Evidently the simplest of things can keep you from not only a job, but a career as well.  Sara Moore is a career counselor and Personal Growth professor at San Diego Mesa College.  As well as other advisors, Moore offers counseling in the Career Center located in the Modular Village (MV 20). Throughout February Moore has organized workshops involving the art of résumés and the interview process.

“Employers look for spelling mistakes. I was at a conference and every employer on the panel said that they go through each résumé and they look for spelling and grammar errors, and the minute they find one they throw them away!” Moore said.

According to Moore, applicant’s importance level is represented by the résumé. Résumés should look professional and well organized. The same resumé shouldn’t be sent to every employer that the applicant wishes to be hired by.

“Tailor your résumé to the specific job that you want by researching the job and the company,” Moore said, “whatever the requirements are for the position, make sure that is listed on your resume.”

Moore continued to state that potential employees should look up the website for the company they desire for employment and use key language viewed there on their résumés.
Lack of experience or preferred requirements are an issue for a lot of students. Some students may want to work at a fast-food restaurant or clothing store but might not have experience in the particular field.

“Do something now that is related that transfers in some way like an internship or volunteering somewhere…A lot of times students may have more knowledge than experience in a specific field but they may not realize it. They should express this knowledge during the interview,” Moore said.

Moore believes that a lot of students subconsciously undermine their own future.

“If the job requires you to sell things but you think you don’t possess the personality of a salesman, then don’t overly pursue it. You can either learn the qualities of bartering or you can look for a job that suits your abilities,” Moore said.

Moore also said that “the résumé decides your interview, and your interview decides your hiring potential.”

Keys to acing the interview are preparation, professional attire, and knowledge of the company. One underestimated quality of the interview process is confidence.

“Research yourself and ask what skills do I have? What are the qualifications? And does it match with my skill-set? After you know the answer about these things, you become confident in your knowledge and in your approach,” Moore said.

Confidence can be found in eye contact, a handshake, and even the tone of voice. These things helped to establish confidence as well as presence.

“These actions say that ‘I’m here! and I’m ready!” Moore said.

One thing that was stressed during the conversation with Ms. Moore was that potential employees should always do their homework and research the companies they’re applying to. During the interview, if you want to ask questions, they should pertain to things you couldn’t easily find on the internet.

Students should not be discouraged if an interview didn’t go too well, as it is quite common.

“…Dust yourself off and move on. You’re going to hear ‘no’ more than you hear ‘yes’. It’s just the name of the game. Take what you can from it and learn from the experience,” Moore said.
For more tips and information on upcoming workshops, visit the Career Center at MV-20 of the Modular Village.