The MicroTrain Blog

Hump Day Hunting Help: July 6, 2011

by Kassandra McGhee on July 6th, 2011

Tip of the Week: Your Job Search Might Be Missing One Key Ingredient

Career goal? Check. Solid, targeted job search plan? Check. Sounds like you have the makings of a good job search, but do you really?  Your job search might still be missing this one key ingredient that is necessary for you to land that all important job. 

It’s called motivation. Yes, simply said but at times it’s easier said than done.  Staying motivated and maintaining a positive attitude and outlook while not experiencing the job search results you desire can be extremely tough.  So what makes you still want to get up each day and pursue your goals?  What drives you to reach out to another employer, apply for another position, and establish another network contact?   What really is your motivation?

Without the proper motivation, your job search will not remain fully and properly charged.  Your dedication to your search, enthusiasm for networking, and zeal for “working your plan” will begin to diminish.  And it can become easier to start focusing on the apparent loses instead of your overall job plan and your gains. End result: decreased motivation + increased frustration/discouragement = decreased time spent on your job search.   

Just remember to arrive at your desired destination, challenges will more than likely occur.  But finding what motivates you, surrounding yourself with others for support and consistently focusing on the “win” might be the one key missing ingredient your job search needs. 

So stay focused.  Find your motivation.  Keep your motivation. And keep moving forward, towards your career goal.

Need some more motivation? Take a look at a few articles that can help you find and build the motivation your job search needs.  Happy Hunting!

Hump Day Hunting Help: June 29, 2011

by Kassandra McGhee on June 29th, 2011

Tip of the Week: Interview Cheating Tips

For interviews, it really is okay to cheat.  Now, when I say “cheat” I mean creating a cheat sheet of key things to discuss, present or ask during the interview.  So, it’s really not cheating, it’s prepping yourself for the big event.  And it all starts with research.

To create your cheat sheet, you must know 2 things:

  • Know Yourself = Product Knowledge
  • Know the Company = Customer Knowledge

Having insight into these things will allow you strategically develop your sales pitch of why the consumer (company) should purchase the product (your talent).  It also helps you develop questions for the interviewer to gain further insight into the company, position, etc.  Without gaining this information, it would be like shooting an arrow into the air with no target in mind. 

Learning how to “cheat” for your interview is simple:

  • Identify the company’s needs
  • Identify what skills you have to meet the needs
  • Identify specific examples to interview questions that highlight you as the “problem-solver”
  • Identify questions to ask the interviewer

So the next time you’re faced with an interview, don’t stress.  Simply do your homework and just “cheat.”

Raves & Praise

Jean S.

PMP Certification Training, Lombard, 2008

I was laid off for many months and not really getting many callbacks for my resume and no job offers. After I put the letters PMP on it, not only did I see an increase in quantity, but also quality of interviews. I had been spinning my wheels for 5 months, and after the PMP went on, I had 2 job offers in 6 weeks. It really was the "golden ticket"

Robert Graf

MCSA

Microtrain presents the course material in an interesting and concise manner. Microtrain gives the student all the resources necessary to pass the certification exams. Both the Chicago and Lombard facilities were excellent, and the staff goes to any length to accommodate any student changes.

Kaycee Ekufu

MCSA

The instructor [Al Khalfan] was very knowledgeable in the field. He presented the materials and concepts with a professional touch. He also frequently adds humor to his teachings, which made it easier for me to understand. The support staff was all nice, gentle, caring, and very helpful. The materials, rooms and amenities were excellent and exceeded expected standards.

Scott Wilson - Team Bradley

Employer Partner Feedback

Dawn has been a pleasure to work with. She is diligent in her efforts to give MicroTrain’s students the best opportunities to connect and network with various companies and players in the job market. The curriculums and certification programs are in line with today’s current IT needs. It’s good to see that they evolve with what employers are most seeking out there. I would recommend to any employer that hires skilled IT workers that they look into MicroTrain’s career services department as a potential source of candidates. The business of hiring can be quite costly, and Dawn and her staff provide a free service to outside companies. This value-add for MicroTrain’s students aligns with their mission in both training and job assistance to set up a win/win scenario for all involved.

Jennie

Student Employment Success - Project/Process Manager

My Career Services Manager was very friendly and helpful and had excellent follow-up. She seemed to really care how things were going and kept me moving in the right direction. The resources available in job search were great and the visibility that there were jobs out there looking for my skillset was promising. Additionally, the training, as well as having an updated resume stating the Microtrain course work I had taken made me feel more confident and marketable as I looked for employment. It showed that I was dedicated and took project management and process management seriously.

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