Business Placement Center

Thanksgiving Break!

2009-11-19T08:31:00.003-06:00

At long last... An entire week off! A whole week to just hang around, not worry about school or work, maybe shop a little...

Wait a minute.

The LAST thing you want to do over Thanksgiving is ignore your career goals. Use this time wisely and these kinds of breaks can be effective for you. Many students come to us near the end of the semester saying 'I should have come in here earlier, but I was busy'. Next week is a great opportunity for some self-directed career research.

Here are a few actionable tips to get you started:

Research companies and industries: Take the time to surf the web and learn about careers and professions in different industries you might be interested in. Think about your hobbies - what companies are associated with those activities? It's easier than you think, and EVERY organization has a business component of one kind or another. Maybe you like to watch sports - Lots of opportunities there (don't forget about the league office as well!). Perhaps you hunt - Consider working for a firearms maker or clothing company. Fashion your thing? There are lots of opportunities in the design houses and retail outlets...
Check out Vault and WetFeet: These are two great services that (as a College of Business student) you have access to! Check them out at http://placement.cba.siu.edu/resources.html.
Network, network, network: Let your family, your extended family, your friends, THEIR families know what's going on with you and what you are looking to do. When your Uncle asks how school is going don't just say 'OK, I guess... Pass the turkey', but consider 'It's going well - my main focus now is actually an internship for next summer - Do you know of any companies I should apply to?'
Update your eRecruiting profile: Your profile on eRecruiting gets used when potential employers search for certain parameters, such as GPA, career orientation, skills, etc... Go to http://siucba.experience.com and get this updated next week!
Make plans to visit the Business Placement Center: We're here for you. After break come by Rehn 113 and introduce yourself!

Your Online Arsenal: Vault & WetFeet

2009-10-26T22:11:00.002-05:00

So you’re looking to do some research on potential careers in the industry that you want to go into but everything that comes up on your Google search really isn’t enough, or perhaps you just need some advice on where to start with your job hunt, or how to go about writing that resume you’ve been putting off. Well these are just several of the tools that are offered online through the career help sites Vault & WetFeet, and luckily for business students we give you free access to everything these sites have to offer. Now we know that the hungry college student inside of you dances every time the word “free” is thrown around (which it should), so you should be delighted to know that these online services are worth a lot more than that free t-shirt you got by signing up for a credit card during a baseball game.

Since both of these sites offer similar services you might be wondering what the difference is and which site to use. The main way these sites differ is that WetFeet is intended for College of Business Undergrads, where as Vault is aimed towards College of Business Master’s students. This isn’t to say that an undergraduate student can’t use Vault or that a grad student can’t use WetFeet, however each sites' structure and information they offer relate to students in different ways. With WetFeet the information is presented in a more casual way with a little bit of entertainment thrown in, while Vault takes a more professional approach.

So how do you take advantage of these free services you ask? Well don’t worry, because this won’t be affecting your credit score; all you have to do is go to cobajobs.com and follow the link on the left called “Online Resources”. From there you can navigate towards either WetFeet or Vault to begin your research and your savings.

With WetFeet you will be able to access informational articles written by industry professionals, learn about trends and jobs in leading industries, find out requirements and job outlook information for individual careers, and research employers. You should also make sure to take advantage of WetFeet’s “Insider Guides”, informational books with topics ranging from more general such as writing cover letters or interviewing skills, to more specific such as careers in insurance and risk management. Another great aspect of WetFeet is its job search engine, “indeed”, which scans other job search sites, newspapers, associations, and company career pages to give you a one-stop search. Vault is also great place for research, whether through their 2,500+ company profiles, employer Q & A’s, industry overviews, or occupational profiles. Vault also has their own guide books with topics covering interviewing, careers, industries, and employers.

So in return for all of the money you will save on what would otherwise be expensive guide books, not to mention the priceless information and advice that will prepare you for your future, all that we ask of you is to simply use it! These resources are literally just a few clicks away, so save up that finger strength, take a little break from your Facebook creeping, and check out what they have to offer.

Written by: Jon Robben, Business Placement Center

A Little Help from Your Friendly Neighborhood Career Consultant

2009-10-22T19:56:00.003-05:00

In case you haven’t been told of the career consultation services we offer here at the BPC from any of your professors or friends, and even if you have and wanted to learn more, let us fill in you in on what could be the greatest news you’ve heard since getting that last snow day. As a business student you can receive free sessions with our career specialist, Christian Bryant, whom if you haven’t met is as bright as the California state she comes from. While working on completing her joint MA/PhD in Counseling Psychology, Christian brings her years of counseling and academic advising experience to our offices here to specifically help students in the College of Business.

Now before you get discomforted by the idea of receiving “counseling”, you should know that this will be able to help you with virtually any school related problems you may be having. Christian believes that “Everyone can benefit from career consultation; from CEO’s to young students, everyone can be helped with identifying their direction”. College students especially are at a time in their lives when big decisions are upon them, whether they are dealing with choosing a major, planning a career, finding work, or the stress that comes from this and our consulting services will be able to help you through it.

If you are interested in making an appointment, you simply can give us a call (618-453-2604), email (bryantc@cba.siu.edu), or stop in our offices (Rehn Hall, Room 113) to schedule a time. And if you do make an appointment all you need to bring is yourself and an idea of what you want to get out of it; Christian will work with you to figure out your goals and direction towards finding a solution.

Written by: Jon Robben, Business Placement Center

Taking Advantage of What the College of Business Has to Offer: Workshops/Seminars/Lectures

2009-10-06T10:23:00.001-05:00

Every year, every semester, every month, and nearly every week the college of business hosts workshops, seminars, lectures, or some other event to help students become better professionals. Just this past month of September we hosted events for goal setting and action planning, developing your personal mission statement, and learning how to remove doubt in an interview. In the 'real world' professionals have to pay for this sort of thing, but College of Business students get access to information like this and more for the low, low price of FREE! Besides, we like you and love helping our students develop into well-rounded professionals.

However all we can do is offer these workshops, whether you decide to take advantage of them is entirely up to you. Obviously physically attending events is the most important step, but in order to take full advantage of what is offered you should make sure to mentally attend as well. Make sure to pay attention to the speaker/instructor and try to take as many notes as possible - if allowed (some events require you to move all over the place, making note-taking difficult). Often times you will be shown outside resources such as web sites or offices related to a workshop for you to visit on your own time, a gift that can keep on giving, so make sure you know how to access them. You should also have some sort of idea of what you want to get out of the workshop beforehand, as this will help you to come up with questions to ask; and you should ask questions! One of the greatest benefits of a workshop is getting a direct response from someone with knowledge and expertise on the subject at hand.

While there are times that we'd love to make students attend these events, we're aware that you will get more out of them if you are inspired to attend on your own. So please do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for upcoming events offered both inside and outside your major, because it is all for your benefit. For upcoming events within the college of business you can check out the BPC Calendar for the most up to date schedule.

Written by: Jon Robben, Business Placement Center

The Grad School Grind

2009-10-01T15:18:00.001-05:00

How to Pursue Graduate Schools and Professional Degrees

Why should I consider grad school? This is an important question that students need to ask themselves in order to find out if an advanced degree is the right path to take. Furthering your education can bring about many benefits; for example, on the average, students who graduate with master’s degrees earn more money than those with bachelor’s degrees, and it also allows you to keep your training and skills current, making you more marketable for career advancement. No matter what your motives are when pursuing advanced degrees, it is an important decision that requires a good amount of research and planning.

To help you decide if graduate school is right for you it is necessary for you to have your career goal in mind; then you need to ask yourself if or how earning a graduate degree will help you reach this goal. If you are unsure of the answer to this question, graduate school may not be the right path to take until you can figure it out; it would be a shame for you to invest all that time and money to find out that you wanted to do something else. However if you do know the answer to this question you have a good start towards pursuing your advanced degree.

If you are considering going to graduate school you need to ask a number of questions that will help guide you in your decision making process; mainly when, what, and where.

The first question, “when”, regards whether or not you should continue your education right after earning your bachelor’s degree or if you should work a few years before. Again you need to know your career goal as this will help you to answer this question since both routes have different benefits; some occupations require an advanced degree even for “entry level” positions. If you go straight from your bachelor’s to your graduate program you will still have the good study habits and momentum from being a student. On the other hand, going to work for a few years before going to graduate school allows you to better assess your career goals by working in the field for a few years, which could also be beneficial since some graduate programs require work experience. Having this time in between your studies also gives you time to mature, giving you a broader outlook on your studies.

The second question that you need to ask yourself is, “What is the best graduate degree for me?” The two traditional categories of graduate degrees are master’s and doctoral, however many universities offer numerous hybrid-combined degrees and certificate programs as well. Master’s degree programs can be either professional or academic; the professional degrees are designed more for employment or advancement within a given field where as the academic degrees are designed for intellectual growth. Doctoral degrees can also be either professional or academic, with the professional degrees focusing on application of knowledge and skills and the academic degrees focus on advancing knowledge through original research in a given academic field.

Answering the question of where to go to graduate school is just as important as your decision of going to graduate school. To help you answer this question you will need to develop a list of criteria to use when evaluating programs; this will probably include factors such as your academic focus, the programs reputation, the degrees offered, accreditation, the school’s location, and the costs required or the financial aid that is available. By picking the elements of a program that are most important to you will allow you to compare graduate schools, ultimately guiding your decision to find your best fit.

As you can tell, making the decision of going to grad school requires a good deal of self-assessment (i.e. Asking yourself all of these questions), especially if you want to get into a program that you want. If you are seriously considering attending a graduate school, the sooner you start planning the better your chances of finding the right school will be; an upcoming event for you to mark in your calendars is the graduate school fair on October 14^th which will be a great place for you to start your research. For more information visit the BPC Calendar.

Written by: Jon Robben, Business Placement Center

Taking Advantage of What Your College Has to Offer: Career Fairs

2009-09-24T11:57:00.003-05:00

Right now you are college student working towards a future career; you’re getting the whole educational thing out of the way, but what happens after you’re done with that? It’s never too early (or too late for that matter) to start looking into potential job opportunities & networking with companies is a great place to start. Throughout every school year SIUC hosts a number of career fairs for its students giving you a chance to meet with companies and get that proverbial foot in the door.

This coming Wednesday (September 30^th) is the All-Majors Career Fair which will be in the Student Center Ballrooms. For an updated list of the companies which will be attending follow the link at: http://careerservices.siuc.edu/events/fairschedule_fall09.htm#top. So to help you prepare for the fair, we’ve put together a list of tips which will allow you to make the best impression during your time with each company:

Know what you want to get out of it.

Are you seeking employment? If so, do you want a full-time or part-time position, or perhaps are you more interested in acquiring an internship? Having an objective like this will allow you to go into the fair with a plan of action, it will help you to formulate questions to ask the employer, and you also won’t look clueless like Taylor Swift after Kanye interrupted her at the MTV music video awards (although Beyonce did have one of the greatest videos of all time). Write your objective(‘s) down because this should guide your entire career fair process, so reference it frequently.

Do your homework.

One of the worst things a student can do at a career fair is to ask a company, “So what do you guys do?” That is why it’s important to research the industry so you actually know what to talk about. Things to look for include entry-level opportunities, qualifications or required skill sets, required commitments (i.e. travel, relocation, and average work week), average benefits, or current demand. Make sure you write this information down so you can use it as a benchmark for evaluating prospective companies.

You should research the individual companies as well, looking for things such as their company vision, products and services, their corporate culture, or recent news about them. Again, write this down and remember what you find; this will help you to have better conversations during the career fair.

Don’t forget the résumé.

You want to have a résumé to give to each of the companies that you speak with & you want to makes sure that it’s up to date. One of the many services we offer at the business placement center is offering help with résumé writing or reviews; so don’t be shy.

Prepare your personal statement.

What can you offer their company that the 300 other people in the room cannot? You want to state your goals/ambitions/qualities in one sentence, allowing the recruiter to jot this down and easily recall it later. Try to avoid being generic by citing specific qualities or characteristics with a clear explanation to highlight your attributes.

When to arrive, what to bring, what to wear:

Arrive early; giving yourself enough time to get a feel for the layout of the room so you can establish a route around the room - you want to have a plan! If you are nervous when you arrive, consider hitting a couple of companies that you aren't as interested in to settle into a groove and calm yourself down. Bring at least 20 copies of your résumé (on résumé paper) & a professional portfolio (preferably dark leather) to showcase your work. You want to dress professionally! We think your camouflage shorts look great with those crocs too, but there is a time and a place. You want to go for a crisp, clean look; and try to lean towards a more conservative style.

Somebody’s watching me.

It is important to maintain professionalism at all times. Often the employers might be occupied with another student, so be patient. Do not cut others off in order to speak to someone; you might think you’re getting noticed but it actually comes off as rude. While you’re waiting to speak with a recruiter you can network with other students and get insight about the companies, this will keep you from looking like a lost puppy dog. Again you need to maintain professionalism, when recruiters aren’t meeting with students they usually are scanning the room and watching out for them; so that means you probably shouldn’t be sneaking bites of those left-over tater tots in your pocket that you had from lunch.

Let’s talk.

Like we said earlier, you should look forward to meeting with the recruiters; you are here to learn about them and they are here to learn about you. So be confident; make eye contact, smile, and give them a firm handshake. It will help if you practice your introduction the night before so you know exactly what you are going to say. You should also try your best to remember the recruiter’s name (try repeating it in your head five times); this shows them that you are involved with your meeting and interested in them.

During your conversation it will help if you have a set of questions prepared for you to ask them, especially ones in line with your objectives (i.e. “I was intrigued by the off-site teambuilding orientation that your company has for it's interns... I did have a question about…”). Unless the conversation is going extremely well, you want to be courteous of their time so try not to spend more than 10-15 minutes when speaking with the recruiter.

The Outro

Make sure to ask for a business card or the recruiters' contact information; state that you really enjoyed speaking with them and would like to know how to follow up with them in the future. Also, if there is another department you are interested in, find out who you can contact for more information. Make sure you thank them for their time to show your appreciation, give them another firm handshake and another big smile.

The Follow Up

Remember asking for a business card or contact information? Within 48 hours of the career fair you should send the recruiters you met an email or a hand-written thank-you card thanking them for their willingness to speak with you. Site one specific thing you took from the conversation and explain how it helped. Remember to keep in touch with the employers you are interested in every 5-6 weeks!

So now that you have all of the information necessary to shine at a career fair, don’t forget to use it! Career fairs should be an exciting event for you to look forward to, not stress over; networking with potential employers and learning about their companies is exciting so make sure to have fun with it, recruiters like to see students who are happy to be there. This is an opportunity for you to show off your best stuff, learn about what each company has to offer, & to make connections towards your future career.

Written by: Jon Robben, Business Placement Center

We're on Skype!

2009-05-20T15:18:00.002-05:00

The final week of the semester brought on a new milestone for the Business Placement Center! Finals week has a tendency to be rather... crazy! You can imagine my response when AirServ, a company who visited campus recruiting for United Airlines, asked me if it would be possible for students to visit them for interviews in Chicago of that week. While some students were able to make it, some weren't. Thankfully, AirServ was willing to conduct interviews via video conference!

We used Skype, the free calling service that eBay owns. It is AWESOME if you need to call overseas or videoconference on the cheap! Using a USB condenser mic and webcam, we were able to turn my office into a sort of 'videobooth' for the students who weren't able to make it to Chicago that week!

Here is a photo of one of those students, Nicki Raufer (Marketing '10), taken just after her interview:
Although I think that everybody agreed that face-to-face interactions are the best, we're excited to use technology to close that geographical gap that southern Illinois (sometimes!) seems to have!

What you SHOULD do over summer break!

2009-04-21T09:21:00.001-05:00

The summer break is fast approaching and you don't have an internship or professional job... You knew that you should have started looking months ago, but you were busy and simply thought 'I'll do that later'. Well, later is now. At this point you fear that the only job you will have this summer is flipping burgers or working on a construction site - neither of which appeals to you and you have no idea how you will relate those positions to your studies/career ambitions for Fall interviews.

There is hope.

Consider volunteering around your hometown. There are plenty of non-profit and local organizations that are generally very appreciative to get help with their bookeeping, marketing and/or management efforts. When searching for these kinds of opportunities it's important to be clear about what you can help with and explain to the organization that you are simply interested in volunteering. I would recommend against going in and asking for a paid opportunity, as most volunteer-based organizations simply don't have the budget for extra help.

Some organizations you may want to talk to about volunteering include:

Chamber of Commerce Offices (this is a great way to get to know local businesses as well!)
An economic development office
A social services organization
School districts (both public and private)
Goodwill or Salvation Army locations
Habitat for Humanity
Politicians who have offices in your town
You Church or Place of Worship.

It's important to realize that if you are hired to assist with a particular task you ~~may~~ will be asked to help out in many different ways around the office. Don't be offended by this, simply look at it as another way to realize that most businesses still take out their own trash every evening. If you have thought about starting your own business or working for a startup these activities can give you a very realistic idea of what it's like trying to 'keep all the plates in the air' on a daily basis.

Keeping up with the Jonses'

2009-04-17T11:11:00.004-05:00

I often hear from students who want to get into a particular industry, however don't know anything about that industry. This can clearly make networking within that area somewhat difficult!

Fortunately the extensive access of information that we have at our disposal can come in extremely handy at this point. Consider reading industry-related blogs and articles to gain a better understanding of what is going on in a particular business segment. Just a few examples include:

It's pretty easy to find the industry organization that you might be interested in. Start off with some basic Googling. Search for things like 'Sports Marketing Industry Association', or some such variant.

Another very cool tool is Google Alerts, which allows you to tell Google to email you when it discovers a new link that is relevant to the terms that you give it. This can be an excellent way to stay on top of new happenings in cost accounting, financial planning, retail marketing, or any other industry!

It's in the details!

2009-04-16T10:04:00.005-05:00

When you are applying for a particular job, it's important to gear your resume and cover letter to the actual position. This even includes the little details, such as the file name of your resume!

Case in point: Imagine that you are applying for a marketing position, even though your education and background is in accounting. Clearly you want to explain this career jump in your cover letter, but don't forget what the recepient of your email is going to see if you forget to modify the filename of your resume:

See the confusion? While the resume might still get looked over, the hiring manager will be questioning it as she reads it, because subconsciously she is thinking 'accounting, accounting, accounting'.

Keep an eye on the little details!

Making an Impression AFTER the Interview!!!

2009-02-22T12:45:00.001-06:00

How to Write an Effective Thank You Note
(This advice has been customized with core content from http://www.thesimpledollar.com)

We are in the thick in interview season and one of the things I find most students (and even non-students) overlook is the interview follow-up. The first thing you should do following an interview is to SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE! Ideally you will send this within 12 hours of your meeting with a potential employer.

First of all, thank you notes can be written on basic stationery. You can pick up regular stationary just about anywhere - A bookstore, Staples, even Wal-Mart. There are plenty of styles to choose from that you can use to fit your personal taste. University Bookstore has notecards with the SIU seal embossed on them - these can be a great way to help personalize and 'brand' the note even further.

Second, always hand write a thank you note. A handwritten thank you note has a certain level of elegance that you just can’t capture by typing and printing a note. Take out your pen and write down your thoughts. If you prefer, you can draft the note at the keyboard, but then copy your final text from the screen to the card. If your handwriting is terrible (like mine), it's wise to practice on regualr printer paper before making the jump to the actual card (yes, I really will do this from time to time!)

Given that, it’s okay to use printed labels when addressing the envelopes. Not only does this save time, it also ensures accuracy of the address. As long as the note inside is handwritten, this is completely appropriate. Remember to get the appropriate address for your interviewer – You can ask for their business card, look at their email signature (if you’ve been emailing with them) or even ask the receptionist on your way out of the interview.

Addressing the thank you note: Start off with the word “Dear,” then imagine you walked into a room and saw this person (or these people) without having seen them for a year. How would you address them? That’s what you should use next. During your Externship did you call your sponsor 'Mrs. Smith' or 'Heather'?
The first sentence Say “thank you for” and state the opportunity you’ve been given. Here are four examples:
Thank you for the interview for the marketing internship
Thank you for the opportunity to learn how your business works.
Thank you for all of the professional insights you gave me last week.
Thank you for the advice you provided in terms of becoming successful in the sports marketing industry.

The second piece: Express a further detailed appreciation of the gift or opportunity by explaining what it meant to you or what you plan on doing with the gift. Continuing with the above examples:
I learned a great deal about Edward Jones and the financial services industry.
It was exciting and interesting to learn more about your organization and the educational technology field.
I feel extremely prepared in regards to my professional future.
Your insights have greatly helped me in figuring out that I really do want to work in the sports marketing arena.

The third piece: Try to build towards a future connection with the note target. Some examples:
I look forward to speaking to you in the future about other potential possibilities with Edward Jones.
I would greatly appreciate any other career-oriented advice, and I hope that your organization and I can have a long and happy relationship.
Next time I am in the area I would appreciate the opportunity to have lunch with you.
Feel free to call me anytime you visit Carbondale - I would enjoy the opportunity to show off the College of Business to you.

The signature: Sign it pleasantly and friendly, no matter what. I usually sign my notes “Thanks again!” or "Sincerely," and my name under that. I also generally like to enclose a business card for the recipients' records.

Big Mouse on Campus!

2008-10-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

The Big Mouse will be taking over SIU on October 13-15th!

Disney will be rolling out a week of activities designed to help you discover how to get an internship of a lifetime!

Click here to find out all the details: BigMouseSIUFlyer

See you there!

Preparing for a Phone Interview

2008-09-08T19:10:00.001-05:00

A lot of organizations like using the phone for their initial screening interviews. The reasons for this are pretty reasonable. They may want to save on travel costs, have multiple individuals on the phone call and see how the applicants' communication skills are.

That being said, phone interviews can be frightening - you don't know the reactions of the HR rep on the other end of the phone as easily as you would if you were being interviewed in person. The more you prep for a phone interview, however, the better you can come across. Follow these simple tips to stay comfortable and make your brand shine during a phone interview:

While you could do the interview in your underwear - DON'T! Dress as if you are really going to the company. It has been proven that you perform better if you are professionally dressed (yes guys, this means wearing a tie).
Try to schedule the call where you can use a landline phone. A phone interview is the wrong time to have your cell drop out. If you simply can't, make sure that wherever you call into the interview (or where you wait for their call) has strong service.
Set up a well-lit and comfortable place to sit (or stand, if you are more comfortable) during the call.
Have a notepad handy to jot notes down on during the call.
Key tip here: Have copies of your resume, references, company info, and job description laid out. While you should know these documents inside and out, it's nice to have them handy.
Have some questions for them! Remember, the interview is as much for you to get to know them as it is the other way around. This may lead to a career for you - make sure that you will be happy there. You can get some ideas about what to ask them here.

The BPC can help you prepare for any type of interview - phone, in-person, panel - you name it. Come by 113 or call 618.453.2603 today to schedule a consultation.

Where's the hottest place to live in the U.S.?

2008-09-08T11:13:00.000-05:00

This seemed like a pretty cool article - We recently received this from Experience, the organization that handles the back-end support for the SIU College of Business eRecruiting system.

Original story is at: http://www.experience.com/alumnus/article?channel_id=career_management&article_id=article_1219694194099

Where's the hottest place to live in the U.S.?

By Caitlin Green

What makes a city hot? The social and cultural scene was definitely number one -- picked by 37% of respondents in an Experience, Inc. survey conducted last month. Closely following, at 30%, were a city's career opportunities.

These choices are closely linked to the top (the hottest) choices for major metropolitan areas young professionals said they would most like to live in. The top cities included New York (12.5%) and Chicago, with 8.5%, followed by Washington D.C., (7%) and San Francisco (6.6%).

What about relocation? An overwhelming 84% of respondents said "yes" when asked if they would be willing to relocate. What would make them pack their bags and leave? 44% replied career opportunities while 20% selected the social scene and cultural events. Even if there's an ocean in the way, 70% said it wouldn't matter; they would be willing to move abroad.

However, relocation is never easy and usually there are some obstacles that pop up along the way. 33% of respondents said a city's cost of living would prevent them from relocating while 22% cited their family as reason enough. Lack of a social scene would deter 20% of those who answered the survey.

Surprisingly, a commute to work would not be a major deterrent when considering relocation and whether or not a city is hot. While two-thirds of those surveyed currently have a 30 minute commute or less, a staggering 61% said they would be willing to double it -- to commute 30-60 minutes for work.

So, what cities are considered hot? New York City, Chicago Washington, and San Francisco were the top 3 cities considered "hot" by the survey respondents. Atlanta and Boston also rounded out the list.

It’s 15 minutes until your mock interview...

2008-04-25T08:42:00.000-05:00

It’s 15 minutes until your mock interview. You just rolled out of bed at the crack of 12:45pm, slipped on some shorts and put on a hat to cover that tangled mess of bed head. Halfway to your interview, you realize you forgot to brush your teeth. Luckily, you have a pack of gum.

So you pop in a piece of gum and call it good. You arrive a few minutes late. But you’re okay with this, because it isn’t a real interview. It’s just a mock interview.

It may seem logical to approach a mock interview this way, but don’t get caught up in this thinking.

Mock interviews should be treated in the same manner as an actual interview. If you strive to perform in a mock interview the way you do in an actual interview, we’ll be able to better help you improve your interview skills and assess issues that may be hindering them.

First, always arrive on time or a few minutes prior. When dressing for an interview, always dress professionally. By dressing professionally it will be easier to get into the mindset of professionalism. It gives us an opportunity to correct any issues in professional dress that you may be unaware of as well.

Just as you would in an actual interview, bring your resume. While it’s best to have a resume critique done prior to the mock interview, bringing it to the interview will allow us to correct any problems you may have. Also, it will allow us to ask you questions based off your resume, questions you might expect to hear in an actual interview.

Look over interview resources as well. We have free resources available in Rehn 113. These resources are a great way to learn what types of questions you will expect to hear in an interview. Try to answer the questions on your own, before the interview. Don’t, however, memorize your answers. This makes you appear rehearsed and impersonal in the interview.

Remember, chance favors a prepared mind. And that’s the purpose of a mock interview, to prepare your mind and develop a solid strategy for interviews.

#1 Reason to Use Your Campus Career Center: Job-Search Success!

2008-02-07T10:29:00.001-06:00

(Matt's note: the All-Majors Career Fair is February 20^th in the Student Center Ballrooms / 9am-2pm)

The secret to job-search success may be as simple as making sure you use your campus career center.

A study of more than 13,000 Class of 2007 grads found that students who used the career center and its resources were more likely to report job-search success than their friends who decided to go it alone.

In fact, more than 80 percent of students who reported having full-time jobs before graduation used the career center. As a rule, successful students took advantage of opportunities to connect face-to-face with employers through campus interviews, employer information sessions, and other chances to speak with employer representations—opportunities typically set up by the career center. More than half of students who had full-time jobs before graduation had applied through a career center-sponsored career fair, and more than 40 percent had posted their resumes through their career center's web site.

Want to give yourself an advantage in the job market? Check out your campus career center.

Source: Moving On: Student Approaches and Attitudes Toward the Job Market for the College Class of 2007. National Association of Colleges and Employers.

More Externs!

2007-11-27T14:06:00.001-06:00

Following up from my post yesterday, this is the stack of actual student applications we have to go through before next week. This process includes typing all the information into a spreadsheet, scanning them into digital form, and then organizing them in time for next week.

Careful What You Wish For!

2007-11-26T14:33:00.001-06:00

Getting back in the groove after Thanksgiving break can be tough for students and staff alike. Unfortunately the BPC doesn't have a choice, as next week we will be interviewing all of the College of Business applicants for the Extern2008 program. We had nearly 90 applications this year!!! (That's a picture of our interview schedules for next Monday through Thursday)

A big thanks goes out to all staff and faculty who helped us get the word out about this great program!!!

Now, time to get back to work :-)

Business Casual

2007-09-19T19:07:00.000-05:00

We have received several questions from students lately asking about appropriate business dress. This is a resource that has served us very well when dealing with these types of questions and we wanted to make it available to the readers of the Placement Center Blog... This article is located at http://www.bremercommunications.com/Business_Casual.htm.

This article was written by Jill Bremer, AICI, owner of Bremer Communications, who offers training, consulting and coaching in professional image development and presentation skills. Her clients include Oracle, Abbott Labs, W.W. Grainger, U.S. Department of Energy and the National Association of Realtors. She can be reached at 708-848-5945 or at www.bremercommunications.com

MAKING BUSINESS CASUAL WORK FOR YOU

Today's business environment is anything but traditional. For most Americans, work settings in recent years have become more relaxed. Flex time, job-sharing, home offices and the like have spurred employees to ask for more comfortable dress codes. And corporate America has responded. In fact, Casual Friday has become Casual Everyday for many companies.

The expectation that productivity would increase as a result of this more comfortable work environment cannot be proven. But what we do know is that employees are happier. We can assume that business casual is here to stay. The problem is that workers have wide-ranging definitions of business casual and few companies have developed adequate dress code policies. The result is mass confusion and mixed messages. All of this is good news for image consultants whose calendars are packed with policy development, wardrobe seminars and private consultations.

What is needed are clear-cut parameters of the different levels of business casual as well as guidelines of when and where each level is appropriate. Dressing for business these days has become situational. Traditional clothing some days, business casual other days. In order to decide what to wear, ask yourself the following questions each morning: What industry am I part of? What is my company's dress code? What is my position within my company? What are my duties today? With whom will I be interacting? Where will I be meeting them? What messages do I need to convey?

The three levels of business casual are BASIC, STANDARD and EXECUTIVE and you may have the need for all three in your closet depending upon your position and responsibilities for the day. Keep in mind that traditional conservative clothing is still the best choice when meeting clients for the first time, making a presentation, conducting negotiations or anytime you represent your company off-site and need to convey authority.

First of all, let's examine what Business Casual isn't. Save the following items for your weekend or at-home wardrobe: zip-front hooded sweatshirts, team jackets, jean jackets, T-shirts with slogans, midriff-baring tops, tank tops, well-worn jeans, spandex pants, stirrup pants, overalls, biking shorts, sweat pants, mini skirts, see-through tops, halter tops, flip-flops, sneakers and sandals. Never forget that the first word in business casual is "business".

Business casual must always include high-quality pieces, hose or socks, appropriate underwear, footwear in good repair, coordinated accessories, clean, styled hair and makeup for women. With that in mind, let's take a look at the first level of business casual.

BASIC BUSINESS CASUAL

In most industries, this level is acceptable for those days when you have little customer contact or are taking part in an informal activity. Cleaning-off-your-desk days, entertaining clients at a sporting event or attending an off-site retreat are perfect for Basic Business Casual. This type of wardrobe will also convey that you are approachable and friendly. A Basic Business Casual ensemble consists of only two wardrobe pieces, i.e. shirt and pants, top and skirt, etc. A jacket is not worn at this level.

BASIC - Elements for Men

Khakis, cotton or corduroy pants, tailored shorts (if appropriate for occasion). Polo shirts, lightweight knit shirts and sweaters, turtlenecks, short- or long-sleeve sport shirts, plain T-shirts or sweatshirts, vests. Medium- or thick-sole leather shoes, clean sneakers, loafers.

BASIC - Elements for Women

Skirts (short or long) in denim, cotton, corduroy. Khakis, cotton or corduroy pants, tailored shorts (if appropriate for occasion). Blouses, short-sleeved cotton shirts, plain T-shirts, turtlenecks, vests, lightweight knit tops and sweaters. Casual dresses and jumpers. Medium- or thick-sole leather shoes, clean sneakers, flat trouser shoes.

A warning to both men and women - think twice about wearing jeans. Even if your company finds them acceptable, very few body types look good in them. It's also difficult for jeans to look good for very long as they show their wear rather quickly.

STANDARD BUSINESS CASUAL

This level is the most accepted form of business casual in many industries. Fabrics and styles are a bit more tailored and upscale than Basic Business Casual. The key element of this level is the "third piece" which adds a touch of polish and conveys competence. The third piece, added to a top-and-bottom outfit, can take many forms, from a casual jacket, to a vest, pullover or cardigan sweater, even a tie or scarf.

STANDARD - Elements for Men

Khaki, corduroy, gabardine, wool blends, flannel pants with more tailoring than Basic pants. Collared shirts, including button-downs, small checks, plaids, end-on-end fabrics. Casual jackets, pullover sweaters in fine-gauge knits, cardigan sweaters, woven or knit vests. Casual ties - wool, knit or challis (not silk) in a geometric, club pattern or plaid. Thin or medium leather or rubber sole shoes.

STANDARD - Elements for Women

Tailored (solid or subtle pattern) pants with a fitted waistline in cottons, corduroy, wools, silks, microfibers. Skirts (short or long) in gabardine, linen-blends, flannel, challis. Tops can be woven or knit. Tailored shirts, blouses, shells, high-quality T-shirts, fine-gauge sweater knits. Knit dresses, jumpers. Casual jackets - unlined, unstructured, cardigans, knit jackets, vests - knit or woven. Scarves. Leather flats or trouser shoes.

Note to men and women - remember that the addition of the "third piece" is essential to Standard Business Casual.

EXECUTIVE BUSINESS CASUAL

Executive business casual is the most formal level and comes very close to traditional business attire. At this level, a jacket must be worn (tie is optional). If you work in a conservative industry, this is your preferred level of business casual. In a creative industry, this could be your everyday attire. In general, clothing worn at this level has classic styling with a contemporary flair. The finest fabrics are used and the pieces include excellent construction and fit. Executive Business Casual conveys messages of professionalism and reliability, but not formality.

EXECUTIVE - Elements for Men

Pants in wools, linen, silk blends. Solid-color blazers, tweed sport coats. Shirts (long-sleeve only) in solids, stripes, small patterns. Fine-gauge sweaters can be added over a shirt (or by themselves under a jacket in more creative industries). Cashmere is the fabric of choice. Ties are optional and can be in whatever fabric coordinates with your ensemble, including silk. Thin to medium lace-up shoes, loafers.

EXECUTIVE - Elements for Women

Pantsuits, matched or unmatched. Tailored pants. Structured blazers and jackets. Skirts, short or long, worn with a coordinating (not matching) jacket. Gabardine, worsted wools, wool crepe, linen-blends, silk and silk blends are the preferred fabrics for the items above. Blouses, knit tops, shells, fine-gauge sweaters - in pima cotton, linen, silk, cashmere. Thin to medium-sole shoes, flats or low-heel pumps.

The emergence of business casual has been a double-edged sword. It first seemed as though it would simplify our lives but it actually made dressing each morning more complicated. Since we have so many more options available to us, we have more opportunities to make mistakes. When selecting your business casual attire, remember always to consider your industry, your position and your activities for the day. If you will have any customer contact, think hard about the messages you want to convey and how you can make your client feel at ease. Match their level of dress and the lines of communication will open for you.

Career Portfolios!

2007-07-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note on career portfolios - Take time to do them right. It’s easy to throw some papers into a binder and call it a career portfolio; it’s another to make the portfolio really shine and be something that people instinctively want to pick up and read. Here are some basic tips on creating your first career portfolio:

Have a plan: Organize your thoughts and ideas out before you start typing out your contents and materials. Outline them and then take another look and see if they really make sense in that order.
Be consistent: If you use Great White 80-pound paper on some of the pages, use it on all of the pages, save for reference letters and your resume.
Make it a quality marketing piece about yourself: Don’t skimp. Buy the expensive binder (preferably one with an area for a spine label). Buy the expensive ‘crystal’ page protector sheets. Go 110% on everything - This won’t break your bank (trust us)
Go over it with a fine tooth comb: Is everything spelled right? Does it look good? Are all the margins equal? If you find something wrong with it don’t turn it in and hope it’s ‘good enough’. If you are hoping that it probably isn’t.

Slow Summer

2007-07-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

Well, we’re right in the thick of summer here in the BPC. While students haven’t been around nearly as much as they were in the Spring, there have been a few that have been happy to get help.

The staff of the BPC have also had some time for some much needed R&R and to work on various projects around the office. When students and employers come to SIU in the Fall they are going to find world-class service (as always), along with a few new goodies. We plan on making eRecruiting even more useful this semester and we are also planning some cool events for both students and recruiters!

I Loved This Job When I was Interviewing… What Happened???

2007-06-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

Picture this:

After weeks of anxiety, several grueling interviews, and a few hundred dollars spent on a new wardrobe, you finally start your new job! Everybody is nice to you on the first day and things go pretty well. The second day is a little less hectic and you are starting to recognize faces. By the end of the first week you know almost everybody’s name and things are going well.

Then the second week a few things happen that makes you uncomfortable. You begin to notice that everybody seems to be talking about their resumes and how ‘this company’ (the company you just started working for!) won’t be around next year. You brush it off as just a few bad apples… surely this place isn’t all that bad, or is it?

By the end of the third week you are starting to send your resume back out into the market. You hate the thought of going to work and can’t wait to leave at the end of the day. Your days seem to take on a cloudy pall, no matter what the weather-dude says and you snap at the smallest inconveniences that life throws at you. ‘I left SIU for this?!? Is THIS what the real-world is really like? This sucks!’, you are constantly thinking to yourself.

Hopefully you’ll never encounter this situation, but you may. What to do? A good bit of pre-offer investigation is needed on your part to ensure that you minimize the chances of acting out the above scenario in real life.

First off, what is the company culture like? You can tell this very easily on your first visit to the facility. Take a hard, critical look at the body language of the people you see. Do they look genuinely happy? Ask yourself if they look like they would be working there even if they weren’t making any money. Maybe everybody looks glum and like they’re about ready to kill themselves (take that as a somewhat negative sign, FWIW).

Look around the building. Be honest about what makes you comfortable with and what makes you… nervous. Would you be alright with a 3′ x 3′ community bathroom with no locking door? Sharing a desk with somebody all day because they don’t have enough room for you anywhere else? Be honest and realistic with yourself.

Bring up the issue of fit and culture in your interview. Be direct and be honest - remember that you spend the majority of your life at the workplace. Some questions you might ask include:

How do you see me benefiting the company?
Are continuing education and professional development encouraged? What kind of programs can you point to as an example?
Why did you choose this company?
What is the company’s culture?
What is your employee turnover rate?

If you know people who currently work for the company seek their advice out ans ask them to be brutally honest with you. If you don’t know anybody directly, maybe you have a friend who does know somebody ‘on the inside’… Put your networking skills to good use and make sure to investigate the company as much as they are going to be investigating you!

It’s Summertime! What to do?

2007-05-26T16:55:00.001-05:00

It’s summertime and things around campus have slowed down - ALOT! Students are taking a much-deserved break from classes, tests, and oh yeah - finals…

So what can a student do to help out their resume when they are back home? Maybe you didn’t get that great internship or summer job at the Big 4 accounting firm you were wanting. So you aren’t brainstorming great marketing strategies at that cool marketing firm you wanted to go to. You don’t have any employees to manage or financial portfolios to consult on… Not to fret!

There are plenty of things you can do this summer to increase your marketability and brand this summer, even if you aren’t in Carbondale:

Volunteer around your community. Get involved in community pride groups, local chamber of commerces, and other charitable organizations. If you are a marketing major maybe you can offer some suggestions on how an organization can ‘get the word’ out. If you are a management major you might offer to lead a project team on a particular task.
Think about something your community needs - maybe a ‘clean-up’ day or a tree-planting campaign. Why not take the initiative and offer to start a new community-enhancing group up yourself?
Volunteering can look really good on a resume, and makes for a great feeling at the end of the day. Hospitals, nursing homes, and summer camps are always looking for help!
Are there other Saluki’s in your neighborhood? Start a local tradition of Saluki get-togethers and hold various events every two to four weeks. Bar-b-ques, after-hour parties, and fund-raisers for local charities are just a few ideas that groups like this might want to consider.

Also, the summertime is perfect for going back through and updating your resume. If you like, email me (mpurdy@cba.siu.edu) your resume and I’ll be happy to take a look at it and make suggestions. No time like the present!

It’s Summertime! What to do?

2007-05-26T16:55:00.000-05:00

It’s summertime and things around campus have slowed down - ALOT! Students are taking a much-deserved break from classes, tests, and oh yeah - finals…

There are plenty of things you can do this summer to increase your marketability and brand this summer, even if you aren’t in Carbondale:

Volunteer around your community. Get involved in community pride groups, local chamber of commerces, and other charitable organizations. If you are a marketing major maybe you can offer some suggestions on how an organization can ‘get the word’ out. If you are a management major you might offer to lead a project team on a particular task.
Think about something your community needs - maybe a ‘clean-up’ day or a tree-planting campaign. Why not take the initiative and offer to start a new community-enhancing group up yourself?
Volunteering can look really good on a resume, and makes for a great feeling at the end of the day. Hospitals, nursing homes, and summer camps are always looking for help!
Are there other Saluki’s in your neighborhood? Start a local tradition of Saluki get-togethers and hold various events every two to four weeks. Bar-b-ques, after-hour parties, and fund-raisers for local charities are just a few ideas that groups like this might want to consider.

It’s a Good Time to be a College Graduate…

2007-05-06T13:16:00.000-05:00

We found an excellent article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch the other day and thought it would be relevant to post here with graduation just around the corner. Simply put, it’s a great time to be a college graduate - job placement rates are going up and some students have a real choice as to where they’d like to start their career.

From the article:

‘It’s a good time to be among the thousands of area college students being set loose into the real world. As always, some degrees will get more attention than others. But in general, the nation’s employers are planning to do a lot of hiring — nearly 20 percent more than last year, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.’

Read the full article here.

If you don’t have a job yet, don’t freak out! The BPC is here to help you out our fellow business Saluki’s, even after they graduate! Email or call us today!