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Build the skills & judgement employers value - before they hire you!

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Morning Minute 9.01.26

When Your Degree Doesn't Get You Hired Build the skills and judgment employers value - before they hire you.

​NPR recently interviewed 21-year-old engineering graduate Irene Chang, who submitted more than 400 applications, completing 19 interviews without receiving a job offer.

She suspects AI has replaced the entry-level opportunities graduates once depended upon to begin their careers.

That raises an important question:

How do you gain experience when there are fewer entry-level opportunities to get it?

In my previous Morning Minute, we discussed how AI makes knowledge cheaper - while making judgment more valuable.

Good judgment isn't acquired from a textbook.

It is developed through experience, decisions, mistakes, feedback, and continuous improvement.

So how can a young professional begin building judgement—and demonstrate it to an employer?

1) GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE

Don't wait until graduation to begin learning how work actually works.

Part-time jobs, internships, volunteer assignments, and campus organizations all can teach responsibility, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and accountability.

The job doesn't have to match your future career.

The lessons you learned from those jobs should.

2) BUILD YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Think of your résumé as your personal sales brochure.

Keep your resume concise, preferably one page, emphasizing accomplishments rather than just listing titles or responsibilities.

Show where you solved problems, accepted responsibility, worked successfully with others, earned recognition, or helped produce measurable results.

Don't merely tell employers what you know. Show them what you've done.

Your résumé has one primary job:

​Earn the interview.

3) WIN THE INTERVIEW

Now you have an opportunity to demonstrate what a résumé cannot—your preparation, communication, curiosity, confidence, and most importantly…good judgment.

​Dress appropriately. Arrive prepared - ahead of time.

Ask: “What qualities distinguish the people who succeed here?”

Then use specific examples to demonstrate where you have displayed those qualities.

Before leaving, ask:

“Is there anything about my qualifications that would prevent me from being seriously considered for this position?”

Listen carefully to the answer.

It may give you one final opportunity to address their concerns.

4) FOLLOW UP

Send a short thank-you email promptly after the interview.

Reaffirm your interest and mention something specific from the conversation that strengthened your desire to join their team.

​Enthusiasm is contagious.

​Preparation is memorable.

Your follow-through demonstrates reliability and good judgement.

AI may change the entry-level job market.

You can’t control that.

But you can build experience, demonstrate good judgment, communicate your value, and distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Don't wait for opportunity to find you. Prepare yourself so you're ready when opportunity appears.

Keep Learning! Keep Leading!

And remember:

Information without transformation is wasted energy.

That is today's Morning Minute.

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Recently several teens in our family attained part-time jobs for when they are not in school. Today's Morning Minute discusses the benefits of working part-time before you attempt to get the career that you are seeking after college. This discussion around the short-term and long-term benefits for this type of work was quote robust.

If you know of a young person who would benefit from the descriptions and processes contained in today's Morning Minute, please forward this to them, their parents, grandparents, or guardians. The knowledge and instruction expressed today in this message will be very beneficial to them both now and in the future.

Larry B-

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Here are some recent Morning Minutes you may have missed with actionable ideas, useful instruction, and step-by-step methods to help you, your family, and/or your team to be more, do more, and achieve more.

​"Building Relationships, Gaining Skills, & Creating Influence!" Three ways to become increasingly valuable in an AI driven Workplace. Discover how these 3 human skills will set you apart from the crowd from those who simply rely on AI to do their jobs. Learn how relationships are built through trust, how problem-solving skills build your personal value, and how influence is earned thru your contributions.

​"Formulate, Initiate, Accelerate, & Designate!" Four steps to transform your team - and prepare yourself for your next opportunity. Formulate your action plan by analyzing the 4 Ps. Initiate your plan based on what you learned. Accelerate transformation of your team by investing the required resources. Then designate and train the person who will succeed you to make yourself ready for your next opportunity.

​"Be The Change You Want to Create!" What if the biggest obstacle to your team's growth is the example they see every day? Learn the first step in team transformation by employing the T.A.S.T.E. leadership model. Answer 5 questions that will give you a starting point for transformation. Discover 2 successful examples of team transformation that you can model as you be the change you want to create.

​"Plan in Advance - Pivot to Win!" How being prepared, and being flexible, can turn tragedy into triumph. You can discover how to accomplish an amazing turnaround in short order by planning early, exercising sound judgement, quickly pivoting, and executing immediately. Discover the process that allows you to plan your promotional calendar for an entire year while providing the flexibility to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

​"Understanding Their WHY - Before Their WHAT!" Learn why beliefs and motives often predict behavior better than skills alone. Discover 4 decisions you should make before any hiring decisions. Understand how the why behind today's choices often predicts tomorrow's performance. For a list of probing interview questions request them at lab@larryonlearning.com.

​"The COURAGE to Ask for HELP!" Discover how the best leaders seek wisdom without surrendering responsibility. Learn from examples at Ford Motor Company and Spartan Food Systems how that asking for help creates a stronger team, makes team members more accountable, and is a great way to be more, do more, and earn more.

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