Career Readiness Information

1. Just the Facts
Frank Alaniz
Regional Workforce Liaison
SLATE Missouri Career Centers

2. Overview
• Skills Gap
• Resumes
• Social Media
• Interviews
• On-Line Applications
• Job Search Organization

3. Skills Gap In Labor Market
As a job seeker, it can be tough to determine what employers are looking
for. While one opportunity might stress fit within the organization, another
might emphasize technical skills or education. And unfortunately, what
hiring managers want and what applicants have to offer are often very
different things. This is what has become known as the “skills gap”.
In a recent survey by the Now the major question Another survey published by the Career
Ewing Marion Kauffman Advisory Board September Job
among both employers Preparedness Indicator of over 500 hiring
Foundation, 40 percent of and job seekers is: What managers indicated a disconnect
the members of the Inc. 500 between attributes presented and
(a group of the fastest-
needs to be done in
attributes valued. More than half (56
growing companies in the order to bridge the gap percent) of job seekers are confident
United States) reported that between the skills they know what qualifications are
the biggest impediment to needed for the job, and required for employment, and 72
percent of job seekers are confident they
growing their companies the skills that job know how to present their skills during
was “finding qualified seekers actually have? an interview. Yet, only 14 percent of
people.” hiring managers reported that “most” or
“nearly all” job candidates, over the past
three years, have had the skills their
company looks for in a potential
employee.
Heather Huhman US News.com

4. Job Seekers are confident in their abilities…
But may not understand the hiring criteria most valued by
Employers
Hiring Managers: Based on
your experience, over the
69% past three years, how many
job seekers have the skills
and traits your company is
17% looking for in a candidate
13% Nearly all Job Seekers
Most Job Seekers
Very few Job Seekers
1% Some Job Seekers

5. Top 5 factors most likely to help jobseekers
find a desirable position
Willingness to Move to a Different City or 39
State 21
Willingness to Develop Job Skills and Gain 46
Experience 56
Appropriate Education and Training 69
65
Strong Interview Skills 70
54
Prior Experience to Similar Position 83
72
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Employer Job Seeker

6. Is Your Story all Wrong?
• It has often been said that “your resume can get you
an interview,” but in reality it’s your interview that
can get you the job. In today’s challenging and
competitive job market, employer’s have many
candidates to choose from and therefore have
become more discerning then ever before, which is
why developing your interviewing skills is so
important

7. 30 Second Resume Test
1)Hold the 1st page of your
Resume and fold the
Header (name, address,
etc.) back so it’s no
Summary
longer visible.
2)Fold the employment Skills
section of your resume
back so it too is no longer
visible. Experience
3)What you have left is
your 30 second resume
review. Education

8. Resume Guide
No objective statement
Once you graduate move
education to last item on
resume
Summary of Qualifications
Accomplishments
Skills Section
It’s not about what you’ve
done in the past it’s about
what you bring to the table
for that employer!
Match your resume to the
job posting!

9. Cover Letter Guide
1. Complete name/address including
email
2. Date
3. Hiring Manager ~ HR/Personnel
Manager ~ Internal Point of Contact
~ Complete Name
4. Complete Company Address
5. Greetings
6. Name of Position and Position
Number
7. 3 Qualifications per Job Postings
8. Employment Gap Explanation more
than 6 months
9. Highlighted skills tailored to position
10. Recap 3 qualifications and one
qualification that you feel is your
strongest not required by position
11. Sign in Blue

10. Gaps in Your Resume
• This problem is a reality for countless jobseekers
• Lack of work on a resume can be due to a variety of
factors:
– Layoffs
– Time off for family
– Firings
– Etc.,

11. Tips
• Don’t try and explain the gap on your Resume that’s
what the cover letter is for!
• Be Honest – Explain the gaps if questioned on them
• Note the Good Stuff – Highlight the positive
information to better reflect on you
• Highlight What You Learned – Point out the
responsibilities you undertook and how you can
transfer such roles to a new job
ResumeBear.com

12. Tips
• Volunteer – Highlight what you did and how it could
assist you in helping the potential employer
• School – The time spent for education can definitely
be viewed as a postive
• Explain a Layoff and the Reasoning Behind It – Being
laid off and being fired are two entirely different
things, so don’t confuse the two. In the event you
were fired, explain it the best of your ability.
ResumeBear.com

13. Your Age is an Asset
• “The Key for older job seekers is to embrace rather
than hide from what they have to offer future
employers” says Tamryn Hennessy, National Director
of Career Development for Rasmussen College. “A
lifetime of a variety of employments, household and
family obligations and volunteer accomplishments
can be assembled into a resume and interview that a
younger job simply cannot offer.”

14. Put Your Experience to Good Use
1. Concentrate on the Job
o Highlight by looking at key action words from the job
description. Use the exact same word and apply your
experience, and off quantifiable results
2. Have Confidence in your Past
o Let your years of real-life experience shine by presenting
evidence of qualities employers value
3. Have Equal Confidence in your Future
o Only go after jobs that are appropriate of your skill sets
and experiences
o Employers what to hire likeable people who fit into
company culture and can do their job.

15. Additional Resume Tips
• Formatting: Your resume should look clean and readable with
plenty of white space to make it inviting. Keep the font size
consistent and use bolding or italicization for effect. Stay
away from cutesy fonts or graphics.
• Contact information: Make sure your email address is
professional. Sticking with your name is the best bet. Again,
this is not the place to be creative by using addresses like
“surferdude87” or “hotchick143.”
• Use bullet points: I highly recommend using bullet points on
your resume. Stick with the standard kind of bullets.

16. Additional Resume Tips
• Quantify when possible. Numbers always make a point
stronger.
• Prioritize your bullets: When ordering your bullet points,
always think, “If the recruiter only had time to read my first or
perhaps second bullet, what would I want him or her to
read?”
• Target your resume: Create a “MASTER” resume from which
you can create more specific, targeted resumes for the
different industries

17. Social Media & Networking
LinkedIn Twitter
• It’s no surprise that LinkedIn Twitter has become the ultimate
has been extremely profitable utility to connect directly with
and successful as of late. recruiters and employees at
Recruiters are starting to use companies you want to work for.
LinkedIn as the main place for By conducting Twitter searches,
sourcing candidates because following recruiters on your
it’s free and the top account and using the “@” sign
professionals are on there. to communicate with them on
• New compete.com figures occasion, you will start to learn a
published by daype.com have lot about them and their
LinkedIn in the number two companies.
spot on a list of US jobs Last 30 days: 1,800,000+ job
websites. tweets

18. Wordle.net

19. Facebook #1 Job Hunting Site
• A margin approaching 2 to 1, job seekers credit
Facebook with helping them get their current job
• LinkedIn was second with 46%
• Twitter was third with 36%
• Since most job seekers use more than one social network, the numbers add up to more than
100 percent
Jobvite Social Job Seeker Survey 2011

20. Results
• Networking is still the #1 way to obtain employment
• Socially savvy job seekers have an advantage over
their fellow job hunters
• Data indicates that job seekers who say they found
their job through social networking make up 15.8%
of the 48 million jobs filled last fiscal year
(10-1-2010 / 9-30-2011)

21. Facebook Job Search
• “Like” Your Dream Companies
• Create a Business Page for Your Search
• Use Facebook Job Search Apps
– BeKnown – BranchOut – InCircle
• Research Where Your “Friends” Work
• Use the “New” Facebook Cover Photo
• Use Privacy Settings

22. World Technology Report
• 49% of Students and 47% of Employees
– Consider the Internet to be ‘close’ in importance
to water, food, air, and shelter in their lives
• One Third of respondents considered the Internet to be
as important as these critical needs
• 55% of Students and 62% of Employees
– Indicate they could not live without the Internet, it
is an integral part of their daily life

23. Facebook
• Most Students and Employees access their Facebook
page at least once every day and 43% indicated they
were distracted or interrupted by some type of social
media while trying to focus on a project or
homework.
• 7 in 10 Employees indicate that they have ‘friended’
or follow their manager and/or co-workers on
Facebook/Twitter

24. Interviews
• Would Presidential Candidates Survive a “Job”
Interview?
The Savvy Intern

25. Weekly debates are a never-ending and very
public job interview.
• In many cases, the faux pas of the candidates
demonstrates who you do NOT want to be when you
sit down in front of a recruiter.
• The Interview starts when you arrive on site
• It’s not your house it’s the employers
• The Job is Yours to Lose!
The Savvy Intern

26. Interview Lessons
• Transferable Skills
– Everyone has them … Use them to your advantage
• Intellectual Egotist
– There are, however, positive (and not so positive) ways to
demonstrate your intellect and knowledge.
• Logical Thinking Skills?
– Part of the interview process from the employer’s
perspective is to gauge how you think. Are you a logical
thinker? How are your reasoning skills?

27. Interview Process
• Swagger Versus Substance
– Apply only for those opportunities that match
your experience level and skill set. Don’t send
resumes to every posting you find, hoping the
recruiters will “just give me a chance!” based on a
boastful cover letter or what you want to be when
you grow up.

28. Asking the Right Questions
• Is there a work issue that keeps you up at night and, given
what you know about my background, how do you think I
could help?
• What is the most gratifying aspect of the work you do for XYZ
company? What’s your best advice to someone starting out
at this company?
• Could you describe your ideal candidate for this job? Why are
these qualities important to you?
• I’m sure you have a number of goals you’d like to achieve in
the coming year. Do you have a particular one that is top
priority?

29. Asking the Wrong Questions
• What is the Salary for this position?
• How many days off to I get a year?
• How long do people typically stay in this
position before they can move on to the next
role?
• What does this company do?
• Did I get the job?

30. Following Up
• Handwritten Note
– Same Day if Possible
• Email
– Indentify the reason in subject
• Telephone Contact
– If you can get to the Hiring Manager directly ---
Make sure to leave a message the right person!

31. On-Line Job Applications (ATS)
1. Read and Follow all Directions
2. If you have a problem refer to #1
• Allow at least one hour per application
• Complete a blank job application for reference
• Be ready to complete online assessment questions
• Refer to #1

32. Additional Tips
• Avoid using the Back Button
• Copy and Paste only if applicable
• Use “Save as Draft”
• Print each page when complete
• Answer the questions the best you can
• Add Key / Skill words based on the job description
• Use the Apply with LinkedIn link

33. Organization
• Create a Master Resume
• Create a portfolio for each position applied for
– Copy of Job Description
– Copy of Resume Submitted
– Copy of Cover Letter Submitted
– Copy of ATS
– Copy of follow-up
– Any supporting documentation

34. Organization
Job Application Job Search Log

35. Information
Frank Alaniz MissouriCareerSource.com
Regional Workforce Liaison Stlworks.com
frank.alaniz@ded.mo.gov
Facebook/SLATEMCC
LinkedIn.com/frankalaniz Twitter/SLATE_MCC
LinkedIn Groups/SLATEMCC
Twitter: @St8Wkr LinkedIn
Groups/BounceBackStL
SlideShare.com/SLATEMCC

36. Tweet Chats
Tuesdays
#LinkedInChat
#MonsterChat
Wednesday
#JobHuntChat
Friday
#HFChat