If you want your career choices to lead to the best possible job, here\u2019s a method to follow, provided by the staff of MMA\u2019s Career Services office and other experts.<\/p>\n
1<\/span>Position yourself for opportunities.<\/span> It\u2019s easy for a job and life responsibilities to swallow your time and energy, but attaining additional certification, training, and experience beyond your current job description is key to the success of pursuing new opportunities. Curtis says most of those who succeed consider themselves \u201clifelong learners.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a second mate looking to become chief mate, you need not only to maintain your certifications, gain sea time, and study for the next level license, but also to take the initiative to attain experience related to the more advanced position.<\/p>\n \u201cSet yourself apart,\u201d says Jim Peacock, career development specialist and owner of Peak-Careers. \u201cLook for leadership opportunities within your company that get you outside your comfort zone, through work on a committee or special project.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be involved with a different set of people who have other views of your industry. That\u2019s where serendipity can happen, providing opportunities that you might not otherwise realize.\u201d<\/p>\n Join professional organizations and community and volunteer efforts that \u201cshow you give a little bit extra versus others with comparable job experience,\u201d says Curtis.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m hiring, I take note of people who are engaged and involved in things outside their day-to-day job.\u201d<\/p>\n 2<\/span>Pick the best job match for you.<\/span> \u201cConsider three to five years down the road,\u201d he says. \u201cA lesser-paying job may provide you with the experience to, say, meet your long-term goals, versus a comparable job for more pay.\u201d<\/p>\n Prioritize. \u201cConsider what\u2019s most important to you,\u201d says Curtis. \u201cIs the money important? Is time on your license important? Is the time on and off important? Advancement opportunities?\u201d<\/p>\n Analyze job postings and note the career tracks others have taken to attain similar positions. One of the best tools is LinkedIn.com, the world\u2019s largest professional network and career database. You can search for jobs, identify contacts at employers who are advertising vacancies, follow companies of interest, and more.<\/p>\n 3<\/span>Do your homework.<\/span> \u201cThen, give Career Services a call, and we can help identify MMA alumni or other useful contacts at those companies.\u201d<\/p>\n Look on each company\u2019s website to see if a position is listed. If so, carefully study the job description, taking note of keywords. Research the company\u2019s operation, mission, and values. Determine who the key players are in the company. Start with the CEO or president, then managers and department heads. Usually, you can find professional bios on the company\u2019s \u201cAbout\u201d page. Also, check on LinkedIn and Twitter to see what employees say about the company. Determine who the company\u2019s clients are and the types of products and services offered. On websites such as Glassdoor, you\u2019ll find information such as salary figures, employee functions and duties, and company reviews.<\/p>\n 4<\/span>Invest in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/span> \u201cEmployers are known to trust referrals faster. So, making connections in your field can present opportunities that aren\u2019t publicly available online.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Your position-specific r\u00e9sum\u00e9 can be placed on job websites and describes your place in the industry as an engineer, second mate, or manager, as well as what makes you unique and valuable.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re aiming for a specific job, prepare a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that is tailored to fit the requirements of the job description.<\/p>\n \u201cI advise job hunters to print the job description, highlight all the keywords, and make sure they are reflected in their r\u00e9sum\u00e9,\u201d says Curtis. \u201cFor example, if it says \u2018safety-oriented,\u2019 make sure that is in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9. If it says \u2018valid driver\u2019s license required,\u2019 put that on your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n The need for the matchup is dictated by the current trend to use computers to scan and sort qualified candidates from vast fields of applicants. According to jobscan.com, 90% of large companies use applicant tracking systems to filter pools of applicants.<\/p>\n Also, while you\u2019re at it, make sure you have an up-to-date profile listed on LinkedIn, which Curtis says more and more hiring professionals are referencing.<\/p>\n Your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 should show how you have added value to your job. \u201cTo stand out, describe how you solved problems or communicated with various audiences (executives, supervisors, team members, customers). These are skills that are just as important as technical skills,\u201d says Steph Cartwright, Certified Professional R\u00e9sum\u00e9 Writer and Founder at Off the Clock Resumes.<\/p>\n \u201cDescribe your contributions to past projects in the workplace. Giving your skills context showcases how you applied them to meet goals and will help you land a job over others who list skills alone on their r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and LinkedIn profiles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to say I saved a company $2 million, for example, will get you noticed,\u201d says Curtis. \u201cDid you revamp the safety management system and reduce injuries in the company? These accomplishments are important. Describe what you have done that goes above and beyond doing your job.\u201d<\/p>\n A cover letter that is concise should also, like your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, tell the employer about your value in the context of the employer\u2019s needs and job requirements.<\/p>\n Additional r\u00e9sum\u00e9 tip: Have lots of eyes proofread your r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Don\u2019t let a simple mistake knock you out of the running.<\/p>\n 5<\/span>Understand the hiring process.<\/span> \u201cAn example of how a recruiter might use LinkedIn,\u201d says Peacock, \u201cis if, say, they are looking for an engineer, they do a search stipulating specific requirements of three years of experience, area of expertise, such as hydraulics, and the five or six other essential components of a position.<\/p>\n The site will search through thousands of profiles in minutes and serve up results. The recruiter then will narrow that set of results down to about 10 profiles using keyword matches and criteria previously listed.\u201d<\/p>\n If you make it to the initial pool of candidates, Curtis says, many companies are now whittling down that pool through phone interviews and web-based or video-conference interviews.<\/p>\n 6<\/span>Build your networks.<\/span> \u201cEmployers are known to trust and hire referrals faster,\u201d says Cartwright. \u201cSo, making connections in your field can present opportunities that aren\u2019t publicly available online.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see too many people spending 80% of their time on job boards applying for hundreds of advertised jobs,\u201d says Peacock. \u201cYou should spend 80% of your time talking to people and networking. The biggest mistake I see is that people don\u2019t pick up the phone enough.\u201d<\/p>\n The phrase \u201cIt\u2019s who you know that counts\u201d couldn\u2019t be more important. It\u2019s likely that thousands of MMA graduates have found employment with the help of other alumni.<\/p>\n One of the most substantial assets you possess as an MMA alum is a network of classmates and other graduates, reaching back more than 75 years, that comes with your association with Maine Maritime.<\/p>\n \u201cYour efforts should begin with the MMA network,\u201d says Peacock.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the friendliest network. It might seem like you\u2019re making a cold call to reach out to alumni other than those whom you know, but it\u2019s a \u2018warm\u2019 call. When you call or email, you can say: \u2018I\u2019m an MMA alum and I see that you are too. Could you give me 10 minutes of your time?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Think of your alumni network and those you know personally as your primary network. Work through these contacts and sites like LinkedIn to build your secondary network.<\/p>\n \u201cMy primary network on LinkedIn is around 2,000 people,\u201d says Curtis, \u201cbut the secondary network I can access via them is thousands more. Consider this your passive network.\u201d<\/p>\n Other networking help can be obtained via MMA Career Services; Curtis also suggests checking out alumni chapters in your area.<\/p>\n 7<\/span>Follow up.<\/span> Follow up one to two weeks after applying. Find the hiring manager\u2019s contact information and write a personalized email. You might also call the company and affirm they\u2019ve received your application.<\/p>\n Being persistent shows that you are interested in a position or company.<\/p>\n 8<\/span>Make the most of social media.<\/span> \u201cWhen sending a connection request, add a personalized note to your query,\u201d says Cartwright. \u201cOtherwise, the alum may ignore the request since he or she doesn\u2019t know you. Briefly introduce yourself, share that you\u2019re an MMA alum, and indicate you\u2019re interested in working for his or her company.<\/p>\n To encourage a response, ask a question about the company culture or hiring process. The goal is to continue the conversation and develop a networking relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n In your own LinkedIn profile, be sure to list your personal e-mail and phone number. Do not rely on the default LinkedIn messanger system because \u201cmany people aren\u2019t aware of it, and others don\u2019t check it on a regular basis,\u201d Peacock says.<\/p>\n Let people know you are looking via your Facebook and Twitter posts. Facebook can be useful because friends who know you personally have more of a stake in helping you.<\/p>\n However, make sure your Facebook profile is private; choose \u201cFriends Only\u201d in settings so that potential employers will not see your personal profile, photos, or status updates.<\/p>\n \u201cHiring professionals do their homework when narrowing their final search,\u201d says Curtis, \u201cso be mindful of what you are sharing in the public domain. It could affect your chances of being hired.\u201d<\/p>\n Facebook\u2019s \u201cList\u201d feature allows you to continue building your network without worrying about professional contacts seeing your personal updates. Under Account, then Friends, create a new list and customize your privacy settings so professional friends can only look at what you want them to see. That way, your close friends can still keep up with your photos and updates. 9<\/span>Ace the interview.<\/span> Be able to concisely describe your selling points, how you can add value, and the reasons you are the best candidate for the job.<\/p>\n Prepare for common interview questions: \u201cTell me a bit about you\u201d is a perfect opportunity to explain the main reasons the company should hire you. Be prepared to answer other typical questions such as, \u201cWhy do you want this job?\u201d and \u201cTell me about your strengths and weaknesses?\u201d (Do a quick online search to find other typical questions.)<\/p>\n Prepare your questions for the interviewer. These questions will indicate you\u2019ve done your homework, and they will help you decide if the job is a good fit.<\/p>\n Be able to concisely describe your selling points, how you can add value to the company, and the reasons you are the best candidate for the job.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Practice: Find willing friends or associates who will help you conduct a mock interview.<\/p>\n Approach the interview\u2014and the hiring process\u2014 with energy and enthusiasm. Also, an interview in not an interrogation. Be comfortable and have a conversation with the interviewer. Being comfortable and confident is as important as the answers you give.<\/p>\n \u201cYour perspective and attitude are essential elements of job hunting,\u201d says Cartwright. \u201cYour r\u00e9sum\u00e9 isn\u2019t about you. Your interview answers aren\u2019t about you. Instead, adopt the employer\u2019s perspective. Demonstrate that you understand the goals of the role you\u2019re applying for as well as the company\u2019s priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour attitude will show in every aspect of your job search. When you don\u2019t target your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 shows an I-don\u2019t-care attitude. If your energy in an interview is lacking, you project a negative attitude that repels employers rather than attracting them.\u201d<\/p>\n 10<\/span>Anticipate significant transitions in your career.<\/span> \u201cMMA prepared you with an excellent skill set,\u201d says Curtis. \u201cThat skillset is transferable to a huge number of opportunities and industries.\u201d<\/p>\n The more connected you are to your network of professionals, the more possibilities will become apparent, as long as you keep an open mind and have the confidence to open new doors.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMany MMA alumni are CEOs and leaders in the maritime and other industries,\u201d says Capt. Joe Curtis \u201997, Director of Career Services, \u201cand what you see in common is they spent their time in the trenches but were always positioning themselves for the next opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nCurtis urges job seekers to think beyond the objective of going after a job with an attractive title and pay.<\/p>\n
\nWhen you\u2019ve chosen the jobs of most interest to you, narrow down the companies offering such positions to a half-dozen or so, says Curtis.<\/p>\n
\nIf you have contacts at the company, reach out to them to informally learn more.<\/p>\n
\nBefore you apply for a job, prepare your professional documents, including a record of all certificates and classes you have completed. \u201cIt\u2019s good to have one up-to-date generic r\u00e9sum\u00e9 with just about everything you\u2019ve ever done on it,\u201d says Curtis. Then prepare an industry-specific r\u00e9sum\u00e9. From a well-prepared industry r\u00e9sum\u00e9 you can then work on making your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 both company- and position-specific.<\/p>\n
\nCurtis recounts how one experienced recruiter said, \u201cIf I don\u2019t know within the first 6-8 seconds of looking at your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 who you are, what you\u2019re applying for, what value you\u2019re going to add to the position, and that you have all the certification, license, and degree requirements, then it goes into the circular file.\u201d Communicating, showing, and knowing your value to a potential employer is essential. Always consider who is reading your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and supporting documents.<\/p>\n
\nNot every job available is posted online. The majority of jobs, especially those with smaller companies, are not advertised, say experts.<\/p>\n
\nOne of the most common mistakes Curtis observes is that job applicants apply online, and then they leave it at that.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cLinkedIn is a fantastic social media tool for making alumni connections,\u201d says Cartwright. \u201cThe platform was designed to allow you to introduce yourself to others in your field.<\/p>\n
\nAlso, join industry-related conversations on LinkedIn and Twitter.<\/p>\n
\nFrom your initial research, you should be familiar with a company in case you are contacted for an interview, but make an extra effort at this point to learn more, and be prepared to articulate this knowledge during the interview.<\/p>\n
\nDuring the course of your career, there will likely be opportunities and changes that can propel you onto unanticipated paths. Think of MMA classmates who may have started as engineers or deck officers but became successful financiers, aviators, or entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n