Mentoring Relationships: what is a mentor and how do you find one

As you may know a major part of your college career is building your network. There are various ways you can build professional relationships and one of those ways is with the help of a mentor. Just as a professor provides you with the educational aspect you need to succeed in college your mentor will provide you with the professional aspect.
Your mentor should be someone you trust and someone who would be able to give you advice in your relative career or field through their own experiences and contacts. One way you can find a mentor is through the Career Services Office online tool Career Connections which can be found on the Baldin-Wallace Career Network. On this website you will have the opportunity to choose from various persons who are all willing to mentor students.
Stop by the office to make an appointment with a Career Advisor to learn more about getting a mentor!

Government Jobs

While in the midst of your job search, remember that government jobs are always available. Government opportunities encompass all majors. To further investigate, I would suggest using www.usajobs.org. This site allows job seekers to search for jobs all over the country in numerous fields and departments. Divided into sections for specific populations (veterans, individuals with disabilities, senior executives , students and recent grads), this website serves a wide range of people. The Students and Recent Grad section contains information on how to search and apply for government jobs or programs. This is a great resource for those interested in working for the government.

Check out the website www.usajobs.gov . If you find a position of interest, print it out and make an appointment with a career advisor. Career Services can help with the steps involved in applying for the position. Our office is located in Room 104, Bonds, and our phone number is 440.826.2101.

Interview Tips

Interviews may be the most nerve racking part of finding that dream job, but with proper preparation, you can turn that dreadful interview into the first step to obtaining that job! The fist step to take is to do your research! If you don't come prepared for an interview, this gives the impression that you will not come to the job prepared as well. Next, practice your 30-second elevator speech. This will showcase your talents and experiences and allow employers to have a quick glimpse at your acheivements. Lastly, during the interview answer all questions honestly and to the point. Also, provide examples to support your answers. Try not to hesitate, or avoid answering questions. The more confident you are with yourself, the more confident you will appear to employers! I personally have learned from my own mistakes. In past interviews, to make myself seem more interested, I would as numerous questions, even if they do not pertain to the job I was being interviewed for. Instead of appearing interested, I know now I was asking far too many irrelevant questions. My personal tip is to ask questions but limit them and make sure they are relevant to your specific job and the company.

To help students with the fear or anxiety about interviews, Career Services is hosting an Interview Prep Workshop For All Majors next Tuesday in the Union.

Time: 12-1pm
Date: November 8th
Location: Student Union, Sandstone 1

Internships

I personally consider internships to be just as important as going to class. Being inside of a classroom and listening to your professor explain what it would be like to work in a particular field is one thing; actually working in your field of choice and gaining knowledge from applying those learned skills is completely different! Not only do internships provide you with that extra experience, it also builds your resume which helps you to stand out above your peers. Students can make an appointment with an advisor to have a 30 minute session for a resume review or to answer any other career related questions. Career Services offers Exploring Internships Workshops to help students who are searching for internhips. In addition,

Exploring Internships Workshops:

Wednesday, October 26
12 - 1pm, Kamm 132

To schedule a individualized 30 minute appointment with a Career Advisor, call our office at 440-826-2101 or stop by Bonds, Room 104.

Career Services...the best kep secret!

Career Services is an on-campus resource for both students and alumni. Competing for jobs and internships is hard enough, but not having the right resources to be able to present yourself well is even worse.
This is where Career Services comes into play! Career Services has various events throughout the year to help prepare students for the "real world". I personally love this office! The career advisors have turned my terrible mess of a resume into a masterpiece that I am proud to present to any employer! If you have no idea where to go or who to turn to for help with your career related problems, come straight to the Career Services office! Don't be shy! Come right in and a career advisor will help you with your cover letter or resume, freshen up  your interview skills, or simply help you find your dream job or internship.

Located in Bonds and open Monday through Friday, Career Services is here and ready to help! Whether it's in our office for an individual appointment or at one of our many events, we are here for you! Each week we offer events such as Express Lanes, Resume Writing Clinics and Internship Workshops.

Take a look at some of our upcoming events:
 Graduate School Workshop Part 1: Tuesday, September 20th
 Graduate School Workshop Part 2: Tuesday, September 27th
 Graduate School Fair: Tuesday, October 4th

Governement jobs webinars

No fear Career Services is here!
With graduation quickly approaching, finding a job is taking the number one spot on many college students to do lists. Does the secret service or FBI sound like your dream job? Well you’re in luck because Career Services is having a webinar directed towards students who are interested in jobs and internships with the federal government. This webinar will highlight a number of internships across government, and show students how to research, find and apply for an internship that is right for them. Even if you are not completely sure if this may be the right fit for you, give it a try anyway and who knows you may find that working with the federal government is perfect for you! For me personally, whenever I am not completely sure if I should attend an event by Career Services I give the office a call or simply go anyway. That way I do not feel guilty for not going and to my surprise the event turns out to be very helpful.

There are going to be two webinars on 2/8/11 and 2/16/11 both of which you can call and register for at 440.826.2101. Don’t forget, you can always register for any Career Services events on the B-W Career Network, too

Taking the Discover test and making a 4-year action plan

One of the first things every freshman student should do when coming to college is take the Discover test! The discover test is composed of several questions to help find out what someone is interested in and then helps to find an area of study based on what is most interesting to that student. I took the Discover test my second semester of my freshman year. After taking a few classes I quickly realized that Business Administration was not for me! I made an appointment with a Career Services advisor and together we went over my results and came up with an idea of what major would go along with what I was interested in. I always thought I would be a business major but after I took the test I realized I am more of a hands on person. Working with things such as financial statements did not seem as appealing to me after all. After I completed my Discover test and found a new major I began to make my four year action plan. Every student should have a four year action plan because it allows the student to see what they have already done and what needs to get done. Along with that, it comes in handy when scheduling classes. If you have your four year action plan completed then while you are registering for classes you are able to see exactly what classes you need to complete your core as well as your major and minor requirements. Jumpstart your college years by taking the discover test and making your own four year action plan!

Tips for writing a resume and cover letter

Now that I am a junior in college, I can see that two important documents that every student must have are a resume and cover letter. A resume and cover letter are like your golden ticket to your dream job or internship. I learned that lesson in high school. When I was a senior, I had a hard time finding a summer job. At first, I just completed the required applications but after a week of searching with no interest from employers, I began to hand out my resume with the application even though most of the places I was applying to did not require one. Sure enough, I received a phone call saying I was hired and one of the reasons why was because of my resume.


No matter how outstanding your accomplishments may be no one will ever know about them if you don’t promote them effectively in a cover letter and resume. Even if you are not the most qualified applicant for a job or internship, the simple fact that you have a well written resume and cover letter may make the difference between you getting the job or not.

Below are some basic tips for resumes and cover letters:

• Limit your resume to one or two pages

• Limit the length of your cover letter to one page approximately 3-5 paragraphs

• Include specific examples in your cover letter to illustrate your skills and background

Career Services is the perfect place to go to clean up your resume and cover letter!

• Come to a Resume Writing Clinic to learn the details of building an effective resume

• Call or stop by to make a 30 minute appointment with one of our Career Advisors

• Come to Express lanes for a quick 15 minute review of your resume or cover letter