Part-time Job Fair Today

LinkedIn Guide for Interns

For those of you who have had summer internships and are looking for ways to maximize the connections that you have built over the summer, Lindsey Pollack, who is an official Ambassador for LinkedIn, has put together “The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Interns,” available on LinkedIn.   Whether you are finishing up a summer internship or are thinking about preparing for a future internship, the information is invaluable.  And if you are looking for a full time professional job after graduation, check out the tips for following companies and making connections using LinkedIn!  

Time to Update Your Resume

As the summer nears an end, your thoughts wander to preparing for the Fall semester.  One thing that students should be doing at the end of each semester is a resume update.  Having a current resume is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you are always ready for any opportunity that may come along.  Here are a few tips to a timely resume:

glassdoor.com

1.  Have a master resume- This document can be multiple pages long and a record of everything you have accomplished.  Use the relevant parts of your master resume to create targeted resumes for jobs and internships.

2.  Update right away- Joining a new group?  Just completed a great summer internship?  Don't wait to add these skills and accomplishments to your resume.  It only takes a few minutes to jot down your most recent accomplishments, while they are fresh in your mind.

3.  Complete a semester end review- Set aside 15 minutes at the end of each semester to give your resume the once over.  Make sure that everything is up to date and accurate.  Trade with a friend for a quick proofreading session.  Of course, you can always bring your resume to Career Services walk-in hours for a review as well.

4.  Think of your resume as a living document- Your resume is never done!  Even after you land your dream job, an up to date resume is a must.  

Spending just a few minutes each semester can ensure your resume is always employer ready!

Virtual Internship Opportunities with the U.S. Department of State – Deadline is July 20th!

The U.S. Department of State has over 275 virtual intern projects available for the upcoming academic year (September 2013 through April 2014). These “eInternships” are a great way to gain experience in a variety of fields without having to relocate for the duration of the internship!  According to the Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) program, eIntern duties and responsibilities will vary depending on the needs of the federal agency office or U.S. diplomatic post overseas and the types of VSFS projects identified. VSFS projects may involve research, contributing to reports on issues such as human rights, economics, or the environment. Projects may also be more technology oriented such as working on web pages or helping produce electronic journals. Students are expected to dedicate an average of 10 hours per week on VSFS eInternship projects.

The application deadline is July 20, 2013. A resume, unofficial or official transcript or proof of enrollment, and statement of interest will be required as part of the application package. To learn more, visit: http://www.state.gov/vsfs/

Virtual Internships

In the era of social media, Skype, and GoToMeeting, many professionals are able to accomplish multiple tasks without ever leaving the comfort of their homes or offices.  Improving technology has made working remotely and the virtual office a trend of resource conservation and convenience.  But do these benefits extend beyond the skilled worker to a student?  Can a virtual internship develop the skills and provide the same quality of experience as a traditional internship?

According to NACE’s 2012 Internship & Co-op Survey, 8.6 percent of employers anticipate hiring virtual interns in 2012.  It is understandable why the virtual internship is appealing.  It allows an employer to tap into a much larger candidate pool.  Internship recruiting is no longer limited by geographic location, but instead students from literally anywhere could complete an internship without leaving their residence hall room.  The need for office space and time spent directly supervising an intern would also diminish.  The virtual internship can also benefit the intern by allowing projects to be completed when it is convenient, thus eliminating class schedule conflicts.  In addition, most students are quite comfortable utilizing the technology needed to communication at a distance, so this experience taps into their established skill set.

Our current policy does not allow remote or virtual internships to be completed for academic credit.  While there are obvious benefits to both the employer and the intern, we feel that a virtual internship can make it difficult for a student to build those much needed professional and interpersonal communication skills which are core competencies of our internship curriculum.  And perhaps some employers agree, as the number of virtual internships is down 3.9 percent from 2011.

What do you think?  Are virtual internships the wave of the future, or just a passing fad?

Originally published on LinkedIn.

Summer is Halfway Over!

For those of you who are returning to UT in the fall, this week marks just about the halfway point of the summer.  As you look at what remains of your summer break, think back to elementary school and that essay you had to write about “what I did on my summer vacation.”  What have you done career-wise this summer?  

Hopefully you've had a summer job or internship; if not, it’s not too late to land a job or take the opportunity to volunteer.  It will fill up some space on your resume and, better yet, give you some related experience or at least some transferable skills. Have you taken the opportunity to do an informational interview with someone whose job looks like something you would like to do? Most people love to talk about themselves and their jobs, so take a chance and ask some questions!  If you’re wondering what to ask, we have some informational interview questions on our website to get you started. 

Enjoy the rest of the summer and we look forward to hearing all about what you did, career-wise, on your summer vacation.

Exploring Careers

I have spent some time this summer checking out some great resources for career exploration.  One of my favorite sites is O*NET OnLine.  This government website has so much useful information.  If you want to explore a career you have always dreamed about, click on the tab for My Next Move.  On this site you can search careers, browse careers by industry and take the O*Net Interest Profiler.  This tool can help you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work.  Once you complete the questions and get your results, you can then click on any of the six interests (RIASEC) to see what type of careers might be rewarding to you.  You then select what type of training you would need (Bachelor’s degree or higher) and then see the “best fit” jobs for your interests and preparation level.  For example, if “social” was your top interest and you clicked on the “considerable preparation” job zone, your best fit careers might be a library technician or an elementary school teacher.  Depending on the type of answers you give, you might get different results. 

This is just one of many websites that we have listed on our Career & Major Exploration page.   Spend some time thinking about your career path – and then develop a plan to get there.

Have a great summer!