Getting Started with Your Resume

A quick video tutorial on starting your resume!!

Negotiating A Salary

Perhaps one of the most challenging components of the job search process, negotiating a salary, comes after receiving an offer.

To effectively evaluate a job offer, you must consider much more than just the salary. You should also consider other benefits such as health insurance, pension- plan options, and holiday, vacation, and sick-day policies. You should also do research on compensation for similar positions in the area and the cost of living for the given area.

In addition to these considerations, below are some tips which you should keep in mind as you meet with the interviewer to negotiate your salary.

• When meeting with the recruiter, be sure to mention two points about the offer which you like best, so the interviewed doesn't feel as if you are simply meeting just to earn higher pay.
  
• When presenting your concerns, share them briefly and gauge the reaction of the interviewer before furthering in detail.
  
• Clearly express which points of the offer you would like enhanced.
  
• Give the recruiter sufficient time to take your conversation into consideration and be sure to thank them for their time.

Thinking Like an Interviewer

The Seven Point Plan
adapted from The Perfect Interview by Max Eggert

Preparing for an upcoming job interview?  During your preparation, take some time to think from the perspective of the interviewer.  If you'll be meeting with someone from Human Resources, it's likely they've had some training on how to conduct interviews.  The following seven points illustrate the areas interviewers are likely to examine during interviews with potential job candidates.

1. Attainment:  Do you meet the academic and professional experience qualifications? Does your experience make you the right person to be successful in the position?

2. Disposition: What is your personality like?  How will your personality affect the fulfillment of the open position? 

3. Special Aptitudes: Do you have any special aptitudes/competencies/talents that would benefit the company or position?

4. Interests: How do you spend your spare time/money?  What might this say about your potential to be motivated and successful in the position?

5. General Intelligence: How intelligent are you?  How will your intelligence be used in the position?

6. Physical Aspects: Do you have the appropriate health, build, and physical stamina to successfully fulfill the open position?

7. Circumstances: What effects have your personal circumstances had on your career development and success?  How will current and future circumstances affect your performance if selected for the position? 

By thinking through these concepts before the interview, you'll be better prepared to answer questions that may seem completely irrelevant but really examine one of the seven different areas.  Once you understand what the interviewer is looking for, you'll be able to provide an answer that summarizes your experiences and demonstrates that you're the right person for the job.

Want more information about interviewing? Interested in doing a mock interview? Contact IPFW Career Services at (260) 481-0689 or come to Kettler Hall Room 109 to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.  Drop-in availability: Monday-Friday 10am-2pm.   

8 Career Change Helpful Thoughts

adapted from 

http://www.careerealism.com/risk-what-the-romans-can-teach-you-about-career-change/

1. Is it Purposeful--are you moving up in your field or changing to something you are more passionate about?
2. Value your Values--you already know what they are, they help you in your decisions everyday for what you eat and say, but what are they telling you about your career? Is it about a bigger salary? More time off? More team building instead of independent working?
3. Inner Truth--be honest with yourself and accept who you are and what you want
4. External Factors--be perceptive of how your decisions are influenced; what are your family and friends pressing you to do based off their own needs/values?
5. Serendipity--what's lining up and making the most sense as doors open and connections are made?
6. Balance--reflection and action should be balanced so you understand the decisions you are making and the extent of their chain reactions
7. Rehearse--practice your "exit" from your current job; you don't want to burn bridges, you never know when you might need their help one day
8. Knowledge--research the career fields you are thinking about changing to 

Interested in a Fall Internship?

If you're interested in a fall internship, now is the time to start applying! Internships offer a variety of benefits to students as they seek to further professionally develop themselves in preparation for their future career.

Benefits of an internship include...

• Acquiring practical and relevant work experience- the majority of employers prefer to hire candidates with relevant work experience
• Identifying and/ or assessing interests, skills, and desired career paths 
• Learning day-to-day business functions
• Increasing marketability and value to employers

The Career Services Office is no implementing the Train-A-Don Internship Program, a program designed to help IPFW students prepare for internship application and assisnt in the internship search process.


How to apply to the Train-A-Don Internship Program...

• Create a resume and a cover letter
• Please refer back to the Career Guide or schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor to assist you with your resume
•  Apply for the Train-A-Don program by signing in to your JobZone account and applying to the "Train-A-Don Internship Program" job post
• You will need to submit a resume and cover letter (specific instructions for how to create your cover letter can be found on the job posting)
•  Once you have applied, a Career Services staff member will reach out to you to discuss the next step 

Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs

Interested in pursuing a career field that is fast growing and high paying?  The Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs are occupations that are projected to grow in number and salary by 2020.  Data to create the top 50 list is gathered from Hoosier Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), produced by Indiana's Department of Workforce Development.

Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs are also split into 16 different Career Clusters. Each cluster highlights the specific skills needed for success in a particular industry. Below are the 16 different clusters:

• Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology, & Communications
• Business, Management, & Administration
• Education & Training
• Finance
• Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security
• Manufacturing
• Marketing, Sales, & Service
• Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM)
• Transporation, Distribution, & Logistics

Finally, when checking out the Hoosier Hot 50 list, keep an eye out for the yellow flame.  This symbol indicates that the job in in demand right now. 

What Not to Wear-Career Fair Edition

The grad interns in our office had some thoughts about what we saw at the job fair...and therefore what NOT to wear!

In summary, the 2013 NICE Spring Job Fair had a 

Grand Total of 726 students & alumni and 118 Employers!! 

A lot of people to make excellent first impressions!

Tip #1: If at all possible, try to attend without your children. This can be distracting and possibly  create a bias against you from the employer [Will they be able to attend work every day on time and make necessary arrangements for their children if they cannot attend the job fair without them?]

 Tip #2: Do NOT wear jeans to a Career Fair, this event is professional business attire only. How are you setting yourself apart?








Tip #3: Wear clothing that allows for no distraction. The employer wants to concentrate on you as a person and your conversation with them, not your "loud" outfit you recently bought.

 Tip #4: Leave your pajamas at home for sleeping, not for obtaining a professional position and making that first impression [You want them to see you are a go-getter, ready for work, and willing to take the time to get ready...right?!]





Tip #5: Printed jeans/leggings/jeggings....again, this outfit almost sends the professional vibe until the pants. The employer wants to meet you as a future employee and professional, not your style preference.

Tip #6: Rain boots? The job fair is pretty dry, no chance of rain in the forecast. Again, this tells the employer you did not take the time to get ready. What else does that say about you?