What are your interests and hobbies?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
What kind of environment do you want to work in? (i.e. a lab, an office, or in the outdoors)
What geographic area do I want to work in? (i.e. Boston, Southern California, etc.)
What are your goals and dreams?
Do you need consistency or do you thrive off of change?
Do you need a calm environment to do your best work or will you enjoy the thrill of a fast-paced career?
Do you think inside or outside the box?

 

Money does not equal happiness.
Who says you can’t make a career out of a hobby?
A career choice DOES NOT have to be permanent.
Don’t pick a career because it sounds “safe”.

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Networking

 

 

Make a list of people you know with experience in your desired field. If you don’t know a lot of people, consider asking around and using BU resources like professors, the CECB, or the Office of Career Services to find references.

Write the people on your list a letter or an email explaining your interest in speaking with them. Be courteous and professional! Including a resume might be useful as it will give them an idea of who you are, what your interests are, and what kind of background you have in the field (Refer to the section on resume writing). Tell them you will be emailing them or calling them in the next couple of weeks to see if they will arrange a meeting with you (or just a phone conversation if distance is a factor). Waiting a week or two before arranging a meeting gives them time to decide if and how they can help you.

If they agree to arrange a meeting, start preparing a list of questions to ask them. They won’t know what to tell you unless they know what information you want. Don’t forget to ask them for additional references that may be able to help you out. This is what networking is all about!

Even though you will not be interviewing with your contact, refer to the section on interviewing to learn how to leave a good impression.

Keep files on each of your contacts to keep track of all the exchanges between the two of you. You can refer back to these to see who may be useful again, or who hasn’t yet responded to your emails. You may need to be (politely) persistent.

If you really like the company that one of your contacts works for, you may consider asking them who you can contact about applying for a job there. Even if you’ve already researched the answer to this question, it lets the person know that you are hoping to get a job with their company. If they liked you and thought you would be a good candidate, they will probably help you get a job. NEVER directly ask them for help, as this may make them uncomfortable.

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Resume Writing

 

 

-Make sure your resume has your name, temporary and permanent addresses, phone number, and email address written clearly at the top.
- The first section of every resume should be your “Objective”. This should be one to three sentences about what your objective is in terms of what you want to do for the company (NOT what the company will do for you or how you plan on growing). Include the type and level of position you are applying for. Mention the specific skills you plan to use in the organization. Some people find it appropriate to write a seeking/offering statement, although this is less common. Example:

 

Seeking: A [type of job] position in a [type of organization].
Offering: [concisely list skills and experience]

Note: do not use trite phrases. Every ideal candidate is looking for “a challenging position” where they can “deal with people” on a regular basis, and “opportunities for advancement” in an “advancing/dynamic organization.” None of this actually contains any information about what you will bring to the company.

 

-Another section to include is Education. You’ve paid tens of thousands of dollars to be here, why leave it out? This section could look something like this:

 

2002-2006                           Boston University                 Boston, MA
B.S. in Biology with a Specialization in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Graduated in the top 10% of my graduating class with a GPA of 3.89

Modify this example to suit your strengths. For example, don’t include your GPA if it wasn’t great, and list any honors you graduated with. You can also outline relevant coursework if you think it would be appropriate. Awards can be listed here or in their own section.

Note that dates should not be given a separate column. This makes the date seem important, when what IS important is the experience you gained there. This goes for the whole resume.


-Experience. This section could contain many kinds of experience: work, field, volunteer—or you could split it up into a few sections. Example:

 

September, 2005- May, 2006         Prof. Bob Smith’s Laboratory        Boston, MA
Research Assistant

You should also add a short list of the major responsibilities of the job and/or some of your most impressive accomplishments. Use action verbs and concrete examples.

 

-Interests
-Languages
-Computer Skills
-Laboratory Skills
-Publications
-Awards
-Studies Abroad
-Research

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Interviewing

 
 

How would I describe myself?
Why do I want this job?
How am I qualified?
Why am I a prime candidate?
What are my strengths?
What are my weaknesses?
How can I make my weaknesses acceptable to the interviewer?
How would my friends describe me?
What was a time when I went above and beyond what my responsibilities called for?
What goals do I have for this career?
What influenced me to choose this career?
What does it take to be successful in this career?
What motivates me to do my best?
What do I see myself doing in five or ten years?
How do I deal with high-pressure situations?
Why did I choose my college and major?
What salary am I expecting?
What was a time when I had to deal with a lot of stress or pressure? How did I work everything out?
What was a policy that I conformed with that I did not agree with?
Who have I worked with successfully that I didn’t like? Why didn’t I like them?
Do I ask for help often? When have I had to ask for help?
What leadership roles have I been in?
When have I solved problems when my boss or supervisor was not available?
What the hardest thing I have ever had to do?


 

Q: What are your weaknesses?

This question is truly difficult. You can’t deny having weaknesses—that would make you seem cocky. At the same time, you don’t want to say something that will make your interviewer hesitant to hire you. As someone freshly out of school, you have two options for answering this question: the first is to focus on very specific job inexperience. You may have a thorough academic background for the job, and maybe even some field or lab work. Chances are, however, you haven’t had experience actually doing the particular job (unless you’ve had an internship). Explain that you feel prepared to take on the responsibilities of the job and think you will succeed. Obviously, the key to this answer is to not give the interviewer the impression that you don’t have enough general experience in the field either.

 


If you are applying for a job where you will be managing a public nature park, you might want to explain that although you have lots of knowledge and field experience with general conservation, you have never worked on maintaining an area meant for recreation. Express your excitement in using your skills to benefit the locals.

The second option is the more accepted one for non-entry-level positions, and is probably a better way to demonstrate who you are. Simply explain to the interviewer a (small) weakness of yours. Make sure that the weakness does not relate directly to the responsibilities of the job (i.e. don’t mention computer skills for a web design position, or math skills for an accounting position). Next explain what steps you have taken to deal with this weakness. Maybe you have designed a system to deal with organization problems, or perhaps you’ve been taking classes to help your computing skills.

 


You might use organization skills as your weakness. A year and a half ago your desk may have been a mess of unorganized papers, and you had a tendency to miss meetings because you forgot about them. Having recognized this problem you sought help from your neat-freak friend John, who helped you set up a filing system. You might have bought a planner to keep track of everything going on in your hectic life. You still use this system to be a more organized person.

You’ll probably notice that in each example the key is to turn negatives into positives. This is a key point when interviewing. It is almost guaranteed that your interviewer will ask a question like this, and you should practice coming up with answers that only make you seem more appealing to him or her.

Questions like these can ruin an interview if not answered with common sense in mind. Again, don’t give an example that will make you look like a poor employee (“The time when I made an error in a calculation that threw off a lot of data”). The experience should be something that was beyond your control. For example, a time when you had to deal with more than you (or most people) could handle. You don’t want your employer to think you will need hand-holding if you are hired, but don’t make them think you refuse to ask for help when you need it.

This isn’t a hard question at all, as long as you know what the employer wants. He DOESN’T want to hear that you were born in Miami, enjoy long walks on the beach, and build model cars in your spare time. He wants to know about you as a professional. He wants to know about your background and experience, as well as relative skills and qualities. This is usually the first question that an interviewer will ask you during an interview, and this is the one answer you might want to script before the interview.

This question requires research to answer best. You should have some idea what skills and tasks are associated with the job you are interviewing for as well as upper-level positions in your desired field. Name some specific tasks and skills that you would like to learn. Don’t let them think you know nothing about the field.

 


Although I have a good knowledge of what common substances can pollute water and how we can work with companies to prevent this from happening, I would like to learn more about the methods and tools we use to determine where specific chemicals enter the Charles River.
NOT
-I would like to learn all I can about waste water management
-I want to learn how I can manage people in an organization like this.

This is a pretty straightforward question that can show a lot about you as a professional. In your answer, do not use problems with your work abilities or professionalism. Instead use a time when you had an idea or took initiative but your supervisors weren’t necessarily impressed. Also, try to show that you can accept criticism and use it to improve.

 


“While working in a lab with some grad students at BU, I had an idea for a new experiment that I thought would [insert idea]. I mentioned the idea to one of the grad students, and she thought it might be useful, so we presented it to the professor who supervised the lab. Unfortunately, he did not think that my idea would be practical, and dismissed us in a huff. The two of us later sat down to discuss why the idea was not practical, and we brainstormed ways we could make it reasonable.”

Never say anything negative about people you have worked with. Don’t let your interviewer think that you have problems getting along with people.

 


“I have always done my best work under pressure. For instance, at the end of every semester in college comes a period full of exams and final papers. Every semester I have put in hours upon hours turning out some fantastic papers and earning A’s on exams…”

Many people answer this question with such a response (or something similar), thinking this will impress the employer. While it is not a terrible answer (certainly, doing poorly under pressure would be a worse answer), you can do much better. This response might make your interviewer think you need deadlines or a pushy supervisor for you to get any work done. It’s better to focus on low-pressure situations just as much. Also, you don’t want to let your interviewer think you will get yourself into so much pressure that it could be problematic for you and the company.

 


“I do very well under pressure, such as the busy exam periods at the end of every semester. I don’t, however, need the pressure in order to get things done. In fact, I enjoy taking initiative to complete new projects when workload is low. For instance, in the middle of semesters, I often volunteered in labs so I could gain a wide range of knowledge in research processes.”

Salary is something that you should not bring up in an interview. It is something to be discussed only if they offer you the job. However, if an interviewer asks this question, you should confirm with the interviewer the responsibilities you would have in the job (making them sound REALLY big and important), then try to ask the employer what the range should be.

 

Humorous but Useful Example: “Well, in this position I would be responsible for transferring fuel between our pump machines and the vehicles of our clients. Also, I would be responsible for collecting funds from clients and issuing change, while maintaining a positive relationship between the clients and the company so they will remain loyal. Is this correct? Well, with my credentials what would be the expected salary range be?”

I’ll bet this applicant will be getting the job.
If your interviewer pressures you to come up with a dollar amount you should be able to explain the amount you are looking for and why. This does put you at a disadvantage, however, because you don’t know what the employer’s bargaining range is.

 

Remember, an interview is not just a screening to see if you are right for the company, it is also an opportunity to see if the company is right for you. DO RESEARCH. Learn as much about the company as you can. Be prepared to ask questions that you have. Not only will this be an opportunity to learn about the company, but it lets the interviewer know you are serious about the position and the company. (http://www.bu.edu/careers/job-search/researching.html)

 

--“If I were to ask someone in this department to describe a typical workday, how would they describe it?”
--“How would you describe an ATYPICAL workday?”
--“What kind of projects might I be assigned?”
--“What are the exact responsibilities of this position?”
--“I can see that this organization has made significant progress in _______ throughout the past few years. What other goals does the company have?”
--“I’ve noticed that there are a large number of departments in this company. How does my department function with the other departments?”
--“While doing research about your company, I noticed that there were recent changes in the structure of the management. What changes do you foresee happening as a result of this?”
--“What kind of growth will I have in this position? Is there the possibility of moving up within the company?”

“What kind of benefits does the job have?”
“How many weeks of vacation will I get?”
“What’s the salary of this position?”
(Worry about these things when they offer you a position and you are to deciding whether or not to take it)
In addition, if you know who will be interviewing you, you might be able to research something about them or their work and bring it up in the interview. For instance, if you will be interviewing with a professor at a university, you might ask him or her a little something about one of their research papers. Or perhaps you find in a short biography of his that he shares your interest in ice fishing. Bring that up, he will enjoy it.

 

As you will soon see (or already know), there are many different kinds of interviewers out there. Some seem like they are interrogating you, while others are casual and friendly. Think about how you can impress your particular interviewer. If he or she is clearly sick or unusually stressed out offer to reschedule or keep your interview as short as possible. If you have a friendly, casual interviewer, try to be friendly as well, but don’t be unprofessional or let your extensive preparation go to waste. If your interviewer is focusing on one aspect or responsibility of the job, really emphasize your qualifications in that area. Basically, you should determine what your interviewer is looking for, and tailor your interview to best please him.

 

Now that you feel confident in answering any question an interviewer could fire at you, you should work on your interviewing skills.

First, identify your nervous habits. Do you bite your lip? Look at the ceiling? Tap your feet on the floor? There are two ways to get rid of nervous habits: consciously make an effort to avoid doing them, or work on not being nervous!

 

-Prepare, prepare, prepare!
-Rehearse as much as you can. Maybe you can start off by having a friend read scripted questions that you can answer. Then move on to mock-interviews with professors and/or BU’s Office of Career Services. And we’re always here to help here at the CECB! (cecb@bu.edu) Note: when rehearsing, don’t memorize a response for specific questions. Just respond naturally with an idea of what you want to talk about.
-Before the interview, remind yourself how prepared you are
-Take deep breaths: it’s a great relaxation trick
-Before the interview, take a quick trip to the location of the company if possible. Knowing where you are going and how long it takes to get there can greatly reduce stress on the day of the interview.

Identify any problems you should work on with your speech habits. Make sure you:

 

-Talk clearly and audibly
-Talk slowly
-Make eye contact when you speak
-No one word answers! Elaborate! Every question an interviewer asks has a purpose. Figure out what that purpose is and answer accordingly.
-Maintain good posture.
-Watch your grammar and language. Avoid the trouble words “like,” “um,” “okay,” “yup,” and “you know.” Also, vary your language. Don’t start every response with “well, I…” or “So,…”

 

-Dress professionally: business suits are a must, especially for entry level positions.
-Don’t wear cologne or perfume…especially not anything strong. It doesn’t do anything for you, and can be rather obnoxious.
-Turn off your cell phone or don’t bring it at all. Your professors didn’t like them, you’re interviewer won’t either.
-Bring extra copies of your resume and a list of references in case it’s requested.
-Bring a notepad and pen so you can take notes. Asking your interviewer for permission to do so would be polite.
-Arrive 10-15 minutes early. Arriving late obviously looks bad, but arriving much earlier may throw them off and make them feel pressured if they are not ready for you. When you arrive let the secretary (or interviewer) know that you are there, and that you can wait outside until he or she is ready for you.
-Be friendly and courteous to everyone in the office. It’ll score you major points. If people in the office get a good vibe from you, they may influence the interviewer in your favor.
-Firm handshakes and genuine smiles go a long way, too.
-Use names as often as you can.

 

Thank the interviewer and get his or her business card. Acknowledge the other employees as you leave.
Write a thank you note (or email) to the interviewer, and say that you look forward to hearing back from them. Continue to express your interest in the company, perhaps by mentioning something you learned in the interview.

If you don’t hear back from them by them time they said you would, write them a letter or email saying that you are still looking forward to hearing back from them. They may be backed up for whatever reason, so don’t assume they didn’t like you. Being politely persistent will help keep you in their mind. Also, if they keep seeing your name in their inbox they will probably remember it when it comes time to hire someone. Also, it really lets them know you are serious about the job.

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