Category: Workwear

Hey friends and welcome back to my little corner of the inter webs! As a lot of you know, my full time gig is a campus recruiter for a consulting firm. I hire new grads for our starting positions in engineering, project management, IT, and data analytics. Over the years, I have really loved giving back to students and offering professional development to help them fine tune their resumes, build out their LinkedIn, dress to impress, and master interview etiquette.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I give to underclassmen is to start building out their LinkedIn profile ASAP. And then continually update as they gain work/internship experience. I can’t tell you how many students miss this step early on and create a headache for themselves down the road and potentially miss out on great opportunities. Recruiters spend a majority of their time looking at profiles on LI, so let’s make yours stand out! Check out the below tips and let me know if it’s helpful!

Build a Presence on LinkedIn

First things first, choose a professional-looking photo. If you’re a college student, most university career centers offer this to you at no charge. Take advantage!

Write a summary of yourself and your experience.

If job searching, add your #opentowork logo (available in the profile picture section) and industries/jobs you’re interested in. Make it really easy for recruiters and attach your most recent resume to your profile.

Add your work experience, school(s) attended, and skills.

Check out two sections of my profile for reference below:

Your profile should be a reflection of you!

Grow Your Network

Connect with thought leaders (I personally love following Brené Brown and Sara Blakely), colleagues, and industry professionals. The more people you connect with, the more the LI algorithm will suggest people and groups to continue to expand your network.

Join relevant groups – LOTS of options here! Examples: Young Professionals of Houston, National Society of Black Engineers, etc.

Showcase Your Passions

The best thing you can do is engage, engage, engage! Here’s how: comment on relevant posts, tag others in your network, share content with your own commentary, and write and share your own original content!

And now, because I don’t know if you’re here for the advice or the workwear, I’m not going to leave you hanging, so here’s a CUTE look for office wear!

Shop: Top, Jeans, Heels, Glasses, Bracelets, Hoops, Adorable Dog (not available for purchase lol)

I thought I would do something a little different today rather than my usual outfit post, and I hope it provides some value to you or someone you know.

I think a lot of you know that I spent several years in the classroom before taking a leap and landing in Houston. Almost three years ago, I started working at a consulting firm and I now focus on their campus recruiting! Talking to young people about starting their careers post-graduation is so rewarding (and also feels full-circle as I was helping my 11th graders work on getting into college). Unfortunately 73% of 2020 grads wrapped up their college career this month without having a job lined up. A lot of people have lost jobs, been furloughed, and are having to pivot away from industries that they spent years in. I can certainly understand that it feels like a grim time to be job-searching.

In February, I got the chance to go back to my alma mater, Ole Miss, and give a quick lecture on selling yourself as top talent (and pitching my awesome firm). So whether you’re graduating from college (CONGRATULATIONS!) or are trying to find something, I’m sharing a few key takeaways from my presentation.

• Prepare – research the company and the role. Know why you’re interested and how you’d be able to contribute. DO NOT say “I’ll really take anything right now”. Explain how you’re the right person for THIS SPECIFIC JOB.
• Be able to speak about yourself – A common question you’re going to get during an interview is “Tell me about yourself”. Don’t just give a schpeel regurgitating your resume, don’t have something scripted (it sounds cold and impersonal). Talk about YOU! Yes, highlight your work experience, but share interests, where you grew up, why you got into x industry. Let your personality shine!
• Give specific examples – When asked those questions like, “Tell me about a time when…”, get specific. Have you heard of the STAR method? See below:
  • Situation – introduce the situation and give the recruiter some context
  • Task – describe the task you had to complete and the challenges you encountered
  • Action – explain what you did and how you did it
  • Results – share the outcome of your efforts, what quantifiable results did you have?
• Confidence, Communication, and Engagement – Be proud of the work you’ve done, be clear and concise in your answers, and show your EXCITABILITY for the opportunity.
• Ask Important Questions – and no, I don’t mean salary and benefits. Here are some questions that should be relevant to you:
  • How would you describe the company culture?
  • What are the opportunities for growth? Timeline for growth?
  • What do you enjoy about the company?
  • What are the challenges new hires face in this role?

Again, I hope this was helpful and I’m wishing you the best in your job search!

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