Boost Your Interview IQ

Are you sure you're the best candidate for the job, but not sure how to say so? 

Here are some tips to help you make your case:

1. Join Carole Martin, author of Boost Your Interview IQ, on June 3 at 8 pm EST to learn how to increase your confidence and dramatically improve the impression you make in interviews. During What You Don’t Say in an Interview Can Hold You Back, Carole will share her strategies to help you build a personal narrative that showcases your skills, knowledge, and personality. 

2. Check out Eric Cramer’s presentation on Active Interviewing in our archive.

3. As you research the company (and person you will be interviewing with), put together a chart of the key points you’ve learned in your research. Work these points into your interview answers and practice these answers out loud. 

4. The Muse website has reliably good advice on many career topics, including what you must communicate in interviews. 

5. Read Bernard Marr’s article to make sure you are ready for the one interview question most people aren’t prepared for. 

Tufts Career Networking Moves to LinkedIn

Tufts Alumni Career Services is excited to announce the launch of the Tufts Career Networking Group on LinkedIn. We’re inviting alumni from all Tufts schools and programs to join now. The group will provide a forum for career and professional development questions, informational interview requests, discussions, resource sharing, and building your own network.

The LinkedIn group will replace the Tufts Career Advisory Network (TuftsCAN), currently available in the Online Community. The new group will offer improved networking tools on the world’s largest professional networking platform.

All you need to become a member is a Linkedin profile. Create a profile today if you don’t already have one. Then join the group and help us leverage the power of LinkedIn with the tremendous career capital of Tufts alumni.

New to LinkedIn, or want to do more with your profile? Check out our LinkedIn resources page for helpful information. William Arruda offers the best tips I’ve seen yet on developing a summary that communicates what’s most important about you to the audience you want to reach.  

Check out the archived Career Author Webinars for more strategies to help you make LinkedIn work for you. Viveka Von Rosen shares how to Let LinkedIn Market Your Skills and Experience and other speakers and webinars offer additional perspectives.

Building a Powerful and Profitable Network

Want to land your dream job? Or find the right leads for your business?

Here are some tips to boost your chances.

1. Create an active, written strategy–one you can refer to frequently. 
2. Be a helpful resource to others. Bestselling author Beth Bridges  will show you how in our May 6 webinar, 5 Steps to Building a Powerful and Profitable Network. Tune in at 8 pm EST to listen live. Or listen to it later, along with other archived webinars, in the Events Library. Topics include many aspects of networking, including the elevator pitch, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 
3. Strengthen your business network. An article from the always excellent Mojo40 offers 21 strategies. Some are most appropriate for entrepreneurs, but you will find inspiration for any career situation.
4. Update your online image. Here are some strategies for your LinkedIn photo. That photo is your chance to make an impression, and you want it to be a positive impression that’s appropriate for your industry.
5. Keep conversations going. Wonder what to say to someone you've just met? Here’s an article from the Muse with tips.
6. Write networking outreach emails that will be answered. Check out this Muse article for new strategies–backed by recent research--that improve response rates. 

What do you do best?

Are you looking to shift your career in a more rewarding direction? Your strengths—what you really do best—are the key to change.

Tom Rath, author of Strengthsfinder 2.0, has used extensive research to build the best techniques that will help you determine what you do best and how to leverage your assets. Join Rath for a free webinar:

Use Your Strengths to Create a Rewarding and Satisfying Career
April 1, 8 pm EST

More tips to find and leverage your strengths:

• “How to Find—and Use—Your Career Gift” from The Muse  
• “6 Steps to Find My Passion” from the Revolutionary Club  
• Try making a quick checklist of skills in this tool from the Federal Government, which links to detailed job descriptions. See where your skills can take you!
• Ready to get personal? Link skills to specific achievements in your own life via the unbeatable “Seven Stories” exercise from the Five O’Clock Club 

Best of luck!
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services 

Irresistible Keywords

When you apply for a job, it can feel like your résumé falls into a black hole. But it usually goes into a database.

How do you get plucked from obscurity? Keywords.

Career expert Jay Block has researched automated résumé software extensively. His strategies will significantly increase your chances of getting your résumé onto the desk of a hiring manager. Join Block, author of The Five Steps to Rapid Employment, for a free webinar:

Stuff Your Resume With Keywords to Highlight Your Experience
Wednesday, March 4, 8 pm EST

Arm yourself with the best insider info in 2015:

• 42 Résumé Dos and Don'ts from The Muse 
• 10 Cover Letter Tips to Make You Irresistible to Employers (hint: how to make your letter more like a one-night stand) 
• 8 Tips for Writing Standout Cover Letters from NerdWallet (think audience research) 

Beyond the cover letter: your online portfolio and/or website is an easy click for employers, showcasing your value proposition. Some words of wisdom from The Muse on creating your site.

Best,
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services 

Best Advice of 2014

Happy New Year!

Alumni Career Services is kicking off 2015 with a free webinar:

Proven Strategies to Build a Network That Works for You 
February 4, 8 pm EDT

Who has the time to build a network? Nobody! But today, more than ever, having a carefully cultivated professional network is the key to getting a job faster, with less effort, and without the added anxiety of potential loss of income. Join Mike Fishbein, author of How to Build an Awesome Professional Network, to learn how you can utilize social media strategies to not only build your network, but engage it.

Best Articles of 2014

One of our favorite sites, The Muse, rounded up their best tips from 2014; check out the slideshow (below) or read the article: 31 Most Loved, Shared, and Read Career Articles of 2014. And some creative tips to get your application noticed from Brazen.



Here's to a tremendous year for your career!
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services 

Step up--and step out!

In today’s lean organizations, everyone is expected to take on a leadership role of some kind.

To do that, you might need to step up and start fresh. Join Los Ellis, author of Keys to Life Business Success, to learn how to get noticed, expand your leadership skills, and gain the appreciation of those with whom you work.

Grab Your Keys and Drive Your Career
Wednesday, January 7, 2015, 8 pm EST

When you aren’t a manager or project manager, sometimes it’s tough to shine.

• The Muse offers “3 Ways to Prove You’re a Leader” no matter your position
• Fast Company offers this 3 effective ways to take on self-leadership 
• Lifehack’s list of “12 Rules for Self Leadership” has ideas you can implement at any level 

Happy Holidays!
Leslie

leslie.warner@tufts.edu | 617-627-3299 | Visit Alumni Career Services