Are you fed up with your job?

If you've been watching the news lately, then you know who Steven Slater is. The Jet Blue flight attendant who quit his job in a very unorthodox manner and is now facing felony charges. Below is a video of CNN reporters interviewing one of the passengers on the plane who witnessed the occurrence.

Apparently Slater had an altercation with a passenger on the plane which lead to verbal and physical actions on the passenger's part. Slater then proceeded to seal his "resignation letter" by getting on the plane's intercom, telling off the said passenger, grabbing beers out of the hospitality cart, and releasing the emergency chute to exit the plane. He has since been released from his job and is being held on 2 felonious charges.

So we all know this is the WRONG way to quit a job. But, how do you quit a job without burning bridges? And, what's so wrong with burning a few bridges if the company and/or supervisor was bad to you?

Quitting the Job Properly

1. Give at least 2 weeks notice, a month would be preferred. This demonstrates professionalism and courtesy to the company and your boss. They will eventually have to replace you and by giving them a heads up, they can initiate a search for your replacement with hopes for a small gap between you and the new recruit.
2. Type a resignation letter. Use professional language and business letter format. Approach your boss with this letter and explain to him/her as to why you're choosing to resign.
3. Choose your words wisely. When you approach your boss about quiting the job, be sure to give solid reasons for your departure. If it's a touchy subject, then make sure to discuss it with a trusted friend/family member, or a career counselor to adequately prepare. This will help you choose your words properly and leave on a good note.

Don't Burn Bridges

1. It's a small world after all. It's amazing who knows who and how much people network and talk within professional industries. If you quit your job unprofessionally, then it's likely your previous boss will talk about it and it may end up affecting your job search.
2. Get the good reference. Even if you didn't like the job, you can still leave with a good reference from your supervisor or a colleague.
3. Make it easy on yourself. If you leave in a professional manner, then it's a lot easier to interview with a new employer. A common question used in interviews is, "Why did you leave your previous job?" It will reflect better on you if you can answer positively than figure out how to spin it, or risk lying. The company you're interviewing with can call your previous employer and inquire whether or not they would consider hiring you back.

McGregor: The traveling career gnome

You may have met McGregor in our Spring 2010 Newsletter, but if you haven't allow me to introduce to you the IPFW Career Services Traveling Gnome. June and July were busy months for McGregor as he traveled across the state and country. Check out his latest travel stories...

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McGregor here... What are the chances that I run into Christina Mosteller Hall and Karen Obringer during my trip to Franklin, IN? They were at Franklin College for the Career Development Professionals of Indiana Leadership Institute. I hear they're "Social Media Rock Stars!"

I just loved the gardens and the local history at Franklin College. Here's a little video of my fun trip in Franklin, IN on June 16, 2010.

That was so much fun, but it was time to spread my wings... literally! I flew to San Francisco to check out the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Warf, and Alcatraz. There aren't as many gardens in San Francisco, but there was plenty of water and nice people!

Did you know that it's one of the most expensive cities in which to live? If I were to move there, from my home in Fort Wayne, IN, I would need to make three times my average salary! That's a lot of green, even for an experienced gardener like myself!

Here are some fun pictures of my trip to San Francisco. I wonder where I'll travel to next...

I visited Fisherman's Warf and saw Alcatraz Island. I thought it would be bigger!

I also walked the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped traffic. Not many people have seen a traveling gnome.

Networking Benefits: Finding a job

I'm sure you've heard that networking can lead you to a job. Well, here's a good video that explains just how to do it. Check it out!

If I was to share the best advise in this video it would be to utilize your network even if you're not job hunting. This helps to develop rapport with your networks, and you have the opportunity to help them so that when you actually need assistance they are more likely to assist you with the job search (or whatever else you might need).

Remember networking is a give-and-take relationship. You can't go into it desperate to find a job because then networking is going to fail you. Think about someone you might know that only takes from you, and every time you're around him/her you feel exhausted.... Don't be that person!

IPFW Accounting Mock Interview Day!

Are you an Accounting Major interested in making a great connection with local employers? Register for a 45 minute mock interview!

Register to participate in our first annual IPFW Accounting Mock Interview Day! Practice your interviewing skills with local employers, and receive direct feedback and tips from the experts themselves! Make a great and lasting impression within the 45 minute one-to-one practice interview appointment!

Accounting Mock Interview Day
Thursday, August 12, 2010 [1-5pm] KT 109
Register at: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_0lihy1w9b5GFzCc

Participating Employers:
BKD, Lincoln Financial Group and Crowe Horwath LLP!

Available Interview Time Slots:
(Indicate the time slots you would be available on the registration form)
Interview 1: 1:00-1:45pm
Interview 2: 1:45-2:30pm
Interview 3: 2:30-3:15pm
Interview 4: 3:15-4:00pm
Interview 5: 4:00-4:45pm

Requirements:
Professional dress, an updated resume, and you must be a current undergraduate IPFW Accounting major.

Registration is on a first come first serve basis, so register now before all of the 20 interview slots are filled!

Questions? Contact Ashley McArdle in Career Services, 260-481-6591

MTV's Hired documentary series

I just heard about this series the other day, and did a google news search for it today, wondering how it was being reviewed. For the most part, it has earned good reviews, and, as an added bonus, is avoiding the typical kinds of drama for which MTV's reality shows are renowned. First, you learn a little about the company, meet the applicants and hear what the recruiter has to say about their initial meeting/interview (e.g., cover letter advice, resume paper recommendations, etc.), and then watch the applicants interview with the company leader. It not only gives information on what to do and what to avoid in an interview, but it also shows how important "fit" is in the interview and hiring process.

If you're interested, check out the videos of the show on the MTV web site. To read more about it, check out these two articles by CareerBuilder and blogcritics.

Bad Internship? Good Learning Experience!

Every once in a while I hear a horror story about a bad internship. My first response is always, I wish I would have known earlier so I could have helped. But, regardless if the internship was positive or not there are always lessons to take away from that experience.

Supervisor preferences

Think about how you were managed at the internship. What did you like? What didn’t you like? If you could describe your ideal supervisor, how would he/she work and manage? Supervisors can make or break an internship experience. Remember when you interview for any job, even an internship, that you take time to ask them questions also.

Where your interests really lie

Maybe you just didn’t like the work. Consider what parts of the job duties you enjoyed the most and what you enjoyed the least. For the duties you enjoyed the least, ask youself, “Why?” What about those duties made them less appealing to you as a worker? The more you know about your interests at work, the more focused your job search will be, and more likely you’ll find a job that you enjoy.

Co-workers and environment preferences

What was the company culture like at the internship site? How were the co-workers and their relationships with you? These are good qualities to assess for internships and potential new jobs. You can tell a lot about the company by observing interactions, nonverbals, and verbal remarks during an internship. Ask yourself if it’s the type of place where you would like to become involved in the future or not.

Negotiation tactics

All good intern supervisors have the understanding that interns are there to learn and should have frequent meetings with his/her intern(s) to discuss progress, goals, and needs. By having successful discussions with your supervisor you can practice how to positively negotiate. Some suggestions for positive interactions would be to come prepared, do your research and be aware of the supervisor's style and preference. Take feedback seriously and do something with it so you can show how important learning is to you.

Even if you didn’t have a great internship experience, you’ve still walked away with a learning experience. That’s what internships are all about, learning. Don’t forget to reflect, write logs and journals, and talk to counselors or advisors about your experience. By reporting a poor experience to a university representative you’ll have a better chance of improving it, and also be able to gain an objective perspective on the internship experience.

Your Online Job Search

Most job seekers immediately turn to the big internet job boards to begin their job search. Although big job boards are one component to a successful job search, check out these other ways that the internet can help you find the work you're looking for.

Find: There are several places where open positions are listed online. Big job boards list a wide variety of jobs. Job search engines crawl job search and company websites to bring together position listings from all over the internet. Finally, niche job boards list positions for applicants that have special qualifications such as technology professionals or bilingual job seekers.

Key Sites:, IPFW JobZone, Yahoo Hot Jobs, Simply Hired, Indeed, DICE, LatPro

Learn: Career blogs and information sites abound online. Human resource professionals, recruiters and career counselors post fresh tips and tricks on getting ahead in your job search.

Key Sites:
Quintessential Careers, The Riley Guide, Job Hunter's Bible, IPFW Career Blog

Research: Unsure what would be a fair salary for a job you're applying for? Want to know what the top companies are in Chicago? You can do research on employers, salaries, occupations and locations online to better prepare you for your job search.

Key Sites:
Glassdoor, Best Places, City-Data, O*NET

Connect: Job searching is more than just locating open positions, it's also important to network with people to provide you information or referrals

Key Sites:
LinkedIn, Xing, Spoke, Ryze

Control: When a hiring manager performs a background check, many will "google" a candidate's name and search social web sites such as Facebook, and MySpace, paying attention to how appropriate your e-mail address, instant message screen names, and blog or forum postings are. Be proactive, search yourself and use appropriate security settings.

Key Sites:
Mashable, Google Alerts