3 Things to Do in December to Land a Summer Internship

Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Research

How many times have you told yourself that you will begin your summer internship search when you get some free time?  The winter break is a perfect time for doing some preliminary research on your options.  Begin browsing internship postings in Handshake, Vault, CareerShift, and GoinGlobal.  This will help you identify positions that interest you and help you determine what application materials may be necessary.

 

2. Talk

‘Tis the season for gatherings of family and friends.  Quite often, loved ones use these gatherings as an opportunity to ask you about your life at college and your future plans.  Many positions are filled by someone who knows someone else with a connection to a great job.  Let family, friends, and acquaintances know that you are looking for an internship and ask if they have any ideas related to your field of interest.  Even if they do not know of a job opening, they may know of a professional who would be open to an informational interview.

 

3. Prepare

The spring semester is always hectic, between academic demands and the very active student life on our campus.  Save yourself some stress and create a first draft of your resume over the winter break.  When you return to campus, you can have it reviewed by a friendly staff member in Career and Professional Development, then attend the Internship and Career Fair on January 31st.

As you wrap up the fall semester, remember that the staff of CPD wish you good luck on finals and a merry Christmas!

Written by Amy Ames, Assistant Director of Professional Development

How to Land Your Dream Job: A Thanksgiving Meal

24304 Betty Crocker's Guide to Your First Thanksgiving

Written by:  Charlie Foster, Employer Relations Specialist at Baylor University

You’re graduating from college in less than a month, and you are interviewing for your dream job after Thanksgiving. But you’re worried that you aren’t bringing all the right tools to the table.

Think of your interview as a traditional Thanksgiving meal. While every part of your interview is important as an individual component, the complete picture that you present is the part that sells the recruiter. In short, it’s the delicious whole that everyone looks forward to. Look at your job seeking and interview as each of the parts of the Thanksgiving meal:

Grandma’s Homemade Dressing – Your Educational Experience

Everyone expects grandma to make her traditional, homemade dressing. It’s the one thing that everyone knows will be there. The same thing is true with your educational experience. Everyone has their own experience, just like grandma has her own recipe. But interviewers expect you to have a college education. Find a way to make yours standout. This may be a particular study abroad or project that you worked on in your major. Utilize that when talking about your educational experience.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy – Your Internships

Mashed potatoes are the staple side that everyone loves at Thanksgiving. It’s the simple foundation of the meal that goes with everything. Your internships are the foundation of your appeal as a candidate in an interview. The more internships you have, the better you look to a new employer. And everyone loves a solid, learning internship for the foundation of your new career.

Auntie Muriel’s Green Bean Casserole – Your Resume

Auntie Muriel may not be the best cook ever, but she knows how to make your least favorite side a bit more appealing. Your resume makes your learning and experiences more appealing, too. While it might be a simple piece of paper that you love to dread, it is important for you to have with every application and interview. You need to make sure that your resume is professional, well organized, and easy-to-read for all interviewers and recruiters. Make sure to utilize your resources to have your resume proofread and designed for better appeal.

The Thanksgiving Turkey – Your In-Person Interview

The star of the show is the Thanksgiving turkey. Your interview is in the limelight for you to get this job. While the turkey takes time to be seasoned and prepped for cooking, you also need to prepare for your interview well in advance. Learn about the company that you are interviewing with, including their culture and main responsibilities. You should also know as much as you can about the job that you are interviewing with. With this knowledge, you will be able to brightly shine, just like the turkey at dinner time.

Pumpkin Pie – Your Personality, and You

The grand finale of the meal: the pumpkin pie. It’s the part of the meal that everything builds up to, and the part that leaves the best impression. Your personality and the way you present yourself is the most impactful impression during the interview. As cliché as it sounds, the most important thing you can do is be yourself. Recruiters and interviewers can tell when you are being fake, are nervous, or not confident in yourself. The best thing to do is to present yourself with confidence and determination that you are the right candidate for the job.

By bringing the complete meal to the table, you are sure to land your dream job!

 

 

Top 10 Skills Employers Want to See on Your Resume

It’s a given that a good grade point average (GPA) is very important to potential employers. According to the annual Job Outlook survey, many employers say they screen by GPA. But what else do they look for?

Employers considering new college graduates for job openings are looking for leaders who can work as part of team, communicate effectively, and solve problems.

Here are the top 10:

  1. Leadership
  2. Ability to work in a team
  3. Written communication skills
  4. Problem-solving skills
  5. Strong work ethic
  6. Analytical/quantitative skills
  7. Technical skills
  8. Verbal communication skills
  9. Initiative
  10. Computer skills

How much influence do these skills have on your chances of getting an interview and landing a job? Here’s how employers ranked those skills and abilities:

top 10 skills

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

5 Quick Resume Tips

  1. typewriterMake it easy to read: Use a plain font in 10- to 12-point type.
  2. Focus on information that is relevant to the employer and the job.
  3. Keep your resume short: In general, a new grad’s resume should be one side of a single page, but can run longer if your experiences and skills are relevant to the job.
  4. Include keywords taken directly from the job description.
  5. Quantify your results, if possible.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.