Job & Internship SearchingHow the Career Center can HELP

Leslie Rand-Pickett, Assistant Director: University Career CenterLiaison to Electrical & Computer Engineering students

Office locations: 2100 Pullen Hall & 3068 EB2

Current Job Market Average salaries: May 2009 BS ECE grads as of 9/3/09• NCSU: $61,125 (both EE & CPE) • National avg., $61,738 (CPE), $60,125 (EE)

Of those reporting (66/95 grads returned surveys ~ 70% response rate)45% employed 27% grad school 24% still job searching

Employers of 2009 grads: • Northrop Grumman, Cisco Systems, Progress Energy, MC Dean,

Alcatel-Lucent, Areva, Digital Receiver Technologies, Duke Energy,Educated Design & Development, Elcom, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Nucor,RTI, Superior Controls, Talari Networks, Tekelec, Triangle Automated Contracts, US Army, Waukesha Electric

University Career Center:Your Career Starts Here!

Provide assistance with internship & job searching including:– Resume editing– Interview coaching– Sources of job listings, including the ePack database– Coordination of employer visits to campus: on-campus

interviews & info sessions– Advice on handling job offers, salary negotiation, etc

We help you navigate the

competitive job market!

Top 10 qualities employers seek• Communication skills (verbal & written)• Honesty / integrity• Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)• Strong work ethic• Teamwork skills• Analytical skills• Motivation / initiative• Flexibility / adaptability• Computer skills• Detail-oriented

Look for ways to convey these qualities during your interactions with employers

Quick Tips on ResumesResumes should…• Be brief (probably one page)

– You have 30-60 seconds to engage the reader• Display your most important qualifications at

the top & to the left of the page• Be directed to the type of position for which

you are applying

Sample Engineering

Resume

A few samples…

Common Resume Issues• No relevant experience (intern/co-op,

etc)– Solution: describe projects from classes,

list relevant courses taken, and demonstrate transferable skills from un-related jobs

• Resume doesn’t fit on one page – Solution: eliminate unnecessary

information (old achievements or less notable items) or re-format. Use your horizontal space efficiently. Adjust margins to .75-1.00” ** use 10-12 pt. fonts

sample skills sections

• back

sample projects sections

• back

sample experience sections

• back

First steps in ePACK1. Update your profile

• Be sure to select a major• Enable employer viewing of your resume

2. Upload your resume• Allows you to apply for positions with on-campus

interviews• Allows employers to find your resume, and for

Leslie to refer your resume out to employers who contact the Career Center

• Is a secure place to store your resume!– Hard drives crash, and flash drives get lost! – You can download your resume as a Word

document

Interviews & ePACK• Hundreds of interviews are conducted on

campus each semester in the Career Center• Through ePACK you can connect with

employers and sign up for interviews• Check ePACK weekly for new job listings and

upcoming events (info sessions/calendar)• Employer contact information is

available through ePACK

Upcoming Deadlines in ePACK include: Lockheed Martin, Apple,Cisco, Siemens, Northrop Grumman, Norfolk Southern, Schneider Electric, Harris Corporation, Deutsche Bank, General Electric, Microsoft, Eaton, NSA….

Listings for BS ECE

54 upcomingschedules

Key Points of Preparation

• Review the job description & company website carefully• Clearly identify your strengths and weaknesses, and

have examples• Think of possible examples of situations that reflect their

requirements and/or values

Compare the job description & employers’ requirements/values with YOUR resume

Where are the points of connection?What do you think they feel is most important

based on your research?

1. Your strengths & weaknesses as they relate to the position

2. Why you are interested in working with their organization

3. What you want to ask them about the position/company

Prior to the Interview You Should Know…

DETERMINING YOUR UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS•Make a list of your accomplishments & interests•Refer to your resume to help you get started•Ask those who know you well for insight•Prepare concrete examples to back up statements you make about yourself during an interview•Practice talking about yourself to become more comfortable with it

Know the employer

• Review their website• Speak with current or former employees• Be familiar with …

– Their primary products or services– Their values and culture– Their locations

• Think about ways in which you match their needs• SHOW INTEREST in what they do! Ask questions

about their company & their projects.

Employers tell us that research is an essential step for

interviewing success

Other sources of employers

• Campus events & resources– Career Fairs, www.ncsu.edu/career – Information Sessions, www.ncsu.edu/epack – Co-op office, http://www.ncsu.edu/co-op_ed/

• UCC resources– http://www.ncsu.edu/career/students/jobsinternships/t

ools.php

– Career Search• External resources

– Dice.com, indeed.com, simplyhired.com

For More Information• Visit the University Career Center

– 2100 Pullen Hall– Or our website, www.ncsu.edu/career

• Ways to follow up with Leslie: – Office hours in 3068 EB2

• check http://www4.ncsu.edu/~lcrandpi/index.htm– Virtual Office Hours

• check http://www4.ncsu.edu/~lcrandpi/index.htm– By email

• leslie_randpickett@ncsu.edu – By appointment

• Call 919-515-2396

• Counselor Drop-In Hours in 2100 Pullen Hall – Monday through Friday 11-2

Tips for success• Be aware of your body language

– Smile– Maintain good eye contact (75-80%)– Provide a firm handshake– Maintain good posture– Be professional and well-mannered

• Be positive– About yourself & others– About your experiences– Show how you will contribute to the

organization

• Be a good listener– Take the time you need to

formulate answers– Ask if you are unclear about a

question– Be honest if you do not know an

answer

• Show energy & enthusiasm– For your field– For the opportunity

Suggestions for each section

• Skills: be sure to organize this section, give it subheadings if necessary & make good use of horizontal space

• Projects: use action verbs to describe what YOU did on the project. Incorporate technical terms to show application of skill.

• Experience: use space to describe your accomplishments. Use varied action verbs

A Few More Hints

• Within each section, use reverse chronological order

• When describing experience be sure to begin your phrases with action verbs

• Focus on your accomplishments• Give ##’s and results when possible• If experience isn’t relevant, focus on the

transferable skills used

Resumes for On-line Applications• Copy & paste your “pretty” resume into a

separate document• Justify all items to the left• Remove bullets, bold, italics and underline• Use only keyboard characters (* - ), ALL

CAPS, and white space to show separation• Copy & paste the file into the text box on web

applications• This can also be used when an employer

requests you send your resume via email, but not as attachment

Job/internship searching in ePACKEmployers in ePACK are ones who are specifically interested in YOU

as an NC State student or new grad.  You will be most competitive for these positions, and they are most related to your skills. 

1. Search for jobs or internships using the job search function.  I recommend using the position type, degree & major as your ONLY criteria for your first try.  – Set up a saved search for yourself once you settle on the correct

criteria for you.  Click "save search" on your job search results page to create the search & enable a daily digest email of new jobs/internships meeting your criteria. You can update or delete this search from your home page.    

2. Click “Interviews Matching My Profile" to see the upcoming list of on-campus interviews for which you can currently request consideration. 

Once you apply for positions…• Employers will either contact you directly, OR• Make decisions in ePack

– If a company is interviewing on campus, they are likely making online decisions

– When your status on a job changes, you’ll get an email from ePack

– If you are accepted for an interview, you’ll be able to go online and choose a time that works for you

– Track your status online through ePack• If you have a question about your status

– Check the timeline of the interview schedule for when you might expect a decision

– Review the contact info for the position– You can contact the employer directly if info is visible– Email the Career Center if you cannot see the contact info