We recently held an event in the Union called Career Connection. Alumni and friends of Brockport sat on panels discussing their careers then met in the Ballroom for some networking. It was a great success.
Oh, you missed it?
That's okay, it's online! We actually have a database that houses contact information for many of our participating alumni. You can log into your Banner account, click on Career Services then Career Connection and BAM! you can search for alumni in your future career field.
While perusing the list of alumni, check out some of the suggestions they make. They talk about general topics such as networking, interviewing, resumes, etc. to more specific tips relating only to their career fields. Either way, these suggestions can benefit you.
Once you've looked through the list, you should have found at least one person worth speaking to about your future career. Each person provides his/her contact information as well as what he/she would be willing to discuss. Most are pretty open about their career paths and happy to share their stories and insights with you.
You may feel nervous, as I would, about contacting this stranger, but they provide their contact information willingly and in the hopes of helping current students. They know how you feel picking up the phone to call a stranger because they've probably had to do it many times in their careers. They also know how nerve-wracking and difficult it is to jump into a career, so please utilize their expertise!
If you're uncomfortable calling an alum right off the bat, try an email. Just remember to keep it professional. Make sure to introduce yourself as a student at Brockport who retrieved his/her name and contact information from the College's Career Connection database. Also, make sure to sign your full name. It's very frustrating to receive an email from a Jen when you know multiple girls with that name and spelling.
What if you already know quite a bit about your career field and find talking to someone about their time in the field as completely pointless? Well first, kudos to you for researching your career field! But, keep in mind that while these alumni may not be as helpful for you in continuing research about your intended field, they are still people in your network that you can utilize. Getting to know alumni is an excellent step into your career field. They may know of companies hiring for interns or full-time employees. They may also be able to give you invaluable insights into a company's inner-workings. These types of connections are more important than some people think.
Okay, so I know you are all going to visit the Career Connection database now so here is the link to Banner. Here is another link to an article discussing Informational Interviewing techniques and etiquette. You should look it over prior to meeting with an alum. Good luck!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Rochester Networking Group
If you're looking for something to do this weekend, you should check out the events calendar for Rochester Young Professionals (RYP). It's a local group that gets together every now and then to network, give back to the community, or just hang out at a cool new restaurant in the city. It's comprised of college students, recent grads, and young professionals (hence the name) who recently entered the workforce.
Visit the link above to find out about specific events, such as wine and food tastings, benefit walks, and conferences. These are all excellent opportunities to network with the up and coming individuals of Rochester as well as some seasoned business professionals. While becoming a member of RYP is free, the events may cost a fee for admission - some events provide a discount for RYP members though!
If nothing else, joining in some of these events will get you off your couch. But try to take advantage of all the possibilities that come out of professional networking.
Visit the link above to find out about specific events, such as wine and food tastings, benefit walks, and conferences. These are all excellent opportunities to network with the up and coming individuals of Rochester as well as some seasoned business professionals. While becoming a member of RYP is free, the events may cost a fee for admission - some events provide a discount for RYP members though!
If nothing else, joining in some of these events will get you off your couch. But try to take advantage of all the possibilities that come out of professional networking.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Welcome back!
Welcome back! Now that the first couple hectic weeks are over, I finally have time to update my blog. I find that coming back to school is always extremely busy in the first week: purchasing a parking pass, buying books, remembering how long it takes to find a parking spot (if you're a commuter) or remembering how long it takes to walk from the high-rises to Hartwell. Plus, there's the added excitement of seeing friends again after months of being away.
In addition to all of that, I've been celebrating my birthday for almost a week straight with family and friends. It's been a blast, but I guess it's time to get back to work. I'll be posting some new stuff soon! In the meantime, you could take the new networking poll.
Have a great semester!
In addition to all of that, I've been celebrating my birthday for almost a week straight with family and friends. It's been a blast, but I guess it's time to get back to work. I'll be posting some new stuff soon! In the meantime, you could take the new networking poll.
Have a great semester!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Interviewing!
Tips:
1. Research a company PRIOR to the interview. The person interviewing you will appreciate that you've already put work into learning about the company. You should try to get a sense of the hierarchy (organizational chart) before the interview so you know where the person interviewing you lands as well as where you would land if hired. Find out if the company has been in the press lately. Those articles will probably give you an updated look at the products and services as well as any drama you may want to avoid discussing. At the same time, you may discover the company's competition. Other information to find out prior to the interview should include the size of the company, location, and other open positions that you may be interested in.
To find this information, look at the company's website. Talk to friends and family that may already work there or who have worked there in the past. They may have information you'll never find on the web! You can also, like I mentioned above, look through newspapers and news sites for the most recent media coverage.
2. Come prepared with questions for the employer. Of course most questions will be answered during the interview. Appropriate questions will clarify something about the position, company, or specific tasks and responsibilities. For example, To whom would I report? How often? What are the most important tasks/issues of this position? What percentage of time would you like devoted to each of the key tasks? How many people would I oversee? What does this involve? What's gotten in the way of achieving your office's goals in the past? What will training entail? Don't bring up compensation during the interview. If the employer mentions it, that's fine. However, it's a sticky subject and usually avoided. An employer wants to know you're interested in the position and company, not the money.
3. You should bring some important things with you to the interview, other than questions, like a copy of your resume. Sometimes you'll be meeting with a panel. If you have turned in one copy of your resume, other panel members may not have a copy. They'll appreciate that you thought ahead. Also, if you have access to it, bring a copy of the job description. This will be helpful for personalizing answers. It'll also be helpful when the employer begins discussing the position.
4. Dress professionally. Kate's blog discussed this in more detail if you're interested in knowing what "professional dress" entails.
5. During the interview, don't fidget too much. If you tend to play with your hair a lot, try wearing it up or out of your face to decrease twirling. Take notes because you may want some of that information after the interview, but may not remember it all. Make eye contact. It's a sign of respect and confidence. Get the names of the people you've been interviewed by. This will be helpful for the next tip...
6. After the interview, you should send Thank You notes to those people who interviewed you. Make sure you have their names and hopefully their titles. Send a professional letter thanking them for their time. Highlight anything mentioned in the interview that will help you get the job. Also, if there was anything you were uncomfortable about during the interview (for example, you answered a question very poorly) feel free to explain that more thoroughly. A great tool for writing an outstanding thank you letter is OptimalResume. This will walk you through each paragraph of the letter as well as format it for you. It also has great examples to help guide you through the process. These examples are vague though and should be personalized!
I hope these tips help you with your next interview. There are many other tips out there if you're still worried. The Career Resource Room (in the Career Services office in Rakov) has some excellent books on interviewing. They will help with behavioral interviews, which can be tough, by providing example questions and corresponding answers. If you're not sure what a behavioral interview is, please stop by and ask!
1. Research a company PRIOR to the interview. The person interviewing you will appreciate that you've already put work into learning about the company. You should try to get a sense of the hierarchy (organizational chart) before the interview so you know where the person interviewing you lands as well as where you would land if hired. Find out if the company has been in the press lately. Those articles will probably give you an updated look at the products and services as well as any drama you may want to avoid discussing. At the same time, you may discover the company's competition. Other information to find out prior to the interview should include the size of the company, location, and other open positions that you may be interested in.
To find this information, look at the company's website. Talk to friends and family that may already work there or who have worked there in the past. They may have information you'll never find on the web! You can also, like I mentioned above, look through newspapers and news sites for the most recent media coverage.
2. Come prepared with questions for the employer. Of course most questions will be answered during the interview. Appropriate questions will clarify something about the position, company, or specific tasks and responsibilities. For example, To whom would I report? How often? What are the most important tasks/issues of this position? What percentage of time would you like devoted to each of the key tasks? How many people would I oversee? What does this involve? What's gotten in the way of achieving your office's goals in the past? What will training entail? Don't bring up compensation during the interview. If the employer mentions it, that's fine. However, it's a sticky subject and usually avoided. An employer wants to know you're interested in the position and company, not the money.
3. You should bring some important things with you to the interview, other than questions, like a copy of your resume. Sometimes you'll be meeting with a panel. If you have turned in one copy of your resume, other panel members may not have a copy. They'll appreciate that you thought ahead. Also, if you have access to it, bring a copy of the job description. This will be helpful for personalizing answers. It'll also be helpful when the employer begins discussing the position.
4. Dress professionally. Kate's blog discussed this in more detail if you're interested in knowing what "professional dress" entails.
5. During the interview, don't fidget too much. If you tend to play with your hair a lot, try wearing it up or out of your face to decrease twirling. Take notes because you may want some of that information after the interview, but may not remember it all. Make eye contact. It's a sign of respect and confidence. Get the names of the people you've been interviewed by. This will be helpful for the next tip...
6. After the interview, you should send Thank You notes to those people who interviewed you. Make sure you have their names and hopefully their titles. Send a professional letter thanking them for their time. Highlight anything mentioned in the interview that will help you get the job. Also, if there was anything you were uncomfortable about during the interview (for example, you answered a question very poorly) feel free to explain that more thoroughly. A great tool for writing an outstanding thank you letter is OptimalResume. This will walk you through each paragraph of the letter as well as format it for you. It also has great examples to help guide you through the process. These examples are vague though and should be personalized!
I hope these tips help you with your next interview. There are many other tips out there if you're still worried. The Career Resource Room (in the Career Services office in Rakov) has some excellent books on interviewing. They will help with behavioral interviews, which can be tough, by providing example questions and corresponding answers. If you're not sure what a behavioral interview is, please stop by and ask!
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