THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Making career fairs work for you CLAIRE HETTINGER Staff Writer
BY CLAIRE HETTINGER STAFF WRITER
Before I sat down to write this article, I read through some of the information provided by the University for attaining success at a career fair, and my stomach dropped. Like, actually, it fell down and left me feeling shaken and sweaty. Trying to find a job is terrorizing, especially in today’s market, where finding and keeping a job isn’t easy and student loan interest rates are steep. It is an intimidating process, there is no doubt about it. The future of adulthood is coming closer all the time, and convincing important companies that you are worthy of their positions is a difficult and competitive process. Selling yourself is never easy, but especially so if you don’t believe it. The best way to go into an interaction with a future employer is with the attitude that they would be lucky to hire you. Never the other way around. You have to believe in yourself, because you better believe that strangers bombarded with almost identical resumes are
not going to.
Why you should go to a career fair? The best reason to go to career fair is to find an internship or a job, but for those of us who are intimidated by this process this may not seem l i ke re a son enough. Another reason to go to career fair, then, is for practice. It will only get easier, so that eventually talking to strangers about why they should give you a job isn’t an unfathomable situation. This process shouldn’t leave us shaking in our boots.
success. You have to convince these strangers that you are the absolute best choice for whatever position they have to offer. Recognize that you have a completely unique set of skills that no employer has seen before and this is the opportunity to tell them all about it. A lso, I k n ow it sounds so cheesy to ju st “be c onfident,� but really what other choices are there? These employers are all seeing students from the University who’ve taken the same classes and had the same opportunities. Be different from them by holding your own and emphasizing on the experiences that make you unique (past internships, clubs or jobs) and be prepared to show what you’ve learned from them.
The best way to go into an interaction with a future employer is with the attitude that they would be lucky to hire you.
How do you get into the right mindset? Everyone tells us we absolutely have to stand out from the crowd, but I’ve found that nobody ever really tells you how to actually do it. The advice is always the same: Speak confidently, dress appropriately and ask questions. But these alone don’t guarantee
What should you be looking for? It means, that you, the student and attendee of the career fair, have to make the career fair work for you. This is your
opportunity to meet and greet different companies and see what they have to offer you. This isn’t about fi nding a job and trying to impress all sorts of people. It is about letting these different companies impress YOU and allowing them this opportunity to show you why you should apply for their internships and jobs. Ask them for specific information about an opportunity that will provide a unique and valuable experience for you. You shouldn’t let yourself believe it is the other way around. All in all, it is important to show employers that you are desirable, that you are someone they want to woo and impress, and that they would be lucky to have you decide to work for them. From my experience, this is what makes people stand out. And how is anyone supposed to know how valuable you are, if you don’t show them? But really, after you convince yourself that you are the perfect person for the job, the representatives will be hard pressed to disagree. These career fairs are hosted for the students so let’s make them work for us. Let’s go find a job.
Claire is a sophomore in LAS. She can be reached at hettngr2@dailyillini.com.
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Engineering Career Fair Feb. 3 Time: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Location: ARC
Business Career Fair Feb. 4 to 5 Time: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Location: ARC
Engineering Expo
Feb. 12 Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Location: ARC, Gym 1
Civil and Environmental Engineering Job Fair
Who: Civil and Environmental Engineering Students only Feb. 26 Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Location: Crain Bay of Newmark Lab, located at 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana
All-Campus Career Fair March 18 Time: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Location: ARC
Research Park Career Fair April 8 Time: TBA Location:TBA
Compiled by Claire Hettinger
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THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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Employers look for more experience Getting a job is about more than just grades — companies look for jobs, internships
BY DRAKE PENA STAFF WRITER
The New Year brings with it different weather, different opportunities and maybe even different people. But for college students everywhere, the New Year also brings a fierce competition for a limited numbers of internships. Heather Zike, an academic advisor in the College of
Media, has worked with students in fi nding an appropriate internship, especially as internship experience gains more and more importance in the professional world. She stressed the importance of internships as an opportunity to place skills to work that may not be properly utilized in the classroom. “If you are only doing academics during your time here, you would have little to write on a resume and internships can be a powerful point on a resume,� she said. With the unemployment rate at its lowest since June 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an ever-growing market of college students and graduates coming out into a workforce. According to Zike, an employer’s standards can vary.
“It would be dependent on the potential employer/ coordinator and their company’s standards,� she said. “Some will only take those with a certain GPA, class level, major or prior experi-
“Gaining on-
the-job work experience is so valuable.� ERROL GERBER
ence. Others will want who has the most passion for the job and would be a great fit for the team.� Jeremy Marder, freshman in LAS, said he has experienced the high, professional standards when we was interning at Utop-
with experience, volunteering, and additional information.� Amy Fruehling, director of career services in the College of Engineering, said that internships are just as important for Engineering students on campus as well. “Internships are very critical for a student’s education,� she said. “They are also very important in validating job choices and showing that these students are further along in development after their internship.� Fruehling also said that internships for freshmen in engineering can be difficult to fi nd as well. “Companies start to look for specialized skills,� she said of why companies prefer upperclassman candidates. “What classes have you had to-date in specific areas. They look to see
ic, a post-production house in Chicago, during the summer of 2014. “Over those with an impressive resume, is someone with a passion for what they are doing. Someone who can be the missing piece to the company’s puzzle,� he said. Marder is currently looking at internships for production and video editing for the summer. He said that he’s starting now as a freshman, but that might not be the best path for everyone, something that Zike agreed with. “Many are not ready for an internship during (or) after freshman year. I have seen some that have the knowledge, experience and get the internship.� Zike said. Still freshmen are encouraged to apply, she said, but “they have time to build their resume
how far along you are. For this reason, internships are more focused toward juniors, because they’ve taken more specialized classes.� Errol Gerber, director of sales for WGN, said that from the employer’s perspective, work experience is crucial for college graduates. “Gaining on-the-job work experience is so valuable and any chance to get that should not be passed up,� he said. Gerber said that WGN and other businesses look for interns who are mature students who bring various skills to the position. Gerber also said that the ideal intern would be “someone who is buttoned up, eager to learn and on time.�
Drake can be reached at dapena2@dailyillini.com.
Internships: Value in looking outside your major
Be diligent when searching for opportunities
CHRISTEN MCGLYNN Staff Writer
For many students, a feeling of uncertainty soon overshadows the exciting anticipation of summer. Why? The search of that perfect internship. Obtaining an internship that will help secure a job once graduation approaches is ideal, yet it is often difficult to obtain. Even if a student is
capable of finding that internship, it might be followed by the dreadful word “unpaid.� It is easy to become disheartened by the entire process. This time last year, I sure was. As a broadcast journalism major, many of the internships I sought were either unpaid, or at least 1,000 miles from my home. As February came and went during my junior year at the University, I began to feel hopeless for the upcoming summer. Finally, while out one night at Firehaus, a friend of mine introduced me to a visiting alum. What began as a casual conversation turned into my first internship interview. The alum owned Eby-Brown, a privately-owned distribu-
tion company, and was looking to improve the company’s internship program. A spot was open in their marketing and merchandising sector, and I quickly applied for the position. A week later, I was hired. I came to an important realization that day: face-to-face communication will always supercede a resume. There were probably a number of applicants who were equally qualified. However, because I was able to make a personal connection, I had an edge over others. People want to know whom they are hiring, and it is often difficult to differentiate between applicants based off a stack of papers that list similar credentials. What started as a
casual night out ended as one of the greatest opportunities I could have ever received. Not only was my internship paid, but it was also within a 30-minute driving distance from my home in Orland Park, Illinois. During my summer as a marketing/merchandising intern at Eby-Brown, I was able to see the different possibilities available to me as a broadcast journalism major. I grew in my abilities with Adobe Photoshop, and I worked under incredibly talented people. Not only was the work assigned to me interesting, but it was being used during presentations to clients. I have heard a variety of horror stories from my friends about their own
internships, and felt very fortunate I did not fall into the classic “intern-go-get-mycoffee� group. Eby-Brown left me with a memorable experience that I was extremely thankful for, and it made me realize there are a couple golden rules to follow when searching for the perfect summer internship. First, always be on top of your game. It turns out you never know who you might be talking to. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help during your internship. When I first began at Eby, I was unsure how to succeed at certain projects, and I was afraid to admit that I needed help at the risk of sounding unintelligent. However, I soon learned that one mistake can lead to
multiple, and it is better to get it right the first time. Also, don’t be afraid to pass up the unpaid internships due to fear nothing better will come along. A number of my friends ended up in binding contracts that forced them to stay with their unpaid jobs, despite the fact another company (that was willing to pay) offered to hire them. And finally, try to step outside your major, and try an internship that can expand your talents. Turns out, broadcast journalism majors make great marketing designers.
Christen is a senior in Media. She can be reached at features @dailyillini.com.
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Because I was able to make a personal connection, I had an edge over others. People want to know whom they are hiring, and it is often difficult to differentiate between applicants based off a stack of papers that list similar credentials.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2015
THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Utilizing career services on campus BY BRIDGET HYNES STAFF WRITER
The University offers several resources for students who are career-minded, including the online forum I-Link, career fairs and college-specific advisors. Below are a few of the resources available to students:
Career Services Offices The University has 12 different career services offices on campus, including the all-campus Career Center and the Alumni Career Center. The Career Center is unique because it serves all majors, according to Emily Wickstrom Neal, assistant director of Career Services. “We’re kind of a catch all. We also serve both undergraduate students and graduate students,� she said. The Career Center is open 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
Advising Hours The Career Center also offers drop-in advising hours Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. These advising sessions tend to be 10-15 minutes long, where students can come in with brief questions about a career decision, a resume or an interview, said Neal. The center also offers advising by appointment, and these sessions are typically 30 minutes long. Students can meet with one of the 15 counselors who are available each day, said Neal. There are also specific
counselors who are trained to advise students pursuing an occupation in health professions, she said.
Resume and Cover Letter Reviews The Career Center offers resume and cover letter reviews six days a week at three different locations: the Career Center’s building at 715 S. Wright St., Ikenberry Commons, and the Undergraduate Library, said Neal. She said she thinks one of the most helpful services that the Career Center offers is their drop-in services. “You can get help instantly, dropping in for resume reviews or dropping in for drop-in advising,� she said.
Career Fairs The Career Center facilitates an annual all-campus career fair each spring. However, the Business, Engineering, and ACES career service offices also plan their own individual career fairs, which are open to all majors. Career fairs hosted by career service offices are also open to recent alumni, according to Neal. This academic year, the University will hold a total of 13 career fairs. “The best thing about it is having all of those companies in one place, but the worst thing is that everyone on campus is kind of there,� said Adrianna Jarosz, junior in LAS, who attended the Business Career Fair last
fall. “It’s hard to get face-toface time unless you go really early.�
I-Link I-Link is an online job board where students can find job postings that they can directly apply to, as well as information about career workshops and information sessions with employers. “It’s basically a job search engine,� said Jessica Hogue, director of media career services. Hogue is also the head chair of the 2014-2015 Career Services Council, which connects representatives from all of the career service offices on campus. Neal said that I-Link, which is free and exclusive to Illinois students, is a good resource to prepare for career fairs. “You can look on I-Link and see the companies that are coming, as well as what they are looking for,� she said. The website also allows companies to facilitate on-campus recruiting and interviewing, said Hogue. “Companies will collect applications on the website and then will actually do their interviewing on campus,� she said.
Exploring (EPICS) The EPICS database is for students who are unsure of what they want to do, said Neal. “It kind of starts with choosing a major. It’s a platform to help students do that.� She said students can
Spring 2015 Career Fairs
February 3 — Spring Engineering Career Fair February 4-5 — Spring Business Career Fair February 12 — Engineering Expo February 26 — Civil and Environmental Engineering Job Fair March 18 — All Campus Career Fair
complete the survey online and then schedule an in-person appointment to follow up with a counselor.
Career Center Resource Library The Career Center has its own library. Neal said the library offers materials for those exploring careers or for those looking for career advice. She said the books cover a wide variety of subjects, from preparing for medical school or learning about diversity in careers. Resource library materials can be checked out in person at the Career Center or online. The materials are available to all University students, faculty and staff with an Active Directory username and password.
Bridget can be reached at bhynes2@dailyillini.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE UIUC CAREER CENTER
Students take advantage of the career resources available through the University, both at the Career Center and at campus career fairs.
Elevator pitch enhances job prospects for future employees BY CHRISTINA OEHLER STAFF WRITER
The elevator pitch: one of the most crucial parts of knowing how to maneuver in the business world. The elevator pitch is what gives candidates an instant leg up when meeting an employer and is necessary to have a concise way to explain one’s credentials as a worker. An elevator pitch is a quick but thorough explanation of previous employment history and some of the skills a candidate possesses. Overall, it’s a speech that is short enough to fit in the course of an elevator ride, but thorough enough to make yourself memorable to your potential employer, according to the University of Illinois Business Career Services. From stepping into the elevator until the moment the
elevator dings and the doors open, a candidate should be able to sell their skills as a marketable asset to an employer. “An elevator pitch gives you the chance to tell someone exactly what you want them to hear, and I think it’s crucial for students seeking jobs to know how to give one,� said Eric Slutsky, sophomore in ACES. “They’re part of knowing how to maneuver any sort of field of work.� This pitch can often be used at the start of interviews, to give an overall outline of what will be discussed in an interview. This pitch can also be used as a way to begin a cover letter, as a written version of the pitch. Either way, it’s important have a compelling way of explaining one’s skills in the business world.
The University’s Business Career Center suggests asking yourself the following questions about your career to get started: “What is the focus of your search? What skills/experiences can you offer that would benefit the company? What differentiates you from your peers? Why are you interested in the job?� “I think the most vital parts of an elevator pitch are giving your background, and all of your experiences. Any sort of involvement is valuable to a company, so be sure to let them know some of your most important skills,� said Rachel Raia, who graduated from the University in 2010. Raia majored in economics before moving to Houston to become a healthcare consultant. The key to a great elevator
pitch is to stand out. While irrelevant facts about unrelated experiences are useless in a short pitch, it’s important to emphasize the unique experiences that prove personal business worth. “In my field, it’s important to prove your worth through your ability to sell yourself. Even though it’s not directly business, knowing how to appeal to an employer is important.� Slutsky said. If a candidate has traveled to another country to study or work at an internship or has any interesting volunteer work in the field, these may be important aspects of a pitch to make it more memorable for an employer. As employers seek out new workers, they will likely meet dozens of individuals capable for the job. This is something that will set a potential work-
er apart from others. With dozens of different personality types in the professional world, there is a necessity to have the ability to read the body language and tone of an employer. Some employers may not appreciate empathy and making light of a conversation, while others may value the ability of a person to connect well with strangers. If possible, some background research on a future employer can help guide the conversation in the most successful means possible, and can give some ideas of what the employers value in their business. New employers can have great input without trying to solve all of the financial problems of a company. Obviously, if one is seeking a job at a major corporation, no one is expecting a incoming mem-
ber to have finite solutions to some of the largest problems at the company. However, if a potential worker can provide some general ideas for a solution to a problem, they might stand out significantly more to an employer as a proactive member of a company, rather than someone who simply gives a history of their employment. “In my fields, healthcare and economics, you’re valuable if you can explain things to people who may not have the same experiences,� said Raia. “You’re going to appeal to your employer if you can provide skills that will help attain the outcome a company is looking for.�
Christina is a sophomore in Media. She can be reached at oehler2 @dailyillini.com.
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THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
5C
Campus offers a wide variety of jobs From books to business: Students take advantage of benefits of on-campus jobs
BY JAINI SHAH STAFF WRITER
For some students, college is about more than cramming for exams or spending the night out with friends. The costs of textbooks, food and everyday necessities begin to add up, and many students support themselves by fi nding an on-campus job. According to Emily Wickstrom Neal, assistant director for the University’s Career Center, having an on-campus job on a resume is really benefecial. “Any experience that you have in addition to schoolwork is really helpful when you’re searching for your career or applying for grad school, any professional experience is valuable,” she said. Lindsay Duffy, a sophomore in Education, said she supports herself fi nancially by working at Te Shurt on Wright Street. She learned of the job opportunity in the Fall of 2013. “Before I got the job, I was a frequent customer at the store, so the manager knew me,” she wrote in an email. “I talked to (her) and asked for an application.” Since she began, Duffy said the atmosphere of the store and the friendly dynamic with coworkers has made working on campus a worthwhile experience. “I love the people I work with because we’re all students,” she said. “We get along really well, especially with our manager. I’ve met some new friends by working there that I even hang out with outside of work. Also, the store is close to the Quad and my apartment, so it’s nice when I have a shift right before or after class.”
She feels that the “nice, relaxed” atmosphere of the store may be unique compared with other on-campus jobs. One of her favorite parts of working at the store is when the manager brings her dogs into the store on football game days, or when employees get the opportunity to watch games on the store’s TV during shifts. An additional perk, she said, is that students don’t have to work when the University is not in session. “(The) manager is really understanding about (us) being busy college students, so there’s no uniform and (we) never have to work over holiday breaks because the store is closed,” she said. For those students who are more career-oriented, there is also the option of working at a job that complements a student’s major and assists in developing skills that are applicable to a future career. Laurel Jakubowski, a dietetics major and senior in ACES, works at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana , where she has been working since July 2013. Jakubowski said she found out about the available job opportunity when her academic adviser sent out an email about the opportunity saying “it is a great way to get clinical dietetic experience.” “My favorite part is interacting with the patients on the phone and helping them get the most out of what their diet will allow them to order,” she wrote in an email. “It’s great when the patients appreciate us for what we do.” According to Jakubowski, the
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREL JAKUBOWSKI
Laurel Jakubowski, senior in ACES, works at her job at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois. experiences that she has gathered from working a job related to her major have allowed her to gain “knowledge of how dietetics is applied in a hospital setting, such as learning all of the therapeutic diet orders and what kind of restrictions are associated with each diet.” In terms of advice from Duffy and Jakubowski when it comes to applying for jobs, both said it is important to keep an eye out for various job postings. “Apply everywhere,” Duffy said. “I submitted my applica-
tions to a lot of places and picked the best one I was offered.” Jakubowski recommended using the University’s virtual job board to look at recent postings from employers on campus. Neal said the Career Center is also a place that students can go to for help for on-campus jobs. “We would make sure that (students) know what a resume is, ... to give them resources, ... maybe talk through the interview process, and make sure that students are even aware of the Virtual Job Board,” she said.
She also spoke about what specific resources the Career Center has to offer students who are preparing for on-campus jobs, including mock interviews, drop-in hours and counseling appointments. She encouraged “being aware of all the job positions offered, keeping your options open, being positive, showing interest, having good work ethic and a great attitude are all key.”
Jaini can be reached at jgshah2@dailyillini.com.
Interactive resume: Perfect a LinkedIn profile BY VICTORIA SNELL STAFF WRITER
With the spring semester underway, career fair season is in full swing. Thus, networking for internships and job opportunities is crucial. While Twitter and Facebook are social media platforms that can connect students with potential employers — LinkedIn’s sole mission is to “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” Shail Shah, senior in LAS, explained that while he’s had his LinkedIn profi le since his freshman year, he said he believes LinkedIn is becoming more and more popular within the corporate community. LinkedIn has the networking aspect that Facebook has, but focuses more toward where people are going, as well as where they have been in terms of career and educational experience. Emily Wickstrom Neal, assistant director at the Career Center, said that LinkedIn allows students to start building a network of connections. “You can connect with people that you know, who maybe (are) in your interested industry, or who can help you professionally, or
"
people who have similar interests to you,” she said. “It also gets students under the mindset of starting their professional information online.” Below are some key pieces of advice from experienced LinkedIn users on campus:
Profile Photo: One of the fi rst sections that a student will see upon viewing a LinkedIn profi le is the user’s profi le photo. However, Shah said he notices that students don’t always take advantage of this feature. “I see a lot of people who are trying to connect with me who are just students ... but they don’t have profi le pictures,” Shah said. However, Jessica Hogue, director of Media Career Services, wrote in an email that wearing the right attire in the picture can make all the difference. “Use something that shows your personality and the type of job that you are interested in obtaining,” she said. For example, Hogue explained that students should wear a suit if potential employers require a job that necessitates wearing a
suit, or wearing more casual attire if the job is more relaxed. Neal also added that a clear, professional headshot is effective, along with a smile. “You look more approachable, you look friendly, and you just look more like somebody that somebody else would want to work with if you’re smiling,” she said.
Name: Though providing a name may seem obvious, Hogue said students should choose what they prefer to be called, but still remain professional. “Be sure to use what you have on your resume, which should be what you use regularly, so that you are searchable,” she said. Keeping consistency throughout a resume and profi le also allow others to search possible candidates and maintain uniformity, she said.
Headline: The headline is located below the name on the profi le. While Hogue explained that ‘Student at University of Illinois’ acts as a sort of
default for most students, she said it does not explain what a student’s career goals are for the future. Hogue said, “go for something like ‘Creative Thinker,’ ‘Problem Solver,’ ‘Team Player,’ ‘Future Leader in Advertising,’ (something) that describes your qualities.” Neal also stressed the importance of being specific in the headline as well. “Sometimes employers when they’re looking for interns or people or students to connect with, they’ll search for (example), ‘Illinois Economics major’ ... so you want to make sure that you show up in those searches.”
action ... you can say what you’re interested in, if you’re looking for internships or full-time work, what your top skills are, or if you have specific experiences from the past,” she said. Shah added that the endorsements section on the profile, which displays a candidate’s skills, also helps employers further verify the summary. “(The endorsements section) makes you more valuable, because you have all of these people vouching for you to say that ‘you are very good at this skill,” Shah said.
Summary and Endorsements:
Hogue explained that while the headline should focus more on what a candidate wishes to become, the education section is the proper section to display schooling. “Be sure that (schools) show up as you prefer them to as they are at the top of your profi le page,” Hogue said. She also explained that while LinkedIn defaults to the most recent education, these can be edited and customized. Shah explained that displaying all educa-
Hogue explained that the summary section is for telling potential employers about skills, as well as what makes the candidate hirable. She said that students, “use this section to ‘sell’ yourself; you need to be marketable to a future employer.” Neal further said that students should showcase their strengths, as well as what they are interested in. “If you want to call to
Current/Previous Education:
tional experiences allows for everyone to be able to take notice, especially “if you didn’t have that face-toface interaction.” While these sections are just a few bits of advice on starting a profi le, Hogue encouraged students to look into the University’s LinkedIn page as a resource to fi nding other students and alumni. Neal explained that the Career Center also has dropin hours Monday through Friday, and offers appointments for more advanced questions. Shah added that a newer feature that he fi nds helpful is a notification system in which LinkedIn also notifies users who is looking at their profile. Hogue also said that career services offices within a college allow drop-in hours that can be helpful when starting a profi le. “It is extremely important for students to use LinkedIn,” Hogue said. “And do so well. It is not enough to have an incomplete profi le out there; students need to have complete profi les and be active on the site.”
Victoria can be reached at vnsnell2 @dailyillini.com.
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THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Semester in the Capitol: Student interns with ABC BY ABBY GLICKMAN STAFF WRITER
Comedian Tina Fey once said, “Say yes, and you’ll figure it out afterward.” These same words inspired Molly Nagle, senior in Media, when she decided to take a semester off school and travel halfway across the country to take up an internship at ABC News in Washington D.C. Nagle wrote in an email that she began applying for internships in October 2013, after a rough day at her on-campus job. She was a semester ahead in school, which she said gave her the chance to take the internship outside of campustown. “(That day) I came home and started Googling internships for spring 2014, and the first one I came across was the application for ABC,” she said. “I just kind of thought, ‘Why not?’” The application for the internship at ABC included an online form that asked for basic personal information, a resume and cover letter. She also had to fill out a questionnaire a few weeks later, she said. Nagle also said she made an appointment to meet with Jessica Hogue, director of Media Career Services here at the University, for help with her application. Hogue wrote in an email that the two spent time discussing how Nagle could prove her experiences and skills in her resume and cover letter by “showing instead of telling.” “This is a common conversation that I have with students, but Molly really understood what I was saying and took my advice to heart,” Hogue said. “In the end, she had a very well-written resume and extremely personal cover letter to send with her application.” Nagle also consulted Lynn Holley, academic programs coordinator and a lecturer for the Department of Journalism, for advice when she was applying for internships. She said she had been in two of Holley’s classes. “I offered her guidance on where she should apply, what bumps she might hit and discussed how to make her application stand out from the other candidates,” Holley wrote in an email.
Nagle was then notified that she would be interviewed for an internship for the weekly news show, This Week with George Stephanopoulos. While she did not get accepted to the internship, she found out shortly after that she had been chosen as an intern for Martha Raddatz, the senior global affairs correspondent for the ABC News Bureau in D.C. and the moderator for the 2012 vice presidential debate. “I immediately accepted the position without an ounce of hesitation,” Nagle said. “It was such an amazing opportunity that there was no way that I could turn it down.” Nagle said she learned a great deal from her internship at ABC, as it was the first time she was on her own. Because she didn’t know anyone in D.C., she said she was able to learn a lot about herself and what she was capable of. Raddatz, she said, was also extremely supportive. “She really took me under her wing, and did everything she could to make my internship the best it possibly could have been,” she said. She also said she learned how “important and underratedly hard work can be.” However, interning at ABC did not come without its challenges. Nagle said it was hard to not be intimidated by the idea of working at ABC, and working with people who she had watched and idolized while developing her own skills in journalism. “It was overwhelming, but I learned so much by just observing and being around such talented people,” she said. Nagle said her internship at ABC also helped her widen her options for the future. Before the internship, she was certain that she wanted a job reporting on camera. However, after exposure to more jobs within the field, she is now exploring and applying for a wider range of jobs when she graduates in May. Back on campus, Nagle’s supporters are very proud and impressed with what she has done. Holley said she also saw changes in Nagle’s confidence levels following her time with ABC.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOLLY NAGLE
Left: Molly Nagle, senior in Media, stands with George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos (right). Right: Molly Nagle, senior in Media, poses with her mentor, ABC’s Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz (right), at the 2014 White House Correspondents Dinner. “What Molly has gained the most from my perspective is a tremendous boost in confidence as a journalist and in her ability to obtain high-profile internships and jobs,” she said. “I believe she now has more faith in her abilities and while she was no slouch in this department before her internship, she has enhanced her talents in broadcast journalism. Molly proved to herself the high quality of work she was capable of while gaining the respect of some of the best broadcast professionals in the world.” Hogue agrees. “It takes great courage to step away from college for a semester, especially when it involves relocating to a new city,” Hogue said. “But when the rewards greatly outweigh the risks, as her internship experience did, it is so worth it and she understood that.” In fact, Nagle said she was surprised by how easy it was to be away from school.
“Of course I had pangs of jealousy when I would see pictures of my friends together and having fun at school, but I was getting to experience so many cool things in D.C. that it was hard to justify the jealousy,” she said. Nagle said she would highly recommend to other students interested in applying for internships across the nation that they should “go for it,” because there’s no harm in at least trying. “I applied on a whim, and had no real intentions of anything ever coming of it,” she said. “But when the opportunity presented itself, I just went with it and figured it out as I went along. I never in a million years thought that I would get an internship at ABC, but I’m so grateful every day that I was given the opportunity.”
Abby can be reached at glickmn2 @dailyillini.com.
Dress the part and land your dream internship or job BY HANADI ABUNAIM STAFF WRITER
Whether students are searching for internships or jobs for after graduation, the spring career fairs are the place to make a good first impression— and looking the part can be the first step. According to Jennifer Neef, associate director of the Career Center, dressing well is a crucial component of making a good impression at an interview. “It’s important that students understand the expectations for the interview,” said Neef. “Almost all interviews are going to
be business professional, which will require a fullfledged suit.” However, business professional attire is specific to each gender, Neef said. “For females, it would typically be a pant suit or skirt suit. Ladies would include matching shoes, matching hosiery, conservative jewelry and makeup,” she said. “While for men, it would be a typical men’s suit with conservative colors like black, grey and navy. A little pop of color in the tie is great as well. For Ned Rooney, a senior in LAS, that “pop of color”
is his lucky orange tie. Business casual, on the other hand, warrants a different dress code. According to Neef, there are key differences between dressing “business casual” and “business professional.” Neef said a good rule of thumb is to match three pieces of clothing for both males and females. It is important to look into what the interviewers may expect out of your overall presentation for the interview, she said. She also suggests asking ahead of time to gauge what is and isn’t appropriate to wear.
Grace Kane, sophomore in Business, says “always play it safe and wear a suit.” She said she doesn’t bring her backpack to interviews, but rather brings a large purse and her portfolio to hold her paperwork. “I always bring extra copies of my resume,” she added. Neef has observed that you should consider what you wear in relation to the perceptions of the people who are interviewing you. “It’s important to understand that sometimes interviews are being conducted with people who are older than you are, maybe a gen-
eration or two. What they perceive as professional and acceptable may be different than what a student perceives as being acceptable,” she said. The weather plays another important determinant when deciding what to wear. In the winter, Neef suggests wearing boots when traveling to the interview and then changing into dress shoes before going into the interview to avoid scuff marks. Bringing an umbrella to fend off rain or heavy snow may also be an ideal solution.
Hanadi can be reached at habuna2@dailyillini.com.
“What (interviewers) perceive as professional and acceptable may be different than what a student perceives as being acceptable.” JENNIFER NEEF
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR THE CAREER CENTER
THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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Online portfolios create interactive resumes for potential employers BY MIKAYLA OSTENDORF STAFF WRITER
Along with resumes, cover letters and up-to-date LinkedIn profi les comes another important tool for self promotion: the online portfolio. The use for online portfolios can vary depending on the major, said Michele Plante, career services coordinator for the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Students in fi ne arts will include their personal statements, those in Urban Planning provide examples of their InDesign clips and landscape architecture students supply their work samples with explanations, she said. However, one thing remains the same across all fields: When it comes to creating an online portfolio, “each student needs to be aware of industry standards and what individual employers value,” Plante wrote in an email. “A student interested in print design jobs will use a different approach than a student interested in mobile app design jobs.” For Taylor Carlson, graphic designer and senior in FAA, an online portfolio is a forum to showcase career-related skills through projects, jobs and work done outside the classroom. A portfolio also allows students to visually show what they work on, by “giving a face to yourself” that may be more than just a written clip. Additionally, an online portfolio is a way to expand upon your resume with concrete evidence of what you’ve accomplished, said Sean Keane, senior in urban and regional planning. Keane, who will graduate in May, created his portfolio this academic year to better market himself to potential employers.
“It shows you took the initiative to showcase what you can do, rather than just saying that you can do it,” Keane said. In starting a profile, Plante recommends that students review job opportunities and then display necessary skills in their portfolio. Plante said to be selective on uploaded projects, by tailoring “your portfolio carefully based on what would appeal to your ideal employer.” Online profiles can aid in the job search, as they provide substance to skills that one claims to have, Keane said. In this way, it “shows initiative to the employer.” For Manish Singh, a graduate student in urban planning, the essential things to include in an online portfolio are a resume, work samples, a short summary paragraph or bio page and contact information. However, it can be a disadvantage to create an online portfolio with a specific job in mind, he said. “(A portfolio) is a website
“Each student needs to be aware of industry standards and what individual employers value.” MICHELE PLANTE
CAREER SERVICE COORDINATOR
and you don’t know which employer is going to check it at what time, so you cannot customize it for every job,” Singh said. For this reason, he said he doesn’t change his portfolio for each job he applies for; rather, he keeps it current by updating his profile with his most recent projects.
PHOTO COURTSY OF :,(5 2,(5,
On the other hand, Carlson displays the projects she feels most strongly about, and switches around the content depending on where she applies for job opportunities. Another advantage of creating an online portfolio is the ability to display all work in one convenient place. “If you try to send all your projects as a PDF, you are limited with the number of pages, whereas in the online portfolio, you showcase all your projects ... and the employer has the option to go check each of them separately,” Singh said. There are a variety of outlets students can use to create a free online portfolio, including wix.com, weebly.com and strikingly.com. Students can also purchase a domain at a set rate. Plante recommends Squa respace.com, an online portfolio tool, since “the templates are visually sophisticated and the
drag-and-drop interface is extremely easy to use.” Carlson pays to use Squarespace, but claims the cost is worth it for her, as the site saves her a lot of time because it is easy to navigate and update. The outlet offers a simple interface that ensures that the site layout is not “louder than the project you showcase,” Carlson said. Singh uses wix.com, but pays $75 a year to host his own domain. He said he likes the drag-and-drop feature, and the number of templates that the site provides. Keane uses strinkingly. com, which he also believes is user-friendly. He said it took him less than a week to complete the whole profile. “I’m by no means tech savvy with website design, and I had no problems. It’s kind of intended for portfolios and people who aren’t too familiar with websites,” Keane said. Plante said that it’s all about using the most effective and appropriate tool to
reach an audience. “Once you have a portfolio, market it,” Plante said. This can be achieved by including the portfolio URL on a LinkedIn profile and Facebook page, Plante said. “Make it as easy as possible for employers to email you — put your email link on every page, don’t make employers fill out a form. So what if you risk getting some spam?” Plante said. Plante also suggested placing your resume on the website. “I’ve seen some students forego a resume in favor of using an ‘about me’ page, talking about their childhood experiences. An employer wants to hear you’re a person, but more importantly, they care if you have the skills to perform the work,” Plante said. Singh said an online portfolio also helps him share work samples so that employers can see the kind of quality he can produce. This, Singh said, leads to a more efficient interview process,
because employers can be prepared with questions from viewing the interviewee’s portfolio, and the interviewee can gauge the type of questions that will be asked. “It helps both the employers and the interviewee,” Singh said. The biggest benefit for Singh is that an online portfolio allows for sharing “work with more confidence, to anyone at anytime.” An online portfolio is not restricted to design students, as Carlson, Keane and Singh all agree that it can be beneficial for anyone, regardless of major. It is an opportunity to show personality online, so Keane recommends making the profile unique by personalizing “it to your goals and what you want to do with it. I don’t think any time is too early, even freshmen. It’s just a good way to get your name out there and kind of brand yourself,” Keane said.
Mikayla can be reached at ostndrf2@dailyillini.
THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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