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g
& F
ood
C
Areer
g
uide
if you do the practice, those will shine
through in your interview!
While we are here, let’s just touch
on written communication, since it isn’t
too far down the list. Biggest pet peeves
heard from employers are that
employees write like they text/too casual
and that they choose an electronic form
of communication when a phone call or
in-person conversation would be more
efficient. Know when to take an online
conversation to in-person. Also, take a
writing course or volunteer to write for
your school publication to help enhance
your writing skills. Demonstrate your
good writing skills in your emails back
and forth with the employer throughout
the recruitment process. If appropriate
for the role, take samples of your writing
to the interview.
Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
This is a tough one, because it isn’t that
young professionals do not have
experience in these two areas, it is just
a lack of applicable experience a lot
of times, or so it may seem. Obviously,
internships provide a wonderful growing
opportunity in these two areas. But what
about interviewing for that first
internship when you’ve had little
experience? Don’t worry, you have
experiences from class projects, part-
time jobs, clubs/organizations, etc. You
just need to apply them!
This relates no matter the role, but is
particularly helpful when you have little
experience to draw upon. It isn’t about
the specific problem or outcome – it is
about the process you took to get to
your answer. Rather than just sharing a
situation and what the result was of your
decision, take the interviewer on a quick
journey through your process. How did
you identify the problem? What did you
assess? Did you get input from others?
How many solutions did you consider?
How was the decision ultimately made?
And then, what was the outcome? It is
more about your ability to work through
a problem and make a decision than the
decision itself!
“ADULTING”
We are going to take a break from the
list of skills from the survey and highlight
one that has been coming up more and
more in employer conversations these
days. No, “adulting” is not an official term.
The reference is to young professional’s
inability to keep the personal stuff from
getting tangled and mixed with the
professional stuff. This is a slippery slope
as the line between work life and
personal life has gotten fuzzy, with the
introduction of technology and even
to take care of these needs. Many
employers are more lenient on this, so if
you are questioning, ask your supervisor.
• It is good to build relationships with
co-workers, but until that relationship is
established,
keep the conversations on the
positive side.
Your co-workers don’t need
to know all the serious stuff going on in
your life!
•
If you have a problem with something/
someone, deal with it.
Try to work it out
with that person. If that is unsuccessful,
talk with your supervisor/mentor. Don’t
waste time spreading negative vibes and
gossiping with others.
•
Be financially responsible.
Your finances
can impact you at work. You may need
to carry a personal credit card for travel
expenses that you get reimbursed for.
Being able to hold that line of credit is
crucial. Don’t expect your employer to
make decisions based on your financial
needs. Raises, bonuses and such are
typically based on company performance,
not need.
•
Understand that it takes time to climb
the ladder.
Building your experience and
proving your value happens with time.
Express your interest in advancement,
but couple that with asking about ways
to grow your knowledge base to better
position you for advancement. Do those
things and be patient. Leadership and
authority are earned, not given.
Again, let’s quit focusing on what we
supposedly don’t have and more on what
we do. Knowing what employers expect
or are seeking is half the battle. You have
these skills or at least the framework.
Grow, learn, look for opportunities!
You have what it takes!
AG
employer expectations. On the flip side
it also has led to employers offering
more flexibility in the workplace, which
is awesome, but also leads to some gray
areas. Here is some simple advice to
address common gripes from employers.
•
Expect to be at the office from 8 to 5
daily
unless directly instructed that hours
are different. Yes, this means you stay
even when projects are completed. Ask
for something more to do.
•
Don’t use your personal phone
during
the day to text or talk for non-work
purposes. This also applies to personal
social media usage. Use your lunch time
TALK PROPERLY.
NOT LIKE YOU’D
TEXT
OR SHOOT THE
BREEZE WITH A
FRIEND.