School of Chemical Sciences Recruiting Workshop

1. The Job Search &
Beyond
How to Get & Keep the Job You
Love

2. Career Counseling & Placement Services…
How Can We Help?
 SCS Symplicity Online Registration &
Referral System
 Résumé/CV & Cover Letter Critiques
 Mock Interview Program
 Individualized Employment Advising
 Offer Evaluation & Negotiation

3. Building a Better Résumé
 A bad résumé may keep you from getting a job, but a good
résumé will NOT get you a job
 There is no perfect format: Make sure it sells you and fits the job
 Do…
 Be brief and relevant
 Proofread!
 Make it professional
 Ensure consistency!
 Use action verbs in list format
 Don’t…
 Use photographs
 Put in a binder/folder/fold/staple/paperclip
 Include salary info, supervisor’s names, reasons for leaving jobs,
personal opinions, or any personal information
 Use abbreviations or clichés
 EVER send without a cover letter

4. Building a Better Cover Letter
 Use the same look as your résumé
 Write in block, business letter format
 Never address a Cover Letter “To Whom it May
Concern”
 The dreaded Personnel Department…
 It is crucial to have someone else look it over
 Keep it short & sweet…to the point, 3-4
paragraphs only
 Do personalize your letter…

5. Networking
 How connected are you?
 Networking (50%)
 Direct mail campaigns (25%)
 On & off campus recruiting (20%)
 Classifieds & employment agencies (less than 7%)
 Contact everyone you know & talk with them
and ask them to let anyone who knows anyone
know you’re searching
 Participate in online networking!
 Join - & get involved in - professional
organizations

6. Networking Tips
 Keep contact information up-to-date online
 Go to them, be prepared
 Build connected relationships
 Remember reciprocity
 Follow-through on leads
 Stay in touch before & during job search

7. Where to Look –
Be Positive & Proactive
 Networking will probably prove to be one of the most
important resources
 Faculty Members
 Alumni/ae (LinkedIn: School of Chemical Sciences Networking)
 Contacts made through professional associations
 Periodicals & professional journals
 Contact organizations directly…If you have a particular
organization in mind you think would be great to work for,
check out their web site to see if they list openings online. If
not, contact the organization to learn more about the hiring
process, including where one might find out about openings
 Web Resources…ACS Career Services is great!
 www.chemistry.org

8. Job Search Tips
 Planning and preparation are crucial every step of the way…taking
extra time at the beginning to prepare and to establish career goals
will bring your job search process to an end more quickly.
 If you do not currently have one, be sure you get an answering
machine or a voice mail system – and make the message a
professional-sounding one.
 Have a verbal summary of your background, achievements, and
career interests prepared to facilitate your networking and
interviewing.
 For each step of the process, learn what will happen next before it
does. Be prepared for each step to show initiative and foresight.
 Others that have worked for you?

9. Dress for Success
 Wear a suit
 Details are important too
 Shoes/socks, accessories and ties
 Hair, make-up, nails
 Apparel perils
 Party clothes are not work clothes
 Leave the ‘flash’ for the weekend
 Business casual is not as casual as you think!

10. So, What is Business Casual?
 Men
 Charcoal pants, a white oxford button down shirt, a quality
pair of casual shoes
 A banded-collar shirt with blazers and vests
 Women
 Casual dresses/skirts or nice dress slacks with blouses
 Avoid t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps,
sunglasses on your head, sneakers, and flip-flops

11. Just How Important is the Interview?
 A recent study showed that: The better a
student interviews, the more positively he
or she will be perceived by the recruiter,
even after considering the quality of the
resume.
 Interviewing skills first…background and
experience gave minimal advantage

12. Interview Advice from Employers
 Be prepared to ‘sell’ yourself & demonstrate ‘fit’
 Know yourself, know what you want & why
 Show enthusiasm & genuine interest
 Research the organization, department, & position!
 Be rested
 Come prepared with questions
 Be professional
 Visit the organization prior to the interview
 Practice, role play, do mock interviews
 Go over sample questions
 Watch nonverbals

13. Time for the Interview
(The Basics)
 Research the employer & know yourself
 Well-groomed, well-prepared (copy of résumé)
 Be punctual
 Be POSITIVE
 Practice your handshake
 Nonverbals: Controlled energy, eye contact, smile,
posture, vocal variance & articulation
 Be genuinely interested…First impressions!
 No cell phones, gum, food/drink

14. Time for the Interview
(Intermediate)
 Know how to “control” the interview…just a
conversation
 Answer the question being asked; ask for
clarification if you need it…use specific examples to
answer questions
 Review sample interview questions
 Have questions prepared to ask them (but don’t ask
about salary, or benefits, or any ‘what’s in this for
me’ questions)

15. Time for the Interview
(Advanced)
 Communication Styles…match the employer
 Paraphrase
 Mimic style…results-oriented vs. analytical vs. detailed
 Behavioral Interviewing
 On-Site Interviews
 Illegal Questions
 Closing

16. Don’t Forget the Follow-Up
 Review the interview
 Send a thank you note!!!
 Call regarding the status of the process
 Always maintain positive relations
 Practice, review, practice, review

17. Site Visits
 Preparation
 Set a date
 Practice and organize
 Get plenty of rest!
 Travel
 Reimbursement & receipts
 Be prepared for the worst
 Obtain off-hours contact info./number prior to trip
 Follow-up
 Keep notes (contacts, info., facilities, benefits, overall)

18. Site Visits
 Schedule of the Day
 Typically, arrive night before & leave at end of
day (at least 6-7 hours ‘on’)
 Hosts take to various meetings
 Presenting research
 Eating
 Plant tours (attire)
 Human Resources

19. So, You Think You Have What it
Takes?
 Job searching is a full-time job
 Remember the 4 ‘Ps’
 Preparation
 Practice
 Patience (on average, at LEAST 6 months of
ACTIVE searching)
 Perseverance

20. THE FIRST YEAR
ON THE JOB…

21. Top Employer Complaints
 Lack of motivation & poor work ethic
 Not showing up on time
 No management ability or leadership skills
 Poor communication skills
 Not honest or consistent with words/actions (integrity)
 Poor organizational skills
 Low problem solving abilities
 Lack of teamwork/team attitude
 Low creativity and initiative
 Poor technical skills

22. What Do They WANTWANT from Me?
Unfortunately, the skills you learned to be successful in school and the behaviors for
which you were rewarded are rarely the ones you’ll need to be successful at work!
 1st
impressions are vital to your success
 Future salary $$$, advancement, personal job satisfaction
 Employers know you have the talent & ability (they hired you!), but
 You actually need to prove you have the…
 Willingness and ability to learn new things
 Ability to fit in to the culture
 Knowledge of organizational & departmental politics (& ability to play the
game)
 Relationship building skills
 Your goals for the first year must include more than just
productivity; they should include gaining acceptance, respect, and
credibility.

23. The Ten Steps
 Adopt the right attitudes
 Humility, ability to learn, adaptability, open mind, flexibility, work
ethic, optimism, goal setting
 Adjust your expectations…the first year is always hard
 Master breaking-in skills (again, NETWORKING) more
than job description skills
 Build effective relationships…1st
impressions
 Become a good follower
 Make your boss look good…information, consistency, availability
 Know your boss (and his/her agenda) and help promote it

24. The Ten Steps
 Understand the organization's culture and politics
 Develop organizational savvy
 Understand your new-hire role (pay your dues & don’t
take it personally)
 Develop work ethics & abilities
 After all that, THEN master the tasks in your job
description
 Acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities for advancement

25. Transitions…
Remember that it is your responsibility to
make your transition to work a success, not
your employer’s.
The good ones will help you, but it’s your
career.

26. Career Counseling & Placement
Services
School of Chemical Sciences
105 Noyes Lab
217-333-1050
http://careers.scs.illinois.edu/
plblum@illinois.edu
Hours:
Monday-Friday
8:00 AM-12:00PM &
1:00PM-5:00PM