Tag Archives: Resume
The Mystery of the Young Professional
The âyoung professional.â To the rest of the workforce, itâs a crypticâeven dauntingâterm and generation. Who are they? What do they want? What do they value?
To me, it seems simple. They donât want your job; they want to help you do your job! The âyoung proâ wants to learn, assist, and prepare for the day they have their own job. Young professionals are recent college graduates or currently-enrolled college students. They seek new employment opportunities or internships. This group is young and energetic. They have experience with social media and new forms of technology you didnât even know existed. Theyâre driven and creative. They all have different skills, talents, and interests. But, the bottom line is they are willing to work, and they want to learn. Young professionals are the future after all.
As supervisors and managers, donât you want your future to be ready? If you answered …
Networking: College’s Best Kept Secret
I’m passionate about a lot of issues, ideas, and organizations, but one thing I enjoy more than anything else is talking with and listening to people. I genuinely enjoy learning and making connections between people. This has bode well for me thus far in my short career tenure; I’ve landed jobs because I enjoy networking and putting forth my best effort. But — networking isn’t exactly something they teach you in college, unfortunately. It’s a skill that must be learned, and it takes work, patience, and sometimes a few bucks to attend quality events.Â
Looking back on my college experience, the last thing I wanted to make time for between classes, homework, student organizations, being an RA, and interning was figuring out how to network; however, I made it a priority, beginning my freshman year by joining student organizations related to my major and keeping my social media profiles professional. …
Why Intern?
As a college student, you put in a lot of time, effort and work during the school year. There are many late nights involving lots of studying, lots of pizza, lots of energy drinks, and little sleep. Some weeks seem like a year⊠and some tests seem like they were probably written in ancient Greek. But⊠through it allâŠyou survive because there is a light at the end of the tunnel: SUMMER!
But wait. In order to best prepare myself for the âreal world,â everyone suggested I take advantage of the summertime to work and gain experience through an internship. This is the process that I and many of my peers have gone through this year. But, Iâm here to tell you, your summer internship will be worth every minute!
First, if you are unsure of what you want to do, having an internship can help narrow your field …
The Interview
This past weekend, I went to the theaters and saw the big blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon. One part that got me thinking (not a major spoiler alert) was when Sam, a character from the movie, had to interview for jobs. He graduated from college and has no job, and his dad makes fun of him while chauffeuring him to job interviews all around the city. Each boss asks Sam different questions, and he answers them in a way that is opposite what the employer is looking for. It got me thinking about my interview experiences and what I have learned thus far. So, I thought I would share with you some advice I have about interviewing for a job or internship.
Interviews occur for employers to evaluate potential employees for prospective employment. Each company may have a slightly different way of conducting interviews. The basics of each …
What is Branding, and Why Do I Need It?
Branding, branding, branding. Itâs a popular buzzword in the college, internship, and job worlds, but what exactly is it?
Yes, branding can refer to âItâs so easy a caveman can do itââ thank you, GEICO. The branding to which I am referring is personal branding. This type of branding has many different definitions, but simply put, it is the personal identity you wish to convey to schools and employers. Your âbrandâ can involve many aspects of your lifeâfrom your appearance, your knowledge, and your resume, to your online presence with Facebook and LinkedIn. All of these elements are visible to potential schools or employers, and knowing how to create and manage your personal brand is important to future success.
So, how do you create a brand and manage it? In creating a brand, you first need to identify your goals. If you are trying to snag a specific job, …
In an Intern Search, Timing is Everything
The summer is a popular time for students to pursue internships. Just like any other job search, timing plays a key role in whether or not a student will land a sought after position. Here is my insight on the recruiting process and what students should know to help prepare them for a successful job search.
In an Ideal WorldâŠ
You are a student looking for a summer job, you read a job description, love the details of the position, meet all the requirements, and submit your application. Then, you wait for that phone call where an employer tells you that you are a perfect match and they want you to start ASAP!
In the Real WorldâŠ
The same scenario could play out many ways:
1. You find an ideal job, apply, get called for an interview, and hopefully land the position. This is …
Students: Are You Ready for Career Fairs?
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 wonât be mentioned (but please do research đ ). 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 companyâs about what interests you.
2. Dress to Impress.
This is easier said than done from my experience. For …
ResearchâŠOr lack thereof
Entry by Nicole Goble, Director of Recruiting and Development in the financial services industry in Zionsville, IN
The biggest mistake students make when applying and interviewing for an internship and/or a full-time position is the effort spent researching the company and the career. We are very lucky to live in a time that allows us to access almost any piece of information we wish at the click of a button â this also leaves little room for employers to empathize with candidates who lack the preparation.Â
There are many ways students search for internships, including and certainly not limited to, career fairs, campus career centers, club and class company presentations, Indiana INTERNnet, and many others. The mistake lies when the proper research is not done prior to applying for these positions and then when getting the first interview, going into that first meeting.Â
To make the best …
Students: Internship Experience May Increase Your Salary
Entry by Pat Patterson
As you may already know, there are many benefits of interning, including:
Enhancing your educational experience, testing out a new organization or industry, exposing yourself to multiple departments within an organization, discovering your talents and aspects of a job you find appealing, gaining real-world job experience, learning new skills, building your resumĂ©, making new connections, and setting yourself up for full-time employment.Â
In addition, according to NACEâs 2010 Student Survey, students from the Class of 2010 who had internship experience received higher average starting salaries than students who had no internship experience:Â
In terms of starting salary offers, there is a definite financial advantage for students who have internship experience, according to results of NACEâs 2010 Student Survey. Overall, students in the Class of 2010 who had internships received an average salary offer of $41,580. Meanwhile, their classmates who didnât take internships received an average starting …
Students: Pay Attention to the Details
Entry by Pat Patterson
Just because you may not have landed the internship of your dreams in the past does not mean itâs not possible. Writing a great resume and cover letter and âlooking the partâ at a networking event or career fair are not the only determinants of whether or not you will get a call back. It is important to also pay attention to the details that may set you apart from other candidates.
Spell check your resume and cover letter over and over again. And then after you are done spell checking, have one of your peers spell check for you. A typo can say a lot of negative things about you â such as, you may not be able to spell, you donât care enough to check for spelling errors, you are not organized or detail-oriented, etc.Â
Invest in professional resume paper. Although business stationary paper …
Highlighting Your Summer Internship on Your Resume
Entry by Pat Patterson
Now that your summer internship is complete or may come to an end soon, there is no better time than now to update your resume. It is a great idea to update your resume with your recent internship as soon as possible because your experience will still be fresh in your mind.Â
Remember to highlight your tasks, major projects, and also the results of your work. Whenever possible be specific and quantify your work. For example, instead of stating, âcoordinated company networking eventsâ, be more specific, such as, âcoordinated three separate networking events, one for each month, which led to a 10% increase in client leads.â Also, if you are still at your internship or keep in contact with your employer (which you should be doing), you can ask your supervisor to review the information you add on your resume to ensure it accurately reflects your …
An Internship: What Itâs Really Worth
Entry by Colleen Borgmeier and Andrew Stoelting, Summer Coordinator Interns, PACE Community Action Agency
For all of you skeptics out there who are wondering whether or not an internship is worth your time, we are here to tell you that it is most definitely worth your time, and money in some cases! Some universities, like Ball State, require that you have an internship for most majors. Other universities donât require it, but it is highly recommended. Anything that can add to your resume, especially an internship, shows that you have more specific job skills in your career area.Â
Andrew and I are working to organize a volunteer day, Race to PACE, where the community comes in and volunteers their time to help benefit Early Head Start and Head Start. We were given this opportunity to coordinate this event about two weeks into our internship. With no prior …