A Response to J.'s Comment

Dear J.,

That's definitely a rough boat to be in.  Like I said in a previous post, rejection is difficult to deal with.  There are multiple factors involved in not being selected to fill a job position though.  It may just be that the economy is creating an extremely intense level of competition for jobs, simply because companies can't afford to hire as many people as before.  It could also be that you need to brush up on some interviewing skills and strategies with our professional staff members here at the Career Services Center.  However, from your comment, it seems that you prepared yourself very well for the last interview you had.

All I can say is to not be discouraged.  I know it stinks, but letting it affect you intensely may also come across in your demeanor with the next interview you land.  It sounds like you're trying your best though, and that's great- keep it up!  Lastly, as soon as you have enrolled at USF, come by our office.  We're moving to the 5th floor of the University Center (the UC) after May 17th.  We have drop-in hours everyday, where you can come without an appointment during the allotted time of the day (usually between 11am to 2pm) and talk to a career counselor about the job rut you're in.  We look forward to seeing you!

Take care,
Career Planning Peers

J. said: 


I feel like T______T about this summer.

I applied to over 70 paid and unpaid summer internships and jobs ever since December 2009 and received either rejection letter or no replies at all. It's all disappointing because in the past, I usually received a couple of interviews and managed to get a job during school years and summers.

Then a top company, whose products I always admired since childhood, offered me an exclusive interview. AND the position was paid, which would greatly help me pay off some of my college tuition, since my family's economically burdened. But what I cared most was gaining new skills and insight about one of my favorite industries -- and possibly have a future job there. I had the experience and requirements of this position, so I felt extremely determined about getting this.

I spent 3 days researching this company -- their promotions, background, products, tasks of the department I applied for ... everything. I also studied what to say/not to say during an interview and rehearsed my answers a few times.

At the end, I tried my best ... but I guess my best wasn't good enough. Last week, I received information that I wasn't picked. Being overly sensitive, I agonized for days. "Was it because a student from a better, more famous and prestigious university got the job?" "Did my answer stray off from what they asked?" "Maybe it's also because I don't have the major that's related to their department, even though I stated my interest and related job skills..." All my flaws and mistakes I believed I made still haunts me.

I pretty much gave up, but I'll still apply for more jobs. I might have to fork over some cash for summer classes this year, since my current college won't offer them. I'm transferring to USF this fall, but since I'm not an official student yet, I won't get financial aid for this summer. T______T 

Attention Everyone: Things are Looking Up!

Really good news for all you job seekers out there. According to NACE’s Job Outlook 2010 review (if you didn’t know, NACElink is the company that manages DonsCareers, our school's online job database, which if you haven't checked out yet you totally should here) hiring is up in nearly all reporting industries.

Let me repeat that: hiring is up in nearly all reporting industries! Good news? You bet.

To get more specific:

• Employers plan to hire 5.3% more new college graduates in 2009-10 than they did in 2008-09. This is a stark contrast to the bleak 22% DROP in hiring that happened in 2009.
• Nearly 80 percent of responding employers say their spring recruiting plans call for them to hire for full-time and/or internship positions.

Not only has NACE reported changes, but we've seen them in our office as well. Alex Hochman, our Assistant Director and Internship coordinator, has reported seeing a noticeable increase in internships sent to our office, internships which employers themselves told him they could have never sent us last year. Not to mention students who come to our office have been reporting more options and in many cases more success stories.

So what what does this mean for you? For one, let's stop the doom and gloom last year's economic situation has left in our heads, because things are most definitely looking up. Stay calm, be positive, and get yourself out there. All signs are pointing in your favor.

Good luck, and stay positive,
Sarah

Don't Feel Desperate: Come Talk to Us Instead

It's a bummer getting rejected. I know, you don't have to tell me, because I've experienced it. I'm currently a psychology major on a pre-med track, which I started only recently. I've been busy all my life, working two jobs, volunteering, getting pretty decent grades, the whole sha-bang. I've been applying to internship opportunities for this coming summer since the middle of March. Granted, I haven't heard back from everyone yet, but it's looking a little grim. I'm not sure anymore if I'll be able to land a paid internship for this summer. So what am I supposed to do now?

Well, I definitely can do something. Even if I'm not getting a paid position, I'm going to apply like crazy to unpaid volunteer/internship positions as well- stuff that I find not only on Internship Exchange, but also through the Career Services' website and on DonsCareers, where we post links to the organizations that come to USF in the fall for the Non-Profit Expo. San Francisco has so many incredible not-for-profit organizations, I'm confident that I'll work with amazing people at the organizations I'm applying to volunteer with (if I get accepted, knock on wood). But I do understand that that means I'm going to be working as much as I can at my part-time jobs to make ends meet, in addition to working at the non-profit organization. It's a little bit of a bummer, to be honest, thinking that I'm not going to be a lazy body over the summer.  But in the end, I know I'm going to get to work with amazing people, do amazing work, and be way happier than I ever would if I was just chillin' at home doing nothing.

Competition is fierce nowadays, not only for jobs, but for internships too. And it's not like we've been sitting on our butts all along, right? We've been getting good grades, working our part-time jobs, and keeping up with applying for job/internship/volunteer opportunities like crazy. But if you haven't been hearing replies back, or if you've gotten a couple of rejections too, don't fret. An opportunity will open up, just keep working and staying busy (and keep your eyes peeled!).

Have a wonderful weekend,
Seghel

Video Recap of "Careers in Social Justice" Panel

Careers for Social Justice

Calling all students looking to work in social justice!! Last week, CSC’s intern, Geneva, put on a stunningly successful workshop called, “Careers for Social Justice”. With five knowledgeable panelists who work in all different parts of the social justice world, attendees of the workshop were able to walk away with a wealth of knowledge about many aspects of the social justice/ non-profit work field.

I’ll try to summarize, so that those of you who weren’t able to make it can benefit as well!

1. Networking- This is SO important, BUT it’s not as scary as it sounds! Basically, networking is a fancy word for talking to people. It’s making connections with people, talking to friends of friends, finding out what people do, and asking around. It’s asking people, “who would I talk to for…”? Which brings me to my next point….
2. Informational interviews- One fantastic way to put yourself on the radar AND to learn about a potential career path, is to set up an informational interview with someone. People like being asked about themselves, and feeling like an expert. Ask things like, “what do you do?” You want to understand what the day to day of a job entails before you pursue it… (Hopefully sometime soon, we’ll be able to give you more details about how exactly to conduct these interviews, including a video example.)
3. Breaking into the biz- The panelists stressed that it is important to understand that most everyone starts at the bottom and works their way up. A great way to get your foot in the door is to volunteer at the type of place you could see yourself working for. Be helpful, work hard, and treat it like any professional job you might have. Many volunteers get hired after they put in their time, and the more valuable of an asset you become, the more likely your volunteer time could turn into a paid position. Another suggestion made was to keep your eyes open to any and all opportunities. Put yourself on tons of mailing lists, and filter what comes through. You never know where your break is going to come from, so make yourself available!
4. Money, money, money- Many people shy away from the non-profit sector because it has a reputation of being a low paying field. The truth? Panelists claim that they have little problem making the money work, and that the benefits are usually great (healthcare, etc.). Also, the more experience you have (practical and educational), the more specific your work can be, and the more you will be paid. Most of the panelists recognized that although the money isn’t as high as it would be in other fields, the importance of having a vocation, a calling, rather than just a job, was just as important, if not more, than making the big bucks. Another thing to keep in mind that working for social justice does not necessarily equal working in a non-profit. Salaries are generally going to be higher in for profit businesses. (Pick up a handout at CSC on career options you might have thought of that work towards social justice. For example: lawyer, policy maker, teacher, etc.)

Finally, as satisfying as this kind of work can be, it is hard! All of the panelist agreed on how important it is to balance out your life with activities that you enjoy, to offset the potential stress, as well as to have a strong support system! 

Stay tuned for a video recap... tomorrow!

Go out and do good!
-Allison

Internship Frustration

Many of us know by now that internships are practically essential if we’re going to break into most fields after graduation. If you weren’t aware, allow me to elaborate: While ten years ago internships looked exceptional on a resume, in this day and age you need at least two or three to even attempt to look competitive. With more and more employers requiring experience for entry level jobs, internships have become standard in the college experience.

But therein lays one of the more pressing issues about internships: how can one afford the time to do them? So many seem to be unpaid (or at least that’s what we assume), and students who need to work to pay for rent/groceries/bills/tuition understandably find themselves in quite a bind when trying to build up their resume.

However, here’s an unfortunately little known fact: in the state of California it is illegal for a for-profit company to hire an unpaid intern that is not receiving any other compensation, such as class credit. Also, internships are by law supposed to be a space where you are getting some sort of educational benefit (i.e. learning skills other than what the best ratio of coffee to cream is). Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop most companies from violating those rules, in some cases even just putting the title “intern” on what is essentially a menial job so they can get labor for free. Totally illegal.

How can you can you protect yourself from this?

• The number one thing to know is that, if you are working for a for-profit company, you should expect some type of compensation for your work.
• Your Career Services Center (that’s us!) should be watching out for you, and only posting jobs on our DonsCareers and Internship Exchange databases that are either paid (if they are a for-profit company), unpaid (if they are a non-profit company), or meet other special requirements.
• Let someone know (like us) if you feel you’ve been exploited. While most students don’t report companies hiring unpaid interns for fear of negative consequences, taking a step up and calling people out should move the internship industry further along in the right direction.
• Keep in mind that, while they technically should be paying, certain industries (especially in the entertainment field like movies and record labels) have a long history of hiring unpaid interns. This practice is seen as part of the process of working in those fields and therefore unlikely to be changed anytime soon. 
• Attend our "Last Chance for Internships Workshop" next Wednesday, April 14th, from 5:30-6:30pm in McLaren 250. Speak with a career counselor in much more depth about what your options are, learn how to be smarter about your internship search, and even hear details about a few brand new internships that haven't been posted anywhere else.

Unfortunately the move towards regulating and enforcing paid interns for for-profit companies is moving at a snails pace. But this does not mean you should give up or get discouraged. The most important thing to do is be informed, know your rights, speak out if you feel something is wrong, know that there are plenty of paid internships out there, and seek those positions that are legitimate and right for you.

 Best of luck,
-Sarah

Hey seniors!

Hey seniors! Graduation is coming, and it's coming FAST. It feels like yesterday was the first day of the semester, and I'm afraid to blink, because then it will already be May. This can be such an intimidating, possibly overwhelming time of life, but don't worry I'm right there with you! The opportunities feel endless and minuscule at the same time, huh? So where are we supposed to start?

My general advice, from one confused senior to another?

We all have to start somewhere, and no matter where that is, we can always change our paths down the road, so take a deep breath of relief!

I'd also say that wherever you start, stick with it for a couple of months. If it feels too difficult, it might be an opportunity for you to really push yourself, and you don't want to abandon it before you find out why it's making you try so hard.

So how do you know what the first step is?

Use us! Use our resources. You don't even need to come into the office to do this. Use our website. Click through some of the options under the student tab, such as, well, all of them…. Under quick links- check out the major handouts. Figure out what you can do with what you've been studying, and take the first step. That's the scariest part; the rest will fall into place. You never know when the opportunity you never even thought of is going to come knocking on your door and change all your plans. Be flexible. This is a time of trial and error.

Be proactive and don’t forget to breathe!

Good luck, and come talk to the peers! (M-F, 11-2, T&W 4-7 too!)

-Allison

P.S. Stay tuned for feedback (written and video!) from the Careers for Social Justice panel!