Cougar Career Workshop Series – Fall 2011

Due to the popularity we saw in the Spring semester, the Career Center will be bringing back it’s Thursday night Cougar Career Workshop Series. In an effort to try and reach out to students and alumni that may not be able to access the Career Center during the day, the Career Center will be hosting workshops that focus on a different topic each week, including new topics not offered during the Spring.

Below is a list of the Fall 2011 workshops along with a flyer with more information on each. All workshops will be held in the Career Center (Lightsey Building, Room 216) from 5:30 – 6:30pm. For those workshops requiring registration, you can sign up for them by viewing the Events Calendar in CISTERNonline, and if you should have any questions about them, please contact Eric Anderson, Career Center Advisor, at 953-5693 / andersone@cofc.edu or Katie Smith, Internship Coordinator at 953-5694 / smithkl@cofc.edu.

Flyer: Fall 2011 Cougar Career Workshop Series

Fall Schedule

September 8th – Resume and Cover Letter 101

September 15th – Experience Matters – Internships

September 22nd – Is Graduate School Right for Me?: Preparing for Admission*

September 29th – Workplace Etiquette and Professional Image*

October 6th – What Employers are Saying about your Resume *

October 13th – How to Land a Great Job*

October 20th – Preparing for the Career Fair

October 27th – Recruiters Tell All – Panel*

November 3rd – Linked In: What Is it & How To Utilize it for Career Networking

November 10th – Tips for Sealing the Deal in a Big Interview

November 17th – Taking a Year off between School and Work: Pros & Cons

December 1st – Working for a Nonprofit: Dispelling the Myths*
In conjunction with the College of Charleston Center for Civic Engagement

*Workshop space is limited and requires pre-registration.

16 Job Search Errors Often Made

By Rachel Farrell, CareerBuilder.com
From CNNLiving.com

Over the years, hiring managers have born witness to every hiring, interviewing, resume, cover letter and negotiation mistake there is. You know what these blunders are. Yet you (and hundreds of other job seekers) continue to make common job search mistakes.

From those who see your mistakes over and over, here are 16 common job search mistakes to avoid — and some of them may surprise you.

The 10 Worst Things to Put on Your Resume

by Kelly Eggers
from FINS.com

According to a 2010 Accountemps survey, 28% of executives say the resume is where most job seekers make mistakes in the application process. But what exactly constitutes a mistake? We talked with career coaches and resume writers to find ten gaffes that will guarantee that your resume never makes it past round one.

***Also: The writer of the previous article (Kelly Eggers  – FINS.com) has an article entitled 7 Ways to Keep Your Resume Out of the Trash that may be helpful too.

3 Things That Will Get You Hired

Originally posted on NewGradLife

It is simple – the way to stand out and get hired is to understand what a hiring manager goes through. Today, two or three times as many applications and resumes are received for virtually every open job; hiring managers are buried under reams of paper or thousands of e-mails. So, what would make his job easier? What would get his attention? What would make you stand out?

It won’t be resumes submitted on colored paper or including movie tickets with your application. It will be by ensuring that the hiring manager quickly, easily and accurately knows these three important things about you: how you perform, how you fit and what value you will provide.

Step back for a minute and borrow a little from Stephen Covey, author the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: “start with the end in mind.” What is your real goal of submitting an application or resume? It is to convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job because your performance will drive the greatest value for the company. This requires that you know what you are good at (your talents), what jobs need your talents (to see whether you fit) and how your performance can impact company value. Knowing this helps you to apply for the right jobs – jobs that allow you to maximize your performance and value. When you clearly present this information, you make the hiring manager’s review process easier, more effective and more conclusive. You get his attention. You stand out. This is how to get hired.

To learn more about the three things that get you hired, or to read the article in its entirety, please click here.

14 Fatal Resume Mistakes

From mySalary.com:

The adage “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is never truer than when you submit your resume. Because this is likely the first glimpse of you that employers will get, make it an impressive one.

A great resume can open a door, but an inferior one can just as quickly close one. This article explores 14 resume mistakes to avoid at all costs.

How to Ask for Referrals or Letters of Recommendation

From Tracey’s Angle, Internships.com

Letters of recommendation and referrals can be crucial components of any sort of application. This is why asking the right person to write it, and asking them properly is extremely important. Here are a few things to consider when choosing your recommender…

First, ask , who knows you well?

• Professor
• Mentor
• Supervisor/Manager
• Close friend

Next, consider which of these people would be willing to write your letter. After you’ve decided who you want to write your letter of recommendation or referral, it’s time to ask him or her to write it. Consider the following before you ask for this favor.

• Don’t ask, “Can you write a letter?” instead ask “Do you feel like you could be able to write a letter of recommendation for my…”
• Give him or her ample amount of time to complete the letter or referral by its due date. When it comes to a task like this, rushing to get it done can be detrimental to the quality.
• Make sure to let the recommender know who they are addressing the letter to, and what opportunity you are seeking.
• Be sure to give him or her basic information about you. You wouldn’t want them to write something in your letter that isn’t true.
• It is okay to take no for an answer. If he or she does not want to write your letter, they don’t have to. Remember, they’re doing you a favor.

A good recommendation letter or referral all depends on the relationship between you and whom you choose to write it. Be careful with your decision, and it should turn out well!

10 Things to Never Put on Your Resume

From mySalary.com:

5 Signs Your Resume is Passé

From GovCentral:
The workplace is not what it was five years ago. Neither is the job hunt. The most successful candidates are those who are ready and willing to adapt to a changing landscape. But it doesn’t matter how ready you are for the modern workplace if your resume’s straight out of 1994. And sometimes, it’s the most minute details that make all the difference.

Does your resume speak to the modern hiring manager? Or does it need a serious makeover?
Your resume might be passé if…
http://govcentral.monster.com/benefits/articles/15764-5-signs-your-resum-is-pass?utm_source=nlet&utm_content=gc_c1_20100223_

Here, There, & Everywhere: How Might ePortfolios Live Beyond a Student’s Graduation?

From CampusTechnology.com:
An interesting article on the growth of ePortfolios with technology, and how students can utilize their ePortoflios beyond graduation.

http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/11/01/ePortfolios.aspx

Social Networking: Are you Prepared?

Fact: There are over 14,000 profiles in the Facebook CofC Network.

Fact: MySpace is one of the most trafficked websites on the Internet.

Fact: Social Networking websites like Facebook and MySpace can be used against you during the hiring process.

There is one common denominator between college students world wide (though there are a few of you who will say Not Me!). That is social networking. I do not mean going out to parties or clubs and hanging out with friends. Social networking in today’s world means connecting socially through the Internet on “social network” websites. You talk with friends, leave ‘presents,’ post pictures and your views of the world around you all without leaving your computer. But have you thought about what those messages or pictures are saying about you? For example, the pictures of you dancing on top of a table at a local bar may not be the best image for a potential employer to see.

More and more employers are becoming connected to potential employees in the various social networking websites. They do ‘research’ on employees and may not hire you based on the impression they receive. But it does not end once you get the job. Just because employers are paying you, does not mean they are not checking up on you. Pictures or comments that are deemed unprofessional by your employer or potential employer can harm you.

Before the job search process (and after you get the job) think of a few simple things to combat a negative impression your employer may have toward you.

• Make sure all of the pictures of you (both ones you post and others post) do not feature you being too unprofessional.
• Do a Google search of yourself to see what appears. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
• If you do have a Facebook or MySpace account you may want to set the privacy settings higher so only friends can view it.

For more tips and suggestions go to our Social Networking page. What are some other ways you can combat negative impressions based on your social networking pages? Do you have any horror stories about employers and these sites? Do you think employers should use social networking sites to check on present or future employees?