Make your own business cards

Have you ever been in a situation where you met an influential person in your field of interest and he/she asked for your contact information, and your only option was to quickly and unprofessionally jot down your information on a scratch piece of paper?  If you answered yes, there is an easy solution to this problem – BUSINESS CARDS!  Having and distributing business cards may seem unnecessary or too advanced for many college students, but the truth is you don’t have to be a high-powered business executive to distribute information.  The most basic level of networking involves distributing your contact information. Subsequently, having a professional business card available at all times is a great idea. You’ll never know who you’ll meet. 

Business cards can include everything from:

-       Name

-       Company name (if applicable)

-       Title (if applicable)

-       Personal/Business Address

-       Personal/Business Phone Number

-       Personal/Company Website

-       Personal LinkedIn (or any other professional social networking source) Account Web Address

-       Blogs

How to Make/Buy Business Cards

In order to design and obtain personalized business cards, you can be as simplistic as designing and printing them on your own or designing them on an easy-to-use professional business cardwebsite.  If you choose to make your own business cards, there are free templates available in Microsoft Word.  Overnightprints.com and Gotprint.net also offer affordable business card templates, or you can design your own and have them printed at a local printer such as The UMC InkSpot.

Text Message Business Cards

For those of you who are tech savvy, you may want to consider text message business cards.  Contxts (www.contxts.com)  is an online service and smart phone app that allows you to send and receive mobile business cards through SMS text messaging.  When you register either on their website or through the smart phone app, you choose a username and enter in any contact info you want to appear on your SMS business card – email address, phone number, social networking sites, and more. 

Once you have saved your SMS business card, there are two ways to exchange it with someone that you meet.

To send your recipient your contact information

To send your SMS business card to someone, text “send theirnumberhere”, replacing “theirnumberhere” with your recipient’s 10-digit phone number.  Shortly after, your recipient will receive your SMS business card.

To exchange information with each other

1. The person you want to send your SMS business card to texts “yourusername” to 50500, replacing “yourusername” with the username you registered on Contxts. 
    
2. Shortly after, you will receive a text message asking you to confirm that Contxts should send your SMS business card to your recipient (that is, unless you have turned off this feature).
    
3. After confirming, your contact will be send your information, and you will be able to save their number through the confirmation text message.

Business cards are one of the simplest, yet most important tools you can use when you're networking, so make sure to bring them with you when you're going to an event; you never know who you'll meet and want to exchange information with.  Be sure to bring some of your business cards to hand out to new professional contacts at Career Services' Annual Networking Night on October 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the C4C Abrams Lounge. We'll see you there!

Casual Fridays: Business casual in the workplace

Student models Z and Elolm at last week's
Suit Yourself fashion show.

You have just finished your fourth day at your new job when your boss comes up and tells you, "Feel free to dress for casual Friday tomorrow."

"Hmm, business casual clothing," you think as you scrunch your brows in concentration and try to remember what characters on "The Office" wore for their weekly office ritual.

Business casual is a broadly defined dress code permitted in some workplaces. Its purpose is to allow employees to dress in a more casual, comfortable manner than more formal attire, such as suits and ties, according to the Colorado Daily's article, "A Casual Conversation." Each company defines business casual differently depending on location, company culture, and daily agendas, among other factors.    

If you're unsure how exactly a company you're working at or interviewing to work at defines business casual, there are a few steps you can take to figure it out:

1. If you have already been hired, think back to the company's interview process. What was everyone in the office wearing? If business casual attire is permitted for an upcoming interview you have at a company, it's safer to dress more conservatively for the interview and your first few days of work until you're more familiar with the dress code.
2. Factor in location. Are you working at a company on the East Coast or Midwest? Though it's not true with every company, employees located in these regions tend to dress more conservatively.
3. What type of company do you work for, and what department are you in? Again, not always, but sometimes technology companies have a less conservative, more casual dress code. Ask around the office or ask the receptionist what employees typically wear.
4. Who are you meeting with that day? If you have an appointment with a potential client, dressing up is always the safe bet.

If you're still unsure what to wear, here are a few basic guidelines for business casual attire:

• Women: Slacks, skirts that are knee length or longer, button down blouses or shirts, sweaters that aren't too tight fitting, jackets, blazers or vests, dressy shoes with low or flat heels, minimum makeup, and conservative accessories.
• Men: slacks, khakis, chinos, gabardine trousers, button down or knit pullover shirts with a collar, sweaters with a collared shirt underneath, business or sports jackets, dressy shoes with matching brown, dark blue or black socks, or a tie if in doubt.

Remember, how you dress for internships, work, and career-related interviews should reflect your personal brand. Make sure your attire is a representation of how you’d like yourself to be seen by employers—clean, crisp, and professional.      

If you're still struggling to find something in your closet that qualifies as business casual and/or you're looking for more formal business attire, stop by Abrams Lounge on the third floor of the C4C today for Suit Yourself, a professional clothing sale sponsored by Career Services. We will be selling clean, gently worn business attire to students at a discounted price today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gently worn suits from designers such as Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Talbots and Jos.A.Banks will be on sale for $20, and jackets, shirts, pants and skirst will be sold for $5 to $10 each. Come pick out a new suit or jacket today!

Seniors, it’s time to start your post-grad job hunt!

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hi everyone, my name is Mindy Rappoport and I’m senior journalism major here at CU. Before I started working as a Peer Career Advisor in Career Services’ office, I would’ve never thought about applying for entry-level jobs when there are still eight months left before graduation! Recently, when I asked my friends who are CU seniors if they have started applying for jobs, I got the same response; “Now? No way, it’s only September!”

But, surprising as it is, now is really the time to start searching for jobs. While some companies recruit year round, others have deadlines to fill positions the following year. Companies like McGladery and Chevron already have internships and full-time positions posted on CSO. They will start accepting entry-level job applications from May graduates by the end of September to mid-October, according to Career Services Online.

If you’re not sure where to begin, here are four things you can do now to get started on your post-graduation job search:

1.     Polish your resume. The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to update your resume! Make sure your most recent job or internship is listed at the top, and that everything fits on one page of your resume. For more resume writing tips and templates, check out Career Services’ Resume Writing Quick Tips or head over to the third floor of the library (E303) for Resumes That Rock, our offices’ resume writing workshop, taking place Tuesday, September 13 from 5:30-7 p.m.

2.     Start researching companies you might be interested in. Pull up your favorite search engine and start exploring the websites of companies you might want to work. If you’re not sure what companies offer positions in your field of interest, log on to Career Services Online and use the “On Campus Interviews” tab to find out which companies will be on CU’s campus to interview seniors for entry-level positions.

3.     Network with former employers. Check in with contacts at past internships or jobs—you never know what positions they may be hiring for in the near future, or they might know another company that is searching for entry-level job applicants.

4.     Set up informational interviews. If you find a company or job you are particularly interested in, ask an employee at that company if they’ll meet with you so you can ask them questions about what a typical day in the office is like. By asking an employee questions beforehand, you’ll know if you’re interested in applying for a job at that company and what exactly it entails before you line up an interview (hopefully). For some ideas on types of questions you can ask a professional during the informational interview, check out Informational Interview Quick Tips.

If you’d like some more help, feel free to set up an appointment with one of the counselors in our office by calling 303-492-6541 or going online at https://www.securedata-trans12.com/ap/universityofcolorado/index.php?page=10.

Happy job hunting, seniors!

Get Involved!

Relevant experience is one of the most important factors employers look for on a recent college graduate's resume, according to CareerBuilder's annual college job forecast.

But what actually qualifies as relevant work experience?  Aside from internships, in CareerBuilder's survey, employers said they also take the following categories into consideration when they're looking for a perspective job candidate:

• Volunteer work
• Involvement in student organizations
• Organizing activities for sororities/fraternities
• Participation in sports
• Class work
• Part time jobs

With Student Involvement week kicking off on Tuesday, September 6, students will have the chance to check out a variety of different ways they can get involved on and off campus while preparing themselves for future careers.  Keep in mind that leadership, in particular, stands out on a resume.  Therefore, think about eventually taking on a leadership role in the above activities.

Lend a helping hand. If you're interested in philanthropic work, make sure to attend the Volunteer Fair from 11-2 p.m. on Tuesday in the UMC, where you can learn about more than 70 different volunteer opportunities!

Love to travel? Check out CU's Study Abroad Fair from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the UMC, where information will be available about 400 programs in over 70 countries.

Want to learn more about a club on campus? Wander over to the UMC Fountain area from 11-2 p.m. for the Student Involvement Fair, where you can meet members of different student groups and sign up to get involved.

College is only four years long; make sure that you made the most out of your experience and prepared yourself for a future career by checking out every opportunity available to you!