Épisodes

  • 4 strategies for overcoming a lack of experience in your job search

    4 strategies for overcoming a lack of experience in your job search
    Mar 11 2025
    Employers almost always prefer to hire candidates with experience, even for roles that they consider to be entry-level. Why? Because their risk of hiring the candidate is lower than their risk of hiring a candidate with little to no experience. But if you have no experience, how do you get it? In short, the question isn't right. You do have experience. Everyone does. You have transferable skills from jobs that might, at first glance, not seem related to the job you're now pursuing. Some of those skills may come from other jobs, others from volunteering efforts, and others from classwork. Your job is to inventory your skills, figure out which ones might be relevant to the employer, and then market those skills to that employer. In today's episode, our cohosts first, emphasize actively gaining experience through paid work or volunteering. Second, include all relevant experience, such as volunteer work and academic projects, on resumes and in interviews. Third, showcase your valuable soft skills to compensate for limited experience. Finally, pursue additional training to address any skill gaps. Overlaying the entire process is that job seekers need to objectively consider the skills they've developed, how they're communicating those to potential employers, and acquiring those that are missing. It is up to you to get the experience you need, not a potential employer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    13 min
  • Employers love, love, love to hire candidates with foreign language skills

    Employers love, love, love to hire candidates with foreign language skills
    Mar 4 2025
    One of the most important skills in today's increasingly globalized economy is the ability to communicate in another language. Often, employers don't list that skill as a requirement or even preference and yet are far more likely to hire the candidate with that skill set if aware of it. Experts explain that these skills demonstrate initiative, cultural sensitivity, and a well-rounded personality, making candidates stand out. Even if a job doesn't explicitly require a specific language, possessing such skills signals valuable attributes to employers. Our cohosts encourage candidates to highlight their language abilities on resumes and in interviews but to honestly assess their proficiency level. It's not about being perfect. It's about being willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to use all of your skills to make yourself as productive as possible for your next employer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 min
  • How college students and recent grads can create their own job

    How college students and recent grads can create their own job
    Feb 25 2025
    Almost all students and recent graduates want to be employed, but does that always mean that someone else needs to hire you? No. Another option is to become self-employed by starting your own venture. It is one thing to say that you want to start your own business. It is another thing entirely to come up with a good idea for that business, and yet another thing to execute on that idea. Today's episode of the From Dorms to Desks Podcast focuses on how students and recent grads can create their own online businesses. Our cohosts emphasize a relatively quick turnaround time, suggesting business creation within 12 weeks. They encourage those seeking self-employment to leverage online platforms to generate income. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 min
  • How to ace your entry-level job interview

    How to ace your entry-level job interview
    Feb 18 2025
    On today's episode of the From Dorms to Desks Podcast, our cohosts provide advice for entry-level job seekers on acing basic interview questions. They draw analogies to dating by emphasizing the importance of preparation, including being ready to respond to common questions like, "Tell me about yourself" and, "Why should we hire you?" Showcase your relevant skills and share with the interviewer some of the information you discovered about the employer through your research to demonstrate that you are a strong fit. Interviewers' perspectives are included, highlighting the importance of concise, impactful answers that build rapport. Finally, we encourage listeners to ask insightful questions to show genuine interest and initiative not just in any job, but this particular job with this particular company. You want the right fit, not just for the benefit of the employer, but also for your benefit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 min
  • Students value internships but significant disparities exist in access and experience

    Students value internships but significant disparities exist in access and experience
    Feb 11 2025
    On today's episode, our cohosts talk about the 2024 research report, Building Better Internships. It was largely based on the 2023 National Survey of College Internships (NSCI), which investigated internship participation, quality, and equity among U.S. college students. The findings were likely of little surprise to professionals who are deeply involved in helping students find and succeed in their internships. The report and underlying survey revealed that internships are highly valued by students for career development. Although 70 percent of first-year students expect to successfully complete an internship prior to graduation, fewer than half do. Expectations, clearly, do not match realities. Another key finding was that significant disparities exist in access and experience based on factors like income, race, and institutional type. Key quality indicators include the presence of structured learning plans, the nature of assigned tasks, and the level of supervisor support and mentorship. Improvements in internship quality and accessibility are needed to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. Our co-hosts provide some actionable recommendations for educational institutions, employers, and researchers to address the identified challenges, including the elimination of unpaid internships in favor of more micro internships, projects, and research projects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 min
  • Job market for 2025 grads expected to be massively better

    Job market for 2025 grads expected to be massively better
    Feb 4 2025
    There's no doubt that the red-hot job market of 2022 cooled off in 2023 and didn't fully recover in 2024. In some sectors, the job market in 2023 and 2024 was, at best, frustrating to candidates. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers forecasts a 7.3 percent increase in hiring for the Class of 2025, driven by economic recovery, and increased competition for talent, especially in tech, healthcare, and data analytics. The survey also revealed a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion, which runs counter to what many media outlets are reporting. Graduating students should focus on skill development, relevant experience, and networking to stand out in the competitive job market. Employers should create inclusive workplaces, offer competitive compensation and benefits, and support career growth to attract and retain top graduates. Overall, our co-hosts are optimistic about the job market but also call on both students and employers to be proactive and strategic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    15 min
  • Why employer authentication is becoming more important than authenticity

    Why employer authentication is becoming more important than authenticity
    Jan 28 2025
    College Recruiter publishes several podcasts, one of which is the From Dorms to Desks Podcast. Listeners are mostly students, recent graduates, and other candidates who are early in their careers. Another is the High Volume Hiring Podcast, which is co-hosted by Jeanette Leeds and College Recruiter's founder, Steven Rothberg. A recent episode featured career expert, J.T. O'Donnell, and focused on employer authentication is paramount for job seekers, even more so than an employer's perceived authenticity. In this episode of From Dorms to Desks, our cohosts emphasize the increasing importance of verifiable employer credentials. Employer verification is becoming increasingly important to ensure job seekers' safety and to avoid fraudulent job postings. But more important does not mean that it is the only matter that is important. Other matters are important too, such as authenticity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    8 min
  • How the Industrial Revolution continues to drive employers toward hiring for soft skills

    How the Industrial Revolution continues to drive employers toward hiring for soft skills
    Jan 21 2025
    For millions of years, which is as long as there have been people, those people have worked together to accomplish tasks that could not be done individually, or could not be done nearly as efficiently or effectively. But a couple of hundred years ago, employment started to change. The dawn of the Industrial Revolution meant the creation of factories, and factories meant that employers suddenly needed to hire dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people a year. No longer could employers rely on hiring family and friends. Instead, they needed to hire people they didn't know, and that meant that employers started to assess the likely ability of potential hires to do the work. As most of that employment was in factories or on farms, employers placed great value on hard skills such as ability to lift heavy objects, operate certain kinds of machinery, or the attainment of a Bachelor's degree. Recent articles from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and College Recruiter reveal that employers now prioritize soft- over hard-skills, so they care more about problem-solving and teamwork skills in entry-level candidates. Unlike previous years, GPA is significantly less important, with only 35 percent of employers in 2024 considering it a hiring factor. Instead, soft skills such as demonstrated abilities in problem-solving, teamwork, work ethic, and communication are highly valued. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 min