The Best Career Tips for New Grads

The Best Career Tips for New GradsThe Best Career Tips for New GradsWhile a diploma certainly enhances a new graduates resume, it doesnt guarantee that they will be readily able to find employment. Here are some tips for new graduates as they enter the job market and search for the ideal animal career opportunity. Realize that Your Degree May Only Indirectly Relate to Your Ultimate Career Path You might have achieved a degree that would logically lead to employment in one particular field, but your skills may be readily transferable to aleidher field that offers many mora job opportunities. For example, a veterinary technician diploma might lead a candidate to a position in the veterinary pharmaceutical sales arena, rather than a traditional clinic-based support role. Consider Taking a Starter Job If you can gain valuable skills and practical experience, it may be worth taking a job that isnt exactly what youre looking for but will better prepare you for the position you desi re. A commitment of one to two years may result in greatly enhanced prospects when you re-enter the job market. Just be sure not to develop a pattern of short-term commitments so that you wont be branded with the dreaded job hopper label. Find an Internship or Volunteer Opportunity If you cant find a position right away, consider looking for an internship or volunteer opportunity. There are many internship opportunities for those interested in zoo careers, wildlife careers, equine careers, animal nutrition careers, marine animal careers, veterinary careers, and many other fields of interest. These opportunities can be found through online searches, the career center at your educational institution, or by sending direct inquiries to businesses you are interested in. Internships allow a candidate the opportunity to develop practical skills, put their education into practice, and interact with professionals in their field of interest. Internships also function as great networking o pportunities and resume enhancers. If your dream employer offers internship opportunities, you should definitely consider looking into those options. Getting your foot in the door can lead to a full-time position down the road. Expand Your Online Job Search Be sure to include both the larger internet job search sites and the smaller niche sites (such as sites that focus on equine or veterinary related careers) in your online job search. Dont forget about utilizing social media sites to maximize your online presence. Network Social media networking is a good way to let friends and associates know about your job hunt, and you never know where a great job lead will come from. Popular social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can connect you with friends that could provide referrals or advise you about a job that hasnt yet been advertised to the general public. It is also important to communicate with any industry professionals that you may know. For exampl e, a candidate seeking a position in the equine industry might let their farrier, veterinarian, or riding instructor know that they are actively looking for work. Colleges and universities almost always have career planning resources available to their graduates. Many educational institutions are willing to provide lists of prior graduates that have gone on to work in your desired industry or a closely related area, so be sure to leverage your colleges alumni contacts. Also be sure to ask professors and advisors if they can connect you with successful former students, professional colleagues, or business contacts. Consider Relocation If you are geographically mobile, which is the case for many new graduates, consider applying to jobs in an area that has more opportunities than your current location. For example, those seeking an equine position might find more opportunities in an area known for producing horses, such as Ocala or Lexington. Revamp Your Resume If your resume a nd cover letter arent generating any interest, consider revamping both documents. There are many resume examples available online which can be found with a quick search. Your local library is also likely to have dozens of books on resume writing. Many educational institutions give their students and graduates access to a career planning center, which often includes a service where they will look over a resume and provide helpful tips for improvement. If this service is available you should definitely take them up on it If it is not available, consider asking your professors, advisors, and local professionals to look over your resume and give you any tips that they can. Some public libraries also offer career planning classes.

18 Interview Questions that are Fun to Answer

18 Interview Questions that are Fun to Answer18 Interview Questions that are Fun to Answer There are so many ways to prepare for an interview and set yourself up for success. A quick Glassdoor search will find you the internets most common situational and behavioral interview questions . You can write up your answers following the S.T.A.R. method . You can sit with a rekrutierer to mock interview for hours. With the growing volume of candidates applying for jobs (up to 1000 people sometimes for even an internship position), the high cost of turnover, and the war for great talent, recruitment teams are doing whatever they can to separate the best candidates from the best-practiced candidates. Sometimes, this means throwing a hilarious curveball question your way. To get some real-time data on whats really going on in interviews, I took to social media platforms to ask, Whats the most fun question youve ever been asked in an interview? Here are real, true responses from professionals across industries around the worldSo what really is the point of asking questions that have no objectively correct answer? In short, hiring managers want to binnensee what youre like unscripted. While they can easily assess your skills by examining your past projects and experiences, it can be challenging to get to know you as a person and get a sense of your compatibility with a team. Since the rest of an interview can be fairly easy for to prepare for, organizations want to see how you think through problems and approach abstract situations. For example in question 7, How do you fit a giraffe in a fridge?, asking questions like What kind of fridge, or What age is the giraffe, would show the interviewer that youre able to connect concepts and ideas, and think outside the box. Is there a great deal of validity to this method? Probably not. However, this is a great opportunity for you show the hiring managers just how funny, cool, and creative you can be. The wors t thing you can do in a situation like this is to respond by saying I dont know or by getting flustered. The next time you hear one of these questions, rather than freak out over the absurdity, take a beat, think logically, and remember that there is no right or wrong answer, only an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

Managers Who Retaliate Can Lose Their Jobs

Managers Who Retaliate Can Lose Their JobsManagers Who Retaliate Can Lose Their JobsRetaliation is an act of revenge or reprisal. Retaliation among friends means getting even because someone flirted with your boyfriend- which is not all that serious. But, retaliation in employment and the world of Human Resources has a much more specific meaning and connotation. In connection with charges of discrimination, retaliation is a serious issue for employers. What the EEOC Says All of the laws that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces make it illegal to fire, demote, harass, or otherwise retaliate against either job applicants or employees if the employee or applicant filed a charge of discriminationcomplained to their employer or another covered entity about discrimination on the jobparticipated in an employment discrimination proceeding, such as an investigation or a lawsuit The law forbids retaliation when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hi ring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, transfers or lateral moves, layoffs, training, benefits, and any other terms or conditions of employment. A Complaining Employee Is Protected, Whether their Claim Is True or False An employee or applicant is protected by law from retaliation whether his or her charges are proven true or false. This is to preserve and protect their rights and to encourage employees or applicants who experience discrimination (or retaliation) to come forward and report it. Retaliation can be stealthy and difficult to witness and document. Therefore, it is the obligation of the employer to regularly follow up with any applicant or employee who might face retaliation as a result of the reasons stated above. The employer would be wise to document the regular follow-up and any charges of retaliation that are reported or witnessed as a result. Employers must investigate a charge of retaliation, and even a rumor of retaliation, and document the investigati on, its findings, and any disciplinary action that resulted. Following the investigation, the employer still has the obligation to continue to follow up to ensure that retaliation is not occurring. This followup can tax an employers resources because talking to a complaining employee may not be enough. It is the employers responsibility to also examine the environment in which the employee is working. Retaliation Example A manager is charged with scheduling all employees to work shifts. Employee schedule requests are honored by the manager when she or he can accommodate them. In one case, Steve complained to HR that the requests of black employees are considered last, if at all. He feels that he and other employees of color receive the poorest schedules and that their work-life needs are not considered. HR investigates his complaint and concludes that the manager appears to favor white employees in scheduling per their requests. HR interviews other black and Hispanic employees w ho agree with Steve and can find no employees who disagree. The employees are not informed of the outcome of their complaint because of employee confidentiality, but the manager is counseled and warned by his immediate manager and HR. Letters are distribution policyd in the managers personnel file and the manager understands that further discriminatory actions will result in progressive discipline that will include termination. His manager and HR attempt to place him in another area of the organization, but nothing at his level is available. So, with severe warnings about his future behavior, he returns to his management position with scheduling responsibility. A month later, Steve returns to HR with a further complaint. The manager has changed his behavior toward all non-white employees except him. Steve continues to experience discriminatory behavior and the manager has taken his behavior a step further. Steve believes the manager goes out of his way to make sure that he has the w orst schedule. Additionally, he now treats him with disdain, fails to respond to his written requests, ignores him in the office, and has discussed him with other managers. Coworkers have kept him informed of what they hear. Steve charges the manager with retaliation for his report of discrimination. Another investigation is pursued by HR and the managers employment is eventually terminated as a result. HR and the organization again responded appropriately to the employees charges. In this day and age of rapidly rising discrimination lawsuits, it behooves an employer to cover all bases with wisdom, understanding, and ethical behavior. When an employee charges a manager with discrimination and then retaliates to punish the employee, HR is legally obligated to officially and thoroughly investigate the charges. While not all poor managerial behavior amounts to discrimination or retaliation, managers have been known to harass and treat employees unfairly.