Resume Dilemma: Lacking Job Experience

Some of you may run into a dilemma where you want to get a job to gain job experience, but it’s hard to find one without previous job experience. So, how do you be a more competitive job-hunter while your lacking job experience?

Take advantage of your educational experience.
Are you a tutor or assistant? Have you ever participated in a competition? Have you studied abroad? Are there any projects or programs that you have ever done will reflect your skills and strengths? Take a second to think about that. What kind of experience and qualifications did you gain from those events? And apparently, it will be very helpful if you have a decent GPA to show your strong academic performance since most of the companies will set a lower limit for GPA. However, it’s not always a vital criterion.

Get involved in extracurricular activities.

Any fraternities/sororities, clubs, or any organizations that you are interested in can be a great place for you to enhance your leadership skills and broaden your network. Don’t just show up in the call-out meeting, put your e-mail in their mailing list and do nothing! Try to direct and organize some programs or activities, so you can gather some experience, and more importantly, you have stories to tell. The richer your experience is the more unique and competitive you will be.

Build an effective resume.
The process of experience gathering is also a process of self-discovery. In this period of time, try to give yourself an assessment to see what you can offer to a potential recruiter. Then build a resume that will show your skills, strengths, and your experience. An effective way is to seek professional help to improve your resume. Come to UCSO or make an appointment online with a professional coach. They will assist you to excel.

AskUCSO - Minority? Use your resources!

by Sandra Pineda, UCSO Help Desk Assistant

Diversity is becoming a key factor for companies when thinking about their recruit prospects. Employers are realizing that hiring top talent from diverse backgrounds is imperative for a well-rounded business. This is why there are a few organizations that focus on finding top minority students, and help place them into an industry leading company. An example of this resource is SEO, Sponsors for Educational Opportunities.

SEO has a very selective process where they handpick about 300-400 of the best students from the country, and prepare them with the best resources to land an internship or a full time job in industry leading and global companies. Here is a brief overview from SEO’s website:

What areas does SEO encompass?

• Corporate Financial Leadership
• Finance/Accounting
• Marketing/Sales
• Consulting
• Engineering
• Technology
• Corporate Law
• Non-Profit
• Banking
• Asset management
• Finance/Accounting
• Investment Banking & PE
• Investment Research
• Sales and Trading
• Technology
• Transaction Services

What does SEO offer?

Training: SEO interns receive online and in-person training before the internship begins and throughout the summer. SEO training covers technical skills, soft skills and professional development relevant for to the internship area.

Mentoring: SEO interns receive guidance from multiple perspectives throughout the internship

Leadership and Networking: SEO encourages interns to develop strong networks within SEO, within their companies and beyond. There are various opportunities to engage each other (Intern Parties!), SEO alumni, industry leaders, decision-makers and recruiting managers.

Alumni: SEO alumni are successful professionals representing a multitude of careers, 47 states and over 40 countries. Most importantly, SEO alumni embody SEO’s commitment to giving back. SEO values community service, volunteerism and philanthropy.

Partnerships: SEO partners with industry-leading and global companies, prestigious investment banks and private equity firms, top-ranked corporate law firms and prominent nonprofits.

Why Should you Apply?

For eligible Banking and Corporate Financial Leadership (CFL) interns that means an offer of full-time employment after graduation. Historically over 90% of CFL interns and 75% of Banking interns have received invitations to return to their host company or another SEO partner

Our Corporate Law interns are better prepared to tackle 1L courses and achieve the grades needed to qualify for 1L internships at our top law firm partners

Nonprofit interns are better-positioned to apply for Corps or staff roles at Teach For America and to leverage their experiences to differentiate their graduate and law school applications

If you are interested, go to http://www.seo-usa.org/CareerApplyNow and APPLY NOW!

This is an amazing resource, so if you are a minority use it!

First Impressions...Make them Count!

It’s been said you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. So, how long does it take to make a first impression? Experts say it takes between seven and seventeen seconds. For me, as a former recruiter, it took less than 10 seconds. With that being said, there are several career fairs taking place this week, so are you ready to make a great first impression? Those first impressions can easily become lasting impressions. So what do you want those first few seconds to say about you? When first impressions make the difference, it’s important to understand how you come across to others. Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., is the founder of Quintessential Careers, a leading career development site. Below are his tips and insight on the way we impact people.

Attire:
Whenever you’re meeting people for the first time, whether you’re networking, attending a business meeting, or dating, it’s essential to look the part. In other words, dress for the specific occasion, even if it means doing a little research up front.

Grooming:
Hair should be neat; not the wind-tunnel look. For women, less makeup is always better than too much, and a light perfume or cologne is acceptable, but be careful of overwhelming the people in the room with the scent. Keep in mind that being well-groomed can make people think you’re efficient and reliable, while being unkempt and untidy makes people think you’re disorganized.

The Handshake:
Make it simple. Extend your right hand and grasp their hand gently but firmly. No bone-crushers, and certainly no four-handed, one-hand-over-the-other shakes. Definitely no sweaty, clammy, or wimpy handshakes, either. If necessary, carry a handkerchief in your pocket and wipe your hand before you do the meet and greet.

Conversation:
The world doesn’t revolve around you, and neither should your conversations. Be sure to engage the other person when you talk, and use their name for emphasis. You can, of course, talk about yourself, but don’t make the whole conversation about you, and keep stories short. Look for common ground with the person you’re talking to, and share stories about that common interest.

Attitude:
Nothing works better in any situation than having and expressing a positive attitude. Let your enthusiasm for any new situation show, and leave your problems at the door.

Keep these tips in mind and you will stand out in positive ways when the recruiter reviews all the candidates they met at the career fair. Good luck and go out and make a first, great impression!

P.S. We are conducting workshops on "How to Get Noticed at the Career Fairs" this week- 1/23 OR 1/24 ~ 7-8pm ~ BU202, hope to see you there.

AskUCSO - Do Your Reading

by Greg Watson, UCSO Help Desk Assistant

Now this is a phrase that you have probably heard throughout your life at school...but I’m not talking about the reading for your classes. I’m talking about the newspaper. You have probably heard it mentioned here and there that it is important to keep up on current events. But when it comes to an interview, it is absolutely vital that you know what is going on in the world around you. Here at Kelley and Indiana University you have a couple options for reading. You have your lighter, more human interest, IDS and you have the more factual and financial based Wall Street Journal. Now I’m not here to tell you that one is better than the other, because that’s just not true. When going into an interview or just talking to a business professional it is important to know what is going in both your school world and the real world.

For example, the other day I was in a final round interview for an internship with Citigroup in New York City and I was asked the question, “What world events do you think could have an impact on Global Transaction Services (the field I was interviewing for) and the volatility of the world market?” At first, I sat there thinking, “I’m sorry, what?!” But after actually processing the question, I could not have been happier that I remembered to pick up a Wall Street Journal that morning at the airport. Not only was I able to use knowledge that I already had, I was able to pull in information that was just released and even he may not have known about. At the end of the interview, my interviewer commented on how he
appreciated that I actually had knowledge of what was going on and how it could potentially affect my future position. Just a note on this too, I read the Wall Street Journal several times a week. Recruiters will be able to tell if the morning of the interview was the first time you picked up a newspaper in your life. It is important that you be well rounded on all current events, not just one that you have in your back pocket.

And then we have the critically acclaimed, Indiana Daily Student. If you didn’t know, the IDS has won several awards for outstanding student newspaper. Reading this paper often is extremely important when it comes to on campus recruitment. Many times, recruiters get most of their IU knowledge from reading the online version of this paper and that is how they may start a conversation with you. When a recruiter does start this conversation, it is important that you know what they are talking about rather than looking like you don’t care about your school. Now, I’m not saying that you have to follow IU Basketball religiously, but it is important that you know what their latest win is, maybe their record. I have found through talking to recruiters from all over the country that they know IU because of “The Movement,” and it would certainly help if you did too! If you truly want to be competitive when it comes to recruiting, reading your newspaper will do wonders. As a student entering the competitive job market, being knowledgeable on current events both near and far is a great way to distinguish yourself!

Spring Recruiting Starts Now!

Winter break is over, the first week of classes have passed, and spring recruiting has probably not even crossed your mind. But the resume drop dates, information sessions, and bid dates are approaching fast! The most recent Career Street Journal listing is already up, with job postings by some great companies including General Mills Inc., Ingersoll Rand Company, and General Electric Company. Drops for preference list consideration for these companies and more end Thursday, so make sure that you perfect and update your resume by then!

If this seems a bit overwhelming, feel free to stop by the UCSO help desk and talk to me (or any of the other help desk assistants) any week day from 8:00AM-8:00PM (Friday hours are 8:00AM-5:00PM). We can help you set up a career coach appointment to focus on strategy, and answer your questions about bidding and how to use the website. And don’t forget to come to the All Business Career Fair on January 25 from 4:00pm-8:00pm in Alumni Hall in the IMU!

Good luck with spring recruiting!

New Year, New Semester, New Opportunities!

Hope everyone is getting used to the routine of the new semester and ready to give this year a fresh start! Before you embark on the journey, answering the following questions will be very helpful.

1. What experience did I get from the previous failures?
2. What goals do I have for myself this year?
3. How am I going to accomplish those goals in the coming future?
4. What’s my personality?
5. What’s my weakness and how can I turn my weakness into strength?

Have you finished answering those questions above? If you have, then you are ready for the new opportunities!

• The Art of Small Talk
  WHEN: Wednesday, January 18 from 7-8pm
  WHERE: BU219
  DETAILS: Joint with Chinese Business Association (CBA) and Hutton Honor Students.
  
  
• Business Career Fair
  WHEN: January 25 from 4-8pm
  WHERE: Indiana Memorial Union - Alumni Hall.
  DETAILS: Over 60 companies are coming to campus looking for students like YOU! Check them out on the UCSO website.
  
  
• Hire Big Ten plus International Virtual Career Fair
  WHEN: January 25 - 26
  WHERE: Online
  DETAILS: Meet employers live in a virtual setting. Open to students & alumni.
  
  
• Job Shadow Prep Workshop
  DETAILS: Late February, watch for specifics.

AskUCSO - Are You Ready?

by Angela Adkison, UCSO Help Desk Assistant

Let me start out by saying welcome back! I hope that your much-needed break was as relaxing as mine was. While none of us were quite ready for that alarm clock to go off on Monday morning, we all must come to terms with that fact that Spring Semester is in full swing, whether we like it or not. With that being said, are you ready?

What’s Your Plan?
So, what is your plan? Congratulations to those of you who have already landed that summer internship or perfect full-time position; and to those of you who haven’t, don’t panic! The UCSO has a lot in store this semester, so be sure to check out Companies on Campus so that you don’t miss out!

The Next Steps
There are several ways to jumpstart your internship/job search this spring. First of all, don’t miss the Bidding Workshop on January 11th at 7pm! This will be a great introduction to the recruiting tools that are available to you on campus. Additionally, be sure to get your network on at the Business Career Fair on January 25th. Many of these companies will be conducting next-day interviews!

For those of you who are interested in companies that will not be making a Bloomington appearance this spring, logon to the UCSO website to schedule an appointment with a Career Coach. Our coaches will provide you with self-directed job search techniques and point out any resources that may be of use.

Lastly, anyone and everyone should swing by the UCSO, located in P100, THIS Thursday, January 12th between noon and 1pm for the UCSO Welcome Back Event. Stop in, grab some FREE MOTHER BEAR’S PIZZA, and learn a thing or two about our office! Hope to see you there!

The time is NOW!

Winners never quit and quitters never win. ~ Vince Lombardi

Who would have thought that this Hoosier Basketball team would have won all but one game this season? Nobody thought that the team this year would be doing this well. Initially, the team wasn’t even ranked. Everyone was talking about the recruits for next year’s season and the team next year.

There is always time to start your search for a FT job or internship, but there is nothing like right now. The coaches are here and available, presentations, career fairs and workshops are coming. All you need to do is start planning, practicing and preparing yourself for the opportunities available now.

Start your journey, come to the UCSO and let us help. So believe in yourself, take the first step and see what might happen for you.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ~ Chinese Proverb