Networking: Conversation with Michael Thomas, Recruiter

Networking can often be a scary thought. Where do you start? How do you become good at it? Mike Thomas is a Recruiter for Razorfish Healthware, a healthcare advertising agency. With his years of experience in sales and recruitment, Mike has become a networking connoisseur. I spoke with Mike about his background, how he landed his most recent gig, and his thoughts on the importance of networking.

Ali: Hi Mike! I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today.

Mike: Sure thing!

A: Let me start off by asking a bit about your background and how you ended up working at Razorfish Healthware.

Write a Great Cover Letter

In my previous post, I wrote about the usefulness of your school’s career services department. I decided to pay a visit to the office at my university to speak with a career coordinator. I came to talk about the thing everyone dreads when applying for jobs: cover letters.

I met with Megan Rooney, a Career Coordinator at my university. Rooney was trained as a social worker but found her passion working with students. She has been working in student development for the past three years. I started off by asking Rooney how important she felt a cover letter is to the job application. She responded, “If requested, it is very important. The company is not asking for additional materials for no reason. I see a cover letter as a bridge between your resume and the job description. It explains why you are the best fit and why you should be invited for an interview.”

What to Wear When...

I recently wrote that I attended a career fair at my university. I spent hours agonizing over what I was going to wear. It got me thinking about how important your outfit can be in an interview. Within the first few seconds of meeting someone people make assumptions of who that person is based upon what he or she is wearing. Imagine meeting someone in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. What do you think about him or her? Now imagine that you see that same person in a suit. Do you think about him or her differently? Most people do. Therefore, it’s important to dress appropriately. Below, I will outline the best attire for different job-seeking scenarios.

Phone Interview

Wear whatever you want! No one can see you and therefore cannot make assumptions about you based upon your attire. However, some studies suggest that people are often more professional sounding while wearing professional clothing. My suggestion, wear something that makes you feel confident. If you feel confident, you will sound confident!

Career Fair 101

Recently, I attended a career fair at my university. As much as I wanted to feel confident going into it, I could not help but feel a little nervous. What if I forgot something or said something wrong? To help myself feel a bit less nervous and to hopefully help you, I came up with a list of things that I feel are important to remember before going to a career fair or networking event.

1. Bring Resumes! 

It goes without saying that resumes are a crucial part in landing a job. A lot has changed in the job market over the past few decades, but one thing has remained the same – resumes are always required. Don’t bring just one resume or even a couple, bring several. Depending on the size of the event that you’re attending usually 15 to 20 is a good starting point. 

Resume Tips

Your resume is meant to be the representation of all your hard work and accomplishments placed onto one piece of paper. When you think about all that you’ve done to get where you are now, the idea of writing a resume can seem a bit daunting. Then, when you find out that on average a recruiter spends 15 seconds looking at your resume before deciding whether or not you may be a good fit, it can seem nearly impossible. Below, I have outlined a few tips that can help ensure your resume will stand out among the crowd.