Career Center

Off-campus employment opportunities are a great way to get a glimpse into the ways of the professional world. The city of Charleston has an array of employment possibilities, often times only walking distance from campus

Working off campus provides many different incentives to college students. Those eclectic group of employers have many different perspectives to offer in the world of business, allowing student to gain first-hand experience in the workplace. Branching out from the umbrella of higher education increases your ability to network with professionals and local business owners. If you choose to pick a part-time job that is related to careers in your major, you will gain direct career experience that serves as a substantial resume builder. Along with building a strong resume, working off-campus often times means building more financial security. The wages off-campus tend to be more competitive than employers on campus, giving students the opportunity to make good pay and good connections.

Along with the perks come some of the harsher aspects of working in the real world. Many employers are looking for employees that share similar goals concerning their job. They may not particularly care that being a student comes first for most people that choose to work during college. This means that free nights and weekends may be forfeited for the sake of a paycheck. Your off-campus employer may expect you to be available during holidays and school breaks. For most students who live in dorms, leaving Charleston for Christmas break is not an option, so you definitely want to keep that in mind when choosing an off-campus employer.

Whether you choose to work on or off campus during your academic career, choose wisely. The connections you make in college with forever shape your professional development and your college experience. Always keep in mind that the Career Center is here to help guide your choices and answer your questions throughout the process of your college career and professional development.

Off-campus employment opportunities are a great way to get a glimpse into the ways of the professional world. The city of Charleston has an array of employment possibilities, often times only walking distance from campus.

Working off campus provides many different incentives to college students. Those eclectic group of employers have many different perspectives to offer in the world of business, allowing student to gain first-hand experience in the workplace. Branching out from the umbrella of higher education increases your ability to network with professionals and local business owners. If you choose to pick a part-time job that is related to careers in your major, you will gain direct career experience that serves as a substantial resume builder. Along with building a strong resume, working off-campus often times means building more financial security. The wages off-campus tend to be more competitive than employers on campus, giving students the opportunity to make good pay and good connections.

Along with the perks come some of the harsher aspects of working in the real world. Many employers are looking for employees that share similar goals concerning their job. They may not particularly care that being a student comes first for most people that choose to work during college. This means that free nights and weekends may be forfeited for the sake of a paycheck. Your off-campus employer may expect you to be available during holidays and school breaks. For most students who live in dorms, leaving Charleston for Christmas break is not an option, so you definitely want to keep that in mind when choosing an off-campus employer.

Whether you choose to work on or off campus during your academic career, choose wisely. The connections you make in college with forever shape your professional development and your college experience. Always keep in mind that the Career Center is here to help guide your choices and answer your questions throughout the process of your college career and professional development.

As a child, when I would try something and be unsuccessful, my teachers or family would repeat this old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!”   Nowhere is this advice more true than in the job search.

The job search always requires persistence and resilience, even in good economic times, but even more so in bad economic conditions like we are now experiencing.  The job search will likely take more time and effort than it may have in the past.  There is no use sugar-coating it, hiding from it or complaining about it.  (Okay, you are allowed to complain a little).

In this economy, you are likely to apply for many, many positions before successfully landing a post-graduate job opportunity.  Upcoming graduates seem to be shocked when we tell them that applying to 3-4 jobs will probably not result in a job offer.  You will most likely have to apply to many more than 3-4 jobs in order to even land an interview!  This is where the persistence part comes in.  Apply to as many jobs as possible, as long as they are opportunities that interest you in some way, or will provide you with skills and experience you need to move to the next level.  Also, if you aren’t getting interviews for the types of jobs you desire because you lack experience, look for positions that are the next level below the type of job to which you aspire.  Depending on the career field you are seeking to enter, this may be the only way to gain a position, due to the levels of competition for certain types of career opportunities.

Rejection is also just part of the process. You will apply to jobs, and despite following up with the employer with a well thought out phone call or email, you won’t hear back from them at all.  You’ll interview for positions and be turned down.  Here is where the resilience comes in…pick yourself up and just keep applying and interviewing.  Don’t let the rejection get you down, because this will negatively affect the next interview.  Learn from each experience and you’ll do better the next time.  And don’t eliminate a company just because they turn you down - if they have other jobs later on, apply for those as well!  Sometimes the employer may like you, but just not think you’re the right fit for one position - but you may be the right fit for a different one!   (Yours truly would not be writing this blog entry if I had given up on the College of Charleston - I applied twice for the exact same position.  I was rejected the first time, but the second time…well, here I am!)

If you have questions or concerns about how to conduct an effective job search make an appointment to see a staff member in the Career Center.  We’d be happy to assist you in developing your own personalized job search plan of action.

When you left home the first time for college, the majority of you did not know where you wanted to be after four years of school. Some of you might have had an idea about the type of job or career. Or, some even might have had the geographical location down. But it is a trend for many graduating students to want to remain in Charleston after living here for four plus years. It is a great city with many things to offer, but now you are wondering how do I find a job in Charleston doing what I want to do? Well, there are a lot of different ways you can go about the job search with the Charleston area as your focus.

One of the best resources for finding professional positions is CISTERNonline. This system is hosted by us, The Career Center. On CISTERNonline you can search nation wide, but you can also limit your search to a geographic area including Charleston and limit your search with keywords or other parameters. And the only requirement to search on this site is that you are either a College of Charleston student or Alum.

Another great tool for the local job search is the newspaper. The Post and Courier lists hundreds of positions in their classifieds section (http://www.charleston.net/) Yes, there are the part-time and non-professional jobs listed but it lists professional careers too. With this tool (like the majority of them) you should check it weekly. New jobs are constantly being listed so you need to stay on top of them before someone else snaps up your dream job.

And finally, have you thought about the Charleston Chamber of Commerce member list? This is a list of all the member business in the Charleston area. You can narrow your search by industry and such. The list is a great resource to finding business and contact information. Use the list to start your networking endeavors and start sending letters and resumes!

Do you know of any other great resources? We are always looking for more great websites or tools to suggest to the students and alum of the College of Charleston. Share your sites and let’s start searching for that perfect career!

Internships are an important part of every student’s college career.  If it isn’t, it should be.  Many majors require students to complete an internship before they can even graduate.  They do this because they know that completing one will be beneficial to you in the long run.  As a student myself, I can truthfully tell you how important it really is.  Internships allow you to experience what goes on in the career field that you are thinking about.  It’s almost like a semester long, “Take Your College Student to Work Day.”  .  This is important to do before you graduate and get a job, because you might realize that you aren’t cut out for this specific area and want to work somewhere else. 

With an internship, you get to see what happens on a day to day basis. You get to complete assignments and daily tasks that are specific to the job.  In many cases you may even have a special project to complete that you alone are in charge of.  Another perk of doing an internship is the networking that you get to do.  These people that you work with are good resources not only for questions and help, but also for possible future job contacts and references.  So if you can’t decide on whether or not to do an internship, and you think your advisor is just saying you should to give you extra work, they’re not.  Take it from another fellow student, it’s worth the time and work!

Holley Springfield, Class of 2009

10. Dress the part! Come to the interview in professional business suit. This will impress the interviewer and they will be able to picture you working in their office.

9. Maintain eye contact! This is a simple but effective way to show confidence in yourself and your abilities.

8. Speak clearly and smoothly. You want the interviewer to understand you so no slang and no filler words to jumble up your answers. Also, if you have a thick accent try to enunciate clearly.

7. Arrive early for the interview. Show up to the interview at least 15 minuets in advance, yes you may have to wait but it is all about the company—not you.

6. Be familiar with the position you are applying for. While this may seem very obvious, know the title and duties of the position you are applying for, you do not want to make a fool of yourself when you have to ask the “stupid” questions.

5. Take notes during the interview. This is a way to show the interviewer that you are really interested in the position and the company plus it will help you later when you have to way different options. But don’t forget to give the interviewer your undivided attention.

4. Ask questions. This is another way to show interest in the position. If you do not ask questions the interviewer may perceive you as uninterested and pass you by.

3. Do your research before hand. This will not only help you develop questions to ask the interviewer but it will be a gold star for you in their eyes. Showing knowledge about the company shows your interest and helps with conversation.

2. Act like everyone you talk to is interviewing you. This includes the secretary, all the employees you are introduced to, everyone! While these people may not be part of the formal interview, it is part of an informal interview—they will all share their notes afterwards and you want to make a great impression.

1. Know yourself! You’re most likely thinking that this is the easiest thing but it is hard for some. You need to not only know all of your past experiences but know where you want to go and where you are currently. This will come in handy when the interviewer asks you “Why should I hire you?”

At the College of Charleston, many students decide to seek employment (either permanently or temporarily) in a foreign country. This is a great idea but each country has its own customs and rules when it comes to resumes. So how do you prepare for the global job search with an American resume? You don’t! If you are seeking employment in a foreign country you need to learn what they expect from a resume because there are key differences.

One of those differences is the listing of personal information (marriage status, age, place of birth, or a picture) is not acceptable on an American resume. It provides too much liability when the organization is hiring. They are supposed to hire you based on your qualifications not your age or skin color. But in some European or South American countries (among others) this information is essential for the hiring organization and they expect it on your resume.

There are other differences that may present themselves. In order to become better prepared for the global job search the Career Center has a print resource, “The Global Resume and CV Guide,” that you are welcome to come and view (sorry the book can not be taken from the Career Center). This book provides you with details (including examples and other resources) about writing resumes for 40 different countries. The guide also lists advice and help on interviewing in a foreign country as well as cultural advice. So when you are preparing your resume for the global search please stop by the Career Center and look at our resources!

Do you know of other resources to help with the global job search? If so, please share in the comments below!

With the Education Career Fair and the Career & Graduate School Fair approaching, I thought we should discuss making the most out of a career fair. Here are 5 ways you can be a success at the Career Fair.

1. Before the career fair do your research! The Career Center has a list of all participating organizations on our website for your convenience. Research them, find out exactly what they do and what they have to offer you. By doing your research you can develop questions to ask the recruiters and make a positive lasting impression.

2. Take at least 20 copies of your resume with you to the Career Fair. You may only have 5 or 10 organizations in mind, but you need to be prepared in case you see one you had not thought about. Approach as many organizations as possible.

3. Dress to make a great impression. Come dressed to impress the recruiter. If you are actively seeking a job or internship wear a business suit. The recruiter needs to be able to picture you in their work environment. If you are just on a fact finding mission and trying to discover exactly what is out there, wear at least business casual. No jeans, flip-flops, spaghetti straps, or unprofessional wear.

Talk to all the employers and smile!

4. Go up to the recruiters. Don’t wait for the recruiters to come up to you. You need to be proactive in the job search, not reactive. Also, gather company literature, applications, and most importantly business cards.

5. Say a simple thank you after the Career Fair. For the organizations that you are really interested in and spent time with at the Career Fair, send the recruiters thank you notes within 48 hours of the fair. This will let the recruiter know that you are really interested and refresh their memory of who you are.

For more tips on making the most out of the Career Fair check the Career Fair Video on the Help Guides web page.

The Education Career Fair is next Monday in the Stern Center Ballroom. We are expecting nearly 50 school systems and educational organizations from South Carolina and nation wide. You can find out more about who is coming on the Career Center website. Education majors you have specific schedules that you will follow for attendance. All other majors and alumni are invited to attend as well between the hours of 11:00 am and Noon. You may also have the opportunity to set up an interview for that day while meeting the different representatives.

Also next week is the Career & Grad School Expo on Wednesday, October 29. The event will be in the Gaillard Auditorium on Calhoun Street (easy walking distance) from Noon to 3:30 pm. If you do not feel like walking the Career Center will be providing a shuttle van for students. It will pick you up in front of the Stern Student Center.

We are expecting approximately 94 companies, graduate schools, and non-profit organizations. There will be a little bit of everything for everyone. Check out the list of participating organizations on our homepage: http://www.cofc.edu/~career/.

Also, on our homepage you can find more tips for preparing for the Career Fair including a video tutorial. Do not forget to dress in business attire and bring copies of your resume. Good luck and see you at FutureQuest!

The Major/Minor Fair, hosted by the SGA, will be held on October 16th from 11am - 2pm on Physicians Promenade. This is an great opportunity for you, the undecided student, to learn about the variety of majors and minors offered at CofC. Also, it’s a chance for you to speak with faculty and other students about their respective major(s) - Ask questions, pick up some info, and who knows what else you may walk away with (freebies?!)…

Even if you’re not truly undecided, but have an idea about which major you intend to declare (or just haven’t committed to it on paper because you don’t know where the department is located) - this event is for you, too! Stop by and check it out on the 16th.

If you’re still having difficulty choosing a major after attending the fair, please contact your academic advisor in the Academic Advising and Planning Center or contact us at the Career Center for an appointment - we’re here to help!