Spend your Spring Break doing an Externship!!

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM?
The externship program is designed to give IPFW undergraduate students the opportunity to explore a specific career field while networking with professionals and alumni within the community.
ELIGIBILITY
Any IPFW current undergraduate student is eligible to participate in the March 7–11, 2011 [week of Spring break] externship program; however, only one will be selected for each opportunity.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
To participate in the externship program, you will need to complete the brief Externship Application Form (you can access the form on our website), and submit your resume and the additional paperwork- it's that simple!
LIST OF AVAILABLE EXTERNSHIPS
We have over 20 externships available...Click here to see details.
Questions? Contact Career Services, 260-481-0689

LIFE AFTER SCHOOL EXPLAINED

I completed my undergraduate program a little more than a year and half ago. And boy was there a lot I didn’t know. Luckily, I landed a full time professional job right before graduation. But a full time job wasn’t the only major change I would encounter during my first year in the “real world.” A few months after graduation I got married, bought my first car, and purchased my first home. The transition from being a full time college student living in a dorm room to employee, wife, and homeowner happened fast and without much time for adjustment.

Now, after a lot of trial and error, I was introduced to a book called “Life After School. Explained.” This book covers many important topics for recent college graduates; including information on benefits, investments, apartment hunting, dinner etiquette, taxes, and even buying paint. When I started my first job I didn’t understand many of the terms and acronyms that my Human Resources Director was telling me. What did all these terms mean and what would be the best decision for my future? We didn’t learn about matched 401K’s, HSA (Health Savings Account) PPO (Preferred Provider Organization), PCP (Primary Care Physician), mutual funds, and IRA’s in my undergraduate program. *Note: However I did gain a clear understanding of Machiavelli and Facebook during my undergrad.

I wish that I would have known about this book earlier. You can easily read through the entire book in an afternoon or simply keep it on hand to look up topics as needed. I would recommend this book to anyone preparing to graduate or starting their first job. Stop by the Career Services office located in Kettler 109 to pick up your free copy!

Check out Cap & Compass's website at http://www.capandcompass.com/

Unemployment Impacts More than Your Wallet

National unemployment rates were averaged at 9.5% in July 2010 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They also stated that the median time a person has spent in unemployment is 25.5 weeks, about 6 months.

Six months is the time we recommend any job seeker to devote to the job search process. This provides a little relief to know that this average hasn’t changed much considering this recession is about twice as bad as in the 1980s. Even though the job seeking timeline and median unemployment rate matches, the psychological affects have climbed.

The Snowball Effect

It doesn’t help that the media continues to report on how bad the unemployment trends are

within our economy. Just yesterday I received a phone call from a media representative who wanted to do a story on the fact that the unemployment rates haven’t changed and how that impacts my job as a career counselor and the job seekers.

Honestly, what impacts the job seekers outlook most is this developed sense of hopelessness.

Even though we’re able to still hold job fairs with local employers looking to fill 50-100+ jobs, the number of seekers attending the fairs has decreased since the start of the recession in 2007.

This sense of hopelessness with the job market snowballs and as it increases it also impacts additional areas of a person’s life. The Pew Research Center published recent findings that unemployment not only affects finances, but also relations with family and friends and a loss of self-respect.

It’s interesting that the time we need our family and friends the most is also the time we tend to cause strain on the relationships, or just ignore them completely. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

This is a time to strengthen relationships and really use them to their full potential. All those years of being there for your friends and family should have some residual effect when it’s your turn to need help. Like I’ve said in some previous posts, no person is an island and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.

Self-respect is probably the most critical area that’s impacted by unemployment. If you lose self-respect then you’re decreasing your networking effectiveness, chances to be hired, and overall productiveness of the job search. In essence a loss of self-respect

could spiral people into depression.

Employers want to hire candidates with confidence and competence to do the job well, and if your self-respect has lowered then it’s likely your confidence and ability to market yourself in a job interview has also decreased. If you’re not sure about your level of self-respect then ask yourself how often you use negative language, like “I can’t…,” “This will never…,” or “No one will help me.”

A Positive Effect

There has been one potential positive effect from the recent unemployment, a reassessment of career goals. The forced change of losing a job can lead to a reevaluation of career goals, interests, and overall job and life satisfaction. More and more people are seeking out professional development opportunities and training options to increase their marketability.

An even bigger trend, which I’ve seen through counseling appointments, is an interest in returning to school and changing career directions completely. I’ve heard more people state things like “for the past 20 years I’ve worked to support myself (and my family) but it was never what I really wanted to do. Now I have the option to change my career, but I’m not sure how to go about it.” I applaud this risk taking behavior because it could mean an overall increase in life satisfaction. However, be careful when taking risks because if it impacts basic needs of food, shelter, and safety then it could increase the chances of losing self-respect and even depression.

Dealing with the Aftermath

There are many ways to productively and positively handle the loss of a job.

I’ve actually posted a number of blogs through my career services office that discusses coping with job loss. These contain some good tips about how to mentally prepare for the road ahead, not allow your current situation to have a negative impact on finding a new job, and even some additional job seeking strategies.

It’s time to be more conscious of yourself which means taking time out to daily reflect on the positives in your life, recreate with friends, keep a journal, or whatever method works for you. Times of turmoil call for a deeper intuition of self and a recognition of needs.

Even as counselors we are reminded that the number one person to care for is you, because if you’re not healthy in mind, body, and spirit then it reduces our effectiveness to help others. So take time to renew and balance your life because that is the core to an effective personal and work life!

New Career Spots Videos

We are excited to announce that we have 20 NEW Career Spots Videos located on our website for IPFW Faculty, Students, Alumni and Staff to use. The videos cover the following topics:

Career Fair Success

Top 10 Interview Mistakes

Finding a Co-op / Internship

Make your resume POP

Advice from Graduates

How do you get THAT job?

Ask the Experts

Career Center Benefits

The Salary Question

Follow up with Employer

Art of saying THANK YOU

Perils of Social Networking

Interview Dress for Women

Interview Dress for Men

Informational Interviews

Importance of Networking

Researching Companies

The Interview

The Cover Letter

The Elevator Pitch

To view the videos, go to: http://new.ipfw.edu/career/  

Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (http://www.ncahlc.org/), the regional accrediting authority for higher education institutions in our area, will be visiting IPFW next week as part of its reaccreditation review of our university. The HLC invites any interested students to an open meeting at 10am in WU 114-116 on November 16th to discuss IPFW.

Marketing Mock Interview Day!

Are you interested in working the area of Marketing and making great connections with local employers? Then hurry and save your spot by registering for a 45 minute mock interview!

Participating employers: Asher Agency, Catalyst Marketing Design, KPC Media Group, and Aflac.

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to hone your interviewing skills and make some great connections. You will receive direct feedback and tips from the experts themselves!

Marketing Mock Interview Day

Tuesday, November 16, 2010 [1-5pm] KT 109

Register at: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9ETa97DoyQw2XEU

Is it Really Just the Economy?

I don't think there is a job seeker around that hasn't felt the sting of the current economic crisis. Even though the economy is improving, employers are still reluctant to hire until they're sure these new increases are here to stay. Every day, I see students, alumni and community members that express frustration at how hard it is to find work right now and I agree. However, sometimes the big issue of the economy can blind job seekers to other problems in their job search.

• Know what kind of work you want to do
  I understand the temptation to just say 'anything' or 'anything full-time' or 'anything better than what I'm doing now'. But, look at it from the hiring employer's perspective. I've never had anyone say that they were willing to hire just anyone. Any employer I've spoken with in my work as a career counselor has always had a very clear idea of what kind of candidate they wanted to fill their open position. They've listed specific kinds of educational qualifications, skills and experience that they've been looking for. You too should have a clear idea of what kind of organization you'd like to work for and what kind of job duties you'd like to have.
  
• Get Your Paperwork Straight In this competitive market a generic Microsoft office template resume and impersonal 'To Whom it May Concern' cover letter may not be enough to help you stand out from everyone else that is applying for a certain position. Make sure you're customizing your resume and cover letter to each position you're applying for and that you highlight your transferrable skills and relevant experience.
  
• Do More Than Just Apply Online
  The internet is a great place to start your job search, but don't stop there. The fact is every other job seeker out there is using the internet as their primary means of job searching, one of the ways you can set yourself apart is to also get face-to-face. Join a networking group, attend a job fair, serve on the board of your favorite nonprofit or conduct some informational interviews. Anything that will help you expand your network and give your future employer the chance to know you as a person instead of just some facts on a resume.