Meetup(Networking Events)

Frank AlanizMissouri Workforce Regional Liaison

Jael LippertBusiness Representative

Sponsored By

Top Five Meetup Tips

• #1 – Resume– Industry Based– Keep it Short– Grammar and Spelling– Email Address

• 76% of resumes are rejected for unprofessional email

• #2 – Research– Understand your Industry– If possible research the company

• 47% have little or no knowledge of the company

– Make eye contact• 67% fail to make eye contact

– Smile• 38% fail to smile

– Handshake

Top Five Meetup Tips

• #4 – Ask Questions– Why to you like to work for company xyz?– Where do I need to start to apply for a position?– Once I apply may I reconnect with you to insure

I’m on target?– Would it be possible to setup an Informational

Interview?– May I send you my resume electronically?

Top Five Meetup Tips

• #5 – Follow Up– Ask for business card | contact info– Always follow up with recruiter | company rep.– Email is your cover letter– Attach PDF version of Resume– Ask about next steps– Plan next follow up 3-4 weeks after initial contact

unless otherwise noted

Top Five Meetup Tips

Questions Not to Ask

1. Are you Hiring?2. What type of jobs do you have?3. Can I work part time or from home?4. How much do you pay?5. How quickly will I be promoted?6. Name Dropping - I know “XXXXX” at your

company they said they could help me get a job there…

Be Prepared to Answer Questions

• Why are you interested in working for xyz?• Are you willing to travel/relocate?• What’s your availability?• What can you offer us that someone else

can’t?• Discuss your resume• What questions do you have for me?

Understanding Employers

• Average cost of employer’s time is $500.00 per hour to participate

• Be considerate of their time and others• First impressions are lasting impressions• Key to your success is research (if possible)• Follow up

Resumes

Types

• Functional vs. Chronological– No difference while your still in school

• Consider a Hybrid– Combination of Functional (skill based) and

Chronological (employer based)

• Informational Resume

What to Bring

• Business Cards (simple)

• Portfolio

• Folder with Resumes

• Folder with Research (tabbed)

What Not to Bring

• Friends

• Dress appropriate

• Watch what you eat/drink– #1 Reason complaint – Bad Breath

• Gum

Listen

• Listen to what questions are being ask of the recruiter by other candidates– Try not to ask the same question others have asked– If you did not hear the answer then indicate so and

rephrase the question

• Listen to what the recruiters are asking the other candidates; these same questions may be asked of you

Meeting the Recruiter

• The amount of time you will have with the recruiter can vary from mere seconds to minutes.

• Take notes if possible and offer your business card or resume.– When finished networking with the recruiter take

a minute or two before moving to the next recruiter to recap your conversation

Meeting the Recruiter

• Don’t be offended if the recruiter tells you that they don’t need your resume and to apply on line for positions

• If you have time ask if there are any suggested tips for completing their ATS process

Before you Leave

• Ask, "What is the next step?"• Request the recruiter's business card for

future correspondence• In closing, shake hands and thank them for

their time• Move away and finalize your notes

Pet Peeves

• Too much cologne or perfume• Weak or sloppy handshake• Walking from booth to booth picking up swag

– Even worse walking up to a recruiter with a bag full of stuff and then fumbling for resume/business card stuck in the bag of nickel toys and pens from all other vendors

Jobs and Meetups

• Remember these events are not all about YOU and JOBS! This is about networking with companies that you would like to work for!

• Start building the “right” network now

Online Application Process

Unbeknownst to many job seekers, a whopping 85% of resumes are never seen by human eyes

Top 5 reasons your resume didn’t parse the application process

Reason #1 – Not Using the Right Keywords

• Keywords are the words typed in by the employer into the ATS to find appropriate resumes

• At least 85% of resumes are discarded for using the wrong words

How to find the appropriate keywords for your resume:

• What words (keywords) are most commonly used in the titles of the jobs you want?– Example:

• Administrative Assistant / St Louis (795)• Admin Assistant / St Louis (5)• Admin Assist / St Louis (3)

What does this mean? • This means that, the term “Administrative

Assistant” in the title of your resume would mean your resume would appear in the search results most of the time.

Exceptions• Employer Specific Titles

• Administrative Associate• Staff Assistant• Secretary (Federal/State)

What does this mean? • If you have found employers who have their own

versions of a job title, put those terms on the resumes submitted to them or used in a job board they use, rather than the more common industry-standard terms.

Different Level – Different Title• Sometime job titles change with a change in

job level.– Example:

• Senior Administrative Assistant / St Louis (10)• Executive Assistant / St Louis (210).

What does this mean? • Double-check to be sure you are using the

appropriate terms for your target employers and jobs.

Wordle.netKeywords | Skill Words

Wordle Test• Favorite Job Portal

– Select 5 jobs from different companies– Highlight and copy the entire job posting

• Ctrl “A” then Ctrl “C”– Paste the entire posting into Wordle

• Ctrl “V”

• Print each posting – Change “create” to your design

• Paste your entire resume into Wordle• Compare all 6 documents for Keywords

Skill Word Picture

Resume

JobScan

Results

Skills Comparison

Reason #2 Not Following Directions

• The first step is to make sure that you understand and follow to the letter the employer’s resume and application submission instructions.

• Two Rules when completing an online application– #1 Read and follow all directions– #2 If you have a problem refer to rule #1

Reason #3 Using the Wrong Resume Format

• More than 40% of the resumes are rejected for using the wrong format

Resume Versions• Presentation Resume

– Resume that you email to employers– Take to Job Fairs

• ATS Resume– Formatting is very specific– Resume submitted with online application

• Interview Resume– Comprehensive– T-Based

ATS Resume |Cover Letter

• Should be in a Word format. – doc vs. docx is optimal– PDF is acceptable with reservations

• The only fonts that you should use in your resume are the “universal fonts”. These are the ones that open the same on PCs and Macs of all ages. These are: Times Roman, Arial, Century, MS Sans Serif, Book Antiqua, Century Gothic, or Calibri

ATS Resume

• Avoid placing your contact information in the header of the resume

• Resume Formatting– Do not have lines that run across the width of

the page– Do not format using tables– Do not use borders around your resume– A one-inch margin top and bottom is best– Don’t use special characters (email)

ATS Resume

• Do list the name of the position you are applying for in the Summary of your resume

• Don’t list your experience in bullet point format. Consider creating a bulleted paragraph

• Don’t add unfamiliar headings like Affiliations, Publications, Memberships, Volunteer Work as it may choke the ATS

• Don’t list your credentials (MBA, CPA, etc.) next to your name. (Separate line)

• Don’t mix different fonts

Your Résumé

Last NoteThe term “ résumé ” itself is not ATS

friendly. The ATS does not recognize the accented letters and instead reads it as

“ r?sum? ”

It’s About How up to Date You Appear!

• 95% of Fortune 1000 companies use Social Media– Facebook– Twitter– LinkedIn

• 85% HR Managers/Recruiters (avg.) will check you/company social media presence

Talent Factors - 2014

• Temporary Hiring is at a 7 year high at 42%• 51% of 2014 college grads current jobs don’t

require a degree• Nearly 3 in 5 employers don’t have a talent

pipeline• Smile - Video and Social are all around you • Big Data - HR professionals are using

workforce data to drive recruitment decisions

Elevator Speech• Jobseekers should have a concise summary of

their core skills and accomplishments that they can deliver to anyone who will listen in a small window of time

• However, it is often used incorrectly.• When not done right, this little speech can kill

your chances for further discussion, let alone finding a job lead.

Tips• Do not lead with your pitch• Build rapport and create a relationship before

pitching yourself• Customize your pitch• Do not pitch yourself randomly, anywhere,

anytime, to anyone• Make it a two way conversation• Gauge the response,

– pause, ask a question, listen, and learn more

The Perfect Elevator Speech• Crafting an elevator pitch is a good exercise

because it forces a job seeker to concisely state his or her brand and value. Make sure you can clearly articulate who you are and what you can do. When it’s time to share that information, share it as part of relationship building and problem solving.

Format It• A good pitch should answer three questions:

– Who you are• Hello my name is Frank Alaniz

– What you do• I’m a Social Media Developer

– What you are looking for• I’m looking for a HR Generalist position specializing in

social media

Tailor Your Speech• Tailor the pitch to them, not you

– It’s important to remember that the people listening to your speech will have their antennas tuned to WIFM (What’s in It for Me?)

• So be sure to focus your message on their needs.

Example

• I’m a human resources professional with over 10 years experience with governmental agencies

OR• I’m a human resources professional with a

strong track record of helping to identify and recruit top level candidates

Eliminate Industry Jargon

• You need to make your pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid using acronyms and tech-speak that the average person or job interviewer might not understand.

• The last thing you want to do is make your listener feel stupid or uninformed.

Tips• Read your pitch aloud

– If you’re not careful, your elevator pitch can come off sounding more like an infomercial than a conversation.

– Reading it aloud then tinkering with the words will help you sound more authentic.

• Practice, Practice, Practice– Then solicit feedback– Keep tweaking your pitch until it no longer sounds

rehearsed

Tips

• Prepare a few variations– Specific to industry– Generalize for informal audience (job fairs)– Master key talking points

• Nail it!– When you give the speech, look the person in the

eye, smile and deliver your message with a confident, upbeat delivery

Top Ten Job Search Mistakes

1. Networking incorrectly2. Using only job boards to find opportunities3. Sending unsolicited resumes4. Looking for any job5. Not preparing for the interview6. Doing it alone7. Not paying attention to your online presence

Top Ten Job Search Mistakes

8. Bad References9. Not asking for the job10.Not understanding your skills

The Job is Yours to Lose!

Using Google to Find Jobs

Targeted Job Search StringSite:jobs.monsanto.com intitle: administrative

assistant AND st louisThis string works with most companies (not all) and you

must find the “RIGHT” job title!

Questions