Job Fair Prep Sessions

With the NICE Job Fair right around the corner (April 11^th), it’s time to start preparing! The Career Services Office is offering job fair prep sessions two days before the Fair to help prepare students for the fair. 

Prep sessions are April 9^th & 10^th in Kettler Hall 109 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. At the prep sessions you may: 

•          Perfect your resume by getting a free critique
  
•          Receives tips regarding employer interaction
  
•         Learn about professional dress 
  
•         Practice your elevator pitch

Mock Interviews: Practice Makes Perfect!

Soon-to-be grad? Ready to obtain a full-time postion but anxious about the interviewing process? Why not schedule an appointment for a mock interview with a Career Services staff member?

What is a mock interview?


One of three interviewing rooms available
 through IPFW Career Services

A mock interview is a practice interview and a good place to make mistakes and learn interviewing strategies. A Career Services staff member will try to make the mock interview as realistic as possible by role playing the employer and asking typical interview questions. Mock interviews can be taped so that you can see and hear yourself being interviewed. After going through the typical interview questions, the staff member will review your answers with you and give you feedback and suggestions on how to ace your next interview!

Why do a mock interview?

• Practice makes perfect! A mock interview gives you the practice you need.
• Increase your odds of getting the job.
• Gain confidence, and more importantly, the knowledge and interview skills you need to sail throught the interviewing process.
• Idenitfy two or three of your top selling points and determine how to illustrate them in an interview.
• Practice your interviewing skills in a safe place and gain valuable feedback.

Ready to schedule a mock interview? Call IPFW Career Services today!

Largest Career Fair in NE Indiana!

April11th, 2013 12:30-4:30pm

@ IPFW International Ballroom

List of 80+ employers listed at

http://users.manchester.edu/facstaff/ejbushnell/nice/

Brought to you by...

 

 

 

Internship? I can do that later...

Now is the time to start polishing your resume for a summer internship.  Employers are expecting all graduates to not only have the degree, but experience to go along with it!  Internships are no longer optional in an employers eyes, but REQUIRED!!

When to Start
As you start thinking about signing up for classes look to see if there is an internship course listed for your major.  You can arrange your own internship and also get academic credit for the experience.  This is especially helpful if you have some free electives available.

Even if you don't want to do it for academic credit, you should still consider setting up an internship about 2-3 months prior to your expected start date. This means start looking in March for a Summer internship!!

How to get Started
Your professors may have some leads, but definitely check with your campus Career Services office and/or Co-op department on campus.  IPFW's Career Services is located in KT 109 and can be found online at www.ipfw.edu/career.

Career Services may have a program to help you locate an internship, like our program called the Train-A-Don Internship Program.  Usually a safe bet would be to contact your Career Services office and request a resume critique, then use that time to also tell your career counselor about your intentions for an internship.

Other Options
If you have connections at a company and want to create your own internship, that's great!! GO FOR IT!  I do recommend reporting that internship to your Career Services office for 2 reasons:

1. Support if something should go wrong
2. Validating the experience and having it approved by your university

Alternatives to Internships
If you are a student athlete or just don't have time to do an internship because of working full time, consider these options to still get experience related to your career goals:

• Maybe turn your part-time job into an internship. Talk to your current work supervisor and see if you can get more experience in an area of interest.
• Volunteer - this is most appropriate for non-profit work and is great because of the flexibility of time with each organization
• Externship/Job Shadow - take 2-3 days and request a job shadow.  Your Career Services office can help you make connections.
• Student Organization involvement - get involved with committees and leadership roles
• Use spring break to do volunteering, service trips, or something other than partying.  You don't have classes to worry about so take this free time and use the most of it!

Cover Letters

Cover Letters are perhaps one of the most important documents your future employer might see! Along with resumes, cover letters shape an employer’s first impression on who the candidate is and what qualifications they have.  Below are some tips to keep in mind while writing your cover letter.

Be specific

Make sure you address the cover letter to the specific person within the company who will be reviewing your cover letter. Do research online and if necessary feel free to call the employer and ask for the appropriate individuals name and job title.

Sum up your qualifications
In the middle couple paragraphs, discuss your qualifications but make sure not to be too wordy. It is important that the employer know several of the key reasons why you are qualified and several specific examples to prove your qualifications but also realize that an employer reviews a cover letter for an average of 8 seconds. Because of this the key qualifications must be discussed succinctly!

Follow the formatting

Be sure to follow a strict business letter format when writing your cover letter! Examples of this formatting, other cover letter rules, and sample cover letters can be found on pages 33-41 HERE.

Summer Internships

Summer Internships 

Though it’s hard to believe, it’s already time to begin planning for summer internships! Summer internships are a great way to gain relevant, on the job experience, and learn about your respective field all while taking a break from the heavy course loads of the spring and fall semesters! While considering an internship, you should consider several key questions!

Would you like to receive academic credit for this internship?

Can you afford to not be compensated for the internship?

How many hours can you dedicate to an internship?

What are your goals for the internship?

Which companies are you considering interning at? 

Having trouble with knowing where to start?

The IPFW Career Services Office offers assistance in the internship search process! The Train-A-Don Internship program is designed to assist you in the internship search process! Along the way, we will also help you prepare your resume and cover letter in preparation for helping you find an internship! If you have more specific questions about internships or would like more information regarding the Train-A-Don Internship program, please call the Career Services Office at 260-481-0689, or stop by the office in Kettler Hall, room 109.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Looking for a Job, Internship 

or Co-op?

Register at www.Indiana.CareerEco.net

Eliminate the hassle...Attend the fair from anywhere.

Save Valuable Time & Meet Recruiters Live Online.

Students and alumni interact via live chat sessions and meet employers seeking qualified candidates from Indiana schools.

What others have been saying:

"I wish being in contact with recruiters was always this easy"

"It really takes some of the fear out of graduating"

"It's a great opportunity to interface with employers, but doesn't require complicated logistics"

"Convenient, simple, fast...Good choice!"