Career Advice From Jessica Moomaw

Pre-Interview jitters are a very common occurance, as well they should be.  I tend to think that if you are not at all nervous then you are probably too confidant and it may come off disrespectfully in the interview.  It is better to come across confidant AND humble.

The following are my suggestions for how to deal with pre-interview jitters.

1.  If you are naturally nervous, lay off of the legal (and illegal) stimulants.  This means coffee and cigarettes.  Although you may think they calm you down they actually have the reverse affect.  Also, no one needs you to smell like an ash tray during an interview.

2.  Do whatever calms you down.  I like to have my interviews in the morning so there is less time for me to think and be nervous.  In the time before I leave for my interview I eat breakfast, walk my dog, listen to music, and take my time getting ready.  Rushing can make you extra jittery as well.  If you give yourself enough time you will have no reason to rush.

3.  Make sure you are prepared.  Do your research during the days prior to your interview, write out your questions, make sure you have your resumes printed out, and most importantly know where you are going.  You should drive by your interview location prior to your interview if at all possible.  Getting lost on your way to an interview shows you are unprepared.

4.  Give yourself enough time to get to your interview approximately 15 minutes early.  This gives you time to use the restroom, wash your hands, settle in, etc…

5.  Give yourself a pep talk.  Whatever you need to say to yourself to reassure your nerves.

If you have any other tips, feel free to let me know

Jessica Moomaw

When HR says “no calls” you have to wonder what you’re supposed to do.  Responsible job searches know that they need to follow up with their resumes but if you defy HR there is a good chance they will throw your resume in the trash because you have blatantly shown them that you do not know how to follow instructions.  This might upset you and make you think that HR is just on a power trip, but you have to admit that in a time when there are hundreds of applicants for a position this is just the simplest way to weed out the stack.

So now we come back to what you can do to get around this.  There are a couple of tactics I’ve come across in my job search.

1. Even though you’ve applied through HR, try your hardest to find out who the hiring manager is.  You can usually do this by searching the website of whatever company you are applying to, or you can call them.  Get your resume and cover letter to the hiring manager.

2.  Remind these individuals that you exist and that you’re qualified for their position.  You can do this by email or by a hand written note.  If you have stationary with your name on it that’s great, if not, you can find some blank stationary at Walmart or other such stores.  Keep in mind that if you have absolutely horrible handwriting you may type your note or have someone with better handwriting write it for you as long as you tell them exactly what to write.

If there are other suggestions from you guys out there, please let me know.

happy blogging

Jessica Moomaw

Blogging has become a very popular thing to do these days.  It is a way of venting, ranting and raving, getting things off your chest, and just sharing experiences.  But do you ever think about how your blogging can hurt you during your job search?

If you are currently looking for a job and happen to have a public blog there are some things you should consider.  1.  What do the contents of your blog contain?  2.  Would you want a potential employer to find your blog and read it?  3.  How would the contents be percieved?

These things are all very important to consider.  Personally I feel that a blog can help you with your job search as long as you are careful about what you write.  If an employer searches you, finds your blog, and gets to read about your dating/drinking/dramatic escapades you may almost count on them not  calling you in for an interview.  It is acceptable to be personable at work but nobody wants to hire or work with a drama queen or king.  Another thing to be careful about is writing/venting about past employers or coworkers.  Blogging about those subjects reflect badly upon you and again make the hiring manager ask themselves what you might publicly say about them.  If you must blog about such personal issues make it a private blog that your friends have to subscribe to.

This is a very short blog for this reason:  To me, it is a matter of common sense that you watch what you blog about and who can access it, just as facebook and myspace along with any other social networking site should be set to private.  It is perfectly acceptable to share personal experiences with coworkers but keep the hard core stories to yourself or your close friends.  You don’t want to ruin  your chances before a potential employer can see what a good candidate you are for their position.  A helpful tip is to google yourself and see what comes up.  Do some damage control before it hurts you.

Jessica Moomaw

What to do…what to do…???

You’ve had an interview and you’re pumped.  Thankfully the interviewer gave you some sort of timeline for when they will be making their decision.  Great!  But what should you be doing in the meantime?  This is called a follow up.  I’m going to assume that you’re smart enough to send thank you notes immediately following the interview (I personally like to send an email immediately after and let the interviewers know that their formal thank you is in the mail).  Now that your thank you’s are sent you might be asking yourself what else, if anything, you should do.

Well, there is.  What exactly depends on the type of job you are applying for.  If you are in an aggressive field your interviewers would prefer to see some type of aggressiveness in further pursuing the position.  It gives them an idea of how you will be on the job.  Do be careful not to scare them though.  There’s aggressive and there’s too much.  Your instincts can usually tell you where the line is but if you have doubts ask someone in the field.

If you are in a less agressive field you still want to show your interest.  Using the timeline the interviewers have given you is key.  If they have told you they look to hire within the next couple of weeks they should be hearing from you about a week and a half after your interview.  The point of you calling them is to reiterate your interest in the position and why you would be the perfect fit for the position.  If you choose to wait to follow up until the two weeks has passed it is still acceptable, just less aggressive.

When you call I think it is important to be prepared for anything.  If the time frame they have given has passed and you have not heard from them you must be prepared for them to say they are not interested in  you.  However, they may just be delayed so I advise you to stay positive while calling.  I like to write down what I want to say.  Unfortunately if they do tell you they are no longer interested in you it is very easy to say “thank you” and hang up.  What you can do is be prepared to ask them what qualities the applicants they are interested have that you do not.  Sometimes this may be helpful and sometimes not.  If it is just personal preference on their part it does not mean you aren’t qualified, it just means that you may not have been the best fit for that particular office in terms of personalities or style.  Anyway, the point here is that if you write down what you want to say you have a better chance of actually spitting it out when/if the time comes.

If you are lucky enough for them to say they haven’t chosen anyone yet due to the process taking longer than they expected you may then ask them when you should call back.  Write this down, put it in your phone as an alarm, whatever you need to do to remember.

If you are extremely lucky they will offer you the position.

Ultimately, it is important to stay positive as you are following up on interviews.  After I have been told that I am not the candidate they are interested in I give myself a bit of time to grieve for what I thought was the perfect position and then I move on.  If they did not want me in their office then it probably isnt the place I want to be anyway.

I hope this is informative to some, if not, I’m sorry.

Jessica Moomaw

When I was working on my Master’s Degree, I was under the impression that upon finishing my degree any number of schools would be happy to hire me. I had never faced professional rejection and was not expecting to have to.

I WAS WRONG

First let me be clear. My rejection issues were partially my own fault. Had I put my career first and been willing to move to middle of nowhere USA, leave behind family, friends and a significant other I would be employed right now in my field of choice. However, I like to do things the hard way, ultimately resulting in my asking myself daily, “Why did i bother wasting two years of my life getting a master’s degree when the hiring managers are more interested in years of experience?”

Needless to say that when I am asking myself the afore mentioned question I am also experiencing feelings of depression and inadequacy. In my head I know that my degree is well worth it. In my head I know that I am a smart, valuable asset that would greatly benefit any school. In my head I know that job searches are hard. Unfortunately, telling myself all of these things does not get me a job faster. It does however help me cope. One of the hardest parts of professional rejection or any rejection for that matter is that it makes us feel worthless. It makes us question our education, our experience, our desire to succeed.

Here is an example of how I ended up crying my eyes out in the parking lot of a grocery store because I had never felt more worthless in my life.

I’d been job searching for a couple of months with not much luck. My boyfriend and I decided that it might be time for me to find something temporary or part time, just to get me out of the house or meet people. I went to a local temp agency where I was put through three hours of assessments in which I found out that I am not proficient in Excel, I am not proficient in Power Point, and I am basically not fit to be anything other than someone’s answering machine. Needless to say, I was seriously wondering how I had managed to make it this far in life, having obtained two degrees and still not be labeled as “proficient” in Excel or Power Point. I was then questioned extensively on my resume, again being told that since I wasn’t proficient in the above programs that they could not market me as an office assistant. I HAVE MY MASTER’S DEGREE I was screaming in my head. After almost three hours they told me that they had an opening in their office that they would like me to consider (keep in mind that I worked at a staffing agency). So, I watched about ten minutes of this promotional video, knowing full well that I did not want to work in a staffing agency and trying to hold back my tears of depression and failure until finally I stopped the dvd and walked out. Resulting in my crying in the parking lot of the grocery store down the street right before I bought a box of turtle brownies to make.

The point of this blog is to help others realize that there are many aspects of a job search that can drag you down to incredibly dark places. It is so important that you find a way to battle all of those things that bring you down. I have found that if I tell myself out loud that I am a valuable asset, I am smart, I did not waste my time getting my Master’s, I believe it a little more. I also tell someone who believes in me how I am feeling and then I tell them that I am going to be ok, that I am going to find a job that I love.

I believe the key element to succeeding in a job search is to have support from someone who believes in you. Take advantage of that support. If there are forces in your life that you feel are bringing you down, use your support system. Talk out your frustrations. Most people may not be aware but colleges and universities often cater to alumni in terms of career services and career counseling. There is also the alumni association that may take on those responsibilities. Take advantage of them. If you are like me, you’ll be paying off your college loans until you’re 50 so keep that in mind and be ok with going back to them for help.

One last thing. You are not alone. Depression is a normal side effect of the job search. Our goal is to not let it get the best of us and to keep on believing in ourselves and our ability to succeed.

Hello blog readers,

With all of the career advice that is available on the web you may be wondering why you would want to read mine. Well, that’s what this post will help you to understand. First we should get my credentials out of the way. I have my Master’s of Education in Counseling and Guidance with an emphasis in Student Affairs from Texas State University. I have experience in Career Services/Career Counseling and the world of staffing agencies. Also, I am currently searching for my own job, having relocated across the country from Austin to Cleveland.

During my time in graduate school I learned what I think to be the most important factor in searching for a career/job…SELF AWARENESS…

This amazing self awareness is what brought me to realize that I wanted to work in Career Services. I feel that there are too many people who go through college not really caring about their degree just as long as they get one. Unfortunately in today’s world, even though a degree in higher education is very important, it probably won’t carry you as far as you’d hope. You need to have some sort of marketable experience. In order to get experience doing something that can launch you into a career you truly enjoy you need self awareness. You need a plan. That is where career counseling comes into play. It would be my job to help you gain self awareness. I value helping students make their college careers merge with their personal values and interests. I am able to address issues that surround career issues including family, friends, money, time, etc… I am also genuinely empathetic .

If you believe in personality and interest inventories I am an ENFJ according to Myers Briggs and according to True Colors I am a 19 Blue.

I am going to use this blog to address Career and job search related issues as well as any issues that you the readers may request information on in your comments. My goal is to write a couple of blogs a week, not daily due to my own job search, but often enough to be of assistance to whatever readers come across this blog.

Until next time,

Jessica Moomaw

I decided to write a blog to create a brand image and let the world know my opinion about work related issues. Welcome to my blog.