Job Fairs 2

I know I know. A few days -coughalmostweekcough- late. Anyway... part 2 of the job fair

It was kind of what I expected. There were a bunch of job recruiters, college recruiters and civic organizations there that were trying to get to potential people. The set up was very basic, some tables in the middle of the room and some around the sides. Each group was separated from each other in a way. Or at least grouped together.

All the colors represent the tables... They are rainbow because I want them to be rainbow.

I didn't do everything exactly as I said I would. I started off with circling the room and finding the employers I really wanted to talk to. And then continued walking around, stopping at stations here and there. I wrote down stuff after speaking with people. Every once in a while, would step out of the room and regroup all the stuff I was getting.

And of course, afterwards, I e-mailed everyone I spoke with and thank them for their time.

Of course, there are some things I wish I had changed. Like go to the companies I wasn't as likely to want to work for and talk to them first. That way I would make all my mistakes and they wouldn't really affect me.

Like with the first company I spoke to, one I really wanted to at least get an interview, I completely forgot to get a business card from the woman I spoke to. And unfortunately, I don't have enough information to get her e-mail address. Major bummer because we both went to the same university, which alone can get you a step in with some places.

Of course, it's always good to get more research in. You really can't know enough about a company you want to work for before hand.

There really isn't much else to say. I did kind of explain my method to a woman though. Her daughter just graduated and is looking for a job. But her major was some art thing. It was interesting to say the least and made me wish I wasn't artistically challenged. Then I could have gone to her kind of awesome school and gotten an awesome internship like she did. -sigh-

Job Fairs

So I'm going to a job fair and I bring...

I have a couple of job fairs lined up for the summer. The first one is this Tuesday and that means I have to prepare for it.

I'm sure you're thinking "What? What do you do to prepare?" And that is many things... Well, not really many things so much as a few, very detailed things.

For one, you research all the companies that will be at the fair. And depending on how big the fair is, this can take anywhere from a half hour to 4 hours or more. If you have a target of exactly who you want to see at a fair [which I would recommend], then you want to research all those companies thoroughly and if possible, find out which representative is going to be at the fair. You want to know the company almost as well as the representative. If there is one thing I've learned from the interviews I've been on, it is that you NEED to know the company. It is a pretty consistent question and I remember it being asked during my internship interview as well.

One thing I'm doing to get through this is making a word document template. I have a list of all the companies who are currently going to be in attendance [courtesy of the job fair's website] and now I'm going to make a write up on each of those companies. The template includes basic information about the company [name, location, phone numbers, what do they do, what are they looking for, mission statement]. I probably won't be printing a copy of this because if I don't know the information, then... I don't know it. I will probably make some note cards to take with me on basic information of the company.

In another word document, I'm making a template for when I actually go to the fair. The information I'm putting on this is the name of the company, address, phone number[s], about the company [from the representative's perspective], any other notes from the fair, the representative/fair contact, fair contact's contact information, fair contact's title within the company.

Another thing you have to do is plan your outfit. You need to be dressed professionally and look like a pro. I've actually found it amusing when the people I recently interviewed with told me to make sure I dressed professionally. I thought that was kind of common sense but then again, maybe I'm crazy.

This means picking out what you are wearing before hand. You are making a first impression at this job fair, whether you like it or not. You can either be remembered as the professional or the slob. This means not only your clothes but your shoes, any accessories as well as your hair and makeup. Everything matters. There are lots of sites on the web that can tell you what would be appropriate , but I think this one should work well enough for you. Also, if you are attending a college/university or have attended one, your school's website probably has a list under the career services section [nearly all school offer this kind of service].

Other little tips I'm going to follow:

- If they have it, get a business card. It makes remember a person you met at the fair better. And now you have more direct contact information. I'd also recommend having a special place for these cards so as to not lose them.
- Possibly have my own business cards. While I wouldn't put my business title [Barista doesn't sound too professional for the field I want], I could put my contact information on it.
- After I met with a prospective employer, I'll be taking my time after to write down everything I can remember about that person on my fair template I mentioned earlier. I have a terrible memory, so hopefully this will help. During this, I will make a note of something specific we talked about.
- I'll narrow down the companies I want to visit from those I really want to talk with to those I should.

And of course, after the fair, I'll be sure to contact the person I met at the fair and thank him/her for the time taken to speak with me. Remember, being at these fairs can be just as tedious as for them as it can be for you. It is also a little reminder to the representative that you met him or her. These people meet tons of people at a career fair. This is where I put down the thing that I noted earlier that was specific. It will help this person put a face to a name.

Hope this is helpful and I'll post again after the fair with a recap of what I did right, what I did wrong, and what to do for the next fair [should I need to go to one].

Interview 2 - part 2

I didn't get the second interview. And you want to know what, I'm happy about that. And I'll explain why.

The survey I took basically wanted my life's history. They wanted employment records for at least 10 years... This included any kind of schooling I had and there could be no break in the records. I had to go back to elementary school to have a whole 10 years. Kind of crazy.

The survey was mostly questions of how I think of myself. Basically, it was about ambition and if I was suited for the company. This is where I did not succeed and why I didn't proceed to the second interview. I found this out the day after I filled out this survey. And I knew that I probably wouldn't get past this point. I'm not quite so self-determined for their particular business I think. And sales [which is the position I would have been in] is a cut-throat kind of world.

Also, I had to fill out this resume program online [which I started before I found out about the survey]... And it asked a lot of legal questions [basically, have I been involved in certain kinds of illegal activities, directly or indirectly]. And I get that but I honestly found my self re-reading questions, trying to understand them. They also wanted to know my financial history. It was intense.

This whole process definitely made me re-think getting a serious sales position. I kind of figured it may not be for me but decided to give it a shot because... Well, that is mostly what is out there for a marketing degree. So the search continues.

Interview 2 - Wait, I thought I was done homework?

So I went to interview 2 today... And getting there was completely insane. I had to drive around the city, which I've never done before in this city. Of course, I didn't actually go through-through the city but it was still complicated. And I'm directionally challenged.

So once I actually got onto the road the interview was at, I got a little lost. Completely missed the turn for the building and didn't realize it. Of course, I got to see some interesting and noteworthy places and I didn't panic, which was nice. I was very much tempted to stop at a Starbucks thought [which was incredibly close] but resisted.

When I got up to the offices... Well, there were a few things I would tell the company. First, your receptionist's shouldn't be away from his or her desk longer than 5 minutes without checking in. I was standing for a few moments at the front desk before someone passing me asked if I was being helped [which happened with several other employees after this].  In the 10 minutes I was sitting in the front desk area, I did not see one person get behind the desk until just before my interviewer came out of his/her office. And then that person just looked around and left again. Ridiculous. Also, I was not the only person to have come into the office wondering what to do.

The interview itself... Was a whirlwind of information. Though my interviewer did say he would be doing most of the talking. The interviewer was a very intense person. There was no light chatter and this person was the no muss, no fuss kind. And I could understand this because the position this person holds is as an executive. It was definitely hard to hold eye contact with the interviewer but that's because I don't really make it all that often. I'm always afraid I'm going to be that creepy person that is talked about later.

Either way, it was a lot of listening and taking in information. And the most interesting part... I got homework. I have to fill out a survey [probably a personality test of sorts] to determine if I'm a good fit for the company. This is suppose to be done within 24 hours of the interview. Then I have other pieces of homework where I have to talk about 3 people I know [it's more elaborate than that] and another which I can't remember. The other parts are essentially "due" when/if I go for the second interview.

Questions I got during this interview:

What is important to you about a company? [traits wise]
What do you know about this company?
What would make you a good sales person? [maybe not phrased quite that way]
Do you have any questions? [this was asked after every bout of talking from the interviewer]

While I won't tell you the details of the survey, I'll tell you if I'll get the second interview. Because I think that survey is the determining factor on that part.

Interview 1

I guess I haven't mentioned how nervous I get before interviews. I don't care if it is for an position like a CEO or a job flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant. I get nervous.

What doesn't help is waiting in a waiting room for close to 20 minutes. And I get that sometimes places get backed up. From the sounds of it, they are looking for a person for the position I applied for quickly. They were doing a ton of interviews today [I estimated about 28 people would be interviewed today] and the whole process is 3 parts. For the first part of the interview, it is a pre-screening interview. The interviewer talks to you for a few minutes and asks you a few questions. Here are a few questions I got today:

What can you tell me about you? How would you describe yourself?
What do you know about our company?
What do you think are good qualities in a leader?
Would you be able to take on a leadership role?
Do you have any questions for me about the company?


While I don't know if I'll get the second interview [I'll find out by the end of today], he did explain what would happen should I get it. Basically, I would be me spending a day with a professional trainer within the company. So I would be there from 9-5 and then came the second part that they were looking to hire quickly: the second part of the interview would take place tomorrow or Thursday.

Craziness. I don't know how I feel about that. I don't think it is bad but it is very fast and makes me worry about how fast my training for the position would go. It's a very fast paced world and that can be all sorts of intimidating. But I guess I'll handle that if I get the second interview.

I have another interview tomorrow [the interviewer just called me as a reminder]. Not sure how I feel about this job but I don't want to make any snap judgments. I guess you'll see how that goes tomorrow.

Edit: I'm thinking I didn't get the second interview. It's 6:12 PM, the place is open 9-5 and I can't imagine they would spend that much time going through the candidates.

The hardest part about graduating

So everyone seems to be telling me the same thing. The hardest part about graduating college is moving back home.

Gonna be honest, I really don't think so. Well, at least not for me. Honestly, my parents are pretty... Well, relax to say the least. Of course, my mom will bug me about the job search [I've got 2 interviews this week which I post about afterwards] and my dad will constantly be asking if I'm taking the car [which I have my own car now] but nothing crazy. Of course, I also have a part-time job to keep the money issues at bay. And eventually it is expected that I get a place of my own.

Maybe it is because I've only been back a few days but my parents really aren't acting any differently from their usual selves... Which I've known for the past 22 years of my life.

Is there something I'm missing here?

Pomp and Circumstance

For those of you who don't know, that is the song they play when you walk out onto the field. There's a youtube video at the end if you really don't know what I'm talking about.

Graduation is actually kind of funny. It's not really to recognize the hard work students have done over the past 4 years. It's really for the families and the faculty.

For the family, it's a time for pictures and an indication that their loved one has finished another aspect of his/her life. It's also another reason to get everyone together. If gives them a reason to cheer and shout. Same thing applies to friends who go to graduation and are not graduating. Of course, they also like an excuse to party and drink a lot.

For the faculty, it's a way of showing off his or her achievements. They do this by having 18 million cords or sashes/stoles. They also have speeches that last way too long and usually not interesting. Particularly if you are the president of the school [who is next to never seen anyway] or being honored for some sort of achievement you've acquired [which should really be it's own ceremony].

The only part that I would say is really for the graduates is the commencement speaker. This is someone who wasn't a faculty or professor at the school you are graduating from. Ours happened to be an alumni and he was actually pretty interesting. He did his bachelor's degree here and is now a professor at a prestigious school. When he was younger, he lost his legs in a accident. Now he has prosthetic legs that he designed himself.  He told us this amusing story of how when he first started here, he would his adjust his legs so he would be a inch taller each day, just to see who would notice. And while some parts of his speech seemed canned, they rest actually felt original. It was kind of refreshing compared to high school.

Again, outside of that... The ceremony isn't for the students. Who would want to sit out on a field, posing in 8 different ways for some pictures you won't buy and sitting in the blazing sun for 2.5 hours just to get a thing that holds your diploma [because the actual diploma doesn't come for another month]. Oh and spending $50 on a cap, gown, tassel and hood? Yeah, no one really wants that. Unless you're crazy... Or a family member... Or a friend... Or a faculty member.

Congratulation graduates!

Internet marketing

The cool thing about my hopeful career path is that with the internet evolving as a new form of getting the information to the people, it is becoming a highly relevant to the marketing field. Basically, I get to play with a bunch of fun sites.

Right now I'm learning about HootSuite. It's basically a way of keeping track of all your social media sites. And you can make a universal post that will go to all your sites without having to go to each one. Essentially, it's pretty awesome for an up-and-coming business.

It doesn't seem particularly hard to use. Maybe a little complicated for the computer illiterate but I think even they could catch on quick. So if you want to use social media from a small scale business perspective, this would be a good tool.

Of course, I wouldn't recommend this for personal accounts. Unless you are marketing yourself out of course, such as an artist and the information you will mostly post is something to inform your fans. Otherwise hootsuite seems very impersonal and why would you want that for your facebook or twitter? Of course, for the purpose of looking through hootsuite, I used my personal accounts.

Also, this is just for the free hootsuite, not the premium one. Here is what you get with free hootsuite:

•  Account Ownership for up to 5 social network profiles
• Ability to schedule tweets and status updates
• Ability to auto-update from 2 RSS or Atom feeds
• 30 days of link click-through statistics reporting
• Ow.ly link click-through analytics (including 30 day historical data)

 And here is what you get with hootsuite pro [in addition to any free plan options]

• Own unlimited social network profiles
• Auto-update from unlimited RSS/Atom feeds
• Unlimited historical archive of link click-through statistics
• Unlimited access to social insights tools
• 1 team collaborator
• Access data from Google Analytics
• Access data from Facebook Insights
• View and filter algorithmically determined Influence Scores
• Use custom URL parameters
• Disable ads
• Bulk Message Scheduling
• Create Custom Analytics Reports

Optional upgrades include:

• Ability to add additional team members
• Enhanced customer support with a Service Level Agreement
• Ow.ly vanity URL

The pro plan is only $5.99 a month without the extra upgrades.  There is also hootsuite enterprise but then we move far away from what a small business can afford

Pros:
- can post to a variety of different social media with one site
- shows newsfeed as well as any particulars [like @ mentions on twitter]
- good for major social media sites
- perfect for small business looking into using social media

Cons
- limited in social media sites [facebook, facebook page, twitter, linkedin, myspace, pingfm, wordpress, foursquare and mixi (which I don't know what that one is)]
- unless you know anything a thing or two about RSS feed, that feature is completely useless
- does not automatically update when a new post is made [though it does inform you when new post are made, you just can't see them]

Tumblr

I caved and made a tumblr. It's kind of the only way I can talk to my one friend. I don't know what exactly I'm going to do with it...

So if anyone has any ideas, feel free to share.

I'm thinking maybe that 365 day photo thing. Post a photo every day for the next 365 days... But that means I have to keep up with it I guess.

That's my issue. I usually can't keep up with things like that. I mean... I have to post a picture every day... And I forget things lots of the time...

Oh and for those curious enough, this is the link to my tumblr: http://awesomedae.tumblr.com/