If you're going to pick a job color, make it green!

Boulder is the premiere place for environmentally friendly people and companies. However, sustainability and the concept of environmentally friendly companies is a growing trend around the country for both employees and employers.

One Boulder company aiming towards creating a community full of sustainability efforts and environmental protection is Growing Gardens. Growing Gardens is a non-profit company trying to make a different by incorporating gardening, community and education.

Growing Gardens hosts numerous programs and events around the Boulder community including: community gardens, youth programs, neighborhood compost project, boulder community food project, and greenhouse work.

“We envision inspired people joining together to actively replenish their environment, their community and themselves. We believe in the power of people to co-create harmony between land, water, and all living things for generations to come.” – Growing Gardens Vision

Growing Gardens has a wide variety of internship opportunities posted on the CSO website. Several summer 2011 internships include: Cultiva! Market Garden Intern (Job ID: 24988), Environmental Education Assistant for Children’s Gardening Program (Job ID: 24986), and Horticultural Therapy Assistant (Job ID: 26413). Several other sustainable jobs/internships listed on CSO include the Wilderness Campaign Summer Internship (Job ID: 26096) and the PEC Fellowship Program 2011 (Job ID: 25598). Both programs are summer-long paid internships that provide excellent knowledge of environmental advocacy.

In addition to the great job and internship opportunities found on CSO, Career Services is hosting a Sustainability Job Search Workshop on February 24th in C4C S350 from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Join us for advice on job searches, internships, networking, strategies, and online resources for an environmentally friendly career.

Feel the Love and Enjoy a Free Breakfast This Thursday!

In a world where people now understand the importance of eating healthy, Love Grown Foods has penetrated the food industry with their organic, gluten free, an preservative free granola.  You can find this unique brand of granola in many local supermarkets, including: King Soopers, Vitamin Cottage, and Village Market.  However, there you will notice something special about the prices for this super-food, it’s the cheapest granola in the store!

Love Grown Foods, owned by two DU Graduates and staffed by friends and classmates, pledges to provide quality food to health-conscious consumers at a lower price than their competitors.  The company—which has yet to employ anybody over the age of 25—sprouted from the owners’ entrepreneurial spirit to supplement their love for the outdoors, active lifestyles, and passion for good food with healthy granola.  Since Love Grown Foods’ founding, the granola has been introduced to over 1,300 stores nationwide.
If you hadn’t noticed already, the trajectory of this business is slightly unconventional. Alex and Maddy, the founders, started this company immediately after graduation. While most college grads seek professional jobs upon graduation, these two decided to revolutionize the food industry instead. After countless hours in the kitchen perfecting the recipe and many late nights in the library reworking their business plan, Alex and Maddy were able to create their own company. Creativity and hard work enabled the couple to provide their own means of post-college employment.

Although Love Grown Foods has found great success as a young company in Colorado, they are looking to expand their honorable mission even further. But to do this, Alex and Maddy are looking for CU students (like you!) to help.

They are currently recruiting for these great internship positions, so apply today through Career Services Online!




• Public Relations Specialist- Job ID#: 25439


• Video Production Expert - Job ID#: 25440


• Social Media Intern/Expert/Rock Star - Job ID#: 25233

Love Grown Foods invites you to enjoy a free breakfast, and meet the owners this Thursday, February 17 from 9-11am in the Career Services Den, located in the Center for Community on the 3rd floor, N352. Please attend this casual meet and greet to learn more about Love Grown Foods and how they hope to revolutionize the way, and with what, we nourish our bodies.

 

How to Nail That Interview!

You’ve caught the recruiter’s attention with your resume and cover letter and now you are invited in for an interview. Sometimes this can be the most intimidating step in the job application process, but don’t worry because we’ve got some great tips to help you feel confident and ready to nail your interview.

PRE-INTERVIEW

1. Research, research, research!

The worst mistake you can make going into an interview is not researching the company. Companies want to know that you value their company and are passionate to work for them. So expect questions like: “ Why do you prefer X-Company above all others?” NEVER ask “What do you do here?” as you should already know that. It would also be good to add something in here about preparing your responses to the questions. This is always based on the position description & identifying the key qualifications/skills the employers is looking for.

2. Dress for Success

Regardless of what the company’s atmosphere is like, dressing in business attire is encouraged! By dressing up in professional attire you are giving the company the impression that you are serious and really care! Remember it is ALWAYS better to be overdressed rather than underdressed.

3. Arrive EARLY!!

Timeliness is always the first impression an employer takes note on so arriving late may start your interview off to a negative start. Traffic or “I couldn’t find my phone” is NO excuse. You should always give yourself enough time to get ready and drive to your interview with time to spare. This also includes making sure you are prepared with whatever you need to bring to the interview. Make sure you have a notebook for notes and questions, business cards, and an extra copy of your resume and cover letter .

DURING THE INTERVIEW

1. Be confident!

2. Avoid fillers (um, ah, etc). If you need a moment to collect your thoughts just pause.

3. Team Language. Respond to questions with phrases like: “As a member of your team…”

4. Appropriate nonverbal cues. Your nonverbal cues consist of fifty percent of your interview. Make sure you:

a. Have good posture

b. Lean forward

c. Occasionally nod your head in understanding

d. Maintain eye contact

5. Show off your personality and enthusiasm. Make sure you are positive and excited about the company and your possible job. It’s also crucial to be yourself. Remember, the interview is the time when the manager is deciding whether or not your personality is appropriate for their environment.

6. Relevant and specific information when giving examples. Read the position description thoroughly to identify what the employer is looking for and in your preparation, identify how your skills and experience match – then develop examples to demonstrate these skills and experiences.

7. Always have questions to ask them. During your preparation, create a list of general questions to ask at the end of the interview. You may also have additional questions you think of during the interview. Some may include: “Can you describe the characteristics and skills the ideal candidate will have?”, “What is the time frame for filling this position?”

8. End with confidence and enthusiasm. Be sure you end with a confident conclusion on what you discussed during the interview and why you are the best candidate for the job.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

1. ALWAYS send a thank you note. Whether it is an email or a personable hand written note, the employer will take notice and remember you better. Remember, in any part of the job search process, the more memorable you can make yourself the better you will stand out!

2. Within a week, if you have not heard back from the employer it is appropriate to politely follow up on the interview.

AVOID

- Wimpy handshake

- Poor eye contact

- Not professionally dressed

- Not comfortable talking about themselves

- Not practiced or prepared

- Not citing specific examples when providing answers

- Offers lame responses to weakness questions

- Asks about salary during first interview

- Not showing sincere interest or enthusiasm

- Not prepared to ask questions

Career Services offer appointments for interview preparation and mock Interviews. These interviews will help give you practice before the real deal. The last thing you want is to make mistakes during your actual interview! To schedule your appointment, visit the Career Services Website or call our office at 303-492-6541.

Optimal Resume - Getting a Kickstart to Resume Writing!

When it comes to writing resumes one of the most time consuming and frustrating parts is often the formatting. Fortunately, Career Services has a tool that takes the guesswork out of formatting. Optimal Resume is an online tool that allows you to put your resume together in minutes. Simply type in your information and let Optimal Resume do the rest of the work!
To access Optimal Resume navigate to the Career Services website and click on the students tab.

Next, click on the Resumes, CVs & Cover Letters link and select “Build your resume with Optimal Resume”.

If this is your first time logging into Optimal Resume, you will need to create a new account. To do this, click on the Create a New Account button and enter your @colorado.edu email. Once you have done this, you will find the validation code to access Optimal Resume in your @colorado.edu email account.
Once you have accessed Optimal Resume, you will need to fill out some contact/login information. After you have done this, in the document center select Create New Resume

At this point, you may either upload a resume you already have or create a new one. To create a new resume, enter in the resume name and click on Start Resume. Once you have done this, you can choose to Browse Section Sets, Browse Samples or Start From Scratch. By selecting Browse Section Sets, you will be able to select the type of resume you want to create or the sections you’d like to include in your resume.

If you navigate to Start From Scratch, you will be able to type in your heading: be sure to include your name, address, phone number and email.

Next, select the Style Resume option and select a style.

After you’ve selected your style, you can use the styling palette to select your font, margins, line spacing, line style and bullet style. Next, you can add sections by clicking on Add Section. This option allows you to create several types of sections.

While creating your resume, there are numerous links under the tools section to guide you in the process, including resume tips and resume samples.

Once you have created the desired number of sections and filled in your information, select Download and choose the format you’d like. Note: PDF is the safest way to send your resume- it ensures that whoever receives your resume will be able to open and read it.

The resume will be downloaded to your computer and saved in Optimal Resume for your future use.

Now that you’ve created your resume, it’s time to have it critiqued! To do so, email it to pcahelp@colorado.edu or come in for walk-in hours at Career Services- 1:30 to 4, Monday through Thursday. Career Services also offers Resume Writing Workshops. Look for the Workshops on February 16, March 8 and April 5. More information is available on the Career Services website.

How to Prepare for the 2011 Spring Career Fair

Each year Career Service puts on 3 huge career and internship fairs, with anywhere from 80 to 180 employers looking for CU-Boulder students and recent grads. Get ready, because the Spring Career and Internship Fair is being held this week!

Who: Companies and Professionals for ALL majors and ALL years (yes, even freshmen and sophomores)!

Where: UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom

When: Wednesday & Thursday, January 26 & 27 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

A variety of companies, employers, and professionals will attend the two-day event. This is a perfect opportunity to network and learn about possible internship and job opportunities. With so many professionals and possible opportunities it is important to come prepared. Use the following tips to make the most out of the 2011 Spring Career Fair!

1. Dress for Success! The atmosphere of the fair will be like any other job fair – professional! Treat this like an interview and dress in business professional attire. This is your opportunity to make a good first impression so make one that lasts. Remember, it is always better to OVER dress rather than UNDER dress!

2. Research the companies in attendance. Career Services has provided a list of companies coming to the fair each day. There are completely different companies attending each day! Please review these lists and choose several you are interested in talking to. Then once you get to the fair you won’t waste too much time figuring out the relevant companies you would like to visit with. Remember, if the company doesn’t list your major specifically, it’s ALWAYS worth talking to the recruiter to inquire about positions that may fit your skills and/or personality. This is a chance to sell yourself. Read through the list of companies attending both days of the fair here.

3.Bring your resume and cover letter. Make sure you bring your necessary professional documents to the fair with you: resume, cover letter, business cards, and a winning attitude. This is your opportunity to find companies you would like to intern or work for and give them your information to look at. Submitting your resume/cover letter at the fair gives you an automatic advantage since the professionals are already meeting you before reviewing your application. With a good impression and resume you have a great chance of finding an incredible opportunity. Even if you are slightly interesting in a company or position, give them your resume! It never hurts and the benefits could be really rewarding! If they tell you that they can’t or aren’t accepting resumes and to apply online, always do so right away. They’re not trying to brush you off, so definitely don’t get discouraged. For some companies, the only way they can accept resumes is online; this is due to EOE employment law. Don’t give up, just go online as soon as you can and apply.

We hope these tips help you get prepared and ready for an incredible 2 day fair! For more details on the Career Fair and to view employer profiles and positions they’re recruiting for, log into our CSO Website from our website: http://careerservices.colorado.edu.

Steps to Being an Effective Networker

Although resumes, cover letters, and applications are the technical way of getting a job or internship - in truth, many times the key to getting an interview is all about who you know! Creating a group of professional contacts in your career field and using them as references or for a source for career recommendations or suggestions is how we network. Although networking may seem easy to define, the process can sometimes be intimidating to begin. The following are tips to help you get started networking and building a list of professional contacts:

Networking Preparation:
1. Understand what your goal is for networking. This involves understanding what your career goals are. If you understand your career goals before meeting with your new contact you will not only be making a professional contact, but also be able to ask questions pertinent to your career and job market you aspire to be in.
2. Bring a resume or business card when networking with your new contact.
3. Have a 30 second summary of yourself ready to tell your networking professional.
4. Come prepared with any questions you may have!

Building a List of New Contacts:
1. Before contacting the professional – be prepared by writing a “script” or pre-written letter telling the contact about yourself, your networking & career goals, and what you hope to learn from your meeting with them.
2. Refrain from calling your meeting an interview – you are NOT interviewing for a job!

Following up with Contacts:
1. After your networking meeting make sure to ask for a business card! This way you have direct contact information and an address to send a thank you note.
2. Within a week after your meeting make sure to send a thank you note to your contact. Although it is ok to send an email it is more personable and memorable to send a handwritten note.
3. Keep track of the business card and information you received during the meeting. Try to keep in touch with your contact. Most people are more than willing to be contacted if you have any further questions.

Now that you have an idea of how to start networking, put your skills to the test and get more information from industry professionals. On Monday, January 24th from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Career Services will be hosting a "Recruiters Tell All" career panel in the C4C, 3rd Floor, Abrams Lounge. Recruiters will be there to answer questions and give tips about resumes, cover letters, networking, career fairs, salary negotiations and more. Bring your questions! No need to rsvp, just show up!

Internships in the Music Industry: Kelly Miller, Intern at Madison House, Inc.

My name is Kelly Miller, and I'm a senior Broadcast Production major in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. I'll be graduating this May and have been interning at Madison House for about a year now. I have learned so much about the music business. Madison House Inc. is a booking and management agency based in Boulder, CO. They represent clients such as String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, Keller Williams, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Zion I, Blackalicious and more. As booking agents, Madison House is responsible for contacting venues and scheduling tours. Their artists have been at venues and festivals across the country. They also serve as managers for many of their clients, as well as producers of Rothbury Festival, which hosted over 60 acts in 2008 & 2009.

As an intern, I assist the agents and their assistants with anything they ask for. This could be researching venues in different parts of the country that artists are trying to build a fan base in, entering show information into their system to see how many people came out for certain shows, or writing news blurbs for their new interactive website. The agents are so busy everyday, on the phone and in meetings, that they may never get up from their office chair and it is my responsibility to make sure that they have everything that they need.

What I enjoy most about Madison House is their idea of quality over quantity. While other agencies focus on having as large of a roster as possible, Madison House focuses on finding musical acts that they enjoy and sharing them with others. The agents have a close relationship with their artists, and that is not always the case with large agencies. Also, being based out of Boulder helps in the goal to expand the music industry to the Rockies. While most agencies stay in LA or New York, Madison House works to bring attention to the amazing artists and venues we have in Colorado, like Red Rocks. MH artists travel all over the world, but they make sure that Colorado is taken care of when it comes to being exposed to great shows.

My advice to students who are looking for internships in the music industry is to research and jump at any opportunity you can get! Begin with checking out Career Services Online (CSO) for internship positions. There are so many interesting opportunities on there, that you can really broaden your experience in many different areas. So many of these positions often go without being filled, so this is your chance to land an internship where you can not only learn valuable skills, but expand your network of professional contacts.

So many people want internships these days that it is important to work hard to earn your place. Before I started interning at Madison House, I was a production intern at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. I was hired almost immediately, along with other students, but once you were hired you needed to prove that you would work hard in order to stay. People who only worked for free tickets did not last very long. I would also recommend being specific about what you want to accomplish. I knew right away that I wasn't going to be the one setting up 50-pound speakers on stage and that I wanted to work in booking or managing. I approached my boss with what I was interested in and he really helped me out. He told me about Madison House and their internship program. In this industry, you really need to work your way up and prove that you have what it takes to be successful.

Career Services offers so many great services and events, for FREE, that I would highly recommend making an appointment with a counseling or going in during walk-ins to get assistance. I've been going to Career Services since my freshmen year and it's been so helpful. I feel more prepared for life after graduation because of all the events Career Services puts on and all the support they've provided. I would definitely encourage students to attend the next Annual Networking Night to practice your networking skills and learn more about what networking is. This event has helped me to feel more comfortable networking with employers and I can practice my networking and communication skills, something that employers really value, in a casual setting with people who are there to help me.