Celebrate!

Many of you are still celebrating today the great Hoosier win over Kentucky! Others are celebrating the end of finals, their full-time or internship offer, or just gearing up for the holiday season.

Others are feeling like they have failed, because they didn’t land their full-time job or internship, but if you learned from this, stay positive and realize there are still a lot of opportunities then this is a time for you to celebrate as well. You will have time over the holidays to reflect, rest, and renew your network.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln had 12 political and business failures before becoming our 16th President?

Do we realize that Bill Gates was a college dropout, and Steven Spielberg left junior high school because of a learning disability?

Don’t forget that Walt Disney started his first cartoon company in his garage, and it failed because critics said he had no creative ideas.

Do you consider any of these individuals as a failure? I think not and we can all learn from them that it is important not to give up. So, I encourage all of you to go out and celebrate what you have accomplished and for those still seeking opportunities, please never, never, never give up. There will be more opportunities, so keep watching the CSJ!

Good luck with your finals, Happy Holidays and hope to see you in the New Year!

Go Hoosiers!

Susie

Surviving Fall of Junior Year

Hi everyone! This will be my last post of the semester. Thanks for following me through this hectic semester. We did it! This morning was the culmination of the I-Core experience – case hand-in. After a long semester, I’m finally home free! Next semester, I will be studying and interning abroad in London. I am so excited for the opportunity to go abroad, but will definitely miss Bloomington while I’m gone.

This semester has been so crazy. From career fairs to the I-Core case, I’ve barely had a minute to breathe. However, I am so happy to say it has all been worth it! Next summer, I will be interning with Target Corporation in Minneapolis as a Business Analyst intern. The UCSO was so helpful throughout the entire process. If you’ve already accepted an internship or full-time offer, congratulations! If not, don’t worry… there will be so many fantastic opportunities next semester. Keep on top of your search and take advantage of all the UCSO has to offer.

Good luck with finals and enjoy your break!

Taylor

AskUCSO - Interview Insights: Tips for On-site Interviews

By Elyse LaGarenne, UCSO Help Desk Assistant

1. Packing. You can never over pack for one of these occasions. Make sure to make a list, there are even some of these lists pre-made online: Interview Packing List. Tip: Check the weather at your destination; this could alter your choice of clothing.
2. Driving or flying? Companies are usually indifferent about whether you fly or drive to an on-site interview. To decide, communicate with the recruiter. If flying be sure to arrive to the airport on time and have all flight information printed out. If driving, always know where you are going. Also make sure to have all addresses (hotel and office) and contact information for the recruiters in case something comes up. Tip: I sometimes rely on a GPS but these often times lose service when you get into big cities so having a printed copy of the directions is always a good idea!
3. Night before. A lot of times companies have a dinner the night prior to an interview. This is a chance to ask some questions in a relaxed setting. This dinner may require getting a flight or driving to the destination the night before. Make sure you have enough time to check into your hotel and get ready so you are not rushed. Also check what dress is expected; usually these events are business casual. Tip: Don’t be fooled, although this is relaxed, it is also part of the interview process!
4. Last minute review. I always take a few things to read over the night before the interview. This could include the handouts provided by the company, notes from the previous round(s) of interviews, and any research or news articles you have found. Tip: Do not forget to review the names of the people you have met and previously interviewed with inside the company, often times this comes up in conversation.

5. Save your receipts. Companies are very generous about the interview process and do not want you to incur any out of pocket expenses. So, make sure to always save receipts. This will allow you to be reimbursed for parking, tolls, and any other travel costs.
6. Enjoy! If you have some extra time go for a walk or check out a local cuisine. I always stop by Garret’s Popcorn when I interview in Chicago and it makes the trip complete!

Step Up Your Job Search Over the Holidays

In an article for U.S. News and World Report, Karen Burns gives 10 Reasons to Step Up Your Job Search Over the Holidays. Below is an excerpt from her article-

It’s tempting to put your job hunt on hold during the end-of-year holiday season. “I need a break,” you may tell yourself. “No one’s hiring this time of year anyway. I’ll double down on my efforts in January.” It doesn’t help that everyone else seems to be having fun, and job hunting is—for most of us—not fun.

But contrary to popular belief, many employers do hire over the holidays. Personal lives may get more hectic this time of year, but many businesses slow down, giving the powers-that-be breathing space to think about staffing and even conduct interviews. Many companies are putting the pieces in place for 2012 projects and want to bring new people on board before then. In fact, in some ways, the holidays are the best time to find a job.

Click here to read the full article and find out why you should continue job hunting over the holidays.

Remember your competition is busy shopping at the mall, so continue the hunt while they're slacking off.

What Can You Do Over Break?

Have you done everything in your power to find a job or internship? Searching during winter break may not sound like the most fun, but it’s a great time to network and generate new prospects. To facilitate your search, we have prepared the following tips:

Networking

• Contact (speak face-to-face or over the phone) at least 6 people you have met professionally through IU, family, friends, alums, etc…Learn about how their jobs/studies are going. What challenges are they facing? Do you know anyone who is an expert or have you faced this challenge before? Can you provide information to help them? What new/exciting things have you been learning? What are your areas of interest? What contacts do they have in these areas of interest? What are some good events they recommend to attend? What is the best way to keep in touch with them in the future?

Research

• Visit web sites to gain a better understanding different industries: Yahoo Finance, Wall Street Journal, Hoovers, WetFeet, CareerTV, Vault, Google, Chicago Tribune, National Business Journals, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, etc.
• Prepare for on-campus interviews and research the postings on UCSO website. Use Companies on Campus to see who’s coming.
• Review the Career Resource Links on the UCSO website.

Whirlpool Corporation – Recognized as Top-10 Company for Leaders

Not only was Whirlpool one of the UCSO top hiring companies this past year, but they were recently named by Aon Hewitt to the 2011 list of Top Companies for Leaders, ranking ninth globally and sixth in North America (up from 9th position in 2009). Top companies were selected based on criteria including strength of leadership practices and culture, examples of leader development on a global scale, alignment of business and leadership strategy, business performance and company reputation. They also just celebrated their 100th anniversary.

Whirlpool and Kelley School of Business have a strong partnership and they currently recruit for sales and finance positions at Kelley. They will be back on campus this spring interviewing for internship positions. More information will be available soon through Companies on Campus.