Category Archives: Career Advice

Entry by Jennifer Weinmann, Student Employment Consultant for the IUPUI Office of Student Employment in Indianapolis, IN

While working at a University, I have the opportunity to learn from both students and staff.  Since many on-campus staff are also student employers, I hear about a variety of things that occur in the workplace.  Because a part-time job or internship can often be the gateway to full-time employment, it is important that a student employee be aware of the way he or she behaves in the workplace. 

For many students, they know that getting a job can be a challenge, but they don’t often think beyond this first step.  Once they have secured a position, they may be at a loss for the next steps to take in their newly found position.

Here are a few things I have determined will make you stand out and show how …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Aside from the usual interview preparation – researching the organization and opportunity, preparing answers to questions, dressing in appropriate professional attire, etc. – the key to performing your best at your next internship interview is to get enough sleep the night before, so be prepared to catch some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs………

According to studies discussed in Brain Rules, a book by molecular biologist Dr. John Medina, sleep helps our brains function at peak performance:

To highlight this, Medina refers to a study in which math graduate students were given a problem and told the way to solve it. 

“It was a bonehead solution,” Medina says. “Unbeknownst to students, there was a much more elegant way to solve the math problem.”

The researchers, who wanted to study the effect of sleep on cognition, broke the students into two groups, Group A and Group B. With 12 …

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Entry by Jennifer Weinmann, Student Employment Consultant for the IUPUI Office of Student Employment in Indianapolis, IN

As a Student Employment Consultant, one of the biggest issues I come across is students who are uncomfortable networking.  Whether it’s a part-time position, internship, or full-time position, networking is increasingly the best way to make connections that could land you a position.

If you’re like me, you may not consider yourself an extrovert…and that could mean anxiety at the thought of attending a networking event.  For those who shy away at the thought of meeting and greeting in a room of strangers, I’d like to suggest a “baby step” to a public gathering: LinkedIn.com

Many of you may know of the site.  For those who are not familiar, the main objective of the site is to bring professionals together and provide an online environment for networking.  …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Let’s say you are a basketball player and would like to take your game to the next level. Now, let’s say you have an opportunity to practice your jump shot on a regular basis with Larry Bird as your coach. Would you pass up that opportunity? Of course not.

Now, apply that same logic to your career. It doesn’t make much sense to pass up an opportunity to learn from a professional who has the career you aspire to have one day. That’s where mentors come into play.

Mentors provide career and personal growth coaching. If you want more information about a particular industry or are hesitant about pursuing a certain career, you can benefit from working with a mentor.

A mentor can assist you in the following areas:

Identifying career interests and goals Assessing your strengths and weaknesses Understanding a particular industry …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

The “dead fish handshake” – Always shake your interviewer’s hand firmly and confidently (just make sure you don’t over do it). 

The “poker face” – When you answer questions, do so with a smile on your face and at least appear as if you are enjoying yourself.  A pleasant attitude is contagious, and your interviewer will remember you as a positive person if you are pleasant. 

Forgetting to breathe – I don’t mean literally forgetting to breathe and passing out (I hope no one is that nervous during an interview) – I mean try not to talk too quickly.  Take some deep breaths and slow your speech enough to be understood.  If you think you may be speaking too quickly, there is a good chance that you are.  Practice answering questions with a friend to gauge a good talking speed. 

“Thanks Tom, uhh…I …

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Entry by Nicole Goble, Director of Recruiting and Development in the financial services industry in Zionsville, IN

It is that time of year again; spring, campus career fairs are right around the corner.  If you are still in the hunt for a summer internship, making the best of your time at each one is highly important.  I have drilled down on research, research, research so it won’t be mentioned (but please do research 🙂 ).  Here are a few things to separate you from the sea of students in line at company booths:

1. Go Alone.
It is ok to say hello and shake hands as you meet fellow classmates; however, steer away from going with a friend.  This time is about talking with employers and company’s about what interests you.

2. Dress to Impress.
This is easier said than done from my experience.  For …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

What is your New Year’s resolution?  If your resolution is to enhance your professional workplace skills (or even if it is not), then I have the perfect web site for you – www.JobSTART101.org:

A free, first-of-its-kind course, JobSTART 101 covers topics ranging from how to communicate and solve problems to how to develop a professional persona that helps drive a career for long-term success. Designed to be engaging and fast-paced, students have the option to complete the entire course in approximately 90 minutes or tackle the six topical modules one at a time, and participate in interactive components, such as videos and workbooks.

“While our nation remains focused on job creation, it’s equally important to ensure that our workforce has the skills and training to succeed in today’s economy,” said William D. Green, chairman and chief executive officer of …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

In today’s workplace, employers are placing more emphasis on an employee’s ability to multi-task…and I don’t just mean texting and talking at the same time.  A diverse collection of workspace-related skills may increase your likeliness of landing your dream job.  According to research from Robert Half International, multi-tasking is a prominent attribute desired for the hottest jobs of 2011:

“The common thread among the jobs highlighted in our research is that they help businesses improve efficiency and profits, and foster a more positive customer experience,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. “The most successful job candidates bring multiple skill sets, a track record of success and a strong sense of accountability to their roles.”

Read more.

Knowing this information, at your current or upcoming internship, you may want to ask your supervisor for opportunities that may enhance any …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Before an internship or job interview, it is important to learn as much as you can about the particular opportunity and organization.  The more you know about an opportunity and organization, the more you can understand an employer’s needs, and how you may address such needs if hired.  However, in general, employers will look for certain skills/qualities in potential hires.  According to NACE’s Job Outlook 2011 survey, employers listed verbal communication skills as the top quality they look for:

Survey respondents indicate that verbal communication skills topped the list of “soft” skills they seek in new college graduates looking to join their organizations, followed by strong work ethic, teamwork skills, analytical skills, and initiative.

Employers Rank Top 5 Candidate Skills/Qualities

Verbal Communication Skills Strong Work Ethic Teamwork Skills Analytical Skills Initiative

Read more. 

To hone your verbal communication skills, make sure you practice your elevator …

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Entry by Nicole Goble, Director of Recruiting and Development in the financial services industry in Zionsville, IN

Each month I have the opportunity to take someone from within our office (staff or financial representative) for breakfast and interview them for the monthly newsletter I write.  It is a neat deal; I ask them 5 pretty simple questions for the newsletter and spend the rest of the time focusing on them, how their business is going and what is new personally.  This week I sat down with a representative that has been with our company for 10 years and has really been a huge benefit to me as a recruiter; therefore, we talked recruiting for a good portion of the breakfast.  He told me a story about a former representative that found his dream job using our sales cycle.  It was so simple but so astounding, how had …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Are you looking for something to do this weekend?  Why not polish up your resume?  Now, I bet you’re all thinking, “Yeah, right…I thought this blog entry was going to be about some fun event or promotion.”  Just keep reading…

I’m not suggesting you spend all weekend working on your resume, but it may be a good idea to add recent internships that you have not yet added.  The more time that elapses after your internship, the more you will forget important details.  You never know when an opportunity may arise when you will need to submit your resume, especially given the fact that college hiring and recruiting is expected to increase:  

NACE’s current hiring index shows college hiring at 126.4, compared with 86.8 last year at this time. The October poll also found that nearly half of responding employers expect to increase …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

If you are convinced that pursuing an internship is a good idea, but you are not sure what type of internship to search for, the following information from the November INTERNnetwork may be helpful.  (If you would like to subscribe to Indiana INTERNnet’s montly e-newsletter, click here.)

Here are a few ways to discover your passions and explore different careers:

Career/personality assessments
Career/personality assessments can help provide a clearer understanding of the type of professional work you may enjoy doing by helping you to identify your interests, motivations, work habits and personality traits. Ask your career services office if it administers them. Three of the most popular are Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Keirsey Temperament Sorter, and Strong Interest Inventory.

What can I do with a major in …?
If you have decided on your major (or even if you are …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Have you found an internship that is perfect for you, but you don’t know much about the region in Indiana where it is located?  Are you only searching for internships in certain cities because you are more familiar with those areas?  If so, make sure to check out Indiana INTERNnet’s regional page to learn more about what Indiana cities have to offer, including information about arts and culture, attractions, housing, networking groups, nightlife, restaurants, and shopping – after all, more likely than not, you will be living in the city where you intern. 

Also, if you have your heart set on interning outside of the state, don’t completely disregard what Indiana cities have to offer.  For example, according to Yahoo! Real Estate, Indianapolis-Carmel, IN is rated the 10th best city to move in America:

Indianapolis-Carmel ranked high on both stability and affordability. The average home …

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Entry by Brittney Horn, Membership Intern, Greater Lafayette Commerce

No matter where you work, there is most likely going to be someone that you just don’t see eye-to-eye with.  Let’s face it – it’s inevitable that you aren’t going to get along with every single person you meet in your entire life.  In the work place, it is even more prone to happen because you are surrounded by the same people for at least 40 hours a week.

Unless if you are one of those “I get along with everyone all the time no matter what” kinds of people (which is rare, and if you are one of those people, I congratulate you) you will experience feelings of frustration with other co-workers.  These feelings happen especially when you don’t understand where the other person is coming from.  This can happen often when you work with people with different types of …

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Entry by Brittney Horn, Membership Intern, Greater Lafayette Commerce

When I was younger, I went through phases where I would change my mind about what career I wanted.  I had dreams of becoming a hair stylist, chef, nurse, teacher – you name it, I wanted to be it.  However, once I got to college, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do.

I went with the “undecided” route during my first semester of college to try to figure out what the heck I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  I first decided to try out interior design, mainly because I liked the idea of being able to decorate my own house for free.  Once enrolled in one interior design class, I realized that this was not for me.  Not knowing what direction to take, I began to feel overwhelmed. How was I supposed to figure out …

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