Job Searching in a Web

Based World

Training Sponsored by the Adult Student Center (ASC)

Adult Student Center (ASC)Services

The ASC is a JCTC support service designed specifically to meet the needs of adult learners, offering assistance in the areas most relevant to them.

Services include:Basic computer skills training Information on programsInterpretation of policies Customized career coaching Student advocacy Prior learning credit explorationReferrals to resources Programs of interest

The CREW Career Center

This workshop will focus on five specific areas

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Basics

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Basics

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

At the conclusion of each section, you will receive information about the following…

To-do list items to complete

Resources that can help you

Help completing

your to-do listThis information is also available in your packet at the

end of the presentation

Technology is everywhere and branding yourself online is very important!

• Technology has made it easier than ever to network with contacts, including employers and other professionals in your desired career field.

• As an adult learner, learning or growing your knowledge of these social media terms and resources will allow you to better market your valued experiences and qualifications now and after your graduate from JCTC.

• Start today to take control over how you are perceived online because hiring managers will likely be searching for you.

The Internet Has Helped the Networking Process

Terms we will be using todayThere are too many social media terms to name them all.

However, let’s familiarize ourselves with the terminology we will be referencing today.

Social Media

Definition: Forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content. (as videos)

Terms we will be using today

• Logging In: The process to gaining access to a website that restricts access to content, and requires registration. This usually involves typing in a username and password. The username may be your "real" name, or a combination of letters and/or numbers chosen for the purpose.

• Profiles: The information that you provide about yourself when signing up for a social networking site is considered your profile.

• Post: An item on a blog or social media website, including Facebook.

• Online: This word refers to being connected to the Internet, and also being there in the sense of reading or producing content.

• Career Portfolio: A website in which you post your resume, projects, presentations, qualifications, and experiences as related to positions in your field.

Additional Terms

• QR Code: A matrix bar code providing encoded information, most commonly in the form of a URL, which can be read by a QR scanner, camera phone or smart phone.

• URL: URL is an abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator, which refers to an Internet address like www.crew.cc

The Importance of Branding Yourself Online: Just the Facts

• According to Career Builder, 39% of employers are using social media to research job candidates during the hiring process.

• Employers are also using social media to advertise their current openings. In 2012, 92% of surveys respondents, to a Time article, planned on using social networks for recruiting.

• “To a great extent, you are who the Internet says you are,” claimed a recent Forbes article.

How to Make an Online Pitch

Google Yourself

Create a Wordle of your Two-Minute Presentation

Develop a Two-Minute Presentation (or elevator speech)

Develop a Two-Minute Presentation

• What is it?• A Two-Minute Presentation, or elevator speech, is an opportunity for

you to concisely promote your career objective, relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments.

• When is it used?• A Two-Minute Presentation is often used in an interview when a

candidate is asked to “Tell Me About Yourself” and during networking opportunities.

• What’s the connection with selling yourself online? • Writing down your Two-Minute Presentation will prove useful when

you consider the type of online content you want an employer to see when he/she searches for you.

1. What is your career objective and goals? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is your related educational background and work experiences?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are your strengths?_____________________________________________________________________

4. What are your accomplishments?_____________________________________________________________________5. What sets you apart from other candidates? _____________________________________________________________________

Common Two-Minute Presentation Content

The Two-Minute Presentation

is a great way to sell BOTH

your recent education and work

experiences, along with your

past work experience. Sell your

maturity, company loyalty, and

your desire to stay with a

company and grow

Two-Minute Presentation Continued• It’s often difficult to sell yourself

and market your skills. • Think of the Two-Minute

Presentation as developing your professional story. To get help:• Review learning

outcomes/objectives on syllabi to identify qualifications obtained through coursework.

• Review ONET to learn what skills are most critical in your desired career.

Let’s look at a syllabus and ONET example

clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images

you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

Syllabi Learning Outcomes

ONET Skill Statements

How to Make an Online Pitch

Google Yourself

Create a Wordle of your Two-Minute Presentation

Develop a two-minute presentation (or elevator speech)

clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images

you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

• What is Wordle? • Wordle is a website in which you can put text into a text box

and then see a visual representation of your text (with the words that recur the most in your text being most prominent).

Wordle

How can you use Wordle? • Once you have created your Two-Minute Presentation, copy

and paste it into Wordle.• This visual tool is a great way to begin thinking about the

words, phrases, and content you want employers to see when they Google you.

clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images

you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images

you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

Ask yourself the following questions after creating your Wordle • What are the top ten largest words in your Wordle?

• Do these words best describe your candidacy? • Do these words appear in the information listed on ONET for your desired

career path?• If not, what can you do to revise your resume to reflect the direction you want

to go with your candidacy? • Are there any words that pop out that seem to indicate something negative • about your candidacy? If so, go back to your Two-Minute Presentation and figure

out how to revise this language. • Do your accomplishments stand out or could these words be used to describe any

candidate? If the words are too generic, go back to your resume and revise. Look at ONET and course syllabi to really target your word choice for your career.

How to Make an Online Pitch

Google Yourself

Create a Wordle of your two-minute presentation

Develop a two-minute presentation (or elevator speech)

Google Yourself Activity

• Open Internet Explorer on your computer• Go to www.google.com• Type in your name• Look at the search results

• What do you see?• Is there any content about you? • If so, are you happy or unhappy with this information?• Additional thoughts or observations?

Take control of your brand

• Delete the content you don’t want employers to see• Create the content you do want to be visible in a Google search

You now know strategies to make an online pitch

Google Yourself

Create a Wordle of your two-minute presentation

Develop a two-minute presentation (or elevator speech)

Branding Basics Summary Write or revise your Two-Minute Presentation Review your Two-Minute Presentation with friends, colleagues, family, faculty,

and/or staff Google yourself to learn what content about yourself is public

Look at the Two-Minute Presentation overview on the CREW Website’s Networking page

View the ONET Skill statements for your desired occupation and the learning outcomes on your syllabi for assistance in tailoring your Two-Minute Presentation to your desired career field

Create a Wordle to see which words and phrases are most prominent in your Two-Minute Presentation

Schedule an appointment with a CREW Counselor on the Downtown or Southwest campus to receive assistance in completing your Two-Minute Presentation

Visit a CREW Center location during walk-in hours.

Career DevelopmentVia Resume

Development

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Basics

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

Before we begin discussing these upcoming sections, it’s important to note that you should not complete all these activities at once. Let’s first discuss a suggested timeline in which to complete these steps. (This timeline is a suggestion, however, and is subject to change based on your preferences).

Now

Resume Next 6 months

Begin working on your resume now. You, then, can continue to update it.

Career Portfolio/LinkedIn

Having a working resume will be VERY helpful in marketing yourself online. Continue to update your portfolio and LinkedIn profile as you obtain more experiences.

Next 12-18 months

Mock Interview Your career portfolio/LinkedIn will provide you with several key examples, accomplishments, and experiences to discuss in your mock interview.

On-going

Maintain your online brand and continue to create/update content related to your goals.

Resume Development • Why should I write or revise a resume now?

• A resume is an excellent self-assessment tool. You will be better prepared to discuss your relevant qualifications while also seeing existing gaps in your experiences and skills that you can work on obtaining during your time at JCTC.

• Also, developing a career portfolio or LinkedIn account, which we will discuss in the last section, is extremely difficult without an updated resume.

• Where I can get help? • The CREW Center has walk-in and resume appointment offerings

each month to best accommodate your schedule. A counselor will assist you in developing and customizing a resume for your career field.

• You can schedule a resume appointment on the CREW Website. The CREW Website also contains additional resume writing resources.

Common Resume Questions and Issues

Should I list dates for prior degrees?

What if my work experience is limited?

How many years of work experience should I list?

What if I am changing career fields?

Consider including non-paid work experiences, including community engagement, memberships, and professional development activities. Think of the transferable skills gained through those experiences.

Often, candidates will list employment for the last 10-15 years. Be sure to emphasize important results and achievements that could set you apart from other candidates and consider making related experiences, if applicable, most prominent.

Unless you completed a credential in the last few years, omit the date. It’s only relevant that you obtained the degree.

Look at job descriptions and ONET for skills needed in your new career field and think of existing transferable skills you already have in the “Summary of Skills” section of your resume. Get assistance from the CREW Center in structuring your prior employment.

Common Resume Questions ContinuedWhat if you lack experiences related to your career goals? How do you build your candidacy to stand out? • Search for volunteer opportunities related to your career goals. Volunteer Match is an

excellent website to search for local volunteer opportunities related to your career interests.

• Review the CREW Job Site for part-time, full-time, and internship/co-op options in a variety of career fields.

• Seek out work with professors and consider how the class projects you’ve completed will give you related experiences.

Will an employer really hire me since I’m an older worker?

• Yes! Employers are interested in recency and relevancy. Your current academic program and related career experiences provide you with recent and relevant experiences. It’s up to you to sell the benefit of being a mature worker. Communicate how your past experience will make you a more marketable candidate by affording you with more life experiences to give you better judgment, a strong desire to achieve than you possibly had when you were younger, and an excellent work ethic.

• Wordle is a website in which you can put text into a text box and then see a visual representation, of your text (with the words that recur the most in your text being most prominent).

This resume

audit sheet is

available in

your packet

and provides a

framework for

writing and/or

revising your

resume

Career Development Via Resume Writing Summary

Write or revise a resume that is tailored to your career goals. Obtain experiences to build your candidacy. Develop a Reference Page.

Review the CREW Center’s Resume Worksheet for resume formatting help Look at example resumes to get ideas about how to begin customizing your

skills. Complete a resume audit to ensure sure your formatting and organization is on

the right track. Review the Reference Resource Page to learn how to create this page.

Schedule an appointment with a CREW Counselor on the Downtown or Southwest campus to receive assistance in writing your resume.

Submit your resume to the CREW Center’s Resume Dropbox to receive feedback within 48 business hours.

Visit a CREW Center location during walk-in hours.

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Basics

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

Websites to HelpBrand Yourself

Professional Networking with LinkedIn

Career Portfolio Development with Wix

Twitter

Pinterest

Facebook

Instagram

Follow

Like Friend

Post Trending

Like

Google +Slideshare

Blog

There are too many social media platforms and terms to know them all! We’ll focus on two platforms you can use to begin branding yourself online.

What is LinkedIn?

• LinkedIn is a social networking site built for professionals. In essence, it’s the professional networking version of Facebook.

• LinkedIn has over 300 million users and 42% of them access their accounts daily.

• Users create a profile to highlight their skills and make make connections with a large number of people.

How can I create a successful LinkedIn Profile?

How can I get help in creating myLinkedIn account?

1) Visit the CREW Center or schedule an appointment to receive assistance in creating or revising your LinkedIn account.• You can schedule an appointment on the CREW website’s

networking page. 2) Use the Networking page on the CREW website to get additional tips

and advice. 3) Visit LinkedIn’s Help Center page to get immediate response to your

questions. • LinkedIn also offers a series of free webinars, including LinkedIn

101, that you can watch online.

As an example, I typed in a question about showing recommendations, and I was able to view several results.

Include a

detailed

Summary

Make a

custom url

Clear

description of

industry/

occupation

Include a

clear picture

of yourself

Let’s now learn to develop a career portfolio with Wix

Professional Networking with LinkedIn

• There are many free

website or portfolio

builders, including

WordPress, Weebly,

and Google Sites

• Wix, though, is the

most user friendly

• There are 100s of

templates you can

choose from when

you begin creating

your site

What Do I Need Before I Get Started? An Updated Resume

• An updated resume will help you identify your key skills and experiences.• As we’ve discussed, creating a career portfolio without a resume will prove

difficult.

Project List • Brainstorm any projects, including presentations, volunteer work, publications,

etc. that you have created.

Two-Minute Presentation Review • Your Two-Minute Presentation will help you in developing your story.• Ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your theme? • What are you trying to convey to someone looking at your portfolio?• Do you think your content will begin to reflect your career goals?

A career portfolio is rarely a

finished product. Start working

on your portfolio now. You can

always put “More Work Posted

Soon” or something similar, as

a placeholder. That way, you

can keep adding work as you

complete it.

Review Career Portfolio Examples • Look at the Promoting Yourself Online resource sheet for example portfolios in

various career fields.

What Are Common Categories?

Resume About Me

Affiliations and Involvement Awards and Certifications

Relevant Class Projects/Research Recommendations

Writing Samples Presentations

Let’s now look at an an example of a career portfolio.

If you include a

picture, make

sure it is clear

and taken

against a plain

background

Include user

friendly

navigation

Provide some

information

about who you

are professionally

and/or your goals

Many Wix

themes have

resume

templates

Explain your

skills and

experiences

You can also

include a

downloadable

resume

version with

many

templates

Think of

projects,

presentations,

and

coursework

examples

How can I get help?

• Visit the CREW Center and/or schedule an appointment to get assistance beginning your career portfolio.

• Wix has a great support center that can answer many of your questions.

Website to Help Brand Yourself Summary

Create a LinkedIn Profile Create and publish an online career portfolio using Wix.com

Complete the LinkedIn Profile Checklist at make sure you are building a strong profile

Review the Promoting Yourself Online Resource Sheet for career portfolio tips and example profiles

Visit the LinkedIn Help Center to get answers to common profile questions Use the Wix Support Center when needing help developing your online portfolio Schedule an appointment with a CREW Counselor on the Downtown or

Southwest campus to receive creating your LinkedIn Profile or career portfolio

Interviewing Assistance

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Assistance

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

Interview Preparation Why should I prepare for an interview ?• Interview Preparation, often accomplished during a

mock interview, is a great way to make sure you best highlighting your candidacy for a position in your career field.

• The mock interview is a simulation of a real interview in which a counselor will provide you feedback on the following:o Your preparation before the interview and first

impressions. o Your answers to commonly used interviewing

questions.o Your responses to industry specific questions.o Your professional dress and additional non-

verbal cues.o Next steps to ensure your career success.

Interview Preparation Continued

• How can I complete a mock interview? • Schedule an appointment on the CREW Center’s Interviewing page.

Several appointment options are available every week.

• Where can I locate additional resources? • The CREW Center’s Interviewing page has additional resources,

including an Interviewing Resource Guide. • The Interviewing Resource Guide provides the following:

• Tips to research organizations before an interview.• Two-Minute Presentation details and examples. • Strategies to answer commonly asked questions.• Guidelines to respond to Behavioral Based Questions. • Questions to ask employers at the interview’s conclusion.

Interviewing Preparation Summary

Revise your Two-Minute Presentation and resume Complete a Mock Interview

Review the ONet Skill Statements to make sure you are prepared to communicate the important skills and qualifications in your career field

Read the Interviewing Resource Guide to learn strategies to answer common questions, professional dress guidelines, and appropriate follow-up after the interview

Schedule a mock interview with a CREW Counselor on the Downtown or Southwest campus

Steps to MaintainingYour Brand

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Assistance

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

Review Job Postings

Review job postings for positions in your desired career field to determine the experiences and qualifications those employers are seeking.

• If you already have many of the skills found in these job descriptions, then begin incorporating these buzz words and key phrases in your resume and career portfolio.

• If you lack many of these skills and qualities, then think of specific strategies to acquire them, including the following:• Community engagement opportunities• Related work experiences • Professional Associations

Update Privacy Settings &Google Yourself

If you are active on social media sites, including Facebook, make sure your privacy settings are updated frequently.

Facebook, in particular, often changes their privacy settings, so you may have content on the Internet that you prefer keeping private.

Once you’ve updated these settings, if applicable, Google yourself.

Also, get in the habit of Googling yourself regularly to ensure you’re marketing yourself effectively.

Don’t Wait Until You Graduate

Start working on your LinkedIn account and career portfolio now.

Every professional’s account is a work in progress; we will have more projects, qualifications, and resume updates to make.

Waiting to begin will make it more difficult to remember all the great work you’ve done and are currently doing.

You can always write that “more projects will be posted soon.”

Websites

to

Help Brand

Yourself

Branding

Basics and

Strategies

101

Interviewing

Assistance

Career

Preparation

via Resume

Development

Steps to

Maintaining

Your Brand

Remember that CREW and the ASC are here to

help