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Job Market Readiness

The BYU-Idaho Career Center’s Method for Job Market Readiness

The Method is four simple activities to help you prepare for your future career.

The Method Activities

Get help exploring potential employers and connecting with them using LinkedIn, BYU-I Connect, and the Alumni Directory.
Get help conducting informational interviews with alumni and professionals.
Get help managing your network and learning how to be where the employers are online.
Learn how the Career Center resources can help you evaluate your progress, so you meet your career goals.
Activity 1: Exploring Employers
Activity One teaches you how to explore potential employers you may want to work for one day. You also learn how to connect with alumni and other professionals using BYU-I Connect, LinkedIn, and the Alumni Directory.

Creating an Employer List
LinkedIn and BYUI Connect
Creating an Employer List
LinkedIn and BYUI Connect

Create an Employer List

This list provides a starting point of professionals and alumni you can reach out to, to conduct an informational interview.

Download an employer list template to help you get started.

Employer List

Tips for Creating an Employer List

This video provides tips students can use to find 40 companies to write down on their employer list.

LinkedIn

Learn how you can use LinkedIn to connect and network with BYU-Idaho alumni to help you in your job search.

BYU-Idaho LinkedIn

Download "LinkedIn Checklist" PDF

BYUI Connect

Learn how to connect with Alumni through BYUI Connect.

BYUI Connect

Download "BYUI Connect Checklist" PDF

Activity 2: Informational Interviews
Activity Two teaches you how to reach out to conduct an informational interview with alumni and other professionals you connected with in activity one. You also learn how to follow up so you build relationships with your connections and open doors of opportunity when you are ready.

Why Conduct an Informational Interview
Reaching out for an Interview
Prepare for an Interview
Conduct Interview
Interview Followup
Why Conduct an Informational Interview
Reaching out for an Interview
Prepare for an Interview
Conduct Interview
Interview Followup

Why Conduct an Informational Interview

This video shares Christopher Galbraith's story of how he landed a job on Wall Street using informational interviews.

Watch Christopher Galbraith’s P2B Presentation

Download "Why Conduct Information Interviews?" PDF

Reaching out for an Interview

Learn how to reach out for an informational interview.

Prepare for an Interview

Learn how to prepare for an informational interview.

Professional Guide PDF

Conduct an Interview

Learn how to conduct an effective informational interview.

Follow Up After Interview

Learn how to follow up after an informational interview.

Activity 3: Proximity to Employers
Activity Three teaches you how to stay in proximity to employers or simply put, be where employers can find you. Whether that is a great profile on LinkedIn, creating profiles on job boards like Handshake, or displaying your skills, talents, and experience on Portfolium, the videos in this activity will teach you what you need to know so employers can find you.

LinkedIn Profile
Managing Contacts
Handshake
LinkedIn Content
Job Boards
Campus Societies
Pitch 59
Portfolium
LinkedIn Profile
Managing Contacts
Handshake
LinkedIn Content
Job Boards
Campus Societies
Pitch 59
Portfolium

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile

Learn how you can optimize your LinkedIn profile to help it stand out and get found by recruiters.

Profile Checklist Document Download

Managing your Network Contacts

Learn helpful ways to manage your network contacts.

Manage Network Contacts Document Download

Handshake

Learn how to use Handshake to be more marketable and find jobs that interest you.

Handshake Profile Checklist Document Download

Creating and Posting Content on LinkedIn

Learn how to effectively create and post content on LinkedIn.

Using Job Boards

Learn how to effectively use job boards in your job search.

Join a BYU-I Campus Society

Learn how joining a campus society can help you in your job search.

Find a Society

Pitch 59

Learn how Pitch 59 can help you create and share your pitch with potential employers.

Portfolium

This video demonstrates how to use Portfolium to showcase your skills and projects to be more marketable for your job of interest.

Portfolium Checklist Document Download

Activity 4: Evaluating Progress
Activity Four is designed to help you evaluate your progress after working through activities 1-3. Are there job market readiness skills you want to develop or improve? That could be writing your résumé, cover letter, or interviewing skills. The Method offers the following resources to help you achieve your goals.

Résumé Formatting
Cover Letters
Interviewing
Salary Negotiation
Using Vmock
Résumé Formatting
Cover Letters
Interviewing
Salary Negotiation
Using Vmock

Résumé Formatting

This video teaches an approach to format a resume.

Organizing Sections on a Résumé

This video teaches how to organize the sections of your resume, so you know what to list first.

Tailoring Your Résumé

This video teaches students how to tailor their resumes to a job position.

Know Your Audience Guide PDF

Writing Résumé Bullets

This video teaches about the elements that should be in a resume bullet and the best way to structure them.

Powerful Resume Verbs

Resume Bullet Point Guide

Résumé Summary

This video teaches students how to write a resume summary when one is needed.

What to Include in Your Résumé if You Don’t Have Work Experience

This video teaches you the types of experiences you can include on your resume if you don't have very much work experience.

Cover Letter Formatting Tips

This video teaches basic tips for formatting a cover letter.

Writing a Cover Letter

This video teaches what to include in each paragraph in a cover letter.

How to Tailor a Cover Letter to a Position

This video teaches how to use the job posting to tailor a cover letter for a specific position.

Tell Me About Yourself Question

This video explains how to answer the "Tell Me About Yourself" question in a job interview.

Using STAR Model in an Interview

This video teaches you about the STAR Model and how to use it to answer behavioral-based interview questions.

What is Your Greatest Weakness Question

This video teaches you how to answer the "What is Your Greatest Weakness" question.

Salary Research

This video teaches how to research salary ranges to prepare for salary negotiations when offered a new position.

How to Answer a Salary Question in an Interview

This video teaches you how to respond to the "What salary range are you expecting?" question during a job interview.

Salary Negotiation at Job Offer

This video teaches how to negotiate salary when you have been offered a job.

How to Use VMock

VMock is an excellent tool for enhancing your resume and sharpening your interview skills.

Use your BYU-I credentials to view the tutorial provided by VMock.
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