Holiday Drop In Hours

Happy Holidays Everyone!

The Career Service Center Holiday Drop In Hours: 

 

Starting: Thursday, December 6, 2012 

12:00pm-1:00pm

Ending: Friday, January 18, 2013

Office will also be closed for Christmas & New Years: 
Starting: Friday, December 21, 2012
Ending: Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Aloha From- Career Service Center

Hey Freshman – do you want prizes, everlasting fame in the Career Services Center, and the glory of being a winner? Of course you do. But how?!

The answer is easy: participate in our 3rd Annual Best Freshmen Resume Writing Contest. The top three entries get prizes listed below and the first place winner will also get their resume proudly displayed on our website as a sample resume for Freshmen to follow and for all students past and present to view.

When: The competition takes place from October 19th – November 18th; Winners will be announced December 1st.

How: Submit your best resume to careerplanningpeer@usfca.edu by 11:59pm on the deadline day (11/18/11) to enter OR bring in person to the Career Services Center by 5 pm on November 16th.

Requirements: 
You must be a current Freshman.
A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 drop-ins with our office are allowed to work on your resume formatting and content. (Drop-ins happen every weekday from 11am-2pm.)
You must mention to the counselor in the drop-in you are entering the contest for your submission to be eligible.

Prizes:
1st - Amazon Kindle and resume featured on our website
2nd - $50 worth of bookstore gear
3rd - USF leather portfolio

Easy, right? Right. So what are you waiting for?

Aloha, 
Nate

BEST FRESHMAN RESUME

Hey Freshman – do you want prizes, everlasting fame in the Career Services Center, and the glory of being a winner? Of course you do. But how?!

The answer is easy: participate in our 2nd annual Freshmen Resume Writing Contest. The top three entries get prizes listed below and the first place winner will also get their resume proudly displayed in our updated Resource Guide utilized by students past and present. 

When: The competition takes place from October 20th – November 20th; Winners will be announced December 1st.

How: Submit your best resume to careerplanningpeer@usfca.edu by midnight on the deadline day (11/20/11) to enter.

Requirements: You must be a current Freshman. A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 drop-ins with our office are allowed to work on your resume formatting and content. Drop-ins happen every weekday from 11am-2pm. You must mention in the drop-in you are submitting to the contest to be eligible.

Prizes:  1st - Amazon Kindle e-book reader and resume featured in our new Resource Guide 

             2nd - iHome speaker system with built-in subwoofer 

             3rd - USF leather portfolio 

Easy, right? Right. So what are you waiting for?

Your Major!

Hi Guys

I just noticed that Spring 2012 classes are up and ready to view. So do you know what classes you're going to take?

Picking classes is normally a difficult and long process by itself, but if you are having trouble and start asking yourself questions like, "Is this major right for me?" it makes it about a thousand times harder. There can be a lot of different questions that make it difficult when picking classes. For example, questions like, is this something I see myself doing after I graduate? Is my major worth the investment? Is this going to make me happy or rich? Is this what I want to do or is this what my parents want me to do? or even a question like, will I like the job opportunities that are related to my major and what are my options? These questions not only make it a thousand times harder but you probably want them answered sooner than later.

If you are in the same or similar situation do not worry, a lot of other college students are unsure and in similar situations. But you're going to have to do something about it if you want these questions to be answered. The first thing would be to do some research, go on to our website USF CAREER SERVICE CENTER WEBSITE . If you still need more help come into our office on the UC 5th floor to get some guidance and answers. You can call us to set up an appointment with a counselor at 415-422-6216. We also offer assessments that could help you better understand yourself making it easier to figure out your next steps in the journey of life.

Here is also an interesting article about majors, what you can do with them after you graduate and 5 degrees worth your investment. Take a look!
YAHOO ARTICLE

Don't be shy, come visit us, we would love to be part of your journey!

Aloha- Nate

Should I? Should I not?

People always ask, when do you send in a cover letter? or Do you need to send a cover letter in even if they didn't ask for one? The answer is yes, yes, yes. Always send a cover letter no matter what, unless the job description says "please do not send in cover letter" or if the company’s website doesn't allow you to post a cover letter. It is always better to send a cover letter even if not stated because most employers think it is expected and it looks really good, showing your research and knowledge. It also looks bad when you do not send one in and another applicant sends their cover letter in.

A cover letter is also a great way to introduce yourself and show how you can contribute to the company you're applying to and why you're not only the best candidate but you have the experience and knowledge they are looking for. So the best thing to do is try your best and get a cover letter done and send both the resume and cover letter, but do not forget to stop by the USF Career Services Center located on the UC 5th floor, so we can take a look at it and help you. Our drop in hours are Monday through Friday 11am- 2pm. 

-Aloha Nate

GRAD SCHOOL???

Are you thinking about going to grad school? Do you think it’s right for you? Is it needed for you to reach your ultimate goal? Need a game plan? Come into the Career Services Center on the UC 5th Floor if you answered yes or even hesitated to answer one of these questions. We have things that will help you in the tough process of grad school from exploring, to planning, to the application and more. Grad school is both important and expensive, not to mention a huge decision. If you are having trouble laying out your options or making a life changing decision come to meet with a counselor that will help you determine what might best fit you as an individual. Our office also provides handouts and online resources about the test process and different grad schools. You can also check out the Career Service Center Graduate School Link  for addition information or to start your grad school process. Don't hesitate, were only an appointment away! So Drop in and ask for some help. We welcome every student with open arms!

-Aloha Nate

ELEVATOR PITCH!!!

Have you ever wanted to approach someone and talk to them at a career fair, group networking event, or even at a random venue like an elevator but did not know what to say? Or even what to do? Do not worry you're not the only one; this is one of the toughest things to do. Everyone has some kind of problem when they are trying to pull words out of thin air, while feeling comfortable when introducing and talking to their ideal employer or business partner. The perfect way to solve this problem is to create an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is normally a 15 to 30 second speech or pitch of who you are, what you do, why you're the best, and your call to action. This short summary speech of who you are will help break the ice and start communication in the lines of a possible job opportunity or future business endeavors.

The elevator pitch got its name because individuals who were seeking a job or future business endeavors would try and get into an elevator with a executive. In doing so they had a opportunity to talk to the executive from the first floor to the ideal top floor with no interruptions and no possible way for the executive to get out of the conversation. The elevator pitch can be used whenever you are meeting anyone but was ideally to get your foot in the door and land yourself a job. It is a great way to introduce yourself and give a summary of who you are. So if want to create one but do not know where to begin, this website will help. It is a basic template where you answer questions and it formats your elevator pitch for you. Website: http://www.15secondpitch.com/new/index.asp But it is essential to be prepared before attending an event and you should practice your elevator pitch now because you never know when it might become useful. So if you need any help creating your specialized elevator pitch, come into our office on the UC 5th floor during drop in hours which are 11am to 2pm Monday through Friday. Your elevator pitch could possibly land you a job that you could never imagine! 

Aloha- Nate

INTERNSHIP EXCHANGE

Are you looking for a summer internship but want to go home or see a new city like Boston or Los Angeles? Well we have something that could possible help you find a summer internship in those different regions. It is called Internship Exchange. Internship Exchange is a internship data base that is shared with many different colleges from different regions including Harvard University, University of Miami, Brown University, Boston College, Princeton University, Pepperdine University, and etc... Due to being a shared internship data base, Internship Exchange has two major benefits. The first benefit is that you will be able to see internships not only in the area of your current school but within the area of the schools you share data base with. Giving you the opportunity to travel for a summer internship or possibly go home for the summer and find an internship. Another great benefit is that some employers are specifically looking for interns from a specific school but must post on internship exchange and when doing so, it gives our students from the University of San Francisco a chance to apply to internship that are meant for students attending Harvard. So go on to our websiteusfca.edu/career and sign up for Internship Exchange and start searching for those internships in other cities. You're also welcome to stop by our office located on the UC 5th floor if you need any help with resume, cover letters, or interviewing help.

- Aloha Nate  

Resume Writing Time!

Hello, All!
       My name is Victoria! I am in training to be a Career Planning Peer (CPP)! Just a little bit about myself... I am a Psychology major, and I am minoring in Music and Biology. Basically, what that means is, I want to be a superhero, rock star, and a dentist. I’m rooting for all three! I came upon working for the Career Service Center by applying as a Psychology Practicum volunteer. I’ve had my fair share of experiences working with younger children and with adults, it had been a while since I worked with my own peers. I really like to help people feel like they have something less to worry about, and this job seems like just the ticket!
        So far, I have shadowed drop-in hours in action and have learned just a couple of small details that can make all the difference in writing a resume. I am excited to have this new perspective on resume writing!
        The number one thing that I have witnessed: Students have not heard of the Resource Guide on the CSC website. For those of you reading this, you can find a resource guide (click the link to the right-->) Career Services Site, under Quick Links. It’s a pretty great tool to use if you are writing up a resume or cover letter! Hey! It beats Googling “how to write a resume/cover letter” over and over only to find thousands of varied results. Check it out and enjoy!
--Victoria

Be a S-T-A-R Resume Writer

Hello All!

My name is Rosie Ceja and I am a Sophomore Nursing major. I have been working at the Career Services Center as a student assistant for the past 3 semesters. Towards the end of last semester I was presented with the opportunity to become a Career Planning Peer (CPP) and I am super excited to be in training this semester for this awesome position!!

As part of my training process I have been shadowing a few drop ins and counseling appointments. The most common reason for drop ins is to have a resume looked over and reviewed. In the sessions I have shadowed, I have noticed a few reoccurring topics when it comes to resumes that I would like to address in hopes of making the resume writing process a little easier. 

One of the most important (if not THE most important) components of a resume are the accomplishment statements. These are meant to be a detailed explanation of what you accomplished for the company or how you made a difference in your position. There are a few things to remember about writing a strong accomplishment statement. You may want to keep the S-T-A-R format in mind:

S - Situation: define the general context

T - Task: identify the key objective

A - Action: describe the action you took or initiated and emphasize the skills you incorporated.

R - Result: Summarize the outcome; QUANTIFY as much, and whenever possible. 

- With every accomplishment statement you should start with an ACTION VERB and avoid starting with "responsible for" or "duties included"'

- Recall and incorporate specific and unique examples

- Write your accomplishments as concise bullet points (not paragraphs)

- You should write about 2-3 statements per position

- Quantify whenever possible and use numerical digits

Once you have your accomplishments set, the rest should be easy! Focus on format and consistency with every aspect of your resume. 

Hope these tips helped and good luck to you all this semester!

Rosie

Introducing the 2009-2010 Graduate Intern

Hello everyone,
My name is Geneva and I am the 2009-2010 Graduate Intern at CSC. I am very excited to join the CSC family, which means I get to blog here too. So here goes my first blog post:

Earlier this week, I helped put on my first CSC workshop: The Cover Letter & Resume Workshop on 9/29/09. It was great to be able to help students learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of resume and cover letter writing at the workshop.

But if you missed the workshop, you can still get the inside scope on making your cover letter and resume shine!

First, you can take advantage of the many resources available at CSC, including the very handy Job & Internship Resource Guide. The Job & Internship Resource Guide has a ton of great information in it about writing resumes and cover letters. I like to tell students to make the Job & Internship Resource Guide one of your best friends!

Second, you can come to CSC drop-in hours. Drop-in hours are Monday through Friday from 12pm to 2pm and also on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 5pm to 7pm. During drop-in hours, you can get a 15-minute appointment with a Career Counselor, Career Planning Peer, or me and we'll help you polish your resume and cover letter.

Doing these two things will help you put together a strong resume, and, as I am learning, are just the tip of the iceberg that CSC can help you with.

I look forward to seeing you at CSC!

-Geneva

*cricket* *cricket*

We’re a month into summer, (not to mention a month into post-graduation territory), and I must say it is very quiet in the CSC office. I swear I saw a tumbleweed blow by the other day. Yeah yeah ok, but really. Does this mean you all have wonderful jobs? (If so, let us know. We’d love to hear and possibly write about your experiences).

While I hope that’s the case for all of you, if for one reason or another it isn’t don’t forget the CSC has got your back. We’re open 9-5 every week day, and from the way it’s looking, you can get in to see a counselor for a drop-in or appointment pretty quickly. Have them take a look at your resume or cover letters so you can get them polished and ready to send off, work on your interview skills, or even just use the time to talk to someone and get sound feedback about your job search experience. We’d love to help.

Also, while resume collect is over (ended 6/30), there are still a ton of jobs available on Dons Careers. If you’re not already signed up on there, give us a call at (415) 422-6216 and we’ll get you set up.

So give us a call already! I (and my co-worker Benji who is also at the front desk this summer) don’t bite. Promise.

-Sarah

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

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

In a Rush to Talk to a Career Counselor?

It’s Monday morning, and you’ve got a job interview Tuesday afternoon. You’ve been working on your resume, but you’re not quite sure if it’s stellar. With the economy currently in shambles, you know that if anyone’s hiring, they’re going to be searching for the best and brightest, and you want to make sure your resume reflects how qualified you are. But if you call the Career Services Center to make an appointment for the next day, your chances of finding a last-minute opening are slim. While we recommend that students call at least a week in advance to schedule an appointment with a counselor, we get that you’re a busy college student, and you may not have had the chance to do so. That’s why we have Drop-Ins!

Drop-Ins are an easy way to quickly come by our office without having to make an appointment. Drop-Ins are a great opportunity to get your resume or cover letter reviewed or to ask a counselor a quick question that wouldn’t warrant scheduling a longer appointment. While Drop-Ins are a fabulous invention, they do not properly substitute actual appointments. They’re only 15 minutes, and they’re first-come, first-serve. That means that you may not call us during Drop-Ins to save you a spot! Also, if you wait until the last minute to our center for help, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to receive it, since Drop-Ins can fill up rapidly, so make sure to try and arrive a few minutes before they start. We have Drop-Ins five days per week, and we even hold additional evening Drop-In sessions twice every week:

Monday: 2-4pm
Tuesday: 2-4pm and 5-7pm
Wednesday: 2-4pm and 5-7pm
Thursday: 2-4pm
Friday: 1-3pm

If you’ve never been to the Career Services Center before and need some resume help, or are just curious, we recommend that you come visit us during Drop-In hours.

Hope to see you soon!
Seghel