What Employers Want

Hmm…Have you ever wondered what qualities or skills employers look for in an employee? Employers look for employees that are enthusiastic and motivated. They seek qualities such as oral communications, writing skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity. It is important as college students to be able to fine tune these skills while attending school; taking necessary steps such as:

• Becoming a leader on campus can bolster teamwork and communication skills
• Taking challenging classes can expose you to problem-solving
• Experimenting with different forms of art can bring out your creativity

Learning to immerse yourself in a diverse range of activities, courses, and experiences can pay huge dividends for you later. Not only are you expanding your social capital by meeting new people, you are simultaneously becoming a well-rounded, diverse individual. In addition to that, do not disregard the importance of networking and resume-building activities; they will essentially provide the opportunity for you to showcase your abilities.

In conclusion, as a student here at B-W I have reaped benefits from being involved on campus. I was able to use these resume builders to obtain a job as a Resident Assistant; involvement is another way to create opportunities for yourself.

SPRING INTO CAREER WEEK

Hey, B-W students!

Check out the Spring 2010 Career Week events:

1.Monday, February 22nd

Why Science & Innovation?
4:00-5:00 pm, Center for Innovation & Growth

Express Lanes
1:00-3:00 pm, Tressel Lounge, Rec Center

2.Tuesday, February 23rd

Resume Writing Clinic
11:45 am-12:45 pm, Kamm 106

Internship Registration Workshop
12:00-12:30 pm, Career Services, Bonds 104

Express Lanes
3:30-5:00 pm, Wheeler, 2nd floor

3.Wednesday, February 24th

Express Lanes
9:00-11:00 am, Kamm 1st floor Snack Room

Why Social Science & Humanities?
4:00-5:00 pm, Malicky 10

4.Thursday, February 25th

Graduate School Workshop
11:45 am-12:45 pm, Malicky 10

Express Lanes
2:00-4:00 pm, Lang, Main Lounge

5.Friday, February 26th

Cleveland State University Spring Career Fair
9:00 am-2:00 pm, Cleveland State University, Wooding Gym

6.Saturday, February 27th

Kaplan Graduate School Practice Exams (pre-registration required)
Start time vary, Math & Computer Science Building

Prepare for summer internships, after graduation and much more! Take advantage of these events that will lead you towards Career Success.

If you have any questions about the upcoming events, feel free to contact the Career Services Office at 440-826-2101 (ext 2101), or email career@bw.edu. You can also stop by our office in Bonds #104.

Connection to the Real World--Employment, Graduate School--Start Networking!

Throughout my time at B-W I have realized how extremely important it is to network and establish connections for future endeavors. Whether you are searching and applying for jobs, internships or graduate school, it is important for you to begin establishing a connection to the real world early in your college career. This will allow you to be better prepared for life after graduation. Let me explain how you can begin this process:

•Test drive career choices with internships to see if you like the environment or career path.

•Evaluate your best fit career choice based on your interests and strengths.

•If you’re unsure about attending graduate school, then research graduate school programs, requirements, and talk to professionals in the field.

•In addition, begin to network with employers you meet, attend networking events on campus, connect with alumni career mentors, and keep close contact with past employers & contacts for future references.

Compile a list of people who can serve as potential references by developing relationships with faculty and supervisors. Come to Career Services and utilize the mentoring program, Career Connections. This program allows you to connect with B-W’s alumni professional who have volunteered to provide you with real world advice and tips on how they reached their goals, the process of adjusting to life after college, and much more. You can also consider informational interviewing that will allow you to identify what employers in your field seek and begin to prepare by tailoring your experiences or developing necessary skills. Baldwin-Wallace College and Career Services can provide you with many resources to prepare you for the real world. Begin taking advantage of all the resources that will help you down the path to a successful career.

Reasons to Consider a Job with the Federal Government

When students start looking for jobs, a lot of them don’t consider the possibility of working for the government. They may think that they aren’t qualified, there aren’t any jobs that would fit with their major, or that the government doesn’t hire students who haven’t graduated or who are fresh out of college. However, this is not the case. According to a new report — Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, released in July by the Partnership for Public Service, government-wide projected hiring needs based on a survey of 34 federal agencies and representing nearly 99 percent of the federal workforce , finds nearly 193,000 mission critical jobs need to be filled in the next two years!

There are also some benefits included with a job in public service, including loan repayment! The Federal student loan repayment program permits agencies to repay federally insured student loans as a recruitment or retention incentive for candidates or current employees of the agency. The program implements 5 U.S.C. 5379, which authorizes agencies to set up their own student loan repayment programs to attract or retain highly qualified employees.

So where do you look if you’re interested in working for the government? Here are some sites to get you started:

• http://www.studentjobs.gov
• http://www.students.gov.
• http://www.usajobs.gov
• www.makingthedifference.org/index.shtml
• www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/employ/govtjob/fedjob.pdf
• www.pmf.opm.gov/

Finally, here are some tips on finding a job with the federal government: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWcJWyHEn9Q

The Career Services Office also has many resources available in our resource library and online. Stop by Bonds 104 or call 440-826-2101 if you have any questions!