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Filling the Resume Gap with Internships (and Other Activities)

If you are changing careers, an internship can offer you an entry way to an industry, first-hand exposure to the pace and culture of an office, and a real opportunity to add value to an organization. You can then demonstrate your contributions, not just your potential, during interviews for an open position. Interns are also often a feeder for open positions and have insider knowledge of jobs before they are posted – or access to the “hidden job market.”

If you are between jobs, an internship can mitigate long gaps in your resume and show prospective employers that you are not just sitting around waiting for something to happen. You’re keeping active and engaged and developing skills and relationships along the way.

Find internships by visiting the “Career Opportunities” sections of employers of interest. Many companies have structured summer internship programs with fall recruitment periods so you will want to stay on top of deadlines. Others are looking for a single intern here or there throughout the year. It’s worth shooting a short and professional note via email (usually found on the “Contact Us” section of the website) to an HR representative asking for details on internship opportunities. You can also browse Intern Web for ideas. If taking an unpaid and/or full-time internship is not feasible, you may consider volunteering to gain relevant work experience. Check out Idealist, NYC Service, and Volunteer Match for opportunities in your area.

Lastly, “upskilling” is another great way to show employers that you are brushing up on your skills or learning new ones during your job search. You might consider a Metrix Learning license from Workforce1. This online training system gives you free, unlimited access to over 5,000 vocational courses, including preparation for certification exams, for a six-month period. To get started, click here to learn more about the application process and click here to apply for your own Metrix Learning license. You may also be interested in Microsoft Office tutorials, public speaking seminars, and workshops hosted by professional associations (often highlighted on the Workforce1 Citywide Calendar).

The important thing is to continue to make yourself a more competitive candidate during your search. When the right position comes along, you will be poised to talk about your “gap” in a positive way.

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How Searchable Are You?

That means creating and keeping your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, blog, and other social networking profiles relevant and up-to-date, but also professional. A widely touted statistic is that over 70% of hiring managers have turned down job applicants based on what they found online whereas only 7% of job applicants are concerned about their online reputations. You need to be online to be found by 21st century recruiters, but the content has equal potential to sell or deter your dream company from pursuing you for the job. 

Here are some social networking tips that will get you noticed for all of the right reasons:

Complete your profile. Not only are you selling yourself short by omitting key personal and professional information, recruiters are 40 times more likely to click on a complete profile. Sites like LinkedIn tell you how complete your profile is on a 0-100% scale.

Keep your posts current and consistent. Your internet presence is a living resume. Make sure that your profiles look the same across mediums and reflect your actual professional situation.

Know your audience and check your privacy settings. As we all know, the internet is a public forum and what you post can follow you indefinitely. Make sure you know what people see when they look you up and maintain professional decorum when you open your sites up for broader viewing.

Share your accomplishments and new content. You want to have a lure to your sites, whether or not a job opportunity is on the other end. Post relevant articles, blogs, or videos that you’ve created or learned from. Remember – more is not always better here. Make sure all of your interactions online enhance your overall profile.

Remain (inter)active. This means connecting to new people, companies, and groups of interest and thoughtfully contributing to conversation threads. Before you start posting, check out the style and format of previous contributors to guide your communications. Also, monitor how much of your activity is simply commenting on online activity, as opposed to communicating; you want to make sure that your networking is interactive.   

Check your spelling and grammar. When using the internet for social purposes, there is a tendency to hold ourselves to lax grammatical rules. Be careful to avoid mistakes and abbreviations.

Include (some) industry buzzwords. Make sure you pop up when a recruiter does a key word search. Make sure you know what major skills or technology needs companies in your field of interest require and indicate that you meet these on your resume and profiles.

Don’t spend all of your time online. A couple of posts on any given social media tool a week should be sufficient. Your social networking should supplement, not supplant, you other job search activities. Drop social media sites that you don’t think you will be able to update regularly.

Don’t connect with everyone. It’s important to be calculating – a few quality connections and interactions will have the most impact!

For more information like this (and support in creating your profiles), sign up for  Organizing Your Job Search Workshop Series at the South Shore Workforce1 Career Center. Over two weeks, you’ll gain the tools and strategies necessary to map your career path, organize and perform an effective, independent job search, build your own social media profile and a network of peers for continued support, and interview with a Workforce1 staff member for available job opportunities in your field of interest.

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Veteran Entrepreneur

The conventional wisdom is that veterans are more entrepreneurial than their non-military peers.

The wisdom also plays out in the statistics. Veterans are at least 45% more likely to be self-employed and (typically) outpace their non-military peers in startup rates and profits. Recent reductions in new veteran entrepreneurship over decade long highs (a 12% to 6% drop last year) are thought to be a result of an aging veteran workforce and lack of information on new venture support and incentives.

What this means is that veterans with great ideas are well poised for entrepreneurship and stand to earn profits well beyond the national average, but may not be taking the leap.  

That’s why, in addition to highlighting private sector opportunities, Workforce1 will support your efforts toward self-employment. We’ll bring you the latest information on entrepreneurship programs, support services, tax benefits, and other incentives that make it easier for you to become your own boss.

For example, the Citi Salutes: Realizing Your Dream Business Competition will award 10 veteran finalists with fantastic business plans from the Operation Boots to Business and  Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) programs with over $130,000 in prizes. These programs are just a few of the veteran-focused entrepreneurship programs, including those targeted at recently returning, female, disabled, and National Guard/Reserve components, run in partnership by the Institute of Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

You should also check out NYC Business Solutions and the Workforce1 Veterans Resource Guide for additional entrepreneurship tips. NYC Business Solutions helps business start, operate, and expand. Visit one of seven locations, many of which are co-located with Workforce1, in all five boroughs for the following set of business supporting services: Business Courses; Legal Assistance; Financing Assistance; Incentives; Navigating Government; Recruitment; Training; Selling to Government; and Minority and Women-Owned Business Certifications.

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