Career Trainer

Created by a group of Cal State LA students. We will provide useful information, tips and resources that will lead to success in your future career.

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Here is a great inforgraphic narrowing down the common mistakes done at an interview! Some of the most common questions asked during an interview and great tips to help you get that job you want.

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What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is the place to sell your skills and show your interest in the position. It is the place where you will talk about yourself and how you are a true asset for the company or business. You accomplish this by highlighting some of your experiences earned in previous job places, any accomplishments that you have made.

It's your moment to stand out from the rest of the applicants.

What does a cover letter consist of?

A cover letter should not be a long letter. The people who are hiring and going over resumes and cover letters have many to look thru. When you write your cover letter be sure to be concise and clear just as you would in a resume but a bit more detailed.

Your cover letter should not have more than three sections/paragraphs.

Opening Statement- why you are applying for this position.

Connecting yourself to the job

Closing-Call to Action

Header

Your contact information displayed at the top of the page. Be sure to include at least two forms of communication. Preferably an email and phone number.

Include the address of the company and the recruiter's name if known in the "To" section

Be sure to start off your letter as an actual letter. "Dear" followed by the individual's name, or you can also start by  stating, "To Whom It May Concern."

First Part

Opening statement is very important. It should state why you are applying to this particular job. Another good idea to include in the opening statement is to mention how you heard of the job opportunity.

Include your strongest abilities and tell a little about yourself

Middle Part

This section is crucial because this is the moment where you must relate your skills and qualifications to the job you are applying for.

Final Part

Call to Action! Must be clear and boldly stated.

Here is a great example of a cover letter with the different parts discussed.

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One does not necessarily need to obtain a Bachelor's Degree to earn a good amount of pay. If college is not for you then that's okay!

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No job experience but I have been involved!

Having no work experience can be an issue when trying to apply for a job position.  Most job places require their new employees to have some years of experience in the field.

However, not everyone does. Here’s the great thing about experience though.

Have you ever worked in a group project that put you in a position to take the leadership role?

Have you ever babysat a child or pet?

Have you volunteered in any school or community events around your area?

Assist anyone in a particular subject?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have some form of experience. Just because you haven't had a job doesn't mean you don't have any experience. May not be much but it is something!

No experience makes it hard to get a job. So where does one go and obtain this ‘experience’?

Skill / Life experience

Problems and stress in your personal life gives you some of the resilience and emotional experience needed in your future career.

Help you to understand what your weakness and strengths.

Some strengths and Weaknesses you might learn from yourself are:

Strengths:  

Strong communication skills

Teamwork

Problem solving

Creative

Multitasker, etc.

Weakness

Impatience

Not talkative

Lack of confidence

Rude

Procrastinator, Etc.

Other forms of getting any type of experience is through Volunteer work. It doesn't have to be a huge event. It can be something as small as reading to children at a library or school

or something more meaningful like helping the homeless

and can drives or toy drives.

In Los Angeles there are many Volunteering opportunities. If you don't know where to start looking, check this site where many are available.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/search?l=Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%2090095

Great place to start getting involved!

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This is what NOT to wear during a interview or in any professional setting.

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I've seen many people in professional settings attending work like this. It not only gives a bad image for the company but it gives a horrible image for the individual. These are the DO NOT'S

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Ties ties and more ties

There are many people out there that know “who they are?” or “what they want to be?” People also have a hard time knowing what type of job or career are good for them. Whatever the case may be, you must dress to impress.

Men

As we all know, the first impression is always important especially if you are trying to get a job. For men, wearing suits and ties may be a bit of a stressful act that is if you dont know how to dress.

For those who have worn a tie and suit, Is it easy?

How long did it take you to learn how to make a tie?

Making a tie sounds easy but the truth is, it does take some time to get it down. It has many steps. Just take a look at this one picture.

Funny how we can see and compare learning how to do a tie versus just how you can start getting to know yourself better and being successful is pretty similar.

Here are a few examples of professional attire for men:

For more information on the specifics here is a great article explaining the difference between Business professional vs. Business casual

http://menfash.us/fashion-for-men/dress-codes-for-professional-meet-ups/

Same thing goes for women

Women must also know how to dress properly and know what is appropriate to wear in the position they are in.

This does not mean you cannot be your own person and dress professionally in the style you want to appear as. 

Of course the clothes you wear does not have to be purely black, white and pink. It can be something like this as well

I'll go into more detail on where to purchase such items next time.

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Resumes and Their Importance

When applying for a new job, the majority of the job places ask you to send in a resume before conducting an interview. Some might not know what a resume should consist of let alone how it should look like. If you are in this predicament then do not worry. A good number of college and noncollege students are in this similar situation.

Here are couple of example of how a resume should look like and what it should have:

Having a resume ready is really important because it shows you are

Ready and prepared

Responsible

A hard worker

Organized

Professional

A resume is a tool one must know how to utilize because it’s a small reflection of who you want the company to see when they are hiring. It can also be considered an advertising tool which is why having a well written, polished and clean resume is very important.

Jobs and big companies have countless of resumes coming towards them on a daily basis so they only have seconds to spare for one resume. This is one of the reasons why it is important  to know how you market yourself.

You only have a couple of seconds to truly stand out from the rest of the applicants. Use this moment to outshine the rest of the applicants by addressing the key selecting criteria for what job you are applying for.

The workforce is very competitive especially for college students. Once you graduate you might not know the basics on how to do a resume, or where to get help when creating one. Couple of things one should consider is to use your resources at school. Almost every school has a Career Center.

What is a Career Center?

A Career Center is a great place one can go to in order to acquire some assistance especially when trying to write up your first resume. Do not be afraid to ask for help when writing a well written resume.  Remember, when writing a resume it should reflect who you are and what you have accomplished. Knowing how to put those skills into appropriate and concise words is essential when writing.

Visually Appealing

The way in which a resume looks is also very important. Employers do not want to and will not spend a minute reading your resume. As mentioned before, due to the amount of time available to them. Listing your skills, achievement, and responsibilities is a good form of making the resume look easy on the eyes.  It is also easy to scan by glancing quickly. Visually, it looks organized, neat and a consistent writing style.

What type of content should you provide on your resume?

The skills one should mention are ones that are relevant  to the job and mention any other skills that the company is seeking.

If you previously constructed a resume for a teaching position, but later decided to apply at an accounting firm, both jobs are two different career paths. Therefore, you should redesign the second resume according to the description of the job.

Creating a resume is not only important when applying for a new job but, its a great way to organize your qualifications and skills.

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10 Things That Require Zero Talent for Success. 1. #beingontime 2. #workethic 3. #effort 4. #bodylanguage 5. #energy 6. #Attitude 7. #Passion 8. #beingcoachable 9. #doingextra 10. #beingprepared Source: Not Your Father's Charity. Being in time demonstrates dedication, motivation, and professionalism. #careertrainer #work #improvements #california #losangeles

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Career Trainer is a non profit organization that provides useful information, resources, jobs and tips to enhance your career pathway. #careertrainer #jobs #california #losangeles #ilovework #jobtips #coverletter #interview #mockinterviews #instagram #follow