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West Career Week 2014
Contact Information:
Kathryn Scahill, Associate Director of Career Coaching
Phone602.557.9192kathryn.scahill@apollo.edu
Laura Lee, Career/Alumni Services Manager
p 602.429.1110|f623.444.1366|toll free 866.948.4636
e laura.lee@west.edu|west.edu

How To Gain Relevant ExperienceIt’s the classic Catch-22; you need experience to get a job, but need the job to get experience

Options
•Academic projects
•Job Shadowing
•Internships
•Externships
•Volunteer Work/Community Service
•Effective job searching
•Interview tactics

Academics
•Papers
•Group or individual projects
•Student Associations/Clubs
•Highlight coursework

Job Shadowing
–Spend time with someone in their workplace
–Get a strong sense of day to day responsibilities
–Not possible in all settings, due to any security or privacy restrictions
–Good way to “road test” careers
–Excellent way to build your network
–Can shadow multiple careers and professionals

•Set clear expectations.
–Perhaps you perform some work activities alongside the employee.
–Maybe you can communicate with him or her without interrupting workflow.
–If job duties that require a higher level of skill or concentration, you have to be more of a “fly on the wall.”
–Find out beforehand what is most appropriate.
•Prepare meaningful questions.
–Create questions to ask that will help you determine whether or not the job is a good fit for you.
•Be professional.
–Dress as if you were going to an interview. You are evaluating this person’s job; they could be evaluating you!
•Be observant.
–Bring a pen and notepad to take notes (just ask first). Make note of anything that can help you determine your future in that particular career.
•Be courteous.
–Be punctual, show interest, and be thankful. If possible, offer to take the person to lunch to show your gratitude.
•Send a thank you note.

Internships
•Generally done while still in school
•May require 3 months duration or longer
•Can be full or part time
•More in-depth exposure to career paths
•Help strengthen your resume
•Can be paid or unpaid
•Use sites such as West’s Internships.com, professional organizations, or company websites

Externships
•Shorter duration –a few weeks or longer
•Less structured
•May involve project or short-term need
•Less popular than internships
•May require more self-marketing to obtain
•Outreach to employers via email and phone calls
•Take as next step after job shadow
•Leverage networking and professional organizations

Volunteer Work/Community Service
•Most flexible option
•Great way to network
•Can be short or long term
•Look in areas of career interest
•Possible to engage in more than one project or service
•Not available in all career fields, but think of career paths
•Excellent resume enhancer

Effective Job Searching
•Once you have gained some experience, it’s time to begin searching for and applying to positions of interest
•Do your research
–Know as much as you can about the industry, company and career path
•Depending on your degree and experience level, search for jobs that most closely fityour qualifications

•Read job descriptions carefully
–Apply to jobs that you meet 75% of requirements
–Make sure your resume targets job
•Employers are looking for best fit, but not an exact match
–Overqualified = applying for jobs with degree less that yours or require fewer years of experience
–Underqualified = you do not meet the minimum requirements, such a degree or experience

•Write compelling cover letters
–Explain how you fit job requirements
–Do not reference skills or experience you do not have, keep it positive!
•Prepare for the interview
–Practice sample interview questions using the West OptimalResumeTMonline interview module
–Think ahead to how to answer more challenging questions

At the Interview
•Ask for a chance
•If you were offered an interview, the employer has seen your resume
•If the statement “you don’t have enough experience” is made, explain that you know you can learn the skills needed to succeed
•Express enthusiasm and drive
•Highlight your education and transferrable skills

How to Market Yourself
•I think I would be a great fit for this job, and know I can learn what I need to succeed in this role.
•I am a fast learner, and know I can ramp up very quickly. I just need an employer like you to give me the opportunity.
•It seems I need to have experience to get experience, but I would love the opportunity to start my career here. I know I have a lot to learn, but I am excited about it, and believe I can exceed your expectations.
•I may not have a lot of experience in marketing, but through my coursework, projects and volunteering, I learned a great deal about effective strategies, and know that I could apply that knowledge to this position.

Resources
•West Career Resource’s (my.west.edu or west.edu/alumni)
•Internships.com
•Volunteermatch.org
•www.unitedway.org
•Jobshadow.com
•LinkedIn.com
•Chamber of Commerce
•Professional Associations
–http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
–www.weddles.com/associations/

Questions? Laura Lee, Career/Alumni Services Managerp 602.429.1110|f623.444.1366|toll free 866.948.4636 e laura.lee@west.edu|west.eduKathryn Scahill, Associate Director of Career Coaching p 602.557.9192e kathryn.scahill@apollo.edu

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How to Gain Relevant Experience - West Career Week 2014

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