MKTG 347/Week 8: 4 Things to Remember During an Interview

After sending out hundreds of resumes you finally get a call back for a interview. Maybe you're excited, or maybe you're a nervous wreck. Whether you think you have the interview in the bag, or are too nervous to function properly, there are some tips you should remember before diving into the interview.

Do research: Don't just wing it and think that you'll just figure out it when you get there. Before going to the interview do some research on the company and position you have applied for. Simply Google them for some background information and take the time to read the About Us section on their website. Doing research will allow you to throw out some facts about the company that interest you and that will impress the employer.

Be prepared for Questions: Whether you have ever been to an interview before or not, there are some common questions that you should be able to answer. Some of these questions include:
"Tell me about yourself?"
"Why are you applying for this job?"
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"What are your strengths?"

Preparing before will help you easily answer common questions and not get caught with nothing to say or a rambling answer.

It is also important to ask the person interviewing you questions. If you say you don't have any questions at the end of the interview it may come across like you do not care to know more about the company or what the job entails. So, some common questions for you to ask employers include:
"What are some of the company values?"
"What future changes do you see in the work here?"
"What characterizes a successful employee at this company?"

Be aware of the small things: Not all employers are going to like you, and it could be for a reason as simple as you wore too much perfume to the interview. So, it is important to look out for the small things that could affect your chances of getting called back for another interview. Some things to be aware of include:
-Your appearance
-Lack of self-confidence
-Nervous mannerisms
-Your values

Know the skills: Be aware of the skills that employer is looking for in a job candidate. Most are looking for someone who is:
-Punctual
-Dependable
-Has a good attitude
-Energetic/enthusiastic/driven
-Able to use language effectively
-Committed
-Flexible

Your resume is what landed you the interview, and the interview is where you need to sell yourself. In order to make the interviewing process successful, you should remember and practice some of the tips mentioned above.

MKTG 347/Week 7: Social Media Personal Branding

When attempting to find a job, personal branding plays a major factor. Throughout the job hunt you are trying to showcase your best qualities so that potential employers will take an interest in you. Many of us already practice selling ourselves by making our resumes as professional and impressive as possible, and try our best to make a lasting impression if an interview is granted, but there are other ways to promote yourself and this starts with personal branding through social media.

Have a Clean Social Media Presence:Employers can easily search the web and be able to check out applicants social media accounts. According to a social media recruitment study done by CareerBuilder, in 2015, 52 percent of employers used the social media platforms to research their applicants. Many employers come across bad mouthing other employees, inappropriate language and pictures, bad grammar, and discriminatory remarks, which causes the employee to no longer be consider. So, it is important to make sure you have a clean social media presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. 

Once you have a clean social media presences, there are ways to utilize social media platforms to create your personal brand. The way to do this is through LinkedIn. Currently, LinkedIn has 350 million users from over 200 countries, so it is a great way to make connections and get your name out to the field you are interested in.

In order to properly build your personal brand, there are a few steps you should follow.

Fill out the entire profile: This includes things as simple as uploading a picture and providing background information about yourself. LinkedIn allows you to post a summary, showcase your skills, and even receive endorsements from others. The more information you have filled out, the better. 

Build connections: Unlike Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is more of a professional networking platform. There are millions of users from countries around the world that you have the ability to connect with by a simple click of a button. In order to find connections, all you need to do is go to "people you may know" tab, or you can run an advanced search and connect with alumni, co-workers, and friends. You can also join groups that you are interested in and make connections through there. 

Be Active: Even if you have a profile that is completely filled in and over 300 connections, that does nothing if you are not active. Like any other social media platform, posting content is expected. So, use your profile to showcase your work, share a blog post, or just start a discussion over a topic that you have an interest in. Read through what others have to say, and comment on their posts to help build your online presence. 

Social media platforms are a great way to build your personal brand, if you use them correctly. So, remember to keep your social media presence clean, and use LinkedIn to showcase your work and stay connected with others. 

MKTG 347/Week 6: The Essence of the Job Hunt

Even as the behavior of job hunting always changes, the essence of job hunting tends to stay the same. In one of my first posts, I mentioned that after the recession in 2008, the job hunting process has changed dramatically. While this is true, it is also true that one aspect has stayed constant, and this is human nature.

During the job hunting process you are trying to get the employers to like you and you decide if you like them. When one lead doesn't workout, you simply move on to the next one. You should keep in mind that the job hunting process is a two way conversation.

"Do you like me?" Even if the answer is yes, that does not mean you should automatically accept the job offer. You must answer the question "Do I like you?" The reason you need to answer this question before you start is because you don't want to be answering it years later when you're thinking about quitting.

Now, you might be thinking, "I'm just trying to get a job, whether I like it or not", but it is important to remember that you are not powerless throughout the job hunting process. Many people have the misconception that they have to take the first job they are offered because there aren't many out there, but there are jobs available.

In the December of 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report known as Job Openings and Labor Turnout Survey(JOLTS). This report showed that during the month of December 5,148,000 people were able to find work. There were also 5,028,00  vacancies that remained unfilled.

So, even though the behavior of job hunting is constantly changing the essence of the hunt tends to stay the same. There are open positions available and as long as you stay aware that the process is a two way conversation, you will eventually find your desired job.

MKTG 347/Week 5: Facebook Pages

By now, most people are aware of Facebook and how it works. Some use the site for personal uses while others use it as a marketing tool. Facebook is one of the many ways to market your business and there are different approaches that you can take.  For instance, you can pay for an ad campaign, or you can create a promotional page.

It is fairly simple to create a Facebook page for your business, and unlike the ad campaign, it is free. There are pre-designed templates to choose from based on different categories. For instance, when you get started, Facebook will ask if your page is for a business, company, brand, artist, entertainment, or a cause.

Once you pick the template you want for your page, you are asked to fill in other information such as the name of your company or brand, uploading a profile picture, and what your page is about. You can also customize your page reach to certain demographics. So, if you want people from the United States and Canada who are in their mid twenties to see your page, you can add that in.

After you have your page up and running, you should be posting and  sharing content on a regular basis. Just for the experience, I made a Facebook page to promote my marketing blog. After setting up the page and placing a direct link to my blog, I shared one of my blog posts and asked people to go check it out.

Even though it was free to create the page, Facebook offers ways to promote the page by getting more likes. This is called a boost and the price starts at $5. So, it is important to be aware that even though the page was free, additional marketing techniques do cost money.

Facebook is an inexpensive way to promote your company and gain some exposure through social media. Although some features do entail a fee, there are many free features, such as creating a Facebook page, that you can utilize.

MKTG 347/Week 4: Content Skills

When you want to know a little about tea cup piglets, you turn to Google to find some helpful articles, pictures, and information, but did you ever stop to think where that information, or content as we will call it, came from? Some of the content is from professional websites, but others are from personal blogs. When it comes to social media content, there are three types of content that are important to familiarize yourself with include curation, creation, and collaboration.

Whether you are generating your own content, or sharing what you find interesting, it is important to have some type of content to boost your social media presence. In order to develop social media marketing as a skill, there are a few steps to take to get started.

Start a Blog: An easy way to create a blog is to make one using blogger.com. All you need is a Gmail account and you can get started. Even if writing isn't your strong suit, try it out. It is important to remember to blog on a regular basis. After writing a new post, share the link on social media sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn so that people become aware of the content you are producing.

Create a Website: If you are working for a company, trying to show off your portfolio, or starting a new project, having a website would be useful. There are a number of websites that allow you to create your own webpage. Wordpress and Google Site are two of the websites that offer free versions with various templates to get started. So, even if you don't have technical skills it is still possible to create your own site to display your work.

Make/Edit Video: Even if you have never had any prior experience with creating or editing videos, it is fairly simple to get started. All you need is an iPhone, iPod, or any smart phone with video capabilities to begin. Great content can be created even with a simple device. Once you have some videos, you can add them to YouTube where you can experiment with some simple edits to gain some experience.

When it comes to social media marketing, content is extremely important. Whether you share someone else's content or create your own, there are multiple ways to get that content out to others and expand your social media presence and skills.

MKTG 347/Week 3: Resume Tips

The way job hunters should send out their resumes has changes. Now, everything is online. Within seconds a potential employer can type your name into Google and see the good and the bad. , Google is your new resume, so it is important to be cautious and aware of the information you put out there.

Having Google as your resume can be a great tool, but if you do not know how to utilize it properly, it can harm your chances of landing a job.

Before spamming the internet with your actually resume, make sure to:
-Edit the information already out there
-Fill-In sites such as LinkedIn
-Expand your presence(blogging would be a great way to start)
-Add your resume to the online world

When you send out your resume you want it to be the best it can possibly be. So before adding your resume online for everyone to see, take the time to think about your skills and experiences that will make your resume stand out from the others.

Some categories to think about and mention include:

• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Computer Skills
• Management
• Responsibility
• Memberships
• Published/Presented work

Once you have your resume perfected, think about where you want to post it because that does make a difference.Most employers don't want to go through more resumes than they need to, but when they post vacancies online hundreds of people can respond.

For instance, a typical employer has to look through 219 resumes if they post the vacancy on a job-board like CareerBuilder.com. On LinkedIn employees usually go through 116 resumes, so you have a better chance at getting looked at on LinkedIn than some job-boards.

Being aware of where your posting information and what you are posting will help you throughout the job hunting process. Having a solid resume is essential, but it is just as important to have a clean and updated online presence when employers search for you on Google.