Being a job seeker in this economy is stressful; however being a newbie to the job force brings even more stress!
But rest assured, every professional has been in your shoes and anyone who has held a job has gone through a bad interview or two. It is important to know that it is not the hiring manager who determines if you get that awesome entry level job. It is you!
And while you consider how important it is to take control of your destiny and learn to believe in your future, want to know what you have that tenured professionals do not?
Competing with seasoned professionals can be a daunting task, but make sure you are selling that you are hungry, you’ve got passion, ambition, and in this day and age you are most likely tech savvy. Use all these attributes to your advantage by being ready to articulate why the hiring manager needs someone with those traits on their team.
Lastly, as an entry level candidate it can be assumed you have recently graduated from college; so relate every job you interview to a previous class project, internship, or part time job. You may not have the professional experience, but you DO have relevant experience. For example, describing a specific class project shows teamwork, how you manage others, your creativity, motivation, innovation, and your problem solving skills. Describing an internship will show how you have real hands-on experience and can also show incredible initiative as oftentimes internships are experiential only (i.e. – not paid). And lastly, describing how you balanced that part time job while going to school shows independence as well as incredible time management and organizational skills. Every hiring manager can relate to these types of experiences and will be impressed with your work ethic.
Be sure to check out our article on interviewing tips for entry level candidates!
Written by Jessica Nguyen
Investing in a Lifetime of Success,
Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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