Spring Career Guide

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

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THE DIAMONDBACK | spring career guide | monday, february 25, 2013

University hosting multiple career fairs this week Career Center also holding ‘boutique’ fairs

By Mara Bernstein For The Diamondback It’s that time of the year again — tomorrow will commence Day One of the university’s annual Spring Career and Internship Fair, and with more than 290 employers expected throughout the three-day event, it’s time to polish up those resumes, decide which tables you want to hit and get ready to put your best foot forward.

The main fair will be held Tuesday through Thursday at Stamp Student Union from noon to 5 p.m. And for the green-minded students or aspiring teachers on the campus, the university’s Career Center is also sponsoring two smaller “boutique” fairs this year — the SEAGreen Fair and the Maryland Metropolitan Education Expo.

The SEAGreen Fair, which will be held Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., aims to highlight careers and internships in environmentalism, sustainability and agriculture. The event is expected to host 33 different employers. These include the Maryland Environmental Service, which is looking for an environmental specialist, and Greenavise, LLC, a financing and consulting firm for alternative energy projects that is looking to hire people from any major.

The Maryland Metropolitan Education Expo is a recruiting event that enables students looking to work in education to network with potential employers. The fair will be held Thursday from 9-10:30 a.m. and will host scheduled interviews from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

No matter which fair you

choose, it’s important to take the time to prepare. Career Center spokeswoman Michelle Lopez-Mullins advises students to visit the center’s website to plan out which organizations they want to visit and research them accordingly.

“Knowing about the organizations you’re interested in beforehand can help you stand out when talking with recruiters face-to-face,” Lopez-Mullins said. “A polished, targeted resume is the perfect supplement to a good first impression.”

Once you get to the fair, most of your conversations with potential employers will only last two or three minutes, but they will be considered formal interviews. Lopez-Mullins said students should prepare a minute-long “pitch” to show recruiters they know what they are talking about and explain why they would be the right fit for the internship or job the company offers.

You should also go in with a short list of questions about the different types of training for the positions, opportunities the company may have for your major or what skills and experiences are necessary. However, avoid questions about salary or benefits, Lopez-Mullins said.

Senior education major Liz Roseman, who plans to attend the expo, said she has been furiously preparing to impress potential employers.

“I’ve been constantly updating my resume, changing the format, the wording, etc., and deciding how business professional my look needs to be that day,” she said. “Even if I have no intention of ever working for one of these employers, the interview experience I’ll get just by attending and talking to these people is crucial.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

monday, february 25, 2013 | spring career guide | THE DIAMONDBACK

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Have a summer internship?

Follow this list to impress

By Marissa Laliberte For The Diamondback It’s that time of the year when students are scrambling to find summer internships and get their applications polished and sent in on time. But once summer rolls around and you walk in on your first day as a new intern, what then? You put so much thought and effort into snagging the perfect internship, but do you know what to do once you get there? Below is a do’s and don’ts guide to getting the most out of your internship experience.

DO: Ask for feedback.

Internships are the perfect place to learn what your strengths are and where you can improve. While some supervisors are proactive about providing feedback, others may require prompting.

“If you’re not getting feedback, ask for it,” said Kathryn Hopps, behavioral and social sciences intern-

ship coordinator. “Asking questions like, ‘How am I doing?’ and, ‘Is there anything I can do to improve my performance?’ is simple and cuts across all work places.”

DO: Ask questions.

Junior computer science major Cary Chou interned with the U.S. Department of Defense and successfully landed a job there. He said being inquisitive and unafraid to ask questions helped strengthen his relationship with his future employers.

“I would always email my supervisors if anything came up or if I had any questions or needed clarification,” Chou said. “It made me feel more at ease and I’ll bet it made them feel more comfortable as well, knowing that we were on the same page.”

DO: Show enthusiasm.

Having the right attitude is the key to leaving a good impression.

“Show up in every sense of the word,” said Briana Mulder, policy and intern manager for the Amer-

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“Show up every day and be engaged and willing to help.”

One way to demonstrate enthusiasm for work is by proactively offering assistance, especially during downtime, Hopps said.

“It’s better to point out you’re running out of work instead of getting on Facebook,” she said.“If your supervisor seems overworked, it’s common good manners to ask to help.”

DON’T: Act unprofessionally.

Interns should be forward about asking questions such as whether employers prefer a certain title or if first names are acceptable, Hopps said.

“I get concerned when an email from a student I’ve never met starts with ‘Hey, Kathryn,’” she said. “It’s always best to use a title if you’ve never met a person, and you should reserve ‘hey’ for your peers.” good interns will go the extra mile to impress their supervisors and will cultivate their professional SEE internship, PAGE 4 networks. Ask questions, get feedback and go in with the right attitude every day. file photo/the diamondback

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Striving for the best preparation Career Center makes slew of changes to better prepare students for post-grad life

By Alex McGuire For The Diamondback From revamping their Twitter posts to debuting a brand new Pinterest board for professional dress, the staff members at this university’s Career Center are looking to see how they can better reach students in the social media sphere.

With every spare minute of the week filled up by racing to classes and internships, many students just don’t have the time to visit the

center’s office in Hornbake Library during regular business hours, so starting this semester, the center has delegated to student employees the task of overseeing the program’s Facebook page, YouTube account and Twitter handles. This allows students to receive job hunting advice from their own peers conveniently on their computers or smartphones.

“It gives us a more personable feel,

SEE changes, PAGE 5

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THE DIAMONDBACK | spring career guide | monday, february 25, 2013

INTERNSHIP From PAGE 3

“We just say something and the behavior changes,” Mulder said.

“We recognize it’s a little different from what students are used to. It’s a learning process.”

DO: Stay in touch with your supervisors and the people you worked with.

Once an internship has come to a close, staying in touch can help with networking for the future. Mulder, whose company runs an alumni group on Facebook, emphasized the importance of connecting not only with staff at the company but other interns who may have been stationed there. After all, most of you will likely be trying to enter the workforce at about the same time.

Hopps added interns should also make sure they fully understand dress code expectations in the workplace.

“One student I know of interned with a company that had casual Fridays, but he didn’t ask what exactly that meant,” she said. “He showed up in khaki shorts and ended up being pulled aside and asked to change.”

DON’T: Be afraid to make mistakes.

While interns should always strive to put their best foot forward, employers likely will not hold newsumdbk@gmail.com grudges over honest mistakes.

monday, february 25, 2013 | spring career guide | THE DIAMONDBACK

changes From PAGE 3 but also gives students the ability to hear what students or peers are doing at the center and what their opinions of things are,” Career Center spokeswoman Michelle Lopez-Mullins said.

The newest additions to the center’s social media entourage are two “Dress for Success” Pinterest pinboards, which offer visual advice concerning professional and business casual clothes as well as which clothes not to wear on certain occasions. The page also has pinboards for career advice, upcoming events and inspirational quotes.

“The basic idea of our Pinter-

est is not to gain followers but to have people use it for specific reasons,” Lopez-Mullins said. “We just want them to take something away from it.”

In the past, there has not been enough time or manpower to focus on increasing the center’s social media presence, which 2012 alumnus Dustin Morsberger said he often found lacking as a student.

“You basically had to visit the Career Center to do what you wanted,” Morsberger said. “The Facebook page wasn’t up to date a lot of the time.”

However, that is something Lopez-Mullins said the staff is determined to change.

“In the real world, you don’t have time to walk 20 minutes to

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NEW FEATURES AT THE CAREER CENTER THE STAFF MEMBERS AT THE UNIVERSITY’S CAREER CENTER ARE CHANGING SOME OF THE WAYS THEY REACH OUT TO STUDENTS. THESE INCLUDE:

How to make the most of your resume

• NEW MALE AND FEMALE “DRESS FOR SUCCESS” PINTEREST PINBOARDS

Employers spend less than a minute reading

• REVAMPED UPDATES TO THE CENTER’S FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND YOUTUBE ACCOUNTS

By Catherine Sheffo For The Diamondback

• THE RETURN OF THE MOTIVATIONAL “CAREER” THE TURTLE PASSPORT GAME RAFFLE THAT DEBUTED LAST YEAR the Career Center to see us, but if we can offer some of our services online, then that way, we can serve more students,” Lopez-Mullins said. “We’re trying to change our way of thinking from how many seats we’re filling to how many students we’re serving.”

The center is also set to continue the popular motivational “CAREER” the Turtle Passport Game raffle that debuted last semester and is set to return in March. Game participants engage in different collaborative tasks with the center, such as resume building and mock interviews, and the students who participate in six or more services are entered into a random drawing of prizes, which range from a 25-day on-campus parking permit to an Xbox 360.

“We’re making them do a lot of different things before they earn the chance at a prize,” Lopez-Mullins said. “So we’re kind of almost bribing them to care until they realize what services we have here.”

Students already seem to be catching on to the changes.

“I’ve always liked Twitter the best, so I definitely look at job-related stuff on there over Facebook or Tumblr,” senior communication major Olivia Didion said. “I’m glad to see the Career Center reaching out instead of waiting for everyone to ask for their help.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

The clock starts ticking when the resume hits the desk — one, two, three. A door slams open and the interviewer looks up.

Four. Five. The phone rings and someone comes in with a memo. Six. In today’s fast-paced employment environment, interviewers spend an average of 30 seconds reading your resume, and when first impressions are this criti-

cal, every word counts. Moreover, most employers will not waste time going through a resume that does not seem to match what they are looking for, so it is crucial that you customize your resume to fit the specific position and company that receives it.

The “skills” section is one portion of the resume where some applicants tend to go overboard. Rather than fill up the page with a laundry list of random abilities, experts said

See resume, Page 6

Do’s and don’ts of interviewing

By Tyler Weyant For The Diamondback Whether you’re applying for your dream job or for an internship at your uncle’s paper mill, the interview tends to be the one thing that can cause night sweats and palpitations.

But once the fateful day arrives, it’s only going to be you, your cranium and those pesky interview intangibles that will make you stand out from your competitors. Here, from a person who once mentioned in an interview how much he sweats when he goes to Florida, are some tips to make that dreaded meeting less dreadful and even — gasp — fun.

DO: Dress up, for goodness’ sake.

My mama always says, in a phrase she may have co-opted

from Oprah, “Dress for the job you want to have.” So if you want that internship with the big accounting firm, wearing cargo shorts and your button-down from Cornerstone Grill and Loft last night probably won’t do the trick. No one ever died from wearing a pleasant skirt or suit, as far as I know. Plus, the compliments from your roommates on how good you look will only make you feel super fly.

DON’T: Curse.

Chances are the person interviewing you will not be your contemporary, and thus won’t understand all the slang the kids use these days. Regardless of the interviewer’s age, it’s best to leave those words Patrick Star once called “sentence enhancers” to the fans at Comcast Center during the Duke game.

DO: Relate to your interviewer. Yes, this can be tough if

See interview, Page 7

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resume

little-known details that can make a resume stand out over the comFrom PAGE 5 petition. Abdur-Ra’oof said the first thing he notices about a resume is its students need to highlight only the formatting, while Carlin Watkins, most pertinent skills at the top. a recruiter for life insurance and Finding out which skills are most financing company Northwestern important to your career field will Mutual, said she notices the name at the top first. take a bit of homework. “[Students] need to research the industry to see what skills are consistently sought,” said Becky Weir, a university Career Center assistant director. “If you don’t include relevant information, your judgment will be questioned.”

Every job and industry is different, but a few highly sought-after skills in today’s workforce include: — Fluency in a second language. For many industries, having bilingual or multilingual employees is vital for working with some clients or in especially ethnically diverse locations.

— The ability to effectively use social media, including Twitter and blogging outlets.

— Electronic communication skills. These are quickly becoming essential in a variety of fields, from business to public relations.

— Communication skills in general, whether through writing or public speaking.

— Proficiency with data processing programs such as Excel.

— Social and relational skills.

However, it is not enough just to write out a list of skills; you have to prove you can and have applied them. Several experts said applicants should focus more on showcasing experiences that demonstrate their abilities and positive personality traits.

For instance, a student can highlight a project that involved analyzing data using spreadsheets and other software or a team presentation for which the student took on a leadership role. “[Employers are] looking for individuals who have initiative, who are coachable, dependable and willing to work hard,” said Aziz Abdur-Ra’oof, student welfare and career development director.

Besides the skills section, employers say there are a few other

THE DIAMONDBACK | spring career guide | monday, february 25, 2013

“I get so many resumes. I’m sifting through them, and if yours stands out in any way, that’s the first thing I notice,” she said.

In the end, it is important for an applicant to remember that by the time an employer has read half of your resume, they have already formed their initial opinion of you

and your likelihood of getting the job. Therefore, it is important to make every element shine.

“Think of your resume as halfway down,” Weir said. “If you don’t have something to make them keep reading, they won’t.” newsumdbk@gmail.com

monday, february 25, 2013 | spring career guide | THE DIAMONDBACK

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An online market

interview

Resumes and interviews aren’t enough anymore — you should also try to create an online identity, experts say

By Josh Logue For The Diamondback Social media is everywhere. You have to work pretty hard to ignore it, and there are plenty of reasons to embrace it. For one, it can help you get a job.

More and more employers are turning to the Web when screening potential hires, so journalism professor and social media expert Ronald Yaros suggests three steps to marketing yourself on the virtual network.

1. Brand yourself Before you grab the social media reins and actively start your job hunt, you should try to create an online identity.

“The important thing is to

define yourself and differentiate yourself from the competition out there,” Yaros said.

How? If you’re a photographer, you can open an Instagram or Pinterest account. If you’re a writer or interested in a specific field, you can start a blog.

Blogs allow you to show that you are or can be an authority in your field and develop your own unique voice in the social media sphere.

“It takes a lot more dedication because it requires well-thoughtout, longer posts,” university Career Center spokeswoman Michelle Lopez-Mullins said. “It gives you another outlet to express yourself regarding just your professional life and what you know

about it and how you can give back to that company.”

2. Manage your Internet presence This is the one we’ve been hearing about for years — be thoughtful about the pictures or comments that you’re posting online for the whole world, or potential employers, to see.

“Not just the dangers,” Yaros said. “But anything that might be contradictory.”

Linking to a blog you haven’t updated in months, for instance, could turn a potential employer away.

If you want to do some housekeeping on your Facebook page See online, Page 8

From PAGE 5

getting hired. If you wouldn’t say it to your grandma, don’t say it during your interview. (Note: Some people, like me, have grandmothers who routinely skirt the boundaries of what is “appropriate.” In this case, don’t say things you would say in front of them. Just use your best judgment.)

DO: Show up a bit early.

Obviously you don’t want to be late, but showing up early, rather than just on time, shows you’re a go-getter and someone who can be relied upon to go the extra mile.

DON’T: Overthink it.

It’s stressful for anyone who has ever had an interview to sit and think about all the things that can go wrong. But you already go to a great university and are likely more prepared than you feel. Take a deep breath, be yourself, and, as a wise rapper once said, “Get jiggy wit it.” Actually, getting jiggy is also a don’t.

you don’t have much in common with the person across the table from you. But you’re going to make a much more impactful first impression if you’re having a casual conversation rather than a rigid question-and-answer session. Talk about current events, the weather or something less formal on your way to the office to lighten the mood. You want your interviewer to feel comfortable and impressed after you leave, not like they just pulled teeth to find out a little bit about you.

DON’T: Get too comfortable.

Of course you should be relatable and pleasant — but there is a limit.

While there may not be much statistical data to the contrary, it’s safe to assume talking about drinking, flirting, gallivanting or any other topic that seems out of bounds will probably hinder your chances of newsumdbk@gmail.com

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THE DIAMONDBACK | spring career guide | monday, february 25, 2013

online From PAGE 7 to be on the safe side, there are a few online services out there that can help. Reppler.com, for instance, will sift through your social media accounts and raise flags for things an employer might not like. Mullins said the site recently sent her an email because someone had posted a video on her Facebook wall with the word “beer” in the title.

“It’s a judgment call for you whether you want to keep it there or not,” Mullins said. “But it alerts you and keeps you aware.”

3. “Blast” social media This is where LinkedIn enters the picture. Yaros surveys his classes every semester and only about 2 percent of his students have LinkedIn accounts. However, he said it pays off to open an account as a freshman or sophomore and start collecting recommendations from teachers and work samples.

“By the time you graduate, your e-portfolio will be in pretty good shape,” he said.

Along with serving as a sort of living resume, LinkedIn is a great tool for informational interviews

and employer research, said Erica Ely, Career Center internships program director. You can use it to find and talk to people in your field about what to expect or what a typical day looks like. In particular, many university alumni are excited to talk to current students, Ely said.

Many companies and organizations also have LinkedIn pages, so

you can find employee statistics and “it’s really important, once you follow [university information about where people worked before and after they got a alumni on linkedin], not to be a silent follower.” job at a particular company.

MICHELLE LOPEZ-MULLINS University Career Center spokeswoman Whatever social media you use, the key is interaction. These tools give you the opportunity to demon- interested in. questions they ask. Ask them “It’s really important once you questions.” strate how engaged, hardworking and knowledgeable you are to people follow them not to be a silent folalready working in a field you are lower,” Mullins said. “Answer the newsumdbk@gmail.com