Category: Uncategorized

As you look for your first job, you’re probably not thinking about becoming ill, retiring, or looking for tax breaks. However, you should consider benefits to be an important part of your compensation package. According to the most recent survey of new college graduates, the top benefits desired by new hires include medical insurance and such “core” financial benefits as salary increases, tuition reimbursement, and a 401 (k) company match. Benefits that deliver more immediate satisfaction, such as family-friendly benefits, more than two weeks of vacation, and flextime are increasingly important. A good benefits package can add as much as 30 percent to your overall compensation and may make a huge difference in your work/life quality! Here is information about some commonly offered benefits:

HEALTH INSURANCE

This is an important benefit for three financial reasons:

1. Even if you have to pay for all or part of the coverage, it’s cheaper to get insurance through an employer at group rates than to purchase it on your own.
2. Health insurance is comparable to nontaxable income—providing health insurance could cost your employer upwards of $4,000 per year per employee—and you don’t pay tax on it. If you were to purchase health insurance, it might take more than $5,000 per year out of your pocket—after taxes.
3. The third advantage, of course, is, if you get sick or have a surfing (or horseback riding or bungee-jumping) accident, your medical treatment is paid for (in part or in full, depending on your policy).

 

ANNUAL SALARY INCREASES

More money? Of course that’s a good thing. In recent years, some employers have frozen salaries—not given any raises—or given minimal, 1.4 percent raises. According to Aon Hewitt’s annual U.S. Salary Increase Survey, average salary increases over the past couple of years ranged up to about 4 percent. If you earn $44,500, a 4 percent raise will increase your income by $1,777.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

One way to get ahead in your career is to continue learning—keep up with the latest trends in your profession. In this case, your employer pays all or a portion of your tuition costs for classes related to the business of the company. In some cases, employers reimburse for nonbusiness-related classes and for supplies such as books.

401(K) PLAN

A 401(k) is a retirement plan that allows you to put a percentage of your gross (pre-tax) income into a trust fund or other qualified investment fund. In many cases, employers will match your contribution up to a certain percentage—this is “free” money that can add to your overall compensation package. Why is this important to you since retirement is still 30 or 40 years away? According to The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial-services company, someone saving $5,000 a year beginning at age 25 will have $787,176 at age 65 (assuming an 11 percent annual return on savings). Waiting until age 35 cuts your investment earnings in half, to a total of $364,615. Wait until age 45 to start your retirement fund and you’ll have only $168,887—not much to live on in retirement. Typically, you can direct your contributions and the matching funds into investments offered through your employer. And your 401(k) is portable—you can take it with you if you change jobs.

FLEX SPENDING ACCOUNT

Also known as flexible benefits and Section 125 plans, these plans let you put aside money (via a deduction from each pay) before taxes to cover various types of costs such as payment of health insurance and life insurance premiums, and vision care, dental care, or child- or dependent-care costs. By using money held out before taxes, you’ll spend pre-tax dollars on necessities and you’ll show less earned income on your federal tax return—so you will pay a lower percentage of your income in taxes.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY BENEFITS

Do you have to have a family to collect these benefits? Absolutely not! Family-friendly benefits can mean a lot of things.

• Flextime allows you to vary your workday start and stop times, within limits.
• Paid time off (PTO) deposits your paid-time off (e.g., vacation, holiday, sick, and personal days) into one bank from which you withdraw days, which you allocate as you wish. This means you could wind up with more than two weeks of vacation.
• Telecommuting allows you to work from home or at an alternative work site for part of the week, checking in with the main office via telephone and computer. Some employers provide the office equipment for home use; in other cases, you cover the costs associated with telecommuting.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Career and Professional Development offers résumé review drop-in hours every day. Here is a list of the most common questions I get asked:

1. How small can I make my font size or margins?

Margins can be anywhere from .5 to 1 inch; use your best judgment and keep it easy-to-scan. Font size should be 10 point or larger to keep your résumé from being too crowded or difficult to read.

2. Can I put high school experiences on my résumé?

It depends on how old you are and how much university experience you have to discuss. As a freshman or sophomore, you may have some high school experience on your resume until you become more involved on campus or attain a part-time job/summer internship.

3. How can I make one résumé for all my applications?

It is not best practice to use one generic résumé because each job position or graduate program has different requirements or preferences. Every résumé you create should be tailored to display the skills and experiences desired for each application. You may want to create one “master résumé” that lists all your accomplishments and experiences and then choose which items are most relevant for each job or graduate opportunity you pursue.

4. My résumé is a page and a half, is that okay?

If you are an undergraduate student, your résumé should really be one page. Graduate schools may require a Curriculum Vitae (CV) or longer résumé, but if it is not specified, try to keep it to one page. There are some exceptions. If you are unsure, ask a career advisor.

5. Should I include my work experience from part-time jobs in restaurants or clothing stores?

Absolutely! Show off your relevant and transferable skills (customer service, communication, etc.) from all your work experiences! However, you may not include them if you have more relevant experiences you want to discuss or run out of space on your one-page résumé.

6. Do I have to include a profile or objective statement?

No, these are optional résumé components. It may be helpful to have a profile if you are applying to a job that does not necessarily align with your major or past experiences because it gives recruiters a better idea of who you are and why you are applying. Objective statements can be helpful for career fairs where recruiters are hiring for multiple jobs and you want to clarify which position you are seeking.

7. Should I put Microsoft Office skills on my résumé?

There is no need to list Office unless the job posting specifically mentions these skills or you have completed a certification or specialized training. Most companies will assume that you know how to use those programs.

8. Is it okay to list out my skills (team-player, effective communicator, etc.)?

The best strategy for a skills section is to demonstrate skills with concrete examples rather than simply listing them. To see an example of how to do this effectively, come by our office and pick up a CPD Guide!

Written by Kristin Koch, Graduate Apprentice for Career and Professional Development

Today we will explore a list of links available on the Career and Professional Development website for exploring your major, so grab a cup of coffee and join me on the tour!

1.  Health-Related Programs at Baylor

Our first stop is a list of all the majors and prehealth programs Baylor has to offer.  One really nice feature of this list is that each program is linked to the departmental website where you are sure to find even more information about the particular area, especially the list of courses you would need to take.

2.  Majors and Minors at Baylor

The College of Arts and Sciences has done a tremendous job, taking each of their majors and giving a description, course examples, and potential job opportunities.

This link provides a list of all the major and minor options available at Baylor. It provides a description of the program, course examples, and potential job opportunities..  Since not all majors are minors and not all minors are majors, this resource can be a valuable way to gain a clear understanding of the minors offered.

3.  The Princeton Review’s Major Descriptions

The Princeton Review offers an alphabetical search of a wide variety of majors, listing descriptions of each.  If you want to get another perspective of what is involved in a particular major, this resource might be what you are looking for.

4.  What Can I Do With This Major?

Career Services has put together a generous list of resources that address this very question.  Search the list for majors of interest to you and click the link below the heading to view a PDF with valuable information about different possible areas to pursue with the major, employers for that major, and also strategies for pursuing a career in that field.  I find the PDFs to be full of practical information.  The site is also filled with valuable resources ranging from links to professional associations related to the major field to actual job listings in the area, so you can see exactly what employers are looking for in the hiring process.

5.  What Can I Do With a Major In…?

For this link, we go to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.  They provide a rich list of majors their school provides, linking each to a list of information and valuable resources that students with interest in that field may find useful.  One of my favorite pieces of information they provide is a list of careers that may be pursued with that major.  This list is very detailed, so you may find other careers related to your major field that you might not have thought of yet.

6.  Major Weblinks

Northern Illinois University has also put together a list of majors linked to valuable information for each.  This website is another great resource to peruse to discover more information regarding majors you are interested in.

7.  What can I do with my liberal arts degree?

If you have been asking yourself this question, then this link might be just right for you.  A click on this link will take you to an article from the Occupation Outlook Quarterly that specifically explores this topic.

8.  Baylor’s Pre-Law Program

While not a major itself, Baylor’s Pre-Law program is a valuable pre-professional program that will help you prepare well for a future in law school and beyond.  This link takes you to Baylor’s Pre-Law website, which is chock full of key information necessary for pursuing the field of law, from pre-law contacts in different university departments to a timeline that will help you stay on track as you pursue your goals.

I hope these resources are helpful as you explore majors of interest to you.  Enjoy your weekend and Sic ‘Em, Bears!!!

 

By:  Amy Ames

Ever thought about working overseas after college? Are you planning to study abroad during your time at Baylor? Are you at Baylor on a student visa, and interested in working in the United States after graduation? If you answered “yes!” to any of these questions, then GoinGlobal is a great resource for you to learn about career opportunities and apply for jobs.

CPD is hosting a GoinGlobal training workshop for students this Thursday at 2:50. Come learn how this premium resource can help you plan for your international experience!

You can use the Country Career Guides in GoinGlobal to research career related information tailored for your country of interest. Each Country Guide covers the following topics:

• Job Search Resources
• Non-Profits and Volunteer Organizations
• Industry and Employment Trends
• Top Companies
• Professional and Social Networking
• Embassy Listings
• Financial Considerations
• Work Permits and Visas
• Résumé/CV Guidelines
• Interviewing Advice
• Cultural Advice

Each Country Guide also has links to job sites where you can search for current job postings available in that country in English or in the native language. There are over 16 million jobs posted on GoinGlobal, which are updated daily.

By: Nick Haynes

Networking could be what helps you land a job.

If you take part in social networking sites, you probably have a pretty good idea of how networking can enhance your personal life. But, if you’re like many new college graduates, you’re probably not as comfortable about incorporating networking into your job search.

In spite of your discomfort, you need to incorporate networking into your job search: Especially in a competitive job market, networking could be what helps you land a job. In fact, many jobs are filled before they are even advertised—filled by people who learned about the opportunity before it was formally announced.

What is networking when it comes to the job search? It’s not about using people. Just as you look to build personal relationships through social networks, you want to build relationships to foster your professional life. These relationships can help you not only in your current job search but down the road as you build your career.

Networking is not one-sided: It works both ways. You offer assistance to others just as they offer assistance to you. Perhaps the easiest way to think about networking is to see it as an extension of being friendly, outgoing, and active.

Here are some tips for building and maintaining a healthy network:

1. Make a list of everyone you know—and people they know—and identify how they could help you gather career information or experience.
   Who do you know at school? Professors, friends, and even friends’ parents can all be helpful contacts. Did you hold a part-time job? Volunteer? Serve an internship? Think about the people you came into contact with there.
2. Sign up for an alumni mentoring program.
   Many colleges offer such programs, and they are a great way to build relationships in your field.
3. Join the campus chapter of a professional society that relates to your career choice.
   In many ways, a professional society is an instant network: You’ll be with others who have the same general career interest. Plus, you may be able to learn more about your field from them. For example, you may be able to learn about the field and potential employers from others who share their internship experiences.
4. Volunteer at a local museum, theater, homeless shelter—anywhere that even remotely relates to your field of study.
   By volunteering, you’ll not only learn about your chosen field firsthand, you’ll also be able to connect with people who are in the field.
5. Speak to company representatives at career fairs, even if you’re not ready to look for a job.
   Be up front that you’re not currently in the job market and don’t take a lot of the representative’s time, but touching base with a potential employer now can help you down the road when you are ready.
6. Attend company information sessions at your college and talk one-on-one to the recruiters who run them.
7. Schedule informational interviews with people who can tell you about their careers.
   It’s best to ask to meet in person or by phone for a short interview, and don’t immediately start asking “How can you help me?” Plan your questions ahead of time, focusing on how the company works and how the person shaped his or her career path.
8. Add your profile to LinkedIn.
   It’s free. And then, work your profile. Add work history (including internships!), skills, and keywords. Make connections to people you’ve worked with or met through networking. Ask for “recommendations” from people who have worked with you. You’ll find LinkedIn is a good source of suggestions for people in your field to contact for informational interviews.
9. Remember to be courteous and tactful in all your conversations, to send thank-you notes to people who help you, and to find ways to help others as well.
   Don’t drop your network once you’ve gotten a job. Nurture the relationships you’ve built and look for opportunities to build new connections throughout your career. Getting started might be uncomfortable, but with time and practice, networking will be second nature.

 

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

If you’re a college student exploring careers, you may not be aware of the wide range of job opportunities in public service. Careers in the federal government range from scientist to engineer to museum curator. Federal architects plan embassies around the world. Urban park rangers teach history to visitors. Biologists study sharks, sea turtles, and dolphins. Engineers develop robots for the space shuttle. Students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medical fields (STEMM) find occupations in plant pathology, fire protection engineering, naval architecture, astronomy, space science, and cryptanalysis.

As the nation’s largest employer with about 2 million civilian workers, the government is seeking to fill thousands of positions at any given time, and these federal jobs match almost every set of skills and interests. In the last fiscal year, the government hired nearly 92,000 full-time permanent employees, and these jobs were located in all 50 states and overseas, not just in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture employs more than 1,000 civil engineers. More than 3,500 people at the Social Security Administration work in information technology management. If your interests are heavy on science, look for jobs at the National Institutes of Health or the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Physics and engineering? Think about opportunities at the U.S. Department of Energy and the 10 NASA centers around the country.

 
What’s Real About Federal Employment

It is a myth that the government isn’t hiring. More than 76,800 federal workers were hired in 2013 and nearly 92,000 became new federal employees in 2014.

Another myth is that federal pay and benefits can’t compete with other sectors. In fact, both pay and benefits are competitive. Total pay also can vary depending on where the job is located. In more expensive geographic areas, the addition of locality pay bumps up salaries to ensure the same standard of living for employees, regardless of their location.

Salary is not the only consideration when comparing job opportunities. Federal employees get other benefits including student loan repayment assistance; flexible schedules, and vacation and sick leave packages; health and retirement benefits; training and other professional development activities; and advancement opportunities.

Take Advantage of the Opportunities

As a student or recent graduate, you are eligible for the Pathways Programs that give students from qualifying educational institutions and programs, and recent graduates, a chance to explore different career paths, gain experience, and decide if an agency is right for them.

If you are a current student, you are eligible for internships, and if you are a recent graduate, you can work in government for one year—with both opportunities potentially leading to full-time employment. For either of these, you undertake a program of 40 hours of training and development, possibly including mentorship.

The government’s most prestigious fellowship is the two-year-long Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program, open to individuals with qualifying advanced degrees. In this program, you receive 80 hours of training and development, complete an individual development plan, and are assigned a senior-level mentor. You also spend a portion of your time in a rotational or development assignment, to experience opportunities in your discipline in another department or agency.

Where to Apply

The federal government has dozens of departments and agencies. To narrow your focus, it helps to concentrate on agencies that make the most sense for your interests, whether it is federal housing, public health, or international issues.

You can search for those agencies on several websites:

1.     USAJOBS.gov—The federal government’s jobs portal.

2.     USA.gov—A government website that provides an “A-Z index” of federal agencies.

3.     FEB.gov—A forum for communication and collaboration among federal agencies outside of Washington that you can use to find federal points of contact in your area.

4.     Fedscope.opm.gov—An Office of Personal Management website containing federal human resources data.

5.     Bestplacestowork.org—The Partnership’s site ranking where federal agencies stand based on employee satisfaction surveys.

6.     Social Media—Many agencies are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other sites.

How to Apply for Federal Job Opportunities

The government’s jobs website, USAJOBS.gov, has resources explaining how to apply for jobs. The Partnership’s Go Government website also offers a wealth of information on applying. On GoGovernment.org, you will find a step-by-step guide on the application process, along with profiles of young federal employees, and occupation guides that describe the people and positions that specific agencies are hiring.

If you are unsure about which federal agency you’re interested in, the Partnership produces the annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings that offer information on which agencies house the highest percentages of satisfied employees. Another good place to start is at federal agency websites, where you’ll find information about the mission and the work, and get a flavor for an agency’s culture.

By:  Caleb Campbell

Caleb Campbell is an associate manager on the Education and Outreach team at the Partnership for Public Service. In his role, Campbell manages the Call to Serve network providing resources and information to more than 1,000 colleges and universities on federal hiring and the best strategies for getting the top talent into government.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Recognizing that Baylor is like a small city with services ranging from entertainment to student support and the many opportunities available to students, Baylor’s On-Campus Internship Program was launched.  The idea is to give students great work experience while they are taking classes and to give offices on our campus the much needed help.  It’s a great chance for students to be mentored by the people who care most for them, the faculty and staff at Baylor.

Benefits for the students are wide ranging and include:

• Payment
• Professional skill-set development
• Networking with professionals
• Training prior to the internship to ensure success
• Support during the internship

We truly are here to help students and the hosting offices offer the best internship experience!  To get the application and learn more about the program, visit http://www.baylor.edu/cpd/index.php?id=867860. Hurry…the deadline for fall internships is SEPTEMBER 2nd!

-Heather Wheeler, Assistant Director of Internships

With the vast array of services that Career and Professional Development has to offer, it’s no wonder that even Bruiser uses CPD. Check out this video of Bruiser taking advantage of what we have to offer and learn more about ways we can help you too!

 

 

 

Are you interested in getting more involved with The Office of Career and Professional Development and developing valuable skills?  Check out this new opportunity!

The Office of Career & Professional Development (CPD) is seeking applications from students to serve as ambassadors for the 2014-2015 academic year.  Current students who are in good academic standing and enrolled at Baylor through May 2016 are encouraged to apply.  To apply, submit your résumé and cover letter of interest, including your responses, by 12 p.m. noon on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 to Michelle_Cohenour@baylor.edu.