What Risks are YOU Taking for Your Career?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Eleanor Roosevelt, who stated “do one thing every day that scares you.” We receive a lot of messages, whether they be internal or external, that tell us there’s something to be afraid of. We might make a mistake. We might say the wrong thing. We might be too young, too old… we don’t have enough experience. Whatever the situation may be, we could always find a reason why it would be safer to stay within our comfort zone. However, without courage there is less potential for reward.

Sure, job fairs are scary. Networking events can be awkward and uncomfortable. Being scrutinized by a group of people during an interview?! Forget about it! Yet all of these situations will be necessary for career advancement at some point in our career trajectory. Now is as good of time as any to start getting in the habit of taking these types of risks.

With graduation approaching, there are a lot of ways in which students can put themselves out there in order to get noticed in their desired industry.

The Elevator Speech Competition starts on Friday, March 20^th. This is a great opportunity to practice your elevator speech if this is something that still seems scary to you. The competition also provides the opportunity for finalists to practice their pitch in front of employers: this is a really great way to make connections and create a lasting first impression. There is also potential to win some cash, if the argument to participate wasn’t convincing enough already.

Within our upcoming “Life After UT” series, there are plenty of additional opportunities to learn about how to stand out when you’re ready to challenge yourself to get in front of employers. On Tuesday, April 7^th we have a “Personal Branding and Innovative Job Search” workshop and the week after that we have an “Interviewing Success!” workshop on April 14^th. Consider attending both of these informative presentations if you haven’t already signed up.

Finally, we have an alumni panel and networking event on April 21^st. This is yet another great opportunity to practice your elevator speech and networking skills and increase your comfort level in marketing yourself as a professional.

You can register for any of these events through your HIRE-UT profile: https://spartanweb.ut.edu/ICS/Campus_Life/Career_Services/Hire_UT.jnz

Graduation is quickly approaching: what are you most afraid? What risks can you take in order to propel your life as a professional?

 

Melena Postolowski, MA, NCC

Assistant Director of Internship Programs

Office of Career Services, The University of Tampa

How well-prepared are you to introduce yourself to a potential employer or customer?  Can you introduce yourself and/or your product in a 30 to 60 second speech?  If so, we have a chance for you to show off your networking skills and maybe even win a prize!  And, if not, we have the chance for you to learn how to introduce yourself and maybe win that prize! 

On February 28^th we will have the first round of our fourth annual Elevator Speech Competition, co-sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity.  Enterprise Holdings will provide judges for both rounds and the prize for the winner.  It’s a perfect way to practice your introduction to employers for career fairs, job interviews, or just a casual meeting on an airplane or at a networking event. 

Called an elevator speech because it should be given in the time it takes for an elevator to go from the top floor to the bottom—by the time you reach the bottom, the person to whom you were speaking should want to know a little more about you. Generally speaking, your pitch should last between 30 and 60 seconds and highlight the skills, experience and education you bring to the job at hand. Short, simple, to the point:  who you are, what you’re majoring in, what you’ve accomplished in terms of education and experience, and what sort of position you are now looking for. 

Join us for a workshop on Wednesday, February 12^th from 5-5:45 p.m. in Riverside 102 and for the first round of the competition on February 28^th.  If you survive that round, it’s on to the finals – and a prize!  Sign up on HIRE-UT to reserve your spot:  https://ut.experience.com/er/cso/opportunities/job_profile.jsp?job_hnd

=31737810&affiliation_hnd=328

Career Fair Feedback

Feedback, or “constructive criticism” as it is sometimes called, is always a good way to check in and make sure what you’re doing works and to see how it can be improved.  I thought this would be a good time to share some employer feedback from the Professional Job Fair last week.  It seems that the requirement for professional business attire was definitely a step in the right direction; many employers commented on the improvement over past fairs, and we’ll continue to require it in the future.  Employers said that many students were well-prepared, especially in the area of research on employers.  In general students were able to articulate their interests well, and some of the “elevator speeches” were very good.  Students were engaging and proactive, and resumes were “strong” for the most part. 

Now for the “constructive” part—watch for workshops, blogs, and handouts from Career Services as we try to address these concerns. We still need to reach more students with preparation suggestions and focusing on a few key employers based on interests, rather than just “walking the floor.”  While some students were quite outgoing, some were very hesitant and had to be drawn into conversation by the employer; elevator speeches and quick introductions needed polish for the majority of students.  (See “elevator speeches” above!)

All in all employers were pleased with our students and compared us very favorably to our bigger neighbor to the north.  Keep up the good work, and practice those quick elevator speeches to introduce yourselves! A great place to do that is at our Speed Networking event on November 13^th at 5:30 p.m. in the Crescent Club in the Vaughn Center! 

Preparing for a Career Fair

The spring 2013 CCFCC Career Expo is just around the corner! Make plans to attend the career fair on April 4, 2013 from 11:00am to 3:00pm in Fletcher Lounge. This is a great chance to learn more about available opportunities with over 55 companies!

Below are a few tips to help you prepare:

·         Update your resume. The Office of Career Services offers resume reviews during walk-in hours and via appointments.

·         Prepare your “elevator speech” so you can effectively communicate your strengths, goals, and how you stand out from other candidates! Click here for more information on how to create your “elevator speech."

·         Research the companies who have registered for the CCFCC Career Expo. This information can be found here. Many of the companies have listed the majors they are recruiting as well as the types of positions they have available.

·         Create a list of questions to ask the representatives from the companies you plan on visiting during the Career Expo. For more guidance on the types of questions to ask, visit “Tips for Success.” 

·         Dress professionally! First impressions matter – dress code for a Career Fair is the same as what you wear to an interview - a business suit. For more details on professional dress and samples of what to wear (examples for both men and women), see here.

If you have any questions on how to best prepare for the CCFCC Career Expo, visit the Office of Career Services in Riverside, Room 116.

Best of luck!

Elevator Speech Competition

I hear this old circus come-on in my ears, “Come one, come all to the Greatest Show on Earth!”  I don’t think it will be the greatest show on earth, but it’s a great chance for you to show off your networking skills and maybe even win a prize!  

On March 1^st we will have the first round of our third annual Elevator Speech Competition, co-sponsored by the UT Entrepreneurs.  Enterprise Holdings will provide judges for both rounds and the prize for the winner.  It’s a perfect way to practice your introduction to employers for career fairs, job interviews, or just a casual meeting on an airplane or at a networking event. 

Called an elevator speech because it should be given in the time it takes for an elevator to go from the top floor to the bottom—by the time you reach the bottom, the person to whom you were speaking should want to know a little more about you. Generally speaking, your pitch should last between 30 and 60 seconds and highlight the skills, experience and education you bring to the job at hand. 

Short, simple, to the point:  who you are, what you’re majoring in, what you've accomplished in terms of education and experience, and what sort of position you are now looking for.  

Join us for a workshop on Wednesday, February 20^th from 5-5:45 p.m. in Riverside 102 and for the first round of the competition on March 1^st. If you survive that round, it’s on to the finals – and a prize!  Sign up on HIRE UT to reserve your spot!

Job Fair Follow-up

Our fall semester Professional Job Fair was last week, and the question that many students are probably asking themselves is, “Now what?!”  If you’re a few semesters away from graduation and you attended the fair just to get a sense of what to expect, now is the time to prepare for next semester’s Internship Fair and/or Career Expo.  If you are graduating this year, you should doing your company research and preparing for interviews.  Whichever situation is yours, get your professional wardrobe ready—See last week’s blog for tips for success!  The number one complaint we heard from employers after the job fair was that many students weren't professionally dressed.  You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it’s a good one!

Get your “elevator speech” ready for introductions either at a career fair or during the interview where the most common question you may be asked is, “Tell me about yourself.”  Research the companies that you are interested in, either before attending a career fair or in preparation for applying for a job or internship.  The second most popular question an interviewer will ask you (in some form or another), is “What do you know about my company or organization?”  If you can’t shine here, the interview is going downhill fast.  Our website has a whole section devoted to interviewing under the Job Search Toolbox tab.  There is even a link to Optimal Resume where you can practice your interview skills online, use a webcam to capture your responses, view your performance, and share it with others for a critique.

If you met a few people at the job fair that you would like to follow up with, send them an email thanking them for attending the job fair and reiterating your interest in their company or organization.  Include something personal that might make them remember you, something that you talked about at the fair.  Include another copy of your resume or perhaps a revised copy that is more targeted to a specific job, and ask for either an informational interview to learn more about the company or a formal interview for a potential job. 

Now what?  NOW is the time to follow up!  Good luck!