It's Not About Who You Already Know, It's About Who You CAN Know

Last week online news magazine Slate ran an opinion piece on the uneven power of informational interviews. You may remember from Gary Miller’s blog post that an informational interview is a meeting that you request with someone whose career you admire. During the informational interview, you ask that person how she got started in the field and what advice she has for a student or recent Hofstra alumni like you, just starting out. At the end of the meeting, you ask who else in the field with which you should be talking. This is the most powerful way to job search! You receive the best advice, and, you now have professionals in your field who are interested in helping you in your career.

The Slate piece agreed with that assessment, but said it makes the hiring process unfair, giving those who seek out an informational interview an unfair advantage. I argue that is exactly the reason why informational interviews are critical.  We are not all born with a built-in professional network. The informational interview you can schedule with Hofstra alumni allows you to tap into the powerful network that being a Hofstra student provides for you. For first generation college students, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and students whose parents are unwilling to tap into their own networks to help, the informational interview provides that advantage that others already have.

This spring, tap into your built in Hofstra advantage! Check out the alumni feature on LinkedIn to see which alumni have positions you want, or careers you admire, or are just doing something really cool. Send a message, set up an informational interview, and see where your Hofstra network can take you.

Lisa Tandan
Director of Career Development and Assessment

Photo on your résumé? I suggest no!

Over the past year or two I have seen an increase in the number of students’ résumés on which they include a photograph.  On one hand, I can understand this trend – we have our photos on LinkedIn, which is used by a lot of recruiters.   On the other hand, we still hear from most employers that they do not want to see your picture on your résumé.  If you do a Google search for this concept, you will hear arguments on both sides.

But, I suggest that you avoid a photograph on your resume, and here’s why:

    1. Employers are still concerned about risk related to discrimination.  A photograph immediately indicates to them a number of protected statuses (gender, age, and race, in particular).  Including a photograph can make a recruiter uncomfortable, and generally that’s not a good thing to do.

    2. Many large companies use “applicant tracking systems” to scan and screen your resume.  Images on the document can negatively impact how your document is brought into their systems.

This is a subjective situation.  In some industries and in some countries, it’s more common to have a photo on the résumé.  I also recognize that it is expected that you would add your photo to your LinkedIn profile, and that creates a bit of a mixed message.  But, as long as we still hear from recruiters that images on résumés are not the norm, I’d recommend you exercise caution!

Gary Miller, Executive Director

Vacation, All I ever Wanted

Ah yes…sleeping late, working a fun summer job and hanging out at the beach or with friends and family doing whatever you like to do sounds very appealing. Sounds downright delightful. However, just because school's out for Summer and businesses slow down and folks go on vacation doesn't mean all will be quiet on the employment front! Actually, these Summer months can be an extremely busy time for internship or job seekers - and here are four steps to follow to make the most of this special time:

1. Create a schedule. This will help organize your day and make the most of your job (re)search. Include some down-time on your "to do" list to relax so that you don't feel like you are spending the entire summer working on finding an internship or job.

2. Stay Social. Social networking is always a good choice when trying to remain visible even when nobody is around. Now is a good time to create or populate your LinkedIn account so you can connect with companies, hiring managers and alumni. Ask for informal meetings or to make connections.

3. Network. Networking is pretty much one of the best ways to secure a job and you should not slack on this major step during the summer. Industry events, career fairs and conferences are still happening. Attend them. People will be hosting summer outings, a prime opportunity to meet new people and articulate your career goals. And make sure that your "backyard of contacts" knows you are looking!

4. Apply. Make it a point to try and apply for a few internships or jobs per week. Be strategic and really write a solid cover letter, a unique and highly customized document, for each opportunity. Don’t spray your resume into the internet vortex and pray that someone gives it a second look. Less is more. Check on LinkedIn to see if you know anyone who works there.

Hiring still happens over the summer, and if you stay on top of your search you can make great strides. So do have a great summer vacation but don't take a vacation from your job/internship search – businesses still have to function and positions still need to be filled. Instead, take your efforts to the next level and be better positioned to land something for fall and beyond.

See you at The Career Center in September! 

Michele