The secret to networking

Become career keen at the Annual Networking Night this Wednesday!

While unemployment rates in today’s job market have hovered around 9% for several years, the prospect of finding a job is promising for students who do their homework and start early. Yes, I’m talking about class projects and papers; but also, networking. Many people say the interview itself can make or break a job opportunity. However, I argue that employers begin to interview you much sooner than the formal interview process.

The job market is crowded with individuals looking for work, but rest assured, there are opportunities out there. Often there are many opportunities that go unapplied for on CSO (Career Services Online). So what’s the secret to finding a job? The secret is: companies are looking to meet their future employees early on in their college careers through career fairs, networking and internships. Intentionally reaching out to employers and people in positions to hire well before graduation has greatly aided CU students. This shows that networking works!

Fortunately for CU students, Career Services is hosting their Annual Networking Night this Wednesday, October 26, at 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Abrams Lounge (C4C). With over 40 industry professionals in attendance, this is a fantastic opportunity to meet employers from various industries and occupations. Along with learning about what types of opportunities await you after college, you may have the chance to spark a relationship that lands you a job. Sponsored by Pandora Radio and LivingSocial, this event has been a favorite among student job seekers for years. Free appetizers and beverages will be served. This event is open exclusively to CU-Boulder students and alumni. Pre-registration is highly recommended, but walk-ins are welcome! Register here.

Before attending the Annual Networking Night, here are some words of wisdom from Cori Shaff—Career Counselor and Student Outreach Coordinator:

- Try finding something in common with the potential employer when starting your conversation.

- Be sure to give a great first impression (attire, smile, handshake, and introduction).

- Research the companies in attendance to have something to talk about with them (this information can be found when registering for the event on CSO).

- After your conversation, ask for their business card so that you can contact them afterward.

- Be interested, interesting, and genuine!

- Engage other students in conversations. You never know how your connections can work for you in the future!

Testing Services

One of the many great features about Career Services is that we offer testing services to students in our office right here on campus. Many graduate programs and employers either recommend or require certain tests to qualify. We offer tests that can exempt you from courses here at CU, in addition to graduate, professional , and certification exams. If you’re unsure if your particular path requires a graduate/professional test, you may want to see a counselor today for more information. If you are interested in, or need to take a graduate school or certification exam, Career Services can help you along the way as well. We offer a broad range of tests from GRE, TOEFL, SAT, CLEP, to foreign language proficiency tests. To go about getting more information about the tests in general, or to schedule an appointment to take a test, contact Testing Services (give phone and website).  You can also meet with a Career Counselor to learn more.  We have  walk in hours, from Monday – Thursday between 1:30-4pm, or.ou can also stop by our office (Center for Community room N352) and schedule an appointment.

Changes to the GRE
The GRE is a computer-based test that determines your aptitude for graduate school, and is required by most programs. The GRE has recently changed, and if you are interested in seeing what these changes consist of, click on this link.

Here is the full list of tests that Career Services offer: ACT, LSAT, MCAT, PCAT, SAT, GMAT, GRE, MAT, MPRE, PRAXIS, and TOEFL

It’s never too early to start preparing for a test, so stop by Career Services today to figure out how to proceed with your preparation!

A Day in the Life of Co-Founder of Tweety Got Back, Rachel Ryle

Rachel Ryle, a CU alum, has found her calling…giving your Twitter page a free, custom designed background. As the co-founder and lead designer at Tweety Got Back, and in charge of digital and virtual goods at Threadless, Rachel has embarked on a new adventure that has made waves in the social media community.

Tweety Got Back, created initially as a hobby, grew into a business with countless paid partnerships and valuable and unique advertising aimed toward specific companies. Over the last year and a half, Tweety Got Back has gained an amazing 32,000 Twitter followers.

On top of creating eye-catching designs for Tweety Got Back, Rachel is also in charge of business development for the site. With the ever-evolving world of social media taking company’s websites to a new level, Rachel decided to reach for the stars with her goals, literally. 

Most recently, Tweety Got Back has worked with NASA to create out-of-this-world space themes for users. She’s constantly jumping fences and finding unique connections by helping bring value to new contacts. Through networking, Tweety Got Back connected and began a partnership with Threadless, offering Threadless artistic themes on the site.

Threadless, a Chicago-based company prints t-shirt designs created and chosen by its community of local artists. The digital and virtual worlds of gaming are growing rapidly, so the partnership has been mutually beneficial. At Threadless, Rachel helps develop business in gaming, always asking herself, “How can Threadless grow into the virtual world?”

Rachel helps Threadless better understand the gaming market in order to help raise market awareness. Threadless has developed deep connections and interactions with fans and consumers. “Threadless is a very unique community where they include their costumers. A ‘Threadless spotting’ is whenever we recognize a Threadless design on the street. We approach that person as a part of the community and give them a gift card. We simply consider it an investment,” said Rachel.

What’s in the future for you?

With Threadless’ business growing rapidly, Rachel is focused on developing new business relationships for Tweety Got Back. “I want to take Tweety Got Back to the next level by engaging with new consumers and finding interesting pockets of people,” she says. Tweety Got Back has paired with a cutting edge design firm in NY, Fueled. The strategic partnership will deliver brands to consumers in an artistic way.

What does a typical day look like you for?

- Wake up early and get going with new ideas. Rachel is always eager and excited for creation days.

- A visit to the coffee shop allows for a creative burst and allows Rachel time to create themes and engage with the community.

      - While creating, Rachel seeks users opinions and views.

      - When the workday is done, a bike ride around Boulder helps get the creative juices flowing.

      - After her bike ride, usually the ideas are flowing. Rachel works on blog posts and theme creations. “If I’m in the zone often these turn into power days that don’t end until 3 am.”

Public Service Jobs and Internships

Are you interested in obtaining a career with the government, but aren't sure how to pursue it? Come check out Career Services' Public Services Career Panel on October 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Abrams Lounge in the Center for Community. Some of the professionals serving as panelists at this event include Christine Berg, Community Outreach Manager at the Office of Congressman Jared Polis, and Katie McCune, a Program Evaluator at JVA Consulting who previously worked in Public Health.

Katie offered a little insight as to what it's like to work at JVA Consulting.

Q: How did you find your job?
A: I found my job on the Colorado Nonprofit Association website (great resource!), and I was one of the lucky few who was able to get a job even though I hadn't done any networking with the people at my organization prior to applying. I think this is really rare though, particularly in the public service sector.

Q: What does your day to day look like?
A: One of the beautiful (and sometimes stressful!) things about my job is there is very little "day to day stuff." As a consultant, I never know when a client will need support. That being said, on any given day, I might be conducting phone interviews to help an organization evaluate their programs, write grants, or draft reports for our clients to help them understand the results of an evaluation. However, no matter what is going on any given day, there is very rarely a day where I don't work closely with a team.

Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I absolutely love seeing all the great work that is going on in the world. All of our clients are so passionate about what they're doing, and just like happiness, that passion is contagious. I've become so much more aware of different social causes that were never before on my radar, and I think that is awesome! I also love the amount of learning that goes on in my job, and with every project, I gain a new perspective or new skill set. Finally, I love the collaborative aspect of my work because it makes me feel connected.

Q: What advice do you have?
A: Get out there and find ways to connect to the work you want to do, prior to applying for a job. In my opinion, internships are the best way to do this. The downside is many internships in the sector are unpaid, but looking back, I wish I had done an internship for credit while I was still in school. In this field, it's really important to have some experience with the population you want to work with and some connection to the mission, so an internship cannot only give you experience, but prove to future employers you're passionate about the cause. Also, as a wise CU Career Counselor once told me, network, network, network! I didn't fully appreciate how important this was until I was in the field, but this is how many people find their jobs. A great place to start is informational interviews, and from my own experience, I wish I had done a lot more of these during my job search.

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And if you're interested in internship opportunities that involve working with government or non-profit organizations, apply for the CU Public Interest Internship Experience (PIIE) for summer 2012. Those undergraduate students who are accepted to PIIE for summer 2012 will be able to chose to work at one of the pre-selected organizations, or create their own internship opportunity with a government or non-profit organization in Colorado. A few employers that PIIE interns have worked with in the past include the Boulder Valley Humane Society, the Colorado Council on the Arts, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Export Assistance Center), and the I Have a Dream Foundation.

Students interested in applying for PIIE must be full-time undergraduates at CU Boulder in good academic standing (2.0 or higher). In addition, applicants must be enrolled and returning to CU Boulder for at least one semester after they finish their summer internship. Those who are accepted to the program will be required to write a thank you letter to the donors and a reflective report at the end of their internship experience, as well as potentially make an oral presentation.

To apply, fill out the PIIE general application and submit it by November 18.

A Day in the Life of a Facebook Employee

Meet Travis Eagles-Soukup, a CU graduate from the class of 2011, who now works at Facebook's Austin, Texas, office. Travis stated he always had an interest in the different aspects of business, but at first he thought he wanted to study and get a job in finance. Upon positive experiences at Boulder start-up companies, including a technology company, he knew he wanted to end up in the fast-paced high tech/internet/start-up scene.

"From there, Facebook was a perfect fit," Travis said. "Even though it's technically no longer a start-up, it definitely feels that way. The amount of impact each employee can have and the variety of interesting challenges we face each day really makes the work a reward in itself."

After graduating with a business degree and an emphasis in operations information management and systems, Travis moved to Austin to start his job as a User Operations Analyst at Facebook, which he heard about through the Career Services' Careers in the Buff newsletter and the Career Fair. He applied for the job using Career Services Online. As an analyst, Travis is "responsible for maintaining user safety, engagement, and site understanding by responding to email inquiries and abuse reports." He also collects information about Facebook users' behavior, analyzes it, and then explains it to his department and the company.

Facebook's Austin, Texas, office

Travis says the most fun aspect of his job is working with his "incredibly intelligent, focused, energetic, resourceful, and fun" coworkers, who are always willing to answer any questions he has or point him in the right direction if they aren't sure of the answer. Because Facebook's office is completely open and doesn't have rooms or cubicles, Travis says it's easy to walk up and ask anyone a question.

"It's one of the most collaborative and supportive environments I've ever been in," he explains. "[...] Just look both ways first. You never know when a gang of Facebookers will come whizzing by on a few of the many scooters/skateboards/bikes/rip sticks ... conveniently placed around the office!"

While Facebook employees receive many benefits and perks, it's for a reason; Travis said he thinks employees who feel good are more likely to work harder, and that this rings true at Facebook.

"We work fast, prioritize ruthlessly, and do everything we can to make the largest possible impact every single day," he said.

In his spare time, Travis, who is an identical twin, enjoys skiing, watching movies, learning, singing in the shower, and almost any outdoor activity.

What does a day in Travis's life look like? 

> During the workweek, Facebook provides employees with three meals per day. From 9 to 10 a.m., Travis has breakfast in the cafeteria at Facebook, where he says the food is amazing. After breakfast, he collects his thoughts for the day, prepares for meetings, and finishes any work that didn’t quite get done the night before.

> From 10 a.m. to noon, Travis focuses on his individual work and attends various meetings, among other daily tasks.

> From noon to 1 p.m., he has lunch in the cafeteria with his coworkers.

> From 1 to 6:30 p.m., he completes more individual work and group projects, among other tasks.

> At 6:30, Travis has dinner before heading home for the day.

What's ahead for Travis?

"We’ll see where the journey takes me! I would like to say, however, that I hope to continue on the same path. This industry, the people I get to work with, and the impact I can make every day always leaves me wanting more."

Facebook will be holding a drop-in coffee hour on CU's campus on Wednesday, October 19, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in room N215 in the C4C. Come learn more about Facebook and available opportunities at the company. The User Operations Analyst, Risk Operations Analyst, and Security Engineer positions at Facebook are currently posted on Career Services Online. Be sure to submit your resume and answer the required questions before the application closes this Thursday, October 6! Facebook will be holding interviews on October 20 based on those students they meet at the drop-in coffee hour.

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Career Services will be holding their annual Fall Career Fair this Wednesday, October 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the UMC Ballroom, Room 235 and The Gallery. Over 100 employers will be there, so be sure to come dressed professionally, bring copies of your resume, and have specific questions for employers about jobs posted on Career Services Online. For more tips about how to prepare for the Career Fair, read our Career Fair Quick Tips and watch the video above.