Thursday, May 21, 2009

End of the School Year

Hey All,

Just wanted to write a quick update wishing everyone a big congratulations on making it through finals! Can you believe the ‘08-‘09 school year is already over?

And an extra congratulations to the graduating seniors of 2009, you guys rock. Don’t forget that the CSC is free to you for up to a year after you graduate, and that we’re open all summer for anything you might need. Stop by and see us anytime in UC 403, or make an appointment with a counselor to talk about your job search, life post-grad, or anything else that’s on your mind.

Speaking of job search, don’t forget either that the CSC is holding an end-of-semester Resume Collect through DonsCareers for all graduating seniors. Employers looking specifically to hire USF grads have posted their jobs to DonsCareers, and all you need to do is sign up online and submit that resume! Check out our website for the link to apply: www.usfca.edu/career

Resume collect runs from 5/15/09-6/30/09. Take advantage of this great opportunity to finally land that job you’ve been so anxious about finding. And don’t forget, we’re here to help!

Best of luck on all of your summer plans, and check back frequently during summer for new blog updates. I’ll be here posting away.

Peace,

Sarah

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Getting Creative – Do or Don’t?

In the past few weeks I’ve seen a steady increase of “out of the box” designs for resumes, ranging from including .jpeg images to making two or three columns of text instead of the usual linear format.

Whether this is because students feel these designs better represent who they are, or because they feel like a more creative design might catch an employer’s eye (and thus get them in for an interview), I can’t be sure.

So what should you do?

Through my conversations with students I’ve come up with a few opinions on the matter. I think creativity is wonderful, and I also think, bottom line, that your resume needs to represent you to the best of its ability, whatever that may be. However, I think some general things need to be taken into consideration.

If you’re not following a linear format, your information still needs to be clear, straight forward, and easy to find. An employer is only going to spend about 15-20 seconds looking at you resume, so if they can’t find where you worked, when you worked, what you did, and where you went to school in that time period you’re toast.

Also keep in mind too that many employers have a different idea of what’s appropriate than you do. Unless you’re getting recommended through a friend or have inside knowledge of the company, you can’t be entirely sure who is going to be looking at your resume. And, for all you know, you could get Mr. “By-The-Book” HR guy who probably wont be pleased with your deviation from the norm.

In the end it’s a matter of your own personal values. Your resume needs to show who you are, so do what you need to do to accomplish that. Just keep in mind too that you’re not the only one who will be looking at that resume, so make the decision that’s best for you.

If you’ve got any questions about your resume, or formatting in general, please stop by the Career Services Center in UC 403 and have either Seghel or I, or one of the counselors, take a look. We’d be happy to talk about this in more detail with you.

Best of luck,
Sarah

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

A Shout Out From a Graduating Senior

Say hello to Benji Canning-Pereira, a graduating senior with a glittering and fast-paced future ahead of him! Benji, a Graphic Design major, has worked at the Career Services Center for four years. While we’re sad to see him go, we’re also excited for what this young man’s future holds for him: lots of promise! The following is a brief overview of Benji’s plans, struggles, and hopes for the future.

After much hard work and determination, Benji got accepted into the top-notch Interactive Telecommunication Program at New York University. He started preparing his application materials during the Fall semester of this year. Preparation involved polishing up his portfolio of work, which he had been working on for about a year, gathering recommendations from a professor and a work colleague, submitting a financial aid application, and writing his letter of intent, which is arguably the most important and difficult piece of the puzzle to fulfill.

Benji’s tips for gathering recommendations are to ask people, such as your professors, mentors, and employers, early. Benji gave his contacts two months to write his recommendations before they were due. He also spent a considerable amount of time working on his letter of intent, which basically give a person the opportunity to explain why they want to go to graduate school and what their future plans are. He worked on his letter every other day for a month before getting it checked out at the Career Services Center and proofreading it a zillion times.

Since Benji is planning on moving to a different state, housing is also a concern of his. Some graduate programs, such as the one he applied to, do offer housing to students. However, it tends to be very expensive. It’s important to try to study the geography of the state you’re planning on moving to. You don’t want to end up on the opposite side of the state you’re moving to from your school, especially if transportation is really expensive.

The most critical piece of advice Benji offers is to go to open houses and check out the school, especially for smaller and more competitive programs. The more you know about the program, the easier the essay writing can become. Talking to actual students or graduates of the program also makes a big difference. However, if you do plan on checking out the school, check with your professors about missing classes and assignments, especially if it requires traveling to different states.

Best of luck to all graduating seniors, and I hope this helps the rest of the student body figure out how to plan for grad school!

Seghel

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Look for a Job in a Recession Highlights

Here's the PDF Seghel created based on highlights from the "Looking for a Job in a Recession Panel".

It's got some of the best questions asked that night, as well as direct quotes of the responses from the panelists themselves. Really worth a look!

Check it out here

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Get up and Get into Gear

So let’s face the facts: our economy is... well... not doing that great. The amount of current available jobs is substantially less than it was in previous years. Unfortunately, this can and probably will affect you, as distant as it may seem.

But that doesn’t mean you should lose hope! I’ve seen more students than ever come into drop-in sessions with resumes and cover letters looking for potential summer jobs, and that’s great! But if you’re in need for a job or internship this summer, you better get on it ASAP.

For a reminder, here’s a few things that you can take advantage of to snag those last minute jobs or make those last minute decisions before Summer.

As always, make sure to check out both DonsCareers and Internship Exchange for any job or internship postings (and also check out one of my previous posts for more links on internship searches). According to career counselor Alex Hochman, while we might be in a lull right now in terms of opportunities, make sure to check back by early June for a rush of new available opportunities.

Also, don’t forget the Career Services Center is open all summer, so feel free to stop by at any time to meet with a counselor, work on that resume, or anything else you need. We'll all be happy to answer any questions you may have.

-Sarah

p.s. stay tuned for an awesome PDF created by my fellow CPP Seghel with a bunch of details from the Looking for a Job in a Recession workshop. Should be up in the next day or two!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Internship of the Week #3

The Marley Association, a newly formed non-profit, needs an intern. We are in the very early stages of formation and you would be a fundamental part of assisting a very promising organization focused on US China Green Tech education. Organizing the 2009 US China Green Tech Summit in Beijing this Fall and general organizational structure are our initial goals. See bayareacouncil.org/events/Green_Energy_Brochure.pdf for the 2008 green tech summit (our involvement in that summit was as Callaway Private Equity Partners)

Students interested in international affairs/pan-asian studies/non-profit administration/finance would be perfect. Headquarters are close to USF and although the term is flexible, this could be a summer internship. Tasks will range widely but will likely include grant writing, conference coordination, and green tech research. Although the internship is unpaid, it is a great networking opportunity as the conference and other activities involve many prominent figures involved in green tech, investment and non-profits.

Mission Statement: The Marley Association, a non-profit organization working to increase public awareness and adoption of energy efficient technology and foster innovation in the field of renewable energy by sustaining a dialogue among the business, finance and policy leaders involved in green technology in the United States and China.
Please email resumes to Jeff Wozniak at jfwozniak@gmail.com.


Seghel

Confidentiality- No Worries!

Hey everyone, I hope this blog finds you well. I wanted to address the topic of confidentiality within the Career Services Center. As students seeking a service, you guys are totally entitled to express concerns and seek guidance without any fear that they will become public. Though Sarah and I are Career Planning Peers and students, please have no concerns that your privacy is being risked in any way. We completely respect the privacy of any student or alumni who visit our office. That means that any documents you show us and any information you share with us will never become public.

Additionally, please know that if you happen to drop by our office during a time when either Sarah or I are conducting Drop-In Sessions, it is completely up to you to decide whether you’d like to see us or see a professional counselor instead. Even though we’re highly trained in a variety of ways, and deeply invested in our work as Peers, we understand that, sometimes, it’s a bit more comfortable to meet with someone who’s had many years of experience in the field of career counseling. Don’t worry, just ask!

Take care and stay healthy!
Seghel

Rosie
rosie

Rosie is an outgoing Junior Psychology major who has worked in the office since her Freshman year. She wears multiple hats including president of her sorority Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. and Vice President of Internal Affairs for Greek Council. As a very involved student leader she is a great resource for all things USF
Nathan
rosie

Nathan hails from the tropical state of Hawaii. When he is not in his business suit for his business classes, he is just "chilling" and bringing the Aloha Spirit to the office. He has worked for the Career Services Center for three years and has extensive experience with other internships including his most upcoming internship with Bank of Hawaii in summer 2012