Career Passport

2009-10

INTERNSHIPS

JOBS

GRADUATE

SCHOOL?

Events

Courses Workshops

Advising

INTERVIEWS

RESUMES

CAREERNETWORK.MSU.EDU

WELCOME TO CAREER SERVICES @ MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

The MSU Career Services Network. . . . . 6

A map for finding the resources

you’re looking for

Get Familiar with MySpartanCareer. . . . 8

It’s more than just job listings

Career Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Where it happens and how to make

an appointment

Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

A menu of off erings to jump-start

your career

Career Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Course listings and instructor contact info

Career Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Schedule of 2009–10 career events

Playing by the Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Your responsibilities for professionalism,

honesty, and ethics

EXPLORE & EXPERIENCE: FIND YOUR PASSION AND PUT IT TO WORK

Steps to Explore Your Career Options . . 16

If you’re wondering where to start,

look here for ideas

Career Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Not really tests, but they can help you

find some answers

Gaining Career-Related Experience

& Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Student employment, research, student

organization, and volunteer ideas

Job Shadowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Spend time on the job with a pro

to see what it’s all about

Informational Interviewing . . . . . . . . . 19

Meet professionals to get insider information

Learn and Intern! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Internships and co-op experience options

Getting the Most Out of Career-

Related Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Make an impression as an employee,

volunteer, or intern

When Your Major Isn’t a Roadmap

to a Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Applying liberal arts knowledge

to the world of work

Careers for the Public Good . . . . . . . . . 24

Finding your niche at a nonprofit and what

you need to know about federal employment

Thinking About an Advanced Degree. . 26

Things to consider for students interested in

graduate school or professional degrees

HOW TO CONNECT WITH AN EMPLOYER AND MAKE THE RIGHT IMPRESSION

Writing a Good Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Formatting essentials, types of resumes,

and “dos” and “don’ts”

CAREER PASSPORTA publication of the Career Services Network

CAREER SERVICES

Kelley Bishop, Executive Director

@ the stadium

Theda Rudd, Associate Director

290 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824

517.884.1300

careernetwork.msu.edu

@ student services

Linda Gross, Associate Director

113 Student Services Building


517.355.9510


LEAR CORPORATION CAREER

SERVICES CENTER

Geoff rey Humphrys, Director

21 Eppley Center


517.432.0830


editorial team

Courtney Chapin, Managing Editor

Eric Doerr

Linda Gross

Tammison Smith

illustration

Tom Ruffley

layout/design

Charlie Sharp, Sharp Des!gns,

Lansing, Michigan

advertising inquiries

Please call Career Services

517.355.9510

© 2009 Michigan State University


All rights reserved.

Michigan State University is an affirmative-

action, equal-opportunity employer.

Contents

Action Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

A menu of words to help you

demonstrate accomplishment

Resume Makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

An example to help you take your

resume to the next level

Combination Resume Spotlight . . . . . . 38

An alternative resume format that could

be just what you’ve been lookng for

Thinking Outside the Box:

The Portfolio Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Create professional, creative, and

electronic portfolios

Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Basics for writing a great cover letter

and a sample to get you started

Communication Essentials: Thank-You

Letters, Phone, and E-mails . . . . . . . . . 42

Make the right impression with

employers

THE JOB SEARCH

Search Strategies You’ll Use Forever . . 44

For your first job after college, your next,

and your next . . .

Job Search Facts You Need to Know . . . 45

Read this section to find out why

International Students and the

Job Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Special considerations for international students

Finding Unadvertised Jobs. . . . . . . . . . 46

Useful techniques for uncovering hidden

job opportunities

On-Campus Interviews for

Internships & Full-Time Jobs . . . . . . . . 47

Find employer presentations and interview

opportunities right here on campus

Graduate Career & Professional

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

What current and prospective PhD

students need to know about how

to succeed in the job market

Dress to Impress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Tips to build your wardrobe

How to Get Results at a Career Fair . . . 52

Who should go, how to prepare,

what to do there and after

You’ve Got an Interview! Now What?. . 54

Expert advice on behavioral interviewing

and more

Negotiating Job Off ers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Congratulations! Tips on evaluating

your off er and salary

Life after MSU: Your Next Big

Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Recent grads give advice on how to

make a successful move from MSU to

the rest of your life

Featured Employers

3M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

BP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Dart Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Ernst & Young. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr

& Huber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Greater Lansing Life. . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Greenstone Farm Credit

Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

MSU Administrative Information

Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

MSU College of Law . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MSU Federal Credit Union . . . . . . 60

Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

Techsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Verizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Wonders

Holden

Wilson

Brody

LIBRARY

Ha

rris

on

Rd

.

Michigan Ave.

Trowbridge Rd.

Union

Linton

MUSEUM

Wells

Engineering

CommunicationArts & Sciences

Admin.

Int’l. Center

11

10

12

1

3

2

BRESLINCENTER SSPPAARRTTANAN

SSTTADIUMADIUM

Olds

Case

KELLOGGCENTER

CAREER SERVICES @ THE STADIUMspecializes in communication, science,

and technology career fields. They host

interviews with employers in a wide

range of industries and organize 12 dif-

ferent career events annually.

CAREER SERVICES @ STUDENT SERVICESfocuses on early career exploration and

experiential learning connections for stu-

dents looking to build the foundations of

their career preparation process. The cen-

ter also provides employment resources

for students and employers in education,

nonprofit, government, and creative fields.

A full range of graduate student career ser-

vices are provided at this center.

LEAR CORPORATION CAREER SERVICESCENTER in the Eli Broad College of Busi-

ness provides career advising for all

students interested in business-related

careers. They also host interviews with

hundreds of companies seeking interns

or entry-level hires.

FIELD CAREER CONSULTANTS are located

in various colleges across campus to pro-

vide customized career services for specific

majors and career fields.

THE MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION pro-

vides career support to Alumni Associa-

tion members.

MSU Career Network

6

career passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.edu

Hubbard

Akers

Holmes

McDonel

Owen

Van Hoosen

Mason/Abbot

Phillips/Snyder

Shaw

Bo

gu

e S

t.

Ha

ga

do

rn

Grand River Ave.

Farm

La

ne

Wilson Rd.

Shaw Lane

Agriculture

Berkey

StudentServices

EppleyCenter

Erickson

Kedzie

Giltner

Natural Sciences

Bessey

Kresge

Fee

6

5

7

9

8

4

SPARTANSTADIUM

AUDITORIUM

WHARTON CENTER

1 CAREER SERVICES @ THE STADIUM

290 Spartan Way


2MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

242 Spartan Way

John Hill, [email protected]

Dave Isbell, [email protected]

3COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS

200 Linton Hall

Courtney Chapin, [email protected]

Paul Jaques, [email protected]

4COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

201 Berkey Hall

Kristi Coleman, [email protected]

5CAREER SERVICES @ STUDENT SERVICES

113 Student Services Building


6GRADUATE CAREER SERVICES

113 Student Services

Matt Helm, PhD, [email protected]

7COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCE

103 Natural Science Building

Brian Telfor, MSW, [email protected]

8COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

& NATURAL RESOURCES

121 Agriculture Hall

Jill Cords, [email protected]

9LEAR CORPORATION CAREER

SERVICES CENTER

Eli Broad College of Business

21 Eppley Center

[email protected]

10 COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION

ARTS & SCIENCES

Club 181: CAS Center for Jobs & Internships

181 Communication Arts & Sciences

Karin Hanson, [email protected]

Paul Jaques, [email protected]

11 COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

The Center for Spartan Engineering

1340 Engineering Building

Jennifer Jennings, [email protected]

12 JAMES MADISON COLLEGE

356 South Case Hall

Jaimie Hutchison, [email protected]

7career passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.edu

Career Services staff will keep you

informed about opportunities based

on your profile information.

Upload your resume(s) and cover

letters. Keep them updated and

current.

Access current full-time job postings,

on- and off -campus jobs, internships,

and interview signup through per-

sonalized search criteria. Try a mock

interview! Never miss an opportunity

— create search agents and find out

fast when jobs that meet your criteria

are posted.

Expand your search by tapping into

the national and international reach

of the NACElink network.

Get information on what employers

are out there!

Keep track of your scheduled

interviews and interview requests

so you never miss a meeting with

an employer.

Stay up-to-date on career fairs, events,

workshops, and employer info ses-

sions to make the most out of every

opportunity.

Browse events in a calendar format by

day, week, month, or year. Mark events

for your personal calendar.

MySpartanCareer

8


Career Search Tools

CONNECTING INTERESTS, SKILLS & VALUES

TO CAREER OPTIONS

▶ Bridges–Choices Planner: Assess and examine your

interests, work values, and beliefs about your work

skills. Search for information on careers, compare

your assessment results with the career information

provided, create a career goal plan and save it all in

your own on-line portfolio.

RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS, FIELDS OF INTEREST,

AND GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS

▶ CareerSearch: Fast access to almost 10 million key

contacts, including: company descriptions, addresses,

names, titles and many e-mail addresses. Search

by industry — advertising agencies, health care

providers, manufacturers, museums, nonprofits,

publishers and more! Use CareerSearch to find

potential employers in your targeted geographic areas

to start uncovering the hidden opportunities in your

field of interest.

INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES

▶ american firms operating in foreign countries:

The authoritative source of information on American

firms with branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates in

foreign countries. American companies listed have a

substantial investment in overseas operations wholly

or partially owned subsidiary affiliate or branch.

▶ foreign firms operating in the u.s.: The

authoritative source of information on foreign firms

(non-American) with branches, subsidiaries, or

affiliates in the United States. Foreign companies listed

have a substantial investment in American operations

wholly or partially owned subsidiary affiliate or branch.

2 NEWS FEED

The Career Services Network strives to bring you the latest

career tools as they become available. Keep your eyes on

MySpartanCareer and http://careernetwork.msu.edu to get the

word about new features and additional Career Search Tools!

9

Advising

Career advisors can help at every stage

of your planning for life after MSU. We

focus on helping you connect your aca-

demic and co-curricular experiences to

life after college, whether your plans

are employment or graduate study.

▶ Just getting started? The Career

Services Network has advisors

skilled in early stages of career

planning and development.

▶ The Lear Corporation Career

Services Center provides career

advising for all students interested

in business-related careers.

▶ Your college may also have a Field

Career Consultant who is a specialist

in career options for majors in your

college. Consultants can provide

detailed information about job

search strategies for specific careers.

All advisors work with students

through workshops and individual

advising. To set up an individual advis-

ing appointment, go to careernetwork.msu.edu and click on “Career Advis-

ing.” Because individual appointments

are in high demand, we recommend

attending a workshop before you come

see us to help make the most of your

individual time.

We’re

advising, workshops & courses

2 NEWS FEED

Everything the Career Services

Network has to off er is available to

recent graduates for one year after

graduation. Services, including

MySpartanCareer, are available

to members of the MSU Alumni

Association who are more than

one year past graduation.

10


Courses

job search strategies Looking for a course that focuses

on finding a job, internship, or career-building experience?

If so, you may want to consider a course that can help you

narrow areas of interest, develop strategies for eff ective

professional communication, research companies, market

your skills and experiences, network with professionals, and

present yourself eff ectively in interviews and at career fairs.

ssc 490 1 credit fall & spring

Kristi Coleman [email protected]

al 250 2 credits fall & spring

Courtney Chapin [email protected]

cas 380 1 credit fall

Karin Hanson [email protected]

nsc 491 1 credit fall

Brian Telfor [email protected]

Some colleges and departments off er other courses for

specific fields. Consult with your academic advisor or

academic departments to find out more.

career & academic decision-making If you are looking for a

course that can help you connect academics, skills, and real

careers, consider enrolling in one of the following courses

taught by career experts. For more information and specific

section numbers, contact:

anr 101a 2 credits spring

Dr. Phil Gardner [email protected]

rcah 281 2 credits fall

Kate McGormley [email protected]

Workshops

Workshops are held frequently on a wide variety of topics.

See Events ⇢ Workshops in MySpartanCareer for a detailed

schedule. Workshop subjects usually include:

▶ Resume writing

▶ Step-by-step career planning

▶ Eff ective job campaign

▶ Orientation to the Career Services Network and

MySpartanCareer▶ Dressing for success

▶ Business careers for non-business majors

▶ Interview and communication skills

▶ Networking

▶ Preparing for career fairs

▶ Researching an employer

▶ Internship and summer job search strategies

▶ Applying for graduate/professional school

▶ “What can I do with a major in . . . ?”

▶ Presentations with featured speakers — including alumni,

employer representatives, faculty, and other experts

Here to Help!

5 NEW FRIEND REQUEST

Get connected with MySpartanCareer

▶ Create your profile on MySpartan Career — and keep it up-to-date. Tell

us a bit about yourself and how we can help you meet your career goals.

▶ Check for workshops, career events, information and other services that

meet your needs.

▶ Use MySpartanCareer to research employers. Look for internships, part-

time jobs (on- and off -campus), and full-time career positions.

3 CAREER SERVICES POST

Through many years of working with students on their

career development and job search, I believe most

do not understand the value of the services available

to them through the Career Services Network. Brian

Krueger, author of College Grad Job Hunter, accurately

captures the value of these services available to you:

“The same services available for free . . . from your

Career Development office would cost from $500 to

$3,000 at a professional career counseling service.”

Make sure you utilize these services as early as possible

in your academic career. —ERIC DOERR, COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

11

Fall Semester ’099/9/09 . EARN, LEARN & INTERN

Looking for part-time employment this fall? Searching

for an internship to help you develop your professional

skills? Update your resume and attend the Earn, Learn,

and Intern Fair. On-campus employers, along with local

businesses will be present to talk with students about

part-time job and internship opportunities.

9/23/09 . MSU’S JAMES MADISON COLLEGE LAW SCHOOL FAIR

Representatives from a number of top law schools come

to campus for this event. Come to meet admissions

representatives and find out more about law school and

the admission process. Although hosted by MSU’s James

Madison College, students from throughout the univer-

sity are welcome and encouraged to participate.

10/7–8/09 . CAREER GALLERY

The largest fair of the year—a two-day event! Over 250

employers and 4,500 students attend.

. SCIENCE, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE(Oct. 7) For students inter-

ested in the corporate sectors

of engineering, science, R&D,

biotechnology, computer

science and information

technology, media, and

telecommunication.

. BUSINESS EXCHANGE(Oct. 8) For students inter-

ested in business-related

jobs. Employers represent

the automotive, manufactur-

ing, agribusiness, service,

consumer products, retail,

insurance, transportation,

and finance industries.

10/13/09 . GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL RECRUITMENT FAIR

Meet admissions recruiters to learn more about programs

and what they seek in competitive applicants. Over 100

institutions off ering graduate programs in law, health,

science, business, public aff airs, arts, and humanities will

be at MSU to meet you.

10/15/09 . AGRICULTURE CAREER FAIR

For all students interested in Ag-related careers. Connect

with internships and full-time opportunities in the bio

economy, agribusiness, agriculture communications,

sales and marketing, research, production agriculture, or

the green industries. Employers represent the agronomy,

dairy, equine, fruit, horticulture, livestock, turf grass, veg-

etable, bio fuels, grain, landscaping, and meat industries.

11/3/09 . HOSPITALITY BUSINESS–CAREER EXPO

Targeted toward students with a particular interest

in pursuing management careers in the hospitality

industry. Employers recruit for permanent management

positions and internships. Prior to the evening career

fair, industry leaders present professional development

workshops in a variety of topics. This event is coordi-

nated through the department. For more information on

this particular event, call 517.353.9747.

11/6/09 . CREATIVE ARTS FORUM

For students considering a more creative career path.

Come to meet professionals and learn more about what

it takes to begin a career in fields like writing, editing,

curation, film, design, arts management, publishing

and other creative arts areas. This event is primarily an

information-sharing and networking opportunity, not a

recruiting event.

Career Events All events are open to students in ALL majors.

Attend all that fit your personal interests.

1 LINKS

Use MySpartanCareer to to see which employers

you want to meet and to find dates and times for

Career Fair Cram Sessions to help you prepare.

2 NEWS FEED

Career Fairs give you an opportu-

nity to speak directly with employ-

ers about openings, learn about

career fields, and gain advice

on job and internship searches.

Events are open to all enrolled

students — check out what we’ve

got planned for this academic year!

Don’t wait until you really need a job

to go to a Career Fair. Choose one

that interests you and go to learn

more about potential employers

and observe how fairs work. Career

Fairs are a great way to make pro-

fessional contacts! Plus, there is

usually a lot of free stuff .

12


Spring Semester ’101/21/10 . DIVERSITY CAREER FAIR

This inclusive event attracts over 2,400 students and 150

well-known employers representing a variety of industries.

Our largest Spring Semester event, this fair is part of a year-

long series of workshops, networking receptions, and em-

ployer information sessions related to workplace diversity.

2/11/10 . GOVERNMENT & NONPROFIT CAREER FAIR

Looking for a career with impact? Want to make a diff er-

ence? Come to this event to meet employers representing

federal, state, and local government as well as nonprofit

agencies. Explore what sorts of public service opportuni-

ties might be right for you.

2/11/10 . ENVIRONMENTAL, NATURAL RESOURCES & GREEN INDUSTRY CAREER FAIR

Passionate about nature, sustainability, the environment?

Attend this informational fair to explore consulting

firms, government agencies, nonprofits, policy interest

groups and other organizations whose work is related

to environmental, natural resources, conservation, sus-

tainability and green initiatives.

2/18/10 . SUMMER EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIP FAIR

For students looking for a full- or part-time seasonal job or

internship. Over 80 employers attend—past participants

include the Office of the Governor, Cedar Point Amusement

Park, Palace Sports and Entertainment (Auburn Hills),

Comerica Park, Target, Kraft Foods, Citadel Broadcasting,

and over 40 summer camps.

2/18/10 . ENGINEERING EXPO

When is a Career Fair not a Career Fair? When it’s an Expo!

This is an interactive, information-sharing event. Come to

gain knowledge of companies, interact with alumni, net-

work with professional engineers, and get “insider” info.

Over 800 students attend with a large percentage consist-

ing of younger undergraduates participating in their first

interaction with employers. For more information contact

The Center for Spartan Engineering at 517.355.5163 or via

email at [email protected].

2/19/10 . SPEED NETWORKING

You’ve heard getting a job is about who you know, and

speed networking is your chance to meet professionals

with careers in advertising, media, IT, sales & marketing,

PR/communications, multimedia, and entertainment. At-

tendance at a prep session is mandatory for participation.

Pre-registration is required for both the prep session and

speed networking. This event is coordinated by Club 181,

the CAS Center for Careers & Internships in the College of

Communication Arts & Sciences, 517.355.6500.

3/9/10 . SPRING BREAK JOB SHADOW PROGRAM

This one-day program allows you to gain valuable insight

on careers you may want to pursue in the future, network

with professionals in your areas of interest, observe the

workplace, and ask questions about your field of interest.

Students have the opportunity to job shadow professionals

from various disciplines at businesses, nonprofit or public

sector entities in Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids and

Chicago. Attendance at a prep session prior to the event is

mandatory for participation.

4/10/10 . HIREBIG10PLUS SPRING CAREER FAIR

This event is a unique opportunity for students from across

the Big 10 to connect with employers seeking to fill open

internship, full- and part-time positions. Combining the

power of the Big 10 schools helps us connect top employ-

ers with some of the most talented and qualified college

students in the field.

4/13/10 . TEACHER/ADMINISTRATOR RECRUITMENT FAIR

This annual MSU event attracts over 125 school districts

nationwide seeking to recruit new teachers. Participating

school systems include Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, New

York, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Tampa, Chapel Hill, Fair-

banks, and Baltimore.

1 LINKS

Not sure what to do at a Career Fair? Go to careernetwork.msu.edu

and read our quick guide to Career Fairs! — or go to pages 52–53

to read the section “Get Results at a Career Fair.”

13

Playing by the


Possessing a high level of integrity is critical to happiness and success

throughout your educational pursuits, career, and life. It is the very key to

defining the person you really are.

Take this to heart — integrity isn’t something about you — it is you. We all

have to accept the implications of our decisions and actions — whether they

are positive or negative. In some cases, if we act with less integrity, we may

not like the consequences. However, it is the reality; and we have to live with

it — as well as deal with it!

On campus, we expect you to follow certain policies and practices, and to

honor your commitments — and to do this with a high degree of integrity. Keep

in mind that your actions are not isolated and many constituencies will in

some manner be aff ected by your decisions.

I believe one of the best descriptions of integrity can be found in our own

MSU Career Services Network’s 12 Essentials for Success:

“What does it mean to perform with integrity? Some ethical decisions

are pretty straightforward. Other times, you may not even think of

something as an ‘ethical’ matter, or won’t have an easy time knowing

the best thing to do.”

m Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines integrity as “moral

soundness; honesty.” Performing with integrity means:

▶ Accepting responsibility for your actions, including your mistakes.

▶ Keeping your word and following through.

▶ Making principled decisions based on personal and professional ethics.

▶ Following the golden rule — treating others as you would like to be treated.

▶ Acting consistently and transparently in all your dealings.

—GEOFF HUMPHREYS, DIRECTOR, LEAR CORPORATION CAREER SERVICES CENTER

14


your responsibilities for professionalism, honesty & ethics

Policies

FALSIFICATION OF INFORMATION

Students and alumni registering and submitting their resume and data are certifying that the information

is truthful and accurate. Those found providing false information in any way risk becoming ineligible for

on-campus interviewing and Career Network services.

INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT CANCELLATION

You are expected to accept the responsibility for keeping every interview appoint ment scheduled. Can-

celing late or not showing up may result in becoming ineligible for on-campus interviewing.

▶ LATE CANCELLATION. MySpartanCareer will only accept cancellations up to 4 days prior to a

scheduled interview — including Saturday and Sunday. If you need to cancel an interview after that,

you must contact the appropriate Career Center (at which the interview is to occur).

▶ NO-SHOW. A “no-show” for an interview is professionally unacceptable and demonstrates a lack of

respect and responsibility. Even in an emergency situation, you should contact and inform the Career

Center.

ACCEPTANCE OF JOB OFFER

If you’ve accepted a job off er, you should not continue to interview with employers. Notify employers

with whom you may have upcoming interviews and withdraw your application.

RENEGING

Reneging is accepting a job off er and then changing your mind

in order to accept an off er with another employer. Reneging can

damage your reputation forever — and may make you ineligi-

bile for on-campus interviewing and Career Network services.

The University does not sanction reneging on your part for any reason. Avoid a reneging

situation by carefully planning and managing your entire job search process.

Rules

1 LINKS

Policy details can be found on the Career Network

website and the MySpartanCareer login page.

15

Find Your Passion . . .

Steps to Explore

Your Career Options

“SO WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MAJOR IN . . . ?”

▶ Keep an eye on workshop off erings and alumni panels

in MySpartanCareer.

▶ Check out careernetwork.msu.edu to get a sense of

what others who graduated in your major are doing

now. Your college website may have additional info.

▶ Meet career advisors who can help you lay out a plan

to explore your interests and connect with alumni and

professionals.

“I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT I WANT TO DO . . .” OR “I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING!”

▶ A career advisor can suggest strategies to help you

uncover your interests, or narrow them down.

▶ The Career Network website off ers resources that can

help you browse career options.

▶ A career assessment can help you discover your

strengths and interests.

“I HEARD I CAN TAKE A CAREER TEST . . .”

Yeah, you can do that, but they aren’t really tests. The as-

sessments we use help you organize your interests. The

results help you reflect on what you already know about

yourself to plan for your future. Talking with a career

advisor about your results can help you see how you can

use what you’ve learned to make career decisions.

16


and Put It to Work

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

Ask yourself . . .

▶ Who am I? Who do I want to be?

▶ What values guide me? What are my most important

life goals?

▶ What ideas excite me? What activities are most

engaging?

▶ How do I learn? What knowledge is important to my

plans for personal and professional development?

▶ How have my experiences helped me grow? What

assets do my experiences bring to new settings?

▶ What skills are my strengths? Are there skills I need to

develop?

▶ What drives me? How do I make things happen and

create new opportunities?

2 NEWS FEED

College is about exploration and discovery . . .

Take time to talk with your professors, advisors, and

fellow students about majors, specializations, and other

areas of interest. If you’re not sure about what you’re

interested in or have too many interests, you may want

to meet with a career advisor to help you focus in on

what’s most important to you.

Career Assessments

▶ Bridges–Choices Planner allows you to assess and examine

your interests, work values, and beliefs about your

work skills. This online assessment also off ers a wealth

of information about occupations. You can search for

information on careers, compare your assessment results

with the career information provided, create a career goal

plan and save it all in your own on-line portfolio. Bridges–

Choices Planner is available through MySpartanCareer (see page 9). We recommend you make an appointment with an advisor after

completion to talk about your results.

▶ Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Strong Interest Inventory are in-

depth assessments available through your career advisor and require a minimum

of two advising sessions. The MBTI helps you to assess how your personality

preferences might infl uence your career choices, and helps you to understand

yourself and your interactions with others (at work or in your personal life). The

Strong Interest Inventory helps you clarify and refl ect on

your interests so you can better understand and expand on

possible career options.

17

Gaining Career-Related Experience &

Job Shadowing

During a typical job shadowing visit, you “shadow”

an employee at work for a couple of hours, or some-

times even a full day. The visit provides an up-close look at workplaces and the “real

job” from an employee’s view. You have a chance to observe daily office activities,

ask questions, and consider the potential pros and cons of a particular profession or

industry. You will also discover what workplace skills and career-related experiences

are essential to being successful in your chosen field.

BENEFITS OF JOB SHADOWING

▶ Gain important information and advice to assist you in making informed

academic and career decisions.

▶ Make a valuable new networking contact in the “real” world.

▶ Link your skill development, courses, and academic planning to your future

success on the job.

PREPARING FOR A JOB SHADOWING VISIT

▶ Research the employer and/or industry you will be observing.

▶ Choose 10–15 questions to ask the employee you shadow.

▶ Confirm the time/date

and plan for transporta-

tion to the site.

AFTER THE VISIT

▶ Send a thank-you note.

▶ Take time to assess

what you learned about

the skills and work

experiences needed

to pursue your career

interests. Are there skills

you need to gain? What

are your next steps?

1 LINKS

See MySpartanCareer for MSU

Spring Break Job Shadow Program

information!

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

Additional ways to get career-related experience . . .

▶ Working on- or off -campus is

a great way to gain workplace

skills while earning a paycheck.

▶ Volunteer work and service-

learning are great ways to help

the community and build your

skill base.

▶ If you like research, try setting

up an undergraduate research

experience with a professor or

an employer. (venture.msu.edu)

▶ Being an active member of a

student organization provides

lots of opportunity for develop-

ing career related skills that

translate to success when you

graduate.

▶ Be a career event ambassador!

Each year we recruit hundreds

of volunteers to host employers

at career events. It’s a great op-

portunity for 1st- and 2nd-year

students to learn about fairs

from the inside out and for any

student who wants to broaden

their professional network.


Getting the crucial hands-on work experience you need

comes in the form of many opportunities. Cooperative

education, internships, and summer research are

great ways to start your introduction into the working

world. Volunteer, service learning, and study abroad

opportunities are also ways to gain experience and

the “soft skills” that are so important on the job. In

today’s job market employers stress the importance of

work experience. More engineering graduates find the

“entry-level” position is disappearing and the work

experiences they gain while still in school can benefit

them after college. Not only will you get a chance to

experiment to see what kind of work you like to do,

but three to six months working can open many doors:

expanded network, working knowledge of your industry,

and much more. —JENNIFER JENNINGS • COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

18


Contacts

Talking to current professionals is a great way to

determine if a career field is for you. An informational

interview is a 10–30 minute conversation with someone

working in a position or field that interests you.

“WHY SHOULD I DO AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW?”

▶ TO LEARN. If you want to find out what a specific

career path has to off er, what the positives and

negatives are within an organization’s culture, or

which academic major will best prepare you for a

selected career path, why not ask the people who are

already working within that field?

▶ TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. In a recent national

survey, 70% of respondents reported they got their

present position because of a personal contact. The

earlier you start building relationships with people in

your field of interest, the stronger they will be when

you actually begin your job hunt later on.

“HOW DO I CONDUCT AN INFORMATIONAL INVERVIEW?”

▶ An outline for conducting informational interviews can

be found at careernetwork.msu.edu.

“WHERE DO I FIND PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW?”

▶ Career Search in MySpartanCareer — a searchable

database of employers, including contact info

(see page 9). You might be surprised how many

professionals are willing to talk with you about their

careers and professional experiences.

▶ Friends, family, and professors. You will be amazed at

how many contacts you may be able to make through

existing relationships.

2 NEWS FEED

Taking risks broadens your vision for the future . . .

▶ Experiment with electives and Study Abroad programs.

▶ Talk with faculty about their research and field

experiences.

▶ Take a tour of a business, nonprofit, or government

organization.

▶ Go on an Alternative Spring Break program.

Informational Interviewing

19

Internships

WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP?

“Internship” has lots of diff erent meanings.

For our purposes, let’s define it as “work

experience (paid or unpaid) in your chosen

field of study.” Internships can take place

during the summer months or during a

semester, and may be full-time or part-time.

Cooperative education placements (co-ops)

are special internships available through

some academic departments. You can

receive pay and academic credit for such an

experience!

EVERY MAJOR CAN FIND WORK EXPERIENCE WHILE IN SCHOOL.

Whatever your major or field of study, there

are opportunities to obtain related work

experience. Check with your college intern-

ship coordinator or academic advisor to

discover if it’s possible to obtain academic

credit.

FINDING EXPERIENCE IS AS EASY AS . . .

▶ Make use of MySpartanCareer, and take

advantage of on-campus interviewing

and other campus resources, like career

events (see pages 12–13).

▶ Talk to faculty, advisors, family, and

friends (see the article on “Informational

Interviewing,” page 19).

▶ Identify employers of interest and

contact them directly!

Learn and Intern

20


. SET GOALS.

Before you begin, sit down with your supervisor

and establish several realistic goals for your

learning experience. Ask, “What results should

I be working toward?” Use these goals to evalu-

ate yourself throughout your experience.

. KNOW YOUR PLACE.

You will be working with professionals who

have many more years of experience in the

field than you. Remember you do not have all

the answers. Communicate respectfully to all

employees . . . those with a college degree, and

those without. At the same time, don’t be afraid

to share your ideas. Sometimes a fresh perspec-

tive is just what your employer needs.

. FIND A MENTOR.

If your employer does not provide you with

someone who will coach you and answer your

questions, seek out employees who will agree

to serve in that role.

. TAKE THE INITIATIVE.

Some experiences are well-defined with specific

outcomes provided, others are not. In either

case, don’t sit back and wait! Your employer

will be impressed when you see a problem or

issue and address it. When you take ownership

in your work, you’ll find it more rewarding.

. HAVE FUN!

Learning about your chosen field can be an

enjoyable experience. Connect with other stu-

dents and employees both inside and outside

of the work environment. Take it upon yourself

to organize after-work social activities if they

are not planned for you. Remember to exhibit a

strong work ethic throughout your experience,

and you will be respected by those you work

with.

Getting the Most Out of

Career-Related Experience

Some things to consider to help you become the star hire that all employers hope to find:

2 NEWS FEED

Students who complete internships while in school are preferred

by employers, graduate, and professional schools. Entry-level

salary off ers to students who have internship experience are

higher than to students without internship experience.

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

Find internships right here on campus! Use MySpartanCareer

and choose “Internship,” keyword MSU. Also find more about

Internships@State at intern.careernetwork.msu.edu.

1 LINKS

Check out the Student Internship Toolkit, fill out the Intern-

ship Interest Form, tell us about your internship experience,

and more at intern.careernetwork.msu.edu.

21

the liberal arts job search

IT HELPS TO PUT YOUR DEGREE IN PERSPECTIVE FIRST.

Just because the curriculum hasn’t

steered you along a particular career

path, that doesn’t mean your degree

is worthless or that no one wants to

hire you. You probably chose your

major not because of the job it was (or

wasn’t) going to get you, but because

of your passion for and interest in the

subject matter.

While not having a major that provides

a roadmap to a given career might

make figuring out what you want to do

next more challenging, it also gives

you many directions in which to turn.

Your degree isn’t automatically pre-

defining what you can do — you can do

just about anything you want.

Before you start on your job search,

you’ll need to lay some groundwork for

yourself. Ask yourself questions about

what’s important to you when it comes

to work and life in general:

▶ How will your choice of career

complement other aspects of

yourself?

▶ What role will your career play in

your life?

▶ What kinds of things would you like

to have the chance to do?

▶ What strengths do you want to use?

▶ What do you know you don’t want

to do?

DECIDE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO YOU TO WORK IN AN AREA DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR FIELD.

One of the hard personal choices that

you’ll need to make is deciding how

important it is to you to work in a

career that is directly related to your

field. This is a question only you can

answer. For many students, one of the

best things to do is to forget about

your field and focus instead on your

interests.

What are you passionate about? You

might find that your interests are very

diverse, or maybe very specific and

limited. Focusing on your interests is a

good way to grow your career opportu-

nities and help ensure that you find a

career that feels right.

If it’s really important to you to work

in your field, and you need help finding

resources for where to look and what

to look for, you should see your Field

Career Consultant for field-specific

assistance.

WHAT IF EMPLOYERS I’M INTERESTED IN AREN’T LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH MY DEGREE?

You may have to explicitly make the

case to an employer that you’re a

qualified candidate. The trick here is to

get beyond job titles and preferred ma-

jors. Instead, focus on the qualifications

When Your Major Isn’t a Roadmap to

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

Sometimes fi nding a job might seem harder

for you than for your friends graduating

with a degree in business or engineering.

Some degrees are more profession-driven

than others, and that’s OK. As a liberal arts

grad, you’ve got a lot to off er an employer —

and there are a lot of directions you can go.

You need to know what you’re looking for so

you can you can fi gure out where to fi nd it.


With the extra level of flexibility from a liberal arts degree comes an extra responsibil-

ity to take initiative to explore career options that would be a good fit. You’ll likely

need to do lots of in-depth soul-searching regarding your personal goals, interests

and values as they apply to the world of work. If you haven’t already, spend some time

answering important questions about what you want to get out of work, where you want

to be in five years, what kind of life you want to live and who you want to be — do this

before you start your job search. Take time to put the answers together for yourself and

you might just find they help you later when employers ask you to articulate answers to

other hard questions like “Why do you want to work for us?”

— COURTNEY CHAPIN • COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS

22


section of the job listing. Look for posi-

tions that seem interesting, regardless

of what the title is, or the preferred

degree. You may in fact possess many of

the qualities they’re looking for:

▶ COMMUNICATION SKILLS, both

written and oral (remember the

countless papers and presentations?),

▶ the ABILITY TO WORK COLLABORA-

TIVELY (how about all those group

projects and community service

projects?),

▶ and LEADERSHIP SKILLS (ever

held a leadership role in a student

organization or been responsible

for training or supervising others at

work?).

These skills are all often part of the

desired qualifications section of entry-

level positions.

If you can demonstrate in your

cover letter and resume that you’re

as qualified as someone from the

employer’s preferred major, you have

just as good a shot at landing the job!

It’s all about how you put the whole

package together.

THERE ARE SOME LIBERAL ARTS-FRIENDLY CAREER PATHS OUT THERE YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT.

Nonprofit organizations and govern-

mental agencies (both local and fed-

eral) tend to be a little more flexible

about what field your degree is in and

off er opportunities to do work in an

area that’s of interest to you. Nonprofit

and government employment (also

known as the public sector) can also

give you the opportunity to change

your world.

Read more about conducting a govern-

ment and nonprofit job search on

pages 24–25.

WHEN YOU SAY I CAN DO ANYTHING, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?

You might be wondering what other

liberal arts grads, or more speci fically,

what other students from your major,

have done with their degrees. The

possibilities are pretty much endless,

but to give you an idea . . . Liberal

arts graduates have become actors,

musicians, CEOs, marketing directors,

Hollywood producers, legislative aides,

advertising copywriters and creative

directors, communications managers,

writers, police officers, editors, transla-

tors, filmmakers, artists, designers,

counselors, lobbyists, teachers,

professors, elected government

officials, social workers, com-

puter programmers, managers,

curators, agents, promoters,

entrepreneurs — and yes,

even lawyers, judges, and

doctors!

a Career . . .


Have you considered federal employment?

If not, perhaps you should start. The

good news for MSU graduates is that the

federal government is hiring! In fact, the

federal government projects that more than

550,000 employees (over one-third of the

permanent, full-time workforce) will leave

the government in the next five years. Talk

about job openings! Even better news for

liberal arts students is that the federal

government currently employs more than

425,000 individuals from arts, humanities,

and social science backgrounds.

— KRISTI COLEMAN • COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

23

Finding Your Niche at a Nonprofit

Did you know that the vast majority of nonprofit organizations have paid,

full-time staff who perform a variety of tasks — graphic design, management,

volunteer coordination, writing, accounting, and more? People from all kinds

of academic backgrounds find nonprofits a rewarding and fulfilling career

path. If you’re looking for a chance to use your talents and a sense of social

contribution, a career with a nonprofit might be right for you.

Nonprofit organizations diff er from for-profit companies in that, although

they’re raising and generating revenue, making a profit isn’t their bottom line.

They’re using the money to forward their mission. Nonprofit organizations

can be professional associations, religious-affiliated groups, political activist

organizations, educational institutions, human service providers, just to name

a few. They cover a wide spectrum of interest areas—there’s probably one out

there doing work you’d like to be a part of!

There are literally tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations — so many that

when the time comes to research potential employers, it’s hard to know where

to start with your job search. To get started:

▶ DON’T FORGET THE LITTLE GUYS. You may be familiar with large

organizations like the United Way, Red Cross, or Sierra Club; however there

are many smaller nonprofit organizations that might not be so well known.

▶ BE SPECIFIC. Which sector and interest area would you like to work in — the

environment, public health, business services, research? The more specific

you can be, the more successful you will be in finding organizations that

might be right for you. Use CareerSearch to find nonprofits in your areas of

interest (see page 11).

▶ SHOW YOUR SKILLS. The more you stand out as

somebody who off ers a number of valuable skills,

the more competitive you are. Are you a good

writer? Do you have web-development skills?

Careers for the Public Good

2 NEWS FEED

Nonprofi ts and government agen-

cies come to campus. The Creative

Arts Forum, Government &

Nonprofi t Career Fair, and the En-

vironmental & Natural Resources

Fair are all good events to pay at-

tention to. The Diversity Fair often

sees some of these employers, too.

Always check MySpartanCareer to

see which employers are coming

to events. Your employers of inter-

est could be coming!

1 LINKS

For more information, visit

www.idealist.org.

24


What You Need to Know

about Federal Employment

Did you know the federal government employs people in all

fields from art to zoology and is among the leading employ-

ers of liberal arts grads? In fact, over 425,000 arts, humani-

ties and social science alums work in federal agencies. And

median salaries for these workers tend to be higher in the

federal government when compared to other employers. High

rates of retirement — more than 550,000 individuals are

projected to leave over the next five years — are creating job

openings across the government.

Hiring in the federal government is decentralized, with

each agency hiring independently. By law, all government

agencies must post any vacancy open to outside applicants

on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website

(www.usajobs.gov). The application process (and applica-

tion) for government positions can be lengthy . . . be patient!

All applications are considered and positions are filled based

upon merit.

“HOW DO I APPLY?”

The federal government has its

own application system and what

sometimes seems like its own

language. Once you understand the

procedure of applying and some

special terminology, the application

is fairly straightforward. One of the

most helpful sites on the Web for all

aspects of the federal job search is

the Partnership for Public Service.

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

Federal, state, county and city goverments

have all kinds of positions — everything from

artists to zookeepers. For more on federal em-

pllyment, see the info on this page. For state,

county and city governments, visit the website

for your locations of interest and visit a career

advisor for assistance.

1 LINKS

Visit the Partnership for Public Service at

MakingTheDiff erence.org to access resources

for college students and recent grads.

25ssspororttt 2220career passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.edu

Why do you want to go

to graduate school?

▶ YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE and be able to use it to help people,

research, teach, make a great discovery . . . As a graduate

or professional student, you become part of the process for

advancing and creating knowledge in your field. Be prepared for

changes—the expectations from faculty members are diff erent

than for undergrads and are far more demanding.

▶ THE CAREER YOU WANT REQUIRES AN ADVANCED DEGREE.

Clearly, if you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a faculty

researcher, an advanced professional degree is required. In

order to advance in some fields—such as social work, public

administration, education, and business—you may need to

complete a professional master’s program.

▶ YOU WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY. Having an advanced degree

does not always translate to more money. Salaries for someone

with an advanced degree vary by profession, job market, and

location. Advanced degrees do not always mean better chances of

finding a job, either. The key here is to do some solid research on

your profession and the demand for people with advanced degrees.

How can I decide if

grad school is for me?

Talk with current graduate students and faculty or professionals in

your field. Ask them why they chose graduate or professional school.

How has it helped them in their careers and life goals? What advice

would they give to a student thinking about graduate school?

Need some more guidance? Make an appointment with your field

career consultant or career advisor to discuss your graduate or

professional school search and application process.

Thinking about an Advanced Degree

2 NEWS FEED

Admissions requirements will vary

from program to program. Find out

for each program: preferred under-

graduate majors or coursework, if

any; GPA; standardized tests (GRE,

GMAT, etc.); academic or work

skills preferred; and application

deadlines.

1 LINKS

You can find a list of factors to

consider in choosing a graduate

school, information on personal

statements, and more at career-network.msu.edu.

26

career passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.eduttcareer passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.edu 27

“WHAT’S A RESUME FOR, ANYWAY?”

You want your resume to catch the attention of an employer

and make them interested in talking to you. Employers

receive many resumes, and usually spend only seconds skim-

ming them. Make your important information easy for them

to see:

. Use bullets — rather than writing in paragraphs.

. Be as specific as possible about your skills and

qualifications.

. Use headings to clearly organize your content.

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A “ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL” RESUME!

If you’re considering a variety of career op-

tions and applying for many diff erent kinds

of positions, you’ll need to customize each

resume you submit. It’s important to tailor

your resume to the particular position

as much as possible. Incorporate

language from the job description

into your headings and action bul-

lets whenever you can.

Writing a Good Resume

2 NEWS FEED

Intimidated by the prospect of

writing your resume ? . . .

Confused about why you even

need one in the first place ? . . .

You’re not alone !

30


Formatting Essentials

There are no rules about what a resume ought to look

like, or what it should or shouldn’t include. It all

depends on the job you’re applying for, the kind of

employer, and the image of yourself that you want to

project. But, there are some general formatting rules

you should always remember . . .

▶ For a recent college undergrad applying for an entry-

level position, stick to one page. (Exceptions are for

federal or education resumes, which tend to be longer

because of additional material required.)

▶ One-inch margins (all the way around) are standard

for resumes.

▶ Be consistent with your format throughout the

document. Use the same line spacing, font, font size,

etc.

▶ Avoid italics and underlining, since they can be

misread by optical scanners that are used by many

employers for scanning resumes into electronic

database systems. Use ALL CAPS and bold to make

your important words and phrases stand out.

▶ Choose a font that is easy to read. Good fonts include

Arial, Times New Roman, Palatino, Tahoma, and

Verdana. Use no less than 11 points for smaller fonts;

larger fonts can be easily read at 10 points.

▶ Make headers and contact information larger than

body text.

▶ Don’t use templates or resume programs to create

your resume. Anyone who spends time looking at a

lot of resumes can spot them a mile away.

▶ Use action verbs to begin bullet points whenever

possible. This way, an employer will easily see your

skills (analyzed, organized, wrote, solved . . . ) just by

skimming over the first part of each line. Check out

the action verbs list (page 34) for more ideas on what

kinds of language to use in your resume.

RESUMES ARE NOT A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER DONE.

Use the job description to guide what you include

on your resume, and what you leave out. Employers

are interested in what you’ve done recently. Include

only experiences that you’ve had since you’ve been in

college — don’t include your high school education or

activities.

It’s not necessary to list all the courses you’ve ever

taken. If employers really care about your coursework,

they’ll ask for transcripts. If you have coursework that is

directly relevant to the position, you could include that

as a bullet point in your “Education” section.

IDENTIFY YOUR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS.

Even if you think that your work experience isn’t related

to the position you’re applying for, chances are you’ve

learned skills that would be useful and applicable in

almost any work setting.

Don’t just list the duties that you performed. Be as

specific and results-oriented as possible; using numbers

is particularly eff ective. Your involvement in extracur-

ricular activities, volunteer work, and work experience

while in college demonstrates that you’re able to man-

age your time eff ectively and balance multiple tasks at

once.

31

Choose Your Format

After you’ve identified the position or employer your resume will

target, choose the resume format that best meets your needs.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME

▶ Lists your work history in reverse chronological order

(most recent first).

▶ Is the format preferred by many employers. It is also the

preferred format for undergraduates.

▶ Works best for those who have progressed in titles and

have a good work history.

FUNCTIONAL RESUME

▶ Centers around skill areas that relate to the position for which you’re

applying.

▶ Works well for those with limited education, significant employment gaps,

lack of work experience, or experience in a diff erent field. This format can

be used both by recent grads and career changers.

▶ WARNING! This format isn’t well received by many employers for a variety

of reasons. If you’d like to use a functional format, seek assistance from a

career advisor for feedback. If you like the idea, but think it’s just a little

too much, you might consider a combination resume.

COMBINATION RESUME

▶ Combines both detailed work history and skills.

▶ Usually includes a “skills summary” or “highlights”

section near the top.

▶ TIP: Keep your skills section short, somewhere around

four bullets.

Resume Types

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

RESUME-ZILLA!

Once you’ve decided what type of format will work best

for you, it’s time to start writing! Begin by making a list

of your skills, work experience, honors, awards, activi-

ties, internship experience, etc. Include anything you

think an employer would want to know. Once you have

this mega-resume, it will be easier to customize each re-

sume for each employer, and include only relevant info.

32

1 LINKS

RESUMES IN THE DIGITAL AGE

“What if an employer asks me for a scannable resume

— or wants me to send a resume electronically?”

Nearly 70 percent of all employers have an electronic

resume system, according to the National Association

of Colleges and Employers. This means that the first

person to see your resume will probably be a computer!

For information on scannable resume formatting and

electronic resumes, check out the resume resources at

careernetwork.msu.edu.


Resume Don’ts

In a recent survey of over 2,500

recruiters in the U.S. and Canada,

ResumeDoctor.com collected

feedback on their 20 biggest “pet

peeves” when it comes to resumes.

Surveyed recruiters represented

many diff erent industries/special-

ties. Below are the top ten results

from the survey.

1 Spelling errors, typos, and poor

grammar

2 Too duty-oriented; reads like

a job description and fails to

explain what the job seeker’s

accomplishments are

3 Dates not included, or inaccurate

dates

4 Omitted or incorrect contact

info or unprofessional e-mail

addresses

5 Poor formatting — boxes,

templates, tables, use of headers

and footers, etc.

6 Functional resume as opposed to

chrono logical resume. (Remem-

ber, many conservative employ-

ers don’t like this format!)

7 Overly long resumes (Don’t

forget to keep it to one page!)

8 Long paragraphs

9 Unqualified candidates — candi-

dates who apply for positions for

which they are not qualified

0 Including personal info not rela-

tive to the job (age, height, etc.)

33

ANALYSIS

analyzed

ascertained

assessed

compared

computed

conceptualized

concluded

confirmed

critiqued

deciphered

deliberated

determined

devised

diagnosed

estimated

evaluated

examined

forecasted

formulated

integrated

investigated

justified

measured

negotiated

prescribed

prioritized

projected

questioned

rated

recommended

researched

scrutinized

studied

substantiated

synthesized

validated

verified

COMMUNICATION

addressed

apprised

arbitrated

attested

authored

clarified

communicated

composed

convinced

corresponded

drafted

edited

explained

informed

interpreted

lectured

marketed

persuaded

presented

promoted

publicized

queried

reported

spoke

summarized

translated

wrote

CREATIVITY

brainstormed

constructed

designed

engineered

envisioned

fabricated

illustrated

produced

shaped

visualized

FLEXIBILITY

accommodated

adapted

adjusted

altered

amended

balanced

converted

grew

improvised

tailored

ORGANIZATION

arranged

assembled

budgeted

calculated

catalogued

centralized

charted

classified

collected

compiled

consolidated

correlated

indexed

linked

orchestrated

Use Action Verbs!

34


2 NEWS FEED

Use active language to describe your work experience

and skills! The action verbs listed here are organized

by skill areas to help you think about how your past

experiences can apply to skill sets employers look for. Of

course, many of these verbs apply to multiple skill areas

— use all categories to get ideas for how you might

describe your own skills and experience.organized

oriented

planned

processed

purchased

recorded

regulated

scheduled

systematized

tabulated

INITIATIVE

accelerated

accomplished

achieved

acquired

advanced

bolstered

boosted

built

coordinated

created

dedicated

demonstrated

enriched

established

expanded

expedited

implemented

improved

increased

initiated

innovated

inspired

introduced

launched

minimized

mobilized

modernized

modified

multiplied

overhauled

pioneered

revamped

revised

spearheaded

stimulated

suggested

updated

upgraded

LEADERSHIP

administered

advised

allocated

allowed

appointed

approved

assigned

authorized

chaired

coached

delegated

designated

directed

educated

elicited

employed

empowered

enabled

encouraged

endorsed

enhanced

facilitated

fostered

founded

guided

hired

influenced

instructed

interviewed

judged

led

moderated

monitored

motivated

officiated

recruited

sanctioned

supervised

trained

TEAMWORK

assisted

collaborated

contributed

cooperated

mediated

participated

partnered

PROBLEM- SOLVING

aided

alleviated

ameliorated

augmented

counseled

customized

debugged

eased

elevated

enlarged

extended

extracted

finalized

fulfilled

generated

identified

interceded

invented

lightened

polished

procured

reconciled

rectified

reduced

refined

reformed

rehabilitated

reinforced

rejuvenated

relieved

remedied

remodeled

repaired

restored

retrieved

revitalized

revived

settled

solicited

solved

streamlined

strengthened

supplemented

transformed

. . . AND MORE!

acted

activated

added

admitted

apportioned

appraised

approximated

attained

audited

certified

commissioned

committed

consented

contracted

disbursed

dispatched

displayed

enlisted

excelled

executed

exercised

familiarized

figured

guaranteed

indicated

instituted

involved

issued

licensed

maintained

operated

performed

prepared

programmed

realized

related

reserved

reviewed

satisfied

screened

secured

served

set

smoothed

sought

specified

submitted

surveyed

sustained

traced

transacted

transmitted

valued

35

the do’s & don’t’s of resumes

What’s wrong?

✘ This is an MS Word template! Using

a template or resume program can

cause an employer to think that

you don’t have the computer skills

necessary to create, format, and

organize your resume — or that

you don’t have the initiative to

figure out how to do one on your

own. Show employers that you can

think for yourself and use word

processing software skillfully.

Employers can spot template

resumes right off the bat.

✘ The contact information here is

too small — one of the downfalls

of templates. One of the most

important things on your resume is

how to get in touch with you. Make

sure employers will be able to read

your contact information easily.

✘ Never include personal information

like your Social Security number,

birth date, height, weight, etc.

✘ Don’t use an unprofessional e-mail

address! Set the tone for your level

of professionalism from the very

beginning of your interactions with

a potential employer.

✘ If you’re including an objective

in your resume, keep it short and

employer-focused. It’s great if you

want to advance your skills, but

employers care more about what

you’ll do for them rather than

what they’ll do for you. A better

alternative would be something

like, “To obtain a manager trainee

position with XYZ Corporation.”

This shows that you’ve done enough

research to know what entry-level

position you’d be hired into and

personalizes your resume for that

particular employer — in other

words, at least this resume only got

sent to them.

✘ Avoid using first-person (i.e., “I,”

“my,” and “me”). Employers know

you’re talking about yourself. Save

the space for words that really

matter.

✘ There are inconsistencies in the

size of bullets, formatting of lines,

and too many fonts, as well as

grammatical and spelling errors.

This shows lack of attention to

detail and generally sloppy work

habits.

✘ Bullet points for work experience

are very task-oriented. This only

shows the employer what you did,

but not your accomplishments

— how you contributed to the

eff ectiveness of the organization or

applied useful skills.

✘ Dates are listed in the front

(another pitfall of templates!),

which isn’t where they belong.

When you worked somewhere is

not as important as your job title

or where you worked. Put the most

important things at the front of the

line.

✘ Don’t use abbreviations and

acronyms.

✘ It’s nice to have interests, but those

listed here don’t apply to the world

of business or relate to the position

for which this student is applying.

Will an employer really care that

you like to listen to music? Will

that help you do your job better?

Probably not.

✘ Don’t include references on your

resume. Employers typically don’t

need your references until after

you’ve had an interview. At that

time, they will ask you for your

references, and you should have

them listed on a separate sheet that

matches your resume and cover

letter in both style and appearance.

If an employer wants them sent

with your resume, they’ll state that

explicitly in the “how to apply”

section of the job posting. Even

in that instance, you’d send them

as a separate sheet. For help with

writing your reference sheet, see the

resources on establishing references

at careernetwork.msu.edu.

What’s right?

✔ Name and contact information is

large and easy to read. Both current

and permanent addresses are

listed. It can sometimes be months

before an employer follows up on

Resume Makeover

36


Paige Turner

CURRENT: 3130 Green Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823 • (517) 555-1234PERMANENT: 999 Snowy Lane, Escanaba, MI 49829 • (906) 555-7890

[email protected]

EDUCATIONBachelor of Science, Zoology May 2010Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

• Additional concentrations in zoo and aquarium science and Japanese• Dean’s List (5/6 semesters)

EXPERIENCEAssistant Manager Sept. 2007–presentSparty’s Deli, East Lansing, MI

• Supervised and trained serving staff of 10• Ordered $7,000 in weekly supplies and inventory• Increased sales by 10% during tenure as assistant manager

President Aug. 2008–presentZoology Club, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

• Organized and supervised work of 3 sub-committees• Allocated annual budget exceeding $5,000• Interacted with university, city and state officials in service and lobbying projects• Increased membership by 23% during presidency

Study Abroad: Advertising in Asia Summer 2007Japan and China

• Studied interactive advertising management theory and practice in Tokyo, Beijing, and HongKong

• Visited 9 advertising firms and gained insight into creative, sales, and management practicesin major Asian markets

• Completed team advertising project using digital media and gaming for cell phone distributionand presented to panel of advertising and business executives

Sales Associate Summer 2006Sports Unlimited, Escanaba, MI

• In charge of direct sales of athletic shoes, accessories and apparel• Determined product display placement and arrangement• Selected and ordered products based on understanding of consumer demand• Involved in most aspects of managing a retail store including: scheduling, store security,

customer relations, opening and closing, as well as coaching employees to increase salesresults

COMPUTER SKILLS• Skilled in MS Word and electronic research systems• Proficient in MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Photoshop• Working knowledge of MS Access, Macromedia Dreamweaver, and Adobe Illustrator

PORTFOLIO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

a resume, especially if they store

resumes in an electronic system,

and it’s possible you might be back

home when an employer is ready to

contact you.

✔ Degree and awarding institution

are spelled out. Additional areas

of study are highlighted, as well as

more specific information on the

Study Abroad program. For many

employers, foreign language skills

are important. If you don’t have

a skills summary in your resume,

including languages studied in your

“Education” section is appropriate.

✔ Formatting is consistent — dates

line up, bold and CAPS make

important information stand out,

font sizes (and styles) are the same

throughout, bullets are uniform.

Overall, the resume looks orderly

and organized without even

reading it.

✔ Experience related to the student’s

field of interest (business) is

highlighted in the bullet points

describing work history. Past tense

is used consistently to demonstrate

readiness to move forward and

leave even current experience

behind. Points are specific (note the

use of numbers) and demonstrate

the student’s success with and

impact on the operations of

previous employers.

✔ Related extracurricular activities —

especially leadership roles — can

be included and described in your

“Experience” section.

✔ Employers are increasingly looking

for employees with solid technology

skills. Use descriptors like “skilled,”

“proficient,” “working knowledge

of,” “competent,” etc. to demon-

strate your level of proficiency with

various programs/applications.

✔ It used to be standard protocol

to include a statement like

“References Available Upon

Request” at the end of a resume.

Now employers expect that

you’ll have references to off er, so

including a line to that eff ect isn’t

needed. However, if you have a

portfolio or samples of your work

that an employer would want to see,

including a statement referring an

employer to supplemental materials

is appropriate, since not all

candidates will have those to off er.

3130 Green Drive DOB: 01/01/1987

East Lansing, MI 48823 SS# 999-00-1111

(517) 555-1234

[email protected]

Paige Turner

OBJECTIVE To get a job working in business where I can advanse and strengthen my

communication, teamwork and leadership skills.

EXPERIENCE Sept. 2007–present Sparty’s Deli East Lansing, MI

Assistant Manager

• Manage staff.

• Ordered supplies and inventory.

• Prepare customers’ orders and provided customer assistance.

Aug. 2006–May 2007, Generic Sports Bar & Grill Okemos, MI

Waitress

• Took orders and served food.

• Cleaned bathrooms and lobby and performed side-work.

Summer 2006 Sports Unlimited Escanaba, MI

Sales Associate

• Assisted customers with purchases.

• Stocked merchendise.

Worked cash register and handled transactions.

EDUCATION 2006–2010 MSU East Lansing, MI

• B.S. in Zoology.

• Dean’s List every semester but one.

• Study Abroad, Summer 2007

INTERESTS Swimming, hiking, reading, working with children, listening to music

REFERENCES Kwame West, Sparty’s Deli

9807 Evergreen Drive, East Lansing, MI

(517) 555-0987, [email protected]

John Smith, Generic Sports Bar & Grill

1234 Grand River, Okemos, MI

(517) 555-5678, [email protected]

37

Combination Resumes

Getting rid of the objective at the top of your resume (which

many employers advocate) can leave you feeling like there’s

nothing there to grab the employer’s attention. But a well-

crafted “Skills Summary,” “Summary of Qualifi cations,” or

similarly titled section at the top can fi ll that niche for you.

A brief skills section serves as a short intro duction to your

strengths that can keep an employer reading. In fact, many

hiring managers say this is the fi rst thing they read!

To make this work for you, keep these tips in mind:

▶ Your skills section should be short, ideally 3–5 bullets.

▶ Beware of overstating your level of skill or experience by

using descriptors like excellent, expert, fl uent, etc. (In

most cases, the typical college grad still has more to learn

on the job.)

▶ Use moderate descriptors like: profi cient, working

knowledge, skilled, demonstrated strengths, etc. instead.

▶ If you’re having trouble thinking of what to include, try this:

Imagine you are in an interview. The employer asks you to

highlight your three greatest strengths. What do you say?

▶ While you want to avoid using vague or general

statements in your resume, your skills summary

is one place where this is more acceptable.

However, if you use general

statements — like “Proven

ability to work in teams as

both leader and follower” for

instance — make sure you

provide concrete,

specifi c examples

under your work

experience to

back it up.

Ling S. Wu1234 Eastside Dr., Okemos, MI 48864 • H: 517.555.5678 • C: 517.555.0912 • [email protected]

OBJECTIVETo obtain a summer 2010 Colonial National Historic Park Internship through the Student ConservationAssociation

SKILLS PROFILE• Presented to groups of up to 100, successfully communicating life and safety skills, and camp

protocol, certified in CPR and basic First Aid• Experienced in researching historical information using electronic, archival and library resources,

and Internet• Completed advanced coursework in Revolutionary and Antebellum history and culture• Studied interpretive services and visitor information systems• Working knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Adobe Photoshop

EDUCATIONBachelor of Arts, History May 2011Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

• GPA, 3.75/4.0• Member, Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key National Honor Society

EXPERIENCERiding Instructor Summer 2009Camp Linden, Girl Scouts of the Huron Valley Council

• Instructed campers in barn safety, horse care, and riding• Evaluated campers’ riding skills and placed them in appropriate groups• Presented to groups of up to thirty about horses, safety, and camp history• Supervised safety and well-being of over 500 children ages 7 to 12

Volunteer January 2008–presentBeekman Therapeutic Riding Center, Lansing, MI

• Worked one-on-one with special-needs riders to improve their balance and control• Handled horses calmly and confidently in new and diverse situations• Used shared interest in horseback riding as means of connecting with people of different abilities

Server July 2007–presentSoup’s On Café, Okemos, MI

• Quickly learned procedures for preparing food in proficient and safe manner• Improved communication skills through interaction with customers• Monitored register drawer and cash box, and processed daily bank deposits• Trained new employees for opening, middle, and closing shifts

ACTIVITIES• Volunteered for Michigan Women’s Historical Center’s Annual “Picnic on the Lawn” fundraiser• Ten (10) years of active involvement as member of Irish dance companies• Eleven (11) years of horseback riding experience, including English Hunter/Jumper, some

Western, and experience as instructor• Experienced in campsite preparation and set-up, outdoor cooking over open fires and using

propane camp stoves, and trail creation and maintenance

Combination Resumes & Portfolios

2 NEWS FEED

Think a combination resume

sounds like a cool idea, but want

some specifi cs on combining a

detailed work history and your

skills? Read on for how-to combo

resume tips!

38


Thinking Outside the Resume Box

Portfolios are great tools for students from all majors. A professional portfolio

is usually taken to an interview. This type of portfolio is a documentation and

demonstration of your accomplishments. It shows growth in your skills and under-

standing over time. A portfolio not only documents your results but also how you

got there and what you learned in the process.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PORTFOLIOS?

Regardless of how you’ll use the finished product, all portfolios can help you:

▶ Write or update your resume more quickly, since all the relevant information will

be in one place.

▶ Organize information you’ve gathered over the years, such as awards,

certificates, and records of other accomplishments.

▶ Showcase your achievements, skills, and abilities for an interview.

▶ See your career as a collection of skills and talents that you’ve developed, rather

than just a list of job titles.

E-PORTFOLIOS: EFFECTIVE AND EASY

Electronic portfolios are an excellent way to showcase your

skills and your computer abilities. Remember more and

more employers are seeking students with high levels of

technology skills. The most eff ective portfolios are those

that are targeted towards a specific job or organization.

CREATIVE PORTFOLIOS

A creative portfolio contains only samples of work relevant

to your particular field. Just like a professional portfolio, your

creative portfolio should be organized and presented in a

quality format. Many creative fields also expect a title page,

essay, or artist statement and biography. Talk with people

working in your field about the specific expectations for this type

of portfolio.


Cover Letters

THE OVERVIEW

▶ Write a separate cover letter for every position. The best

cover letters are customized for the employer receiving

them.

▶ Don’t just talk about you. Your resume talks about you.

Demonstrate you’ve done your employer research and

show them how you’re the best candidate for them. This

means talking about them and how you’re a fit for what

they need/want.

▶ Demonstrate professional, simple and direct writing

style while also expressing personal interest and

excitement.

▶ As with your resume, your cover letter is a writing

sample. Proofreading for grammatical and spelling

errors, typos, and content/style is just as important.

Mistakes can wreck your chances of moving forward.

▶ Think of your cover letter like a response to a personal

ad — you’re connecting your interests and experiences

with the other person — being genuine, conveying

interest, and showing that you understand what’s

important to them and sharing their values. You don’t

have to tell them your life story — you’re telling them

enough to convince them they want to invite you to an

interview to learn more.

THE DETAILS

▶ Your resume and cover letter should match in both style

and appearance.

▶ Fold them together and mail in a matching envelope or,

because employers are increasingly scanning resumes,

send your cover letter and resume unfolded in a large

envelope.

▶ If you’re e-mailing your resume as an attachment,

it’s not necessary to also attach a cover letter. The

e-mail message itself serves as a cover letter. Write it

accordingly.

▶ Address the letter to a specific individual.

2 NEWS FEED

Any time you send a resume or application to

an employer, you should include a cover letter.

Whenever you’re not face-to-face with an em-

ployer, your cover letter is your introduction.

40


YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER,

AND E-MAIL ADDRESS. Can be formatted

in standard business letter format or as it

appears on your resume.

DATE.

CONTACT AND ADDRESS. Use an individual’s

name, if possible.

SALUTATION.

FIRST PARAGRAPH. State the reason you are

writing, explain the type of work you are in-

terested in, or the specific position you are

applying for, and indicate how you learned

about the employer and/or the opening.

BODY PARAGRAPH(S). Be specific about

why you are interested in the position.

Briefly summarize some of your strongest

qualifications to do the work. Consider this

from an employer’s point of view by linking

your skills to specific requirements in the

job description. Show what you have to

off er the employer; don’t merely daydream

about what the employer can off er you.

CLOSING PARAGRAPH(S). Refer the reader

to the resume (or application form) you

are enclosing. Declare your interest in

an interview and off er to provide further

documentation upon request.

SIGNATURE.

YOUR NAME (TYPED).

ENCLOSURE.

Ling S. Wu1234 Eastside Dr., Okemos, MI 48864 • H: 517.555.5678 • C: 517.555.0912 • [email protected]

April 18, 2010

Jeremy Tolliver, CoordinatorSCA Conservation InternshipsThe Student Conservation Association689 River Rd., PO Box 550Charlestown, NH 03603-0550

Dear Mr. Tolliver:

I am interested in the Colonial National Historical Park Internship. As a history major, I am attracted to acareer in interpretation with the National Park Service, preserving historic sites, and educating the publicabout these resources. My career advisor at Michigan State University recommended your organization,and I learned of this position through the SCA website and internship database.

This position in interpretation would be a good fit for me. I enjoy being outdoors, interacting with others,and educating people about history and its value. I have taken upper-level history classes, focusing onRevolutionary and Antebellum American history and culture. I am currently taking a class at MSUthrough the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Resources program. The class focuses on park interpretiveservices and visitor information systems. I am learning about interpretation, developing educationprograms, and working with visitors. This class is building my knowledge base and teaching me skills thatI look forward to using in your program.

My experience working at Camp Linden Girl Scout Camp last summer improved my communication andinstructional skills. I am comfortable working with, and educating children and facilitating educationalprograms in an outdoors environment. I developed and presented informational programs to the scoutsabout safety, horsemanship, and the history of the camp.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to scheduling an interview with yourorganization to further discuss the position and my background. I am confident that my experienceworking with children and my coursework at MSU will enable me to make a valuable contribution to yourprogram.

Sincerely,

Ling S. WuLing S. Wu

Enclosure

41

telephone, mail, and e-mail

Communication

Using the Phone

▶ Don’t take a cell phone call or page

when with another person — it’s

rude. This is especially true during

an interview, site visit, or other

professional event!

▶ When leaving a voice mail or

message, speak slowly and clearly

so your message is clear. Keep your

message short. Leave your name

and phone number to ensure the

employer can call you back.

▶ Return calls the day they’re received.

If for some reason you can’t call

back the same day, call within 24

hours.

▶ Make sure that the greeting for your

answering machine and/or voice

mail is appropriate. Employers

often complain about greetings

that include loud and/or obscene

music, background noise, or are just

generally unprofessional.

42


Essentials

Eff ective E-mailing

▶ Don’t use an unprofessional e-mail address (e.g.,

[email protected]). The recipient could delete

the message thinking it’s spam or porn.

▶ Always include a meaningful subject line that makes

it clear what will be covered in the message, such as

“José Vega — Confirming Friday Interview Time” or

“MSU Food Science Junior Seeking Information.”

▶ Always include your full name and contact information

in each e-mail.

▶ Remember that there is no guarantee that an e-mail is

private.

▶ When replying to a message, always include the

previous message in your response. Keeping the

thread of the discussion together will help both you

and your contact to follow the course of your e-mail

discussion.

▶ Always re-read and spell-check every e-mail before

you hit “send”!

2 NEWS FEED

Every time you communicate with an employer,

be as professional as possible. Always use cor-

rect grammar when speaking or writing.

Even if e-mail is your preferred way of commu-

nicating, check with your contacts to see what

their preferred contact method is so you can

communicate with them most eff ectively.

Thank-you Letters

▶ Always send a thank-you letter after an interview or other

personal interaction. Show the people you met that you

appreciate their time and attention. Thank-you letters can

be sent via e-mail, a hand-written note, or formal letter.

▶ Wondering whether or not e-mail is the best way to

send a thank-you note? As with most things, it depends

on the organization. More conservative employers will

likely prefer a formal letter. Employers who have a

high-touch approach to customer service or a high level

of relationship development with clients are more likely

to prefer a hand-written note or card. But any employer

with a quick turn-around time between interview and

off er (you interview on Thursday and they tell you they

plan to make a decision on Monday) should get an e-mail

thank-you letter.

▶ Be sure to send the thank-you promptly — it’s best to send

it within 24 hours of your meeting or exchange.

▶ The bottom line is that you want the letter to reach them

before they’ve made their decision. If they haven’t told you

what their timeline is, that’s one of the things you should

ask before leaving the interview!

▶ To avoid burning bridges that might be useful later on, you

should even send a thank-you letter to an employer with

whom you’ve decided NOT to accept a position.

▶ For more information on thank-you letters, see the

resources available at careernetwork.msu.edu.

43

Search Strategies You’ll Use Forever


YOUR JOB SEARCH AFTER COLLEGE IS ONLY THE FIRST OF MANY IN YOUR LIFE. According to the US Bureau of

Labor Statistics, the average American with a Bachelor’s

degree has about ten diff erent jobs between the ages of

18 and 34. In college you’ll be expected to learn about

job search processes — whether it’s finding a part-time

job or an internship. To survive — and advance — you’ll

have to become skilled at job hunting. Your first job out

of college is just the beginning of a lifelong process.

SEARCHING FOR A JOB ISN’T LIKE TAKING A CLASS. Although the resume seems like a writing assignment,

it’s really an “advertisement” for a meeting. And the

interview, which looks like an exam, is more like a date:

it determines whether there are enough interests in

common to take the relationship a step further.

DEVELOP A JOB SEARCH STRATEGY. The job search is

successful only if you take charge and develop a job

search strategy. So, maybe you’ll need to rethink your

strategy . . . there is no one job search technique that

will work every time for everyone.

— KELLEY BISHOP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAREER SERVICES

44


THREE JOB SEARCH FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

▶ 75% of all jobs are never advertised. It’s a lot cheaper

and faster for an employer to hire a relative, a friend,

or someone they’ve met before. Otherwise, they have

to go to the trouble (and expense) of writing up a job

description, filing paperwork, conducting a search,

and then, finally, hiring someone. For this reason, and

the two others below, most jobs are never advertised.

▶ Who you know is as important as what you know. Most

successful job seekers find jobs with the help of leads

from friends and acquaintances.

▶ 98% of U.S. employers have fewer than 100 employees. These companies often do not recruit

from college campuses. You can find these “hidden”

employers with some of the tools available through

MySpartanCareer (see page 8).

WHAT THESE 3 SEARCH FACTS MEAN TO YOU

▶ The Internet should not be your only means of

searching for jobs.

▶ Talking to people and asking questions may be your

best job search strategy.

▶ Take advantage of MSU resources like

MySpartanCareer, career events, employer info

sessions, and other opportunities to meet and

discover potential employers.

HOW NEW JOB SEEKERS FOUND THEIR JOB

Friends or relatives

Alumni or school

placement contacts

Cold contact with

an employer when

no job was posted

Newspaper or web ads

source: U.S. Department of Labor

48%

23%

24%

5%

International Students

and the Job Search

We want to help you make your job search as

productive and stress-free as possible. But as

is probably becoming evident, the job search

is rarely, if ever, a quick and easy process. It

can be stressful even for those who have a clear

idea of what they want to do, where they want

to do it, and for whom. And for international

students studying at MSU or at any other uni-

versity, there are additional issues to overcome.

There are both legal and cultural barriers in-

volved in international students’ job searches.

Visa and work authorization processes can be

complicated and the cultural diff erences in

resumes, interviews and other aspects of the

search can be unsettling. It can also be difficult

to look for a job in your home country from

hundreds or thousands of miles away!

To help meet the particular needs of interna-

tional students, MSU’s Career Services Network

has partnered with MSU’s Office for Interna-

tional Students and Scholars to provide a cen-

tralized online resource. Visit careernetwork.msu.edu/students/international for access

to information specifically for international

students’ job search needs.

1 LINKS

For more information on services and resources

available to international students at MSU, please

contact the Office of International Students and

Scholars, 103 International Center, 517.353.1720,

oiss.msu.edu.

45

2 NEWS FEED

You must look more like a great po-

tential colleague than a desperate job

seeker! There are plenty of desperate

job seekers; it is your job to understand

your top companies’ needs and

place yourself in situations where

you can demonstrate your abilities.

Finding Unadvertised Jobs

“IF MOST JOBS AREN’T ADVERTISED, HOW CAN I FIND THEM?”

You start with basic research, using resources like

CareerSearch found in MySpartanCareer (see page 9).

Advanced resources such as field-specific journals and

websites (e.g., The Wall Street Journal if you’re inter-

ested in investment banking; Chemistry.org if you’re

interested in scientific research) help you discover

the major employers that hire for the jobs you want.

To know if you’re on the right track, you should con-

duct informational interviews with people working in

your field of interest (see page 19).

▶ Find specific field resources at careernetwork.msu.edu and/or

through your college’s website.

▶ CareerSearch provides fast, accurate, up-to-date information

on potential employers and contacts in a wide range of

industries and fields nationally and internationally.

“HOW CAN I NARROW THE FIELD OF POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS?”

If you are open to living anywhere, but have no idea where to

start, here are steps to organize your search:

▶ Determine up to 3 geographic areas of interest.

▶ Create a list of 5–10 organizations with whom you are

most interested in working. These organizations should get

most of your attention. Actively work to meet people in the

organization and learn more about their goals. Try some or all

of the suggestions for developing relationships with employers

listed here.

▶ Create a second list of organizations you have some

interest in. When you have time, do some basic research to

refine the level of your interest and possible networking

or career openings.

46


for internships & full-time jobs

ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS

GET THE MOST OUT OF MYSPARTANCAREER.

▶ More than 500 employers

interview MSU students

throughout the academic year.

Sign up for these interviews in

MySpartanCareer.

▶ Search postings to find upcoming

on-campus interviews for full-time and internship positions,

submit your resume to employers online, check if you were

selected for an interview, and sign up for the interview time

and date.

ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES.

▶ PRE-SELECT INTERVIEWS. A two-step process: First you submit

your resume, then the company decides which people they want to

interview. Individuals chosen to interview will be able to sign up

for an interview time.

▶ OPEN INTERVIEWS. First come, first served! Once all the interview

slots are filled, the schedule is closed.

▶ MOCK INTERVIEWS. Practice interviews so you’re more prepared

for the real thing. First come, first served. Some schedules may be

limited to students in particular majors.

“HOW DO I DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS WHEN THEY WON’T RETURN MY CALLS?”

▶ ATTEND PRESENTATIONS AND

EVENTS sponsored by student organi-

zations, the Career Services Network,

or professional organizations.

▶ VOLUNTEER. Whether it’s for a cause

you believe in or pitching in when a

for-profit company needs some help,

you’ll have the chance to make a good

impression on others and potentially

get leads for other opportunities. Re-

sist acting phony when you volunteer

— engage in the activity to the best

of your ability, rather than badgering

people about your job search.

▶ USE RESEARCH. Look not only at

directories, like CareerSearch,

but also trade publications and

newspapers in your geographic area

of interest. Look for who is doing

work you find interesting — it might

be a new account or outreach with a

local group that you support.

▶ KEEP A LOG OF RESEARCH AND

ACTIVITIES, so you know whom

you’ve called, when, and next steps.

It’s embarrassing to call someone

twice because you forgot that you

already called, or not to call at all

when someone asked.

2 NEWS FEED

▶ Check interview schedules daily, and look ahead to dates

for the whole semester.

▶ If you submitted a resume for a pre-select interview, note

when you should check to see if you have been chosen.

▶ Make sure you note the date, time, and especially location

of your interview. Some may be held in the centers at

Student Services, Spartan Stadium, and Eppley Center.

1 LINKS

If you have questions about making

the most out of on-campus inter-

viewing, schedule an appointment

with a career advisor on-line at

careernetwork.msu.edu/advising.

47

Michigan State University advanced degree holders have

the opportunity to work in a variety of exciting careers in

academia, business and industry, government, nonprofit

organizations, or in their own businesses. In order to

maximize your ability to flourish in graduate school and

beyond, it is essential to be deliberate about your career

and professional development from your first days on cam-

pus until you graduate. To assist you, the Graduate School,

in partnership with Career Services, created the PREP

program (grad.msu.edu/prep). PREP will assist you in your

career and professional development planning from entry

to MSU through graduation, and into an exciting, reward-

ing career.

PREP focuses on four professional skills that are key to

career and professional development: planning throughout

the graduate career to identify and successfully achieve

career goals; developing resilience and tenacity to thrive

through personal and professional stages; practicing ac-

tive engagement in making important life decisions and in

acquiring the skills necessary to attain career goals; and

attaining high standards of professionalism in research

and teaching. Employing these skills at every stage of the

graduate program helps students to maximize their oppor-

tunities for professional growth and to discover a fulfilling

career path. In partnership with graduate and professional

programs across campus, the Graduate School seeks to

introduce students to a range of career activities and

opportunities with the goal of assisting degree completion

and enhancing professional success. Our workshops are

based on current scholarship on graduate student develop-

ment and are themselves part of an ongoing research

project through evaluation and assessment.

Graduate

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

GRADUATE CAREER SERVICES

▶ One-on-one confidential career counseling

▶ Academic and nonacademic career search work-

shops and resources

▶ Professional development conferences

▶ Mock interview opportunities

More information on resources, programs and

services, including career counseling, is available

at careernetwork.msu.edu and grad.msu.edu.

48


As a future PhD, there are a variety of

career options available to you both in

and outside academia. While having

an advanced degree sets you apart,

the job market for recent PhDs is

highly competitive. To be successful,

be proactive and learn what you need

to do to develop professionally so you

can position yourself for an eff ective

job search.

▶ IDENTIFY AND EXPLORE PhD

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. Future

employment opportunities include

positions in academia, industry,

government, and nonprofit organiza-

tions. Visit grad.msu.edu/prep for

a complete list of academic and

nonacademic job search resources.

▶ NETWORK. Networking is just

as vital to a PhD’s professional

development and future job success

as it is for any other job seeker. If

you haven’t already, read the article

here on “Informational Interview-

ing,” and the section titled “The

Job Search” for information on

strategies for finding contacts and

developing relationships. In addi-

tion, every PhD student should join

and get involved in a professional

society or organization, participate

and present at conferences, publish

in related fields of interest, and par-

ticipate in appropriate listserves.

▶ SEEK OUT MENTORS. Good mentors

can help you maximize your overall

educational experience, assist with

professional socialization into the

disciplinary culture, and aide in the

employment search process. Continu-

ally ask for input and assistance with

your educational and career goals.

Professional mentors may include

your advisor, but can also include

other faculty members or individuals

you have met in industry, agencies or

in non-government organizations.

▶ DEVELOP YOUR WRITTEN CREDEN-

TIALS: CURRICULUM VITAS AND

RESUMES. Written credentials vary

by discipline and the type of posi-

tion you’re seeking. For academic,

administrative and research posi-

tions you’ll need a CV or curriculum

vita — a comprehensive statement

of education, teaching and research

experience. For non-academic

positions, you’ll need a resume or

a hybrid resume/CV format. See the

section on writing resumes for more

information on what this entails,

how to get started and to see

examples. Seek input from faculty

in your department and make an

appointment to see the PhD Career

Consultant at careernetwork.msu.edu.

▶ GET INVOLVED. Attend career and

professional development activities

sponsored by your department, The

Graduate School, or Career Services.

For a complete list of programs

sponsored by the Graduate School,

visit grad.msu.edu/prep.

Career & Professional Development

Ph.D. Career Preparation

EducationUnknown

Private sector

Other

Government

PH.D. PLACEMENT

U.S. preschool, elementary, middle, secondary school or

school system

U.S. university-affi liated research institute

U.S. community college or technical institute

Non-U.S. educational institutuion

U.S. 4-year college or university (Other than medical school)

U.S. medical school(Including university-affi liated

hospital or medical center)

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

49

Dress Essentials for Everyone

▶ Hair should be clean, well groomed, and away from the

eyes. Simple, classic styles are best.

▶ No visible tattoos or body piercings.

▶ Remove extraneous earrings. (Women: one pair. Men:

none.)

▶ Avoid strong mints, perfumes, or aftershaves.

▶ Clothing should work for you, not against you. Fit and

comfort are important considerations in projecting

yourself at your best.

▶ Trendy clothing — like short skirts, low necklines, extreme

prints or colors — generally do not project an image

appropriate for a professional meeting.

▶ Crisp, clean, well-pressed clothing is a must.

Dress to Impress!

1 LINKS

Find more detailed information about dress dos and don’ts at


2 NEWS FEED

You know that thing about never getting a second chance to make

a first impression? Well, it’s true. It’s just as true about a blind

date as it is about meeting a professional contact for the first

time. Regardless of the circumstances, you want to make the best

impression you can the first time around — or you might not get a

second chance!

Professional dress matters because it helps you to project an

image that lets the employer see you in the professional role you

are seeking. The whole working world doesn’t revolve around

dark conservative suits. What you wear for a professional encoun-

ter depends on the career field you’re pursuing.

Who Wears What?

▶ For TRADITIONAL CAREERS — like banking, accounting,

finance, engineering, law, and corporate positions — you’ll

need a conservative look that conveys competence and

authority. Suits should have a classic cut or style and

be dark in color (navy, dark grey, black, etc.). Shirts and

blouses should be a neutral color, like white, ivory, light

grey, etc. Ties and scarves should be subtle with a little

color.

▶ For those pursuing TECHNICAL CAREERS — in areas like

engineering, information technology, sciences, etc. — a

clean look that conveys knowledge, innovation, and

approachability is important. Suits should be conservative

in subtle dark colors. Blouses and shirts should be a subtle

color.

▶ PEOPLE-FOCUSED CAREERS — counseling, teaching, sales,

and social work, for example — require an image that

projects expertise but approachability. Suits should be

conservative in subtle dark colors; coordinate separates

can work too. Blouses and shirts should be a subtle color.

▶ The most opportunity for expression of personal style can

be found in CREATIVE CAREERS — like advertising, art,

design, and entertainment, to name a few. In these fields

you’ll need a contemporary image that conveys creativity,

innovation, and competence. Suits can vary in cut, style,

and color; two-piece coordinates are acceptable. Blouses

and shirts should accent your total look.

50

career passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.educareer passport 2009 | careernetwork.msu.edu

Less Formal MeetingsWHAT TO WEAR FOR JOB SHADOWING AND INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS

So, for more formal interactions like career fairs and

interviews, hopefully it’s clearer now why suits are usu-

ally your best option. But if you’re going to a fair as an

information seeker instead of a job seeker, or if you’re

attending an event like a conference, informational inter-

view, job shadow, etc., a suit may make you overdressed.

For these kinds of interactions, you always want to dress

professionally — no ripped jeans, flip-flops, or T-shirts

with obscenities on them. Yes, we (probably) all have

these items in our wardrobe, but save them for

your friends, not a potential employer.

Follow the “dress essentials for everyone,” and

consider the items below when you’re picking out

what to wear.

▶ khakis ▶ sweater

▶ dress pants ▶ blazer

▶ dress shoes ▶ loafers

▶ button-down shirt

And remember, when in doubt, check with an insider

(your employer contact or career advisor, for example)

about what the appropriate dress in a particular

situation might be!

51

Before the fair . . .KNOW WHO WILL BE ATTENDING.

Before the fair begins, know which organizations will attend and what

positions they are hiring for currently. Get this information through

MySpartanCareer. Make a ranked list of employers that interest you.

RESEARCH EMPLOYERS OF INTEREST.

If you want to stand apart, be able to talk to the recruiter about what the or-

ganization does and how your skill set fi ts. At a minimum, go to their website,

learn about products, services, or clients, and read the annual report. Check

out more research tips available at careernetwork.msu.edu.

PREPARE YOUR RESUME(S).

Make sure your resume eff ectively refl ects your knowledge, skills, and

abilities. You can have a general resume to hand out, but if you really want to

make a great impression, make diff erent versions of your resume that target

the specifi c industry or job that interests you. Make sure you give the right

resume to the right organization!

DEVELOP YOUR COMMERCIAL.

You only have about 30 seconds to make an impression with a recruiter,

so you need to be able to quickly introduce yourself and let them know

your interests and qualifi cations. Practice a short 30-second to one-minute

advertisement that you can present easily while still sounding natural.

Things to include:

▶ Your name

▶ Your MSU program/major

▶ When you’re graduating

▶ What you’re looking for (more infor mation, full-time employment, an

intern ship or co-op, etc.)

▶ Your area of interest with the organi zation and how your skills (or

personal qualities or experience) relate to that area

How to Get Results at a Career

2 NEWS FEED

Depending on time and crowds,

you might want to consider ap-

proaching an employer towards the

bottom of your list to start off . This

gives you an opportunity to actu-

ally use your prepared introduction

with a real recruiter and work out

any last-minute nervousness be-

fore you visit the employers you’re

most interested in, where you can

least aff ord to be nervous.

52


GET ORGANIZED.

Pick up a map showing where organization booths are. You

might also want to take a quick walk through the space to get

a feel for the layout of the fair. Then what?

THEY’RE WATCHING YOU!

Keep in mind that the moment you enter the fair, recruiters

are watching you. They take note of how you dress, how you

behave, how you interact with your friends and with other

recruiters.

APPROACH AN ORGANIZATION.

It can be intimidating to approach and introduce yourself to a

recruiter. Students often say introductions at career fairs are

“weird,” “unnatural,” or “forced.” It helps if you remember

the recruiter is here to meet you, so don’t be shy! Off er a fi rm

handshake, and then give your commercial. Remember, be di-

rect. If you’re interested in a certain position, let them know.

TALK TO THE RECRUITER.

Don’t talk over their shoulder, at the ground, up in the air, or

at the free stuff that they are giving away! Make eye contact

and don’t be afraid to let your enthusiasm show. Being truly

passionate about the employer and the opportunities they

have to off er can make all the diff erence.

GATHER INFORMATION AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THE RECRUITER’S TIME.

The truth is that most people at career fairs use fairs as an

opportunity to gather information. This is perfectly fi ne and

a great reason to go to a career fair if you’re not looking

for a full-time job or internship. Remember, career fairs are

all about networking, and recruiters love to see 1st- and

2nd-year students at fairs asking questions. It shows that

the student is thinking about and making connections for the

future! But if you’re at the fair to try to land a job, recruiters

need to know you’ve done your research and are ready to go.

While speaking with recruiters, be courteous to them and

your fellow students by keeping your conversations short

and purposeful.

FINALLY, MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE NAMES OF THE RECRUITERS YOU TALK TO, AND IF POSSIBLE, GET THEIR CARD.

After the fair . . .FOLLOW UP.

If, during your conversation with a recruiter, you promised

to follow up with more information (website link, portfolio,

writing sample, etc.) then make sure that you get the

information out right away.

SEND THANK-YOU NOTES.

Send a thank-you note within 24 hours to everyone you

spoke with. This is a little thing that really makes a

diff erence! Almost everyone has the intention, but very

few actually get around to it. Don’t know what to write?

See information on thank-you letters on page 43 or at

careernetwork.msu.edu. It doesn’t have to be fancy — the

point is to remind them of who you are and let them know

you’re serious about your job search.

At the fair . . .

Fair 4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

MSU’s largest fairs have hundreds of employers and thousands

of students. This may leave you wondering — why even bother

wasting my time to be just another face in the crowd?

Organizations come to campus to meet prospective new hires,

whether now or down the road. Knowing what to expect and how

to work a fair can ensure that you aren’t simply just another face

in a sea of job seekers.

53

Interview BasicsWHAT’S THE POINT OF AN INTERVIEW?

The purpose of an interview is to exchange information.

The employer evaluates your ability to do the job. You

look for a match between your interests and the work.

WHAT’S A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW?

Behavioral interviewing assumes that your past

experiences are good indicators of your future abilities.

You’ll be asked to tell stories about your past so that the

employer can assess your skills and behavior.

There may not be a right or wrong answer. There is only

your answer that may reveal something about your

qualities to the employer. By thoroughly understanding

the nature of the job and the company, you can more

accurately select examples from your life that have

meaning to the employer.

HOW DO YOU ANSWER BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS?

Being able to talk about your experiences in such a way

that employers can identify your skills is a challenge.

One way to help organize your experiences is to use

the PARK method. The PARK method helps you focus in

on the most relevant aspects of your experience for the

employer in a structured way.

Be prepared with information about

the company and the job, as well as

with questions that you have devel-

oped. By taking these steps, you’re

ready to be an active participant in

this exchange about your future.

You’ve Got an Interview! Now What?


P the PROBLEM or situation (“What happened?”)

A the ACTIONS you took (“What did you do?”)

R the RESULTS or outcomes (“What was the result?”)

K the KNOWLEDGE you gained and applied

(“What did you learn? How did you apply it?”)

typical behavioral interview question . . .

Q “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with

conflict in a group.”

your possible response, using the park method . . .

A “Last semester I was part of a student advisory

board to my academic department. We were de-

veloping a set of recommendations to improve faculty-

student communication. It was difficult to get the

various members of the board to agree on which recom-

mendations to choose, because everyone wanted theirs.

I focused on helping us look for common elements

between each recommendation. The result was that we

ended up recommending a faculty-student retreat in

which many of the more specific recommendations were

used. Through this experience, I learned how important

it is to really look at things from the perspective of each

team member.”

1 LINKS

You can find a list of

sample interview ques-

tions at careernetwork.msu.edu.

54


Be Prepared!

Being prepared for the interview is very important.

The employer has already agreed to meet with you

based on your resume and cover letter — you’ve

made it this far. Now to be confident in your inter-

view, you need to be prepared. The following things

will help you:

▶ RESEARCH. Find out everything you can about the

organization. The interviewer will be able to tell if

you’ve done your homework. The more you know, the

more you’ll be able to connect your experiences and

skills to the needs of the employer. This will also help

you to ask more interesting questions when the time

comes.

▶ LIST OF SKILLS. Before the interview, make a list of

your skills and abilities. These are what will make

you an asset to your future employer; use the list to

put yourself in a positive frame of mind and help you

“sell” yourself to the interviewer. Your portfolio and

resume are great starting points for this list, since

they both sum up your experience and interests.

▶ PRACTICE. The Career Services Network off ers mock

interviews with employers a few times a year. Check

MySpartanCareer for dates and times to sign up.

You can also use InterviewStream, a new feature in

MySpartanCareer, to practice interviewing using a

webcam! Another way to practice is to videotape a

mock interview with a friend. Seeing youself in action

is a great way to test your ability to answer common

interview questions and get prompt feedback on your

body language and speech patterns. After all, you’re

your own best critic. Watch yourself in action to see

how you appear to an interviewer.

2 NEWS FEED

INTERVIEW DON’TS

▶ Arriving late or appearing rushed or disorganized

▶ Seeming over-eager and desperate

▶ Apologizing for your background or experience

▶ Criticizing your past employers or co-workers in any way

▶ Asking questions that you know the answers to

▶ Overselling your qualities

▶ Asking about salary and job benefits before you have a

solid job off er

▶ Elaborating on unnecessary details to fill an awkward

silence


Your Happiness

Is a Balance.

The most important question to ask yourself is: Are

you excited about this job and the salary? If you are not

happy, you will not be a great employee, and you aren’t

likely to have a good experience with the organization.

But it’s also important to balance your excitement and

passion for the field you’re entering with a realistic

expectation for financial rewards.

You don’t have to accept the first salary you’re off ered.

You have the ability to negotiate for better benefits,

training, or pay. Feel free to ask for time to adequately

examine your total off er. Get all of the elements in writ-

ing, including benefit options, stock options, and wages.

Negotiation Tools

The strongest tools to negotiate with are salary informa-

tion for your industry and the value of the unique skills

that you bring to the table. The industry economic

climate and the location of your position will both have

a major influence on your salary off er, even when com-

pared to other candidates

within the same company.

New York City is not the

same as Traverse City in

cost of living.

Negotiating Job Offers

1 LINKS

FOR MORE INFORMATION . . .

. . . about salary negotiation, benefits, and

dealing with multiple job off ers, check

out resources for negotiating job off ers at


56



Be fl exible on location. In some cases, you

might have to start out in a town or position

that you didn’t plan on, but you need to start

somewhere. With a few years of experience and

hard work under your belt, you may be able

to transfer to the position or location of your

dreams. If your goal is the top position, you will

gain respect of your co-workers by starting out

in the field and working your way to the top —

and getting your hands dirty in the process!

— JILL CORDS • COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

▶ PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING can include

drug/alcohol, agility, genetic, personality,

honesty, skills, loyalty, and leadership tests.

▶ BACKGROUND SCREENING can include a

credit check, criminal records investigation,

driver’s license check, academic credentials

verification, and reference checks.

▶ REFERENCE CHECKING can include academic,

employment, and personal references.

While students and job applicants may think of

these tests and investigations as an “invasion

of privacy” or “off ensive,” there is nothing

illegal about employers seeking this informa-

tion. However, there are legal guidelines that

an employer must follow. You can find them at


57

life after m.s.u.

SAY GOODBYE.

Admit it — college has been a blast.

For once in your life you have been

accepted for who you are, been in a

relatively safe environment, and had

limited responsibilities. Plus, you have

a great group of friends with whom

you’ve shared everything over the

past four or five years. Leaving all this

can be hard, even if your friends will

be working in the same geographi-

cal region. Before you break up the

group, make plans for a traditional

get-together that will bring you all

together once every couple years.

WATCH THE FINANCES.

All the money you had for extras in col-

lege disappears quickly when starting

in a new place. You’ll be responsible

for car payments, insurance (car,

health and home), food, rent or house

payments and then — oops! — student

loan repayments. Some of you may

already be strapped with credit card

debt. Get rid of it before taking on any

more obligations! Recent grads were

surprised at how fast their salary was

eaten up by daily expenses they didn’t

have in college, even with salaries in

the high $30,000 and $40,000s.

NEGOTIATE WITH PARENTS.

If you find yourself moving back with

your folks (assuming your room has

Your Next

2 NEWS FEED

Everything the Career Services

Network has to off er is available to

recent graduates for one year after

graduation. Services, including

MySpartanCareer, are available

to members of the MSU Alumni

Association who are more than

one year past graduation.

58


Big Transition

not been converted into the new office

or your folks have not already moved

into that one-bedroom condo), talk

with them about their expectations

and your own. Your lifestyle might not

match with their hours, and the habits

you picked up in college don’t always

go over well. While going home and

living with the folks can be cool, it can

wear thin if you are not getting along.

Best to maintain a good rapport with

the folks until you are ready to step out

on your own.

REMEMBER GOOD OLD M.S.U.!

For those seniors who are graduating

and still seeking work, Career Services

can still assist you during your first

year as an alum. Several alumni regret-

ted not taking advantage of these

services. Even if you leave with a job,

you may find yourself in a situation

that requires quick career assistance

(organization mergers, closings and

budget cuts can lead to layoff s and

withdrawals of off ers — it all happens).

You can still find the resources you

need at Career Services.

BE PREPARED FOR DULL AND BORING.

What made you think work would be

lots of fun? Actually, work can be te-

dious and repetitive, especially during

the first year or two. You are going to

be really eager to get started and make

a diff erence, only to be assigned a data

entry task or no-brainer assignment.

Engage in the work with enthusiasm

and do it to the best of your ability;

employers notice and your next assign-

ment will be much more rewarding.

LEARN TO FAIL!

For the past 16 years failure was

seldom framed in a positive context.

Remember when failing a course was

tantamount to disaster? Now there’s a

real chance for failure — not obtaining

a job or being admitted to grad school.

But in the world of work, organizations

operate on failures because failures

open doors to new ideas that can solve

problems. Because of this, risk-taking

is valued by many employers. With

risk comes failure. This is upside down

from college. Get used to it.

JOIN IN ON TEAMWORK.

Competition is fierce among students

who are vying for prestigious jobs

and admittance to graduate schools.

While there’s competition in the job

interview stage, the work environment

is much more team-oriented. Working

in teams can be motivating and excit-

ing — sharing ideas and learning from

co-workers is all part of the day. Be

prepared to share; take the initiative

on tasks by volunteering to assist co-

workers; and strive to be dependable

(begin work on time and get assign-

ments done ahead of schedule).

COMMUNICATE!

Your first introduction to most

members of your company may well

be through a written report or memo.

Work as hard as you can to write

clearly and eff ectively. However, do not

expect those around you to have heard

of good communication skills. Recent

grads report being easily frustrated by

indirect and implicit communication

(written and verbal) that occurs within

their organization. Be aware that poor

communication exists; don’t be afraid

to ask questions and have co-workers

clarify communications you do not

understand.

FIND A MENTOR.

Cultivate a relationship with an

experienced professional who can

provide guidance as you adjust to the

organization. A mentor can provide you

with insights on how the organization

actually operates and how to navigate

the diff erent teams and departments;

can off er career advice as you gain

experience; and can promote you to

higher management for assignments

and promotions.

— PHILIP GARDNER, PH.D., COLLEGIATE

EMPLOYMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE


Congratulations! As you prepare to transition into your

new life in the world of work, you might want the advice

of classmates who’ve made the journey before you. Here

are some recommendations from recent alums in their

early careers . . .

59

WELCOME TO CAREER SERVICES @ MSU

The MSU Career Services Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Get Familiar with MySpartanCareer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Career Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Career Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Career Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Playing by the Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

EXPLORE & EXPERIENCE: FIND YOUR PASSION AND PUT IT TO WORK

Steps to Explore Your Career Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Career Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Gaining Career-Related Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Job Shadowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Informational Interviewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Learn and Intern! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Getting the Most Out of Career-Related Experience . . . . . . 21

When Your Major Isn’t a Roadmap to a Career . . . . . . . . . 22

Careers for the Public Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Thinking About an Advanced Degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

HOW TO CONNECT WITH AN EMPLOYER AND MAKE THE RIGHT IMPRESSION

Writing a Good Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Action Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Resume Makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Combination Resume Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Thinking Outside the Box: The Portfolio Solution . . . . . . . 39

Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Communication Essentials: Thank-You Letters,

Phone, and E-mails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

THE JOB SEARCH

Search Strategies You’ll Use Forever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Job Search Facts You Need to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

International Students and the Job Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Finding Unadvertised Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

On-Campus Interviews for Internships & Full-Time Jobs . . 47

Graduate Career & Professional Development . . . . . . . . . . 48

Dress to Impress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

How to Get Results at a Career Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

You’ve Got an Interview! Now What? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Negotiating Job Off ers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Life after MSU: Your Next Big Transition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Documents

Career Passport