Resumes - Are they really that important?

Your resume is often the first impression a potential employer has of you. Think of a resume as a tool for marketing yourself. It outlines your background, your skills, and your education so that a potential employer is quickly and easily able to see how your individual experiences can contribute to a company's success. When actually applying for a job, you'll also need a cover letter. 

Interview Skills

Finding a job is hard work and once you are lucky enough to get the interview, you’ll have to continue to work hard. It’s definitely not the time to relax. Interview preparation will also help you to feel more in control so that you will appear cool and calm in front of a prospective employer. It’s an opportunity to understand the role and organization even before you start working with them and to understand if it aligns to your career goals and current job priority/preferences. York Technical College offers a list of links to help make you more employable including;

How to interview successfully, How to dress for an interview, and Interview questions you might want to ask.

Networking

What is networking and why is it important? It’s who you know and who knows you that matters. You must develop relationships and connections within your network to have more opportunities to advance your career. Attending meetings and social events hosted by professional associations is a great way to connect. Expanding your contacts can open doors to new opportunities for business, career advancement, personal growth, or simply new knowledge. Active networking helps to keep you top of mind when opportunities such as job openings arise and increases your likelihood of receiving introductions to potentially relevant people or even a referral.

Who do I network with?

• Past or present co-workers, supervisors
• Past or present clients and customers
• Alumni of your undergraduate or graduate alma mater
• Acquaintances from your personal life
• Acquaintances through your spouse or family
• People from your church, gym, or community organizations
• Past or present teachers or professors

Have a productive, professional conversation about your career path with anyone you meet.

Networking Online

Sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and a variety of other online networking websites can help you get in touch with others. If you're a college graduate, your institute may have an alumni career network you can access.