References and Letters of Recommendation

By Ethan Vernon, senior international affairs and Chinese major at CU-Boulder

           

Before looking for a job, you should already have your references figured out. References will be used by the majority of employers to confirm and qualify a prospective employee’s past work experience. Thus, who you choose as a reference should not be last minute decisions. Your references may simply be available to answer employer inquiries on your behalf, or may provide letters of recommendation.

           

You first need to identify who has enough knowledge of you as an employee and will be able to give a positive account of your experiences together. You should choose people you have had good experiences with and who are familiar with your work.

           

After narrowing your list of potential references, you have to let them know you are considering them by sending a reference request. This is typically done via phone or e-mail, with an e-mail having the added benefit of providing an easier way out for uninterested references. “Would you be able to provide a good reference for me?” or “Would you feel comfortable enough to give a reference for me?” are two examples of how to phrase your question in a way which will identify willing references who will likely have better things to say about you.

           

Once you have a list of willing references who agreed to help you out, you should provide them the most recent information regarding your work experience, your goals, and the progress of your job search. This will help them make connections between their experiences with you, your current experiences, and the future experiences you are pursuing. Things like your most recent resume, cover letter, and the company for which you are applying are all good pieces of information to provide. If you are asking for a letter of recommendation, it may be helpful to ask for accounts on your specific attributes, such as meeting deadlines or being responsible.

           

Lastly, it is important to realize that a good reference may go a long way in convincing an employer to hire. Thus, you should thank your references for their help. This can be as simple as sending thanks in an e-mail, or taking some time out of your day to provide personal thanks over the phone. Your references will appreciate the gesture.

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.

What's the Big Deal About Linked In?

Most likely you have heard about it – but why is this social networking site a MUST for college students entering the professional industry?


- “LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional networking on the Internet with more than 90 million members in over 200 countries and territories.”

- There were nearly two billion people searches on LinkedIn in 2010

- As of January 2011, LinkedIn counts executives from all Fortune 500 Companies as members. Its hiring solutions were used by 69 of the Fortune 100 companies at the end of 2010.”

- “It’s no longer enough to simply have a solid resume. Students now need a professional online presence.” (Holly Paul – US Recruiting Leader for Pricewaterhouse Coopers.)

- Recruiters are using Google to search for you… Both positive and negative online presence is taken into account during job recruitment

Check out this FREE workshop designed to help you navigate the world of social media and use to your advantage during your job search! All majors and years are welcome to attend!

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

Thurs, March 31, 6:30-8pm, C4C, S350, FREE!
In light of our ever-changing technological society, the Peer Career Advisors will facilitate 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 a 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.

Careers for the GLBTQ Community

Join us for a one-day conference for students and alumni from all Colorado universities and colleges. This conference will bring together students, alumni and representatives from GLBTQ-friendly local businesses and organizations for the purposes of education, career development and networking.


WHEN: Thursday, March 10th 2:00 – 8:00 pm

WHERE: Center for Community (C4C) 3rd Floor –Various Rooms

PRICE: FREE and open to the general public

Here's a schedule of events:

2:00-2:30pm Registration (Flatirons Room)

2:30-3:00pm Opening Session (Flatirons Room)

3:00-4:00pm Breakout Session 1

Out in the Workplace panel, Abrams Lounge

Self-Care During the Job Search, S350

4:15-5:15pm Breakout Sessions 2

Career Basics, N215

Social Justice panel, Abrams Lounge

Gender Identity and Expression, S350

5:30-6:30pm Keynote Speaker, Kirk Snyder (Abrams Lounge)

6:30-8:00pm Reception & Networking, (Abrams Lounge)

Several GLBTQ friendly local businesses that will be in attendance includes: Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Accenture.

To find more information about this event please visit the Career Services website and log into your CSO account and search the “Career Events” tab at the top of the screen.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in the Workplace

The goal of Career Services is to help CU students search for jobs and prepare to get hired. As a student services office, Career Services strives to assist all types of students. One issue students often ask about, but is rarely addressed, is workplace equality—specifically with regards to the GLBT community.

As described by www.hrc.org, federal law does “not protect employees from discrimination based on real or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation, although many cities, counties and states have such protections.” While federal law allows employers to fire their workers based on sexual orientation, many states have corrected this injustice with anti-discrimination laws of their own, including California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Workplace discrimination is a consequence of many potential factors, and it may never be completely abolished. However, as equal rights activists and campaigns continue to advance workplace equality, employers that maintain discriminatory practices are becoming a minority. (more...)

Career Services is moving to C4C!

Like many other student service offices on campus, Career Services is moving to the new Center for Community building! Career Services' new office will be housed on the third floor on the north side of C4C, and faces Hallet Hall, Regent Administrative Center and Koelbel Business. The new office will open on Monday, October 4, but in order to prepare for the move, Career Services will be closed on September 24, 29 and 30, and October 1, said Lisa Severy, Director of Career Services. (more...)