Interview Tips
1.
Your attitude and communication skills show an employer your potential. This is just as important as your technical skills.
2.
Dress for success! Have your interview outfit ready and hung up the night before.
3.
Arrive 10 minutes early. Have plenty of time to reach your destination. If you are early, you can review your notes in the car and practice deep breathing to calm your nerves.
4.
Your resume speaks for itself. Make absolutely sure that both the cover letter and the resume are perfect.
5.
Bring a brochure from your college which describes the courses in your program, technical skills you developed and specialized equipment you may have used.
6.
During the interview, ask questions. This builds interest with the interviewer and shows that you are interested in the company. Research the company prior to the appointment. Visiting a company's web site is essential.
7.
Know the top 3 trends in the Nanoscience industry. This shows your passion for the field and sends the message that you are the type of employee that stays up-to-date.
8.
Multiple interviews are common. It is very normal to have interviews with 4 or more people during a single day and a second interview following at a later date.
9.
"Tell me about yourself." This question is very common and is intended to explore your communication skills, and your response should be related to your education and previous job experiences. Be prepared to speak for several minutes connecting your experiences and skills with the job you are interviewing for.
10.
Review potential questions and practice answering them. This is to assist you before the appointment with common questions that most interviewers ask. Reviewing potential questions helps you to feel more confident and comfortable when answering.
11.
Discuss your internship experience in depth. What skills and equipment did you use? What did you learn?
12.
Always send a Thank You note after the interview. This shows the employer your genuine interest in the position.
Tips for Technical Resumes
- Resumes and cover letters are visual representations that also demonstrate one’s writing skills.
- Include accomplishments – that is what sets people apart.
- Some work experience is good to see – include internships and work study experiences.
- In the cover letter show that you know something about the company, show some sense of direction, some assertiveness, confidence and enthusiasm.
- Target the cover letter – do not use a form letter. Address the letter to an individual and spell the name correctly.
- Do not put your salary requirements on the resume – you could price yourself too high or too low.
- Do not include any personal information such as marital status, age, etc.
- Do not include a picture.
- Try to avoid paragraphs in the resume. Bulleted sentences that start with an action verb are easiest to read.
- You do not need to list every job. Go back approximately 10 years if applicable or list your last three positions.
- Be sure to list volunteer, unpaid, or extra-curricular activities that relate to your goals.
Job Search
Essentials
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Diversify the way you market yourself, whether it's online at job boards, or at social network sites like Twitter or LinkedIn; or offline at job fairs, networking events in your field, or spreading the word to friends. The more ways in which you get the word out that you're looking, the more potential jobs you'll hear about.
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Put positive and branded professional content under your name and Google yourself every day.
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The karma of the job search says, "What goes around, comes around." If you want to receive something, first you must give something. Freely give your time and talent to others. Give without expectation of getting anything back.
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Target your job search and your resume to your specific occupational goals.
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What impression does your email address give to an employer? johndoe@dctc.edu vs. pingpongchamp.2010@dctc.edu.
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Have multiple people review your job search correspondence. You may have spelled a word correctly, but it was not the word you had wanted to use, for example meat vs. meet.
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Use your network to try and get inside information for future openings or current openings. Of course, if you have a LinkedIn profile you will want to ensure your profile is up-to-date and is robust, fully completed, and full of industry keywords that draw attention to your skills and accomplishments. Highlight areas where you can provide added value if you were to be hired.
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While there may be times when the job search will leave you feeling frustrated, don't ever give in to negative feelings or let them derail you from your professional goals! When you're feeling down spend time with a friend or family member who has a positive outlook. The key is to be with someone who is going to reinforce your efforts and give you encouragement and suggestions. This is not the time to be around people who complain or who have a negative outlook.
Learn more about job searching:
Prepare for an Interview:
About.com
Job Interviews and Employment Information
Strategies
- Dedicate your time to building and maintaining relationships. Most people get their jobs through networking rather than formal job postings.
- Instructors, department staff, and your college's career services office are all great resources for job leads.
- Join a professional association. This is a terrific place to network with colleagues and learn about potential job openings. Members may also have access to a listserv with job leads.
- Stay connected with other Nanoscience alumni. Our LinkedIn groups have been designed for this purpose. Your college may also have alumni gatherings or resources.
- When searching online, use keywords that match the job title and where you want to work.
Helpful Links:
Contact companies who have hired Nanotechnology graduates. Request informational Interviews.
Click here Example Job Titles
Meet with a Career Services Specialist from your college who can discuss job search techniques and the steps to successful networking with you.
Click here to Ask the Alumni Network Career Specialist
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