The Loop
Stay in the know with the University Career Center
What's in this issue?
- Career Planning Milestones
- Senior Picnic (Sept. 9)
- Internship Fair (Oct. 7)
- Auburn University School of Pharmacy presentation (Sept. 8)
- Career Center Fall Calendar
- Professional Development Weekly Insight Article (Career Advice)
- Careereco virtual fair listings
- Hot Jobs and Internships
- Special Interest Opportunities
- Social Media Outlets
Keep up-to-date with our recently added events on our Facebook Page!
Are you interested in Pharmacy School?
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 at 12:30 pm
Location: Innovation Station (1st Floor Russell Library)
Call the Career Center at (478)445-5384 to schedule individual meetings with Dr. Woosley.
Georgia College Senior Picnic
Mark Your Calendars for the 2015 GC Career Center Internship Fair
Elevator Pitch Competition
Begin Your Career Planning Journey Today!
Career Center Fall Calendar
Career advice for college students and recent graduates
Even the most seasoned job hunter can make mistakes when it comes to writing resumes and nailing the job interview. So college students and recent graduates who are new to the process are bound to go through some missteps.
You can minimize the errors, though, by learning from the experience of those who've gone before you. Aliza Licht, senior vice president of global communications at Donna Karan International, the fashion brand, tells the tale of her rise up the career ladder in her new book, "Leave Your Mark" (Grand Central Publishing, $26). Licht's advice ranges from how to use social media professionally to surviving office politics. But she also talks at length about how to break into an industry in the first place.
She shared some of those tips recently during an interview. Here's an edited transcript of our conversation.
Q: A lot of students intern during the summer. How can they make the most of the experience?
A: When you enter a work environment, it's very intimidating at first. How should you behave? Are you supposed to wait for direction or ask for work? But being proactive is so important. You have all these people — your direct supervisor, people in a neighboring department — to learn from. So while you're there, ask them how they got started and what they feel is so great about working at that company or in the industry. You're not going to have these people at your fingertips once the internship is over. Also, by doing that, you're creating more of a personal connection, instead of just doing the jobs they give you.
Q: Recent grads often don't have a lot of work experience. How can they make their skills look relevant when applying for a job?
A: It's important to understand the job profile. What does the job you're going for actually entail? Then you can tailor your experience to what an employer values. In one resume that I reviewed recently, the job applicant organized her resume by skill set, rather than listing her experience in chronological order. So, one bullet point was titled "Social Media," and she listed all of the various jobs where she honed that skill. No, she didn't have lengthy full-time employment, but she had amassed experience that added up to something in that particular category.
Q: Why double- and triple-check your cover letter and resume?
A: These papers are the only things that you have to introduce yourself to an employer, and it's so easy to make a mistake. The words start to become completely blurred. You'll have an extra space or you'll misspell a brand name. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a resume with Karan spelled with an 'e.' These are rookie mistakes that don't make a good first impression.
Q: You say job seekers should do as much prep for an informational interview as they do an actual interview. Why?
A: If you've researched the company and you look professional, you will make a good impression. That person might remember you the next time he hears about a job opening. But if you come in looking like you've just walked off the beach, you're completely wasting the chance to network in a professional way.
Q: It's always a good idea to send a thank-you note after an interview, but is it better to send the message by email or a handwritten note?
A: Sending an email a few hours after the interview is a great thing to do. If you want to follow up with a handwritten note, that never hurts. But this is not like sending thank-you notes for your wedding gifts, where you can wait months to do it. People want to be thanked for their time, and the sooner you do it the better because it shows you're serious about the position.
Virtual Career Fair
CareerEco, an Atlanta-based company, is a virtual recruiting platform and talent community for jobseekers, prospective graduate students, academic institutions, and employers who leverage the power of technology and embrace innovation in order to accomplish their professional and academic goals.
CareerEco's cloud recruiting events offer a unique method of connecting virtually that allows everyone to save time and eliminate the many burdens and costs associated with travel.
visit www.careereco.com to register and keep up with the latest upcoming virtual fairs.
Sample of Employment Positions
Here is a sample of the jobs recently added to Career Connection. Click the blue button above to search more jobs opportunities.
#8831 Account Manager, National Builder Supply
#8529 Cloud Support Associate, Amazon
#8824 Facility Environmental Coordinator, Georgia Pacific
#8820 Financial Services Office, IT Advisory, Ernst & Young
Sample of Posted Internship Positions
#8818 , Disney College Program Intern, Disney College Program
#8826 GC Sustainability, GC Office of Sustainability
#8644 Public Relations Intern, Baldwin County Schools
#8802 Graphic Design Intern, Georgia Swarm Professional Lacrosse
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Stay in the Loop!
Email: career.center@gcsu.edu
Website: www.gcsu.edu/career
Location: 110 Lanier Hall
Phone: 478-445-5384
Facebook: facebook.com/gccareercenter
Twitter: @gccareercenter