plus 1, How to Get a Job When You Lack Experience - US News and World Report

How to Get a Job When You Lack Experience - US News and World Report

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When you're early in your career and lacking work experience, are you totally out of luck as a job seeker? What about if you're in the midst of a career change and your background doesn't quite live up to what your targeted job descriptions require?

While you can't create experience you don't have, you can think outside of the proverbial box to help make yourself more qualified.

Here's how to make yourself more marketable for jobs that might be considered a reach:

[See 10 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Internship.]

Know your strengths. Carefully evaluate your true skills and qualifications. Go through the job description with a fine-toothed comb. Maybe you don't have the number of years required working in the field, but you strongly believe your transferable skills make up for any shortcomings. Or you know you have special, unique abilities that enhance your marketability. Identify these areas—as they relate to what the employer needs—and be sure your application materials clearly highlight them.

In some cases, job ads request the equivalent of the "sun, moon, and stars." If it seems employers ask for a lot, it's true. It's not unusual to see position descriptions with 15 to 25 bulleted "requirements." Since online descriptions don't mandate hiring managers narrow their lists, they probably list every possible need. Do they always expect to find someone who meets every qualification? Probably not. The description may be a "best-case scenario," so if your honest evaluation suggests you are a strong candidate, even if you're not an exact match, apply. Just make sure your materials detail how you have the muscle to do the heavy lifting the job requires.

Showcase your soft skills. The Talent Culture blog defines emotional quotient, or EQ, as "a person's ability to understand and manage their emotions and those of others." Melissa Martin, a coach who taught classes to help people improve EQ, notes "70 percent of required skills on typical job postings require EQ traits, such as empathy, stress tolerance, and problem solving skills." Emotional intelligence is more difficult to quantify than specific technical abilities, but a great resume will include measurable indications of EQ, such as successes performing in teams, leadership results, and adaptability skills.

[See 6 Tips for GenY on the Job Hunt.]

How can highlighting your EQ help you reach for a job? A Harvard study found people prefer to work with someone they like, and "If someone is liked, his colleagues will seek out every little bit of competence he has to offer." In other words, people would rather work with a likable person without all of the necessary skills than a person who has all the technical background but is not pleasant.

This describes the all-important "fit" a hiring manager seeks when identifying strong candidates, and most often likability relies on being emotionally intelligent. Luckily, Melissa reports, unlike IQ, which researchers think generally tops out around age 21, you can improve your EQ into your 50s. Evaluate your EQ and think about ways to make yourself more likable, thus more hirable, even if your background is not exactly what your job targets require. Then, incorporate specifics in your application materials and do whatever you can to prove you have a high EQ.

Use social media. Luckily, an easy way to show your ability to relate to others and to establish a community (EQ skills) is by using social media. At the same time, if you use it well, you can showcase your expertise online in hopes of meeting influencers in your field. Contributing regular content via Twitter, answering questions on LinkedIn and Quora, and consistently presenting a professional persona in line with your target job helps make it clear to an employer you have what it takes to do the job—even if it is a reach.

Writing a blog is the best way to take advantage of social media tools to help you jump steps in your career. Updating a blog designed to highlight your skills as they relate to those "pie in the sky" job descriptions can help you convince readers you are well qualified and well connected. Share links to your blog and professional profiles when you apply for positions, but more importantly, use your blog and social networking as a ticket to connect with people who can get to know you and your work.

[For more career advice, visit U.S. News Careers, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.]

First, you'll introduce yourself via your writing and by pinging contacts via social media. Once you have a relationship, you may want to ask for a phone conversation or in-person informational meeting. Your goal? Not necessarily to land a job, but to showcase your competencies, passion, interest, and skills during a one-to-one meeting. Once you convince someone with influence in your field that you're suitable for the type of jobs you seek, you'll have another foot on the next rung of your career ladder.

Miriam Salpeter is a job search and social media consultant, career coach, author, speaker, resume writer and owner of Keppie Careers. She teaches job seekers and entrepreneurs how to incorporate social media tools along with traditional strategies to empower their success. Connect with her via Twitter @Keppie_Careers.

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Lighting Science Group Added 465 U.S. Jobs Last Year; to Hire More at Orlando Job Fair - PR-USA.net

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Fast growing Lighting Science Group Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: LSCG), a leading American maker of LED lighting, is looking to hire more employees at the Orlando Sentinel job fair. The Orlando Sentinel Engineering, Technology & Security Clearance Career Expo will be held at the Crowne Plaza Airport in Orlando today (February 28, 2011) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We have some of the most advanced and affordable LED lighting products in the world and that's made possible because of our world-class team of U.S.-based employees," said Rich Weinberg, chairman and chief executive officer of Lighting Science Group. "The Company has seen rapid sales growth over the past year, which means we are continuing to look for talented individuals to help us meet growing customer demand."

For years, high-output and low-cost LED lighting products have been just out of reach, but Lighting Science Group has revolutionized the science of light in America to produce lighting products that deliver on the promise of LED technology. From the International Space Station to the Times Square Ball to other projects in major cities across the world and now in homes, the Company's LED solutions are increasing energy independence and expected to save consumers, businesses and governments significant amounts of money.

Last year, Lighting Science Group became the first U.S. company to domestically manufacture 1 million LED bulbs in less than a year (approximately 6 months). These 1 million bulbs are expected to save Americans approximately $17 million in electricity cost or over 140,000,000 kilowatt hours over the course of a year, which equals the: annual greenhouse gas emissions from over 19,000 passenger vehicles or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of over 12,216 homes for one year.

About Lighting Science

Lighting Science Group Corporation (OTCBB: LSCG) designs, develops, manufactures and markets LED lighting solutions that are environmentally friendlier and more energy efficient than traditional lighting products. Lighting Science Group offers retrofit LED lamps in form factors that match the form factor of traditional lamps or bulbs and LED luminaires for a range of applications including public and private infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor applications. Lighting Science Group Design Works business unit designs, develops and manufactures custom LED lighting solutions for architectural and artistic projects. Lighting Science Group is headquartered in Satellite Beach, Florida; the Company's European operations are based in Goes, The Netherlands; and, the Company has a sales office in Sydney, Australia. Lighting Science Group has over 450 workers in its Satellite Beach, Florida manufacturing facility that build lighting products from domestic and imported parts. Lighting Science Group is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company.

Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements include, but are not limited to statements regarding the performance of LSG and the performance of LSG's products using terminology such as "will," "should," "would," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," or "believe." Such statements reflect the current view of LSG with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements. In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider various factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements. Readers should carefully review the risk factors detailed under "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 10-K and subsequent Form 10-Qs on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Lighting Science Group Corporation