Preparation directly correlates to performance at a job interview. If you’d like the encounter to be successful and translate into an offer it is important to rehearse. While it is impossible to exactly replicate the interview scenario, simulating the experience is important and will make a difference. Nerves can really wreck an interview. Practicing ahead of time can reduce jitters and allow you to be more confident and calm. Have a friend, relative or other professional you trust do a trial cross-examination with you. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:

• Describe yourself.
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
• Why did you choose this career?
• What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
• How well do you work with people? What is your management style?
• How do you deal with conflict?
• What are some of the professional accomplishments you are most proud of?
• Describe a difficult work situation and how you overcame it.
• Why did you leave your last job?
• What would your previous supervisor say about your work performance?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why did you decide to seek a position with us?
• In what ways do you think you can contribute to our organization?
• What are your long-range career objectives?
• Where do you see yourself in the future?
• What makes you qualified for this position?
• Why should we hire you?

About a week in advance review the organization you are meeting with and be very familiar with the cover letter and resume you submitted. It is also helpful to do a little research on the latest industry news—these tidbits can turn into great talking points. The more knowledge (and practice!) you bring to the interview the more likely the outcome will be positive.

Friendster, MySpace and Facebook are all are social networking web sites. There is another site that is designed specifically for professional networking – LinkedIn. Founded in December 2002 and launched the following year in May, this business-oriented site has more than 45 million users representing 150 industries around the world. LinkedIn is about relationship building in the professional context. It centers on exchanging information, ideas and opportunities: staying informed about your contacts and industry, finding the people and knowledge you need to achieve your goals, and controlling your professional identity online.

Signing up for this service involves creating a profile page with professional experience, education and recommendations. Once the profile is set up the next step is to build and maintain a list of professional contacts; on the site this list is called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether they are registered on LinkedIn or not) to become a connection. LinkedIn allows members to not only create business contacts, but also search for jobs and find potential clients. Users can reconnect and find past and present colleagues and classmates, power their career and discover inside connections when looking for a job or new business opportunity, and get answers by submitting questions to a network full of industry experts willing to share advice.

Job seekers can research businesses and find detailed information about different organizations. LinkedIn Groups is great feature that lets users establish new business relationships by joining alumni, industry, or any other kind of professional or relevant group.

Whether you are currently seeking employment or have a secure position, LinkedIn can be incredibly beneficial. The three main things LinkedIn can help with are: answering business-related questions, making recommendations and introductions, and providing company information. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with likeminded professionals and advance your career. Most of LinkedIn services are free, so why not take advantage of this powerful networking opportunity?

Need something to spice up your school life? Bored with the current curriculum? Pursue a minor! Most higher education institutions offer undergraduates the opportunity to select a minor.  Adding a minor can be a very positive experience while you are in school and extremely beneficial after graduation. 

When opting for a minor there are a number of ways to approach the decision. You can start by cataloging your interests and passions. A second tactic is to make a list of occupations that are attractive to you. Once you’ve put together an inventory review your University’s catalog and find minors that match up with the items listed.   

Don’t forget to factor in your major when making the minor decision. Do you want to study something totally different or pursue a complimentary degree? When paring your major and minor decide what will help the most in accomplishing your educational and career goals. Both methods are viable and advantageous in their own way. Whatever major and minor pairing you choose make sure this dual degree program will excite and challenge you. The most important thing is  to make a decision you are fully committed to.   

Another method you can try is to pick a minor based on an area you are weak in and want to focus on. 

Talk to academic advisors and other students with the minor(s) you’re considering. Also reach out to professionals. Inquire about a job’s responsibilities and duties and the skill set necessary to perform the vocation—these are factors you can connect to a degree. 

Here are some of the benefits of pursing a minor degree: 

• Allows for specialization in a particular subject matter or field.
• Adds to your skill set and looks great on a resume.
• Some minors have an internship component which will lead to hands on experience.
• Provides demonstrated expertise in a secondary field.
• Adds value in a highly competitive job market. 

Remember the time, energy, and with increasing tuition costs, monetary element of the process. As long as this is something you really want go for it! Extra education is always a smart selection.

1. Request a meeting with your organization’s leader. Ask about their vision for the future and how you can be a part of this vision.

2. If you have the time and energy available ask your direct supervisor or area head if they need help with extra work.

3. If you haven’t received a performance review in over a year ask for one to determine your SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats). Revealing this information now will help your career in the future.

4. Join a professional organization.

5. Improve your communication skills.

6. Enroll in a class, pick up a book, or attend a seminar or workshop; engage in some type of training and development activity in your area of interest/career field.

7. Get a mentor. Many professionals enjoy taking on the mentorship role and will root for you to learn from them and improve. Just make sure to seek out someone who is really committed to this responsibility. It can be an individual from your own workplace or someone on the outside.

8. Edit your resume. How long has this document remained untouched on your hard drive or USB? Review your past and current experience and properly document it. If you need help addressing your current employment ask a Human Resources specialist for assistance. They are a great resource when it comes to job descriptions.

9. Dress professionally. Invest in some proper work attire. Looking the part makes a difference and can often positively affect your performance on the job. Just try it! You will see how differently you feel and act.

10. Update your attitude. Be a positive presence at work. People (including your boss) notice optimistic behavior—you will encourage others around you to be upbeat too.

11. If you are currently unemployed set up a schedule. It’s easy to fall into a rut during periods of joblessness. For example, in the mornings make follow up phone calls on any job leads and start assessing job posts; in the afternoon send out X amount of resumes and cover letters; in the evenings continue looking through job listings.  Stick to the schedule and you may not be jobless for long.

Happy New Year!

Professional organizations exist for almost every area of interest and industry; there are regional, state and national groups. To find listings of professional organizations visit the library reference section—they should carry local and national directories. Also check out, “National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States 2008,” by Valerie S. Sheridan, Megan E. Cimini, Christy Talbot and Asher Huey, published in January 2008 and available in paperback.

Becoming a member of a trade or professional association can be extremely beneficial. First, there’s the networking aspect. Joining a professional organization is a great means to develop new business relationships.  Becoming a member of a professional association also establishes one as a constituent of a professional community—a place where colleagues in the same career field can assemble, share information, and discuss the challenges of the workplace; the group can actually function as a sort of support system.

Acquiring the latest industry knowledge and news is a major benefit of being part of a professional organization. In this environment one can learn about the latest trends and stay current in a chosen career. Intellectual currency is very valuable. Many professional organizations offer training and development programs as part of the membership package. Members can enroll in courses or workshops. Professional organizations also offer exclusive resources: invitation to seminars and conferences, mentorship opportunities, newsletters, special discounts, professional services, business leads, etc. etc.

A professional organization can also be utilized as a forum to promote your own business and see what the competition is up to.

Whether you have a job or are currently unemployed a professional association can offer career assistance. This is often the primary advantage of linking up with a professional organization. Vocational groups usually feature special job listings, accessible only to members, and occasionally offer a variety of services to help associates advance in their occupation. Membership in a professional organization is always an excellent addition to a resume—it shows a serious commitment to a career.

Choose a professional association wisely. Look into every aspect of the organization carefully and find one that best fits your needs. Although there is often a fee to join, if you are a current student, recent graduate, or jobless, you can often negotiate a discount.

Remember, it isn’t enough to simply tout a membership card. To take true advantage of this association become an active affiliate, participating on as many levels as possible.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is currently taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark.  One of the key issues being addressed at this forum is green jobs.  World leaders are in agreement that creating more eco-friendly employment benefits not just the individual, or a single nation, but the entire planet.

Simply stated a green job is any occupation that benefits the environment. The United Nations Environment Program provides a more detailed definition, “work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development, administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.”

The industries and duties and skill set required for these types of jobs cover many areas. Eco-employment is found in the public and private sector; government, corporations and non-profits. Green jobs cover many categories: alternative energy, clean technology, sustainability, climate change, conservation, recycling, advocacy, law and policy, environmental science, health and safety, engineering, architecture, mass transit, organic farming, holistic alternative medicine, education, business – the opportunities are endless.

Getting started in the environmental field can be accomplished a number of ways.  Begin with a self-assessment. See how your particular experience and expertise matches with the green collar jobs you are most attracted to. After you have determined which jobs you are most interested in conduct some research! There’s plenty of information on the Internet.  Some good resources to check out would be career guides, job search sites and environmental organizations. Here are some good web sites to explore:

http://www.environmentalcareer.com/

http://www.greenjobs.com/public/index.aspx

Some employment opportunities may require further investment, i.e. some training, certification or education may be required.

Occupations in the environmental sector are growing. This is one industry that is surviving in a down economy, and to some degree fueled by it.

Going green can have many positive upshots.  For your wallet, and the world!

Condensing your career objective, education, work experience, professional affiliations, special skills etc.  into a one-page resume can seem daunting. Here are some guidelines to producing a winning single-page curriculum vitae.

• Contact information comes first and should be right at the top. Include your name, a permanent address, phone number and e-mail.
• Objective – Optional. If included this one line sentence should be altered for each application. It must be tailored to fit the specific job you are seeking.
• Education – List  degrees in chronological order with the most recently earned degree first. You can also list any relevant coursework.
• Experience – List only the appropriate professional experiences (this can include volunteer opportunities or internships) relevant to the job you are pursing.
• Additional Information: This category includes technical skills and professional affiliations. This is the section of the resume you can use to highlight any special accomplishments or talents.

Additional Tips:

Play with the design but keep it neat and professional. The architecture of the document is very important too. You don’t want too much heavy text and no white space. Utilize bold, underline and bullet point functions but don’t overdo it.

Use a 10, 11 or 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

Be specific not broad. Use rich descriptions.

Back up your qualities and strengths by connecting them with real life examples.

Don’t lie about anything. Your resume should be accurate. Background checks are consistently employed.

Use action words – Achieved, adapted, administered, built, conceived, coordinated, directed, effected, expanded, facilitated, generated, handled, implemented, improved, managed, motivated, launched, led, optimized, orchestrated, presented, programmed, revamped, revitalized, spearheaded, supervised and trained.

Make sure your resume matches the employer’s requirements.

Proofread – Make sure there are no spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. Show it to more then one person.

Have a references list and salary history ready.

I was recently offered, and accepted, a new position at the higher education institution I work for. This is a significant promotion in my field and one that came about only after expending a lot of energy. Twenty-one submissions and six interviews later I’ve finally landed my dream job.

With an overcrowded job market it is crucial to know how to stand out, and more importantly, properly promote your services to employers. Here are some tactics I’ve utilized in my own job search.

Do Your Homework – Put considerable time and energy into your resume and cover letter. It’s easy to follow sample templates and formats but do you really want to submit an application that resembles all the others? When I went in for my initial interview I was told that a two-week notice had culled thousands of applications. And this job was an internal posting! It is imperative that you craft a resume and cover letter that not only reflects you personally and professionally, but will attract attention and demand notice.  Something I’ve consistently done when seeking employment is ask a career counselor or business professional to review my materials. These experts can offer great insight and edits. Your resume, cover letter and any other associated documents, are the first point of contact with an employer; you want the application to eloquently express exactly what type of employee you are.

Research – This is an important step people often skip. Research your future employer as thoroughly as possible. That’s what the Internet was invented for! Perform a Google search. I checked out the employer’s Web site and read my potential supervisor’s blog. Check out the latest news and information on your chosen field too. If you can come prepared with talking points it will reflect well on your potential as a potential addition to the organization.

Social Network Sites – Recent studies have shown the employers are checking to see if their applicants have Facebook and MySpace pages. Review your privacy settings or make sure your profile is conservative and not potentially damaging to your image.

Confidence – Employers need you. You don’t need them. Approaching the job search with this mentality is essential. If you are lucky enough to land an interview remember to come in with confidence. Dress sharp. Make eye contact. Be articulate. Accentuate the positive. Be prepared for “What if” scenario questions.

Do not go in like you desperately need this job. Remember – you responded to an advertisement, you did not post one. Employers need employees. Promote your experience and expertise trustingly and demonstrate exactly why you are the perfect person for the position.

Thank You – I always sent hand-written thank you notes within 24-hours of an interview. This small gesture demonstrates two important things.  It acknowledges that the employer has given up their own time and energy to grant you an opportunity to discuss the job opening and displays follow-through – a desired trait in the workforce.

Good Luck!

For numerous reasons people can’t make the commitment to a four-year college. But that does not mean post-secondary school like learning opportunities do not exist. There are lots of alternative education avenues.

Adult Education – courses can cover a variety of fields with distance learning opportunities readily available. The programs of study described below are some specific types of adult education.

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/index.html

Community College – affordably priced with a wide range of program offerings. If one should decide they would like to pursue a more advanced degree the classes taken can often be used for credit. Some junior colleges have honors or placement programs that assist with advancement to a university. A recent USA Today article noted that U.S. community colleges are even working on enhancing study-abroad programs.

http://www.community-college.org/

Vocational/Technical Schools – these institutions offer highly specialized training in real world settings. Vocational and Technical School benefits include career-specific training, schedule flexibility, fast track instruction and the chance to learn skills necessary to meet the requirements for an increasingly competitive work environment. Often placement assistance is offered upon successful completion of a program.

http://www.technical-vocational-schools.com/

Seminars/Lectures:  A quick discussion can still offer a lot of quality information. This option is a low cost, low commitment chance to gain insight into a multitude of areas. A few hours or even a few days can still provide a great amount of useful information.

https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/default.aspx

In addition to the opportunities above there are hands-on education exploration options.

Internship – Often the role is unpaid but what is gained is incredible: practical experience, networking opportunities, resume credentials and future employment potential with the organization hosting the internship.

http://www.internshipprograms.com/

Independent Learning: pick up trade publications that cover the industries you’re interested in, look into professional organizations, seek out a job shadow prospect and read blogs and discussion forums that focus on your area of interest.

These are just a few suggestions. There are so many possibilities. The first step is finding the passion to pursue them.

Always wanted to attend a top tier higher education institution but didn’t have the stellar aptitude test scores, perfect grades, pedigree or kudos filled references to get accepted? Steep tuition also an issue? These problems no longer have to plague the student in search of a prestigious University experience.

A new trend among the education elite is open courses. MIT, Berkeley, Stanford and Yale offer such types of programs. The curriculum varies and obviously the price, and more importantly benefit, can’t be beat.

Massachusetts Institute for Technology: MIT OpenCoureWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content.  OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity. It features free lecture notes, exams and videos from MIT with no registration required.

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

Two distinguished California colleges, and noted cross town rivals, offer open courses series.

Stanford University has both an iTunes and YouTube collection that offers access to dozens of lectures. Stanford on iTunes U covers the following diverse categories: science and technology, arts and humanities, business, education, health and medicine, communications and media, law and politics and international relations. Disciplines discussed in the YouTube lecture series range from physics to geography, liberal arts and politics.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=stanforduniversity&view=playlists

UC Berkeley: This collection of courses is culled from the undergraduate classroom and can be accessed numerous ways. On iTunes U and YouTube like the neighboring college described above and via a webcast. The study selection available is tremendous.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ucberkeley#grid/playlists

http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php

Yale University: Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University. Open Yale Courses reflect the values of a liberal arts education. The following department offerings are available: astronomy, biomedical engineering, classics, economics, English, history, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology and religious studies.

http://oyc.yale.edu/