LinkedIn Tips & Resources!

Is your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and ready for employers to view? Are you confident that your LinkedIn profile effectively showcases your professional brand? Take time to view the Jobseeker Resources, including webinars on Job Search Fundamentals, provided by LinkedIn to ensure your profile is ready!

Attention December Graduates!

Are you going to Graduate School? Working Full-Time? Going into the Armed Forces? Tell UT about your plans!

The Office of Career Services at The University of Tampa collects data to learn about the post-graduate accomplishments and plans of our alumni. We want to hear from you!

By completing this survey, The University of Tampa will be able to provide you with access to alumni salary and employment trend data for 2013 that may be helpful in your future career search needs. Additionally, the answers you provide help us collect valuable data to report back to various accreditation and news agencies (such as US News and World Report and other college rankings). These reports help promote the value of your degree!

Recent recognition includes:
• The University of Tampa being ranked one of America's Best Colleges by Forbes (2013);
• UT will be featured in The Princeton Review's "Best Colleges" guidebook (2013);
• The Sykes College of Business's rank as one of the top 300 in the world by The Princeton Review (2013); and
• The National Council of State Boards of Nursing naming UT's Nursing Program number 1 in the country (2010)!

Please note: All information you provide will remain confidential and will not be used to solicit donations. Responses will only be used in combination with others, in an aggregated form, without any specific identifying information, in order to report post-graduate statistics as a Class of 2013.

Thank you very much for your participation!

LinkedIn Profile Tips!

Is your LinkedIn profile reflective of your personal brand? Watch this video to learn the top five profile “to-do’s” from LinkedIn.

Lessons in Leadership

Career Services Resource Spotlight: Practice Your Interviewing Skills

Are your interview skills well developed?  Do you have experience interviewing? Are you confident during interviews?  If you answered “no” to any of these questions, the Office of Career Services encourages you to practice your interviewing skills using our online mock interviewing resource – Optimal Job Search’s Interview Module!

Interview Prep helps prepare you for even the toughest of interviews with real life, multi-media interview scenarios that were developed by seasoned employment professionals. This resource allows you to video tape a mock interview while receiving advice from an interview coach for those hard to answer questions. Once you have recorded the final version of your mock interview, make an appointment with the Office of Career Services to have your mock interview critiqued. Appointments can be requested online. 

To begin, all you need is access to a computer with a Webcam and microphone. If you do not have access to a webcam, contact the Office of Career Services to reserve one of our computers (advance reservation is required). Additionally, the Office of Career Services has a limited number of webcams available for check-out for a 24-hour period.

The online Optimal Job Search resource is available for UT students and alumni and can be found under the Job Search Toolbox.  A video tutorial on how to effectively use the Optimal Interview Module is available here.

Follow these steps to get started:

Select the Create New Interview option (or choose from an existing interview type), name it, and then select Start Interview. Once you have started a new interview with a name of your choosing, select an interview type from the list of options. If you select custom interview, you will build your own interview by selecting the types of interview questions you will be asked.

Under format, select the video option. You are now ready to begin the mock interview. You will notice that there is an Interviewer, as well as, a Coach. It is important that you listen to the built-in coaching advice to learn how to best answer the interview questions.

Once you have the finalized interview recorded, you can request an appointment with Career Services. Once you receive confirmation of your appointment with Career Services, send the link to your interview by using the share feature.

I hope you find this online resource helpful!

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/

LinkedIn Webinars

Are you new to LinkedIn? Are you fully utilizing LinkedIn in your job or internship search? Find out more about the newest features and strategies for taking advantage of all that LinkedIn has to offer by participating in FREE webinars!

These FREE LinkedIn Learning Webinars can be found within the LinkedIn Help Center (located under the “More” section of the navigation buttons at the top of your LinkedIn page).  Just type in “Learning Webinars” in the search feature of the Help Center.

Select the webinar that best suits your needs!

If you are new to LinkedIn, I recommend starting with the webinar “LinkedIn 101: The Basics of LinkedIn”. If you are currently in a job or internship search and want to ensure that you are leveraging all of the LinkedIn features participate in “Job Seekers: Tips for Using Your LinkedIn Account to Help You Land Your Next Great Opportunity”.

Class of 2013

Congratulations on being a member of the graduating Class of 2013! Are you going to Graduate School? Working Full-Time? Going into the Armed Forces? Tell UT about your plans!

The Office of Career Services at The University of Tampa collects data to learn about the post-graduate accomplishments and plans of our alumni. By completing this survey, The University of Tampa will be able to provide you with access to alumni salary and employment trend data for 2013 that may be helpful in your future career search needs. Additionally, the answers you provide help us collect valuable data to report back to various accreditation and news agencies (such as US News and World Report and other college rankings). These reports help promote the value of your degree!

Recent recognition includes:

• The University of Tampa being ranked one of America's Best Colleges by Forbes (2012);

• UT will be featured in The Princeton Review's "Best Colleges" guidebook (2013);

• The Sykes College of Business's rank as one of the top 300 in the world by The Princeton Review (2013); and

• The National Council of State Boards of Nursing naming UT's Nursing Program number 1 in the country (2010)!

Please take a moment to complete the post-graduation survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Undergrad2013. We appreciate your time – thank you for providing this important information for the Class of 2013!

Please note: All information you provide will remain confidential and will not be used to solicit donations. Responses will only be used in combination with others, in an aggregated form, without any specific identifying information, in order to report post-graduate statistics as a Class of 2013. Information given in this questionnaire will never be associated with your name. We ask for your name only to verify that you are a member of the Class of '13. Please complete all sections as instructed.

Top 10 Qualities Employers Look For

According to The Job Outlook for the College Class of 2013 published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers expect an increase in hiring of new college graduates for 2013! Employers who responded to NACE’s annual survey also indicated that they are looking for certain soft skills/qualifications in new hires. The “top 10” list below summarizes what employers are seeking in candidates:

As you navigate the job search process, make sure to market these qualities to employers when you are networking, interviewing, and attending the Office of Career Services events.

Source: The Job Outlook for the Class of 2013, published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Retrieved from: www.naceweb.org.

Dress for Success: Career Fair Attire

The Professional Job Fair is only a few days away! Appropriate attire is a key ingredient to effectively navigating a career fair – after all, this is often an employer’s first impression of you! To help you prepare, we’ve compiled some tips on how to dress for success.

When attending a career fair, business professional attire is suggested.

Business professional attire for women:

Photo Courtesy of: Nordstrom.com

• Business suit in dark colors such as black, navy, or gray. If wearing a skirt suit be sure that the skirt is knee level or slightly above – no short skirts! Also, be sure to wear a tailored blouse underneath. Avoid low-cut tops.
• Closed-toe leather pumps with low to medium heels.
• Jewelry – generally, a good rule-of-thumb is no more than three pieces of jewelry (e.g., earrings, watch, and ring). Jewelry should be understated and appropriate for the workplace.
• In addition, make sure your make-up and nail polish is neutral and professional. 

Photo Courtesy of: Nordstrom.com

Business professional attire for men:

• Business suit in dark colors such as black, navy, or gray. 
• Long-sleeved starched oxford cloth shirt in white or light blue.
• Conservative necktie in color and pattern.
• Dress shoes – make sure your shoes are polished and well-maintained (i.e., no holes!).
• Over-the-calf dark socks.

Additional tips to remember:

• A friendly smile and eye contact will make you stand out!;
• Bring a briefcase or portfolio (no backpack);
• Well-groomed hairstyle - avoid unusual styles & colors;
• Wear minimal cologne or perfume;
• No visible body piercing or body art;
• Bring breath mints; use one before greeting recruiter. Do not chew gum!  

Career Services Resource Spotlight: American City Business Journals (online)

The University of Tampa offers students online access to The Tampa Bay Business Journal, including the popular “Book of Lists” resource that is published each year.  To access The Tampa Bay Business Journal – or any of the 39 other American City Business Journals titles – simply log on to the UT library databases and select “American City Business Journals” from the database list. Business journals contain a wealth of information related to a particular metropolitan area and provide comprehensive coverage of the latest business news. With numerous metropolitan areas (e.g., Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Phoenix, Sacramento, South Florida, Washington, etc.) to choose from, this online resource is an ideal choice for job-seekers who are targeting their job search in certain locations. 

Once you have selected a business journal, you have the option to view or download the current issue or previous issues. 

Business journals are a great way for job-seekers to:

·         Increase knowledge of certain industries and trends in a particular city;

·         Conduct company research;

·         Find networking opportunities;

·         Identify growing companies that are hiring;

·         Find job openings that may not be advertised on mainstream websites; and

·         Prepare for interviews.

One of the most popular resources is the “Book of Lists” which is published each year. In this special edition, Business Journals highlight their weekly industry and employer lists.

I hope you find this online resource helpful in your job search process!

Building Your Professional Network Using LinkedIn

If you have not yet taken advantage of all the features of LinkedIn, you may be wondering what the benefits are. While there are many benefits to LinkedIn, I want to highlight three distinct features: Contacts, Groups, and Companies.  LinkedIn offers you the ability to manage your online professional profile while connecting with colleagues, classmates, professors, community members, and employers. These Contacts are great resources for learning more about fields of study, industries, or job responsibilities. Many students utilize these connections when they want to conduct information interviews or learn more about certain industries or employers.

In addition to connecting with people, I highly recommend that students join Groups that are relevant to their career path or interests. To find appropriate groups, simply use the search feature to locate national, regional, and local groups of interest. Depending on how a group is structured, you may have to be granted acceptance before you can participate in the group. Be sure to read the description of the group before you select “join group” to ensure the purpose of the group aligns with your needs. Once you are a member of a group, you will have access to discussions, member information, jobs, and more!

The final feature I recommend to students is the Companies area. This is a great way to follow companies of interest. Locating specific companies is similar to finding groups – simply use the search feature in the companies section to see if an employer you are interested in has a LinkedIn page. To connect with a company, select “follow company.” Following companies ensures that you will receive their updates. Of course, one of best benefits to following companies is to learn about career opportunities.

For more tips and strategies on how to network on LinkedIn, click here.

Building Your Profile on LinkedIn

One of the most popular social networking tools for students and professionals is LinkedIn. LinkedIn offers you the ability to manage your online professional profile while connecting with colleagues, classmates, professors, community members, and employers. If you have not yet created a LinkedIn profile, or would like to enhance your existing profile, here are some tips:

1. Ensure your profile headline is informative and professional.
2. Include a professional photo. Ideally photos should be high-quality, close range (think headshot), and free of distractions - including other people or pets! If you do not have a professional headshot, the Office of Career Services will be taking pictures for students’ LinkedIn profiles at the Professional Job Fair (October 17, 2012) and the Etiquette Dinner (November 9, 2012). If you are interested in learning more about the Etiquette Dinner please stop by the Office of Career Services (RIVC 116) for registration information.
3. Highlight your education. Include information about your degree, major or concentration, minor (if applicable), GPA, and honors/awards.
4. Document your experience. Include part-time, full-time, and internship positions. Seek recommendations from employers, colleagues, and supervisors at each position.
5. Customize your public profile URL within the account settings section. Your public profile URL should be professional in nature (e.g., contain elements of your name or initials) so that you can refer others to view your profile online. 

For more tips and strategies on how to build your profile on LinkedIn, click here.