Career Center Weekly Blog

From NACE Spotlight for Career Services Professionals

Pinterest—a content-sharing social media website on which account holders “pin” images, videos, and more to their virtual pinboards—is gaining popularity for its broad spectrum of uses.

Thom Rakes, career center director at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, sees two ways students can use Pinterest to enhance their job-search efforts—as a tool to research potential employers and as means for students to market themselves.

“Some large and cutting-edge companies have created Pinterest pages, providing a different view of the employer than more traditional web pages,” Rakes says. “And since the focus of Pinterest is on graphics and images, it is of most use to students pursuing visually related careers, such as graphic or digital design and marketing. It may help more visually orientated job seekers stand out.”

Brie Weiler Reynolds, the content and social media manager at FlexJobs and a former career counselor at Emmanuel College, agrees, saying it’s much easier for students in creative majors to use Pinterest because of the visual component.

“The arts, graphic design, marketing, and other heavily visual majors will probably find using Pinterest for their job search to be easy and straightforward,” Reynolds says. “Students in more traditional majors—business, social and life sciences, and others—will need to be more creative in their use of Pinterest.”

Why is Pinterest attractive to job seekers? First, it’s easy to get started. Unlike setting up a website or professional blog, it takes just a few seconds to create an account and start pinning, Reynolds says.

“It shouldn’t necessarily replace those other two options for personal branding, but it’s a good way to get started,” she adds. “And, it’s a strictly visual medium in a world of text-based job-search tools, so it’s very different from other options.”

With that in mind, Reynolds touts the importance of students thinking about how they can represent their majors and career interests visually—whether it’s by using pictures of organizations with which they’ve interned, or pins of student organizations and activities with which they’ve been involved.

Reynolds offers some other tips for career services practitioners to share with college students using or interested in using Pinterest as a personal branding or job-search tool. To use Pinterest as a personal branding tool, college students should:

• Create resume boards on which they pin pictures related to their schooling and experiences.
• Create portfolio boards with examples of their work, which is especially good for creative fields.
• Pin a copy of their resume with text that says “please share me.”
• Create boards related to their interests to give more insight into them.
• Place their Pinterest URLs on their job-search materials, including resumes, cover letters, e-mail signatures, profiles on LinkedIn, and more. Make sure they use their actual name as their Pinterest page name so people can easily find them through a search.

For using Pinterest as a job-search tool, students should:

• Follow employers they want to work for on Pinterest to learn about the employers’ marketing efforts and corporate culture.
• Follow career services offices and experts to learn the best job-search strategies, trends, and advice.
• Get ideas for places to work by seeing what organizations their employers of interest follow.
• Create boards for “Places I’d Like to Work” and “Jobs I’d Like to Have.”
• Use keywords like “hiring,” “human resources,” “recruiting,” and more to find employers that are using Pinterest to recruit.

Reynolds says that one of the biggest mistakes college students make is thinking they can use Pinterest for both personal and professional purposes.

“Students will want to keep their Pinterest pages clean and professional, because they never know who might be looking at [the pages],” she explains. Reynolds also strongly suggests that students make use of the text box available for each picture.

“[Students should] say something about each picture they pin—what it is, how they were involved, when and where it occurred,” she says. “That text is the student’s only chance to tell viewers what they’re looking at, and how it relates to the student as a professional.”

by Jessica Kleiman, Contributor
Forbes.com

For college seniors and grad school students, graduation is no longer something on the distant horizon. In the next several weeks, many will be entering a tough job market, although the good news is it’s starting to look up. According to a 2012 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), participating employers reported that they plan to hire 10.2 percent more new college graduates from the college Class of 2012 than they did from the Class of 2011.

However, with many experienced workers looking for jobs and companies still watching their budgets, it can still be quite challenging to land that first post-graduate position. In BE YOUR OWN BEST PUBLICIST: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired, and Rewarded at Work (Career Press; Jan. 2011), the career guide I co-wrote with fellow Forbes blogger Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, we discuss why it’s essential for job candidates to stand out from the competition and market themselves as a valuable and unique brand. This is especially important for recent grads because many will be interviewing for entry-level jobs along with fellow graduates who have the same basic qualifications.

So what can graduates do to improve their employability in 2012? Here are a few pointers from our book.

From Experience.com

Experience invited employers from across the country to participate in the 2012 Best Places to Work for Recent Grads survey, and the winners are in! This exciting initiative is dedicated to identifying and recognizing the best employers for recent college graduates. As a whole, these 10 organizations offered outstanding company cultures, sweet paychecks, and extraordinary opportunities for rapid career growth. Here’s a detailed look at this year’s winners (sorted alphabetically) – including some new and familiar faces to the chart.

To see which employers made the list, please click here.

From NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers)

Not only are employers expecting to increase internship hires by 8.5 percent over last year, but they’re also reporting record-breaking conversion rates, according to results of NACE’s 2012 Internship & Co-op Survey.

Survey respondents converted 58.6 percent of their Class of 2011 interns into full-time hires, an all-time high since NACE began reporting conversion rates in the early 2000s. The previous record of 57.7 percent was reported by NACE in its 2011 Internship & Co-op Survey.

The drivers of the record conversion rate were lower offer rates coupled with a stable acceptance rate. Employers extended offers to 61.2 percent of their Class of 2011 interns, compared to 66.7 percent of their Class of 2010 interns, but both classes accepted at the same rate—86.5 percent.

by Jenn Sheehan
From GradGuard.com

I loved college, though I was ready for something new after four years at a small liberal arts university on a secluded campus. Being the first in my family to graduate from college, however, I was at a total loss as to how to prepare for and what to do once the day came. Between my independent study, thesis, extra class and graduating in the midst of a recession, I avoided thinking about life after graduation my last semester, but, looking back, there were many things I could have done to prepare and make taking the next step easier once graduation day arrived.

Now that I’ve had a few years to find my way, I’d like to share a list of smart things you can do now to prepare for graduation and beyond. Though it may seem scary and sad to leave school and move into the real world, your future will be exciting, bright and just as fun!

To view this article in its entirety, please click here.

Interested in other articles about things you can do to prepare for graduation, and life after college.  Check out these other Graduation Checklist resources:

• WetFeet.com Post Graduation Checklist
• College Graduation Checklist: Tips for Students Preparing to Graduate and Leave School (Campus Life @ Suite 101)
• College Graduates: Take Control of your Career from Day One (myFootPath)
• Graduating in Spring?: Assemble a Checklist (Chicago Tribune)  
• A Quick Checklist for a Long-Lasting Career: Tips for New Graduates (Careers in Cloud Computing)

Looking for a Job? There’s an App for That!
By Dawn Dugan, Salary.com contributing writer

Today’s tsunami of technology means savvy job seekers have jumped on the app wagon in an effort to give themselves the leading edge in the job search process. Mobile apps allow job seekers to search discreetly for positions — anytime, anywhere — and respond to postings quickly. There are apps that help with career planning, organize the job search process, alert job seekers to compatible positions, and can even upload and send resumes to recruiters.

This article explores the 10 mobile apps (in no particular order) every job seeker should know about.

10 Things You’d Better Do if You Want to Get Ahead
By Wendy Ryan and Aaron Gouveia, Salary.com contributing writers

If you’re a fast-tracker striving for career advancement like a heat-seeking missile then this is a podcast you can’t afford to miss. On this week’s episode of Salary Talk, Aaron flies solo in this interview with Donald Asher, author of “Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t and Why” and “Cracking the Hidden Job Market,” who deals exclusively with career professionals who aren’t happy unless they’re earning a promotion every 12-18 months. You’ll find out why raises aren’t about past performance, being indispensable isn’t a good thing and discover why talent is a distant second to timing. Asher’s insight into the corporate culture of raises and promotions could have you earning more in no time.

To view or listen to the entire podcast please click here.

From CNNMoney.com

This year’s college graduates are being offered more jobs and fatter paychecks.

Meanwhile, they have more jobs to choose from. Employers expect to hire 10.2% more graduates this year than they did last year, according to NACE’s survey of 160 employers.

These employers have posted 15,767 job openings for college graduates this year — up about 10% from the 14,341 that were posted for the Class of 2011 and more than triple the mere 5,174 job postings for the Class of 2010.

Remarkable hiring stories
But the competition is steep, with employers reporting that they have received nearly 33 applications for every job posting, up from 21 applications per posting last year.

The major in highest demand is engineering, with 69% of employers in that field saying they are hiring graduates. Business majors are next on the list, with 63% of employers hiring. Accounting, Computer Science and Economics are also among the top five most-desired majors.

Members of the Class of 2012 are being offered median starting salaries of $42,569 — up 4.5% from last year, a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows.

by Kevin Flynn, Director of Recruitment and Candidate Services
From CommonGoodCareers.com

Another season of March Madness is upon us. Since I’ve spent the majority of the last week either watching tournament games or interviewing candidates, I’ve started thinking how the March Madness is a lot like a job search.

What can jobseekers learn from March Madness? Here are a few thoughts:

You’re up against a large playing field. In the NCAA, 68 teams compete in the tournament. In today’s nonprofit job market, there may be up to 500 candidates applying to one job (depending on the level and functional area of the position). In the same way Gonzaga, Creighton and VCU have come out of nowhere to take the tournament by storm in recent years, there are amazingly talented candidates flooding the market today, and it’s not just the traditional profiles. These are talented for-profit leaders looking for “Encore Careers” in the nonprofit sector, or graduates of the new crop of amazing nonprofit-focused MBA programs that have taken off over the past few years. Add the fact that there are fewer AmeriCorps positions for recent college graduates, and fewer retirement age professionals actually retiring, and you’re looking at a pretty large – not to mention diverse and competitive – playing field.

The best teams have great coaches. It starts with the X’s and O’s. When the players are on the court, they’re listening to the direction of a head coach and a couple assistants- they’re NOT going around to every fan in the stadium asking them for their advice on the next play. In your job search, seek out a couple experts to be your coaches. These should be people with a depth of experience with the current job market and hiring trends in the sector. Everyone will have an opinion on your job search, but soliciting advice from this dozens of people will slow you down and leave your head spinning. Cultivate as many fans and supporters as possible (they’re VERY important) . These are folks that can introduce you to the right people, put in a good word on your behalf and cheer you on when the going gets tough. However when it comes to the hard skills of planning and navigating a strategic job search, focus on finding 1 or 2 experts to be your coaches. If you’re looking for some professional coaching in your own search, check out our Commongood Careers’ advising services. Learn more here.

Buzzer beaters do happen (but please focus on the high-percentage shots)! Yes, we’ve all sat in our driveways practicing the crazy half-court last-second shot pretending we’re Christian Laettner or Tate George or Bryce Drew. We’ve all also applied for some jobs we knew were a big stretch. Sure, go for that long shot now and then. If it looks like your dream job and your “One Shining Moment,” let it fly. Remember though: you need to be spending the majority of your time on creating the high-percentage opportunities- those that are a solid fit for your work experience and background. Also, keep in mind you can turn those long shots into layups by networking your way in the door, getting to know team members and having solid recommendations coming from inside and outside the organization.

There are always Cinderellas (and they never win it all!): Fans love a good Cinderella story of an up-and-comer team making it deep in the tournament. Remember Butler as an 8 seed facing VCU as an 11 seed in the final four last year? Well neither of them won a thing. Cinderallas advance, grab a lot of attention and have the fans pulling for them, but they almost never win it all. Same is true in the finalist stage of a job search. Hiring organizations will often fill out the group of finalists for a position with some candidates that are the exact target they’re looking for and 1 or 2 that represent a different or nontraditional candidate-model (maybe earlier in their career, maybe switching sectors, etc.). It’s a common practice. When push comes to shove, however, they’re usually going to hire the target candidate who presents less of a gamble. So does that mean the Cinderellas wasted their time and you should never apply to any position you’re not perfect for? Absolutely not. Every time you advance in an interview process you have the opportunity to impress the leadership at a hiring organization, and only good things can come from that. Maybe the next job that opens at that organization is a better fit for you. Maybe they recommend you for a similar role at a partner organization. Rather than being a waste of time, getting to the finalist stage can be a door-opener for your next opportunity. If you’re nontraditional, under-qualified, over-qualified, etc. for a particular role, remember: Cinderellas almost never win in the end, but ask Butler and VCU- it’s still great to be one.

Finally, every good player knows that it takes a lot of hard work to land on top. Just like making it to the Dance, a successful job search requires focus and perseverance, a winning attitude, and strong conviction. Have a solid game plan that starts with the X’s and O’s, surround yourself with good coaches, take high percentage shots, and, once in a while, trust yourself to sink a buzzer beater here and there.

7 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable at Work
How to Make Sure You Keep Your Job During Layoffs
By Cathleen Carlos, Salary.com contributing writer

As companies downsize and jobs are lost, many people wonder why they’re let go while other employees remain with the company. Although there are always many factors to consider — political, economic, etc. — it often comes down to being considered indispensable.

Having worked at several companies that have downsized in the past, I’ve learned these seven things that can help ensure your company is happy with your performance and holds onto you at all costs.