6 Quick Holiday Job Search Tips

6 Quick Holiday Job Search tips

No matter what holiday you celebrate, many of you will be reconnecting with friends and family during the winter break from school.  This may be a time to catch your breath from finals, get some rest and rejuvenate for the spring semester. Take some time to reflect on the accomplishments of this semester and all that you have achieved.

However, even while taking a break from school you can continue to keep your job search and career planning going. The job/internship search process is lengthy and may include phone screen interviews, crafting numerous targeted cover letters/resumes, multiple rounds of interviews,  sending thank you letters and then waiting for the final decision from employers. The take away from this is that you need to have a plan AND looking for work can take a serious time commitment.

Here are some ways to keep your job search active during the holiday break:

1. RE-connect with your network: The holidays are a great time to reconnect with your network of friends, classmates, family members, professors, former co-workers, and new contacts. Since a majority of jobs and internships are gained through one’s personal network of contacts, this is a great time to reach out to those in your life. Send them a card, an email, or even a Facebook message to update them on your recent accomplishments or just to say hello. Remember, networking is relationship building so don’t forget to inquire about their recent developments as well.
2. Attend holiday gatherings: You never know where your next networking contact could come from. Take advantage of holiday gathering opportunities by preparing a few key points about yourself in case you bump into someone who may be able to help you. Often these key points are referred to as “Your one minute commercial” and can be used whenever you are in networking opportunities.
3.  Maintain your resume: Whether you are looking to start a resume or refine your existing one, take some time to identify what you think

Virtual Internships

Virtual Internships

More and more organizations are looking at virtual ways to provide internships to a larger candidate pool and to save some costs. In fact, the Wall Street Journal recently posted an article on virtual internships. It may be a great way to gain experience within an organization or industry that you may have otherwise been unable to reach. This post will serve as a resource to assist in determining if virtual internships are a viable option for you.

What is a virtual internship?

A virtual internship is similar to a traditional internship in that you will be completing tasks or projects for an organization that are relevant to your degree of studies and/or career path. The difference is that you may never directly meet with your team in person. Tools such as Skype or google documents as well as email, instant message, and the phone will be your main points of interaction with co-workers and supervisors.

The advantage for students is that you may find more opportunities because location is not as large of a factor in a virtual internship. Additionally, if you are already familiar with tools such as those listed above – you can hit the ground running.

A good virtual internship should be similar to a conventional internship in that it should:

• Provide proper supervision by a professional in the field.
• Indicate that the internship program is an established hiring channel for the organization’s career positions.
• Provide a pre-professional level of work, clearly related to your academic major or field of interest.
• Have a clearly defined length of duration for the internship.

Am I a fit for a virtual internship?

Before you start your search for an internship, do an honest assessment of yourself and ask the question “Am I a fit for a virtual internship”?

Finding a Job in a Tough Economy workshop

Finding a job after graduation can often be a stressful time. During a tough economy, this stress can be even greater as the job market seems slim. The Finding a Job in a Tough Economy workshop was put together to give current job seekers a realistic view of what is changing in the world today and how that will impact your job search and your personal job search strategy. There are opportunities to be found. Knowing where to look and how to position yourself is critical to your success. To learn more, check out the workshop slides below.

The Art of Asking for References

The Art of Asking for References

http://fortysouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/job-references.jpg

Finding people who can vouch for the quality of your work as well as your work ethic is important and a valuable way to ensure that you are credible. However, there is etiquette involved in identifying and requesting someone to act as a reference.  Here are a few tips to help you identify and secure the best possible references to support your job search and networking process.

1.  A favor, not a requirement: Previous employers or professors are not required to act as your references or provide referrals.

Remember, asking for a reference is like asking for a favor. Those who act as references are putting their reputations on the line to state that they recommend you for a specific position and confirm that you have skills/qualifications represented in a resume, cover letter or interview. So, be professional and honest about what you can do and review these traits with your references so that they know what aspects of your work you’d like them to speak about. Also, don’t be upset or angry if a person you’ve asked to be a reference declines. You want the best referral possible and if someone doesn’t feel comfortable acting as a reference or doesn’t feel they know you or your work well enough to provide a good reference, appreciate their honesty, and move on.
2. Ask before you list:  If an employer calls a reference and they aren’t prepared to speak to your strengths or simply can’t remember you it won’t leave a favorable impression.

Be sure to let people know that you plan on listing them as a reference before you apply to a particular position. Not only is this a common courtesy but it also allows your references to prepare some examples of your strengths. This will help avoid any surprises when they receive a phone call asking about their experiences working with you.

3. Make it easy to give a good referral:

The value of your reference’s feedback is directly tied to the information that you provide for them.

Does Major=Career?

Does Major=Career?

Are you feeling stress over choosing your major or career path? Many people feel stress because they think that once they select their major, they are forever chained to a related career path. However, statistics show that over 80% of people in today’s workforce are in career fields unrelated to their college majors. What is most important is to identify what transferable skills you can develop in your major, such as communication and analytical skills, which are in high demand by employers across all industries.

 To further dispel this myth—“that major = career”–we got the scoop from 3 professionals who discussed their college majors in relation to their current occupations.

 Melanie Zentner, Campus Recruiter 

(History/Germanic Studies Major)

“During my undergraduate studies, I chose my majors, History and Germanic Studies, based on the classes in which I had preformed the best and found most enjoyable.  At that point I was not thinking about what majors or courses would lead to a particular career and was frankly, uncertain what I wanted to do upon graduation.  However, I knew that a broad-based liberal arts education would serve me well in whatever I decided to do. I am now a campus recruiter at a Big Four Public Accounting firm.  My educational and professional background is very different from that of my colleagues, but it’s that diversity of experience that adds to the depth of our campus recruiting organization. “

Christa Dryjanksi, Senior Business Analyst

(Marketing Major)

“When I chose my major in Marketing, I wasn’t sure where it would lead me. But within 3 weeks of graduation from college, I had a full-time job with Stryker Endoscopy, a company that specializes in Medical Devices for

Federal Government Careers: Why Now is a Great Time to Learn More!

 

Federal Government Careers:  Why Now is a Great Time to Learn More!

If you are starting to explore career options after graduation the federal government, the nation’s largest employer with 1.9 civilian employees, offers a wide range of opportunities across many majors and career interests. 

In fact, despite the current tough economic climate, now is a particularly exciting time to pursue a federal job.  An estimated 270,000 workers will be hired for mission critical jobs by the end of September, 2012!  Additionally, government is changing the way it does business and is promoting more dynamic work environments in order to attract new talent.  Some of the perks include flexible work schedules, signing bonuses, and student loan repayment programs.  There are also federal job opportunities around the country and all over the world!  Nearly 85 percent of federal employees work outside the greater metropolitan Washington D.C. area and over 40,000 work overseas. 

To learn more about a potential future career in public service, join us in the Career Center for a Careers in Federal Government Panel on Tuesday, November 3 from 3 – 5pm in the Student Union with four local representatives who will share the ins and outs of what working for the government is all about, including tips on how to stand out in the job search process. 

Cara Peck is one of our distinguished speakers for the upcoming panel and in her interview below; she offers her personal testimony along with a brief introduction to careers in federal service.

Please describe your career path into federal service.  
Cara:. I started college with the intentions of becoming a veterinarian, graduated undergrad with all the requirements (chemistry, physics, biology….oh my!) and an Animal Science degree but then decided vet school was not for me. Instead, I attended UC Davis where I got a masters degree in Horticulture and Agronomy. While earning this degree, I also studied a lot of sustainable land management ideas and environmental policy. This coursework combined with the interest I have always had in the the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency and a desire to work in the field of federal environmental protection. Straight out of grad school, I was hired to the EPA’s Region 9 office in San Francisco where I worked on resource conservation and recycling.

Key tips from employers to land the job you want!

We’ve received many questions from students regarding what employers really look for in potential employees. So, we polled some of our employer partners who are currently recruiting students for internships and entry level jobs to get their direct feedback and tips. Here’s what they had to say:

JOB SEARCH ETIQUETTE:

Lindsay Pollock, IBM University and Extreme Blue Recruiting

“When meeting with a potential employer, be prepared to talk about your accomplishments and the contributions you can make to the company. Employers want to know about the challenges you have faced and the resolutions you have reached. When attending a career fair, do not simply “look for a job.” Rather, convey your specific interests to recruiters. The former approach signals a lack of motivation, while the latter suggests that you are truly “interested.”

Follow these tips when networking with recruiters and building a resume that stands out:

1. Tout your strong points 
2.  Be clear and concise
3.  Be unique
4.  Show your personality
5.  Be consistent and persistent

Some additional tips for international students:

“As an international student, you’ve invested in a global education and may be unsure of how to search for an internship or full-time job. Here are some tips that we recommend from IBM: 

• Utilize your career center to research job opportunities, review your resume and participate in practice (mock) interviews
• Know the facts about immigration laws and visa employment regulations. For instance, do you know what Optional Practical Training (OPT) is, and whether or not you are eligible? *Career Center note: At San Jose State University you can obtain this information from the International Program Office: http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/ipss/
• Network! Actively create connections and let people know you are job searching. Build relationships with faculty and fellow students. Attend networking events and join professional associations.
• Gain experience through internships, externships, campus employment, student organizations, and volunteering. Internships are a potential gateway to a full time opportunity with an employer. For instance, most of IBM China’s full time entry-level hires were interns in the IBM China Blue Pathway Internship Program (http://campus.51job.com/ibm/index.htm ). If you want to work for IBM China, first apply to be a Blue Pathway intern during your junior year. 
•  Consider international employment. Do you have personal connections to a non-US country or are you interested in gaining international experience? IBM has a vast array of job opportunities around the world for students with global education and experiences. Visit: www.ibm.com/start/internationalstudents  to learn more and apply!

 

 MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION:

Sara Moghadam, Group Campus Recruiter, Target

 “Great eye contact, smile, personal brand and hand shake create strong first impressions. Also, come to career fairs with 3 things that you’d like to share with a representative to highlight yourself. Great examples of this include things you are doing on campus outside of the classroom, your personal leadership style (strengths), what type of work environment you enjoy or see yourself in etc. Being prepared will also help you feel confident.”

 

 

Niki Baccam, University Manager, Cisco

 

1. Do some homework to learn about the company prior to the job fair
2.  Find out what openings are available and review the job description in advance *Career Center note: you can find a listing of all job fair participants and positions by logging into SpartaJobs: www.careercenter.sjsu.edu
3. Show some enthusiasm when talking to an employer. Share your passion about the industry or technology
4. Professional attire—dress for the job you hope to get
5.  Don’t be overly aggressive when talking to employers (be yourself)

Now that you have some tips for success be sure that you use them to your advantage and meet with these employers in person at our next career fair (IBM, Target & Cisco as well 80+ other employers will be in attendance): 

 Fall Job and Internship Fair
This Thursday, 10/15/09

12:00pm – 5:00pm located in the SJSU Event Center

This event is open to current SJSU students and registered alumni at 12:00pm.
Please bring your current tower card or a Career Center membership card. **The fair is open at 2:00pm for community members and reciprocal CSU students.  Please bring your Career Center membership card.

Job Search 2.0: Branding yourself for success workshop

 Job Search 2.0: Branding yourself for success

 Employers are increasingly using social media and social networking sites such as LinkedIn,VisualCV, Facebook, and more to recruit and source for job candidates. In fact, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey of 2,667  Human Resources professionals 45% indicated that they would use social networking or social media tools to gain more information about candidates.

This workshop is designed to help you learn tips and strategies for developing and managing your personal brand on-line.

 

 

Employer Perspective: Job Fair Success!

By: Kelli Greene, University Recruiter, Yahoo!

Putting yourself in our shoes may be a great way to understand the importance of preparing for a career fair. You have only a few minutes to make a great impression, so you’ll want to practice and polish your personal brand before stepping into the recruiting arena!

When a company makes the decision to attend a career fair, there is much effort made to make sure our presence is top notch and the results meet our expectations. That means we want to shine and be well prepared. Companies put a lot of resources into attending career fair events including the cost of attending the event, presentation materials, administrative costs, travel costs and most of all, the time recruiters and hiring managers spend representing their company.
When you make a decision to attend a career fair, that same level of preparation is equally as important as this may be your only opportunity to really make a solid impression on recruiters and hiring managers. Take the time to be fully prepared so your presence is impressive, and you achieve your desired result — the chance to interview.

So, let’s make sure you’ve got everything on your professionalism checklist!

Common Job Fair Myths

With two upcoming  job and internship fairs, we want to take the opportunity to address some common job fair myths in order to help you make the most of your job and internship search.

Myth: “The last job fair I went to, the employers just told me to apply on-line, why bother going?” 

 Fact: At a job fair, if employers ask you to apply on-line do not get discouraged!  Many employers may have internal recruiting restrictions that require all candidates to apply on-line.  On-line applications enable employers to electronically and systematically keep track of all applicants as required by their Affirmative Action program.

 Job fairs provide you with an opportunity to meet face-to-face and make a connection with hiring managers and recruiters, if you make a good impression, they are more likely to remember you among the other applicants!  This is also a good time to ask the recruiter if there is someone you can follow-up with after submitting the application on-line. 

How can the Career Center help me? To make the best impact, take the time to research the companies and openings that interest you, revise your resume, and prepare your one minute commercial.   

Attend one of our Resume 101 or Interviewing Skills workshops to learn key tips on how to craft an effective resume along with proven strategies for navigating the interview process, see our calendar for more info.  Also, our online resume tool kit provides an overview on resume writing in only 8 minutes.  

 Myth: “With the crowds and long lines at the fair, I may only have a minute or so to talk with an employer – that is not enough time for the employer to assess candidates and for me to convey my qualifications!”