Shopping Trip With ECM Winner

Yesterday we took Brooke on a shopping trip to find the perfect suit for her makeover. She tried on a variety of different styles and colors before she found the perfect look. Suit shopping can be tricky, especially as seasons are changing. You do not want to be in a winter suit for a spring interview. Duh! And you thought fashion was easy didn't you?

Even though we were able to find an awesome trendy suit, we are still having difficulty finding a shirt to wear under it. It is important to complete the look. Since the suit Brooke chose has an interesting pattern, it is important that we find a nice solid undershirt. A common misconception is that the a button down is needed under a suit. Really, a nice cotton top will do the trick, as long as in is professional looking. We did found a shirt for under Brooke's outfit, but it has an embroidered heart on it. Not so professional.

Brooke had a lot of fun dressing up. Molly (our camera woman and film editor, if you were not aware) got some really funny footage which will make for a great final product. There might even be a blopper reel if you're lucky.

Today is the big salon day. We will be getting Brooke's hair cut, and giving her a manicure because hands are important for a good first impression. I am looking forward to keeping you updated on the rest of Extreme Career Makeover. Stick with me.

A Glimmer of Hope

So. I received an e-mail asking me for an interview. This at first was very exciting. But then I got nervous. I realized I probably need a portfolio with some samples of my work it in. I am suddenly very overwhelmed at the possibility of this interview. But then I stop myself. . .

Do not let yourself get overwhelmed in the moment. If you are asked back for an interview, take a few minutes to think... Hey, they saw something in me that they like... your searching has not been a waste. You have a real shot to actually get a job here and that is exciting. All of the hard work you have been putting forth is finally paying off.

Do not forget to congratulate yourself. Especially if you have been working at something for a long time. Sure its not a job, or an offer, but it is one step closer to what you want. Your final destination!

Do not get over confident. Yes it is good to be grateful, but also don't take this moment to get cocky. Do acknowledge that you have done good hard work, do not stop yourself from continueing that hard work. Brush up on your information about the company, get questions ready to ask the interviewer, and continue to send your resume out to other companies. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

I am excited that I got an interview, but that still means hard work ahead. Stick with me.

Accessorizing

Suits, confidence, poise. You've got it all. But whats a great outfit without the right accessories? What's poise if your outfit isn't put together just right? That's why I am going to provide you with accessorizing tips for the big interview day. For girls and guys, this is important information for your job searching journey ahead. Now to begin.

Hair- Girls, when going to an interview make sure your hair is out of your face. I would suggest pulling it back, but really, you should wear it however you are most comfortable. Just make sure you aren't touching it excessively, and that it is not covering your eyes. Guys, try to make some effort with your hair if it is on the crazy side. A little gel never hurt anyone.

Jewelry- Less is truely more in an interview. You shouldn't be wearing big dangling chandeliers ladies. Some conservative studs will do the trick. Nothing too flashy. Boys if you have earings, take them out.

Ties- Gentlemen. Ties can be very important. Not only do you want one that compliments the suit, but also you should have one that catches the employers eye. Red is a power color and wearing it is a sign of confidence. However, something more conservative may be more in line. But make sure you stay away from cartoons, cars, and tacky colors.

Bags- Ladies, make sure you have a nice bag to bring in. I would suggest forgoing the purse for something more professional that can hold your belongings, a portfolio pad of paper, a writing utensil, and copies of your resume. Guys the same goes for you and a brief case. It should be made out of a nice material and should be a professional color.

So here are the basics. If you have any more questions in regards to what is right and what is wrong to wear on an interview, feel free to post a comment. We are here to help you. So if there is anything you want to know, we want to tell you what to do. Stick with me.

Good First Impressions

So it’s a Tuesday morning, and I’m sitting in the Career Development Center, spinning in my desk chair, trying to figure out what to write about this week. It occurred to me that maybe I should have a theme like my fellow intern Carrie, but let’s be honest; it’s more fun to wing it. So today’s topic (drum roll please) is tips on making a good impression.

My first week blogging, I touched on the major Do’s of buying a suit. Getting it hemmed, staying away from separates, and paying a little extra for nice shoes are all topics I addressed. This week I want to discuss the person inside the fancy cloths. There is more to being presentable than just putting on a suit. Confidence and poise are a large part of this process.

How to show confidence:
Have a firm handshake- when shaking a person’s hand you should take their right hand fully in your right hand. Then give 3 strong pumps. Men please shake women’s hands like you would a man’s. Its insulting when you do not.
Eye contact is key- whether it is when you are shaking hands or when you are having a conversation, it is important to make good eye contact with the person you are speaking with. Also when they are talking, eye contact shows that you are engaged in what they are saying, and that you are truly interested.
Walk looking forward- do not look down at your feet when you walk. It gives the appearance of being unsure, clumsy, or shy, which you may be, but you need to act like you are not.
Assign someone to be confident for you- having a friend who believes in you helps, so that they can remind you to believe in yourself.

How to show poise:
Do not fidget in your chair- try to pick a comfortable position and stick to it. Too much movement makes it uncomfortable.
Think before you answer a question- do not take too long of a pause, but it is alright to think about what you want to say before actually doing it. This way you are not just spouting off information.
Make sure your back is straight- slouching does not look good on anyone. Your shoulders should be back both when walking and when sitting. But this is not the military, you do not need to be rigid. Sit comfortably.

See. That wasn’t so bad. These are just a few little things that can make a big difference, and a strong first impression. Until next time, stick with me.

Extreme Career Makeover: Congratulations Brooke!

A congratulations goes out to Brooke Henderson for being selected as this year's Extreme Career Makeover winner! Brooke is a sophomore, Criminal Justice major here at AU and an active member of the Phi Mu sorority. Over the course of the semester, she will be undergoing a "career makeover." Our team will guide Brooke in her internship search, refine her resume writing and interviewing skills, provide her with networking opportunities, and professionalize her wardrobe and look. Sounds like fun right?!

Brooke's excited and so are we! And the best part is, you will have the chance to watch and hear about every moment of it! Each step in the process will be documented and shown at Brooke's Extreme Career Makeover Premiere Night on April 7th. However, if you want some updates in the meantime, follow this blog, because we will be keeping you posted on Brooke's Extreme Career Makeover adventure! Stay tuned...

Social On-Line Networks

Everyone hears the horror stories of Myspace and Facebook. These sorts of online sources are rumored to have the capability of ruining the chances of you finding a job. This would occur if your inappropriateness ever found its way to your prospective employers. I am not here to argue that. If you have stupid pictures of yourself online, take them down. That’s a stupid reason to get turned down for a job. So don’t let it happen. But that is not what I am talking about today.
The importance of social networks can also be pertinent to finding a job. If used correctly, the Internet can help create opportunities for you, which you may not have had otherwise. Facebook is being used by businesses to encourage attendance at events, Myspace is being used by bands to encourage listening to their music, and now there are sites that can encourage your future.
Sites such as Linked-In are the new rage. Similar to Facebook, Linked-In allows you to create a profile of yourself and to make friends with other people. However, this is on a much more professional scale. My fellow intern Carrie has created a Linked-In page that also has a link to a webpage which displays all of her portfolio work. This way if she happens to be friends with someone important, they can take a look at her accomplishments, and then they may recommend her to someone they know who is in marketing. It’s very fascinating.
I have been meaning to focus on regular networking in one of these blogs, but really why would you bother with face to face interaction when we are the internet generation?
Besides Linked-In, there is also Twitter. This is a great way to get information and make contacts. Twitter is a site that allows you to post the equivalent of a “Facebook status” for everyone to see what you are doing. You have the ability to “follow” different companies or news sources that you want. This way you are always staying current and informed. Posting information such as “I am looking for an internship in blah blah blah” may get you results.
There are far more social networking opportunities out there, but I just wanted to point out for now that there is no reason to fear the internet during your job search. I could also go into a lot more detail, but this way you do not feel too overwhelmed. Now remember, the Internet can be your friend, or your foe. Just do not make poor life decisions and put up embarrassing stuff about yourself. That’s your fault, not the Internet’s. Stick with me.

Making the Most of your Career Fair Experience

The AU Career Fair is just 2 ½ weeks away, and I expect that you are all prepared and ready to go. Right? Okay, maybe not, but I am here to help! Just follow these steps and you will be well on your way to making the most of your Career Fair experience.

Pre-Career Fair
What to do during the weeks before the Career Fair:

1. Perfect your resume.
When employers are receiving hundreds of resumes, it is essential that yours stands out from the rest. It should be easy to skim and error-free. Also, be sure to make your career-related experiences show off all of your capabilities. The Career Assistants in the CDC are here to help!

2. Do your research.
Homework for a career fair? That’s right! Take the time to familiarize yourself with the companies that you are interested in so you know what opportunities they have available. By knowing about what the company has to offer, you will be more prepared to explain to them why you would be a good fit.

3. Practice your elevator speech.
I am sure you are asking, “What’s an elevator speech?” I wondered the same thing when I first heard the term. An elevator speech is what you would tell an employe about yourself in the length of time it takes to ride an elevator. It should include your name, major, year in school, past or current internships/jobs and career goals. Have this well rehearsed so that you know exactly what you are going to say when you first approach an employer.

During the Career Fair
Here are some tips to keep in mind while meeting employers at the Career Fair. Really, it is this simple:

1. Dress to impress.
2. Smile.
3. Make eye contact.
4. Give a firm handshake.
5. Be confident, assertive, honest, and enthusiastic.
6. Use the recruiter's name and give your well-rehearsed elevator speech.
7. Tell the recruiter what type of position you are looking for and what your career goals are.
8. When appropriate, display knowledge of the company.
9. Ask any questions you may have.
10. Offer a resume.
11. Ask for a business card.
12. Thank them for their time and information.
13. Shake their hand firmly.
14. Make notes for later review and follow-up.

Post-Career Fair
If there’s a position that you are really interested in, I suggest that you follow up!

1. Send the employer a thank you note within 48 hours.
This thank you note should remind them of how and where you met. Also, reiterate your qualifications and interest in the organization.

2. Send an extra copy of your resume.

3. Call the employer to make sure that your application is complete.
Taking the extra steps to ensure that you have provided the organization with all of the right materials will help speed up the application process and help you stand out from the rest.

Now start working on your resume, doing your research, and practicing your elevator speech because the AU Career Fair will be here before you know it! You do not want to let this opportunity pass you by! For any additional information, please stop by the CDC.

Resume Builders

So. You are in college and you need to write a resume, eventually. But before you write a resume, you need to have experience to put on it. So how do you get the experience you ask? All it taks is a little initiative and hard work on your part.

Freshman Year:
This is the year to work on your GPA and really think about what your major is going to be. Starting out college with a high GPA will make the next four years of your life a heck of a lot less stressful because you won’t be making up for the past. Also try to find organizations to be involved in that correlate with your major.

Sophomore Year:
Continue to join organizations that you find helpful, and maybe eliminate some things that just didn’t work for you during your freshman year. In one or two of your organizations, start thinking about taking a leadership role. Do not overwhelm yourself by taking too many, but one or two will help you out immensely.

Junior Year:
Start brainstorming new ideas and setting goals within your leadership roles that can your show growth and performance. Also, the summer before your junior year, think about obtaining an internship, or look on campus at some internship possibilities. There are a lot of opportunities here in Ashland that will provide you with excellent skill sets and portfolio pieces. You just need to take the time to work at it.

Senior Year:
Continue to finish strong academically. Narrow down your extracurricular activities to the ones you really want to commit to. Senioritis is inevitable, so be careful that you don't start ignoring your priorities. Start really figuring out what career you want to pursue and what sort of skills you need to market to appeal to that position. Start tailoring your resume to that job.

Constant vigilance and revising is the key to a good resume. You can never
start writing one too soon. When you start getting involved, you should create a running resume so that you do not forget the work you have been doing the past four years. This is the way to ensure that come senior year, you are not stuck with no way to market yourself. Stick with me.

The Big Send Off

I just, not but two minutes ago, applied for an internship. My fingers are still shaking, my lungs have just resumed pumping air, and my head hurts from scrutinizing every little detail of my stuff. But it is done. My email has shot into cyber space and into someone over at thunder::tech’s mailbox. There is nothing I can do now. My fingernails are gone from nerves, so I can’t chew on them. As much as I’d like to continuously check my email for a response, I don’t want to seem desperate. So what’s a girl to do?

Wait.

It’s the hard painful truth. Once you have done all that you can do in terms of sending out a strong cover letter and a strong resume (assuming mine and your’s are of course strong, which they will be if you come to our CDC) (Yes I know that was a shameless plug), you just have to wait. Now there are a few things you can do in the meantime. Make sure you make a follow up call. About one and a half to two weeks after you sent in your information, it is alright to call to see if the company received your materials, and to check if they need anything else. Unfortunately, that still means you are waiting for one to two weeks. I have been waiting for 5 minutes, and already I want to call and say, “Hey! Did you get my information? Do you have a position for me?” but that’s not really an option.

So we wait. We work on more cover letters, more resumes, and more homework, and we wait for the big kid world to tap us on the shoulder and put us in the game.

The truth is, it’s hard to send something that you have spent so many hours perfecting to a stranger. How do you know if they will love and appreciate it like you have? Will they catch the imperfections you didn’t? Well, you can’t think about that anymore. You just have to realize you did the best you could, and it is up to the company now. But before you send anything make sure you have done these three things:

1. Make sure you have used the right company’s name in your resume and cover letter. You won’t get the job if you can’t remember which company you are applying for.
2. Have a friend proof read your materials. Even if you never make it into the CDC (which you should) have a roommate or a BFF look for spelling errors and sentences that don’t make sense. Encourage their honesty; this is no time for flattery.
3. Take a moment before your mouse hits the send key, or you drop that envelope into the mailbox to congratulate yourself, say you’ve done what you can do, and send it off with wishes. Sitting there fretting will accomplish nothing. It’s done until the follow up call. Just don’t forget the follow up call if you told them in your cover letter that it was coming.

It is getting close to crunch time and employers may soon stop accepting applications for summer internship programs. So if you haven’t started to work on a resume, you might want to. More importantly remember that job fairs are coming up, as Carrie mentioned before. There is a huge one in Columbus this Friday, February 6. Call (419) 289-5064 for more information. Stick with me.