National Student Exchange!

In my opinion, the National Student Exchange Program (NSE) is one of the best kept secrets here at IPFW. I wish more students would take advantage of this opportunity and I wanted to share a little bit about the program with you!

NSE provides students with affordable and practical opportunities to experience new and diverse settings in which to study and live. NSE has found that exchange within the U.S. and Canada can be just as exhilarating and culturally enriching as international study and one of the most significant experiences of a student's undergraduate education. NSE students access new academic options, immerse themselves in a different environment, search for graduate schools or future employment, acquire life skills, experience life from a different point of view, and expand their personal and educational perspectives.

Students must be enrolled at one of NSE’s Member Universities in order to apply for exchange; and exchanges are only available at other member institutions. Students apply for participation on their home campus and pay their normal tuition. NSE includes nearly 200 colleges and universities...so there is definitely a school out there for you to consider! I think I would pick the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras!

For more information about the NSE program, go to http://www.ipfw.edu/nse/

Facebook Appearance and Students

A few days ago one of my EDUC x210 students Facebooked me and asked: "So, do you approve of my profile and my pictures? :)" I was immediately taken aback!

I've preached about having a professional Facebook appearance to students across the campus with the majority of responses being, "ARGH!" or "Why?!" or "Uh, it's not fair that employers look at my page without asking!" It was so refreshing and welcoming to have a student actively respond to my preaching by cleaning up her pictures and then asking for my professional opinion.

It is also nice to report that I only made a comment about one picture and even glanced over the rest of her profile and can honestly say it looked clean. She still had fun with it, but nothing inappropriate.

On a side note, to the students that protest with the "Uh, it's not fair that employers look at my page without asking!" comment, Facebook is public! This is a public profile that you've just created and unless you adjust your privacy settings, anyone can see your profile. And, yes it may seem sneaky that employers judge you without your knowledge but it's their job to pick the best candidate during a job search and that means hiring someone that fits with their company mission and goals. Personality can be the tie-breaker when candidates are neck-and-neck with relevant work experience. So clean it up!

And, one final fun comment... I've had a great semester with my EDUC x210 (Career & Life Planning class) students. They are motivated young adults with so much intellect and spirit. We're nearing the end and it will be a bitter sweet parting, but I wish them all the luck and good blessings with their future endeavors!

List of Employers Attending Job Fair!

Summer Job & Internship Fair
April 2, 2009
[Walb Ballroom, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.]

List of Employers Attending:

AWS & Camp Red Cedar, Briljent, CH Robinson Worlwide Inc., City of Fort Wayne, Erin’s House, Fit Zone for Women, Frito Lay Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana /Michiana, Hanson Heidelberg Cement Group, Home Nursing Services, Howe Summer Camp, Indiana Business College, Indiana MENTOR, Logikos Inc., Lutheran Hospital, MLJ Enterprises, N.A.S. Kirby Northwestern Mutual Financial , OMCO, IPFW Office of Academic Internships, Co-Ops and Service Learning, Pizza Hut, Prudential, Purdue University, Sam’s Club, Stoneware, Inc., Summit Brands, Summit City Radio,,The Salvation Army, Three Rivers Federal Credit Union, The Graduate Rentention Program, Tower Bank and Trust, Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us, US Probation & Pretrial Services, UPS, US Probation & Pretrial Services, USMC Officer Programs, WestPoint Financial Group, White’s School of the Arts Community Developmental Programs, Whitington Home & Services for Children and Families

Job Search Strategies in a Tight Economy: IPFW Alumni Event revisited

If you were like me and just couldn't make it to the Job Search Strategies in a Tight Economy event offered through our office, here is the PowerPoint presentation with lots of great information on:

• resumes
• references
• cover letters
• transferable skills
• networking
• job searching
• interviewing
• coping with job loss

If you would like more information about any of these topics and/or would like to speak to a career counselor, please call our office at (260)481-0689 to set up an appointment.

Ben Stein: How Not to Ruin Your Life

One of the Career Services staff members ran across this article on finance.yahoo.com today, and I thought it was worth sharing on our blog. Ben Stein (some of you might remember the "Win Ben Stein's Money" show on TV some years back) is an economist (was I the only one who had no clue that he's an economist?), and he is sharing some helpful advice for new graduates in this challenging job market.

Check it out at http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/yourlife/146731

SustaIN: Indiana's Green Ideas and Networking Event

Even in this down economy there’s one employment sector that people can’t stop talking about: Green Jobs. From crafting environmentally sound public policy, to designing solar powered cell phone chargers, employers and job seekers are very enthusiastic about the opportunities available in the green market.

To support this trend, and as part of the Indiana Collegiate Career Fair , on April 22, there will also be another event called SustaIN. “SustaIN is a unique forum for students, business professionals, and the general public to meet with and learn from Indiana’s research and industry leaders about green and sustainability initiatives and practices.”

Career Fairs

2 Career Fairs in April...2 Chances to meet Employers! Get Ready.

In April, we will be hosting two different career fairs at IPFW. That means you have TWO opportunities to get your face in front of recruiters!!

Summer Job & Internship Fair (for internship, part-time, and summer job opportunities):
This career fair will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2009 from 10 AM-2 PM at IPFW's Walb Student Union Ballroom. For a complete list of employers, go to: http://www.ipfw.edu/career/assets/merged-summ-intern-job-fair.pdf

Northeast Indiana Career Employment (NICE) Expo (for internship and full-time job opportunities): This career fair will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2009 from 2-6 PM at IPFW's Walb Student Union Ballroom. For a complete list of employers, go to: http://www.grace.edu/studentlife/careerservices/NICEExpo.php

Take advantage of this opportunity. There will be over 35 employers at each job fair looking to hire IPFW students. If you are nervous about attending a job fair, then I would encourage you to attend one of our job fair prep sessions. We will talk to you about what to expect at the job fair, what to wear and of course we will look over your resume!