24 Strange Questions You Might Hear During A Zappos Job Interview. Finding And Keeping A Job: How Big Data Will Change It Forever. 7 Simple Steps to a Stress-Free Career. Open Cover Letters | Anonymous cover letters from hired librarians & archivists. Cover letter. Search & Screen, or Search & SCREAM? Cover Letters and Resumes Posted in Academic Libraries, Job Hunting, Librarians, Library School, tagged academic library, career, cover letter, hiring, job, job hunting, librarians, library, MLS, resume, search committee on December 13, 2011 | 2 Comments » After being on the interviewing side of things last year, it was nice to be on the hiring side this year.
I recently reviewed cover letters and resumes for a search and screen committee at my academic library. This spring, I blogged about cover letters, resumes, and interviews. Throughout the process of reading cover letters and resumes, here is the most disconcerting thing I observed: You write well. It’s a simple as that. Cover letter & resume advice: If applying via email, do not write your cover letter in the body of the email. Case in point: if you’re applying for a children’s librarian position, your resume might list doing “story times” as one of your responsibilities. Like this: Like Loading... Tips for library job applicants in a tight market. Another semester of teaching at San Jose State’s SLIS program has ended. Many of my students are graduating and others are starting to think about applying for jobs so they’ll have one when they do graduate. For so many of them, the job search is going to be a struggle.
It wasn’t an easy job market when I was applying more than five years ago (took me 9 months of looking to get my first job), and it’s only gotten worse in the past couple of years. I was blown away last year by the sheer number of applications we had for the distance learning librarian position we were hiring for; it was significantly more than we’d received for the same position just a year earlier. In a tight market like this, having a good cover letter and resume can mean the difference between getting a phone interview and ending up in the round file.
DO’s This first one can’t be stresesed enough — tailor your cover letter to the job you’re applying for. DON’Ts. 8 Secrets to Making a Great Impression on Anyone. There’s no such thing as second chances when it comes to making a great first impression. Whether you like it or not, it only takes a few seconds for people to make an opinion—and often, it sticks.
It can be challenging to put your best foot forward all the time, so we’ve gathered up some quick tips and tricks to make sure that from now on, you’ll knock the socks off every person you meet. Research shows that people make their first impressions of you in just two seconds, so there’s really no time to lose. (Inc.)Making a killer impression needs a killer attack plan—just like the one here. (Forbes)A few tips that former presidents used to connect with anyone are surprisingly effective. (Chamber of Commerce)Making a great impression depends a lot of how trustworthy you seem, so be sure you’re not doing these things that could be holding you back. (Science)These three simple rules for getting people to like you are always helpful to keep in mind. Photo of handshake courtesy of Shutterstock. The Most Common (And Harmful) Ways People Sabotage Their Own Success.
Your Meetings Are Awful -- Here's How To Fix Them. Greg McKeown | Blog | If You Don’t Design Your Career, Someone Else Will. A client once responded to one of my questions by saying, “Oh Greg, I am too busy living to think about life!” His off-the-cuff comment named a trap all of us fall into sometimes. In just one example, it is easy to become so consumed in our careers we fail to really think about our careers. To avoid this trap, I suggest carving out a couple of hours over the holiday break to follow these simple steps for reflecting on your career. Step 1: Review the last 12 months. Review the year, month by month. Make a list of where you spent your time: include your major projects, responsibilities and accomplishments.
Step 2: Ask, “What is the news?” Step 3: Ask “What would I do in my career if I could do anything?” Step 4: Go back and spend a bit more time on Step 3. Step 5: Write down six objectives for the next 12 months. Step 6: Cross off the bottom five. Step 7: Make an action plan for this month. Step 8: Decide what you will say no to. Tips for New Students Looking for Library School Jobs [Starter Kit]
As a second-year SLIS student, I’ve talked to quite a few new students in my program who are anxious about securing library jobs. I can understand how they feel; after all, one year ago I was a freshly minted SLIS student. I had never gotten paid to work in a library. I came to library school with the sage advice of my mentor, a very recent library school grad, ringing in my ears. She had conveyed to me in no uncertain terms that I should work as much as I could while going to school to build my resume.
Because of her, I came to library school knowing I needed to jump right in—-but that didn’t make the process any easier. By now I’ve held several jobs and it has led me to realize that my real education happens when I go to work every day. I view my coursework as something to get through; if my classes are enjoyable it’s a plus. With that said, the following are a few tips I have for new students looking to work while in library school. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Like this: Like Loading... How to Turn Your LinkedIn Profile into an Infographic | Librarian Lifestyle. In Careers on February 23, 2012 at 12:01 am Looking for a cool, easy way to revitalize your resume?
According to this WSJ article, some companies aren’t even taking traditional resumes anymore. Re.vu offers a way to get you online quickly. It is a “complete rethinking of what a resume can be. You no longer have to cram your experience and expertise onto a plain white piece of paper.” Re.vu makes it easy to transfer all your experience and education right over from your LinkedIn account. And, for those companies that are still a little more traditional, you can upload your resume so that a hiring manager can print out a paper copy.
Here’s a sample of what I was able put together in under 15 minutes. Written by April Kessler and reblogged from the business research blog, Bizologie. Like this: Like Loading... 10 basic guidelines to a high impact executive resume | Alder Koten InstituteAlder Koten Institute. By Silvia Flores | Alder Koten A well designed and executed executive resume will tell a very clear explicit story but will also send very compelling implicit messages. Every resume is a one-of-a-kind marketing communication with both explicit and implicit messages. It should be appropriate to your situation and focused on the story you want to tell. Identify exactly what you want your resume to do and convey before you get started. Here are 10 basic guidelines to building a high impact executive resume. 1 ) Adjectives are empty.
Dates, titles, responsibilities and education are part of the explicit side of your story. No one wants to hear you are a quick learner, a team leader or capable of working under pressure. If I did two tours of duty in Iraq defusing road side bombs would I need to tell you that I work well under pressure? Key take away: Avoid the adjectives and provide examples that will implicitly send the message. 2 ) Format is important 3 ) Personal information 4 ) Picture it What. LibraryCareers.org | Make a living making a difference. Job Interviews: Five Things To Discuss During Your Interview. Five Things To Discuss During Your Interview By Canadajobs.com Staff A job interview can be a stressful event. You're trying to remember what to talk about, and how to make sure the interviewer knows you're perfect for the job. What should you remember to mention? Here are some tips. Your Skills: Re-read your resume so all skills are fresh in your mind.
Your Flexibility: If you're flexible, let them know. Your Attitude: Projecting a positive and professional attitude will leave a happy memory in the minds of your interviewers. Your Willingness to Learn: Since most jobs evolve over time, you want to showcase your willingness to learn new skills. Your Interviewer's Needs: If you've got the skills they're looking for, tell them. It's important to bring forth some of your best qualities at a job interview. This article is exclusive to Canadajobs.com. Read more articles: View our full list of job search articles. Effective Business Letters. The old-fashioned personal business letter- written on pristine, high-quality paper, sealed in an envelope, and delivered by post or by hand- remains the single most impressive written ambassador for your company.
A letter has a dignity that cannot be equaled by electronic mail or faxed correspondence. E-mail and faxes have a spontaneous, off-the-cuff quality akin to a phone call. A letter, by contrast, says that someone has planned, written, edited and revised, typed, and perhaps retyped a message. In other words, the sender has expended time- that most precious commodity- to communicate with the recipient. It's a shame, then, that so many businesspeople regard the writing of business letters as a chore. The Parts of a Business Letter The format of a standard business letter includes these parts: Dateline This consists of the month, day, and year. Reference Line Some letters require specific reference to file, account, invoice, order, or policy numbers. Special Notations Salutation Body. (1) Interview Tips from Prof Simmons. Nailing the Library Interview. Getting that librarian position can be a daunting process. First, you write your cover letter and resume. You wait. Maybe you wait some more?
Then comes a telephone interview, followed by the all important on-site interview. After all of this work, hopefully a job offer is the end result! This page spotlights: I created this resource after cleaning out an old file cabinet in my office where I came across interview questions from my first librarian job search in 2002. Since my first library job, I’ve served on a number of search committees and have formulated my own questions that I like to ask potential librarians as well.
Like this: Like Loading... This page has the following sub pages. Nailing the Library Interview. How to Answer Stupid Job Interview Questions. Getting Started in the Profession: New Info Pros Share Their Best Career Advice - 03-06-2014 : ME... METRO. By Ellen Mehling, Career Development Consultant, METRO Usually I am the one answering job search and career-related questions; this time I’m the one posing a question to some recent graduates in the first few years of their information professional careers.
Here are their responses to “What is the best career advice you’ve received?” Some answers are brief, others are longer, all are excellent. The best career advice I received was from Pam Rollo, my Pratt [Institute] instructor and SLA-NY Board President at the time. She said, “Your education in this profession does not end at with a graduate diploma from Library School. Technology and the field of Information are continuously evolving. . - Clara Cabrera, Research & Reference Specialist - Team Lead, WilmerHale The best career advice I received was the importance of gaining hands-on experience in a library, even if that means doing volunteer work.
I knew Dr. . - Stephanie DiChiara, Adult Services Librarian & PALS Coordinator, Sayville Library. ASAE: CareerHQ. Six Questions That Will Ease Your Mind Before an Interview. Top 7 Most Important Soft Skills. When you're seeking employment, your soft skills (people skills) can be as important as the hard skills that are required to achieve success on the job. Companies seek candidates with both types of skills when hiring for most positions. That's because if you can't get along with others, don't have a positive attitude, can't work well as part of a team, and aren't able to think creatively and critically it may not matter how talented you are. Indeed.com, the leading job site, has shared the most valuable soft skills for job seekers and employees. Here are the top 7 most important soft skills to have for both interviewing and in the workplace from Indeed's Director of Recruiting, Mike Steinerd: When you're writing resumes and cover letters, it's essential to reference the skills the employer is seeking in your job application materials.
The same is true when you're interviewing. Also be sure to present your soft skills to the hiring manager. Image Copyright Getty Images Zigy Kaluzny. Hiring Motivated And Engaged Employees. 5 Questions You Should Never Ask in a Job Interview. By Catherine Conlan, Monster Contributing Writer Hiring managers and HR pros will often close out a job interview by asking an applicant if he or she has any questions themselves.
This is a great opportunity to find out more about the job and the company's expectations, but you can't forget that the interviewer hasn't stopped judging YOU. Here are 5 questions that can make a bad impression on your interviewer, scuttling your chances for getting the job. 1. 2. 3. With the economy the way it is, employers are much more choosy and picky, Beasant says. Why Hiring High Performers can be a Bad Idea. It’s all about the people, right? If you hire right, you’ll do well (so states the conventional wisdom). The problem is hiring high performers isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Doing so can create tremendous problems for your organization and you’re the root cause of those problems. Yes. You. Hiring high performers can work out great if you do it for the right reasons and if you create the right conditions to bring them in. Why do we want to hire high performers in the first place? Usually what happens though is we bring that high performer in, they burn brightly at first, and then they either sputter or get frustrated and quit. To successfully hire high performers, you have to first understand the near-term rationale for hiring them and also think through the longer term implications of their personal growth rate relative to opportunities the organization can provide. The Rationale If during this assessment you find you don’t have to hire a high performer, then don’t.
The Fix. The 10 Skills That Will Get You Hired In 2013. 8 Things Your Resume Doesn’t Need. Jobs > Career Tips > 8 Things Your Resume Doesn't Need The expression “less is more” is good advice to follow in your everyday life. In most situations, you will find that the less you do the more successful you will be, and this is especially true when it comes time to craft your resume. You might think you are bolstering your case for the job by adding more information to your job application, but in reality you are doing yourself a disservice. Employers receive countless resumes and cover letters every day so the last thing they want to do is read something that is full of content that is irrelevant to their needs. It sounds simple enough to stick to the basics when writing your resume, but what exactly are the basics? Information that seems irrelevant to the hiring manager might seem important to you, making it difficult to edit your resume.
With this in mind, here are the eight things you should always leave off your resume: Using Twitter to advertise or find Library jobs | A librarian abroad. HOW TO: Find a Job on Twitter. Dear Aspiring Librarians (On MLIS Program Placement and Salaries) Placements & Salaries 2013: Explore All the Data. Interview Questions for Librarians - sample-interview-questions.pdf. Reminder: Interview Questions Repository. Is Working From Home Productive? 3 Rules for Creating a Beautiful Online Portfolio. Sunshine games! • Job Search and Interview Tips for the Librarianish. Commonly confused words. Dear Unemployed Job Seekers: A Thank You Would Be Nice.