Quick Tip #0027

Don’t forget to stay personal!

Sometimes we get so caught up in our work we forget the human aspect of it all. How well do you know your co-workers? Do you know what they do outside of work?

One good practice is to start or end every meeting on a personal level. Starting off with small chat will give you little details into their life and who they are. Next time you see them you can follow up; ask how the trip was, how the party for their mother’s birthday went, if they liked the movie they went to, etc.

Keeping the work atmosphere a personal place makes it a comfortable place. You want the culture around you to be welcoming so people want to come to you for help and feel like they can trust you.

Quick Tip #0026

Keep everything!

You never know when you’re going to have to refer back to something. Someone may ask you a question where you’ll need to pull up an old document or even refer back to an old e-mail. Another co-worker showed me her work flow once…

For her e-mail she created a folders for projects and co-workers. This way she was able to quickly find an old e-mail.

For important documents that were updated regularly she saved them with the day’s date. Every time she made an edit she would “save as” and update the date. The old dates were placed in an archive folder.

Archive folders and organizing e-mails with folders can really be a life saver.

Quick Tip #0025

Know names!

Imagine its your first day in the office. You get a tour around the office. On this tour you will probably be introduced to the physical layout of the office and many people. Lets face it, those tours are always way too quick, you’ll never be able to remember it all. So what do you think is the most important piece of information to remember (besides remembering where the bathroom is)?

NAMES! Try to remember as many names as possible. Its a lot more impressive to know someone’s name on the first day than to remember the copy code for the copy machine. Someone will always be able to remind you or help you with any questions you have. Especially if you’re a friendly person who asks for help by using their name!

Quick Tip #0024

Have a copy of your resume and cover letter as a PDF.

A lot of recruiters are like the rest of the world, they use their phones to do work. They are so many different formats your resume and cover letter can be looked at. It should be something you think about when you’re formatting your cover letter. Saving it as a PDF can save the formatting work you’ve done to make the layout just right and guide their eyes to the important parts.

Try it for yourself. Save it as a PDF then check it on different devises.

Quick Tip #0023

Read.

As you might be able to tell by now, I love LinkedIn and the articles I find there. I’ve shared many of them with you. I find it helpful to read other people’s experience and suggestions. It gives me new insight and inspiration. It is also helpful to stay up to date with what is happening in your field. I’ve also posted before about signing up for newsletters. A lot of people start their day by reading the daily e-mailed newsletter to get a brief and quick update on happenings.

Find something the suits you! Maybe you like a particular newspaper or magazine, follow an influential business man/woman, you can even start by following companies on twitter!

Quick Tip #0022

Talk to someone from Human Resources.

You’re probably thinking that obviously you know to do that because you want to get hired… and they’re the ones that do the hiring. But I’m talking about more than getting an interview. I’m talking about talking to someone from HR to gather information to prepare yourself for future interviews.

Think about it… HR  hires the people… shouldn’t they have the best advice on what to wear, how to format your resume, what you should and shouldn’t ask in an interview… They know the answer to every question you could possibly have about interviewing and applying!

Quick Tip #0021

Get feedback.

Feedback could possibly be the best information you can get. Think of something you worked really hard on. Ever feel like after you handed off the completed product there was some little detail you looked over and wish you had fixed? Feedback can prevent that or even push you to the next level of performance. Get feedback on your resume, writing samples, projects, ideas, concepts, etc.

Feedback is extremely helpful, shows you care and is a good for a healthy working environment.

Quick Tip #0020

There is no job that is “below” you.

Don’t be afraid to do the grunge work. Don’t drag through mundane work, make it a positive! The “little jobs” are given to new people just starting off because it’s the companies way of seeing if they can trust you. My professor gave that advice to my class one day. She said “If you can’t get a coffee order right, how can they trust you with the important stuff?” You have to admit… she’s got a point.

Quick Tip #0019

Come in early and stay late.

It’s as simple as that. It’s good to have the flexibility to stay late or come early. Maybe there’s a meeting or a project that’s starting earlier, your company will know you’re an option if they need to ask someone to come in to assist. And it shows your enthusiasm to work there.

Don’t be the last to arrive and the first to leave.

Quick Tip #0018

Will work for food!

When you’re starting out or in between jobs, don’t be afraid to work for free! Interning is a great way to continue getting experience and meeting new people. Free labor is something every company wants. See how you can make some spare time, valuable time.

Just don’t forget to spend your other time invested in finding that paid job. You still have those bills coming at the end of the month!