Preparing for an interview is one of the best ways to avoid feeling nervous, so don’t underestimate the rewards you will reap by taking the following steps:

1. Prepare! Even if you are applying for a job that you feel confident about performing the responsibilities, it’s still important to take some time to re-read your resume and the job posting. Look at sample interview questions - they can easily be found on the internet and then think through how you would answer. Talk with friends and family members about the interview process and ask them to share some of their interview experiences.  

2. Look at the job posting and your resume to see what experiences or stories you could highlight during the interview that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. Make sure that your resume genuinely reflects your work history, including job titles and dates you were employed.

3. Use your active listening skills. Active listening is giving full attention to the interviewer and offering non-verbal feedback, such as a smile, a nod, or a slight lean forward to show your interest. This conveys that you are enthusiastic about the job. Active listening also allows you to better hear important job requirements and better hear and understand the questions.  

4. Respond fully to the questions. If you do not understand the question, ask the interviewer to repeat the question or ask for classification. Answer succinctly and confidently.

5. Mean business! Help the interviewer visualize you in the role by communicating about the job and the business in a professional manner. When given an opportunity to engage in small talk, typically in the beginning of the interview, ask questions about the business. Make sure you maintain good posture and dress for the work culture. If you are unsure of what that is, ask prior to the interview.  

1. Dress to make a good first impression. Business casual is acceptable but make sure your clothing is neat and clean.  

2. Go to the employer! Don’t wait for the employer to reach out to you. Introduce yourself and be prepared to ask a question about the business, job opportunities, internships, etc.

3. Prepare! Before the job fair, practice how you would answer conversational questions, “What kind of work are you looking for? Why are you interested in my company? Tell me a little bit about yourself?”

4. Share something unique about yourself to stand out among the other job fair participants.  

5. Have fun! Job fairs are a great opportunity to practice your interview skills in a less formal environment.  

1. You get to work in a casual environment.

2. You have many opportunities for improvement/advancement. 

3. There are many different jobs to choose from.

4. Your work is “hands on.”

5. You get the satisfaction of seeing the end result of your efforts right away.

6. You work with many different types of people (different ages, cultures, backgrounds, positions).

7. You constantly learn new things.

8. You work in a team-oriented workplace, solving problems together.

9. You can choose from different shifts.

10. You get a wide variety of work assignments.

11. Every team member is responsible for product quality.

12. Often manufacturing companies pay your tuition for any training you may need for the job you are performing or a job you will have in the future. 
     

Manufacturing drives our local and national economy.  Factories produce products and create jobs that keep our state and country strong. 

Personal branding is a way a person wants to be seen and known. Why is personal branding important? People make choices every day that help build their brand. When it is time to enter the working world, a personal brand is what an employer will consider. If your current or future employer viewed your social networking accounts, status, updates, tweets, postings from friends or other public pictures or writings, what impression would they have of you.  

How to build a personal brand?

• Start now! Once words, pictures, content is posted, it will be difficult or impossible to remove.  Before posting anything, ask yourself if it is something you would want to explain to a future employer? 

• Your personal brand should convey truthfully the positive aspects about yourself.

• Companies express themselves through their actions, appearance, and choices – all of which build a reputation.  Choices you make now are part of the brand you are building. 

1. Manufacturing is a poor career choice. Sometimes manufacturing gets a bad rap! It is dirty and dangerous, or there is fear that lay-offs will take place due to automation. Manufacturing looks much different today. There is a need for workers at all levels in manufacturing, such as entry-level positions, service technicians, programmers, application engineers, software engineers, and more. Jobs are also available in accounting, marketing, sales, and customer service.  Many manufacturing companies are high-tech, and production facilities are safe, clean, and they work very hard to protect the well-being of their employees. 

2. Manufacturing jobs are on the decline. There are more unfilled manufacturing jobs than there are qualified workers to fill them. With baby boomers retiring, there aren’t nearly enough employees entering the manufacturing workforce to fill the open jobs. 

3. Manufacturing jobs don’t pay well. Manufacturing is a massive industry with many different positions. Because there are so many manufacturing jobs available, companies have increased their wages to remain competitive.  

4. Robots are replacing humans. Automation replacing workers rarely happens. While robots eliminate some jobs, it’s also creating jobs and making them safer. Robots allow manufactures to shift their focus to adding more skilled human workers who can design, innovate, and think critically.