Tuesday, September 26, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Graduates offer job-hunting tips
Career placement services offered in most schools
By Denene Brox
By Denene Brox Kansan correspondent
Students nearing the end of their college careers know that the search for a full-time job can be a job in itself.
They can do many things early in their college careers to improve the chances of finding employment before graduation. With career placement centers and advisers on campus, students can access career information easily.
But sometimes the best sources for job-search advice are those who just completed the hunt.
"I started looking for jobs the first day of senior year," said financial analyst Brandon LaBarge, a 1999 KU graduate in business administration. "I signed up with the Business Career Placement Center in Summerfield Hall, signed up for interviews and proceeded to
interview and post resumes to dozens of companies."
The career placement centers on campus give resume and cover letter advice, interviewing tips and internship opportunities. The KU Career Counseling and Planning Service gives students career assessments and a Strong Interest Inventory. Help is also available in choosing a college major.
Internships can be invaluable for gaining experience and knowledge.
"Find applicable jobs relating to what you are interested during your summers, and then find an internship with a company before your senior year," LaBarge said. "The experience you gain will either let you know that you should switch majors or give you valuable contacts that will help you in finding a job."
Tauni Brooks, Quinter senior in business administration with an emphasis in advertising, said she was scared about finding a job after graduating in December.
"I'm scared about the big lifestyle change I'm facing," Brooks said. "Not necessarily the 9 to 5, but the real world. In three
RESOURCES
www.ukans.edu/~uces/
www.internships.com
www.careers.com
www.monster.com
www.review.com
www.jobdirect.com
www.vault.com
www.jbldirect.com
KU Career Counseling and
KU Career Counseling and Planning Service, second floor of Watkins Health Center: (785) 864 2767
Business Career Services Center
Business Career Services Center
125 Summerfield Hall: (785) 864-
5591
Students should check within their
Students should check within their individual schools for career service information
months, there's no going to class for three or four hours a day and that's all."
Brooks said she started thinking about finding a job on the first day of classes. She has used the Internet to search for opportunities. She posted her resume on www.jobdirect.com to find internships and has received one call so far.
Brooks said she also recently visited the journalism school's career center and has more confidence in finding a job because of the help she received. She said the center was willing to help with the whole job search process.
LaBarge said that on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the hardest, securing a position in his field of study rated a seven.
"Many of the jobs were very competitive," LaBarge said. "At the time, a major company in the area enacted a hiring freeze policy. Thus, there were more people searching for fewer jobs."
Above all, LaBarge advised students not to be in a hurry to finish college. He said his years at KU were valuable, and he wouldn't change a thing.
One job-hunting tip LaBarge offered was to follow up on all leads. He said he landed his favorite summer job because he went back to the company five times to check for openings.
"I later found out by my boss that they were so tired of me showing up and asking the difficult questions that they gave me the job." he said. "The squeaky wheel always gets the oil."
Internships provide trial run of future
By Andrea White
Kansan correspondent
Real world experience, job hunting skills, resume enhancement and a little extra money in your pocket are all benefits to working an internship, said Donna Naab, assistant director for University Career and Employment Services.
Naab said that skills learned through an internship often could be very useful after a student graduates. An internship also could help students further their education by allowing them to try out a job in their potential career.
"They help you hone in on what your actual career interest may be." Naab said.
Companies look for the same qualities in an intern that they would an employee, such as communication skills, motivation and academic achievement, Naab said.
The employment market is very good right now, and employers are willing to employ students who have interest in their area and are likely to be good workers, Naab said.
Types of internships vary, from paid and unpaid jobs to volunteer opportunities. Students can also use internships to earn credit hours toward their degree.
"Go to your undergraduate adviser, tell them you would be interested in doing an internship for credit and ask them what are the possibilities." Naab said.
One misconception that students often have is that they must wait until they are juniors or seniors before they can get an internship.
"You can start doing internships immediately." Naab said. "I would recommend a student who is finishing their freshmen year who might have an idea of what they think they want to do, to do an internship in an organization where they might be getting experience in that field."
For students unsure about how to find this type of work, the
"We also can help students to develop learning objectives that are very useful when they go to an organization."
Donna Naab
assistant director of University Career
and Employment Services
UCES posts listings of internships on its Web site at www.ukans.edu/~uces. The office also maintains files of different opportunities for student use.
"We help identify the process for seeking out internships," Naab said. "We also can help students to develop learning objectives that are very useful when they go to an organization."
Students also can hunt for opportunities on Web sites such as jobweb.org and Internship-
Naab suggests starting to look early in the spring semester for a summer internship. UCES has a career and employment fair in early February where many potential employers hire interns.
Programs.com.
Jeff White, Topeka senior, worked for a booking agent last summer. He said he learned not only about the profession, but how to work with people.
"I learned the more work you do informally the more work you get done, if you get to know people on a first-name basis." White said.
White said he had used the resources available at UCES when he was looking for an internship.
"They had a lot more than I thought they did," he said. "Anybody who doesn't use the University and Career Employment Services resources are out of their mind, not only for internships but also for careers later. There are just so many things people don't know about."
Good resumes help students land perfect job
Kansan correspondent
Bv Patrick Cadv
Many dream of finding the perfect job. Whether searching for a creative job or one that rakes in a lot of money, the first step is creating an attractive resume.
"The resume is a snapshot of who you are and what you offer to an employer," said Gall S. Rooney, director of the University Career and Employment Center Services. "You want that snapshot to be so good they want to interview you."
Usually the first communication with an employer, the resume summarizes past work experience, education and accomplishments.
Edited by Erin McDaniel
To Devon Villalpando,
Minneapolis, Kan., senior, the
resume represents her past
and future.
"The resume was a list of my proudest achievements," Villalbando said.
Quality resumes often target a certain employer or job, Rooney said.
"You build your resume to match the employer," Rooney said. "It may be appropriate to have a creative resume for an advertising firm or a design studio, but a wacky resume might not be appropriate to a bank."
Other pitfalls sometimes get in the way of those writing their first resume or whom are new to the job market.
"Employers tell us that the worst mistake is to have typing errors or grammar mistakes present on the resume." Rooney said.
The University Career and Employment Center Services is located on the first floor of the Burge Union, offers seminars, free literature and job placement services. It helps students create resumes and use online resources.
Web sites such as Monster.com have been making waves by giving job seekers an opportunity to post
RESUME TIPS
- Write clearly and concisely
- Use active verbs
Be reflective of your personality
Include an e-mail address
If you don't have much
- Keep it about one page long
Edit carefully for spelling or grammar errors
Keep it about one page long
Have three people proof-read your resume
If you don't have much work experience, emphasize classes, volunteer work and leadership roles
Source: University Career and Employment Services
their resumes online, where employers have direct access to them.
Rooney she was doubtful, however, about the impact of these sites.
"The research I've seen recently shows that employers are hiring only 10 percent to 15 percent of their employees from job boards and find the rest from campus interviews and employee referrals." Rooney said.
A good resume can benefit job seekers with all levels of work experience and employment goals.
"Even on some of the applications for part-time jobs, if you attach a resume I've found that it looks like you have gone beyond the call of duty." Villalpando said.
Even to those without much work experience, having a resume can prove advantageous.
"I found that it was important to include past experience and volunteer activities," said James Breckenridge, Coffeyville sophomore.
To find the perfect job to suit you, Rooney offers this suggestion:
"Look for a job that is a reflection of yourself and the best place to meet your needs."
Edited by Erin Adamson
Wherever you work at Citi Cards, you'll meet smart, hard-working, individuals. And when we look for talent to join our associate Programs, for bright, capable people who possess self-confidence, tenacity, and the ability to think and plan, we want people with the skills and certifications needed for MBA's, Graduates, and Undergrads, combining on-the-job experience with training modules and other learning tools to prepare you for future leadership positions within Citi Cards.
The Citibank Cards Management Associate Program consists of one six-month and two nine-month rotational assignments within the Cards business. This program allows you to gain valuable experience through:
- Ongoing coaching and mentoring with senior management and an accelerated training curriculum
- accelerated training curriculum
* Rotation assignments with project and people management
- Bootstrap assignments with project and people management utilities.
responsibilities
• the broadest possible experience across functions and exposure to
As a Citi Cards Operations Associate, you'll work directly on high-impact projects and have the opportunity to:
different senior managers and operating styles
a complete individual Planning, Training, Involved to your career
development
- High-intensity classroom training and self-instruction
- Training which will equip you with the knowledge to build core skills, understand the Citi Cards business, and apply learnings to key business
- diment senior magistrates and operating styles
* A complete individual Planning Toolkit linked to your career
- Evaluate a new operating system
• Review and revise internal procedures impacting thousands of employees' salaries
• Participate on a new acquisition taskforce
• Manage a team of 20 customer service professionals
• Evaluate internal training procedures
• Look for revenue-generating opportunities through operations efficiencies
- Graduates and Undergraduates are encouraged to apply. Degrees in Operations Management, Production Management, or Operations Research are preferred. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and interpersonal skills, excellent communication and relationship building abilities, and strong analytical and critical thinking skills. You must be flexible and adaptable to changing business directions, possess强 project management skills, and have the desire and ability to manage others. EOE M/F/DV
- Evaluate a new operating system
- High-intensity classroom training and self-instruction
Excellent facility and after each national assignment
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