5 ways to use the Internet to score your dream job

Taking advantage of online tools (with social media skills you already have from Facebook-stalking and live-tweeting award shows) can help you be five steps ahead of the pack.

Career services centers and word-of-mouth are great for learning about and pursuing job and internship openings, but taking advantage of online tools (with social media skills you already have from Facebook-stalking and live-tweeting award shows) can help you be five steps ahead of the pack.
As Amy Homkes-Hayes at the University of Michigan's Career Center put it recently: "The days of making everything online private are over, so I recommend students embrace the use of social media and the Internet in ways that positively showcase them."
Here are five tips for using the Internet to find internship and job openings — and make your resume rise to the top of the pile.
1. "Friend" your peers and co-workers on Facebook.

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Get hired! 5 no-nonsense tips for landing your first job

You’re done. You’re done with finals, you’re done with dining hall food and you did your last walk of shame. It’s summer. Whether you already strutted your stuff to “Pomp and Circumstance” or if you’ll be back again next year, you’re ready to take on the world this summer. Only one small problem: you don’t have a job.
But don’t worry, according to research conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers indicate they plan to hire about 19 percent more graduates in 2011 than they did in 2010. And even better, Her Campus spoke to Jessica Kleiman, VP of Public Relations at Hearst Magazines and co-author of Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired and Rewarded at Work, who offered to advice to recent graduates on scoring a job after graduation. Read on to find out the best tips for landing a job post-grad, whether that’s now or in a couple years.
Connections, connections, connections
“It’s important to connect with as many people as you can,” Kleiman says. “Which means everything from leveraging your alumni organization, to signing up for networking events in the industry.”
Networking and maintaining the relationships you make are vital in today’s job market. It’s important to keep in touch with anyone you meet, as you never know who may be able to help you in the future.
Her Campus contributing writer Rachel Kossman, a recent Northeastern grad, scored a job at Tech Target.
“Network, network, network,” she says. “Today’s day and age is all about who you know and who you can meet.”
She did an internship with her school’s co-op program at Tech Target and used that connection to land a job.
Of course, opportunities to network aren’t only limited to previous employment or designated “Network Nights” at your school. Be open to talking to anyone in your career path—whether it’s at your brother’s baseball game or your boyfriend’s graduation party—you never know who is able and willing to help you. Read >this article to find out how you can successfully network beyond the web.
Utilize informational interviews
One way to make these connections is by setting up and going on informational interviews. Kleiman explained informational interviews as a meeting with no real job attached to it, but rather as a way to get your foot in the door. That way you’re able to better understand the company and the job, and you make the connection for the future.
“You can ask them for advice for how to land a job at their company or at another company,” she says. “What it does is give people a chance to talk about what they do, but it also gives you an opportunity to get information.”
You can find people to contact for informational interviews by getting in touch with people you met in networking experience or asking people you already know—like friends or family—if they know anyone in your field of interest. An informational interview is a great way to make a first impression, establish your interest and keep in touch.
Keep your résumé to only one page
“You want to keep your résumé to only one page, particularly if you just graduated from college,” Kleiman says. “There’s never any reason for someone who doesn’t have any full-time work experience to have a résumé that goes over a page. You really want to edit it down to the most important information.”
However, don’t underestimate how important that one page could be! Danielle Monsiegneura, recent graduate of University of Connecticut and current summer intern at Her Campus, knows the importance of a good résumé.
“Take a good look at your résumé and really edit it to best market yourself,” she says. “Your résumé provides a strong representation not only of who you are as an employee but also as a person. A powerful résumé has the potential to create a great first impression.”
Try cutting your résumé down by editing your résumé based on the job you’re applying to and only including the necessary experience. Also keep your résumé as current as possible—you don’t need your clubs from high school when you graduated college!

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6 tips For Lending Your Dream Job After College

You’ve passed the tests, made the grade and even got a shiny new diploma to show for it. But what about that validating job?
Perhaps the biggest shock of post-grad life is the question of “what’s next?”
Upon leaving the quad and heading back to home, it wasn’t so much the fear of the unknown but the fear of explaining what the next four years would look like. Fully equipped with five internships — but no job — only fed the curiosity of the neighbors.
Here are a few tips to keep the inquisitive at bay and your fellow classmates envious of that amazing job you landed.
1. Don’t sell yourself short.
Settling for an administrative position with a law firm, PR agency or even your respective university or college is a perfectly suitable option out the gate. But the ambitious never say no to their dreams. You did four years of undergrad work for a reason, so why not reach for the stars?
When applying for jobs (or even internships), do not sell yourself short. As a living testament to reaching beyond your potential, always apply for the jobs you want, not the jobs whose requirements you fulfill.
2. Turn your age or lack of experience into a positive.
Being the youngest in your field means you are still able to learn and adapt. Sell yourself as an asset rather than a burden by highlighting your internships or college experiences. Many of your future co-workers probably never had the chance to hold an internship during their college years. Prove to your interviewer that your experiences make you unique — not inadequate.
3. Assume the role of a storyteller.
The best advice I received during my intern years was “no matter what, tell a good story.” From videos I produced to writing cover letters, I always tried to incorporate a story into my work. The same can go for your resume and how you present your past experiences.
Lay out your employment experiences as if drafting a story arch, providing a one-sentence theme as your mission statement. This allows your future employer to see right off the bat what motivates you. Whether it’s your cover letter or an in-person interview, make sure you are able to communicate what makes you unique and how this will be an asset to the office.
4. Apply, rinse and repeat.
Fresh out of college? Spending the summer applying for internships and jobs from dusk till dawn shows dedication. But it can also wreak havoc on your self-esteem and confidence.
Instead, set a goal to apply for 10 jobs a month — five of which you could call your dream job. Just like applying to college, apply to back-ups or “safety” positions. Try narrowing your search to opportunities that seem interesting and which, over time, could evolve into your dream job. Don’t let the application process become a chore. Dedicate an hour a day to conducting research, editing your resume or maintaining your social networks. Quality — not quantity — is key.
5. Network, network, network.
No matter who you are connected to, utilize these ties. Rather than being awkward or embarrassing, view it as an opportunity to build an even deeper relationship with someone who may turn to you at some point in the future for the same assistance. Cherish these opportunities to create good karma.
So, where to start?
Go to people who know you — and your talents – best. Connect with a past professor that struck a chord with you. As many professors were professionals at one point in their field, they are an incredible resource who can potentially help identify people (and potential employers!) you need to meet. As much as you hate to admit, your parents help in more ways than you think! Indeed, Mom and Dad (and their friends) are a viable options for great contacts. Be open with your parents and relatives while on the job hunt. They just might know the right person who can help open the door for you.
6. Never doubt the power of social media.
While it might appear to be an obvious resource to many current undergrads, a strong social media presence can pay off in the job hunt.
Today, more than ever before, companies are looking at an applicant’s online presence when making hiring decisions. According to a recent CareerBuilder study, two in five companies use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and other platforms to check out potential candidates. So make sure to take time transitioning your online profile toward a more professional-looking one.
Also, try tracking down those companies where you dream of working and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Following HR departments of my dream companies on Twitter allowed me to see up-to-date positions as well as interact with the company. I was able to ask questions specific to my application in a way that was comfortable without being too pushy. You would be surprised at how willing HR managers are to help you out in 140 characters or less!
And if you don’t already have one, sign up for a LinkedIn account to directly connect with any alums in your career field or use it to find job postings.
When used the right way, social media can help land the job of your dreams.

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5 outdated job-hunting tips (and what you should be doing instead)

The goal of a college education is ultimately to get a job, so naturally your parents, grandparents, professors and anyone else who has had a part in your academic career are inclined to give you job-hunting tips. Though your elders clearly have great intentions in trying to help you out, you may want to be wary of the advice they give. Because of the age gap between our generation and theirs, the tips that worked for them years ago don’t necessarily apply anymore.
Here are some the outdated pieces of advice you may hear from those a bit older than you, and what you should do instead to get ahead on those job and internship applications and land the job of your dreams.
1. Go door-to-door looking for a position
When Northwestern University senior Zara Wright was looking for summer jobs, adults gave her this tip. “Although it seemed outdated to me, I originally did take this advice because I was a job-hunting novice at the time,” she says. “It turned out that this process was not at all productive. Most businesses weren’t hiring (surprise, surprise), but asked me to fill out an application for their records anyway. I spent countless hours each day filling out applications that were never going to be seen.”
Instead of hitting the town to look for jobs, take your search online and save the time you’d otherwise spend visiting businesses without any available positions. “In today’s world, where the Internet is such a useful resource, it makes far more sense to do the research from home to see what jobs are out there and apply to positions you know are open,” Zara says. Vicki Salemi, author of Big Career in the Big City: Land a Job and Get a Life in New York City and founder of the Boot Camp for College Grads, says you can look at sites such as CareerBuilder, Monster and Indeed to find jobs. She recommends Indeed in particular because it aggregates job postings from a bunch of different sites. In a process that’s already daunting and tedious, you don’t want to waste any precious time!
2. Put everything you’ve ever done on your resume to highlight every accomplishment

Instead of listing every one of your life accomplishments on your resume, Salemi says to keep it down to one page. But with all of your academic awards, extracurricular activities and community service projects, how can you manage this?
Cut out anything that you weren’t involved with for a significant amount of time, as short stints in organizations display a lack of commitment. Highlight organizations where you held a leadership position. Also, nix anything you’ve taken part in that didn’t involve skills relevant to the job you’re seeking.
Cutting down your resume is important in helping you get to the next round of the application process. With an increasingly competitive job market and so many applications to read, recruiters are not going to sift through a 10-page document. In fact, Alice Harra, the interim director of University Career Services at Northwestern University and a former corporate recruiter, says recruiters don’t even spend much time looking at resumes, and eliminate those that are too long right away.
“As a former corporate recruiter, I looked at a resume for 10 to 20 seconds, rarely more,” Harra says. “I have checked this with every corporate recruiter and have never met one who reads a resume for more than 30 seconds. In fact, we don’t read resumes; we scan them. A long one is immediately discarded. It means you don’t know what you want to say, so you said everything. “
Harra says that ultimately, your resume isn’t supposed to be your life story. “Think of your resume as an invitation to call you, not your biography, she says. “Say just enough about the who, what, when, where and why in your experience so that the recruiter can make a match with the position they are recruiting for and be curious enough to ask you for a phone screen or interview.”
The phone call or in-person interview is when a recruiter will really get to know you, so you’ll have an opportunity to share more about your experiences during that part of the application process. If you take these considerations to heart and be selective with what you include on your resume, you’ll be sure to keep it short, sweet and easy to read (or scan!).
3. Include your address and home phone number on your resume and cover letter

This may have been appropriate for the days when snail mail was the main mode of communication and cell phones didn’t exist. In this day and age, however, calling your home phone and mailing a letter to your home address are probably not the quickest or easiest ways to reach you, especially when you’re not likely to be home much anymore!
“Include your contact information that’s easily accessible,” Salemi says. “The address certainly isn’t necessary nor relevant; if you’re looking for an out-of-state job, you don’t want to be immediately dismissed by the recruiter in case they think, ‘Oh, they’ll never move.’ They should be thinking about whether or not you’re qualified for the job, but sometimes other factors come into play that could potentially dismiss you as a candidate, so you’re better off leaving it off.”
In today’s job search process, you should typically include your cell phone number and email address on your resume and cover letter to ensure you’re as reachable as possible. Do make sure your email address sounds professional, though; “beachygirl@hotmail.com” just won’t cut it, Harra says. Also, if you have a personal website, provide a link to that on your resume as well so employers can easily see firsthand what you’ve accomplished. Harra also says to provide links to your LinkedIn and Twitter pages if your posts are relevant to your professional life.
You’re growing up and entering the real world, so you shouldn’t have Mom and Dad be fielding your calls and mail!
4. Don’t experiment with design on your resume and cover letter

Many of your elders may be apt to tell you to always keep your resume black and white. Aubrey Nagle, a Drexel University junior and the Campus Correspondent for Drexel’s chapter of Her Campus, heard that advice during a career class she took in preparation for her co-op. “Such a variety of students and majors, both traditional and creative, go to Drexel that I was shocked we were told to keep our resumes plain when looking for co-ops,” Nagle says.
Instead of immediately opting for black and white, you should tailor your resume and cover letter to the jobs for which you’re applying. If you’re looking to land a position that doesn’t entail any sort of web or graphic design, then feel free to keep a black-and-white look with standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial. Salemi says there’s nothing wrong with giving your resume a basic appearance.
But if you’re looking to snag a creative gig, Salemi says you can definitely add in some pizzazz. This will help showcase your skills in the application itself. And even if you’re looking for a different type of position, it still doesn’t hurt to spice up your application to make it pop! Nagle did just that, and she says it helped her obtain a number of positions. “In a sea of same-old, same-old, nothing stands out like a punch of color!” she says.
If you do decide to spruce up your app.ication, make sure you choose colors, fonts and spacing settings that won’t reduce readability. And if you’re submitting your documents to an online application system, save them as PDF files in order to preserve their presentation. To mock up fabulous resumes and cover letters, Adobe’s InDesign program is a fantastic resource if you have it on hand or can access it at your school.
But regardless of whether you choose to keep a traditional resume format or go for something bolder, Harra says to remember that the content you include is still more important than presentation. “What is special about you? What can you deliver to your future employer and the world? That is what should pop on your resume, not your font, color choice or layout,” she says.
5. Don’t put your personal information online

Many members of older generations consider the Internet a vast abyss of information that could potentially get you in trouble. While this certainly could happen, you shouldn’t avoid it entirely—but you should still make every effort to keep up a professional social media presence.
Maintain an updated profile on LinkedIn to make your accomplishments more visible to potential employers. Harra also suggests perusing LinkedIn groups in your field to look for job opportunities that appeal to you. “Go to where the people who are doing the job that you want to be doing are and interact with them,” she says. Social media makes this incredibly easy to do!
You can also constructively increase your online presence by creating a personal website. Your website should include a brief summary about yourself, samples of any work you’ve done in your chosen field, a downloadable resume and your contact information. You can create a site for free with WordPress or Wix. If you need help laying out your personal site, take a web design class, ask for help from a web-savvy friend, chat with your school’s career center or check out Her Campus’s tips for making one!
But even with these professional kinds of online visibility, you obviously still have a personal life that’s likely to be at least partly documented on the Internet. Your elders are right in telling you that the wrong information could get you in trouble (regardless of how private you think it is), so be wary of what you post, the photos you’re tagged in, the pages you like and the people you interact with. Polish your online profiles by nixing photos containing alcohol or where you show too much skin, and refrain from writing obscenities in your posts. You can also use a website like Socioclean to find and delete unprofessional content on your social media profiles. If you don’t want your parents to see it, then it probably shouldn’t be online.
An increasingly competitive job market has made for a different job application process that older generations may just not understand. But if you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be able to steer clear of outdated advice and make your job search as easy, efficient and successful as possible.

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