In this episode, we talk with Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR, a certified professional resume writer, career coach, and outplacement expert with over 10 years in human resources and career advancement techniques. He will provide some great tips and strategies on how engineers can find job opportunities during this global crisis, including talking about best practices for conducting a webcam interview and utilizing LinkedIn to find the perfect job.
Engineering Quotes:
Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About How Engineers Can Find Job Opportunities During This Global Crisis:
- When creating a resume, you first need a template that will comply with today’s technology. Include text boxes, borders, pictures, and graphs. Focus on the content but ensure you still have a visual appeal.
- Having the right sections in your resume is extremely important. Make sure to include a summary that talks about your best key value offerings, your unique selling propositions, and operational skills, as well an accomplishment section.
- You need to be an active job seeker, no matter what people tell you or what you think, so work your angles of networking. If you put yourself out there and do it right and strategically, things come your way.
- Don’t beat yourself up if you’re out of work for two months. The average job hunt takes about six to eight months.
- When trying to find a job, start by planting seeds and by finding the decision-makers in a company. You can then approach them with a little bit of insight, e.g., sending them a newsletter about their competitor, or information that might help them with their projects. Eventually, you might be able to get them to read your resume or at least talk to you about what would make a good candidate at their firm.
- When conducting a webcam interview, ensure you are technically savvy and know how to use the platform used to conduct the interview, e.g., Zoom. Look directly into the camera during the interview so you can “look them in the eye,” learn their mission statements and values online, and learn about some of the latest things they have been doing. Make sure you understand the job opening and every single task they listed, and try to match every one of those tasks with a narrative that you have been doing.
More in This Episode…
In the Take Action Today segment of the show, Matt provides one final piece of advice on how engineers can find job opportunities during this global crisis.
About Guest Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR
Mat is a resume writer, career coach and outplacement expert with over 10 years in human resources and career advancement techniques. He manages MJW Careers and provides assistance to companies in transition, from downsize to buyouts as well as individual job seekers needing to advance their careers. Matt has a long history working in human resources and on recruiting/staffing teams across a variety of industries. He fashions resumes that allow employers to review the applicant’s assets while highlighting his or her accomplishments, showcasing impacts on employer bottom lines using quantitative verbiage and maintaining brevity.
About the Host, Jeff Perry, MBA
Jeff Perry is a leadership/career coach for engineers, building mindsets, leadership, and career intentions to unlock hidden potential and remove self-imposed roadblocks for career and life. For years, he has had the pleasure of supporting engineers and software pros, from new grads to director level. Having been on the front lines in the technical world, he has been able to map out the necessary skills for becoming a quality leader in the field.
You can connect with Jeff on LinkedIn or visit his website. Jeff also has a new, FREE, on-demand training course for engineers who are job searching or in job transitions. You can see it at https://engineeringcareeraccelerator.com.
Books Mentioned in This Episode:
Resources and Links Mentioned in This Session Include:
Connect with Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR, on LinkedIn
MJW Careers, LLC
This Episode Is Brought to You by Washington State University
Washington State University’s Engineering and Technology Management master’s degree program is a perfect balance of technical and managerial education that helps prepare practicing engineers for managing projects, people, and organizational systems. As one former student noted, “The knowledge that I gained from the ETM Program helped me become a more competent, confident engineer and manager. The program greatly impacted my career and has been a key element in my continued success.” Learn more about the Engineering Management profession at etm.wsu.edu or [email protected]. Take charge of your career and reach out today.
We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on how engineers can find job opportunities during this global crisis.
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