LinkedIn Profile or a Personal Web Site: 10 Ways to Run the Table with LinkedIn

Over the weekend I was talking to my son, Preston, a Hokie who is into all things technological. He shared that he had read a recent article where hackers debated the benefits of being on LinkedIn: they supported having a personal website rather than a LinkedIn presence. A personal web site is a great tool to showcase your work as well as your skills in site development. But, in billards terms, you can "run the table" by having a profile on LinkedIn and using the site. Here are 10 ways:

Grow your online presence by getting involved in LinkedIn group discussions in a professional organization that relates to what you want to do.

Looking for a job or internship? Start a discussion in the official VT Alumni LinkedIn Group to see if an alumnus could assist you.

Members of LinkedIn groups can post jobs visible only to members. Search for jobs in the groups you join.

Want to live in Charlotte? Locate alumni in LinkedIn by location by accessing alums using the toolbar: NETWORK, Find alumni.

If you share group work you've done in Projects in your profile, you can link to the members of your team who also have LinkedIn Profiles.

Doing research on a new product for your boss? Start a discussion in your LinkedIn groups to get feedback from current users of the product. 

Interested in working for a particular employer? Follow the employer in LinkedIn.

Have an interview? In LinkedIn, search for alumni who work for that employer prior to your interview to get the inside scoop.

Making connections with alumni or others is easier than trying to search for contacts using other resources. The #1 way jobs are found is through personal contacts.

To win at one version of billiards, the 8 ball is hit in the pocket last, which is why this list is a bit out of order. A final plus for LinkedIn: everything is in one place for your job search: your profile reads like your resume, your summary includes information you would share in a cover letter and recommendations are shared from your references. Everything is all there for an employer to view. 

Organizations are using LinkedIn to look for candidates. Don't get "behind the 8 ball." Let an employer find YOU on LinkedIn! 

Need help getting started with LinkedIn? Visit this site. Come see us in Career Services for a critique of your profile or to get more tips on using LinkedIn. Call 540-231-6241 to make an appointment. 

Do you have a VT Bucket List? Try these before you graduate or leave for the summer!

There is so much to experience and enjoy while you are here at Virginia Tech, fitting everything in can be difficult. Having said that, Wetfeet.com, a huge career planning/job search site and editor of career-related books, published this Graduation Bucket List, which has some great tips to help you prepare for the big day you’ve been waiting for…entering the REAL WORLD or going on to graduate school. There is so much great advice in their list, like #10, learn how to tie a tie! 

The last time I taught our career class, I shared my Bucket List for VT, the Burgs and Beyond:

1. Eat at Mike’s Grill.

2. Go tubing on the New River.

3. Hike the Cascades.

4. Have a picnic at the Duck Pond.

5. Tour Smithfield Plantation.

6. Go to a wine tasting at Chateau Morrisette.

7. Spend an afternoon at Rocky Knob and Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

8. Drive up to Mountain Lake.

9. Have a meal at The Homeplace.

10. Go to at least one sports event a semester.

11. Attend at least one play, concert or other event that you would not normally go to.

12. Participate in at least one community service project while you are at Tech.

13. Study and/or travel abroad if you have the chance.

14. Get to know an international student.

On the last day of my class, I also usually hand out words of wisdom. Previously I had used Max Ehrman's The Desiderata of Happiness which I first read when I was a senior in high school, years ago.Other times I used Bill Gates’ Rules, but I decided I’ve been around about as long as Mr. Gates now, and have my own advice to share, so here are my words of advice:

Get out of your comfort zone—that’s where you really learn.

Don’t be shy. You miss out on lots of opportunities if you are.

Ask. The worst answer you will get is NO!

Speak up. Your idea might be one no one else has thought of.

Look for the good in everyone you meet. Sometimes it’s harder to find, but it’s there.

Say thank you! So few people do. You often will make someone’s day if you take the time to say or write a word of thanks to someone. And, thank whoever helped get you to here.

Don’t make someone look bad or say they are wrong in front of others—it makes you look bad as well as her/him.

When doors are closed, there usually really is a window still open. Sometimes you just have to find it. Times of adversity are where you grow and find out who you really are.

Stay in touch with your friends and family. The best gift you can give someone is time that you spend with him/her.

Give back. It will make you feel better AND help the world.

Always dance. Don’t take yourself so seriously.

"Happy Trails to you until we meet again," and come see us in Career Services if you need our help along your trail.

We reach a milestone! Thanks and Guess What Our Top 3 Posts Are?!

Last week, our blog reached a milestone: 15,000 views! We are excited to have reached so many of you seeking career advice since our first post over a year ago. Thank you to the people who helped us reach this milestone, and keep reading for our 3 our most popular posts that you may have missed!

8 Key Thank Yous:

At the top of my list to thank is Ariel Cohen, Computer Science senior, and my former Career Services student intern. Without Ariel, there would be no blog! Ariel, thanks for jumping on board and sticking with this. It's been such a valuable learning experience for both of us.

Heather Patterson, Assistant Director of Student Services at James Madison University's Career and Academic Planning office, did a presentation about using blogs in our roles as advisors at a meeting here on campus 2 years ago. She was the catalyst who put this idea in my head to use a blog as a way to convey information that I often share with students. Thank you, Heather!

My supervisor, Amy McPherson, is a great supporter of this project. Thanks for being so empowering, Amy. And, our Director, Donna Ratcliffe, is a vocal fan of our work on this blog as well. Thank you!

Our blog is linked on the landing page of the Career Services website, due to the work of Catherine Copeland, our webmaster. Thanks for positioning the link to our blog where students, alumni, faculty and staff, are only a click away.

Social Media team of Career Services Katie Steuer, Kelly Shannon and their team of student workers have shared numerous posts via the Career Services Twitter and Facebook accounts. Thanks for the retweets and shares.

One of my key responsibilities this year is to serve as the Career Services Liaison to the College of Engineering. In this role, I work to grow relationships with a group of faculty and professional advising staff in the College who teach and advise engineering students. I have often shared posts with them which they have passed on to their students. Many thanks, Engineering Advisors.

"What are you doing?" asks my husband. "Working on a blog post," I say. So goes some of our time together on a regular basis for over the past year. Thanks to our families AND friends, who have been such great backers of our efforts, passed on posts to more friends and listened to our excitement about our blog without acting bored.

And, our largest amount of gratitude goes to....

You, our readers! THANK YOU! Let us know if there is a topic you would like us to address.

TOP 3 posts--career fairs are popular!

Ready for the Career Fair Game? Play Your Cards Right infographic

The Career Fair is Over. What’s Next? Job Search 5.0

One of your best tools at a career fair: the Elevator Speech

In closing, here is our Summer To Do List from last year to help you gear up for your summer.

And, thanks again for reading. 

Millenials as Slackers? Not most Hokies!

We’ve all heard the stereotypes for your generation of Millennials. One of the top labels for Generation Y is that you're slackers. This semester, I started to really question this label after meeting with so many students who blew me away: the junior, who is an assistant manager at an on-campus dining center, holds an incredibly high GPA and wants to be a doctor. Or, the first year engineering student who is already doing undergraduate research, has a stellar GPA and met with me to talk about finding an internship. I could keep going on with this list, but you get the picture. Want to find some driven Millennials?  Hokies fit the bill.

Our Division of Student Affairs is working on a new initiative to ensure all you Hokies have five key qualities before you complete your undergraduate education. While you follow a curriculum in your majors, a “course plan” is being created for outside your major, that centers around key aspirations for student learning; this new program will go through a test run with some entering students this fall. Although this program is new, these aspirations have been in place for a while. For the past three years, Student Affairs has recognized students who are already embracing these five areas with ASPIRE! Awards.

To give you an idea of what some of your fellow Hokies have been up to, I’ve highlighted a 2013-14 ASPIRE! Award recipient for each aspiration.

Commit to unwavering Curiosity: Virginia Tech students will be inspired to lead lives of curiosity, embracing a life-long commitment to intellectual development. Families with infants in Malawi will be better off thanks to Ashley Taylor’s unwavering curiosity where she is working on a team designing an infant resuscitator to help newborns.

Pursue Self-Understanding and Integrity: Virginia Tech students will form a set of affirmative values and develop the self-understanding to integrate these values into their decision-making. Camryn Sorg has stayed true to her value of building sustainable communities through the ten weeks she spent at a school in Peru and an internship in Virginia Beach’s Environmental and Sustainability Office.  

Practice Civility: Virginia Tech students will understand and commit to civility as a way of life in their interactions with others. After Kelly Berry heard of one student’s plight living out of a gym locker and the library, she pursued creation of 209 Manna Ministry at the Wesley Foundation that provides food for students in need.

Prepare for a life of Courageous Leadership: Virginia Tech students will be courageous leaders who serve as change agents and make the world more humane and just. Wes Williams is a change agent in human trafficking where he invented AboliShop to bring together opponents of human trafficking, and he is continuing his efforts working for change.

Embrace Ut Prosim as a way of life: Virginia Tech students will enrich their lives through service to others. Chris Atkins took being the 2013 Virginia Tech Homecoming King to a whole new level with his “King for a Cause” campaign, raising funds and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and sharing his crown with seven year old, Nathan Orban, who is battling cancer.

The list above is just a handful of this year’s honorees, as well as the 1000’s of other Hokies who do so much more than get their degrees. Indeed, on the first Saturday in April, maybe you were one of the 7800 Hokies who gave their time to the local community through the 13^th annual Big Event where student participants had a hand in almost 900 community service projects. 

Millennials as slackers? The next time someone says this to you, tell them to come visit Virginia Tech--The Hokie Nation can definitely prove them wrong, can't we?! After all, we're not just driven for ourselves, but also we're doing it for the 32.

My dear friend and former co-worker, Barbara K Tipton wrote a poem after April 16, 2007. Here are Barbara's moving words:

Hokies' Spirits Never Die

Barbara Kregloe Tipton

April 30, 2007

Hokies, Hokies, Hokies Die

Leaving us to wonder why

Victims of a hellish fate

The demon did not hesitate

We saw our sacred hallowed hall

Now shrouded in a deathly pall

Too many injured too few survived

The devil’s carnage had arrived

Those who call this campus home

Though thousands strong felt so alone

Then the world came to us from far and wide

To shoulder the burden and stand by our side

They shared their prayers and gave us strength

They vowed to stay with us at length

To give us peace, comfort and relief

To ease the anger, pain and grief

No reason we have for so many lost

We that remain will pay the cost

Too quickly did they all depart

Now they’ll live within our hearts

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie high

Hokies sailing through the sky

Soaring up to Heaven’s door

Hokie angels forever more

After the shock we sought to blame

Our need was great to judge and shame

One grievous gunman acting alone

But he had demons of his own

With time and courage we will forgive

But we’ll not forget as long as we live

With broken hearts we said goodbye

But Hokie Spirits never die.

Questions YOU should be (and shouldn't be) asking at your next interview

It's a little late in the semester to be talking about interviewing, but this is an important topic for everyone.

Interviewing can be nerve-wracking, stress inducing, and sometimes even a little scary.  In the moment of panic, many people forget that this isn't just an employer seeing if you fit the company and the job - this is your chance to see if this job and company fit you.  Interviews can work both ways.

But how does one go about that?

Luckily for you, we've complied a list of questions you should (and shouldn't) be asking to find if this company is the best fit for you.

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DO's
Here are five questions that can help you better understand the company you are interviewing with.  Some questions are more pertinent than others depending on your field, but all can be modified to fit your needs.

-Why the position is open?
Did someone quit?  Are they expanding?  This question can give you good insight on what to expect from this work environment.  If there is a low retainment percentage where people are coming and going constantly, there's a possibility this company either has little career building opportunities or an underlying problem that is pushing employees away.  However, this may not be an issue for those who like to move around.

- What is expected of me for the first six months? Year? Two years?
Since you are a college graduate, your employer knows that this is, most likely, your first professional full time job.  Some companies will throw you into the deep end on the first day and teach you to swim along the way.  Other companies will have a more formal training program and slowly lower you into the pool.  Either way is a valid method that works for many people, but what works best for you?

-What would the work product be of a highly successful person in this position?
This builds off of the last question.  You already have an idea of how work will start off, but what are they really looking for in someone applying to this position?  Will you be working long hours, or expected to be on call during the evenings or weekends?

- What kind of career development is available?
Although a bit more open ended than the previous questions, this is an especially important question for those who will be working in constantly changing fields.  Is there any mentoring available, formal or informal? Does the company provide any additional training?  What higher levels of responsibility can you expect? Does the company help you further education, or expect you to keep up to date on your own time?

-What the work environment is like?
Is this a formal office, or more relaxed without a dress code?  Are you expected to show up at a specific time, or are the hours flexible so long as you get your work done?  Are there any activities outside of work that promote teamwork?  What are the inter-relations within the company like?  For those of you who plan on starting a family, is the company family friendly?   Does the company have any extra curriculars that promote teamwork or building relations with your coworkers?  You'll be spending a good portion of your time in the office with your coworkers, so make sure it's the kind of environment that you can thrive in.

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DONT'S
Just as important as getting the information you need is not scaring your potential employer away.  Here are three questions you should not ask during your interview:


-Don't ask questions that could be easily answered with a quick glance at their website
This makes you look lazy, or that you don't care about the company.  Take the time to at least briefly look at their website and get a sense of what their product is and where you would fit in.  It is alright to bring up something you saw on the website and ask for a clarification, but if the company is taking their time to get to know you, you should take some time to understand them as well.

-Don't inquire about money/benefits (unless the interviewer brings it up first)
This is incredibly tacky to ask about.  You can worry about the money when you have received an offer.

- When you can expect your first promotion 
Remember, this company is looking to hire you for a certain position.  Asking about how you can get out of that position as soon as possible makes you look ungrateful and uninterested in the position.  Why would they hire someone who doesn't even want the job?

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So keep these kinds of questions in mind for your next interview. Find what questions you think are more important to you, and don't be afraid to write them down on a piece of paper and bring it with you.  Best of luck!

Top Ten Reasons for LinkedIn to be Your Job Search BFF

Recently David Letterman, late night talk show host, announced he will be retiring in 2015. Although I used to be a night owl, as I’ve gotten older, I am rarely up late enough to watch the David Letterman Show, but I’ve always been a fan. I especially enjoy his Top Ten lists; to honor Dave, here is a new Top 10 to convince you to be on LinkedIn--it really should be your Job Search BFF (Best Friend Forever)!

Top Ten Reasons for LinkedIn to be Your Job Search BFF

10. Everything for your job search is all in one place. Your LinkedIn profile reads like your resume, your summary sells you like a cover letter, and your recommendations can be the same folks you share with employers in your reference list.

9. You can supply more details than those found in your resume and cover letter.  Your profile can include samples of your work and you can connect to members of a project team as you describe your handiwork.

8. You can access job listings especially targeting students for both internships and entry level positions through the LinkedIn StudentJobs Portal.

7. Want to work for Google? You can look for alumni who work for an employer you want to work for. Hokies love helping Hokies. If you find an alum working for your employer of choice you can reach out to the alum for assistance. To find alumni, click on NETWORK on the tool bar, and then "Find Alumni."

6. Are you planning to move to FL after you graduate? You can search for Hokies in LinkedIn by location. If you are a history major seeking to work in a museum and you find an engineering major working for Disney in FL, you could still touch base with the alum to seek if she/he has contacts in FL who would hire you. To find alumni, click on NETWORK on the tool bar, and then "Find Alumni."

5. Are you wondering what directions you might go as you start your job search? You can search alumni in LinkedIn by major. If you find someone in a position that is attractive to you, contact the alum to discover the path that got her/him to that position. To find alumni, click on NETWORK on the tool bar, and then "Find Alumni."

4. You can start a discussion about your job search in LinkedIn groups of which you are a member. Here's an example: “I am an econ major seeking an entry level business position in the Richmond area after I graduate this summer. If you know of any openings, please let me know.” You can also view job listings that may only be visible to your LinkedIn group.

3. The many research capabilities of LinkedIn. If you are interested in particular companies, you can follow them in LinkedIn, so you can keep up with news from that organization. Prior to an interview, you can also research the employer using LinkedIn. To get the inside scoop, you could see if any alumni work for the employer whom you could contact prior to your interview. To find alumni, click on NETWORK on the tool bar, and then "Find Alumni."

2. Your online presence will be professional. Have you ever googled yourself? An employer is going to do this before you are hired, and maybe even before your first interview. LinkedIn helps ensure that your online presence is positive.

And, the Number ONE reason LinkedIn should be your BFF as you look for a job:

Makes it SO easy to NETWORK, the top method job seekers use to get hired.

So, what are you waiting for? Create your profile in LinkedIn TODAY! Here are some tips to help you get started, and Career Services can help. Stop by for Walk-In Advising where we can critique your LinkedIn profile M-F, 12 – 3pm, or make an appointment with a Career Advisor by calling 540-231-6241. 

Never watched David Letterman? Here is a clip of one of his Top 10 Lists relating to the TV show, How I Met Your Mother, as the last episode recently aired. Thanks for the laughs, Dave! And to close off this post, here is a quote from Letterman:

"If you didn't believe it before - and it's easy to understand how you might have been skeptical on this point - if you didn't believe it before, you can absolutely believe it now: New York City is the greatest city in the world." - David Letterman, during his monologue on his first show back after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

Talking about job offers? Don’t be a fool!

April Fool’s Day. Make this the only day you’re a fool, especially when it comes to talking about your salary offer with an employer. Here are 5 tips as you discuss your offers

Do research. Prior to attending an interview, know your acceptable salary range. Why should you have a range in mind? Using a range helps you avoid pricing yourself out of a position or lowballing yourself, where the employer would have paid more. Here are some sites to reference as you do research:

VTPost-Graduation Report where you can view salaries of last year’s VT graduates with bachelor’s degrees by major

VTCo-op/Intern program salary report

Glassdoor.comwith self-reports about compensation

Salary.comwhere you can view salary by title and zip code

TheNational Association of Colleges and Employers has a similar site. For more resources, visit here.

Let the employer bring up salary first. There is an old saying about negotiation, “He who speaks first loses.” You want the employer to mention salary before you do. If you mention the topic first, you may come across as caring more about your compensation than about the position or the organization. Sometimes salary is not addressed during the interview process until the employer follows up with an offer—this has happened to me in most of my work life.

Avoid appearing greedy. Why do you believe your offer needs to be higher? Your financial obligations do not enter into the picture—you need to view this from the employer’s perspective. How do you add value which makes you worth more to the employer? Have you performed well above average in school while the offer is the average for your industry? Do you have a skill or experience that makes you more valuable to the employer? Talk in terms of what is reasonable or fair.

 Leverage other offers you have. If you are waiting to hear from your first choice employer, and have an offer from your second choice, contact your top choice to make the recruiter aware that someone else has made you an offer (don’t need to supply details),  and let them know that their organization is your top choice. Ask when they will have a decision. Let your first choice know the deadline you have to meet for the offer you have. You might have to say no to your first offer, before you get another offer. Don’t say yes until you are sure you are ready to say yes. It is considered unethical and unprofessional to renege on an offer (back out after accepting one). Doing so makes more than just you look bad, for to that employer, you represent Virginia Tech.

Get your offer in writing before you say YES. As you receive an offer, thank the employer and ask the employer to send you the offer in writing and to have some time to think. Even if you know you are going to say yes, ask to see the offer in writing first, to make sure you understand everything that is included in the offer. If you would like to talk over your offer, Advisors in Career Services are available to assist you. Call 540-231-6241 to make an appointment, or stop by during Walk-In Advising, from 12 – 3, Monday through Friday.  

We want you to be successful in the journey to your next position. Let us help you get to YES with an employer. What other questions do you have about salary offers?