Partnering with Goodwill Industries to make a difference...

On Monday I had the opportunity to volunteer with Goodwill Industries. I was part of a four member Human Resources panel speaking to Goodwill career counselors who work with High School students  preparing them to find jobs in what remains a very tough job market. In the past I've sat on similar panels speaking directly with the students as well as participated in mock interviews. Goodwill is one of the partner organizations we regularly support through our company's volunteer program called Pinnacol In Action. Every Pinnacol employee is given 16 hours of paid time off to volunteer in the community. During the first quarter of 2012 our employees volunteered more than 3,000 hours with local charitable organizations.

The Goodwill counselors wanted to know what separates a good candidate from the rest. Most of the students they are working with are being exposed to resume and cover letter writing and applying and interviewing for jobs for the first time. As you might imagine, the message we tried to share from an HR perspective is much the same as we would give any potential applicant: have a concise, easy to read resume and cover letter free from typographical and grammatical errors, fill out applications completely (avoiding the "See resume" phrase when asked for details on the application), dress professionally and appropriately for the position they are applying for, and practice speaking articulately about what they have accomplished in school and in current and prior positions.

Many High School students face the additional challenge of not having much, if any, job history to speak to. For those students the panel recommended detailing volunteer experience, participation in school events, teams, clubs, etc. That recommendation was a not so subtle hint to the counselors to encourage their students to start participating in these activities as soon as possible. Many schools now make getting involved in volunteering an integral part of the educational experience. Not only will participating in such activities look good on their resume but it will also help students develop other skills that will serve them well as they go after their first real jobs.

The Goodwill counselors asked great questions and I hope the answers we shared as a panel are helpful. Eventually the job market will rebound but the competition for good entry level jobs is always fierce. From an employer's perspective the more prepared today's students are to enter the job market the better and I applaud Goodwill's many efforts in this area!