The Daily Illini: Career Guide 2017

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Fall 2017 career fair schedule September Engineering Career Fair Sept. 12 and 13 Noon — 6 p.m.

Activities and Recreation Center

Business Career Fair Sept. 19 and 20 2 — 7 p.m.

Activities and Recreation Center

Engineering Employment EXPO Sept. 25 and 26 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

Activities and Recreation Center

Civil and Environmental Engineering Job Fair Sept. 27 and 28 9:30 a.m.— 3:30 p.m.

Crane Bay and Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory

October & November ACES and Sciences Career Fair Oct. 5 1:30 — 6 p.m.

Activities and Recreation Center

Graduate and Professional School Fair Oct. 18 Noon — 4 p.m.

Illini Union

Illini Career and Internship Fair Oct. 19 Noon — ­4 p.m.

Illini Union

LAS in C-U Internship Fair Nov. 6 3:30 — 6 p.m.

Illini Union, Rooms B and C

Important Workshops Career Drop-Ins Monday-Friday 11 a.m. — 5 p.m.

Career Center

Resume/Cover Letter/ LinkedIn Review Monday — Friday 2 — 4:30 p.m.

Career Center

Career Fair Prep Sept. 7, 4 — 5 p.m.

Sept. 11, 5 — 6 p.m.

Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, 4 — 5 p.m.

Career Center Conference Room 143

Thursday, September 7, 2017

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4

Always be restless in your job search ISRA RAHMAN Staff writer

As

summer ends, many ambitious college kids finish up their internships and add another hard-earned bullet to their resume.

Summer internships have their perks of course, like added experience, letters of recommendation or course credit.

They also allow students to develop themselves professionally without sacrificing academics. Nevertheless, obtaining an internship can be difficult, and the application process immensely taxing on self-esteem. Students usually have to apply to dozens of jobs just to get an interview, unless they have connections.

This past summer, I took part in an internship at DNAinfo Chicago, a neighborhood news organization, and despite my previous connection with some of the editors, it still took countless emails to even get a response back.

Every organization has a different timeline for internship applications; some are more informal and some have hard-set deadlines. You’re best off being persistent and establishing your interest early on in the work that a company does.

Not getting discouraged by constant rejection is hard, but understanding the sheer amount of students applying for the same position helps put your situation in perspective. There are dozens of students with almost identical applications applying for the same position.

As cliché as it sounds, diversifying yourself is the name of the game. Whether it be through an interesting family anecdote

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

A couple students pause amidst the hustle and bustle to look over their documents at the ACES Career Fair at the ARC on Thursday, October 6, 2016. that led you to the field you’re pursuing or an interesting organization you’re a part of, it is essential to show there is more to you than just academics.

Getting the internship is only half the work. Once I started working, I quickly realized how difficult being an intern can be. Most, if not all, internships are unpaid or low-paid. The work can range from getting coffee for the employees to actual-

ly getting in the field, depending on the organization.

Preparing yourself for being part of the bottom of a chain of 50 or more people can be intimidating, but it is essential to understand that you’re there to gain the most and that you’re not there to necessarily give the most.

Most employers understand that underclassmen interns don’t have much to offer

Corporate Sponsors:

List of participating employers in Handshake @ Illinois

Thursday, October 5, 2017, 1:30pm - 6:00pm Activities and Recreation Center (ARC)

Professional attire is expected

but that they can make up for that in the hours and the passion they devote to work.

The key, then, is to use your lack of experience as an asset and be open to different opportunities offered. Try to stand out to your future employers and make yourself seem like the best applicant for the job.

Isra is a sophomore in LAS. irahman@dailyillini.com

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Thursday, September 7, 2017

5

Take advantage of social media when searching for jobs BROOKE EBERLE Special Sections Editor

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hen preparing for career fair season, you will have an endless number of things to worry about. You need to make sure you have your suit ready, resumes printed out and your elevator pitch rehearsed, all while balancing school and your social life.

Through this stressful and confusing time, a lot of people not only forget to check their social media but also to take advantage of it.

Professors have probably told you by now to try to keep negative images off of your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You should be on the lookout for anything that might seem embarrassing or unprofessional, because future employers might see it while doing a background check on you.

However, a lot of people forget about using LinkedIn to its full capacity. Setting up an account is only scratching the surface of what you can do with it. Make sure to list all of your skills, job experience and volunteer work on your profile.

Also, try to establish connections on LinkedIn throughout the year. If you see that you are friends with someone on Facebook but not on LinkedIn, feel free to send them a connection request.

Employers like to see that applicants have a decent amount of connections. It makes them seem like they know how to network and how to establish themselves

CINDY OM THE DAILY ILLINI

professionally.

Check your profile picture to make sure that it seems neat and clean. The Career Center will be offering professional headshots for accounts like LinkedIn. Take advantage of getting one while you can, because the Career Center does not offer them throughout the school

year.

Look for ways to let your social network see your professional side. As a journalism major, I’ve taken advantage of posting my articles on social media.

Whenever one is published online, I like to post a link with a brief description of what the story is about.

Even if you’re not in the College of Media, there are ways to take advantage of all of the hard work you’re doing in school.

If you’re part of a professional fraternity or a club that has to do with your major, write something on social media about it or post a picture of it. If one of these groups has an event, make sure to share it and reply that you are going.

Your social media represents the persona you are putting out into the world, which can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you present yourself.

Even outside of career fair season, it is important to remember this because how you present yourself to the world, both in the real world and on the internet, can drastically impact employers’ opinions of you.

Brooke is a junior in Media. beberle2@dailyillini.com

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6

Q&A with Career Center’s Sparkle Sanders

BY BROOKE EBERLE SUPPLEMENTS EDITOR

Sparkle Sanders is the associate director of marketing and communications for the University’s Career Center. She has worked there for the past two years and specializes in letting students know about all of the tools the Career Center offers when looking for a job.

The Daily Illini: What is your favorite part of working at the Career Center?

Sparkle Sanders: I would have to say the students. I mean that sincerely because we’ve been here all summer, and it’s been kind of quiet. During school, students want to be prepared for career fairs and classes and just want to take that next step. So I really enjoy meeting with the students and learning about their goals and figuring out how I can help them achieve those goals.

DI: What should students do to prepare before going to a career fair?

SS: The first that I would tell them to do is make sure that they have their resume and their LinkedIn profiles updated. They need to make sure that is up to date, make sure that it is reflecting the areas that they have gotten; also I would make sure that they have their elevator pitch ready. An elevator pitch is a one- to two-minute pitch about yourself for that question employers ask you: ‘Tell me about yourself.’

DI: What kind of services does the Career Center have to help out with that?

SS: We offer a wide array of services. Most commonly what we are known for is our resume reviews. So we do resume reviews, we do cover letter reviews and more recently we do LinkedIn profile reviews. LinkedIn is now just as popular as a resume. It’s pretty much your online resume. So we do

COURTESY OF SPARKLE SANDERS

those reviews, we have hours where you can drop into our office, no appointment required, and we can have somebody review those three things. In addition to that, you can schedule an appointment with a career

counselor or coach and we will talk to you about a wide variety of things.

DI: Recently the University just changed from I-Link to Handshake. Can you explain

what is different about it?

SS: Yes, Handshake has now replaced I-Link. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with I-Link, but I-Link was a recruiting plat-

THE DAILY ILLINI

form here at Illinois, so it was the way that employers basically sought out and recruited Illinois students. We switched platforms and now we’re on Handshake and we decided to do that because Handshake is really better for our students.

Handshake is basically like a LinkedIn. It has that feel, that customizable feature.

It’s very personalized. Students are able to fill out a profile that talks about their interests and their major, and so they get specialized jobs and updates through their homepage and you weren’t able to do that in I-Link.

DI: Do a lot of students know that this is a tool that they can use?

SS: The Career Center is the main career services center on campus because we service students across the board, but each college also has career services representative within their college. So the Career Center has been working with all of the career services offices to make sure that students know about Handshake. We are doing a promotion. There’s some cool things to be coming on campus still. I don’t want to reveal too much, but we are working together to get the word out.

DI: Does the Career Center have any workshops coming up to help students through career fair season?

SS: Yes, we do. Students can absolutely go to our website that gives you the full list of events. We have workshops about creating a powerful resume and cover letter.

We have workshops about navigating the job search. We have whole new workshop about developing your own brand and how you’re able to sell that to employers. We have a career fair prep workshop and it’s about getting students prepared for the career fair. We actually are going to have three to four workshops this fall about how to utilize Handshake and how to make the most of it for the upcoming career fairs.

7 that speaks very well of our students.

They want to be prepared. We have very ambitious students. We have very wellprepared students and we want students that are going to make a great impression on our employers.

DI: What would you say is the most underutilized tool at the Career Center?

SS: The first one I would say is graduate school. A lot of students don’t realize that we help with graduate school. I feel like it’s just starting to get out there, but they don’t realize there’s a (center on) campus that can help you apply and get ready and take you step by step. I also think our mock interview program is one that is underutilized, to be honest. You schedule it online and it is an hour long. The first 30 minutes is you in an interview and then we give you 30 minutes of feedback.

DI: If you could give any advice to a student that has never been to a career fair, what would it be?

SS: I would say get prepared and do not go in there cold turkey. Obviously I’m from the Career Center so I would say see a career coach. Other than that, do some research. Employers really like to know that you’re interested and that you’re not just going down the line of tables or booths. They want to hire students that want to be there.

DI: Are underclassmen too young to go to the career fair?

DI: Does the Career Center get a lot busier during career fair season?

SS: No, you’re never too early. I think one of the myths that I am working to debunk is, ‘Oh I have to wait until junior or senior year.’ Actually, the earlier you start, the better. Why? Because you get more comfortable with it. Imagine being a senior and it is August and you are hoping to find a job in May and you’ve never been to a career fair. How intimidating would that be? How scary? That’s why I tell my students, ‘Start early. When you start getting out there, you get comfortable.’

SS: We definitely see an uptick, but I think

beberle2@dailyillini.com

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Take a class on how to find a job BROOKE EBERLE Supplements editor

A

common criticism of the education system is it does not teach “life skills.”

Many students leave college saying they wanted to learn how to get a job, how to balance a check book or how to pay off student loans.

Now, students actually can learn these skills, and get credit for it.

Last year I took a class called EPSY 220: Career Theory and Practice.

It was centered around how to get a job and how to act in the workplace once you get the job.

The class was a lecture-discussion that met twice a week in Wohlers Hall.

There were less than 30 people in it and a lot of participation was required.

Some days we would practice elevator pitches or giving answers to common interview questions; other days we traded resumes to fix mistakes according to what we had learned about proper resumes.

We even took a test where we had to find and fix 10 errors on a resume.

The course allowed me the chance to talk to people from different majors and figure out what I liked and didn’t like about different areas of interest.

The class is also great for someone who might be undecided and doesn’t know which career path they’d like to pursue yet.

During the semester, we took a test that told us our interests, skills and values in jobs that are realistic, investiga-

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tive, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional.

One of our projects that I really liked was when we split into groups and covered a different type of discrimination in the workplace.

My group made a project about those with disabilities.

This taught me about the possible discrimination people with disabilities face when they start a new job.

By the end of the course, I felt more assured about getting a job once I graduate and more confident in how to conduct myself in the workplace.

If you are looking for a class that is easy and worth your time, consider EPSY 220.

If you can’t squeeze a semester-long class into your schedule, then there are plenty of resources available at the Career Center.

They offer similar services and ways to get ready for career fairs.

If you need help going over your resume, practicing interviews or just someone to talk to about the stress of finding a job, you can easily find all of that at the Career Center.

It’s important to review these skills before going to the career fair because you want to present the best version of yourself to employers.

A lot of people make this mistake and go into an interview not having reviewed any materials.

Even if you are a freshman, you need to get into the habit of doing these things correctly if you ever want to impress future employers.

Brooke is a junior in Media. beberle2@dailyillini.com

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THE CAREER CENTER What’s next for you?

The Career Center can help you plan your next move. We help you with: • Career and major exploration • Internship and job preparation • Health profession advising • Graduate and professional school assistance To learn more, visit careercenter.illinois.edu

the

careercenter AT ILLINOIS

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Thursday, September 7, 2017

9

Students can choose from a variety of campus job options ISABELLA JACKSON Brand manager

At

a large university like ours, students have many options for parttime jobs. These jobs can help students build resumes, network and earn a little extra cash.

Part-time jobs can range from on-campus work through the University to offcampus positions with local businesses and employers. To look for a campus or community job, students should visit the University’s Virtual Job Board.

On campus, students can work for various departments and facilities. Some of the most common jobs include check-in jobs at residence halls, dining halls and recreation centers. Responsibilities include swiping i-cards, logging delivered packages and answering any questions students may have.

Although the jobs may be a little tedious, they do offer hours outside of normal business hours, which is helpful for students with a busy course load during the day.

Students can also find jobs on campus in the libraries or other academic depart-

ments. These can be excellent positions for those interested in information sciences or those pursuing a graduate degree in their field, as they are able to work closely with faculty members in those departments.

Some students even find paid research positions, working with a professor or research team on campus.

Additionally, there are positions available in the administrative offices at the University. I worked as a tour guide in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions — a job that has been an incredible learning experience and a lot of fun — but other students work as bloggers, social media writers or various other positions in communications and public relations.

Campus jobs can be a great fit for students for many reasons.

First, the offices are used to hiring undergraduate students. That means they are generally flexible and work around the needs of a student, and are often hiring at the beginning of each semester.

Secondly, the jobs are located on campus and are easy to get to during the day. Personally, I have enjoyed my ability to work a shift in between classes without having to find a way to get off campus.

When it comes to putting the job on your resume, the University is a very reputable employer, and there are positions avail-

able that may directly relate to students’ career paths. For example, those interested in working as athletic trainers or in sports marketing can apply for positions with the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. This can help with networking and job experience after graduation.

However, there are benefits to community jobs, too. These jobs can range from working as wait staff at a local restaurant to nannying or being a personal care assistant for a member of the community.

If a student has previously worked at a chain restaurant or store, it is likely they will find a job at the Champaign-Urbana branch. On Neil Street, students may find employment at places like Old Navy, Olive Garden or Gap, especially if they have held part-time jobs with those chains at home.

For those interested in health services or childcare, there are positions available to care for children or people with disabilities.

This can provide valuable work experience in fields not available through campus jobs.

As with all employment, students must find a way to balance schoolwork and work shifts. While this can be a difficult task, it is bound to be very rewarding in the long run.

Isabella is a senior in LAS. ijackso2@dailyillini.com

NIKITHA GAJULA THE DAILY ILLINI

A student waiting to order in the new Cracked restaurant on April 3. Cracked on Green Street is one of the many places of employment open to students on campus.

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Success!

Looking for some great sales experience to help beef up your resume?

Illini Media is currently looking for a few energetic, resourceful, friendly and motivated sales/advertising folks to complete our sales team. Yes there is some cold calling, but there are also existing client lists and trained sales reps to learn from. Our sales reps get great hands-on experience so they’re ready to step into a job in media, sales, advertising and/or marketing when they graduate and leave us.

Sales Reps at Illini Media have an opportunity to make commission and bonuses based on meeting and exceeding sales goals.

They’ll also gain real world experience selling print and digital media as well as radio and other non-traditional avenues.

Come join our team today!

Please email Melissa Pasco to apply. mgpasco@illinimedia.com

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Open season: How to hunt for internships COURTNEY BOYER Opinions editor

T

rying to find an internship, go to school, keep up with homework and maintain some aspect of a social life can seem near impossible sometimes.

Students are told internships are important, but it’s hard to know where to start looking.

It can seem like a lot of people on social media secure internships out of thin air.

Sometimes it’ll feel like you weren’t aware of these opportunities, and didn’t even know where to find them. Luckily, University students are given great resources so they can secure the right internship.

Handshake is the newest resource University students have. If you are a student and you have not yet set up your Handshake account, do it immediately. It’s similar to LinkedIn — you post your experiences, skills, clubs and more. It matches you with jobs that fit your interests and talents. The more detailed your Handshake profile the better, because then internships you are actually interested in will start to appear on your homepage.

You can also apply to jobs and internships right from Handshake by uploading your resume or cover letter, or save jobs for later. Employers from all over post their jobs on Handshake, and there are a lot of options. Handshake will even tell you if you match up to what the employer is looking for, in terms of interests, grade level and past experiences.

Research Park is another great

resource University students have. It is home to a wide array of companies looking for students from the University to work or intern for them.

Research Park has a job board on their website that is constantly updated with jobs and internships in the parks for startup companies, or for established companies such as Granular, AbbVie and more.

Take a look at this job board every now and then; intern positions range from liberal arts positions and graphic design to engineering and software development.

Word of mouth and networking are key when trying to land a great internship.

Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities right in your own backyard. Ask your friends, your parent’s friends and trusted co-workers and professors for internship opportunities they might know about that might be a good fit for you.

You never know if you don’t put yourself out there. Go to career fairs and network with the different companies that come to find student talent. Keep a list of contacts for places you see as potential employers.

Some of the best internships people acquire come from them asking someone about open opportunities. It can be scary, but networking and putting yourself out there actually benefits you more in the end than you might think. People are usually helpful and want to help nice and respectful students who are looking for internships.

So work hard and ask questions. Happy internship hunting!

Courtney is a senior in Media. ceboyer@dailyillini.com

dailyillini.com

AUSTIN YATTONI THE DAILY ILLINI

A building at Research Park. Research Park offers various job and internship opportunities.

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Thursday, September 7, 2017

11

8 tips to help you write an excellent resume MERAL AYCICEK Assistant Special Sections Editor

Y

ou did your research and found a list of jobs, internships or fellowships you want to apply to. Your next step is writing that resume. Understandably, this is a daunting task. You have only one page to reflect all of your hard work. However, resume writing does not need to be a stressful process. Use these eight helpful tips to polish off your resume this fall.

Approach it like a project with a deadline

You would not, at least, you should not, leave your important and time-consuming project for the last day and expect to do your best. Resumes take time and thorough editing, so time management is key.

That’s why even if you’re not applying for jobs in the near future, you should still create a basic resume on hand if an opportunity presents itself.

Be aware of the resources around you

The University has a Career Center where you can go to get your resume edited by professionals and receive immediate feedback. The Career Center takes appointments or walk-ins, so if you find you are near there with an hour to spare, feel free to stop in to have your resume quickly looked at.

Make a list of your accomplishments

Before you begin writing, you should compile everything — education, work history, skills, awards and other accomplishments — into a big list. Highlight the ones that are most important and reflect your skills and personality the best.

Make sure that these are included in your resume.

Make sure everything has a purpose

Every word, punctuation, space and date should be there for a reason. Your future employer will spend only a few minutes, if that, looking at your resume. Go through it meticulously and ask yourself what each word says about you to a potential employer.

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Don’t underestimate the value of community service

Volunteering is proof that you are selfmotivated and want to make the world a better place, and employers like that. Service is another great way to showcase leadership skills as well, so if you find yourself talking to an employer about your resume, make sure to mention all of the hard work you’ve done for others.

Put at least one thing that makes you unique on your resume

A unique hobby or life experience is a great conversation starter and helps your employer remember you among a whole stack of other potentials. Just be wary of putting anything divisive, like a political party, unless it has to do with your work experience.

Customize for different positions

If you’re applying for an internship in the Department of State, would you want your future employer to know that you speak seven languages? Definitely. Be smart and think about what skills the position you’re applying for requires and desires, and tailor your resume accordingly.

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

The Career Center on Wright Street is a resource for students at the University. They offer services such as career advising, mock interviews and career fairs.

Proofread, proofread, proofread

This goes without saying, but your resume is possibly the last place you want to make a typo. Have someone who knows what they’re doing read over your resume or go to the Career Center. After all, you don’t want all of that hard to work to go to waste over a small mistake. aycicek2@dailyillini.com

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