Every now and then you read a book that, while it is not perfect for you, it is exactly what others need. This was my experience with reading #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso.
Sophia went from being a homeless dropout to being the millionaire chairwoman of the Nasty Gal fashion brand, and she learned a lot of lessons along the way that could benefit many college students.
While some of Sophia’s advice is pretty basic (use spell check and proofread your cover letter), other tips left me wanting to text my students reminders. Some of them were:
Court your potential employer.
Leave a resume when you go to apply for any job. Meet the manager while you’re there. Call and inquire after a few days. Stop back by if you didn’t meet the manager or if you just can. Make them remember you and sell your best characteristics.
Use your cover letter to show your personality.
Your personality is what makes you stand out from other people with the same types of skills/experiences. And, in the beginning, almost everyone has the same experiences.
Don’t use your cover letter to write about how the job can help you accomplish your goals.
The employer doesn’t know you and has no reason to want to help you achieve your goals. Employers want to know how you can help them achieve their goals.
At the same time, make sure your cover letter tells the potential employer why you’re qualified for the job…what experiences you have that make you a candidate.
Avoid template resumes
They all look the same—boring. Make your resume visually appealing.
Also, use language on your resume that actually tells what you did. Make your descriptions specific and measurable.
Don’t take a no personally.
There are a ton of behind-the-scenes reasons that you may not get a job, even if you think an interview went well. Don’t get discouraged.
Networking is not for creeps.
Use social media, especially LinkedIn, to connect with people working in the types of jobs or in the industry that you want to work in. Write them personalized messages that are complimentary toward them specifically.
Be prepared to get real in the interview.
Interviewers will ask you things like why you want the job. Be prepared to answer that question intelligently and honestly. It doesn’t hurt to practice your answers.
But don’t get too real. Don’t complain about what you hated about your last job, give too much detail about why you left or share too much personal information, in general.
Be prepared for dumb interview questions.
Not all of the questions you are asked will be good ones. Be able to answer questions about your hobbies, interests and what you do in your spare time. Be prepared for the question about your biggest weakness. Answer it honestly.
Have questions
You look clueless when you don’t have questions for the interviewer
Do your research and know all of the basic information about the company. Then ask specific questions about things like job duties and culture. The last thing you want to do is commit to a job with a primary function that you hate or at an organization with beliefs that conflict with your own.
Put your phone away
Don’t even have your phone visible from the time you arrive for an interview until you leave.
Send a thank you
Always follow up an interview with a written thank you note.
These are just some of the great job tidbits in #GirlBoss. It’s always beneficial to get job advice from hiring managers. Every student at the end of college could benefit from reading this book.