Using CSO Abroad

This week’s blog was written by Samantha Rutishauser, senior Communication major at CU-Boulder         

                                                                                

Anyone who has spent a semester abroad, or even those just about to embark on an international journey, knows that there is stress that comes along with the adventure. Anticipating a 4-month departure from your school, your family, your friends, and your country is a huge change. While packing and planning, in the back of your mind are thoughts about the return home and the inevitable question that results: “How am I going to find a job when this is all over?”

The idea of going an entire semester without close proximity to potential jobs and internships is daunting. While they are abroad many students feel helpless in trying to find future employment and end up dismissing the issue until they return home. However, this misconception is risky and completely avoidable. The answer is utilizing online career resources that are available to you no matter where in the world your semester takes you.

CU-Boulder’s Career Services Online, aka CSO, is an online database that posts new and exciting opportunities for jobs and internships available throughout the year. Though away from campus, CU students abroad who sign up for CSO will receive email updates of new opportunities and can use CSO to search and apply for jobs even while they are out of the country. That way when they return home from their semester away this daunting problem will already be taken care. Additionally, counselors at Career Services help students coordinate interviews with potential employers via phone or Skype and provide the resources and assistance students need to feel comfortable interviewing through both mediums.

I spent a semester abroad in Prague last spring. I knew the upcoming summer before my senior year should be spent working, but the longer I waited to start looking, the less chance I had at finding a job or internship. I made it a priority to routinely take a break from exploring my new surroundings to check the Career Services Facebook page, weekly emails, and CSO for any opportunities that struck my interests.

This eventually led me to come across a natural foods company in Denver called Love Grown Foods, looking to hire a marketing intern for the summer. I tailored my resume to the position, wrote a cover letter detailing my interest, and submitted them both through CSO. I heard a response within days and enlisted the help of a career counselor to help me set up an interview that week. We organized a time for me to conduct my interview over Skype with the potential employer. The idea of interviewing via webcam seemed daunting, especially considering the significant time difference between Prague and Colorado. Luckily, CU’s career counselor worked with both the employer and me to schedule a time that was convenient for us both.

After a successful interview and a few days of follow up emails, I heard back that I had gotten the internship at Love Grown Foods and was set to start upon my return home in the summer. Career Services Online made the entire process extremely easy and efficient, despite me being so far away from home and school. In the end, I was able to enjoy my time abroad, and also come home to a rewarding summer job that provided valuable internship experience.

Don’t Let a Fake ID Ruin Your Big Break

  This post was written by Kai K. Harvey, sophomore Economics major at CU-Boulder 

The job hiring process isn’t what it used to be. Digging up dirt on people has become increasingly easier in the modern era of computers, social networking, and digital cameras. Furthermore, the job market has become increasingly competitive. When competing against 20 other competitive applicants for a coveted position, a single disciplinary mistake can ruin your chances completely. Because of this, it has become even more important to carefully monitor your personal choices, straying away from bad decisions NOW that will follow you around for the rest of your career.

Most people don’t consider using a fake ID a major offense, but it can have major implications on your career path. There is a common misconception business owners punish fake ID users only by confiscating the license. No legal trouble, no future consequences to worry about, just no more fake ID, right? Wrong. Due to recent crackdowns on alcohol laws, especially in college towns like Boulder, people are beginning to treat using fake IDs as the serious offense that they are. If you get caught, there is a very good chance you will be reported to the police and it can interfere with your ability to continue your education at CU. If caught with a fake ID you will most likely be faced with mandatory community service completion, a fine that ranges from hundreds of dollars or even jail time. You could also end up with a permanent mark on your criminal record that every employer in your future can find out about.

In the last few years, Boulder has seen a spike in fake IDs. If you get caught with a fake ID, you may think future employees may not penalize you for the mistakes of your youth (they were all in college once too!). Is the possibility worth the risk though? We definitely don’t think so! Think of it this way: when you apply for that dream job of yours at a large national corporation or a small local company you are sure to be up against quite a few other candidates. If the only difference between your resume and someone else’s is that you happen to have an underage alcohol charge, you probably won’t be the one hired. Unfortunately, a lot of the best job positions out there are highly competitive, so something as seemingly unimportant as an MIP or a fake ID ticket doesn’t seem so insignificant when you’re getting turned down from every interview.

Think that you’re “careful” and will never get caught using a fake? Well, think again. Boulder Police received a Federal grant to go after underage drinkers, and in the last few years have confiscated over 3000 fake IDs! Last March, a CU student was arrested for operating a fake ID ring and faced felony charges for possessing forged documents. Detectives used Facebook to link others to the fake IDs and the consequences of a conviction are severe. CU Restorative Justice offers first-time offenders a chance to learn from their mistakes rather than face a potential felony conviction, but only if they contact their office within a week of the violation.

With Spring Break coming up next week, remember to be smart every night you’re out on the Hill, trying to go to bars in your hometown, and especially if you’re on vacation where the legal drinking age is 21. Getting into a bar or having a drink at a restaurant is definitely NOT worth the trouble it could cost your career in the long run.

I’m on LinkedIn – Now what? Part 1

This blog was written by Brittany Moore a senior pursuing a double degree in Business Marketing and Broadcast News.

Part 1: Building your LinkedIn Profile

With over 150 million members, LinkedIn is the leading professional networking and job search social media site on the web.  Resumes are not enough anymore. With eighty percent of companies using LinkedIn to recruit, it is crucial to have a professional online presence. 

Building Your Profile

The first and most crucial aspect to creating a LinkedIn page is setting up your profile.  Building your profile begins by setting up your experience and educational information.  You can do this by either uploading your resume or inputting your experiences manually.  Regardless of the method you use to upload your experience, double check the experience descriptions and make sure it is in-depth and accurate.  Contrary to the resume, you have as much room as you need – so use it!  This also means you can add any high school experience in order to gain more networking contacts. 

Another step towards building your profile is creating a keyword rich summary that is concise, specific, and the spelling/grammar is correct.  The summary can be up to two paragraphs and is more or less considered to be your general cover letter explaining who you are and what you want to do. 

The next step to building your profile is collecting recommendations.  Similar to asking for references and recommendation letters, you should ask someone you know well to write a positive and professional note. Give them enough time to write a recommendation and don’t expect it that same day. Remember to thank them once they have written one for you. Suggestions for people to ask for recommendations include: professors, supervisors, bosses, and colleagues.  Recommendations are usually a couple of sentences long and highlight one of your strengths or accomplishments.  An example of a LinkedIn recommendation looks like this:

Brittany has worked for me as a Peer Career Advisor.  In an effort to increase the information our office provides for students, Brittany initiated and co-created a presentation on using social media in the job search for CU-Boulder students.

Finally it is important to link your profile to all of your other efforts including: Twitter, personal websites, professional websites, blog, work portfolio, etc. 

Once your profile is finished, it is important to advertise it through your email signature line, business cards, and the contact information on your resume. 

For more information about using Twitter and Facebook to job search and create a professional online presence visit the following web pages:

1. CU Career Services Twitter Help
2. CU Career Services Facebook Help
3. Create an Online Presence 
4. Leverage Social Media 
5. Linkin’It Up  Presentation

How to Market Yourself Through Social Networking

In light of our ever-changing technological society, the Peer Career Advisors are facilitating an innovative workshop to share resources and opportunities to market yourself using social media. The workshop will focus on the primary social media tools and how to incorporate a professional edge when using these sites. The first half of the workshop will review best practices for Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and personal/professional websites to further your knowledge on the sites and how to use them to attract employers. The second half of the program will focus on LinkedIn with a demonstration and thorough review of the website and its benefits for students. LinkedIn is the primary professional networking site and is extremely useful and easy to use. Linkin’It Up is a great way to keep up with new digital media and learn how to adequately market yourself in a professional manner! Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops to follow along for a hands-on learning experience. The next workshop is April 5^th from 5:30-7:00  in C4C S350 so be sure to join us!

Stay tuned for Part 2: Using LinkedIn to Job Search on April 5^th!eam. As a young person, I envisioned the rewarding career in Broadcast Journalism and what it would provide. Due to my outgoing and determined personality, I started achieving many goals throughout high school and in college.

Getting Ready for the Just in Time Career Fair: Tips for Success

This week's post is written by Kai K. Harvey, sophomore economics major at CU-Boulder

The Just in Time Career Fair is coming up on Tuesday April 3^rd from 9am-3pm in the UMC Ballroom. If you’re like me, you are probably pretty thankful there will be one last chance to find a great summer internship or job! Maybe you have already been applying for summer work, but you were banking on one particular opportunity that didn’t work out and now you’ve got nothing lined up for summer. Maybe you have just been busy and haven’t had time to apply for summer jobs.

At any rate, if you have nothing lined up, don’t worry- you’re not alone! The good news is that the Just in Time career fair will be chock-full of employers looking to fill their summer internships and full-time positions; in fact, every single employer must be hiring in order to participate in the fair! That means that we all have one good last shot at getting a job or internship! Since this is the last career fair this school year, it’s important to make sure we are fully prepared for the career fair! Make sure to follow these tips so you don’t get stuck washing dishes this summer.

1.   Polish your resume and get ready for the fair

At this point, many of you have probably already applied for jobs. The response you’ve gotten from employers after turning in your resume is a great way to judge its strength. If you haven’t been getting many call-backs, it may be time to revise your resume. Try including things you haven’t included before (like volunteer work or past experience you decided to omit), or simply re-formatting it so important accomplishments are more emphasized. There are a lot of subtle techniques that are critically important to making a good resume that frequently get overlooked, so don’t just rely on yourself to make a great resume. Let us help you too! Check out Walk-In Resume Critiques on Monday, April 2 from 1:30-4pm in C4C N352. These are quick 15-minute appointments to make great last minute revisions to your resume. We are open Monday through Thursday of Spring Break for regular one-hour appointments so call us today at 303.492.6541 to schedule an appointment.

2.   Reflect on your interviews

Reflect on your successes or failures from past interviews. Were you typically offered jobs after interviewing, or where you frequently turned down? If you have had several interviews, but no job offers or positive feedback, it’s time to talk to a career counselor to get some useful tips on interviewing. As with resumes, there are a lot of subtle skills involved in interviewing that can make the difference between getting hired and losing out on a great opportunity. Career Services offers Mock Interviews for those interested in feedback about their interviewing skills and tips for improvement. These are one-hour sessions with a career counselor and can be scheduled by calling our office. Check out some interview videos here.

3.   Take it seriously

The Just in Time Career Fair is one of your best chances to find a job or internship, so take it seriously. Earlier in the year, you may have been unsure about exactly where you wanted to work or what you wanted to do. At this point, its decision time. Handing out resumes to lots of different employers and applying for a large number of random jobs are great strategies early in the year; it allows you to get an idea of what’s out there and what your possibilities are. Now, it’s time to be more aggressive. Pick a smaller number of positions that interest you, and aggressively pursue them. That means sending follow up emails, spending as much time as possible conversing with the recruiters, extensively researching the company beforehand, and doing everything possible to stay in constant contact with the companies’ hiring manager. Turning in a bunch of applications and waiting to see who responds is NOT a good strategy at this point. Check out our Career Fair Tips handout here.

4.   Target specific companies

Download the Career Fair Guide and target companies you want to apply to BEFORE you attend the career fair. If you want to make sure you will be offered a position, it really helps to show the employer that you have taken the time to research the company and know a little about what they do. Don’t ask the recruiters, “So, what does your company do?” Know what they do! Show them you are passionate about what their company does and set yourself apart from your competition.

5.    Tailor your resume

After you know which organizations you are interested in, make specifically tailored resumes AND cover letters for these organizations. A cover letter will show an employer that you are dedicated to THEIR Company, and you’re not just handing out boatloads of resumes to whoever will take them. Make sure to include the company name and position title in your resume for each job you apply to. Do not send a generic resume. See some sample resumes and cover letters here.

6.    Leave your backpack, friends and parents at home

Hopefully it’s a no-brainer to leave your parents at home, but please leave your friends and backpack at home too. Why, you ask? Friends and backpacks can get in the way of some really great opportunities and conversations. You want to be focused when talking with recruiters, so the fewer distractions you have, the better. Let your friends be there to support you in the job search later, but right now it’s your time to shine. Independence is a great quality to have and employers will notice if you’re there with a group of friends giggling and playing follow the leader. They want someone who can be a leader. Backpacks should be left at home so you can feel free and comfortable. If you can’t do that, rent a locker by The Connection bowling alley on the first floor and save yourself some heartache by having a secure place to store your valuables.

7.    Dress to impress

While a suit is not an absolute must- clean, ironed and well-fitting dress clothes are a great way to hit a home run at the fair. Dress slacks, button up shirts, ties and dress shoes are the way to go for men if you don’t own a suit. For women, skirts or slacks can work, along with a nice shirt and dress shoes that are comfortable to walk in. Ladies- if you’ve worn a skimpy dress to the bars or clubs, don’t wear it to the career fair. It’s not a professional look and sends the wrong message. Guys- don’t wear tennis shoes with your suit. You’re not the Biebs. See some ideas of interview dress here. Lastly, keep the cologne and perfume to a minimum. No one wants to be near someone who bathed in cologne or perfume.

Hopefully you found these tips helpful. While it is pretty late in the game to be looking for internships and summer work, with perseverance, dedication and some real preparation, there’s still a chance for you. Bring your A-game and do everything you can to stand out as a star candidate. Good luck, and I’ll see you there!

Nate Reed's Social Media Internship with Ramblin' Jackson

By Kelsey McWilliams, Marketing Intern at CU-Boulder Career Services

Nate Reed, a senior advertising major, is enjoying an awesome internship in Boulder as he finishes his final year at CU. He works as the social media intern for Ramblin' Jackson, a small multimedia marketing and branding agency in Boulder.

Ramblin' Jackson works with social media, video editing, video promotions, Facebook advertising, and email marketing. The company culture is "very laid back, despite an incredibly busy schedule," Nate said. "A sense of humor is always prevalent here and shows in their work. Also, due to the work being done with smaller companies, you really get to know the clients well," he added.

Nate found out about the internship opportunity with Ramblin' Jackson through Career Services Online (CSO). Our office led Nate to the internship, but he took care of writing his resume, cover letter, and doing interview preparation on his own – great job, Nate! Our career counselors also offer assistance with these services for those of you looking for a little extra help!

At work Nate is responsible for producing and updating blogs, writing copy for Facebook advertisements and email campaigns, and sitting in on client meetings. His opinion as an intern is clearly valued by the company because he is even asked to give feedback and ideas at some meetings! Nate also takes care of other odd jobs related to advertising and social media. “For example, I was responsible for producing content for a live twitter feed during a workshop/presentation one day,” he said.

Nate says that his social media internship is helping him expand his skills in advertising. He is learning how smaller companies like Ramblin' Jackson approach advertising their business through Facebook, email and other media outlets. Nate has also witnessed the dynamics of a client/agency relationship, which is built when devising a campaign or promotion.

While Nate’s internship is unpaid, he recognizes the many benefits that it will bring to him in the future. His takeaways include, “Valuable knowledge of the inner workings of a small setting agency as well as a multitude of skills that will be useful when searching for a career in a similar field.” Nate hopes that he will be able to use the skills and connections he has garnered at Ramblin' Jackson to help pursue a career in the future.

Career Services encourages all CU-Boulder students to embrace the opportunities that unpaid internships offer. I myself had an unpaid internship last summer that taught me more than I had ever learned during my paid positions in the past. So don’t hesitate, check out Career Services Online and find yourself a fantastic internship just like Nate’s!

How an Informational Interview Helped Me Land My Summer Internship

This week’s blog was written by Laura Chernikoff, senior Film Studies major and TAM minor at CU.

My experiences with informational interviews directly led to a summer internship in Santa Monica, CA. This summer, I will work  for BermanBraun, an independent media company that has film, television, and digital divisions. After several conversations with one interviewee she offered to pass on my resume if anything came up. Her recommendation helped me immensely, in addition to the advice and information that other individuals I spoke with offered through the informational interview process. 

1.  What is an informational interview?

The best way to explain this is that an informational interview is akin to a reverse job interview. YOU get to interview the job, rather than the other way around. It's your opportunity to talk to someone with a career that is related to your interests, and to hear about their firsthand experience. It is a networking opportunity in which you are information gathering and seeking industry advice. It can't be stated enough, however, that you are NOT asking for a job, just a conversation. The relationship you build from an informational interview may help you get a job down the road, but you certainly don't want to ask for it at this point.




2. How did you find people to do informational interviews?

I started with my parents' address books. From there I moved on to my friends, friends of friends, and acquaintances. I just started letting everyone know that I'd like to talk to anyone related to my industry. My dad even got in touch with a friend from his childhood whom he thought would be helpful. I searched LinkedIn and used my other social networks (Facebook and Twitter) to ask friend if they knew anyone I could talk to. I asked persistently for six months, and it finally paid off. 




3. What has been your experience with informational interviews?  Successes and failures?

Entering the film industry, there was one thing I kept hearing: It's all about who you know. Living in Colorado, however, I don't know very many people working in film in Los Angeles. So, informational interviews have been a CRUCIAL part of my networking, internship search, and I'm sure they will contribute to my job search in the future. 

I say this despite the fact that honestly, I very nearly gave up. My first two informational interviews were not that helpful. In fact, one didn't even happen. I was introduced to someone, but then never actually managed to pin down a time to talk. The second was just plain discouraging because it was with someone who had been out of the industry for a few years and was rather cynical about it. Then, I ended up connecting with several people whose jobs barely related to what I wanted to do. Despite these experiences, I stayed with it, and in the end had at least three wonderful conversations, one of which built a connection and helped me get a summer internship.

I was unable to conduct any informational interviews face to face. Phone conversations, I found, were ideal, but not always possible. I feel comfortable communicating via email, so if it seemed like it would be less trouble for the interviewee, I would offer, and be very careful to sculpt my questions and responses in writing.




4.  What questions did you ask that were particularly helpful?

More and more, I found that it was hard to plan a basic set of questions. I was always changing what I'd ask based on who the person was, how well I knew them, how long they've been in the industry, and how the actual conversation went. But, I would often try to use the following as a good starting place: 

• Tell me about your path to where you are now.
• What jobs and experiences led to your current position? 
• What do you enjoy most about what you do? What do you find most challenging?
• What do you recommend to someone starting in the industry? 


5. What would you recommend to someone who has never done an informational interview?  Any tips?

Never say no to a chance to talk to a professional. Even if you think their job has nothing to do with your goals, you never know what you will learn from them. I kept putting off pursuing one connection because I assumed it would not be helpful, and it ended up being the best conversation I had! Don't stop asking for connections, and never turn down any chance to conduct an informational interview.

Using Twitter and Facebook to Job Search

This post was written by Brittany Moore a Broadcast News and Business Marketing student at CU

Job searching is no longer about circling classifieds in the paper. Like many other things job searching has become more technologically advanced.  With 89% of companies using social media in 2011 to recruit, job seekers should be referring to social networking sites for their job search initiatives. Two of the largest social networks around today are Twitter and Facebook. Although you might have previously used these sites for only personal reasons, they are also beneficial tools to use in your job search.

Twitter

There are two ways to use Twitter:

1. Be a follower (reading tweets)

      2. Be a creator (writing tweets)

Both uses of Twitter are beneficial in job searching and building a professional online network. The best ways to find professionals and discussions in your industry is through hashtags.  A hashtag (#) is a grouping of a larger discussion topic on Twitter. Several professional hashtags you can try seeking out are: #jobs, #yourcityjobs, #yourindustry, #resumes, #employment, and #hireme. In addition, there are professional websites associated with Twitter like www.tweetmyjobs.com and www.twitterjobcast.com.  These sites allow you to create a professional profile and then advertise it to professionals on Twitter.

Facebook

Facebook is one of the most widely known social networks on the web, which means that it can be helpful or harmful as a professional online resource. Due to the extensive amount of people who have personal Facebook profiles, the social network is one of the leading contributors to negative online appearances. Because of this it is really important to make sure that your personal and professional profiles are separated and that the appropriate privacy settings are in place. On the contrary, Facebook can be a very useful tool in terms of job searching and creating a professional online presence. Many professionals choose to have a professional presence on Facebook due to the sheer number of people on the site. To create a professional Facebook page follow these steps.

For more information about using Twitter and Facebook to job search and create a professional online presence visit the following web pages:

1.                  CU Career Services Twitter Help

2.                  CU Career Services Facebook Help

3.                  Create an Online Presence 

4.                  Leverage Social Media 

5.                  Linkin’It Up Presentation

Linkin’ It Up: How to Market Yourself Through Social Networking

In light of our ever-changing technological society, CU Career Services’ Peer Career Advisers (PCAs) facilitate an innovative workshop to share resources and opportunities to market yourself through social media. The workshop focuses on the primary social media tools and how to incorporate a professional edge when using these sites. The first half of the workshop will review best practices for Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and personal/professional websites to further your knowledge on the sites and how to use them to attract employers. The second half of the program will focus on LinkedIn with a demonstration and thorough review of the website and its benefits for students. LinkedIn is the primary professional networking site and is extremely useful and easy to use. This workshop called “Linkin’ It Up” is a great way to keep up with new digital media and learn how to adequately market yourself in a professional manner! Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops to follow along for a hands-on learning experience.

Upcoming Presentation Dates:

Tues, March 6, 5:30pm, C4C S350

Thurs, April 5, 5:30pm, C4C S350

Study Abroad: How This Experience Has Continued to Help Me in My Career Search

This week's post is written by Kai K. Harvey, sophomore economics major at CU-Boulder

Studying abroad is one of the most valuable experiences you can have while in college. Anyone who has spent time studying in another country is sure to tell you that taking the adventure and dedicating time to travel was one of the best decisions they made as an undergrad. There are lots of reasons why studying abroad is a great idea, but what a lot of people don’t realize is just how beneficial it can be for your career.

Last semester, I traveled to Lima, Peru and directly enrolled in a university there. I studied with Peruvians, hung out with Peruvians, and lived with Peruvians. Apart from being an absolute blast, I have just started realizing exactly how much my time abroad will help me advance my career goals and job search. One of the obvious benefits of spending time in Peru was practicing and improving my Spanish with fluent speakers. Before I traveled to Peru I spoke a little Spanish, but I just wasn’t comfortable putting “Fluent in Spanish” as a skill on my resume. Now, my Spanish has greatly improved to the point of fluency! Speaking a second language gives you a huge advantage over other candidates when applying for a job.

Beyond the language skills, I experienced world issues from a unique perspective. I’m an Econ major, so getting to see the issues surrounding economic development in a third-world country in person was invaluable to me. After spending time in Peru, I now have a better understanding of the significance of economic diversification, infrastructure, exchange rates, foreign investment, and the effect that lack of access to higher education has on the stratification of social classes.

Seeing these issues outside of the United States allowed me to draw comparisons and more accurately analyze their roles in countries’ economies. This knowledge is incredibly important for me to have, so when I interview with a potential employer I can bring the information I have learned to the company, whereas many other candidates could not do so.

Aside from everything I’ve already listed, studying abroad can enhance your skills and resume. Studying abroad can be compared to an internship because of the amount of invaluable life skills you learn. My advice to CU students would be to list their study abroad experience on their resume and highlight the skills they learned from this experience.

My time abroad benefited me in more ways than I could have imagined. I had the time of my life, broadened my worldview, became educated on foreign policy and foreign politics and furthered my career. If you’re hesitant about living in a different country, just ask someone who has studied abroad about their experience. I guarantee that the experience will be worth it for you personally and professionally!