(Editor’s Note: with many graduates looking for jobs, perhaps this comment from a professional resume service might be of help. The author may be reached at http://resumenlite.com or by phone at (770) 771-2865.—eeb.)
By Sha Von Johnson, Duluth, Ga. | There’s a lot of chatter on the Internet and around the office that many millennials simply aren’t up to snuff. Whether or not this is true, of course, is up for debate.
Sha Von Johnson
When it comes to basic knowledge of resume presentation and interviewing skills, however, many people are behind the curve. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise; many students have never held a professional job or been through a professional interview. Yet, a lack of preparation and the right skills can make it difficult for recent graduates and students to get their career started.
I am a Gwinnett entrepreneur and am looking to help recent graduates and others in preparing them for an interview, and with a resume. I have had a successful career teaching and directing various programs helping college students prepare for joining the labor force by providing skills-based training. Interviewing and structuring resumes for a position comes with a whole set of challenges and expectations many students may simply not be familiar with. I help them get prepared.
In 2013, I launched N.Liten Resume Services in hopes to develop a personal growth and development program. The goal is to “be a resource that can assist college students and/or graduates achieve success in today’s competitive economic environment.”
Mind you, landing a job and building a successful career is not about being perfect. Being able to admit mistakes and weaknesses is a highly desirable trait, especially for young employees.
When you can be open to reflect on what you need to focus on to be better, that reads to me that you’re coachable. When you are in that mind set you are ready to achieve great heights!
For young interviewees, learning how to tell a story is perhaps the most vital interview skill they can develop. Potential employers need to be convinced that they have the perfect candidate for their opening right in front of them. This comes down to being able to tell a compelling story that outlines the candidate’s experience and skills, as well as who they are as a person and why they’d make such a great employee.
People from divergent backgrounds simply lack story telling skills. Job interviews, after all, are all about selling yourself. That’s why I have developed a one hour workshop to teach students precisely how to tell a compelling story.
This summer, I plan to add five interns. While in some companies, interns who make copies of paperwork or do mindless work, I am looking to provide genuine, professional experience. My interns receive a crash course on search engine optimization and inbound marketing strategies, as well as hands on experience with business operations. These interns will also learn project management, competitor analysis, and how to create marketing content, such as newsletters.
By providing students with direct, hands on experience, I can help students learn skills that are very relevant in today’s job market. Sometimes young graduates have trouble figuring out how to leverage their degrees to secure a job, but by learning tech skills, and online marketing strategies, they will make themselves more desirable candidates.
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