Finance – Investment Analyst, Boston, MA

Investment Banking – Corporate Finance Analyst, New York, NY

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What skills do employers value and seek in potential employees? That was the question posted to hiring managers, and the feedback might surprise you! Below are the most common skills mentioned, whether the employee happens to be a manager, network engineer, or a cook.

1. BASIC SKILLS

Employers are seeking employees who can read well, can write coherently, and who can calculate mathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages, etc.) Add to that the ability to use computer tools to round out the basic skill sets needed for employment success.

2. PERSONAL SKILLS

Can a potential employee speak well? Can he/she answer questions of customers in a positive, informative manner? While not everyone has an outgoing sales personality, successful employees can communicate in a non-confrontational, positive manner with their coworkers, subordinates, managers, and customers. Being able to work well with others is a vital skill for success in all jobs.

3. JOB ATTAINMENT

Job search is a process that requires a great deal of dedication and attention to be conducted successfully. If you put in little effort, you will receive little results. Employers are seeking employees who know how to present themselves in a positive manner and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about the companies they approach. Not only do candidates get evaluated on their skills and experience, but also on how they are approaching the job search. Enthusiastic candidates that follow up and show true interest will win success above equally qualified candidates.

4. JOB SURVIVAL

Now there’s a hot topic in this period of layoffs! True, who gets the ax and who doesn’t is often a matter of numbers, but it is also often a matter of performance. Employees who have consistently demonstrated their worth and made themselves a valuable asset have lower incidences of being downsized than employees who put forth average effort. Surviving in a company during layoffs is a skill that makes a candidate stand out among peers.

5. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Successful individuals are constantly attending seminars, taking classes, attaining training, and otherwise learning new skills that will keep them marketable in their careers. Successful people are lifelong learners. Employers are looking for people who understand this.

6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Career Development differs from Professional Development. Professional Development is learning while Career Development is a planning and goal setting process. Successful individuals design a career plan with written goals for short term and long term. They lay out the steps needed to move their careers from Point A to Point B within Time Frame C and plan how they are going to achieve those steps. Employers seek individuals who (believe it or not) wish to commit to the company for a long period of time. Good career progression is a high selling point of candidates to prospective employers.

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Equity Research Associate, Retail, New York, NY

Finance – Investment Banking Analyst Intern, Los Angeles, CA

Financial Analyst Intern, New York, NY

Associate, Atlanta, GA

Associate, Boston, MA

VP, Marketing, New York, NY

Chief Marketing Officer, Bay Area, CA

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Make sure your resume is fresh and modern. You don’t want to look like a proverbial dinosaur to prospective employers and recruiters. Your resume is a representation of you to a recruiter or prospective employer, so don’t make a first impression that looks old-fashioned and outdated.

Learn the 9 of the biggest red flags that will instantly make your resume appear antiquated:

1. The One Page Rule

Don’t spend countless hours trying to squeeze a decade or two of valuable experience onto a single sheet of paper. The worst thing you can do is try to make the font smaller or eliminate space between lines. If you do, your resume is too hard to read.

The best way to gain extra space is to decrease the margins. Use 1/2 an inch instead of an inch. The good news is that the one-page resume no longer rules, as today’s hiring manager is more likely to be scrolling down on a screen than flipping to the next page.

In fact, for experienced professionals a two-page resume is the most common format. There are obvious exceptions, such as recent graduates and entry-level applicants who can easily fit all of their experience on one page without sacrifice. For seasoned pros, however, even three- and four-page resumes are not uncommon and are acceptable today.

Printing double sided will get you two pages for the price of one, and can impress companies who are environmental oriented.

2. Using Ancient Fonts

A “font” is the style and shape of the words on your resume. The right fonts are modern and easy to read. The wrong fonts are ancient and difficult to read. The right fonts are Arial and Helvetica. The wrong fonts are Times New Roman and anything else too fancy.

If you have your resume in Times New Roman font, like many of us do, change it to Arial. You’ll be amazed at how much cleaner, modern and more professional it looks.

3. Writing in Paragraphs instead of Bullet Points

Your resume is an outline, not a novel. Use bullet points to highlight your experience and education, with short sentences or phrases.

Don’t write in long block paragraphs that tell a story. It makes your resume much harder for a human to “scan” quickly, and is likely to cause your resume to be thrown into the rejected pile.

4. Using a Street Address

Including a City and State is fine, but there is no reason at all to include your actual Street Address. The employer isn’t going to be notifying you of an interview by snail mail.

Skipping the street address is good for you for two reasons. It helps prevent both identity theft and junk mail. Since many job ads are from company’s that choose not to reveal their names, you never know who you’re sending your resume to, so skip the street address and keep yourself protected.

5. Not Including an Email Address

Yes, you may have emailed you’re resume to the recruiter, but its still important to have your email address on your resume, as well as your phone number.

Having an email is not just a matter of convenience. It says “Yes, I am part of the modern world, please hire me.”

6. Using an Objective instead of a Summary

Objectives are out and Summaries are in. The reason is an Objective tells the employer what you want. A Summary tells the employer who you are and what you can do for them.

Your Summary should be about 2 or 3 sentences that state what job you are applying for, and a brief explanation of your career highlights. You should be able to read your summary section out loud in 30 seconds or less.

7. Ignoring Keywords

Resume’s are scanned by computers as often as they’re read by humans. The software is design to scan resumes for the keywords chosen by the employer. If you don’t have the right keywords, you’re resume never gets selected to be read by a real human.

There are two ways to manage keywords. The easy way is to simply include a keyword section (don’t call it that, call it “Core Competency”).

The harder but better way of using keywords is to place them throughout your resume in the descriptions of your work and school experience. Its more natural, and will score better with the actual human recruiter.

The secret to knowing the right keywords is that they’re usually in the job ad. If you see a list of skills required, a certain educational degree, or specific licenses or other qualifications, those are all keywords. Any unique words could be keywords, but things like “strong work ethic” are never keywords.

8. Stating Obvious Computer Skills

Don’t list common technology on your resume. We all know how to use Microsoft Word, Windows, Internet Explorer, Twitter and Facebook. We all know how to use an email program.

For upper-level applicants, it is already inferred that you possess the entry-level technical skills that were needed to successfully rise through the ranks. Listing them would unnecessarily lend your overall presentation a lower-level feel, which you would obviously want to avoid.

9. References Available Upon Request

Of course they are. References were more important before the internet became everybody’s reference. Google is always willing to give you a reference, for better or worse. It goes without saying that you are going to provide references if a prospective employer you want to hire you requests them.

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Analyst Private Equity, Princeton, NJ

Finance – Investment Banking Analyst, Stamford, CT

Financial Analyst, Atlanta, GA

Investment Banking Associate, Palo Alto, CA

Project Manager – MBA, New York, NY

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The wrong words can sabotage your resume, and nearly all of us have at least a few of these words on our resumes.  Learn the 7 types of words that can have a severe impact on your chances of getting an interview.

1. Generic Attributes

These words are on everyone’s resume.  They are so common that hiring managers simply don’t even read them. Do not bore the reader to tears with these trite, overused and tired phrases.

• Hard worker
• Excellent communication skills
• Goal-driven
• Strong work ethic
• Multi-tasker
• Personable presenter
• Goal-oriented
• Detail-oriented

It is much more effective to write description that is action-based and demonstrates these abilities rather than just laying claim to them. For example, rather than just stating you are an “excellent presenter,” you could say something like “Developed and presented 50+ multi-media presentations to C-level prospects resulting in 35 new accounts totaling $300,000 in new revenues.”

2.  Age Attributes

Under qualified candidates often try to look more mature.  Over qualified candidates sometimes try to look more youthful.  Hiring managers know these tricks.   Candidates near retirement are often the worst offenders.  Words to avoid:

• Young
• Youthful
• Developing
• Professional Appearance
• Mature

3. Health Attributes

Candidates who claim to be “healthy” are telling hiring managers they feel they fear getting to0 sick to do the job.  Candidates with past medical issues are the worst offenders here.  Words to avoid.

• Healthy
• Fit
• Energetic
• Active
• Able-bodied
• Athletic

4. Appearance Attributes

Candidates who claim to be “attractive” are telling the hiring manager they get by on their looks instead of their skills.   Let the hiring manager see how attractive you are at the interview, but don’t expect to get that interview because you are attractive.

Age, health, appearance phrases to avoid:

• Pretty
• Attractive
• Handsome
• Cute
• Adorable
• Masculine
• Powerful

Let the hiring manager see how healthy and fit you are when you come for an interview.  Don’t expect claiming to be as such will get you an interview in the first place.

5. Passive Voice Words

Forget what you learned in school and don’t write in passive voice.  Many people write in passive voice because that is how we’ve been taught to write “formally” in high school composition and then in freshman college English.  Its wrong for resumes.

Indicators of the passive voice:

• Responsible for
• Duties included
• Served as
• Actions encompassed

Rather than saying “Responsible for management of three direct reports” change it up to “Managed 3 direct reports.” It is a shorter, more direct mode of writing and adds impact to the way the resume reads.

6. Hyper-Active Words

Hyper-active words are verbs that are too violent or aggressive to be used on a resume.  They’re usually verbs better suited to a comic book than a resume.

• Smashed numbers through the roof
• Electrified sales team to produce
• Pushed close rate by 10%
• Destroyed sales competition
• Blew away sales goals

7.  Profile Words

These are Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the DISC Profile. While the results from these evaluations can be invaluable to the job seeker for evaluating an opportunity in terms of “fit”, employers and recruiters are more interested in performance results. Do not inadvertently “pigeon-hole” yourself by including your profile results in the resume.  Words to avoid:

• A-type Personality
• D Profile
• Alpha Male

Consider your word choice in a resume. A resume is a marketing document for your career just as a brochure is a marketing document for a product or service. Companies put careful thought and consideration into each and every word that goes into marketing copy and you should do the same in your resume.

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Financial Analyst, New York, NY

Analyst, Newport Beach, CA

Financial Analyst, New York, NY

Analyst , Millburn, NJ

Accountant, Austin, TX

Analyst (Client Management) , New York, NY

Senior Consultant, Analytic Consulting, Nationwide

1. First Contact

Whether a hiring manager gets back to you over phone or by email to set up an interview, make sure to take a moment to thank them for their time and consideration.  You certainly aren’t owed an interview just because you threw your resume into the ring, so don’t put on an air of entitlement.  It’s important to remain humble – that is not to say meek – throughout the process, and showing your appreciation is crucial to paying respect for the interviewer, as well as the company on the whole.

2. During the Interview

Make your first impression a great one – the moment you walk into the interview and shake hands with a hiring manager, thank them once again for their time and consideration.  Make sure to exit with a bang too; when you get up to leave, express your gratitude.  If more than one person is interviewing you, shake hands with each person and say thanks to all individually, and address them each by name if you can.

3. After the Interview

Many people often forget this step, but it’s essential to send a thank you note to a hiring manager after an interview.  It shows that you are thinking about a job after you’ve gotten through the initial meeting, and also gives you a chance to remind the hiring manager who you are, why you want the job, and what you bring to the table.  It’s up to you to discern whether it’s more appropriate to say thanks via email or regular mail; just make sure you remember this important gesture that all hiring managers appreciate.

4. Upon Rejection

Even though your inclination may be to cut your losses and move on as quickly as you can when you are rejected from a job, take a few minutes to say thanks one final time.  Saying thank you after you are given a “no” conveys professionalism, and cues hiring managers into what you might be like to work with if a future opportunity rolls around.  Never forget that, while you may not be given the current position you are applying to, other jobs may open up that are better suited to you.  Keep yourself at the top of the hiring manager’s list by ending on a positive note.

Always remember the importance of saying thank you, and, equally as important, remind yourself of the things you are already grateful for in your life.  Even if you don’t have a job this holiday season, try to remember that things do change, and it’s the joy and support you currently have that will get you through these challenging times.

Happy Thanksgiving,

The Doostang Team

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Research Associate, Specialty Retail, New York, NY

Senior Associate (Finance) , San Francisco, CA

Data / MIS Analyst positions, Richmond, VA

Investment Communications Manager, Boston, MA

Managing Director of Investment Banking, New York, NY

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Sending good cover letter is how employers know you really want the job.   A great cover letter will get you an interview.  A bad cover letter says you are a spammer sending your resume to every job under the sun.  Learn the 5 things you need to know to do it right!

1. Tell them what job you want

Establish the focus and purpose of the communication right from the start. The reader will know you are interested in employment, but be specific about the type of job you are targeting. If replying to a specific advertisement, mention that at the beginning. Push your brand right from the beginning. A cover letter is not a social correspondence but a business communication with the dual purposes of introduction and persuasion.

2. Tell why you’re special

What makes you unique? What do you have to offer that is an added bonus? The cover letter is where you establish your image as the expert in your field. Many people think they are average and as a result, they write about themselves in an average way. Employers do not hire average candidates in a tight market. They hire above average candidates. Not only must you show you are a good candidate, but you have to believe you are a great candidate! When you believe it, others will to. That enthusiasm and confidence must come through in the cover letter.

3. Tell them how you add value

Have you ever purchased one brand of product over another simply because you received more for your money with the selected product? Companies try very hard to “bundle” services or market added value benefits in order to persuade you to purchase their products. For example, you may purchase one car over a comparable vehicle because it has a longer warranty. This marketing concept works in job search, too. What do you to offer that is extra? Perhaps you are multilingual or you have depth of insight into the industry that other candidates do not possess. Maybe you win sales based on your unique approach or that you are very good at saving endangered accounts. All of these things are “added value” and can play a powerful role when highlighted in a cover letter.

4. Tell them about your past success

It is important for the cover letter to bring attention to some of your achievements to spur the reader to read the resume. Allude to specific accomplishments you have brought into your resume but only give the reader a taste or a tease. If you can select these statements to match up with the needs of the employer, all the better! For example, if a job ad states “Experience selling into Fortune 100 IT departments” and you have that experience, make sure you mention it in the cover letter!

5. Tell them you will follow-up

So many people make the mistake of ending the cover letter on an “I’ll wait to hear from you” note. Take charge of the situation and state when you will follow up on your communication. State the day you will be in contact and by what method (phone, email, etc.). By being proactive, you give the impression of being positive, confident, and professional. Of course, you have to do what you promise and follow up! Don’t let that drop through the cracks or you waste the entire effort!

Research Associate, Specialty Retail, New York, NY

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Whether you have been in the job market for some time or you’re just starting out, interviews are always an essential part of the recruiting process. An interview is effectively a screening process that companies use to differentiate between individuals who look promising on paper. Making it to an interview already demonstrates that you have the background skills your employer is looking for. Now it’s up to you to make that first impression last.

#1: It’s not just about how smart you are

If you ever wondered how an employer chooses from three people with identical resumes: this is it. Many times you will be competing against candidates with very similar accomplishments, and there is only one way to stand out from the crowd. Show your employer why you want to be there. Do your research on the company and its particular culture and know ahead of time what you can bring to the table to help them grow. Anyone they interview will be qualified, intelligent, and driven – but employers want someone who will bring something more exciting to the table. What can you do for them? Be concrete, be creative, and show that you are more than just smart.

#2: NEVER open a sentence with an excuse or apology

Interviewers hear things like this constantly: “I know I don’t have a finance degree, I know I didn’t have an internship with your company”, etc. These are the kind of things you want to say at home around family and friends when you are secretly freaking out about your interview the next day – NOT to your employer! Work with what you have and highlight your redeeming qualities. Relate non job-specific experiences to your new employer in creative ways. So you worked for a summer as an ambulance driver and now you’re applying for a position in finance? Great! That experience shows that you can handle stress.

#3: Be succinct and do not ramble

Interviewers are people too, and like all people, they can get bored.

• Don’t take 5 minutes to answer a question
• Don’t give one word answers
• Don’t drone; keep the interviewer interested

Remember, you are selling yourself to this individual. Think of other examples of sales. It’s often the personality – the excitement – the way the product is presented, that keeps us coming back for more.  Sell yourself effectively, and your interviewer won’t be able to let you go.

#4: Explain Yourself

Interviewers love to give brainteasers.

• How many passengers leave JFK airport on a given day?
• If this table was full of pennies, do you think they could stack up to measure this building?

If you get stuck, explain how you would approach the problem if you don’t know the answer. Interviewing is less about getting answers right and more about showing the interviewer that you are an effective problem solver. Companies want to know that you are capable of taking complex problems and breaking them down to find an answer. They are more concerned with how you think than with what you know.

#5: Count. If you are asked for 3 examples, don’t give 2

This blunder is made more often than should be allowed. It’s a no-brainer kind of mistake that you can easily watch out for and avoid – (please do!) It will make your interviewer’s job a lot easier if you mess something like this up, and by that I mean that you will probably be overlooked on the spot. You’re smarter than that – don’t let happen to you!

#6: Be able to explain everything in your resume, down to the last apostrophe

Your resume has been your stand-in until this point, and your employer is very likely to refer to it for clarification and explanation, especially if something you have done stands out. Be prepared with answers to any question about your past internship or work experience. Have examples ready to show concretely your impact and what you personally accomplished during your time there.

You are now officially instilled with some of our best interview tips – now it’s time for you to use them! Fall recruiting season is here, and Doostang is ready and able to help you make the most of it, get those applications in, and get hired. Because that is what it’s all about – a new job, a new beginning, and a new chance for success.

Until Next Time,

Team Doostang

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Corporate Finance/Investment Banking Analyst – New York, NY

Financial Analyst – Los Angeles, CA

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Senior Corporate Development Analyst – Chelmsford, MA

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1. Select the best format

While most resumes are written in a history chronological format, often a better technique is to evenly balance between skill set description, achievements, and employment.

2. Don’t Write Too Much

Employers need to see details about your work history and experience, but they don’t need to know everything. Keep information germane to the goal of attaining an interview. Eliminate information that is not related and will not have direct impact on winning the interview.

3. Do not use personal pronouns.

“I”, “me”, “my”, “mine”, “our” should not be on a resume. Resumes are written in first person (implied). Example: For your prior job description, instead of writing: “I hired, trained and supervised a team of assistant managers and sales associates” you would instead state that you “Hired, trained and supervised a team of assistant managers and sales associates.” Fragment sentences are perfectly acceptable on a resume and actually preferred.

4. Use numerical symbols for numbers

While we are taught in school to spell out numbers less than ten, in resume writing, numerical symbols serve as “eye stops” and are a much better method. Instead of writing “Developed a dynamic team of eight consultants.” it would be much more advantageous to state “Developed a dynamic team of 8 consultants.”

5. Highlight Success

What makes you stand out from the crowd? How did you come up with a way to do things better, more efficiently, or for less cost? What won honors for you? Information such as this is vital, will grab attention, and put your resume at the top of the list.

6. Keep it positive

Reason for leaving a job and setbacks do not have a place on a resume. Employers are seeking people who can contribute and have successfully performed in the past. Concentrate on communicating these issues and avoid any detracting information.

7. Be phone savvy

Many first time job interviews are conducted via telephone rather than in person. Make sure you are prepared for that telephone call when it arrives … and make sure you have a resume that will make the phone ring!

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Corporate Finance/Investment Banking Analyst – New York, NY

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Senior Associate / Vice President – Investment Banking Firm – New York, NY

Manager of Strategic Investments and Portfolio – Premier Financial Firm – New York, NY

Portfolio Manager – Premier Asset Management Firm – Chicago, IL

Senior Director of Finance – Boutique Strategy Consulting Firm – Boston, MA

Senior Financial Reporting Analyst – Elite Financial Firm – San Francisco, CA

1. Plan the Call

The most effective way to run a great conference call is to be prepared.  At a minimum, you should have the names, phone numbers, email addresses and job titles of the people who will be on the call. This way if anything goes wrong, you can reestablish communications quickly.

2. Plan Your Location

Background noise is a conference call killer.  Don’t try having a conference call from a shared cubicle area.  If you don’t have a private office, try reserving a conference room.  If none are available, ask someone who does have an office if you can borrow it.  If all else fails, sneak into an empty office at your organization.

3. Send Email Alerts

Email alerts are great way of making sure that no one forgets the call, or is missing the call in information.  Send an email out the day before the call, to everyone involved, stating the time of the call, the participants, the subject matter, the length and most importantly, don’t forget to include the call in phone number and password.  Send this email again 1 hour before the call.

4. Start Early

Don’t wait till a minute before the call to dial in.  Log into the call 10-15 minutes early so you have time to fix any problems like bad passwords, wrong numbers, bad sound, or any other problems that might arise.

5. Bring the Right People

Think about what the call is for, and make sure the right people are invited.  If the subject matter is likely to cross into one of your cooworkers responsibilities, ask them to sit in on the call.  Its better to include people than not include them, since they can always leave or decline if they aren’t needed.

7. Start the Call Professionally

Mute the phone.  When waiting on participants to enter the conference call, leave your phone on mute, so the other callers don’t hear any confidential information that you may discuss while waiting for their arrival.  When everyone has arrived, introduce everyone, with their full name and title, and why they are on the call.  Thank everyone for coming, let them know the agenda and length of the call, and begin.

8. Leave Time for Questions

If you expect the call to last 30 minutes, schedule it for 60 minutes.  At best you’ve wisely left time for the call to run long, or to include a question and answer session.  At worst you let everyone out early, so its a win-win for everyone.

9. Send a Follow-up Email

Send an email to the people on the call, summarizing what was discussed, and about any action items.  This way you can be sure that everyone on the call understands what they are expected to do next.  If there is a followup call, this is when you should tell everyone when it is.

10. Buy a Headset

Headsets with a microphone and earpiece are easy to find, but they won’t connect to your workplace phone if you have the standard Cisco VOIP phones, like most companies do.  You need to order a special headset from a maker like Plantronics.  Make sure you get both pieces, the dialer and the headset itself.  It can be expensive, anywhere from $200 to $400, but if you are a salesperson who lives and dies on the phone, this may be a great investment for you.  Your contacts will hear you much clearer, and you will hear them much better too.

Conference calls are a great way to stay connected and to convey information efficiently.  Just try to make sure you stay on track so that they remain sessions that people look forward to in order to touch base, rather than time wasters that everyone dreads.

Until next time,

Team Doostang

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Analyst, Global Technology – New York, NY

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Master Servicing Data and Reporting Analyst – Chicago, IL

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What Resume Format is Right for You?

The two types of resume formats are very different. Chronological format details the job history in reverse time order, starting with the most recent position and working backwards. This format is the one that most recruiters and hiring managers prefer.

1. Chronological Format

Employers need to see details about your work history and experience, but they don’t need to know everything. Keep information germane to the goal of attaining an interview. Eliminate information that is not related and will not have direct impact on winning the interview.

Benefits to using a chronological resume include:

• Shows your results. The reader can specifically see when and where a candidate achieved results. The guess work is eliminated.
• Shows your range. A chronological format highlights flexibility. Many job seekers have held varying positions over their careers, often in different functions and roles. A good strategy is to showcase that diversity.
• Shows your record of success. The progression of a candidate’s career, records of promotion, and increases in responsibility are shown clearly. These attest to a candidate’s performance record and drive to succeed.

Some job seekers worry about employment. Small gaps in employment (a year or less) are common these days. Lay-offs, mergers, acquisitions impact nearly everyone’s lives. Handled strategically, they can be minimized in a chronological resume.

2. Functional Format

Also known as a “skills resume” it has the content arranged according to performance type and function. A human resource professional for example, might divide his/her skills into categories such as Employee Training, Benefits Management, and Workforce Development. Under each category, the relevant information would be listed or described.

A brief work history listing comes at the end of the document listing job title, employer, and dates. I’ve seen some functional resumes with no employment dates at all. That is a big mistake.

A functional format is generally chosen when attempting to make a career change or to minimize a career blemish. Often, the functional format is used when a large span of time is missing from the work history.

Problems associated with the functional resume:

• Where’s the information? Recruiters and hiring managers dislike hunting for information. They want to see past performance, and understand your background.
• What’s the context? The functional format takes away all frames of reference. A candidate might claim attaining a record breaking sales contract but the reader is unable to place that in context in terms of time and employer. Was that success in sales recent or ten years ago? It’s difficult to tell in a functional resume.
• What’s the problem? Recruiters and hiring managers know that the functional format is often used to try to cover something up. The functional format serves as a red flag — “What is this candidate trying to hide?” The use of the format to overcome a detriment actually serves to draw attention to it.

Today’s job seeker is wise to stick with the chronological format as it provides the necessary information to urge the reader to contact the candidate for an interview.

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Senior Associate / Vice President – Investment Banking Firm – New York, NY

Manager of Strategic Investments and Portfolio – Premier Financial Firm – New York, NY

Portfolio Manager – Premier Asset Management Firm – Chicago, IL

Senior Director of Finance – Boutique Strategy Consulting Firm – Boston, MA

Senior Financial Reporting Analyst – Elite Financial Firm – San Francisco, CA

1. Plan the Call

The most effective way to run a great conference call is to be prepared.  At a minimum, you should have the names, phone numbers, email addresses and job titles of the people who will be on the call. This way if anything goes wrong, you can reestablish communications quickly.

2. Plan Your Location

Background noise is a conference call killer.  Don’t try having a conference call from a shared cubicle area.  If you don’t have a private office, try reserving a conference room.  If none are available, ask someone who does have an office if you can borrow it.  If all else fails, sneak into an empty office at your organization.

3. Send Email Alerts

Email alerts are great way of making sure that no one forgets the call, or is missing the call in information.  Send an email out the day before the call, to everyone involved, stating the time of the call, the participants, the subject matter, the length and most importantly, don’t forget to include the call in phone number and password.  Send this email again 1 hour before the call.

4. Start Early

Don’t wait till a minute before the call to dial in.  Log into the call 10-15 minutes early so you have time to fix any problems like bad passwords, wrong numbers, bad sound, or any other problems that might arise.

5. Bring the Right People

Think about what the call is for, and make sure the right people are invited.  If the subject matter is likely to cross into one of your cooworkers responsibilities, ask them to sit in on the call.  Its better to include people than not include them, since they can always leave or decline if they aren’t needed.

7. Start the Call Professionally

Mute the phone.  When waiting on participants to enter the conference call, leave your phone on mute, so the other callers don’t hear any confidential information that you may discuss while waiting for their arrival.  When everyone has arrived, introduce everyone, with their full name and title, and why they are on the call.  Thank everyone for coming, let them know the agenda and length of the call, and begin.

8. Leave Time for Questions

If you expect the call to last 30 minutes, schedule it for 60 minutes.  At best you’ve wisely left time for the call to run long, or to include a question and answer session.  At worst you let everyone out early, so its a win-win for everyone.

9. Send a Follow-up Email

Send an email to the people on the call, summarizing what was discussed, and about any action items.  This way you can be sure that everyone on the call understands what they are expected to do next.  If there is a followup call, this is when you should tell everyone when it is.

10. Buy a Headset

Headsets with a microphone and earpiece are easy to find, but they won’t connect to your workplace phone if you have the standard Cisco VOIP phones, like most companies do.  You need to order a special headset from a maker like Plantronics.  Make sure you get both pieces, the dialer and the headset itself.  It can be expensive, anywhere from $200 to $400, but if you are a salesperson who lives and dies on the phone, this may be a great investment for you.  Your contacts will hear you much clearer, and you will hear them much better too.

Conference calls are a great way to stay connected and to convey information efficiently.  Just try to make sure you stay on track so that they remain sessions that people look forward to in order to touch base, rather than time wasters that everyone dreads.

Until next time,

Team Doostang

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Premier Private Equity Firm seeks Associate, New York, NY

Senior Analyst & Entrepreneur for Preeminent financial company, Boston, MA

Syndications, Sales, Pasadena, CA

Investment Accountant at Premier Global Financial Services Firm, Hartford, CT

Manager, Corporate Finance , Los Angeles, CA

Director of Marketing , Austin, TX

 

Big projects and small tasks have a way of piling up at work.  Your boss throws something new at you while you’re in the midst of another assignment, and soon you find yourself juggling a multitude of jobs, making your one job seem unmanageable at times.  The key is time management, folks!  It’s a skill that was introduced to us back in our schooldays, but one that many of us just can’t quite seem to master.  If this sounds like a familiar setback, read on for some tips to staying on top of your workload.

 

1. Track Your Schedule Online

Time management in the workplace is all about what to do, when to start, and when to stop.  Keeping an online schedule with tools like a gmail or outlook’s online calendar will keep you organized and alert you to meetings and project deadlines.   An online schedule is always with you, as it can connect to your phone, laptop, work and home computers.

 

2. Make a List

A lot of the time it helps you stay focused on your work if you just write it all down.  If you have a piece of paper or a computer document right in front of you that details everything you have to do, you’re less likely to forget something important.  Another great part about lists is the ability to cross stuff off.  A lot of people derive great satisfaction from checking things off as they complete them, after which they can seamlessly move on to the next item on their agenda.

 

3. Prioritize

Something you can do right on your list is prioritize your tasks.  What needs to be done now and what can wait?  People are often tempted to complete projects based on the order they receive them.  This is helpful in that it prevents the break in concentration it takes to switch from one task to another; however, some jobs are more important than others, and should be handled accordingly.  Being able to discern what needs to get done and the ability to multi-task are highly important in the workplace.  Use you list to help you keep track of due dates, levels of importance, and long-term projects.

 

4. Communicate

The dark, scary vortex of numerous projects and deadlines is a lonely place – so that’s why you should keep an open communication with your boss and coworkers in order to avoid the chaos!  If you’re feeling overwhelmed, talk to your boss about ways you can better complete your work or the possibility of extending deadlines.  If you’ve got a lot on your plate, it’s probably a good idea to check in with him or her anyway, as staying on track is difficult when you have a lot going on.  When things get busy, talk to your coworkers as well.  Aside from moral support, they can also lend a helping hand if you’re particularly pressed for time.

 

5. Take a Break

Taking a break is often the last thing a busy person will do, but it’s extremely important.  It’s imperative to take a step back from your work from time to time, in order that you can remain your most productive self.

Time management doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and so those of us graced with a more scattered approach to our work must enact tangible strategies in order to stay on top of it all.  Get in the habit of creating lists, talking with others, and taking breathers, and things will start to fall into place more easily!

 

Until next time,

The Doostang Team

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Not everyone has the luxury of working from home, which has as one advantage the fact that you don’t have to brave rush hour traffic to or from the office.  Perhaps more of a headache than long hours on the road, however, is the amount of money it costs to shuttle yourself to and from work.  Here are a few suggestions for cutting costs on your daily commute.

Be More Fuel-Efficient

There are many ways to be more fuel-efficient that don’t just include purchasing a fuel-efficient car – which is a great solution.  Make sure to keep your car in good shape, as a vehicle that runs properly and has good tires will use less gas.  Check the air pressure in your tires, because the difference between right and wrong can cost you a few miles per gallon in fuel. Also consider taking unnecessary items out of the trunk or back seat of the car, since your car uses more gas the heavier it is.

Carpool

A simple solution to reducing commuting costs is to carpool.  Figure out whom from your office lives near you, and take turns driving to work.  If you can’t do this, search the myriad of websites that coordinate carpools for people in your area.  Not only will the drive be less expensive – it will also be less lonely!

Public Transportation

Not every city has the great public transportation of a place like New York City.  But if you have the option, consider using it.  You’ll save a lot of money over time, and sometimes your employer will offer to cover the price of a monthly or annual pass.  If you’re worried about having to leave earlier or the commute taking more time, remember that it’s much easier to read or work on other projects while on the train, bus, or subway.

Lower Your Car Insurance

When you commute less, your insurer will often lower your rate with a special low-mileage discount.  Do some research and determine what kinds of savings you can reap, and make sure to inform your insurance company of any commuting changes you make.

Bring Coffee From Home

If you buy coffee or breakfast during your commute, it could be a significant part of your daily spend. Instead of spending $2 to $7 dollars everyday on a coffee purchased during your trip, make your coffee at home and bring it along in a reusable travel mug. Bringing a breakfast from home instead of purchasing it during your commute will save you even more money.

When you start looking at the bigger picture when costs add up, it’s frustrating to see how much you have to pay to go to work.  But there are multiple simple solutions you can take that will save you money.

Until next time,

Team Doostang

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Investment Banking: Analyst, Foster City, CA

Private Equity: Vice President, New York, NY

Proprietary Trader , New York, NY

Mobile Start-up: Finance/Strategy Manager, San Francisco, CA

Financial Consultant, Los Angeles, CA

Asset Management: Investor Relations Manager, Boston, MA

Fixed Income Analyst- Summer Intern , Santa Fe, NM

Director of Market Research, New York, NY

For many of us students and recent graduates who gladly roamed campus in yesterday’s sweats, fashion is a foreign world tread only when absolutely necessary.  So, in order to make things easier: here are a few staple items that every job seeker should have in the closet.  The great thing about staple items is that they never really go out of style.  Invest in quality pieces now, and you will be able to wear them for years to come.

1. Conservative suit

A nice, conservative suit is an absolute must-have.  If you have the money, get it tailored to fit. The fabric should be a neutral or solid color – black and navy are the most common, but there’s no reason why you can’t have a little fun and go with a nice taupe or pinstripe.  When considering different types of ties, appliqués, or lapels, remember that the simpler the better.  Once you’re hired, you will have all the time in the world to impress your coworkers with your amazing sense of style.  Stick to the basics during your interview to convey a professional, polished look.  Women can wear a pant or skirt suit and should always wear sheer, neutral hosiery underneath – keep an extra pair in your purse in case you run the hosiery in transit.  It never hurts to be prepared!

2. Neatly pressed blouse or shirt

If you’re a man, a white, long-sleeved 100% cotton shirt with button cuffs is always acceptable.  For women, blouses or shirts should be white or ivory and conservative.  The neckline should coordinate with the lines of your jacket lapel.  Stay away from shirts that are too tight or revealing – while it might land you a date, it won’t land you a job!

3. A simple, professional watch

A watch is a great piece of flair that you can wear without worrying about committing a fashion faux pas.  Be sure to disable any functions that would cause the watch to beep during an interview.  While watches are by no means necessary as a means of telling time (now that everyone and their grandmother has a cell phone), watches are still an important part of an interview wardrobe.  Foregoing a watch can effectively say “I am never on time, ever.”  This writer recommends eco-drive watches: they’re solar powered and can run for years without having to change the battery!

4. Dress shoes

You should invest in a nice pair of interview shoes in a dark solid color that coordinates with your suit.  For women, shoes should always be closed toed with a heel of 2.5” or less.  Avoid anything shiny or textured – try for leather or synthetic fabrics that will not draw attention.   For men, just stay away from loafers!  Classic, tie-up dress shoes are always in style.  Your belt should match your shoes.

5. A simple bag or briefcase

One thing about briefcases: if you don’t have a reason to carry one, don’t.  But you should have some kind of bag with you to hold your resume, your phone, extra hosiery and everything else necessary or superfluous that you will want to carry with you on interview day.  Stick with neutral colors – a dark leather is always best.  Stay away from anything ridiculously large or small, and from messenger bags that sling across your body.  Over or undersized bags can make your entire outfit look unprofessional, and a slung-over bag will wrinkle your nicely pressed suit.  For women, if you’re not looking to invest in a bag specifically for interviewing and professional purposes, try getting something that will work for both work and play – like a neutral color Longchamp bag.

Beyond these basic items, there are a wide range of things you can do to to spruce up your look for an interview and make you look and feel your very best.  Be sure that your hair is neatly cut and styled and your nails are clean and cut short.  Always err on the side of caution when it comes to accessories, but the great thing about many of these staple items is that they can also be paired with fun, colorful pieces during the work week to add some professional excitement to your wardrobe.  These are working items that you can continue to wear and enjoy for years.

If there’s one thing I learned from years of watching What Not to Wear, it’s that fashion does make a difference in the way we look, feel, and present ourselves.  Dress for Success, and your confidence will reflect that effort!

Farewell, fashionistas -

Your interview style gurus,

The Doostang Team

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Investment Banking Associate – New York, NY Credit Research Analyst – Chicago, IL Corporate Finance / Investment Banking Analyst – New York, NY Vice-President / Senior Associate – San Francisco, CA Senior Technical Assistance Consultant – Educator Quality – Nationwide

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Writing a resume is no small task, but one part that seems like a no-brainer is the contact information section. Unless you are suffering from amnesia, you know your name, where you live, and what your own phone number is.

However, it’s not quite that simple. Your contact information is arguably the most important part of your resume, as this is the only means employers have to reach you for an interview!

Many job seekers commit major blunders in their contact information, however, that can turn off employers before the first paragraph is read. Be sure to avoid the following eight pitfalls to maximize this simple — yet vital — section of your resume:

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1. Listing current work phone or email address

Though rarely enforced, most companies implement policies barring use of office equipment and internet services for personal use. Your job search certainly qualifies as personal, so keep it out of the office. Keeping your job search a secret from your current boss is only one of the pitfalls. Listing a work-related email address or phone number on your resume sends a negative message about your professionalism. A prospective employer could infer that you are abusing company time and resources, and that’s certainly not a good first impression.

2. Including your name and email only on the first page.

Envision how many pieces of paper must cover the desk of a hiring manager shortly after he or she publicly posts an open position. Now picture him or her sifting through dozens (if not hundreds) of resumes and misplacing a page. If no name is on that page, it may as well be in the garbage.

Don’t risk being discounted from consideration because a portion of your resume was lost. Be sure to put your name and contact information on each and every page of your resume to avoid this preventable scenario.

3. Providing a phone number that’s not caller-friendly.

Giving only phone numbers that make it easy to contact you may sound like common-sense advice, but unfortunately it isn’t always obvious. Without realizing it, job seekers who block lines from private calls or forget to clean out a full voicemail box for three weeks sabotage themselves. Making it easy for a busy employer to contact you is crucial, because rather than track you down, he or she is more likely to just move on to the next candidate.

Additionally, be cautious if you share the telephone line with your family or roommates. For example, if your teenage daughter uses the phone constantly but never answers call waiting or you live with your sister who is terrible at taking messages, perhaps your home phone line is not the best number to provide. A cell phone is usually the phone number of choice, but with newer technology offerings such as free Internet-based voicemail boxes, the modern-day job seeker has plenty of options.

4. Not verifying that the outgoing voicemail message sounds professional.

Using funny recordings or having small children as the voice a caller hears telling them to leave a message may be amusing or adorable to your family and friends, but it’s not going to make a professional impression on a prospective employer. Even though it’s your home and your right to do whatever you like with your own voicemail, the best message is brief and generic. Start making your first impression in person during the interview rather than through an insignificant message that could make you seem silly.

5. Listing an email address that’s a bit too personal.

If you chose an email address that refers to personal information, it’s typically not advisable to use it when applying for a job. Furthermore, using your birth year as part of an email moniker could lead an employer to figure out your age, which subjects you to age discrimination. (Though it’s obviously illegal, age discrimination is still alive and well in today’s job market, not to mention difficult to prove.) Be sure to let your qualifications speak for themselves.

Even if your hobbies are wholesome, they won’t put you in a professional light. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with “DogLover23” or “SailingAceJohn,” but such names don’t support a professional image. A simple solution is choosing an email address that contains your first and last name. This not only presents a polished image, but makes a sender’s identity clear. Seeing an email from “SailingAceJohn” in my inbox won’t tell me immediately which candidate it is, especially if I received 12 resumes from people named John! With such an abundance of free and reliable email providers, it’s easy to set up an account you can use exclusively for your job search.

6. Omitting a residential address.

Posting a resume online can be a scary thought for many, since contact information is out there in cyberspace. Nevertheless, an address is ideal to show the reader where you are located. Most job boards offer a job seeker the option of keeping contact information private. A good compromise, however, is to at least include your city and state so employers know whether you are a local candidate.

7. Opting for a nickname over a formal name.

Your birth certificate says your full name is Michael, but your friends call you Mickey. That’s fine, but remember, a prospective job lead is not your friend. Your resume is a formal marketing document, and as such should contain your full legal name. Once you interview for the position, feel free to tell the person or persons interviewing you to call you whatever you prefer, but until that time, it’s best to maintain a formal and professional tone.

8. Not hyperlinking an email address.

Hyperlinking your email address gives hiring managers the option of contacting you with one simple click! Why would anyone pass up this type of opportunity?

There may be more to the contact section of a resume than meets the eye, but optimizing this information for a successful job search is easy if you know the impression each detail makes on employers. (Now if only creating the rest of the resume was this simple!)

Investment Banking Associate – New York, NY Credit Research Analyst – Chicago, IL Corporate Finance / Investment Banking Analyst – New York, NY Vice-President / Senior Associate – San Francisco, CA Senior Technical Assistance Consultant – Educator Quality – Nationwide

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As the cold weather really sets in, it’s tempting to bring the cozy fireside feeling into our cubicles.  But while there are certainly wardrobe alterations you’ll need to make along with the change in temperature, it’s still important to continue dressing professionally for work.  Here are some guidelines to ensure that you don’t get too comfortable in the office:

Leave the Sweats at Home

Sweats are what you change into after work – they’re not the duds you stroll into the office wearing, no mater how cold it is outside.  Anyone who walks in sporting a pair of running pants is just clueless, but you should be equally hesitant about wearing a sweatshirt in a professional working environment, even if it is just at your desk.  Of course, some company cultures do allow for more casual dress, so use your best judgment if you work in a more informal environment.

Leave Your Boots at the Doorstep

No one expects you to brave two feet of snow in the parking lot in stilettos.  But they don’t expect that you’ll track a trail of water and mud into the office either.  If the weather is stormy outside, make sure to cover up those feet with heavy-duty boots, but also pack a pair of office-friendly shoes that you can change into when you arrive.

Leave Your Winter Jacket in the Coat Closet

Even if the arctic chill makes its way indoors, it’s still unacceptable to wear your winter jacket at your desk.  Instead, wear a wool sports coat or add layers to your outfit.  You can also speak to someone about adjusting the thermostat in the building.

Leave the Holiday Sweaters at the Bottom of Your Dresser Drawer

You may be stoked to show off your holiday cheer, but unfortunately, cheesy holiday sweaters aren’t really suitable for the office – save them for the holiday party.  Again, some more casual offices may allow for these embarrassing fashion statements, but in general they’re unprofessional.  Stick to more traditional prints to keep you warm at your desk.

The world may seem to go into hibernation during the cold winter months, inciting you to bundle up and get cozy, but office etiquette still remains.  It’s important that you continue to dress the part, even when your fuzzy slippers and warm pajamas are calling your name.

Stay warm this winter!

The Doostang Team

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Leaving a job often has very negative connotations.  Indeed, the first things that come to mind are getting fired or laid off.  But many times you leave a job for your own reasons, and on good terms at that.  So how do you make sure to leave work on the best terms?  Read on for a list of tips on tactfully exiting a company.

Give Plenty of Notice

The standard notice for leaving a job is two weeks.  However, it’s considerate to give your employer a bit more time if you know that your future plans will take you elsewhere.  Giving them that extra heads up allows them the chance to regroup and figure out what steps they will need to take when you leave.  We all know that things move quickly in the corporate world, so give the people you work with a chance to put the right building blocks in place so that your transition out of the company will be easier on everyone.

Offer to Find and/or Train Your Replacement

It’s a great show of consideration to your boss if you can help him or her find someone to replace you, and then to train them if you have the time.  Your employer has many other things that they need to do, so helping out the new person will lighten their load.  Moreover, you may very well be the most qualified individual to determine who should replace you, as you know what it takes to do your job.  You will also be the person who will be most familiar with the job itself, so you’ll be less likely to miss a beat when imparting knowledge to the new employee.

Tie Up All Loose Ends

If you have any big projects that you are working on, do your best to see them through.  Make arrangements to have others take over if you are working on things that will continue on farther into the future.  Contact all of the people at other companies whom you worked with and let them know that you are moving on, and introduce them to your replacement if you have one.  Finally, create templates, reference guides, or other materials that will help your coworkers, who might be taking over some of your tasks once you leave.

Knowing how to gracefully leave your job is important because you never know when you are going to cross paths with these people again; you also don’t know when someone from your future may contact the people from your past.  Moreover, a tactful exit is the perfect way to say thanks for a great run at a company.

Team Doostang

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Doostang News: September 12, 2011
Vice President of Investor Relations, New York, NY
Pre-MBA Associate, Incline Village (Lake Tahoe), NV
Junior Analyst, Richmond, VA
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Strong attention to detail is something employers value in the people that work for them.  But when your tendency to check, and recheck, and recheck again gets in the way of your productivity, it’s time to pause and determine if perfectionism is getting in the way of your ability to do your job effectively.  If you find yourself spending too much time and energy trying to achieve the perfect result, consider these pointers.

Weigh the Costs

If you spend countless hours going over your work until it reaches perfection, you’re likely doing this at the expense of other activities or projects.  So make a list of all of the things – both personal and professional – that you aren’t able to focus on because you are caught up with one particular task.  When you start to see what you are missing out on, you’re more likely to want to change your behavior.  You may also find that the quality of one “perfect” project doesn’t outweigh the numerous assignments you failed to get to on time.

Set Limits

If you struggle with knowing when to cut yourself off, set limits for yourself ahead of time.  Allocate a certain number of hours to completing a task, or allow yourself to review a certain project a set number of times.  It’s also important to set deadlines for yourself and to work to meet them.

Embrace Criticism

Many perfectionists fail to see constructive criticism as something that is positive, but rather, as an attack.  As a result, they work to create a product that others will be unable to criticize because it is flawless.  The fact is, criticism can be healthy and help you to see weaknesses in your work that you wouldn’t have noticed on your own.  Criticism can help you to perform better on future projects, and is a healthy exercise in helping you to see your work in another light.

Learn from Your Mistakes

On that note, it’s okay to make mistakes – everyone does – and it’s important to learn from them.  No one will fault you for being less than perfect, so you shouldn’t dwell on it, but take it for the character building experience that it is.

Give Yourself a Break

Force yourself to unplug from your work when you go home at the end of the day.  Your evenings should be reserved for relaxing and indulging in activities that you enjoy – not spending more time on projects that can wait for the morning.

The fact that there is always something you can improve upon should be heartening, as you can constantly work to better yourself.  That said, perfection is difficult, if not impossible to come by, so ease up on yourself and just focus on doing your best.

Until next time,

The Doostang Team

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Investment Sales Associate , New York, NY
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While job fairs and meet-up events are full of job opportunities, they’re also full of job seekers. The key to getting an interview is to promote yourself well. Read on for a list of tips on how to stand out from the crowd.

Come Prepared

If you’re meeting up with potential employers, bring along a batch of resumes. You may have had a riveting conversation with a recruiting associate, but since this individual will have spoken to countless other job seekers, they’re not going to remember you unless you provide them with the necessary information.

Your time with this person is limited. You’ll have a few minutes to give them a brief summary of your experience and skills, and then it’s up to your resume to do the rest of the talking. Only when they look at your resume will they have a more complete picture of you as an employee. Handing your resume to a company representative in person is ideal – it allows that person to put a face to your resume. They’re more likely to remember you, and feel a personal connection with you.

Do Your Homework

Sure, you’re going to come across some great companies that you were unaware of beforehand, especially if you’re at an event with startups in attendance. But try to take a look at the company RSVP list before you make your way over.

First, this will allow you to spend less time acquainting yourself with the companies at the event, which eats up valuable networking time, and it will give you more of an opportunity to explore the companies that interest you. Secondly, when you bring some knowledge of the company to the table, it conveys to recruiters that you’re interested and enthusiastic about the job. They’ll be more likely to take you seriously, and having some common talking points will strengthen your connection with that individual.

Keep It Brief

It’s important not to monopolize the recruiting officer’s time, not only for the sake of your fellow job seekers, but also because doing so may negatively impact you as well. Yes, it is tempting to keep a company representative’s attention when you have it, but at a certain point it becomes obnoxious.

Companies attend job fairs because they want an opportunity to talk to a range of individuals, and if you prevent them from doing so by going on and on about your various merits and reverence for the company, they’re going to get tired of you and perhaps dismiss you altogether. Keep it short and sweet. Make a powerful first impression and leave them wanting more.

Bear in Mind the Human Element

You’re at a job fair full of representatives from different companies. A wonderful opportunity has presented itself that you won’t find while you’re searching for jobs online – the ability to interact face to face with someone. Don’t discount the human element of this situation.

Go in there and be friendly, smile, brush your teeth beforehand. Job fairs are all about establishing a rapport with a recruiting representative, so don’t be too scared to laugh or make a joke. Of course, as in all situations, it’s important to be discerning in your interactions with another human being, but in general you’ll get farther by being friendly and likable than if you come off as stodgy and monotone.

Bring a Friend

Job fairs can be extremely intimidating. You walk into a room, teeming with hundreds of individuals who are there for the same purpose as you are, and yet it can still feel impossible to strike up a conversation. First, there’s that competitive element – scores of others trying to make their way to the front of the line, stealing away face time with company representatives. And then there’s the question of whether or not to spend your time talking to these people in the first place, when you could be making the rounds at the various job booths.

Each of these predicaments can easily disrupt your momentum, instead causing you to stand around awkwardly while attempting to appear busy by looking around for something or leafing through the “Attendee” pamphlet. So bring a friend to help ease the pain. You can bounce ideas off of each other, help one another track down companies, and approach firms together.

Job fairs can often leave you feeling at the mercy of companies – after all, you want something they have. So have a friend tag along to give you a confidence boost and remind you of the power balance – you have something that companies want too!

A job search doesn’t have to feel like a violent mosh pit, fellow job seekers throwing elbows and pushing off of your shoulders. Just keep the aforementioned tips in mind, and you’ll be bodysurfing the crowd in no time!

Until Next Time,

The Doostang Team

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VC Associate, San Francisco, CA
Consultant, Chicago, IL
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Autumn is finally settling in again, but before you start laughing and pointing fingers at all those young children who still have years of school and torment ahead of them, just think about what YOU get to do.  That’s right, school may be out forever, baby, but check out what’s in store now:  the job search.  So tighten those backpack straps, throw on a bicycle helmet, and off we go!

Don’t Even Think About Cutting Class

While it may be tempting to ditch and hang out with all the bad girls and boys, you don’t want to wind up with all the other deadbeats later on in life.  So make sure to hold yourself to a schedule.  Wake up at a reasonable hour and park yourself at your desk for a generous period of time, giving yourself an opportunity to really focus on your job search.  You may feel inclined to soak up these last few weeks of sunshine, but make it a priority to devote a good chunk of your day to researching opportunities, sending out resumes, and networking.

Keep Your Homework Out of the Dog’s Reach

While you’re looking for a job, it’s important to set goals for yourself.  Assign yourself tasks such as applying for a minimum of five jobs a day, reading one book a week that will educate you in an industry that interests you, or perhaps creating an updated draft of your resume.  Homework is almost never fun, but it’s where we make a lot of our progress – so no slacking!

Get There Before the Final Bell

No one likes getting marked off for tardiness, so avoid the hassle altogether and get there early!  Be mindful of any application deadlines you have coming up, and plan your schedule accordingly.  And instead of sliding into your seat right as the bell rings, try to show up a few minutes ahead of time.  Hiring managers often look favorably upon candidates who turn in their materials promptly – and it’s also quite possible that they’ll make a decision before they close off the position, so stay on top of things and apply as early as you can.

Don’t Forget Your Friends

The best part about school is getting to suffer through it with all your best buds.  So find a few pals who are also treading along in this perilous world of job hunting, and share your woes, tips, and contacts with each other.  Having a support group while you look for a job can invigorate you when you’re down, expose you to new opportunities, and make you realize that you’re not alone.

RECESS

Sometimes when you’re starting to fidget in your seat and can’t peel your eyes off the clock, the best thing to do is to throw open the classroom door, fling your arms out into the air, and just run around outside.  Few of us can sit through an entire day pounding out a bunch of work, so don’t feel shy about taking a break every once in a while to de-stress.  Ultimately, it’ll help your productivity when you get back to the grind with a clear mind and a fresh outlook.

Happy job hunting!

The Doostang Team

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Stephanie

Tulane University ’11
Investment Banking Analyst – Group Argent LLC

“I am a Chinese student who pursued a master of Finance degree in the United States. After graduating from Tulane University, I moved to New Orleans to chase my dream job in the Financial world.

However, the recession and the depressed atmosphere of the job market made me feel desperate. People only talked about Ivy League Schools or the University in New York, and I could not find a way to break into the financial world.

I looked everywhere online, networked and emailed the employers, but got no feedback, not even disappointing news.

Then I found Doostang and went Premium to see what would happen.

Doostang attracted me in the first place because it presented a concise search engine for high quality jobs. I could search by title, place, and industry, which really made my job hunt easier.

I found a lot of opportunities on Doostang that I could not find on other websites.

The way they allow employers to download your resume (and notify you when your resume gets downloaded) also improves your chances of getting the job.

After one month, I got several interviews from Doostang and finally settled on one offer.

I will still consider Doostang when I want to seek more job opportunities in the future.”

Did you get a job through Doostang? Share your Doostang success story and get a $500 Signing Bonus from Doostang!

Here’s a small sample of the great jobs you’ll find on Doostang:

Clean Tech Private Equity Associate – Renowned Financial Company, New York, NY

Corporate Strategy Associate – Global Technology Giant, Palo Alto, CA

Commodity Futures Trader – Growth-Driven Proprietary Trading Group, Chicago, IL

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer – Leading Marketing Services Agency, Cleveland, OH

Financial Planning & Analysis Intern – Top-Notch Investment and Management Firm, New York, NY

Search jobs on Doostang

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