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!

The Benefits of Studying Abroad

So...why should you consider studying off-campus? This is a loaded question with many different answers depending on personal aspirations, needs, and your unique point-of-view. Maybe you are interested in learning another language. Perhaps you view studying abroad as a positive career move. Or maybe this is an opportunity to explore the world and experience life from a different perspective. Regardless of your reasons, studying abroad offers numerous educational and personal outcomes.

Here are just a few:

Study abroad can be an enriching and eye-opening adventure, where learning extends to the world beyond the classroom walls. There is no substitute for living and studying in a foreign country if you want to gain in-depth knowledge of another culture's customs, people, and language. In addition, you will find that living and studying or working in another country can develop important transnational competencies that can be of interest to future employers.

Study abroad can broaden your intellectual horizons and deepen your knowledge and understanding of international, political, and economic issues. It is almost certain that you will return from your sojourn abroad with a more informed and accurate perspective on world affairs. You will also have first-hand knowledge of how another culture approaches the tasks and challenges of everyday life, a sense of how 'global' the international culture has become, and an appreciation of the importance of international cooperation.

Study abroad does more than promote academic enrichment and personal growth. It also can enhance your employment prospects, especially in the fields of business, international affairs, and government service. Employers increasingly seek graduates who have studied abroad. They know that students who have successfully completed a study abroad program are likely to possess international knowledge and often second-language skills. Such students are also likely to have other transnational competencies that graduate and professional schools and employers value just as highly: cross-cultural communication skills, analytical skills, an understanding of and familiarity with local customs and cultural contexts, flexibility, resilience, and the ability to adapt to new circumstances and deal constructively with differences. (See From Toward Transnational Competence, IIE 1997.)

So you're thinking about studying abroad. Maybe you know where you'd like to go, or maybe you'd like to know more about the programs and which ones are best suited to your major. What's the next step?

Visit the B-W Study Abroad Office website at http://www.bw.edu/academics/study-abroad/ or call/email the office at:

explore@bw.edu
(440) 826-2231

Do you need to prepare a resume…

• For the Career & Internship Expo?
• For your job/internship search?
• For your graduate school applications?
• For a class requirement?
• For a networking opportunity?

If so Career Services can help.

As part of Fall Career Week, Career Services is offering 2 resume writing clinics on Thursday, October 29 – 11:45am-12:45pm in Malicky 114 &

7-8pm in Sandstone 3. To register for a session:

• Log onto the B-W Career Network, select Resume Clinic from the menu options on the left-hand side of the screen and sign up.

OR

• Call Career Services at 440.826.2101 (x2101 on-campus)

Please note: At this session, students will learn how to write a resume. Following participation at a resume writing clinic, students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with a career advisor for a resume critique. Resume critiques are not part of this session.

Stay tuned for other Career Week events including…

• The Career & Internship Expo
• Speed Career Networking
• Resumania
• How to Prepare for a Career Fair
• Express Lanes
• …and more!

A complete schedule of Career Week events is available on the B-W Career Network and the Career Services Blackboard site.

Have questions? Need additional information? Please contact Career Services:

104 Bonds 440.826.2101 (x2101 on campus) career@bw.edu www.bw.edu/career

Westfield Insurance Meet & Greet

Interested in pursuing a career in the insurance sector? Westfield Insurance is holding a Meet & Greet this Wednesday, the 21st from 9-1 in the Kamm Boardroom!!! Representatives will be here to network with students and share information about internship opportunities. Refreshments will be provided as well. All majors are welcome, especially Business, Computer Science, Criminal Justice & Economics.

Resume & Cover Letter Tips

Everyone knows how important a first impression is. But some people don’t realize that their resume and cover letter is usually the first impression given to a perspective employer. If you have a good resume and cover letter, it can lead to an interview and then, a job. However, if you don’t have a good resume and cover letter, chances are you won’t even get a phone call. To help you with making a great first impression, here are some tips. Good Luck!

Things Not To Do:

• No Cover Letter: Cover letters are so important to the application process that many hiring managers automatically reject résumés that arrive without them. Make the most of your cover letter by expanding on a few of your qualifications, explaining any gaps in employment or providing other information that will entice the employer to read your résumé.
• Assuming spell-check is good enough: In a 2007 survey, 63 percent of hiring managers told CareerBuilder.com that spelling errors are the most frequent mistakes they see in résumés. Spell-checkers can pick up many typos -- but they won't catch everything (manger vs. manager, for example). Always proofread your résumé several times, and ask a friend to give it a final once-over.

Things To Do:

• Find a Job. Without a job description to work from, it’s impossible to tailor your skills and accomplishments to fit the employer’s job requirements. Your resume and cover letter should be tailored to the job description! If you do this, there is no need for an objective statement.
• Research the Prospective Employer. Know as much as you can about the company and try to incorporate that into your resume and cover letter. Whether they have won awards, recently introduced a new product or concept or whatever…make sure you find way to incorporate it!

• Do use action verbs. Do use active voice. Action verbs give your resume strength, power, and direction. Strong sentences are those in which a subject performs an action (active voice) as opposed to an action being performed on the subject (passive voice). For example, “I wrote the SOP for a 5000 employee organization” creates a stronger impression than “the company SOP was written by me”. In the same fashion, remove any statement beginning with ‘Responsibilities included’. Go straight to the verb!

• Incorrect: Know how to accurately file records.
• Correct: Accurately filed over 10,000 records on a weekly basis

For more information on resume writing and interviewing tips, visit http://fishbowlresume.blogspot.com

Reasons to Participate in On-Campus Recruitment

The most important fact about On-Campus Recruitment is that instead of the job seekers approaching employers, the employers come to campus with job and internship opportunities. Qualified candidates can express their interest and employers then choose the candidate who best matches their needs.

Some Benefits of On-Campus Recruitment:

• Companies get the opportunity to choose from and select the best talent in a short span of time.
• College students get the opportunity to present themselves to some of the best companies within their industry of interest. Landing a job or internship opportunity while still in college and joining just after graduating is definitely what all students dream of!

I know that interviewing can be nerve-wracking, but just keep in mind that it will never be as bad as this: http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafYPtQ.html