Life Skills HW1

When you are contacting people in your network during a job search, is it appropriate to ask them for a job? Why or why not?

No, we should be contacting folks in our network to ask for advice, information, or insight. Asking them for a job can put your contact in an uncomfortable position.

What is a networking pitch (aka elevator speech) and what is the purpose of having one?

An elevator speech is a short (30-40 second) summary of important information about you that can be used when meeting various folks such as people in your network, recruiters, hiring managers, etc. It is important to develop an elevator speech so when you do meet people during your job search you have a nice concise way of telling them things about you that matter most. It will also help you to not be too long and drawn out and ramble.

Explain the major disadvantage of conducting your job search by only applying for posted job openings.

If you are only applying for posted job openings, you will face a lot of competition. You would be better off searching in the "hidden market"

You have been offered a job at a veterinary practice. You really like the practice and the people you met during the interview process. However, you feel that the salary they offered you is a bit low. Identify two things you can do prior to negotiating your salary that will help you during the negotiations.

Research into typical salaries for similar positions in your geographical area. Create a personal budget so you know the lowest possible salary you can accept.

Other than salary, describe three other aspects of a job offer that could be negotiated

Start date Uniform allowance Money for CE Flexible scheduling Vacation time or PTO Maternity/Paternity leave

T\F: Every time you interview for a job, you should bring a list of at least 5-7 questions about the job or company that you can ask the interviewer.

True

The best time to begin negotiations with a prospective employer is

When they have made you a job offer

Describe the best strategy to use when you are interviewing for a job and the interviewer asks about your weaknesses.

You should avoid identifying a weakness that is a critical component of the job. Also, the best way to answer this question is to highlight what you are doing to strengthen each weakness that you mention.

There are three elements of a well-defined job target. Identify them and describe how these elements can help you narrow down your options when searching for a job.

1. industry 2. function 3. geography *these can help us make decisions about the types and locations of jobs that we might want to apply for after graduation

T\F: After you have interviewed for a position, it is best to send a handwritten thank-you note to the interviewer(s).

False

T\F: If you are attempting to negotiate several different factors of a job offer (e.g. salary, start date, PTO), it is best to address each factor one at a time or the negotiations will become too confusing.

False

Explain how participating in off-campus experiences (e.g., internships, externships, practicums, etc.) during your time as a college student can help you when it becomes time to start applying for full time positions.

Off-campus experiences can help us determine our likes and dislikes before we actually graduate and take a full time position at a veterinary clinic. These types of experiences should be used to explore different areas or career paths for veterinary technicians so you can figure out which career path is the right one for you.

You are finishing up interviewing for a position as a veterinary technician and the last question the interviewer asks you is, "What are your salary requirements?" What would be an appropriate way to answer this question?

The best way to answer this is that it would depend on the total employment package including fringe benefits. If they push you to give them an actual number, you should have a range in mind with the bottom of the range being the minimum you would accept and the top of the range abou 10-15% above what you would take.

Explain the importance of conducting in-depth research regarding the employers with which you will be interviewing for jobs. Identify the types of information you might look for and how you would go about finding that information.

The biggest reason why doing research is so important is because employers these days will expect candidates to come to a job interview knowing something about the position and the practice. Doing your research also helps you tailor your cover letter and resume to what the job requirements of the job you are applying for. Usually, the best place to start your research is the practice's website. Some of the information you might want to look for is related to the types of cases they see, how they are staffed, do they have a mission statement or a list of core values? If so, do they align with your values? Do they use social media? Do they do other things like offer online appointment scheduling or online prescription refills?

It can be common for new graduates to accept their first job without making any effort to negotiate any aspects of the job offer. Explain why it can be a mistake to not negotiate employment terms.

There are a couple of reasons why it is a mistake for new grads to not negotiate any aspects of the job offer. First, if they made a job offer, you have more power and if they like you enough to offer you a job, they should be willing to negotiate at least some of the aspects of the job offer. Also, up to a quarter of workers are under-compensated and all of your future raises will be based on the salary you accept when they hire you. Because of this, taking a low salary can cost you thousands of dollars over the years.