http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult en bspeyers@calvin.edu 2012-06-06T18:16:08+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/connecting-on-linkedin/ Though I’m usually sympathetic to students wanting to build their Linkedin connections, what commonly shuts down that open-heartedness is a generic invitation from someone I either don’t know or can’t remember meeting. The totally bland “I’d like to add you to my professional network” from Tom C. Now maybe I’ve met with Tom C in the past. Or then again, maybe I haven’t. Not to be rude but I’m not going to connect with someone whose face I can’t at least vaguely envision. Instead, as a courtesy to your potential contact, refresh their memory as to the date or setting in which you last met. Or perhaps a shared conversational tidbit. Or mutual connection. Something to build a bridge for the reader in answer to their vague suspicion that they might be giving a virtual stranger access to their own connections.  Bonnie Speyers 2012-06-06T18:16:08+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/how-do-i-look-an-interview-checklist/ Two people looking for work, one young and one old. What do they have in common? Appearance challenges guaranteed to reduce results to about zero. On the upside, both are actually actively looking for work. Eager. Sincerely interested. But all that effort destined to be scuttled by first appearances. So in case no human being catches you before you head out to meet and greet, here’s a nifty checklist you can use to catch yourself: • Flip flops. Unless you live in the tropics or maybe Hawaii or maybe have incredible technical skills, count these out as acceptable foot wear—at least until you’re hired. Additionally nixed if your feet are grimy. • 1960’s unkempt hippy-style clothes. Okay, I know they may be in style but if you must wear a long flowing skirt, make sure it is clean and tidy and that the elastic waistband is tight enough so there’s no danger of it sliding       over your hips and hitting the floor without intervention.  • Make up. Recent grad, middle aged woman—you need it! I hate it too but seriously, few women look well rested without a touch of, at minimum, lipstick and blush. • Energy! Yes, you’ll need it for the job, so please make an effort to convey it during your job search. You might be able to check off the ‘clean and tidy’ box but if it looks like you can hardly shuffle into someone’s office, what       are they going to think about you doing actual work? • Hair cut. Spring for one. Yes, it might have worked for you to cut your own hair to save money during college but it no long pays to imitate a fugitive from justice who cut their hair in front of a cheap motel room mirror. Super       Cuts is not all that expensive! And one final note, before you walk out the door, look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Would I want to hire this person?” Chances are that you’ll not only answer with a resounding YES but so will your future employer. Bonnie Speyers 2012-06-06T13:43:12+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/doomed-by-lack-of-a-cap/ The internal dialogue might have gone something like this: wow, a direct lead on a job. i’d better respond as quickly as possible. And respond he did. Unfortunately just a bit too fast, as the email to the potential employer read as follows. ‘Dear Ms. Smith—I just heard about your job opening from our mutual acquaintance, Mr. Z. I am writing to let you know that i am very interested in the position and have enclosed my resume. sincererly…..’ Did you catch it? That third i. Not a cap but small, casual, conversational and improper. If you didn’t catch it, rest assured the employer did. One job lead doomed before it could get off the ground and fly. A very sad ending indeed. Bonnie Speyers 2012-02-29T18:42:58+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/acing-the-phone-interview/ An increasing number of job applicants are finding themselves faced with an initial phone interview, sort of a hoop through which to jump before getting some face time with a hiring manager. Though daunting in that the medium itself strips conversation of crucial non-verbal cues, there are a few ways to make this experience into more enjoyable and successful. First, set up the right physical environment. For most people, that’s a quiet space at home, a room where there will be no distractions or competing noise. That includes pets, so make sure Fluffy has settled nicely onto the living room couch for a sound nap. One additional advantage of choosing a bedroom for this conversation is that typically there’s a mirror on the wall. And since you will have no one to look at while speaking, it’s not a bad idea to look at yourself. A one person audience, as it were. Granted, this might feel weird and most people don’t take me up on this suggest but it definitely does work. Looking at someone with a smile on their face—even if it IS you!—is much more energizing than talking into the air. Second, not enough can be said about being prepared. Research the company, google your interviewer, print out a copy of your resume, write out notes (another advantage of the phone interview—you can glance at your notes and no one will notice) and think through your answers before encountering   the questions. This is especially true for phone interviews where silence seems to stretch out longer than in real life. Finally, relax and be yourself. Smile—seriously, don’t neglect a smile—and forget about trying to be perfect. Look to connect with the person on the other end of the line. They are, after all, trying to solve the knotty problem of a vacant position and you might just be the one to make their day. Job Search, Interviewing Bonnie Speyers 2012-02-13T17:31:52+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/whats-it-like-to-be-a.....missionary-with-an-engineering-background/ My job title is: Missionary My actual position is: Project manager / fundraiser / administrator / teacher What does a normal day look like? Is it consistent throughout the year? If you’ve had this position for a while, how have things changed? From the outside it might look like a desk job with lots of meetings, errands, and time doing strange things. While it is true that most of the work happens behind a desk or at a meeting table, the job is different every day. The goal is to make ministry happen as an engineering-type person. Some days the need is to prepare detailed plans, other days, detailed budgets. I might head out on some days to the projects or to the workshops or a training session. There are enough projects to work on that the ministry activities and special projects kind of average themselves out around the calendar. But the fall is generally the season for starting things and summer gets almost too hot to be outside. One big change over time has been a growing appreciation for the difficulty of doing international ministry. We deal with things the old-timers never considered – anti-terrorism laws, child protection policies, anti-money laundering systems, complex immigration laws, and other such things. Business and legal knowledge is a big part of ministry today. What other, if any, positions have you held prior to your current job? How did you get to where you are now? I have been a practicing hospital engineer, product designer, software engineer, business owner, and missionary field director. I got this position by trying to do the right thing when it was time to move on from the previous thing. What kind of training/education did you have? What would you suggest? What qualifications/skills/attributes make someone successful in this position? I have a Master’s Degree and a bit more in the field of Biomedical Engineering. I have tried to keep up with continuing education ever since. I wish I had studied a bit more economics, politics, and communication theory as they seem very relevant in today’s world. But I strongly suggest that people study what excites them. Project management requires the ability to see both big picture and details of the goal, plus the skills to keep people and things moving so that the goal is met. Bonnie Speyers 2012-02-01T15:40:21+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/whats-it-like-to-be-a....defense-consultant/ My job title is: Subject Matter Expert (SME) / Consultant -  someone who has expertise in a particular area/s pertinent to company projects. For defense/technology companies this can range from politics, transportation, infrastructure, business, communications, military, populations, foreign relations, computer programing, etc. What does a normal day look like? Is it consistent throughout the year? If you’ve had this position for a while, how have things changed? A workday could consist of individual research, writing reports, data analysis, group collaboration and discussion, informal team meetings, or formal company meetings with clients. The annual schedule is dictated by individual project schedules so there can be slower days at the beginning of a project and extremely long and hectic days toward project completion. Doldrums and fast sailing – be ready for both. What other, if any, positions have you held prior to your current job? How did you get to where you are now? I was hired by my employer while I was in graduate school. They needed someone to fulfill a specific opening and I met all of the qualifications. Many defense/technical companies send recruiting teams to larger universities. What kind of training/education did you have? What would you suggest? What qualifications/skills/attributes make someone successful in this position? My educational background was an MA in European History. I would suggest primary majors in political science, history, engineering, or similar fields that develop strong research, writing, and analytical skills. I must also STRONGLY recommend a secondary major or minor in business or perhaps computer science. These are very practical and marketable skills to possess and highly valued in the private sector. Employers want well-rounded candidates who are really good at something but have basic knowledge of lots of other things. Bonnie Speyers 2012-01-24T17:26:17+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/the-fine-art-of-small-talk/ My typical morning cruise through major media yesterday unearthed a fine article from the Wall Street Journal, The Top Eight Rules of Networking. Both pithy and helpful, this article provides a fine foundation for striking out into productive but often fearful territory. Actually, the fifth tip on Avoiding Being Socially Inept sounds direct and uncomplicated.But for many, honing social skills is a never ending challenging. How actually does one do small talk well? Bonnie Speyers 2011-11-16T14:36:21+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/grads-delaying-job-searches/ The job market is tight. No big story there. What might be different in recent years is how college grads react. Some are enticed by the lure of grad school to delay the inevitable. Some succumb to their worst case scenario—moving home with mom and dad, thus buying more time for what looks to be an extended job search. And then there are others who are deciding to opt out entirely, a group profiled in a recent Wall Street Journal article, Many Grads Delay Job Searches. So what are grads opting for, if not the work world? Travel or volunteering appear high on the list. Something or anything to sort of ride out the unemployment storm until the return of more prosperous times. There’s a sense of just too much competition out there right now—-which there admittedly is—for way too many jobs. Conducting a job search in this economy just doesn’t seem to make sense. Why bother if it’s hopeless anyway, right? Well, here’s the deal. Traveling and volunteering, all well and good but potentially unproductive over time. Because the job search just might be as or more challenging upon your return. So while doing one or both, sift through all those new experiences to extract developing skills and abilities which will convey meaning to future employers. Keeping the future in mind while enjoying the present will decrease the possibility of eventually returning to your childhood bedroom. Bonnie Speyers 2011-06-07T14:46:44+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/whats-it-like-to-be-asystems-architect-sr-consulting-engineer/ My company job title is: Systems Architect/Sr Consulting Engineer Current project or contract role: Lead Systems Engineer (architect & design), Information Assurance (security) Engineer, Control Account Manager (cost and schedule) What does a normal day look like? My current contract means that the majority of my work is paid for through a Government or Commercial contract for services or for development of a system.  System development goes through software development lifecycle phases.  So I play different roles depending what phase the system is currently in.  For example, the requirements definition phase requires that I work on system requirements, performance requirements, security requirements, etc.  In the design phase, I have to establish design goals, evaluate development methods and procedures, create architecture diagrams, define software packages, etc.  In the build phase, I review development components and update architectural views.  During integration and testing, I review documentation products for technical content, update systems documents, evaluate test results. Is it consistent throughout the year? There are variations which include management work to review technical personnel for promotions and salary raises.  I sometimes have to work on new proposals to acquire additional system development contracts or evaluate the proposals that other organizations have prepared.  We often meet with our customers to go over the planning for new tasks within existing contracts or to review problems and technical solutions. Bonnie Speyers 2009-07-23T12:46:01+00:00 http://www.calvin.edu/weblogs/careercatapult/whats-it-like-to-be-asmall-business-owner/ My job title is: President of a small business with 25 employees. My actual position is—Small Business Owner, Troubleshooter, Salesperson, Personnel Manager, Financial Planner. What does a normal day look like? Is it consistent throughout the year? If you’ve had this position for a while, how have things changed? Arrive at 7:00 or 8:00, do what is necessary to solve any problems, plan for a future with fewer problems. Some weeks are 30-40 hours, some weeks are 40-50 hours. What other positions have you held prior to your current job? School teacher, college professor. How did you get to where you are now? Networking led to an offer to buy into a niche educational business. What kind of training/education did you have? Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate.  I also audited about six college business courses (including management and basic accounting) before taking over the business. What qualifications/skills/attributes make someone successful in this position? Common sense, intelligence, honesty, commitment, organizational skills, follow-through, a bit of tech savvy. Bonnie Speyers 2009-06-25T17:45:00+00:00