Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Link to Interesting Article
Here is a link for an interesting article that has been published in the latest issue of the Indianapolis Business Journal. A username and password is required to view the article. Username: career.center@valpo.edu Password: govalpo1
Valpo Connect Tip #1
Did you know you can view how many employers have looked at your resume on your Valpo Connect account? It's true! Once you sign into your account, scroll over to the "Documents" tab at the top and choose "Your Resumes" from the drop-down box. On the rightmost column is a number that represents how many employers have looked at your resume.
This is helpful information. If several employers have looked at your resume and you haven't been contacted by any of them, then you might want to consider getting your resume critiqued further by us. You can drop it off or email it to us, and then we will get it to you within a couple of days. For the best results, you may want to make an appointment with one of our staff to talk about your resume one-on-one. We will make sure that your representing yourself well on that one page.
This is helpful information. If several employers have looked at your resume and you haven't been contacted by any of them, then you might want to consider getting your resume critiqued further by us. You can drop it off or email it to us, and then we will get it to you within a couple of days. For the best results, you may want to make an appointment with one of our staff to talk about your resume one-on-one. We will make sure that your representing yourself well on that one page.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Volunteering: Helping Others and Your Resume
Valparaiso University students’ participation in volunteer activities has been a tradition for many years. According to a recent press release from the University, “Valpo was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement, for the third time in four years.”
The benefits of volunteering while in college might seem obvious to most people. For the good of the people, positive environmental impacts or personal political objectives are a few that come quickly to mind. Individual benefits include social activism, a sense of empowerment and community involvement. But how can that translate to a student’s goals and eventual career objectives?
“Volunteering is a great way to develop a variety of new skills that are essential in the workplace,” said Holly Simpson, Career Counselor of the Valparaiso University Career Center. She gives these examples: public speaking, organization, interpersonal and leadership skills. “Additionally, it allows students to gain a greater understanding of their interests and how to pursue career goals and dreams.”
Holly has been assisting students in discovering ways to attain their career objectives for the last five years at the Career Center. “Volunteering also can provide you with a sense of responsibility because people depend on you. Finally, volunteering also shows employers you believe in making the world a better place,” she said. “Employers look for well-rounded individuals who are willing to develop passions and interests outside the workplace and are willing to sacrifice time and energy to do it.”
In the current economic environment, students are finding it harder to obtain meaningful summer jobs and internships. Volunteer opportunities can guide students in new career paths and provide a boost to their resumes while they are earning cash for school at a local restaurant or retail setting.
Tom Cath, Director of the Valparaiso University Career Center, advises students on resume structure, cover letter writing and their job search. “Employers like to see students who are well-rounded, involved in the community and juggling a variety of responsibilities and activities,” Cath said. “Through volunteer activities, students are able to do this and make valuable contacts and further develop transferable skills. It is a win-win for everyone.”
The Valpo Career Center is doing its part by providing resume boosting volunteer activities that can fit in a student’s hectic schedule. The Career Volunteer Network (CVN) was established to enhance, promote and present Career Center services and resources to the Valpo campus community. As a student volunteer, they are an important member of the Career Center staff and serve as a representative of the office.
Volunteering at the Career Center can give students a much needed leg up in their job search process. Networking is still the number one way students learn about internship and post-graduate opportunities. While assisting the Career Center, students have the opportunity to meet alumni and career professionals as they participate in Career Fairs and other career and job-search related presentations.
Many students wait until their senior year to seek help from career services professionals. Students volunteering with the CVN will gain an understanding of realizing their career objectives, which is a step-by-step process that involves their entire higher educational experience. Students utilizing Career Center services and resources will have an advantage on the competition for optimal employment.
The desire of the Career Center to reach out to more students, faculty and staff has prompted this program. The Career Center staff hopes to establish a network of volunteers to be called upon to assist recruiters attending career fairs and programs, brainstorm ideas through advisory board meetings, market programs, services and resources to students, faculty and staff, and aid in the recruitment of employers, alumni and speakers to the Career Center and, ultimately, the Valpo campus community.
Students participating in this program will be asked to complete a training session in the Fall where they will meet the staff and learn more about the Career Center and its programs, services and resources. To take advantage of this program, students merely need to stop by the Career Center and complete a CVN contract.
This program promises to encourage social as well as professional interactions. As the staff at the Career Center addresses the needs of the Valpo campus community and its own impact on the University’s mission, they see that the input and views of the student body are of utmost importance in meeting the career goals of individual students.
The benefits of volunteering while in college might seem obvious to most people. For the good of the people, positive environmental impacts or personal political objectives are a few that come quickly to mind. Individual benefits include social activism, a sense of empowerment and community involvement. But how can that translate to a student’s goals and eventual career objectives?
“Volunteering is a great way to develop a variety of new skills that are essential in the workplace,” said Holly Simpson, Career Counselor of the Valparaiso University Career Center. She gives these examples: public speaking, organization, interpersonal and leadership skills. “Additionally, it allows students to gain a greater understanding of their interests and how to pursue career goals and dreams.”
Holly has been assisting students in discovering ways to attain their career objectives for the last five years at the Career Center. “Volunteering also can provide you with a sense of responsibility because people depend on you. Finally, volunteering also shows employers you believe in making the world a better place,” she said. “Employers look for well-rounded individuals who are willing to develop passions and interests outside the workplace and are willing to sacrifice time and energy to do it.”
In the current economic environment, students are finding it harder to obtain meaningful summer jobs and internships. Volunteer opportunities can guide students in new career paths and provide a boost to their resumes while they are earning cash for school at a local restaurant or retail setting.
Tom Cath, Director of the Valparaiso University Career Center, advises students on resume structure, cover letter writing and their job search. “Employers like to see students who are well-rounded, involved in the community and juggling a variety of responsibilities and activities,” Cath said. “Through volunteer activities, students are able to do this and make valuable contacts and further develop transferable skills. It is a win-win for everyone.”
The Valpo Career Center is doing its part by providing resume boosting volunteer activities that can fit in a student’s hectic schedule. The Career Volunteer Network (CVN) was established to enhance, promote and present Career Center services and resources to the Valpo campus community. As a student volunteer, they are an important member of the Career Center staff and serve as a representative of the office.
Volunteering at the Career Center can give students a much needed leg up in their job search process. Networking is still the number one way students learn about internship and post-graduate opportunities. While assisting the Career Center, students have the opportunity to meet alumni and career professionals as they participate in Career Fairs and other career and job-search related presentations.
Many students wait until their senior year to seek help from career services professionals. Students volunteering with the CVN will gain an understanding of realizing their career objectives, which is a step-by-step process that involves their entire higher educational experience. Students utilizing Career Center services and resources will have an advantage on the competition for optimal employment.
The desire of the Career Center to reach out to more students, faculty and staff has prompted this program. The Career Center staff hopes to establish a network of volunteers to be called upon to assist recruiters attending career fairs and programs, brainstorm ideas through advisory board meetings, market programs, services and resources to students, faculty and staff, and aid in the recruitment of employers, alumni and speakers to the Career Center and, ultimately, the Valpo campus community.
Students participating in this program will be asked to complete a training session in the Fall where they will meet the staff and learn more about the Career Center and its programs, services and resources. To take advantage of this program, students merely need to stop by the Career Center and complete a CVN contract.
This program promises to encourage social as well as professional interactions. As the staff at the Career Center addresses the needs of the Valpo campus community and its own impact on the University’s mission, they see that the input and views of the student body are of utmost importance in meeting the career goals of individual students.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Resumes: Where Do I Begin?
Resumes, resumes, resumes. Does your whole future depend on that little piece of paper? It’s standard procedure to send a copy of your resume to any employer you wish to get an interview with. That’s what the resume is for, to get the interview. Once you’re in, that’s when you get to talk about all of the things you have done in your past.
The trickiest part of making a resume is to decide what information is essential, and what can be left out to be talked about in the interview. Luckily, the Career Center is here for you when you make that first draft. You can drop it off at our office or send it by email (career.center@valpo.edu). What we will do then is go over your resume with a fine-tooth comb and tell you what could be taken out, what needs to be added, how it should be formatted. We provide format templates on our website that will help you get started on the right foot. You will also find some tip sheets on our site as well that help you put your foot in the door for that interview.
And if you are still looking for more tips, there are many resources all over the internet that are dedicated to help you polish your resume. And our library in the office contains several books that are entirely dedicated to that one little sheet of paper.
The trickiest part of making a resume is to decide what information is essential, and what can be left out to be talked about in the interview. Luckily, the Career Center is here for you when you make that first draft. You can drop it off at our office or send it by email (career.center@valpo.edu). What we will do then is go over your resume with a fine-tooth comb and tell you what could be taken out, what needs to be added, how it should be formatted. We provide format templates on our website that will help you get started on the right foot. You will also find some tip sheets on our site as well that help you put your foot in the door for that interview.
And if you are still looking for more tips, there are many resources all over the internet that are dedicated to help you polish your resume. And our library in the office contains several books that are entirely dedicated to that one little sheet of paper.
Valpo Connect
Valpo Connect is a great resource for finding a job, internship or co-op, as well as a great way to learn more about and register for the services the Career Center offers.
Through Valpo Connect, you can search for job, internship and co-op openings that have been sent to the Career Center from employers who are looking for Valpo students and graduates. You can also expand your search to see openings in the larger network. Once you create an account in Valpo Connect, you can upload your resume for employers to view.
In addition to specific job openings, Valpo Connect gives you access to information on a variety of fields that include entertainment, sports, healthcare, NGO’s, energy and technology as well as advice on internships, networking, salaries and graduate school.
A calendar of events for the Career Center is posted on Valpo Connect where you can learn more about and register for the events through the site. Examples of events the Career Center offers include Career Fairs, on-campus job interviews, mock interviews and workshops on career-related topics.
Through Valpo Connect, you can search for job, internship and co-op openings that have been sent to the Career Center from employers who are looking for Valpo students and graduates. You can also expand your search to see openings in the larger network. Once you create an account in Valpo Connect, you can upload your resume for employers to view.
In addition to specific job openings, Valpo Connect gives you access to information on a variety of fields that include entertainment, sports, healthcare, NGO’s, energy and technology as well as advice on internships, networking, salaries and graduate school.
A calendar of events for the Career Center is posted on Valpo Connect where you can learn more about and register for the events through the site. Examples of events the Career Center offers include Career Fairs, on-campus job interviews, mock interviews and workshops on career-related topics.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
InterviewStream
Most of you know that the Career Center offers mock interviews--sometimes with companies, and other times with our staff--that help you become prepared for an actual interview with your dream employer. This is a helpful service for you to utilize, but we have something else that compliments the experience.
The Career Center has an account on InterviewStream, which is a website that allows you to take video of yourself asking questions that are prepared by the software. Once complete, you can review your "interview" and take notes on what you need to improve. You'll notice that you move too much in your chair, making you seem fidgety, which can be off-putting to an interviewing. There is even a "like" and "um" counter that works to help you get rid of that habit of filling in space.
InterviewStream is by no means a substitute for mock interviews, nothing can replace the experience of talking to an actual person. But it allows you to realize areas that you need to improve about your appearance and presentation when you are in an interview.
If you go to Valparaiso University's InterviewStream page and make an account, you can utilize the program as much as you feel you need. If you have a webcam, you can do it right from your dorm room. If you don't have one, then you can stop by the Career Center and make an appointment to use it in one of our back rooms.
So, if you have an interview coming up, feel free to sign up for a mock interview and a session with InterviewStream. Both of these will work to make that tense interview go smoothly.
The Career Center has an account on InterviewStream, which is a website that allows you to take video of yourself asking questions that are prepared by the software. Once complete, you can review your "interview" and take notes on what you need to improve. You'll notice that you move too much in your chair, making you seem fidgety, which can be off-putting to an interviewing. There is even a "like" and "um" counter that works to help you get rid of that habit of filling in space.
InterviewStream is by no means a substitute for mock interviews, nothing can replace the experience of talking to an actual person. But it allows you to realize areas that you need to improve about your appearance and presentation when you are in an interview.
If you go to Valparaiso University's InterviewStream page and make an account, you can utilize the program as much as you feel you need. If you have a webcam, you can do it right from your dorm room. If you don't have one, then you can stop by the Career Center and make an appointment to use it in one of our back rooms.
So, if you have an interview coming up, feel free to sign up for a mock interview and a session with InterviewStream. Both of these will work to make that tense interview go smoothly.
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