Getting EXCITED about getting EXPERIENCE

As the trees begin to blossom and the grass becomes greener every day, a lot of us are distracted by what is going on OUTSIDE. Spring semester is coming and going faster than we may think, and you may be thinking more about your summer or future break plans. The great news is we are here to help you figure out how to start gaining some experience OUTSIDE the classroom.

Your degree and classwork are very important to your career path, however they are not solely reflective of your skills. Classes are great for theorizing, time management, and providing background knowledge in your major. Gaining experience helps you to be more self-aware and discover what you are looking for in the future. You may enjoy working on a computer, but learn through an experience that you want to work more with people. This is always better to do sooner rather than later in what we call the “real world.”

Employers are consistently looking for work and relevant experience on a student’s resume. You can gain experience through a variety of ways, including: internships, externships, summer jobs, co-ops, volunteer experience, extra-curricular activities, student organizations and undergraduate research.

It is never too early to start gaining experience in your field of interest, so start as soon as you can! However, it is important for juniors and seniors to actively look for these experiences, as they are entering the work force much quicker than underclassmen.

Research before and during your experience searching is key. Be sure to understand the types of jobs that would be a good fit for your interest and skills. Once you have an understanding for what you are looking for, you can tailor your searches better. 

In keeping an open mind, learn to think beyond your major. Check out our post graduation report to see what other graduates are doing after graduation, and possibly what companies they are with as well.

Career Services has other resources that can help you in your job and internship search. All of these resources are linked through our website.

Hokies4Hire

• Hokies4Hire is a database that lets students search for co-ops, internships or full-time positions that have been posted by employers specifically looking to hire Hokies.
• The database also allows you to participate in the on campus-interviewing program, and post your resume to the online resume database.
•  https://www.myinterfase.com/vt/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fvt%2fstudent

Career Shift

• A comprehensive online resource that allows you to bring everything together to search for jobs in once place and you can save your searches. Great for location specific or industry specific searches and you can find contacts at a particular organization.
•  http://www.careershift.com/Default.aspx?sc=VT

GoinGlobal

• This resource allows you to search for international job postings and tips on relocating to a new country, as well as over 40 major U.S. cities.
• https://www.career.vt.edu/scripts/GoingGlobal/login.asp

The important thing to keep in mind when attaining these positions is to keep your options open. Know that there is no one-way to search for experiences and you can create your own path. But you never know where experiences might take you, with whom they might connect you, and what skills you will gain along the way!

To find out more about how to attain experience, start with this site: http://www.career.vt.edu/Experience.html

Meet Our New Blogger

Samantha DiBiaso, currently a junior at Virginia Tech, is writing some posts for our blog this semester. She plans on graduating next year with a double major in Public Relations and Religion and Culture, with a minor in Leadership and Social Change. In her free time, she loves running, crafting, and enjoying a movie night with family and friends. As a Career Services Peer Career Advisor, she truly enjoys getting to meet new people every day and provide them with the resources they need. Last summer she interned with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and after graduation she hopes to continue to serve others by working for a non-profit organization. This summer she cannot wait to lead a 3-week service trip to Peru, and then meet the new class of 2020 Hokies as an Orientation Leader at Virginia Tech.

Apply Some LUCK to Your Next Interview

Have you ever felt like you accomplished a goal because you just happened to be in the right place at the right time? In career development, a theory that embraces this idea is called planned happenstance. Last semester our advisors read more about this theory in a book, Luck Is No Accident.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day this week, here are some tips for you to have “the luck of the Irish” in your next interview.

Look for something you have in common with your interviewer. If you notice and mention something you share, you will make yourself and the interviewer feel more at ease. For example, if you had an interview with me and shared you liked the Monet print on my wall, we could discuss Impressionist artists. Or, maybe you see that your interviewer has a VT class ring, so you could ask a question about his favorite VT memory.

Use resources to research your interviewer(s) and the company. You will be more relaxed if you feel like you know a bit about your interviewer before you meet. Tap into the organization’s web site, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Google. And, CareerShift links you to articles where a contact is mentioned online. If you want to do in depth research, contact a reference librarian.

Come prepared to tell stories. Your stories make you different from all the other candidates. For example, as you talk about your perseverance, citing specific examples like you ran a marathon or you raised your GPA, will prove to the employer that you have that strength. Use the STAR formula where you describe a particular situation, the tasks involved, the actions that you took, and the results of the situation.

Keep on keeping on. All you need is one employer to make you an offer. If you are getting interviews, but not offers, meet with a career advisor to talk about your experiences. Consider doing a mock interview. We can videotape your interview and make suggestions. Use Interview Stream to work on your answers to questions you find challenging. Practice: the only way to get better at interviewing.

Follow these tips in your next interview, and see if a little luck comes your way. 

I say luck is when an opportunity comes along 

and you're prepared for it. 

Denzel Washington

Spring Break 2016 Bucket List: What Should You Add to Your List?

Are you ready for Spring Break yet? 

I know many of you have lots of tests or midterms to get through the week before you leave. As you make your final preparations for your Spring Break, do you have some things you want to accomplish during your week away? If you haven't thought about your "to do" list yet, check out our Spring Break Bucket List below. Which of these items do you need to mark off your list while you're gone on Spring Break?

Come see us in Career Services before you leave town if we can help you design some plans to get you on the right track to

• explore a new major, 
• look for a summer job or internship, 
• prepare for interviews for your first full-time job or 
• research graduate schools.

You can walk in to see us Monday through Friday for 10 Minute Walk-In Advising from 12 - 3pm, or call 540-231-6241 to make an appointment with a career advisor.

Let us help you launch your career plans! Now see how many of these you can check off during your Spring Break! Can you do all 26?

10 Things you want to know about RESUMES

A question that we all face during our college career is: “What do I put on my resume?” Building a resume can be complicated and confusing. We want students to be able to create strong resumes in order to really emphasize who they are, their skills and overall experiences. 

Below we have identified 10 tips and how to’s for your resume building skills.

1. One Page, No Problem - Your resume should be a concise and succinct document that summarizes your background and experiences. Most undergraduate resumes should be no longer than a page, but it also depends on your application. A curriculum vital can be used to help describe expansive detail on research or publications, which can allow you to use multi-pages. Additionally, federal job application resumes are expected to be longer than one page.

2. Who Are YOU? - The header of your resume should include your full name large and in bold so that it stands out. Additionally you want to include your contact information, consisting of your phone number, email address, current and permanent addresses. 

3. Let’s get to the Point - Your resume should be tailored towards the purpose of your application, whether you are applying for internships, scholarships or full time jobs. The objective of your resume can be stated at the top of the document, below your name, in which you identify the purpose of your resume. For example your resume objective might state, “To obtain a summer 2016 internship within the field of Psychology.”

4. Too cool for SCHOOL - You want to include your major(s), minor(s), list your school name (Virginia Tech or Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University), city and state, and expected graduation date. If you plan to list multiple schools, be sure to put them in reverse chronological. Typically, you want to include a GPA. Additionally, you can include study abroad experiences in your education section as well.

5. Remember When? - You want to format each of your experiences in the same way; try to always include your title, the company or organization name, the location, and the dates you were employed. Be sure to always list your experiences in reverse chronological order. You also want to utilize bullet points to describe the skills and responsibilities you gained during the experience. Additionally, do not forget to use present tense verbs for current positions and past tense verbs for prior experiences. Your experiences do not need to just be a paid job position; you can include class projects, volunteer work, internships, externships, part time jobs, and more.

6. Getting ACTIVE with Activities - In addition to your academics and job experiences, you may also want to include your other campus involvement. These could range from being a team captain for the Big Event, or playing for the club soccer team. Be sure to include any positions you have held, as well as the dates you have been a part of the organization.

7. Got SKILLS? - If applicable, you may want to list a variety of skills that you have gained from your experiences inside or outside the classroom. Avoid listing soft skills, like listening or communication skills. You should list language skills and technical skills, which would include computer programs or laboratory procedures.

8. References: Yes or No? - You do not need to include references or write “references upon request” on your resume. A reference list should be on a separate document and would be asked for by your inquiring employer.

9. Tips ‘n’ Tricks - Be sure to use italics, bold and underlining to emphasize specific details on your resume. Use font that is easy to read and stick to between 10-12 point fonts. Additionally, be sure to stay consistent with punctuation and formatting throughout the resume.

10. Brag about, YOU! - Utilize your resume to share with employers the skills and strengths you have to offer them. It can be difficult to include everything on one page, or you may have a hard time thinking of things to include. It is always helpful to have someone else look at your resume before submitting it to a professional to help you with those issues.

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Your resume can open the door for interviews, but it is just one tool and one part of the internship or job search process. Be sure to use these tips as a starting point for building your resume. After you have begun the process, stop by Career Services during walk-in advising hours for additional help on your resume, including: critiques, grammatical editing, and answering any other questions you may have. Walk-in advising is Monday-Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and there is no appointment necessary. If you need extra tips on building a resume before you come in, be sure to visit our website. We can’t wait to see where your resume takes you!

The Ideal Candidate? Is it YOU?

Lately I've been doing a lot of mock interviews. During these practice sessions, I ask students to share with me the questions they plan to ask during an interview. After all, an interview is a two-sided conversation, where you should have some questions prepared to ask as well as the interviewer.

No, I don't have the answers to students' questions, but I can evaluate their queries, letting the student know if each question is one that should or should not be asked. As we consider their questions, I am often asked about my favorite question to ask in an interview. My go to question is some sort of variation of this one (I've used it more than once, and I've gotten the job):

Would you please describe the ideal candidate for this position?

Or some variation of this like What does it take for an employee to be successful in this position? How would you describe an ideal employee? Questions like these let you know what it is that the employer is seeking...what fits.

I've been on hiring committees for lots of positions in the over 25 years of my professional career. I can count on one hand though, and it's less than five, the candidates who have used this question and the employer's response to their advantage. For, after the employer answers your ideal candidate question, then it's your turn to sell yourself. Let's say a recruiter replies she seeks a skilled problem solver, a strong communicator, a team player and someone with leadership experience.

When the hiring manager finishes this description, you reply, "You mentioned you are looking for a problem solver. Just last week in a group project, I had to put my problem solving skills to work,.."(going on to describe what you did). "I feel like I've been able to develop my communication skills this year in my senior design project where we have to make presentations at least every 3 weeks. And, for the entire time I've been at Virginia Tech, I've played on intramural teams, where I currently serve as the captain of my basketball team..." and go on and share what that involves. You get the picture. Demonstrate to the employer how you fit the ideal. That's what they want to know. Who fits what we are looking for the best?

If the employer shares an ideal quality or experience that you don't have, you just don't mention it, or you can talk about what a quick learner you are with a specific example where you had to understand something at a fast pace.

Another good strategy with a question is to let an employer know you've done research in your question. "I read about your new office in Raleigh, NC. Would I have the opportunity to work in this position there? What are your plans for that location?" This proves to the employer you are genuinely interested in the opportunity and in the organization.

If you need more ideas for questions to ask in an interview, visit our website. Be sure you have a fair amount of questions to ask, as some may be answered by a recruiter as they describe a position and the organization before you have a chance to ask them.

In your next interview, go prove how you fit by discovering the employer's ideal.

What's your go to question in an interview? Let us know if you have a new one to add to our list.

Are you ready for Spring Career Fairs? The first fair is Jan. 27!

If you are still looking for an internship or full-time position, there are over 10 career fairs during Spring Semester! Not sure what fairs are being held this semester? Find out here.

To help you prepare for all these fairs, we've updated our Career Fair Bucket List that we shared during fall semester. Be sure you check all these off your list! Come see us in Career Services to get your resume reviewed and to talk about steps to take to prepare for all the fairs.