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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

THE DAILY ILLINI

Career Guide September 6, 2016

Career fairs provide more than job info

Upcoming career fairs and workshops

Be prepared for Skype and phone interviews

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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Career fairs provide useful information, opportunities for motivated students BY BROOKS BERISH ASSISTANT SUPPLEMENTS EDITOR

Some of the best opportunities for students at the University of Illinois are the career fairs. Because of the University’s excellent reputation and its large presence, both in the Midwest and around the country, there are many companies vying for students from the University to come work for them. This means that for students looking for internships or jobs after graduation, the demand is typically pretty high, and there are many employment opportunities. However, sometimes the supply of students can exceed the number of positions available. Employers want the best hire that they can get. Not every student can be the top of his or her field, but the career fairs give everyone an equal grounding on which to prove their worth. I, once an ambitious freshman with delusions of grandeur, wish that I had received some insight into these career fairs so that I would have had a more successful experience when I actually attended one of them.

For example, it’s always nice to know what the dress code is before going to an event. I thought it was business casual, but as I walked out the door of my dorm, I quickly found myself walking back up to my room to change after seeing a group of people, all wearing suits, heading over to the fair. Everyone going to a career fair, whether it is for Engineering or Business, should wear a suit or other professional clothing. If you are one of the very few people not wearing a suit, it reflects poorly on you. In addition, all attendees should come prepared with copies of their resumes and a folder or bag of some sort. Students should definitely go to a resume review session in order to work out the kinks in their resume and to accentuate their strengths. There is an entire art to resume writing, and there are so many different resources on campus to help. The Career Center, the library and even some of the individual colleges have resources available to students that help them improve their resume. After the resume is ready

to go, students should bring multiple copies of it to the fair to distribute among the employers that interest them. However, before handing over your resume and walking away, first make sure to network and to introduce yourself. A great way to set yourself apart from the other applicants is to get to know the employers better by simply going up to them and talking to them. Employers love to talk about their company and it makes you seem enthusiastic when you ask questions about what they do. Talking with representatives from the companies is also a great way to practice networking and mingling in a professional setting. In the future, these skills will benefit you in the workplace and as you interview for jobs. If there are certain companies that will be at the career fair that you know interest you more than others, research them before attending the fair. Demonstrating your knowledge of the company with insightful questions and comments will defi nitely set you apart from most of the crowd. Having the right mind-

HANNAH AUTEN THE DAILY ILLINI

Wisa Terhune and Keven Zarate help each other search for new additions to their wardrobes at the Career Center on Jan. 28.

set for the career fairs also plays a part in the ultimate success of your venture. Many of the career fairs are packed with people and are pretty loud because everyone is trying to talk over each other, so the atmosphere is kind of exciting. Students should approach this experience excited to learn and to meet new people, instead of thinking of it as work or something too serious to enjoy. The key is to present your best self and to try to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Students at a large university like this one are provided with numerous resources, allowing them to get involved with clubs, take classes with professors at the top of their field and be well-prepared for future careers. By attending career fairs to mingle with professionals in your field and learn more about employment opportunities for the future, you are putting all the work you have done on campus to good use and helping yourself fi nd a job or internship.

Brooks is a sophomore in Business. berish2@dailyillini.com

ELLIE HAHN THE DAILY ILLINI

RYAN FANG THE DAILY ILLINI

Bradley Woodruff, information management specialist at the Career Center, prepares to check in students on Jan. 27.

THE CAREER CENTER What’s next for you?

The Career Center can help you plan your next move. We can help you with: • Career and major exploration • Internship and job preparation • Health profession advising • Graduate and professional school assistance Check out our new website and learn more about our services. Visit careercenter.illinois.edu. the

careercenter AT ILLINOIS

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Interning in an unfamiliar city provides more challenges, beneficial experiences LILLIAN BARKLEY

Features editor

hen I applied for a summer internship in New York, I didn’t really think about the implications of picking up and moving to the city until I only had two weeks to find housing. I was confident about living in the city itself — I had been studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland for the past semester and traveling around bustling cities every weekend. In my mind, public transit wasn’t going to be an issue because everything was in English. However, housing in New York proved to be a much bigger problem. Like almost everyone who interns in the

city from far away, I was planning on staying in the New York University or Columbia University dorms. Almost every university in a metropolitan area will rent out its empty dorms to interns; it’s a win-win situation. Unfortunately, by the time my internship was confirmed, which was a requirement for getting housing approved, I found out that every dorm I could afford was full. At this point, I was getting ready to fly back from Europe, and I was just over a week away from moving to New York. I was a little panicked and asked a friend in New York if he knew anyone looking for a summer roommate. Instead, he added me to a few Facebook groups for people looking for city housing on a budget. Being on a budget in

New York means that finding a place for $900 a month is considered "a good find." If you are lucky and are receiving a salary or stipend for your internship — I wasn’t — most of it will probably go to rent. If you’re looking for housing in a new city, it’s good to set parameters before you start searching. My requirements were that my commute needed to be less than half an hour, rent had to be less than $1,000 with utilities, which was about twice as much as my Urbana rent, and my roommates had to be tolerable. I tried to not be too picky because I would only be living there for a few months. I finally found a decently-priced apartment with three roommates and a 15-minute commute. It was in Harlem and didn’t

LILLIAN BARKLEY THE DAILY ILLINI

Barkley celebrates the last day of her internship in the Seventeen magazine office.

LILLIAN BARKLEY THE DAILY ILLINI

Lillian Barkley, junior in Media and Life and Culture editor at The Daily Illini spent the summer in New York City as an intern at Seventeen magazine have air-conditioning. Once I lugged my suitcases from Newark across the subway platform and up the five floors to my room, getting around in the city was fine. Google Transit was my savior, and I learned the subway routes pretty quickly. Some of my friends from the University of Illinois and others from Switzerland were also in New York for the summer, which made it much easier to settle in. We shared upcoming events with each other, checked out new restaurants and tried to explore the city as much as we could. If I hadn’t already had connections in the city, there would still have

been plenty of opportunities to meet people. It was amazing how many Illini were interning in the city who I didn’t know until we met at parties. Almost every big city has intern groups that hold regular socials. If you’re really looking for people, friendfinding apps — especially Bumble BFF — work surprisingly well. As for getting used to the city, I had some cultural whiplash. I was only home for a week before flying to New York, and having strangers speak to me took some getting used to, especially because I tended to respond in French. I never felt overwhelmed by the size, mostly because I didn’t

regularly go to the hectic and noisy parts of Manhattan. It really is quiet uptown, and I tried to avoid Times Square like the plague. The best way to adjust to living in a new place is to explore. Even on days when I was tired or felt like it was too hot to move, I thought about how limited my time was and how much I wanted to do. Finding a new favorite café, thrift store or bench in Central Park helped my temporary city feel a little bit more like home, even if it was just for a few months.

Lillian is a junior in Media. lbarkle2@dailyillini.com

What is your dream career?

“Since I am majoring in crop science, I want to get into some sort of marketing or sales position with AC Crop Company. My dad was a farmer, I think that somehow runs in to your blood to some degree; also (crop science) is just something I am very passionate about and I want to continue to advance agricultural companies.”

“I either want to become a psychiatrist or a social worker. I was taking AP Psychology in my senior year in high school, and that led me to declare a psychology major at U of I, and after looking into some specific aspects of psychology, I decided that I either want to become a psychiatrist or a social worker.”

- Kristine Stewart, freshman in ACES

- Ivan Suggs, freshman in LAS

“I’m in Engineering right now, so I guess working at NASA or something. They’re the main people behind all the stuff going on in Aerospace.”

“Work with wildlife. I was able to work in the wildlife vet school here, and I fell in love with wildlife through my experience as an undergrad. Now I want to work with wildlife to do research after I finish graduate school in the future.”

“I’m on track to be a professor right now. I’m in grad school. I don’t know if I’d say that’s my dream career, but I don’t know what else I’ve got in those terms.”

- Joel Khristy, junior in Engineering

- Ashley Hendrix, graduate student in Animal Science

- Emily Comer, graduate student in Education

“To work in pharmaceutical industry as an engineer or a scientist. I had no idea what I was going to do with my major for the first two years of my school, then this summer I had an internship with a pharmaceutical company. I really liked the experience and the projects they have there; therefore I want to work for pharmaceutical industry.”

“I plan to go into the field of software development and management in teams. I came to this decision after I went to a job shadow in last January at Trunk Club. I was able to see various jobs going on in the company. One of the workers was debugging code to fix some bugs on the website, and I was really captured by it, so I decide to go into software development and management.”

- Kaylin Moy, senior in Engineering

- Andrew Guifarro, sophomore in Engineering

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Keeping an open mind can lead to career opportunities CLAIRE HETTINGER

News Editor

ith bright eyes, bushy hair and reading glasses I only slightly needed, I arrived at college ready to be an English major. I started off my freshman year sitting in the Main Library Reading Room with a stack of books that only cost a penny on Amazon.com and a vanilla latte from Espresso Royale. For the non-English majors reading this, when books are so old that no one wants to buy them anymore, they’re pretty cheap. But through a series of fortunate events, I ended up working at The Daily Illini. The newspaper is completely open and welcome to all majors, but as an English major I didn’t know if it was completely for me. But it turned out to be. After getting outside of my comfort zone and joining a new club, I ended up fi nding a new major that suited me better than my old one ever did. That’s the moral of this story. Sometimes joining a random club just for fun can impact your college career and even the jobs you pursue after college. There are a few ways to get out of your comfort zone, and career day is a great time to start. Espe-

cially if you’re an underclassmen, look for jobs that seem fun as well as practical. Now is the time to experiment. You can always try to fi nd a job that makes you happy and looks good on your resume. As you try to fi nd what’s right for you, remember to be open to new ideas and possibilities.

Don’t be afraid to work at a job outside your major

My fi rst job at The Daily Illini was as a news reporter. When I started working on my fi rst story, I could hardly believe it. I was interviewing strangers and writing articles, and it wasn’t something I ever thought I would do. But as I continued on in my job, I realized that I really enjoyed it. Becoming a reporter, and later a copy editor and now the news editor, was not necessarily moving outside of the realm of the English language. But for me, it was different enough to make me take a step back and consider what I really wanted for my career.

Don’t be afraid to change your major

One obstacle I overcame was feeling like I could not change my major. Being an English major brought me so much joy. I love to read and I love to write, so I felt like I couldn’t leave. I waited until the end of my soph-

omore year to change my major. But it turned out that I didn’t have to give up the parts of my old major that I liked in order to become a journalism major. I was able to take my favorite parts of being an English major and use those skills to become an even better journalism major. Just remember, your fi rst major on campus doesn’t have to be the one that ends up on your diploma.

Don’t be afraid to have some fun

I started working at The Daily Illini mainly because I thought it would be fun. I told myself as soon as it became overwhelming and stopped being fun I would quit. But I didn’t ever stop, and I’m still having fun. For me, getting outside of my comfort zone and trying something new was one of the best decisions I could make. I found a major that challenges me and encourages me to do new things. And following a whim and working for the newspaper opened up a career path that excites me and encourages me to succeed. The possibilities on the campus are endless. With 1,400 Registered Student Organizations on campus, you can try something new almost anytime you want.

Claire is a Senior in Media. hettngr2@dailyillini.com

RYAN FANG THE DAILY IILLINI

TOP: Students check in at the Career Center on Jan. 27. BOTTOM: Shamari Drakep, Universy alumna, talks to students at the Career Center.

Upcoming career fairs and Career Center workshops Career Fairs:

Engineering Career Services Fall Career Fair September 7 and 8 Activities and Recreation Center

Business Career Fair

September 14 and 15 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Activities and Recreation Center

Employment EXPO

September 19 and 20 Activities and Recreation Center

Civil Engineering Fair

September 22 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Newmark Lab Crane Bay

Graduate and Professional School Fair

October 19 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Illini Union ABC

Career Center Workshops:

The Career Center offers activities and workshops to help students prepare their resumes, cover letters, interview skills and more. A full list of these events can be found on the Career Center Upcoming Events Calendar.

Tuesday, Sept. 6

Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Reviews 2 to 4:30 p.m. Career Center 143 5:30p.m. to 7:30 p.m. SDRP 1010A

Career Fair: Maximizing Your Experience 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Career Center 143

Creating Your Powerful Resume 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Career Center 143

Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Reviews 2 to 4:30 p.m. Career Center 143

Creating Your Powerful Cover Letter 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Career Center 143

Fall 2016 Illini Career and Internship Fair October 26 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Activities and Recreation Center Gym 2

Health Related RSO Fair 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Career Center

Translating Your Study Abroad Experience 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Career Center 143

Wednesday, Sept. 7

Thursday, Sept. 8

Friday, Sept. 9

Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Reviews 2 to 4:30 p.m. Career Center 143 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Undergraduate Library

Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Reviews 2 to 4:30 p.m. Career Center 143 Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) Program Info Session 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Career Center 213

Passion is more important than prestige HANNAH AUTEN

Creative Director

hen I got the email saying I had been accepted into the College of Business, I was riding on a school bus heading to a high school speech meet. I began jumping up and down in my seat, squealing, beaming – I felt like I was on top of the world. I was beyond excited to begin my freshman year in such a well-respected college at the University of Illinois. Unfortunately, I had no idea how wrong the College of Business would be for me. My first day of class in Business 101 was a bit of a wake-up call. I could tell the deans, professors, and teaching assistants all meant business — no pun intended. The atmosphere in the upscale lecture hall was tangibly tense. It was only the first day, but I got the feeling that all the other students in the room were

competing with me. My suspicions were confirmed when we broke off into our discussion groups

they talked about their pursuits had to do with how they wanted to manage a hedge fund, be a certified

The TAs had given head nods and looks of approval to the other students after they had shared. After my

LILY KATZ THE DAILY ILLINI

Hannah Auten, sophomore and creative director at The Daily Illini, left the College of Business to pursue her passion in communication and political science. following the lecture. We began our discussion section with a variety of icebreakers to get more comfortable with each other. All the information my classmates shared when

public accountant or study supply chain management. When I stood up to share about myself, I spoke about wanting to work for a nonprofit or charity organization.

turn to speak, there was nothing but a slight head nod from one TA along with the awkward scraping of my chair against the floor as I sat down. I felt very self conscious

and totally out of place. I was dressed differently than most of the other students in the room. It was obvious that I had a different personality and priorities, too. I didn’t click with anyone I had met in class. I felt like a complete and total outsider. This type of situation continued to arise week after week. Every Friday, my 9 a.m. walk to Business 101 was filled with anxiety and dread. The college I had once been so excited for was now slowly becoming a nightmare I felt I couldn’t escape. The environment, equality and social justice are the issues that matter to me. Pursuing a degree that was teaching me to focus so intensely on my own successes and wealth was continuously dragging me down. So I did the unthinkable. I transferred out of the College of Business. My academic advisors, parents and friends had all spent countless hours trying to convince me to not leave Business. It was such a prestigious

college, so highly regarded by students and professors alike. I felt so grateful for even being accepted to the college, but it was a door that once closed, couldn’t be reopened. Throwing caution to the wind, I transferred to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I was now a communication major with a minor in political science. I was happy. I was at peace. With my new degree and college, I’m actually passionate about the content of my classes. My classmates are like-minded individuals with whom I can have fulfilling, enjoyable conversations. I feel genuinely excited about the degree I’m spending four years of my life working towards. One day, it will come time to realize whether you love or hate something. Make sure when you realize something isn’t for you, take action. You have one life, spend it doing something you love.

Hannah is a sophomore in LAS. hauten2@dailyillini.com

Looking for a

JOB OR INTERNSHIP?

ACES & SCIENCES CAREER FAIR October 6 | 1:30 - 6 pm | ARC Hosted by:

CHEMICAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF

SCHOOL OF

MCB

For more information visit http://go.illinois.edu/ACES_SciencesCF Corporate Sponsors:

Order your yearbook online at

illioyearbook.com or call 217-337-8314

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Skype

Be prepared for Skype and phone interviews Isabella Jackson

Job interviews are stressful, and adding the technological element of using a phone or Skype can be even more nervewracking. However, many jobs and internships, especially those that are in a different part of the country, will require a phone interview. Here are some tips to help you master the technology and ace your interview.

Check the connection A dropped call or blurry video will not show off your best professional assets and can leave employers with the impression that you were ill-prepared. Choose a location where you know your service is steady and the internet will be fast enough. The day before the interview, try calling a friend so he or she can give you feedback on the quality of the call, and you can change your location if the audio or visual is breaking up. During the call, realize audio complications can lead to your sentences sounding spotty or garbled. Make sure to speak clearly and do not rush your speech. When technological issues arise, keep calm while handling the situation. If you are able to fix the problem without panicking, it shows that you can handle emergencies while staying professional.

Dress to impress While employers may only see your top half in a Skype interview and will not see you at all over the phone, dressing professionally will put you in a mental position to be focused on the interview. While it might be tempting to wear pajamas for an interview that doesn’t require you to leave the house, you may subconsciously be less formal in your speech and body language. On a Skype call, have good posture and don’t move around excessively. Position yourself far enough away from the screen that your entire face and the top of your shoulders are visible, and don’t fidget with the computer or your phone.

Realize that humor can be taken the wrong way Body language is a large part of humor, and on a phone call it can be difficult to communicate sarcasm, irony or a dry joke. Because these comments could come off as having a bad attitude, err on the side of caution when it comes to humor.

Make sure the setting is appropriate The setting behind you will be visible to the interviewer. Make sure it looks clean, not cluttered, and that any inappropriate items are put away. The red solo cups left over from last weekend will not help you get the coveted internship. Reduce background noise that could break into the audio of your call, including barking dogs, music or notification sounds on the phone or computer. If you live with roommates and are taking the call at home, close the door and remind them that you are on a call and cannot be disturbed. If you have the equipment, use headphones or a headset. This will help you hear the other person and will focus the audio on your words, not background noise.

Look at the camera, not the screen On a Skype interview, looking at the interviewer’s eyes on the screen will make you appear to be avoiding eye contact to the other person. Instead, look directly at the camera and minimize other distractions. Personally, I have to remove the image of myself from the screen because I will become preoccupied with how I look or what my body language is saying and lose focus on the interview. Lastly, relax and focus on your regular interview skills. Once you adjust to the technology and setting, the interview is just another chance to show off your knowledge and experience.

Resources make campus, online internship search simple for students BY ISABELLA JACKSON SUPPLEMENTS EDITOR

For many students, the search for summer internships begins soon after the school year starts, but it's not always obvious where to find available positions. In a world where even entry-level jobs want candidates with previous experience, internships can be vital in landing that dream job. Luckily, there are many ways for students to explore internship options.

I-Link

I-Link is an online resource available for students and alumni of the University that allows them to search for jobs and internships, as well as serving as the campus-wide online job board when local businesses

and University departments are looking to hire students. I-Link also allows students to upload their resumes and add them to a database where vetted employers can look for students to hire. The student's resume, expected graduation date and contact information are visible so that interested employers can contact students. The site also allows students to search part-time, on-campus positions, jobs in Research Park — on the south side of campus — and full-time jobs and internships. Jobs can be fi ltered by industry and location too.

Idealist.org

Idealist is a site that posts positions at nonprofits throughout the country. Students looking to work in

education, community development, civic engagement, politics and many more categories can focus on topics they are passionate about while looking for jobs. There are also volunteer positions in the U.S. and abroad that are on the website. Signing up for a My Idealist account allows users to customize the daily emails they receive so they are notified when a new position that fits their interests opens up.

Internships.com

Internships.com is a site run by Chegg, which many students are familiar with because of the company's textbook rental service. As of Sept. 2, there were 172,335 internships listed on the site. Users can search specific

Read us online!

dailyillini.com • dailyillini.com • dailyillini.com

Bringing great people and great organizations together. Please join us for a networking happy hour! Come learn about some of Aerotek’s entry level perks, such as a competitive $50K base salary, uncapped commission structure and room for advancement. We’d like to meet with both graduating seniors and undergrads looking for internship opportunities. Tuesday, September 13th | 6:00pm to 8:30pm Firehaus on campus + our booth at the career fair on September 14th To learn more, please contact Amanda Wilhelmi at mwilhel@aerotek.com or 847-273-7988. Aerotek is an equal opportunity employer. An Allegis Group Company. ©2016

terms listed in the job title, for example, “marketing intern,” or they can search by their major in school. The Internship Predictor tool is a short quiz that will give the user a result based on his or her personality and strengths.

look for these sites or lists. Additionally, companies will sometimes have a link for internships on their website. The site may give information about the duties of an intern, a form for the application or the contact information of a hiring manager.

Industry-specific sites

Campus resources

Some websites will list internships and jobs specific to the industry or employer. Students looking for work as a news reporter or copy editor can search JournalismJobs.com. The Creative Ham’s job board lists advertising agencies looking for new hires and Choroflots. com lists industrial design positions. A student can do a Google search of the field he or she wants to go into with “jobs” or “internships” to

Academic advisors are there for more than just to help students choose classes. They may suggest companies where students have interned in the past or give out the contact information of the department’s career advisors. Many departments will send out emails listing scholarships, fellowships and internship opportunities. While they may be frequent and long, these emails

can contain valuable tidbits of information. The Career Center offers career advising walk-in hours for students who have questions about how their time at the University will fit into their future career plans. The staff is knowledgeable about a wide variety of internship opportunities. Attending the campus career fairs allows students to talk to hundreds of representatives from companies without leaving campus. By talking to employers and recent graduates working in the real world, students can get a better idea of what a typical day in the job is like and what specific companies can offer.

ijackso2@dailyillini.com

LAS in C-U