Financially Free Gen Z
Season 2, Episode 3
Job Search Jamboree: Journeying Through the Jobland Jigsaw
00;00;09;10 - 00;00;19;07
Rachel
Welcome to Financially Free Gen Z, the podcast tailored specifically to Gen Zers looking to level up their financial knowledge and take control of their money matters.
00;00;19;09 - 00;00;28;02
Joshua
In each episode, we delve into practical budgeting strategies, insightful tips on debt management, and essential advice on building a solid financial foundation.
00;00;28;05 - 00;00;40;19
Rachel
Our goal is to arm you with the knowledge to own your financial choices and pave the way for a prosperous future. Join us as we navigate the world of money management together. I'm your host, Rachel Munger.
00;00;40;26 - 00;00;54;05
Joshua
And I'm your co -host, Joshua Herrmann. We are both Gen Zers ourselves who work in the financial industry. Today we are going to be discussing a topic that really lays the groundwork for a lot of your future financial choices, which is landing your first job.
00;00;54;07 - 00;01;23;28
Rachel
Exactly. This is something that we all have to do. Unfortunately, at some point in our lives, and most of us don't find the job hunting process to be super enjoyable. From not knowing where to look. Following up on interview requests or just straight up ghosting from job recruiters, it's a tough job environment right now. However, perseverance and knowing where to look for job opportunities can really greatly benefit you and quicken your job search.
00;01;24;01 - 00;01;42;04
Joshua
Yeah, one of those places I look for jobs are online job boards. when entering the workforce, it can be overwhelming to try and figure out where to find your first job. Oftentimes, you have limited connections at this point in your career, you may not have a super clear idea of what it is that you want to do.
00;01;42;07 - 00;02;21;26
Joshua
Searching for a job is time consuming. It feels like almost a part time job in and of itself. I found for me, one of the best places to start looking is online job boards, like, Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. Those are great sites that you can look on. especially, you know, looking at entry level positions, those are where you can go to find those, if you're interested in going into a business
setting type job, this can give you a great idea of all the different types of requirements and, you know, policies and procedures that you need to, know so that you can get into those entry
00;02;21;26 - 00;02;42;15
Joshua level jobs. you can use these sites as a resource to do some of that initial research and see if there's anything that looks interesting to you when looking at job descriptions, I'd really encourage you to think of job descriptions as the list of the perfect candidate. You may not have everything they are looking for, and that's fine, especially as a young person coming into the industry.
00;02;42;18 - 00;02;56;02
Joshua
I found that if you don't necessarily have all of the qualifications, but you have a genuine interest and openness in learning and developing on the job, you can get the right skills that you need to go ahead and be perfect at the job that you're working at.
00;02;56;08 - 00;03;17;13
Rachel
Yeah. That's something. When I was looking for my first job, you'd see these list of requirements and be like, oh my gosh, I don't meet every single one of these. Well, a lot of the people who are applying also don't meet every single one of these. as long as you're willing to really be open and, like, learn while you're on the job.
00;03;17;15 - 00;03;38;04
Rachel
I think that's more important than checking every box, at least in my eyes. you can always. As long as you're teachable, you can learn all those things and become the perfect candidate while you're there. just being open and being okay with putting yourself out there, even if you don't look on paper like the perfect candidate I think can be really helpful.
00;03;38;05 - 00;03;40;18
Joshua
Yes, being adaptable is a huge benefit to you.
00;03;40;19 - 00;04;10;05
Rachel
Yep. Yeah. Especially when you're young and trying to figure things out. Yes. Yeah. There's a lot you don't know right at the beginning of your career, but, you just continue to grow and get better as you enter into the workforce and learn in your first job. but personally, when I find something on an online job board that I'm interested in applying to, I'll head to the organization's website first, because oftentimes they'll have, the application on their own website.
00;04;10;08 - 00;04;30;17
Rachel
Also, it gives you a chance to kind of look around, see, like their mission, their core values. sometimes they'll have like a day in the life for what it would be like to work at this organization. And so I think it's always important to do your research there on their website, check it out. But also if they have the application on their own website.
00;04;30;19 - 00;04;49;20
Rachel
I have no basis to back this up, but I always feel like it feels a little bit more personal to apply directly through the company rather than applying through like a third party like LinkedIn. so you can take that or leave that. But in my eyes, it feels like a little bonus point in your direction.
00;04;49;22 - 00;05;05;20
Joshua
Well, another point to, you know, going to directly to the organization is that you can see if the job is actually still available. Yeah. Because I know, a lot of times they don't update their posts on Indeed or LinkedIn. So you're contacting them and then all of a sudden you get a message saying, oh, we've already filled this position.
00;05;05;27 - 00;05;14;11
Joshua
And it wasn't, you know, available today, but it was available like two weeks ago when they posted it. Yeah. So that's another great way of looking at that.
00;05;14;11 - 00;05;40;26
Rachel
Yeah. Can help you to not waste your time. Yeah. so while online job boards are a great resource and can be a one stop shop for some people. Another strategy you can use for finding that first job is networking. And now networking is great because it gives you a chance to meet with individuals who work in your industry and then hear what the day to day looks like in a job that you might be interested in.
00;05;40;29 - 00;06;01;09
Rachel
So first, there are networking events where you can go to you meet a whole bunch of people. You all talk. It's kind of like speed dating. personally, I hate these. for me, the room is too loud, there's too much going on, and it can't really get to know somebody in those kind of settings. However, some people really like those.
00;06;01;09 - 00;06;28;01
Rachel
I'm just a little bit more introverted, and so it's kind of overwhelming for me to go into a room of like 100 people and try to basically speed my way through, the job industry. But, there's other strategies you can use for networking that aren't quite as, overwhelming. If you are someone who's a little bit more introverted or just wants to kind of meet one on one with individuals.
00;06;28;03 - 00;06;57;16
Rachel that's what I did when I was looking for my first job. I talked to my friends, my parents, my friends parents, my professors. Really. Anyone I knew, to see if they knew anybody who worked in my industry in, like, the marketing, public relations field. And then I got those contacts from my circle of connections, and I met one on one for coffee with people who worked in different jobs just so that I could talk with them, kind of see what their day looks like.
00;06;57;19 - 00;07;25;18
Rachel
if they enjoy their job, if it seems like something that would be aligned with my interests. And so I felt like I learned a lot during that process and also developed a lot of good relationships with people who work in my industry, because I feel like you'll find as you get into, if you go into like a more business type job, the industries are pretty small and a lot of people know people, and people are really willing to help you out and willing to get you help you get started.
00;07;25;21 - 00;07;46;20
Rachel
as you're kind of navigating that, the downside to this is it can be expensive. As a new college grad, you're buying a lot of people coffee with limited funds. but I do think it's an investment, really in your future and kind of getting you set up with that. Right? First job.
00;07;46;23 - 00;08;08;29
Joshua
Yeah. And along the same lines, is networking. another option to getting your foot in the door is internships. this is maybe one of the best ways to land your best professional job, because, many, many colleges require you to do internships while in school. but even if you don't go to school, these internships are largely available to everybody.
00;08;08;29 - 00;08;31;29
Joshua
That applies to them. I think of this as, even one step further than networking, because not only are you building a ton of relationships when doing an internship, but you are also learning what it is like to work in an office. You're getting that experience. these these are designed to be learning experiences where you can see what is expected of you in different roles, and see if it aligns well with your interests.
00;08;32;01 - 00;08;47;19
Joshua
These days, the internship market is also super competitive, so you really have to job search to get an internship. But I would utilize your connections when looking to secure one of these, because it's a great way to get your foot in the door and say, hey, I actually know how to do some of these things.
00;08;47;20 - 00;09;13;25
Rachel
Yeah, yeah. And it even if you don't want to stay at that organization, it helps you build your resume if you like. I've already worked in a professional job. Like I know that I can do this. Now you have some proof that I can do this. and really utilizing your network in order to get an internship can be kind of important, because at least in the Twin Cities market where we're based, I know that that internship market can be pretty competitive.
00;09;13;28 - 00;09;38;04
Rachel
which feels tough when you're trying to get something even before your first job. But that can be hard to get sometimes. But your professors and people are usually willing to kind of help you get
connected. and that's actually how I got my first internship over here in the Twin Cities. I worked with a local media relations agency, and I learned a lot from that experience.
00;09;38;07 - 00;10;04;06
Rachel
I didn't necessarily love everything that I did while I was there, but it was my first office setting job. I got to see agency work happen, and ultimately, I learned that that wasn't, the, like, the side of marketing that I was interested in going into. And so that, to me, was really valuable because I learned a lot, learned what I didn't like, and then was able to shift when going into my first job after school.
00;10;04;08 - 00;10;12;12
Rachel
so I would definitely recommend internships if it's not something that's required of you to even take that step above and beyond and go search those out.
00;10;12;14 - 00;10;34;09
Joshua
And you can walk into a lot of a lot of businesses nowadays and say, hey, you know, can I meet with somebody? There's usually they have some time to do that and you're able to say, hey, do you have any internships that are available? And that way they can put a face to a name if you do apply and they say, yeah, you need to apply on the website, but they'll be like, oh, this person actually came in and spoke with me about it.
00;10;34;14 - 00;10;54;28
Rachel
That's the gal who was on this podcast before. That's how she ended up getting her job here in marketing is she was a teller. and she was pretty persistent. She was in school. She really wanted to do an internship with us for marketing. We didn't offer any internships at the time, but she just really, she was a persistent go getter.
00;10;54;28 - 00;11;14;03
Rachel
And she's like, no, like, I’d love to do this. And so we built kind of an internship program for her. And then she did so great. We ended up hiring her on after that. And so yeah, definitely just check out even the resources around you. You may be at an organization that's willing to help you out if you're in kind of a different job.
00;11;14;05 - 00;11;19;23
Rachel
give you some steps to move more how you want to or where you want to get to.
00;11;19;26 - 00;11;23;13
Joshua
Yeah. The next topic we have to cover is the dreaded cover letter and resume.
00;11;23;13 - 00;11;23;20
Rachel
Aw, the worst.
00;11;24;07 - 00;11;52;24
Joshua
Yeah, it's putting these together. It's it can be really difficult. especially because many people ask if they really need to send those in, especially the cover letters anymore because it's like, oh, you know, they're seeing applications over and over and over again. I would say that, you know, writing a cover letter actually sets you apart from a lot of the other automated, job applications on these sites just because it's one additional documentation that they will look for.
00;11;52;27 - 00;12;16;17
Joshua
and especially because I know a lot of companies are using AI just to search through cover letters and resumes looking for those keywords that they're, you know, be like, oh, they're resourceful, they're adaptable. You know, they're looking for those specific words in your resume or in your cover letter, and they'll sort out the ones that don't fit.
00;12;16;20 - 00;12;41;20
Joshua
Now spending time to craft the perfect cover letter. You do want to, for each job that you do apply to them, you can have a base that you kind of set up. but you, you want to be sure that you're personalizing it to each job application that you're doing. S o if we have to spend the time, here are some tips that, you know, to make this as effective as possible.
00;12;41;22 - 00;13;03;27
Joshua
the Harvard Business Review offers some helpful guidelines for standing out from the crowd whilst remaining professional. First off, they recommend making it future focused. Biggest thing we don't want to do is have our cover letter be a long form version of our resume. If limited words to communicate are affecting this to the hiring managers, so let's not waste them on making the same points twice.
00;13;04;00 - 00;13;24;02
Joshua
Your resume is a past focus document. Looking back at your past experiences. What you have done. Your cover letter should focus on the future and how you will make an impact in this role. They also recommend keeping it short. You know, definitely under one page. if you have multiple pages, they're they're not going to look through all of them.
00;13;24;02 - 00;13;45;21
Joshua
They're gonna look at that first page and say, is this what meets my standards? is this what's actually going to be a part of the company that I'm hiring for? lastly, you want to make sure someone else reach a cover letter. We are not experts at writing grammar, so it is strongly recommended to have another set of eyes edit your cover letter.
00;13;45;28 - 00;14;02;11
Joshua
I know, you know, being in college, it was, you know, writing papers, even just having some other set of eyes on it. Otherwise it'll be like, oh, I'm talking double speak or I'm talking, you know, I it just doesn't sound professional.
00;14;02;12 - 00;14;22;04
Rachel
Yeah. And I feel like it's such an easy way for a hiring manager to kind of discredit you is if you have some sort of, like, easy typo or grammar mistake that I mean, you just glance over it, but to them, you can kind of come across as maybe not detail oriented or you can read into it. So just have someone else looking at, please.
00;14;22;08 - 00;14;49;06
Joshua
Yeah. And the same principle also applies to resumes. when optimizing resumes, it's important to note that most recruiters spend just an average of 7.4 seconds looking at each resonate when deciding who goes into the know versus the next steps. This is why it is important to include only relevant details on your reasoning. Now, this can be tricky when searching for your first job because you typically don't have a lot of experience.
00;14;49;08 - 00;15;07;04
Joshua
so when you are new to the workforce, you can include things like relevant coursework in that in your studies, clubs, organizations, internships, or volunteering. And you just want to make sure to connect each of these things back to the role you're applying for in your resume. And if you are early on in your career, definitely keep your resume to one page.
00;15;07;06 - 00;15;25;20
Joshua
Hiring managers are busy reading lots of resumes, and if yours is too long, it could get lost in the shuffle, right? It's also important to format your resume to be very action and achievement oriented. You should also look at it and make sure that it's easy to read. I've noticed, a lot of resumes that I've seen.
00;15;25;23 - 00;15;50;01
Joshua
They typically they punch it all together to get as much as they can on one page, and it's just really hard for anybody to read. You know, ten point font is it's like the font size is even just, you know, part of it, if you need a shake a little bit just to get you know, finish your sentence, it's different than cramming your whole life story onto the read something.
00;15;50;04 - 00;16;17;14
Joshua
so many people simply list out what they did in their job. When writing bullet points, it's much better to detail something you achieved in the job, such as saving the employer money, saving time, improving a process, keeping money at your location that not every accomplishment is going to have a number associated with it. But if it does, it's great to include, such as I we raised Facebook engagement by 200% in six months.
00;16;17;21 - 00;16;46;03
Joshua
That puts a specific number to your accomplishment that they can look at and be like, oh, this is this is crucial. I want my Facebook management to, you know, go up by 200%. and and one last tip that is grown in importance is to utilize keywords in your resume. Talked about a little bit earlier, but you want to have your resume reflect some of the language that is on the job description so that you don't get weeded out by companies that use applicant tracking systems or AI.
00;16;46;05 - 00;17;02;26
Joshua
These systems search your resume for the keywords to sorted into the yeses and the nos before being seen by a real person. So a lot of times you'll get put into the note pile just because you didn't include a word. But you might have been great if you were in person, because I would have been able to see everything.
00;17;02;27 - 00;17;03;16
Joshua
Yep.
00;17;03;19 - 00;17;25;21
Rachel
This part to me is like just the biggest bummer because I understand why companies have to do it. I mean, if you're getting hundreds of applicants for one position, you can't have somebody read through all of them. But I've got friends applying to jobs right now, and you'll put an application in and you'll hear back in like less than six hours, you'll hear and know and you're like, okay, nobody read that.
00;17;25;21 - 00;17;49;17
Rachel
Like, I was definitely just weeded out. And these are people who would be great fit. But, just sometimes that's how it is. And so with that, just definitely you have to give yourself some grace in the process to like, you're gonna hear no's as you're going through the job search. and just developing a little bit of thick skin associated with that I think is important.
00;17;49;19 - 00;18;16;07
Rachel
lastly, this part to me is just the most exciting is the interview. So say you found your job, you've applied, they've asked you to come in for an interview. This is kind of one of those last steps before you would potentially get a job offer. I think that interviews are such a great opportunity that we have to further refine ourselves professionally as well.
00;18;16;07 - 00;18;37;19
Rachel
It's just a great forum to work on improving our communication skills. I know for a lot of people, this is like the worst thing, the most dreaded part of the process. But I believe with a few little mindset shifts, we can really make this a more enjoyable experience for ourselves. I also see the value associated with these interviews.
00;18;37;21 - 00;19;02;00
Rachel
So I've got a few tips, that I personally utilize that have helped me really change my mindset when going into interviews and be more confident, and just be more ready for the process. So first, when I'm going into an interview, I try to think about it like this. The company that I'm meeting with has a need.
00;19;02;02 - 00;19;33;16
Rachel
They're trying to fill this role, fill this position. I have the answer to meet that need, which is myself, my skills, my experience. So really, in the whole process of the interview, I'm in the driver's seat like I am the answer to fill the need that they have. I think people can get kind of scared of this thinking like, oh, I've got a big head or something like that, but really, interviews are the time to obviously not come across as cocky, but, we're wanting to show the best version of ourselves.
00;19;33;18 - 00;19;54;01
Rachel
And so it's okay to have confidence when going into an interview. I don't think that means you've got a big ego or anything. you just want to be kind of showing off and be like, these are my great experiences. This is the great stuff I've done in previous jobs. This is the time to shine and share it all.
00;19;54;03 - 00;20;09;27
Rachel
so when I do think of myself as being in the driver's seat of the interview, it just helps me calm and in terms, give me more confidence when walking through that door. I also think about, I mean, it's a tight labor market out there. There's a lot of open jobs. If this one isn't the right fit, it's okay.
00;20;09;27 - 00;20;24;14
Rachel
It's not the end of the world. If this interview goes terrible, not the end of the world, it keeps turning. I think it just helps us because it can be such like a nerve wracking experience. But knowing that it's just a conversation, you don't have to get super stressed out about it, you know?
00;20;24;17 - 00;20;38;23
Joshua
Yeah. I mean, the interview process, I mean, you're basically selling why you would be good in, in that company or that wall. Yeah. so that. Yeah, doing making sure that you have some confidence in there that really helps out.
00;20;38;27 - 00;21;02;06
Rachel
Yeah. There's the so the second thing I do, and this is going to sound dorky, it might be my previous feeder kid in me, but I do power poses before I go in for an interview. And so if you haven't heard of a power pose, there's an episode of Ted Lasso where Rebecca kind of does this before she goes into a meeting with a whole bunch of, like, the different club owners.
00;21;02;13 - 00;21;30;01
Rachel
But you make yourself like, like go into the bathroom before or something. You make yourself really tall and, like, powerful and just strike a big pose and hold it for a couple seconds and that actually changes in your mind. like there's psychology and stuff behind it. I learned this in one of my communication studies, in college, but it changes the way that you communicate when you take on one of those really, like, strong, powerful poses.
00;21;30;08 - 00;21;52;13
Rachel
Your brain feels that and it makes a shift for you so that you come across as more strong, powerful, confident. So I'd practice it beforehand because you might feel a little bit stupid when you're doing it, but I do think it makes a difference. so when you're in the bathroom before your next interview, just strike a, quick pose.
00;21;52;13 - 00;22;01;07
Rachel
Make yourself big, strong, powerful. And I do think you'll see it can help you. Or you might feel really stupid. And then whatever, move on.
00;22;01;10 - 00;22;19;04
Joshua
Even, you know, if you're on the way, put on some music that you just jive. Yeah. Like it? Just make sure that you're comfortable and. Yeah, go go into the, you know, be like, okay, can I use the restroom real quick and just, you know, doing those self assuring measures inside of them. Yeah. You know, just in front of a mirror really does.
00;22;19;04 - 00;22;19;23
Joshua
Yeah.
00;22;19;25 - 00;22;28;08
Rachel
And I feel like I mean, you're, you're just theater also a lot of those things that like you would do before going on stage, they apply the same to an interview.
00;22;28;11 - 00;22;45;26
Joshua
Oh yeah. I mean, you have butterflies in your stomach when I'd say butterflies going into an interview. Yeah. You're basically I mean, you're not putting on a performance, but it's just like, yeah, it's you're you are trying to do the best that you can to convince that person across the table that you are the best fit for that.
00;22;45;28 - 00;23;06;20
Rachel
Yeah, yeah. So I guess or if you don't want to do this, just go do a show for your local community theater. You'll learn a lot doing that. I do think you learn a lot of relevant job skills in theater. and always kind of push pushing that. But lastly, once you're in the interview, just think about it as a normal conversation.
00;23;06;27 - 00;23;31;11
Rachel
There's no stakes here. This is just a two way conversation where people are getting to know each other. So definitely before you go and think through some of those questions, you feel like you'd get asked like, what's your biggest weakness? but also know that most interviews today, the interview is really looking more towards your behavior, your approach to problem solving.
00;23;31;13 - 00;23;52;27
Rachel
if you appear open to growing in your new position, the interviewer will want to hear some stories to back up your answers to these questions. But again, I can't stress enough how this is just a normal conversation. If you psych yourself out about it, you may not be communicating like you normally would. and also if the interview goes poorly, it's not like it was a waste of time.
00;23;53;00 - 00;24;17;07
Rachel
Each time that we do something that puts us outside of our comfort zone, we're growing as a person. We're learning new skills. We're learning things to apply to the next interview. So even if your worst nightmare happens and the interview goes terrible, you still walked away gaining something. You walked away learning new skills, and growing professionally, growing as a person.
00;24;17;09 - 00;24;42;01
Rachel
so just put yourself out there and don't be scared to do things that make us uncomfortable. I think each time that we do something that makes us uncomfortable, we grow a little bit. and so it's really it's a valuable experience for each of us. But I will get down from my soapbox, because today we have a guest from Coulee Bank who's here to give us some insights on job hunting.
00;24;42;04 - 00;24;50;06
Joshua
So, yeah, we have Lori DuMars, Human Resources Generalist at Coulee Bank. Thanks, Lori, for joining us today and showing your knowledge with our audience.
00;24;50;08 - 00;24;54;07
Lori Absolutely. Thank you for having me. Rachel and Josh. Preciate it.
00;24;54;10 - 00;25;00;05
Joshua
Yeah. so could you tell us a little bit about your career path and what brought you to working in Human Resources?
00;25;00;08 - 00;25;24;01
Lori
Yeah, absolutely. So, during high school, I knew that I definitely wanted to go to college, but didn't really know exactly what I wanted to do with that. As a young child growing up, I played a lot of, like,
school teacher at home. And so I kind of thinking that was the route I wanted to go into. However, my mom had really encouraged me to go on to the business world, and I took my mom's advice.
00;25;24;03 - 00;25;49;18
Lori
So when I entered, University of Up there, I declared a Business Administration degree, and I started taking those business programs. and at that time, human resource management was a brand new major that they were just introducing. And so I actually kind of checked it out and talked to a counselor, and it was something that really intrigued to me, just because I do have a connection with people and like to see people grow.
00;25;49;18 - 00;26;09;28
Lori
And so I did take an HR class and immediately I knew that's what I wanted to pursue. so along with that, some summaries to complement kind of what I did throughout college is I actually started working as a bank teller. And so that was my my first experience. I did that for two years through college, and they were fantastic to me.
00;26;10;00 - 00;26;33;15
Lori
But through that experience, it also opened up to internship opportunities for me. So first I had the HR director come to me and she had asked if I'd be willing to do an internship with her. really, what I did is like behind the scenes payroll tracking. Back then it was telling me annual timesheets, and so she really walked me through that process and kind of introduced me to that piece.
00;26;33;18 - 00;26;56;28
Lori
And then the next summer, I had another opportunity open up, in the marketing department. So the marketing director actually was going out on maternity leave, and she would ask if I would step in, and basically, yeah, like she asked if I would do the, the newsletter and organize little getaway groups, for some of the members at the community bank.
00;26;57;01 - 00;27;15;10
Lori
And so that was just a great way for me to kind of grow my career, and get out there. And it all started with me being a teller at a bank. So very simple. And I just kind of opened up these new opportunities for me. Yeah. And then after that, I really pursued the recruiter role, probably for the next 15, 20 years of my career.
00;27;15;12 - 00;27;35;08
Lori
and then probably about three years ago really started to get burnt out in recruiting. It's it's pretty hefty and a pretty demanding on phone calls all the time. And so I had to kind of change my skillset a little bit. And so that's when I found this position at Coulee Bank as an HR generalist. And so it's been fantastic because I've really grown my background here.
00;27;35;08 - 00;27;54;14
Lori
Now, I not only focus on the recruiting piece, but I really focus on employee retention. And that's a whole huge piece just in itself. Learning a ton about the benefits aspect and what we can offer our colleagues go through a new hire orientation process. And then of course, I still do that recruiting when that comes up on the side.
00;27;54;14 - 00;28;12;18
Lori
But I really like this position just because it offers me so much variety. And what I do here.
Rachel
I do feel like those are some of the fun parts about working, at a smaller organization, and you get to wear a lot of different hats. Sometimes it's a blessing, and of course, but you definitely do a lot of different stuff.
00;28;12;21 - 00;28;36;01
Lori
Yes, absolutely. Rachel.
Rachel
So, Lori, what advice do you have for young people searching for their first job?
00;28;36;01 - 00;28;58;21
Lori
Oh, absolutely. So I do want to compliment both of you. I think you did a fabulous job kind of introducing this. I'd like to just reiterate what job what Josh had said is treat this like a part time or a full time job, because truly, that's what it is. It takes time to do this. It's not something that you can, you know, quick apply for jobs without taking the time to look at little details. The other piece that you, I think Rachel had shared, but that I like to share with people coming from the recruiter perspective, is that you're going to hear no. So you never know what your competition looks like.
00;28;58;21 - 00;29;21;21
Lori
That's the hard thing. And so you apply for a job. I mean, I had a position here at Coulee Bank we recruited for we narrowed down our list. I want to say the top seven candidates from that, we went to the top five candidates. And in all honesty, they were all five really rock star candidates. And so that makes it really hard, even from the employer perspective.
00;29;21;21 - 00;29;43;19
Lori
Because when you have that kind of talent, it's pretty exciting. But you also can only pick one person, so you just never know what that opportunity is going to open up for you. Even if you hear and know this and then, it doesn't mean I know this happened to my husband. He her to know. And a year later, the same company called me back and said, John, we now have the perfect fit for you.
00;29;43;19 - 00;30;09;15
Lori
We want to bring you in. And so it's okay because you're doing that networking that Rachel had kind of talked about, even through the interviews that you're doing. so those are just two kind of pieces
or tips I wanted to share. The other piece is all experience is valuable. So going back to that very first job that you had babysitting, flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant, maybe getting on the golf course, all of that.
00;30;09;15 - 00;30;30;28
Lori
You are learning to deal with people. Whether that's a positive or a negative situation, you're learning money skills. You're learning how to always put the customer first. You're learning how to schedule your time. So if you're in high school, it could be between, you know, high school actually going to class, doing your sports or your theater activities on the side.
00;30;31;00 - 00;30;52;28
Lori
but really, that's helping you learn those life skills that you need as an adult. And when you're on the job, too, because priorities are constantly shifting on the job. Another piece that I really want to encourage is people, work for a company that you believe in, 40 hours is a lot of time to give to a company during the week, and it's a lot of time to not be happy if you don't like your job.
00;30;53;00 - 00;31;13;10
Lori
So really kind of take that time to find the type of company that you feel that you can pour in. I know a lot of companies nowadays are really focusing on that career growth, which I think is so important. So ask those types of questions in interviews. Volunteering is really huge. I know here at Coulee Bank we encourage our colleagues to volunteer.
00;31;13;13 - 00;31;34;05
Lori
You know, a lot of the Gen Zers love they love that volunteer experience. It's such a fun way just to get out of the office for the day and do something different and give back to the community that you're in. Another piece is look at those benefits, I know it's a little bit different. Sometimes they don't pertain to new new college students coming out of school.
00;31;34;07 - 00;31;53;22
Lori
But look at what do those benefits look like? What does PTO time look like. What does your 401 K look like? The more that you start putting away, even if it's a small amount as a young adult, the more it's going to grow for your future retirement. So that's really important. And then just health care options, what kind of options are available out there.
00;31;53;25 - 00;32;02;12
Lori
So I think, those are just piece of pieces of advice that I would give to young people as they're kind of getting started on their career.
00;32;02;15 - 00;32;30;10
Joshua
Yeah. That's great. I mean, you know, having been brought in, you know, as a young person fresh out of college and I gotta say that that's that's some great advice that I wish I had had. Yeah. Coming
out. Yeah. now, seeing that you've had a lot of resumes go by your desk, including mine, and I think that, but in your eyes, what makes a resume stand out from the rest?
00;32;30;13 - 00;32;51;18
Lori
Yeah. So, I'm going to back it up just a minute, and I'm going to share just some information with, all the listeners out there. So according to the society for Human Resource Management, the average cost of hiring a new employee on board is about $4,700. There's also a lot of variations to this factor that affect that.
00;32;51;18 - 00;33;17;16
Lori
So it can be the size of the business or the location, the industry and the type of position that you're hiring for. So if you are hiring for a higher level, let's say VP-type positions for a company, you could be looking at four times that cost of $4,700. So I think young people out there need to understand this is a very expensive piece to pour into a company.
00;33;17;16 - 00;33;37;18
Lori
And so it's really important to take the time to find that right candidate versus filling that spot. Because if you're constantly turning that position over, you're really just wasting all of that money and then just all of the resources that go into it. For all the people who are on that interview team. S o, hiring is really costly for employees.
00;33;37;18 - 00;33;59;27
Lori
And I think a lot of people don't really think about that. With that though, resumes! A s things that I look for a lot of what you two shared. Make sure you proofread your resume. I have gotten so many resumes across my desk and in the objective or career, growth line, they have a wrong title on there for the wrong job, in the wrong company they're applying for.
00;33;59;29 - 00;34;23;19
Lori
And for me, as a recruiter, that's a huge turnoff because I'm just thinking they really didn't even take the time to look at it before they hit the submit button. And so it scares me because I don't know that they're going to pay attention to detail either as they applied for or they're doing their job. For me. S o I'm going to say again, keep it clean, look at your formatting, have white space on it.
00;34;23;19 - 00;34;55;20
Lori
I like the idea for new grads. Really, one page is all that you need. Kind of keep it simple. Do the spelling and the grammar checks that are available on the different softwares out there. So important. It is very important to have a second set of eyes looking at it. So what I like to do is like put a document together and then I like to sleep on it and read it first thing in the morning with a fresh mind, so I can really look at how to format my words and make sure the content of what I'm trying to prevent is coming through.
00;34;55;23 - 00;35;13;15
Lori
S o I think that's important. You can tap into like former English teachers are usually so great at this where I know for my, my children, you know, they've helped them with things like this, just to make sure that they're, they're hitting what they need to do, I think solid facts to kind of back up your skills, too.
00;35;13;15 - 00;35;34;18
Lori
And I know, Josh, you had talked a little bit about this, but what percent improvement maybe did you make to the organization or how did you turn things around? as you grow in your career, how many people have you managed? what about the dollar amounts of the projects that you managed? So those are all really important things that really back up what you're doing.
00;35;34;20 - 00;35;57;12
Lori
when you are applying for one of those jobs. another thing is to think about transferable skills. And so again, I'm going to go back to flipping those burgers. You know, my first job was in Hardee's. I learned how to count cash backwards. We didn't have machines. So we actually, you know, someone would hand you a $20 bill and you had to combat the change that was due to them.
00;35;57;12 - 00;36;16;13
Lori
And that's a life skill that I've used my whole life. But, you know, as a 15 year old young girl, I never thought it something that I would use. So all those skills are just so important for your future. so someone let's say I'm looking for a teller. I'm going to look for someone who has strong customer service skills, someone who has not job hopped.
00;36;16;13 - 00;36;34;18
Lori
Because again, I go back to how much does it cost for me to hire this person, someone who have maybe moved up in their roles, at their position. So I know, Rachel, you had mentioned one of our former colleagues who started as a teller, and then she moved up and she got an internship, and then she actually was a communication specialist here.
00;36;34;20 - 00;36;59;22
Lori
And so that just shows a lot of growth. It shows dedication, and it really shows that the company trusts you as well. another piece is just someone who's given a lot of work responsibility. So that could be, you know, counting down cash drawers at the end of the night. It could be maybe working behind a service desk, maybe a level above, like, I started as a grocery store.
00;36;59;22 - 00;37;20;17
Lori
And so I was, you know, a cashier. And within about three months, they pushed me behind the desk. And so I was tallying lottery ticket numbers. I was balancing things out at the end of the night. And so that you can just tell those are the type of employees that you're going to have good, strong futures with. The other thing I wanted to hit on this, but that job hopping.
00;37;20;20 - 00;37;40;08
Lori
So for me as a recruiter, when I see the job hopping come through and on a resume, I see someone's been here for three months, someone's been here for two months, one's been here for four months. That really just deters me from moving forward with that person, because I think I'm going to bring them on. And if something better comes up, they're going to jump ship on me.
00;37;40;08 - 00;38;00;20
Lori
And now I just wasted all this time and energy to train this person. And so I think job hopping is really, really huge. You know, and the other just kind of final piece I want to share with people is when you start a new job, you give it at least six months to a year because you are always learning the things on the job.
00;38;00;20 - 00;38;27;03
Lori
And so I've been in this position. It'll be two years, on the ninth. And I can tell you every single day I learn new things here and so on. The job you are always learning and so don't get frustrated every opportunity is a learning opportunity, even if you make a mistake.
00;38;27;10 - 00;38;51;07
Rachel
Yeah, well happy almost anniversary, Lori. Well, kind of the other side to that coin. You've also interviewed a lot of candidates. What advice would you have for those looking to nail that interview?
00;38;51;10 - 00;39;10;02
Lori
Yeah, absolutely. So one huge piece I think is show up ten minutes early for your interview. You never know. Especially in the Twin Cities, what your traffic is going to look like. Or if you're not familiar with an area any better to show up early and sit in the lobby. The other piece is you, as an applicant or an interviewee, gets the chance to see how the organization functions. When you're sitting in that lobby, you can watch people see how they interact with each other. You kind of get the vibe for the office, so it's a really good way for you to make a great impression, but also for you to learn a little bit about the company, too.
00;39;10;02 - 00;39;29;12
Lori
When you're sitting in that lobby. Rachel, you alluded to this. Make sure you do research the company. I would say take a little bit of time, just check out their website, know a little something about that company. It's always impressive to the recruiter and to the interview to me. If you you have something that you can kind of share about it.
00;39;29;14 - 00;39;53;15
Lori
I would suggest that you print out the job description and the night before or two nights before, take notes on maybe the questions that you might have about that job description. Think about job related experiences that you have from your past, you know, and even if that's an experience you
have carrying on the golf course. But maybe you had, you know, that turned into a new job position or it was an opportunity to not work with someone different.
00;39;53;17 - 00;40;14;22
Lori
Those are all experiences that you can use, that really help to sell yourself in the interview. So what I would encourage you to do is print out the job description and take notes on that job description and, and, and just come up with any questions that you might have in relation to that job description. Also think about experiences that relate to those different areas.
00;40;14;25 - 00;40;36;26
Lori
So whether that be something that you've done in school, like maybe working on a team project, maybe you took the lead and you had a student who didn't pull their weight. That's an experience that you could use that maybe. How did you kind of rail that person up a little bit to have them help out? What if it's something, you know, like someone you networked with while you were caddying on the golf course?
00;40;36;28 - 00;40;57;22
Lori
It might be a networking business opportunity that you just never know will open up something for you in the future. A s Rachel had said, too, she had talked about, you know, kind of bragging about yourself a little. But really, I guess I wouldn't call bragging, but share your job experience. Share what experiences that you have that would be beneficial to this position.
00;40;57;25 - 00;41;27;25
Lori
So tailor it to the to the need of the job that you're actually applying for. as much as possible. So have specific examples to share. one thing that I would love to share with, people listening is a lot of companies use behavioral interviewing. And what that is, is it's really questions they're going to ask you based they're based around, kind of strategic things that you've done or examples of experiences you've had.
00;41;27;25 - 00;41;53;12
Lori
And one method that you can use is called the star method. And that's where you actually explain a situation. You kind of walk through the tasks that you took in that situation. You talk about the action that was taken in the situation and then what was the result of this situation. So again, it's the star method here and it's situation task action and result.
00;41;53;15 - 00;42;15;22
Lori
S o that's a really great way just to kind of prepare the other piece that you had talked about, with body language, body language is so important in an interview. So put that phone away, put it on vibrate or silence your calls, look into the eyes of the person that you're talking to. Or if you're interviewing with a team, look at all of them.
00;42;15;25 - 00;42;38;14
Lori
Walk in with a strong, confident handshake. And I loved your power pose idea, Rachel. I think that's a great idea. Just to really get your head into that mind frame of, I can do this and this is going to be a positive experience. Be confident. And then pay attention to the nonverbals that you send. So really be aware of crossing your arms.
00;42;38;14 - 00;42;59;06
Lori
Maybe in an interview. just because it kind of shows that maybe you might not be as interested. The other, piece I would offer is dress. As a professional, you only have one chance to make that first impression. And so even regardless if everyone is wearing jeans, you're just going to make a good impression if you're dressed in some business attire.
00;42;59;08 - 00;43;27;07
Lori
It's just going to show that you're really taking this job interview seriously and that, you know you want to make a difference and that you have a lot to offer. Another piece I want to share is silence is okay. So if they ask you a question and you kind of want to think through maybe some experiences you've had in your head, it's okay to take a moment or two to kind of think through that and maybe come up with a really good example to answer their question.
00;43;27;09 - 00;43;43;15
Lori
I would say print a copy of your resume and I would actually say print maybe three copies. I would have one in front of you, because we do get really kind of sweaty and nervous when we're sitting in a job interview, especially if someone asks us a question and we don't have an answer for it right away.
00;43;43;15 - 00;44;00;12
Lori
You feel that nervous energy building up. So if you have your resume sitting in front of you, it helps you just to kind of direct your mind and to direct your thoughts. Maybe back to an example that you wrote down that you can kind of walk through, that you could deep breath, and be okay with it.
00;44;00;12 - 00;44;23;02
Lori
Like I said, silence is okay. And probably the last piece that's really important I want to share is test your technology ahead of time. It is so important, especially if you're doing a video interview, because a lot of times that's how you start the inter view process. Make sure there's no distractions in the background. Make sure your dog or your candidate is not in the room with you when you're interviewing.
00;44;23;04 - 00;44;45;27
Lori
Make sure that the, the wall behind you is free of distractions. Sometimes if you need to blur out your screen, you can certainly go ahead and do that, but just make sure that that technology works because one, it's going to make you nervous, but it also sets the interview time behind. And
sometimes if there's a large group of people that are interviewing, you're off setting everyone's schedule.
00;44;46;00 - 00;44;53;09
Lori
So those are just some basic things that I would share with new interviewees coming in.
00;44;53;12 - 00;45;07;04
Joshua
That's awesome. I know you touched a little bit about that, but, what do you think the best things of college or high school students could do right now to prepare themselves for their future job search?
00;45;07;06 - 00;45;33;02
Lori
Yes. So I'm going to say first participate in activities. Sports are fantastic. I love the music program, swing choir, robotics club, Spanish club, the Deca Business club, different business organizations that are out there. All of those experiences are amazing and they're going to grow you as a leader. They're going to help you to work with difficult teammates or personalities.
00;45;33;04 - 00;45;54;00
Lori and they're going to just help with that career or tech college or even just preparing for the job force readiness. So I think those activities are so beneficial and we don't realize it as we're in them, because we're just kind of told to do all these things. But I do think they make a huge difference. And there's so much growth opportunities within all aspects of those areas.
00;45;54;03 - 00;46;19;01
Lori
Even, you know, for you to to get up on stage and perform, it is super scary. But you're going to have to do that in the workplace too. And so the more you practice those skills as a young adult, the more they're going to help you in your future career to the next piece, I would say is if you're if your high school offers the, AP classes, I would definitely encourage you to take those in high school.
00;46;19;04 - 00;46;37;07
Lori
First off, your parents will thank you. You can save a lot of money. I know my second child has taken a lot of them, and he started his freshman year in college as a sophomore, just because he had so many AP classes that his college took. Now, not all colleges take those classes, so that's something to learn.
00;46;37;07 - 00;46;54;02
Lori
But you're also going to learn how to study as a college student in those classes. and it's just going to grow you a little bit more. And so I just think those are great opportunities. You can take them at a quite discounted rate compared to college classes. So it does save you a lot of money in the long run.
00;46;54;05 - 00;47;13;16
Lori
Another piece I would encourage young people to do is to get a job again. I'm going to say any job is beneficial. It doesn't matter. Stick with it. It's going to help you with your time management skills. Open that first checking account. It's going to help with money management skills, and it's going to help you with different situations that come up.
00;47;13;18 - 00;47;30;11
Lori
As far as money management, I would encourage you to talk to your parents as well. I think sometimes as parents, we don't really do a good job sitting down with our children, explaining to them how much life is going to cost after they leave our homes. And so it's really important for them to have a really good idea of where their money goes.
00;47;30;14 - 00;47;54;08
Lori
What comes out for taxes? and even to maybe start thinking about, you know, saving up for a future retirement at an early age as well. the other piece that I think is important is getting good references. And so this is something that you develop in high school, whether that would be teachers you're working with, coaches you work with, employers you're with, or even it could be as simple as working for neighbors.
00;47;54;10 - 00;48;12;26
Lori
but you're going to need those references, especially as you start your future growth. And your, your growth in your, in your job search. And so, I know, like for my children, they've used some of their coaches and some of their teachers to actually help them get a reference as they were applying for the colleges they were trying to get into.
00;48;12;26 - 00;48;30;29
Lori
So it's important to keep those in mind, as very young student, the next piece I would say in high school is they really encourage job shadowing. I know the juniors at our high school just did this. I think within the last two weeks. And so it is a great way even to job shadow with one of your parents.
00;48;31;02 - 00;48;58;12
Lori
again, for our children, my husband has taken both of our two oldest children to actually, like, an event with him so that they can just sit back and kind of watch how, you know, their dad works and how they interact with people. But there's lots of great opportunities for job shadowing. So if it's a field that you're thinking you're interested in, reach out to someone you know, do that networking that Rachel was talking about and asked, can I come with you and maybe jump that?
00;48;58;12 - 00;49;20;17
Lori
Or you being a nurse for a day or being a PT for a day? it's just a great opportunity. The other huge pieces that a lot of the high schools do co - op programs. And so students who are maybe interested
in more, let's say, automotive work, you can actually get a job where you maybe work at an automotive shop changing oil, in the afternoon.
00;49;20;18 - 00;49;35;23
Lori
So maybe you work, you go to school in the morning from eight to noon, but then from 1 to 5 you can go to the auto shop, and you can also get credit for that too, and you get paid for it. So I think that is a great way just to grow your future. You know, high school and school is not for everyone.
00;49;35;23 - 00;50;00;03
Lori
So there's a lot of really great other opportunities out there for students just to embrace in those areas. Another piece I know that's really pretty cool, I think, is that, here in central Wisconsin, a lot of the banks do hire college or hire high school students to be tellers. And so again, that's a great way to grow your career, to learn about those skillsets and to work part time in a professional environment.
00;50;00;05 - 00;50;20;04
Lori
The other piece I would say is take the finance classes, at least 1 or 2 in high school that really teach you about budgeting, because that's just so important in your future. And it all ties back to really why the team is doing this podcast. But budgeting is important, especially as we're starting out and maybe our incomes aren't quite as high as we hope.
00;50;20;06 - 00;50;45;22
Lori
It's really good to be conscious of what you're bringing in, what's coming out of your account, and you know what you can live without if necessary. It really helps you with just those personable, skills for working again, I'm going to say open that checking account in savings account, probably at 15, 16, 17 when you get those first job, just to help you to start adulting, and to start to be responsible for your money.
00;50;45;24 - 00;51;20;18
Rachel
There is so much to me that, this is super valuable information. Lori, I feel like for our listeners, this is kind of like an insider view. Like we get to hear straight from a hiring manager, and so that, it's really valuable. But to me, one of the biggest takeaways was that silence is okay. And I think that's really important for people to remember that it's better to take a moment to kind of collect yourself, get your thoughts straight, then to just start like spewing random stuff. It’s really valuable.
00;51;20;20 - 00;51;47;12
Joshua
Yeah, I, I think going along with like the using the STAR method, just kind of helps keep your thoughts in your nervous environment that you're heading into. So it's like, oh, I can go about describing a situation this way and how I went about resolving that. So I thought that was extremely helpful too. Yeah. Well, thanks, Lori, for sitting down with us to discuss the job search.
00;51;47;15 - 00;52;05;24
Joshua
And thank you so much to our audience for joining us. We encourage you to follow our podcast wherever you are streaming, so that you can be the first to see when a new episode drops. We look forward to traveling with you again next month. Thanks for listening. This episode is brought to you by Coulee Bank Member FDIC.