contact for networking purposes. It is always easier to follow a recipe than make up your own, so follow their recipe for success and try to follow it. However, like any good recipe, you can always stray a bit from the path and make it your own. This person has been exactly where you stand today, so they know how to help you through the ups and downs of starting your professional life.

Don’t Be Too Picky:
After four years of countless all nighters and what seems like an eternity of research papers and complicated classes, it is hard not to feel as though you deserve more than an entry level position. However, your first few years in the workforce may not be, and will not be your end all be all. Your first job does not define you, so look it as more of a stepping stone to reaching your dream career. After all, we all have to start somewhere and gain experience. When applying for jobs you should apply for your dream positions, but you should also think about not being as picky and take an entry level position. You never know where that job can take you, for all you know, you could be running that company one day!

Don’t Lose Hope:
Your mailbox is full of rejection emails and you are on the breaking point of giving up, but don’t lose hope! There are thousands of other recent grads out there feeling exactly the way you are. It seems as though every day you see someone else posting on social media about getting their dream job at company X, or getting into a prestigious graduate school abroad, but stop comparing yourself to those people, and focus on your own life. Social comparison is the thief of joy, especially during this time in your life, and Facebook only heightens the feelings of inadequacy. Don’t let other’s success get in the way of your own. Instead look at them as a resource, talk to them about how they got their job, and who knows, they may even be able to help you get a job. Success is not a race, you have the rest of your life to be in the workforce, so don’t stress so much if something doesn’t fall into your lap immediately, you will come out more resilient in the long run.

For more tips on starting your career off on the right foot, visit our website.

Self Improvement Month

This month is national Self Improvement Month, which means it is the perfect time to reevaluate your interview habits. Interviews can be an especially daunting part of the job hunting process. Here are some tips that will make your interview less nerve wracking!

Do Your Research

Research will help you look more prepared and interested in the opportunity. Start by researching general interview questions that you are likely to be asked. Then research the company that has asked you to interview. Knowing information about the company shows you care about this job and the success of this company. This can also help you to gauge the company culture to decide what is best to wear to the interview. Knowing what is appropriate to wear can show that you are a good fit with the other employees. If you are still unsure as to what to wear to the interview, it might be worthwhile to call the office where your interview will take place. Go to sleep a little early so that you are well rested for the interview.

At The Interview

Go to your interview alone, do not take your children or any friends. Bring a copy of your resume to the interview and possibly a notepad in case you want to write down any follow up instruction. Get to the interview on time or 10 minutes early if possible. First thing to remember is to relax. You are prepared so make sure that you look confident, keep eye contact and remember to smile. Make positive and upbeat comments. Talk about what previous work experience you have that would relate to this position. Make sure that your phone is on silent and that you don’t check it during your interview. Never badmouth a previous boss or job, it looks unprofessional.

After the Interview

Make sure that you follow the follow up instructions. Check your email and phone for further information so that you can get back in a timely manner. Make sure to send a thank you note either written by hand or via email (handwritten is preferred most of the time). Thank them for their time and the opportunity they gave you to interview. If you had an obviously unsuccessful interview send a thank you note and ask for feedback on what you could have done better. For more tips like these or information about The Wilson Group, please visit our website or our Facebook.

Company Culture

Company culture is the atmosphere that is created by the day to day happenings, including verbal and nonverbal communications within the workspace. There are a lot of factors that inform the culture such as the specific industry your company works in, the presence your company has, or even the people that inhabit the space. Company culture has previously been overshadowed by the sheer reputation or size of the organization. While these factors may still be important, job seekers are now starting to pay attention to the ‘feel’ of a company when deciding where to commit the next 40 years of their life. Company culture is now becoming more visible due social media, and this fact can be great for companies and job seekers. Companies now have an opportunity to promote their unique culture to attract the right type of employee, while those on the job hunt have a chance to preview the culture of the company they are prospecting. So for companies and job seekers alike, make sure you exploring this important aspect of the organization.

As a company, your culture is important to work on because job seekers consider company culture an important factor when deciding where to work. Use social media outlets to give outsiders a glimpse inside your company. This may mean you have to be a little more careful and consistent with what goes into your posts, but you will reap the benefits of being a relatable organization. However, if you are still hesitant, relaying the message of your company’s culture can be as simple as describing it during your interview with a candidate. Have a conversation with them about your culture and see if they align with those values.

For job seekers, keeping company culture in mind may mean a little more work. Now that companies are investing time into establishing a company culture, you want to take extra time to show why and how you fit into the mix. Your cover letter is a great opportunity for you to explain what you could bring to the culture. Also, you can mention what you have discovered and like about the company’s culture during the interview.

The importance of company culture is definitely on the rise, and will stick around for a long time. What is your company’s culture like? Let us know! Also be sure to Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more recruiting and job searching tips!

Don’t Let Your Social Media Accounts Keep You From Getting Hired

p dir=”ltr”>Everyone knows that job hunting is constantly changing. This change has been particularly accelerated because of increased use of online tools from both job seekers and employers. One outlet that is becoming more prevalent is social media. Companies and recruiters make no secret of screening a candidate’s personal profiles during the hiring process, and they do so frequently. While some may be uncomfortable with the thought of a future employer looking at their personal sites, it is a good way to indicate whether or not the candidate’s personality will be a good fit with the company as a whole. Now that you know your personal social media accounts may be under the microscope, don’t let them keep from getting a job!

Content: Make sure what you post is professional, or at least appropriate. Choose your shares, retweets, and status updates wisely. Try talking about information related to the field or company you are interested in. Sharing directly from the company’s profile also helps!

Bio: This information is often forgotten, but equally as important as your content. Even if your content is great, a sloppy or inappropriate biography/interests section can hurt you. Think of this section as your personal resume. Have a concise description of yourself, include some traits and interests, and ‘Like’ or follow good pages. This will be the place where a company can quickly get an idea of your own personality, so make it count!

Photos: A picture says a thousand words. Maybe it’s time to take down those photos from college that you would not even want your parents to see. Don’t have inappropriate pictures lurking around your profile that could damage a future employer’s perception of you! Have a clean profile picture, and clear out any pictures you would rather have out of your employer’s reach.

We hope this helps you in your job search. What are your thoughts on social media and the hiring processes?

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Interview Questions You Are Guaranteed To Hear

Every job is different, and each company you interview with is unique. However, there are some things that you can expect every time you sit down with an interviewer. We would like to give a cheat sheet of what you can expect to hear (and how to respond).

What attracted you to this company?

Companies like to hear you brag about them! Do your research before the interview and make a list of services offered or values held by the company to bring up during the interview. This shows you interviewer that you cared enough about the company and position to take the time to get to know about them.

When can you start?

You need to be able to answer this question on the spot, not sit and think about it in front of the interviewer. If you are unemployed and available immediately, tell them so. If you are trying to change jobs, you need to be sure to have time to get your affairs in order before switching. Set yourself a good time frame to accommodate whatever your situation is.

Tell me about yourself.

We often focus so much on preparing to answer questions about the company that we forget to think about ourselves. This is such an important question because it is a chance for your interviewer to see who you are off the page. We actually have gone in depth with this question here.

Do you have any relevant previous experience?

Your interviewer already knows you do. You would not be sitting in the interview if the company did not think you were at least somewhat qualified for this position. This is an opportunity to expand on the limited space on your resume and give some examples. Think of three specific projects or accomplishments to talk about to show how your skills in this field were put into action.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Interviewers wants to make sure that you are seeking a long term commitment with the company, and not simply jumping from one job to the next. However, it is important to emphasize that you want to grow in this position and not remain stagnant. Think about specific goals you have for the position, or even a desire to move up to some type of leadership role. This will demonstrate that you want to stay within the company, but you will be actively working to do so.

We hope that these tips will guide you in your job search during your interviews! Let us know how they’ve helped you! For more updates about The Wilson Group and advice for job seekers, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.