Color within the lines

The most important principle about trying to impress future employers, or mentors that you want as a reference, is to follow the rules. It's tedious, takes more effort, and also takes research. However, getting a job is a competition. In 2018, the standard is to go to college and enter the workforce. You have a degree, or you're about to, but so does everyone else. Employers have to have a way to differentiate who they will send their paychecks to. Go above and beyond with what employers are looking for, and they will beg to have you on their team. It's as easy as following the rule-book.

The job application letter

The job application letter is literally the best thing to ever happen to your future LinkedIn account. Also known as a cover letter, one of my first assignments this fall was to find an internship that I fit the requirements for, (If you're at OU, this is super easy through the app Handshake) and write them a letter. I actually took to this to the career fair which landed me my internship. It also got my mom her first job since deciding to go back to work for the first time since the '90s. YOU NEED THIS.

The basic cover letter is one that you google to find a wiki how for, but it's really important that you follow a template that is professional and put together, and ahead of the competition. I got 100% on this assignment so I feel pretty confident that if you use it as a template it will help you a lot. Have a header with your name and contact info like I do at the top and this needs to BE THE SAME as the one that should be at the top of your resume. I created my header Signature I'm pretty sure by googling script font and then just taking a snippet of the demo that I typed my name into (Google snipping tool if you don't have one yet it's a game changer). The font of your application letter should also be the same as on your resume. Both the letter and the resume should be only ONE page. Therefore the resume is short & sweet, and you may not feel like you get to truly shine through it. But that's okay, that's what the job application letter is for. It helps you tell employers the specific details of how you fit their requirements.

P.S. This needs to be addressed to the recruiter. If their name and official title are not on the job posting, search for it on their site. If you try everything and can't find it, address to the department in the company in charge of recruiting.

What they're required to look for

After volunteering at the Sooner Showcase career fair and meeting countless employers both casually, and formerly, I've become a little more comfortable with the type of questions they ask. Businesses want candidates who work well in teams and can lead teams. It doesn't matter if the last time you led anything amazing was 5 years ago, if you were the captain of anything and led people, they want to know. If you haven't had any position in any organization yet, explore your options because all an employer needs is one story, and one experience from your resume to write you down as a top candidate in that area. They want to know how you handle and manage tasks. Just tell them that you like to stay organized, by making lists and prioritizing what needs to happen on a weekly and daily basis and get ready for a paycheck.

The rest of the etiquette

It's hard to put in one article what I've learned in hours of classes and from OU career coaches, but I'll make a bullet list of everything I know about etiquette without the explanations of why you should do these things to save time. There's so much!! But all of it is essential.

- Research who will be at networking events or career fairs BEFORE you go!

- Bring a portfolio with you to any networking event or job fair - have printed resume's inside. Go above the competition by printing them on resume paper.

- Career fair and interview attire is business professional. Matching suit, neutral shoes (boys employers look at your shoes the most), and girls make sure your nails are neutral and not chipped —also do not overdo any fragrance.

- ALWAYS send thank you's to recruiters after you have been interviewed, not necessarily to who interviewed you. Thank them for setting the interview up, and say that you had a great time getting to know who interviewed you, and learning a little bit more about the company. Email is best, but use whatever method of communication you have had at the time! (LinkedIn, sometimes even text)

- Put your name tag on the right side of your torso at a career event. This is because when you lean in for a handshake, your name is in their eye-line

- If an event has food/alcohol, it is OK to have some, but you are there for the employers and not the food. Eat before you go and do not have more than one drink. We've had students at OU that have lost out on six fig opportunities only because they had one too many.

- Treat everyone with respect. This includes the intern who is not a recruiter. Companies bring their main recruiters but also people with smaller positions. They are there to see how you treat them, but also other employers as you mingle. If your introduced to someone, say a goodbye and 'it was nice to meet you' to both of them when you leave if you get a chance.

- Get to an interview early. It is an unspoken rule that you need to arrive to a interview 10-15 before it starts. Arrive even earlier to figure out parking or where the front desk is. Make it even easier on yourself by driving the commute days before if you've never been to get that stress out of the way.

- If you have a dinner or lunch interview, review your etiquette. It's actually crazy important. Remember what I said about coloring within the lines? Even if they take you to Applebees, formal dining rules apply as much as possible.

- Of course, update your LinkedIn. Even if you've never had a job, your title can be "student at ________" wherever... your profile including your major and your concentrations. If you have started on your LinkedIn game you need to start now.

Don't have the GPA, or the experience? Then do this.

LEAN Six Sigma is a method of making work processes more efficient. Some schools offer, like OU offer courses on it, which really help students become more competitive in the job search. OU started the idea of creating a University program in LEAN Six Sigma and since then many other schools have followed, some charging thousands for it. However, you don't need to spend as much as other universities charge, even though this information is definitely worth that much from the amount of opportunity it will give you. LEAN Six Sigma is being implemented by countless companies as a mindset of getting things done as efficiently as possible. Research ways to become more educated about it, or make yourself extremely competitive by taking a course in it, in person or online to get certified. Even paying for a LinkedIn Learning subscription which can be pretty cheap and taking their courses on this subject will be enough to be able to put this on a resume. Any company that is good enough to know what LEAN Six Sigma is, will be put your resume at the top of the stack when they see that you've given adequate attention to it.