Career Oriented Presentations Available From IEEE-USA
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About ten years ago, the Employment Assistance Committee
created a series of presentations on the subjects of job search and career
maintenance. These were originally supposed to be used by a "Quick Response
Team" that would travel to layoff sites around the country. Some of these events
were actually done, but it became clear that too much time and money was being
spent. It was decided to make as many of the talks as possible available to the
membership via the IEEE-USA website. In this way, the material could be used for
at local meetings and by individuals.
The purpose of this article is provide a brief description of the six talks on
the website. We hope to encourage the use of these presentations by the
membership. It is the purpose of this article to briefly describe the contents
of the presentations. All talks exist in the form of PowerPoint slides, and
reside at www.ieeeusa.org/careers/help, item number nine. They are designed to
be presented in about 45 minutes, making them a convenient length for section
meetings. All talks have supplementary speaker's notes in addition to the
slides. One slide in each presentation has additional references.
The Resumes and Cover Letters talk starts with a review of the basic purpose of
a resume. It continues with a guide to format and word selection. Two popular
resume organizations, chronological and functional, are discussed with examples.
Finally, the differences between traditional paper resumes and on-line resumes
are listed. Cover letters are vital, but receive much less attention in the
literature. The talk discusses the purpose and the proper form of a cover
letter. There is also a short detour into references, noting that they are
perishable and must be constantly renewed.
There are two presentations on the subject of interviewing. This is because
there is too much material to present in 45 minutes. The first talk involves
interview preparation, and the second covers the interview itself. Of course,
there is a certain amount of overlap. The first talk starts by listing the
various types of interviews. Then, the various stages of preparation are
reviewed. These are: self-assessment, gathering personal history, and company
assessment. Difficult types of interview questions are investigated and coping
strategies are suggested. An important part of preparation is knowing your worth
in the job market. The IEEE-USA salary survey is mentioned.
During the interview itself, which is the subject of the second talk, there are
rules for appearance and behavior that will contribute to a successful result.
The various dos and don'ts are listed. There are also lists of topics to avoid
and questions to ask. Next, salary negotiation tips are presented. The talk
finishes with a short list of interview traps to avoid and what to do after the
interview is over.
The Networking presentation is different in form from the others. This talk is
structured as a workshop and audience participation is mandatory. The point is
stressed that networking is the most efective way to find a job. The audience
participates in various exercises which promote networking skills, but in such a
way as to hide the work involved. I have been a participant at this workshop,
and can vouch for the fact that it is useful, and lots of fun.
The Career Transitions presentation discusses the psychological phenomena
accompanying important changes in life. These changes occur to some extent in
all people for all large changes, both good and bad. Some of the effects can be
quite disconcerting, especially after a layoff. A friend of mine lost his job
and started to experience mood swings. He worried until I let him read a copy of
this presentation. He learned that such things were normal, and this helped him
to get through his transition.
The Career Planning and Maintenance talk covers areas not specific to the job
search, which are nevertheless vital to maintaining a healthy career. The
presentation begins with a little philosophy on the subject of career planning;
why it is important but seldom done. The next section gives a blueprint for how
to plan your career. Basically, it involves asking yourself a lot of difficult
questions about what you really want to do. The presentation shows you what
questions to ask, and where to go for more material. The last part of the talk
covers the topic of career maintenance. These are career activities that should
be practiced in the absence of any direct problem. Keeping current, both
technically and professionally, and networking are among the recommended
activities.
I hope that somewhere in this article there is a career subject that interests
you, and that you will go to the URL and take a look at the presentations. Your
career is in your own hands, and the sooner you take control of it the better.
In September, presentations on project management and leadership are due to be
posted. The project management talk will be based on a very successful
presentation given at various IEEE events. There should be an informative
article published about these new presentations at about that time.