Ninety percent of employers recruiting at USC this fall expect to review a one page resume. How do you describe all your accomplishments in a single page? Prioritize, customize and leave some white space.

Before you develop or update your resume take a minute to list three things about you that are unique. Not your GPA, not your major; other folks have the same grades or will graduate with the same degree. When you talk to people, what do they find most intriguing about you? Think about it. What do you end up talking about the most?

Use these three things to set the priorities for what you should include in your resume. Now, look at the job description. How do you customize these three things to match what an employer’s requirements?

OK, so it’s not a simple as creating a chronological list of education, awards, involvement and experience.

Academia rewards reflective, deep thought. Employers who may be reviewing 100 resumes are looking for a concise summary of accomplishment. If you started an organization, what was the result? If you worked to support yourself through college, what does this communicate about your work ethic? Are you competing in a club sport? Think about how you attracted team members and raised funds to support your activity. Have you traveled, studied or worked abroad? In a global workplace, this understanding of cultures may be an asset. Your descriptions should be short and to the point, quantifying when possible

Now, the challenge: fit it all on one page. Customize your resume for each position. Leave enough white space on the page. Even in our ‘high tech’ world, a recruiter may want to make notes in the margin.The idea of the single page resume is not to find the smallest font, covering the page top to bottom, side to side. Select from your inventory of experience the most relevant to the position. You do not need a description for each job or internship.

Once you have a draft, have people review it for you. Utilize the walk in hours of the CPPC between 12 and 3 daily to get a career advisor perspective. If you know someone in the field you are planning to enter, ask them to give you feedback with and industry perspective.

Identifying your top three key qualities provides a focus to your resume. It is also provides an outline for a cover letter and a guide to prepare for an interview. Prioritize, customize and leave some white space.

Here we are in late October, a stressful period in a normal semester with mid-term exams and papers. Add to that the concerns about the economy and the upcoming election. It may be difficult to concentrate on classes when you are worried if you will have a job after graduation. It is important to share your concerns with friends and family. It is also important to develop a plan. You have time. You have options. Focus on what you can control.

Stay healthy. This may sound a bit odd as a first suggestion, however, getting out in the sun for a walk or run will immediately lower your stress level. If you look good you will feel confident and be ready to meet the most challenging interview.

Set realistic expectations. As the job market becomes more competitive, it may take longer to find a job. Organizations follow a cycle in hiring. Firms in accounting, finance, engineering and consulting typically hire in the fall for May graduates. All other employers hire close to the date when you are available to work. Set a timeline to match your industry’s hiring process.  You may find employers extending the hiring process to third and fourth round interviews. When there are fewer positions, an employer wants to be sure a candidate is a ‘fit’ before extending an offer. This is one reason many employers have shifted to hiring from internship programs.

Compartmentalize. If you are seeking full time employment you are balancing your life as a full time student with a full time job search. This requires time management and focus. You have to be successful in both. However, the priority is attaining your degree.

Finally, you are not alone. Meet with an advisor in the CPPC to get feedback on your plan. If your interview process is ending at the first round, it might be time to schedule a mock interview.

There is a limit to what we can take in at any point in time. And this fall, many of us are on overload. Realize that there are many issues beyond our control. Stay with what you can control and utilize the resources in the CPPC to help you stay on track.

Why did my roommate get the interview and I did not? Welcome to the world of subjective decision-making. Although many employers develop elaborate objective criteria for candidate selection, it is often a ‘gut’ feeling or some other intangible that weighs heavy in the selection process. In the end, there might not be a rational explanation.

Anna Quindlan, the former New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning journalist wrote a short book in 2005 titled ‘Being Perfect’. The following quote addresses the process we all go through in vying for the attention of employers.

“Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and in its good opinion. But on one level it’s too hard, and at another, it’s too cheap and easy. Because all it really requires of you, mainly, is to read the zeitgeist of wherever and whenever you happen to be and to assume the masks necessary to be the best at whatever the zeitgeist dictates or requires. Those requirements shape-shift, sure, but when you are clever you can read them and come up with the imitation necessary.”

“But nothing important, or meaningful, or beautiful, or interesting, or great, ever came out of imitations. What is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”

Here is a hypothetical. You are a senior with a GPA somewhere between a 2.7 and a 3.7. You have helped build houses for Habitat, volunteered with JEP, raised funds for Troy Camp and welcomed visitors as a Helene. You have had two or three prestigious internships and have studied abroad.

And you still have not been asked back for a second round interview.

Here is the thing. This is about finding a ‘fit’; not winning the competition for most offers in the class of 2009. If you do win the ‘most offers’ competition, you are the person Ms. Quindlan describes as a clever imitation. If you are yourself, you may be rejected. This is not a bad thing. It is just different.

Take each opportunity to interview as a time to meet new people, have a conversation (vs. interrogation) about your goals and the employer’s needs, and decide if this is where you want to work. If you and your employer agree and you are invited to the next round of interviews – great! If not, move on to the next opportunity.

It is difficult to hear ‘no’ when you have lived to this point with a supporting chorus of ‘yes’. Think back to the days of senior year in high school when you were waiting for the ‘fat envelope’. Did you end up at USC as your ‘back up’? Did that decision end up being a good thing?

There is a parallel in job search. You are seeking the place where you will be successful. The selection process allows the employer to judge your abilities vs. others who have preceded you into the workplace. It also gives you the opportunity to evaluate the employer vs. your expectations.

As Quindlen observes, “you are smart, ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion”. Don’t let the world’s opinion drive your decision. ‘Being perfect’ is hard. There are so many things you cannot control. Start with the things you can: you, your expectations and your dreams.

Why do you want to work for us? A simple question, with an easy answer. Yet most employers find this is the query that eliminates a large percentage of applicants. Why? Because many candidates cannot answer the question.

Back to basics. Before you ever send out a resume, figure out what you want to do. Not what your parents or friends think you should do; what you want to do. Then do your research. Who employs people like you with your career aspirations? Again, a simple process.

Here is the hard part. This year there may be fewer opportunities for new college graduates. It may take longer to find a job. However, if you do your research and target your job search, you will improve your chances for success.

Approach this with the effort or preparing for a final exam or writing a final paper. What would you do for an ‘A’? What should you do to get your dream job?

Here are some thoughts:

Meet with a career advisor to discuss your career goals. If you are confused, a conversation may help clarify your plans.

Review the job postings on connectSC and on-campus recruiting. Familiarize yourself with the terminology of potential employers. Can you see some common language in what they are seeking in a new hire and your objectives?

Build a list of possible employers. Use resources available on connectSC including the Vault guides. Listen to podcasts of panels. Attend employer events. Get to know the reference librarian. Join a professional association. Conduct information interviews with alumni on the Trojan Network. Use every possible resource to collect information.

Schedule a mock interview. Practice your answers to interview questions before you meet with a recruiter.

An employer will ask you ‘Why do you want to work for us?’ There is no hidden agenda. They are asking you to articulate your career goals as they fit with the goals of their organization. They want to know if you have done your research. How well you answer may be the key to advancing to the next step in the selection process.

If you spend a significant effort on yourself: doing your research, identifying potential employers, a recruiter will anticipate a similar level of commitment in the workplace.

A fatal mistake in the job search process is to assume you are superior to the recruiter. In the past few weeks we have encountered a number of incidents where students have demonstrated inappropriate behavior at events or during interviews. Here is a sample of comments from recruiters:

“Maybe the downturn in the economy will bring some humility to students.”

“The student expected me to ’sell’ my organization to them. I expect the student to understand what we do and ’sell’ themselves to us.”

Here is my advice. Adjust your attitude to match the adjustments in the market. Yes, you will have a degree from a university with a strong academic reputation, but you must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills to be successful in the job search.

You should treat everyone you meet as if they were the decision maker in an organization. This starts with the security guard at the gate of the parking lot. Since there may be fewer opportunities, your ‘fit’ within an organization culture is critically important to your selection. Even if you are applying to an organization that places a premium on aggressive behavior, the interview is not the place to demonstrate this skill.

No question posed by a recruiter is insignificant. Challenging the point of a question is a great way to bring the interview to a quick close. Remember who has the power in the interview relationship. Let the interviewer control the conversation. If there is something they missed, ask for a minute at the close of the interview to add information. You can always follow up in your thank you note.

The key is to get to the next step. Each employer has a different set of criteria for selecting new hires. If you are concerned about the types of questions or an interaction with a recruiter, this may be a sign to move on to another organization. Remember, the objective of the job search process is to find a match, a place where people think you are ’special’.

Are you curious about why some people succeed and others do not? If you had the opportunity, who would you like to interview about their success? What would you ask?

Here in Southern California there is no shortage of people who like to talk about themselves. They need someone to talk to – you!

Let’s start by making that list of who you want to meet. Since we are talking about careers, let’s focus on professional connections – not Facebook. Once you have your list, google these folks for background, then email or call to schedule an appointment. (Here is a hint – you are a college student who may be working on a class project and need some information from an industry expert – use this as an introduction when you are requesting a meeting.) Anticipate rejection, but don’t give up. Request a minimal length of time (15 – 20 minutes), offer a wide range of dates ( next 3 weeks) and be charming and humble (even if arrogance if viewed as an asset in the industry).

Once you have your meeting, develop a set of questions. Keep it short and to the point. What is it that you want to know about this individual that will help guide you in your career decision? Here are a few suggestions:

Why do you think you have been successful in this field?

What experiences served as building blocks to your success?

Did you experience failure? How did you recover and move forward?

How do you balance work and family? Have there been tradeoffs?

What do you look for when selecting a new employee?

What does it take to be a success in this field?

If you can, meet with folks at their workplace. It is one thing to hear people talk about their work, it is another to experience the work environment and observe them in it. Remember, you are trying to absorb as much information as you can in a short time to help you in your career decision. Think Dian Fossey among the gorillas of Rwanda. Observe the culture, the behaviors and the office decor. Could you be successful here?

How many people should you meet? It is not all about quantity. It may be that your first contact answers your questions and you are on a track to follow your dream. Or, your first information interview only leads to more questions. Before you leave, ask for an additional contact; someone who may be able to answer these additional questions.

This is networking for career information. Once you have an idea and can articulate your direction, go back to these folks and thank them for helping you get this far. You may ask for additional help; a resume review or an introduction. This ‘information’ network may then transform into a ‘job search’ network that may evolve into a mentor relationship or business opportunity. Don’t overthink the labels, just keep in touch. Success can be measured in Facebook friends or how well you manage and grow your professional network.

How do you ask people to help you figure out what you want to do with your life? Everyone talks about networking being a critical skill in a successful job search, but few people do it well. Many people are just shy. Others feel intimidated by a process that seems to be asking for something without providing something in return. Let’s start by defining professional networking.

Many of you are members of social networking groups through Facebook and MySpace. Some of you may have joined a professional site such as LinkedIn. These can be useful places to do some online research, and maintain your contacts but in the end you are going to have a face to face conversation. Professional networking is a way of connecting with people with a similar career interest; sharing information and contacts in the field.

People love to talk about what they do. Don’t be intimidated. Professionals are busy and may not IM, but they will talk to you. Just be patient. What can you give in return? They want to hear what you think: about their profession, about you and about what is happening at USC.

How do you start? It all comes back to what you want to do. If you don’t yet know, pick a couple of areas of interest. Then start building a list of who you would like meet. Start with friends and family. Who might know someone in your field of interest? This is networking.

The CPPC has it’s own networking database, the Trojan Network. This is a resource with over 7,600 alumni who have volunteered to provide information and advice to USC students. Log on and begin to identify some folks for your network. You may select up to three contacts per month.

Next, join a professional association. You can easily access a listing through the USC Library database. Once you are on the site, click on Advanced Search. Next change the content area to Associations. You can then search by career field. This will provide you with access to both local and national contacts. Many of these associations have portions of the site dedicated to career information.

Keep in touch with the people you met this summer in your internship or part time job. Let them know what you are thinking of doing. Talk to your faculty and TAs. They will have ideas on where to connect. Did you meet an alum at the football game Saturday? Follow up with an email. Your network is growing!

This afternoon while you are in class, look around the room. This is your Trojan Family. Meet at least two new students. Talk to them about what you are thinking about careerwise. Ask them about their plans. They may know someone. You may know someone. Now you are really networking!

The key to successful networking is managing your contacts over time. As you start, build a list of your contacts. You can add as you proceed throughout your career.

What questions do you have about this process? On Thursday this week, the blog will address the questions you can ask to get a networking conversation started. For now, start thinking about what you want to know that will help you decide if this is the career for you.

Last week in the midst of all the confusion on Wall Street a number of media outlets were on campus interviewing students about their reactions. One student’s comment struck me. His quote: “I will be really disappointed if there are not jobs waiting for me out there when I graduate next year.” Here is the bad news-there are no jobs ‘waiting’ for anyone right out of college. This has nothing to do with the current economy and everything to do with taking ownership. Do you want someone else to define your career choice or do you want to take control? My suggestion is to take control and not procrastinate.

Some of you may have heard about ‘The Last Lecture‘ by Randy Pausch. Dr. Pausch delivered a lecture at Carnegie Mellon University last fall, which evolved into a best selling book with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey Zaslow. The lecture was titled ‘Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams’. In it he talked about how important it is to overcome obstacles. He referred to them as ‘brick walls’. Here is the thing. You have to want something, in this case a start in your career, more than anyone else. The challenges you face in achieving your dream are your ‘brick walls’. Randy’s thought on this “…the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop other people.”

Where do you start? At the beginning. What is your dream job? Your dream job. Not what your parents or your friends think you should do. Not what Fortune Magazine has identified as the ‘ten hot careers for 2009′. What you want to do. If you start there, with your passion, you have a better chance of blasting through those walls.

Next, who is the best at doing what you want to do? Call them. Email them. Find out how they got where they are. What brick walls did they tear down?

Communicate your passion. Let everyone know what you want to do. You never know who will help you connect to your dream.

Here is the thing. You have a choice. It is very simple. You can do nothing. You can sit with your friends and complain about the economy and how it is limiting your career options. Or, you can spend some time thinking about your dream and get started. Bottom line, there is no job out there ‘waiting’ for you. This is your career. Go for it!