Bridging the Gap Interview Workshop

Agenda Technology & Entrepreneurship Talent Network Employment Landscape Your Personal Brand Introduction Statement (The Elevator Pitch) Interview Prep Soft Skills Break Interview Practice

TETN The New Jersey Technology Council (NJTC) is a private not-for-profit trade association for technology organizations. NJTC provides business support, networking opportunities, information, advocacy, and recognition of technology companies and their leaders. NJTC is the recipient of the Technology and Entrepreneurship Talent Network grant from the State of NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development (LWD). The Talent Network is designed to provide connections between job seekers, employers, NJ state government, and educational institutions.

Other Talent Networks Advanced Manufacturing Financial Services Healthcare Life Sciences Transportation, Logistics, and Distribution Coming soon: Hospitality, Tourism, and Retail Hurricane Sandy Recovery

Key Objectives of the Talent Networks Conduit of information from businesses with opportunities to those that prepare people for those opportunities, i.e. education, LWD, etc. Provide opportunities for networking Shorten the time it takes a NJ employer to get connected with qualified professionals Connect professionals and businesses to the right resources Facilitate training on the most up to date industry needs and job seeker tools Guide entrepreneurs to start up resources

Tech Employment Landscape U.S. businesses across every industry sector employ more than 3.6 million workers in core IT positions. Add in peripheral technology workers and the figure is substantially higher. In 2011 Technology positions accounted for 312,715 jobs or 10.0% of New Jersey’s private sector employment. In 2010 The annual average wage for Technology positions in New Jersey was $100,074. CompTIA's State of the IT Skills Gap study was developed with input from a survey of 502 U.S. IT and business managers, as well as input from more than 500 managers in Canada, Japan, South Africa and the U.K. All data was collected December January 2012). Source: New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Industry Cluster

Job Search Landscape Finding a new job now is not the same as finding a job before 2008 There are jobs out there, you need to uncover them

The New Rules of Job Search Resume scanning software Social job search, i.e. Networking Stackable credentials Life long learning Agility

Your Personal Brand Regardless of your previous job titles, you are now in Sales and Marketing To get a job in this market you need to determine your Personal Brand Included in your brand: – Your resume – Your business card – All communication materials, i.e. Cover Letters, Thank You Notes, Requests for Meetings, etc. – Your LinkedIn Profile; Other Social Networks – The signature on the bottom of your s – The way you dress and present yourself – What complaints you have and to whom you express them – Your smile – Your handshake – Eye contact How to find out…Interview your family and friends

Keep it short Have two Networking Job Interview Practice Introduction Statement

Interview Preparation Have Success Stories; Challenge 1 sentence Action 1-2 sentences Result 3 sentences Practice your answers to some of the most used questions Tell me a little bit about yourself Why did you leave your last role What have you been doing during your gap in employment Practice these answers with other people. Company Research Use your LinkedIn and other network connections to find out about the company, its culture, etc.

Soft Skills Definition on Wikipedia: Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. [1] Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person's IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities."EQ" (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)language [1]

Soft Skills Critical Thinking Problem Solving Knowledge Sharing Business Acumen Teamwork Presentation Skills Project Management Effective Communication Listening Ability Verbal Skills Collaboration Tact and Diplomacy Business Writing Analytical Skills Negotiating Organizational Skills Customer Service

Break

Interview Practice Imagine these are real interviews At the beginning of the interview you will want to hand the interviewer your business card and resume (if available) Use this as an opportunity to make a connection in the industry You will receive personal feedback at the end of all the interviews

Resources Donna Levan, SPHR: Technology & Entrepreneurship Talent Network website: LinkedIn Group: Technology & Entrepreneurship Talent Network Resume Bank: List of One Stop Career Centers: lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/ lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/