50,000 Pageviews! Thanks, Hokies and Readers

More than four years ago, I had a dream to start this career advising blog. Earlier this week, we reached the milestone of 50,000 pageviews.

How did this blog get started? I went to a session at a conference presented by a colleague from JMU who shared how she used a blog to pass on academic advising information to her advisees, which got me thinking that I could do the same with career advice. With the help of Ariel Cohen, VT Computer Science graduate, who at the time was a Career Services Intern, I was able to start this blog. Since that time, five Career Services Peer Career Advisors have helped me continue to write articles for this blog.

Thank you! 

Thanks, Ariel and PCA team of writers, for helping me sustain this project.

Thanks to the students, advisors, instructors, staff and colleagues who have shared our posts.

Kudos to my family for putting up with my time spent writing and talking about this blog and for reading some of my content.

And, a big shout out to the Virginia Tech Career Services team, to my supervisor, Amy McPherson, and to our Director, Donna Ratcliffe, for your support of my work on this blog.

Please keep on reading! We'll keep writing!

Graduated. New Job. What’s next?

A few weeks ago, I met with Jason (name changed), a May 2016 graduate preparing to head to California for his new engineering job. As he made his last minute preparations for his move, he had a big question for me: what should he be doing now?

When I heard Jason ask that, it made me think of one of my favorite television series that lots of you may watch on Netflix: The West Wing. In that show the US President, played by Martin Sheen, regularly asks this question of his White House staff: 

What’s next? 

After his staff tackles some big presidential initiative, the President is already looking toward the future.

What’s next for you?

As you make “Hokie tracks” to your future in your first professional position, here are 5 next steps to plan to take.

Join a professional organization and get involved. You’re not in college any more. You don’t have your classes or student organizations to keep you informed of changes in your field. How are you going to stay up to date? Professional organizations are a great way for you to stay on the cutting edge of your field and also build stronger leadership skills by getting involved.  Unsure which organization to join? Ask colleagues, ask your professors, do research.

Look up the local VT Alumni chapter and attend activities. Staying connected with other Hokies may make you feel more at home even if you are hundreds of miles away from campus. Most chapters hold events regularly where you can get to know local alumni. Hokies love helping Hokies, so this is a great way to surround yourself with members of the Hokie Nation.

Find a mentor…more than one! When I bring on a new professional, I connect the professional with a couple of mentors: one more experienced coworker and one newer colleague in our office. If your supervisor or employer doesn’t take care of this, then seek out a couple of people you feel you can go to for advice. It’s smart to have several mentors with varying perspectives and levels of experience. My mentors at work have been and continue to be a huge help to me.

Update your resume and your LinkedIn profile. As you begin your new role at work, update your resume with your VT GPA, information about your new position and any other items you need to add. Be sure to also revise your LinkedIn profile. Make these revisions an annual occasion so you keep your resume and profile current.

Attend a conference or training program. As you begin your position, find out your employer’s policies and support for professional development. In our office we have a budget for professional development which supports our attendance at conferences or training programs. Continuing to learn and build your skills and network of contacts are critical to professional and personal growth.

Let us know in Career Services if we can help you as you navigate your first few months in a new position. And, if you have questions before starting your first job, come see us like Jason did, or give us a call. We’re here to help you start your job on the right Hokie track.

Transitioning to the Real World—Being Professional

Starting your first job can cause a lot of anxiety. It can be difficult to know what’s right and wrong and what you’re supposed to do. Learning professional skills will come as you start to get used to the workplace, however we have some tips to help make it a smoother transition.

Before you start

Well before your first day, ask what the dress code is. Make sure you’re dressed nice and look put together. Also ask where and to whom you’re reporting and how parking works. The night before your first day, put your outfit together and make sure everything is ironed. Bring a notebook and pen, lunch, and any requested documents and identification with you. Arrive a few minutes early and be sure to ask questions when needed.

Learn the culture

It may take a while, but it’s important to try to understand the structure of the organization. Learning about if people have different expectations of each other and communicate differently based on the organizational hierarchy is something that can influence how to go about work on a daily basis.

Share ideas
Something that can be nerve wracking for new professionals is figuring out when their ideas are worth sharing and when to share them. This again depends on the organization and how comfortable you are, but it’s important to show your worth by introducing new ideas. This doesn’t mean that you should rock the boat or attempt to make a stir in the organization, but that you should gradually share more ideas and be innovative in a respectful way.

Know supervisor expectations

It’s also important to ask your supervisor how they would like to be contacted and how often they would like you to update them on your progress. It can be an adjustment not having someone checking the status of your work regularly, so figuring out your supervisor’s expectations for checking in can ease that transition.

Find a mentor

 It’s a good idea to seek out mentors when you first start a job. Mentors don’t have to be people who are higher up in the organization than you or your boss. A mentor is someone who you believe can help guide you and relate to your experiences. For instance, another fellow new employee may be a mentor to you.

Transitioning from being a student to a new young professional can be challenging, but with some confidence, awareness, and a little bit of research, the transition can be a smooth one.

Hokies4Hire 101

"Have you heard about Hokies4Hire?" Many of us have heard about Hokies4Hire, but do we really know what it is all about?

What is Hokies4Hire?

Essentially, Hokies4Hire is a job search database exclusively for Hokies. This database is a tool to connect Hokies with potential employers, academic or career opportunities, events, and other resources. As a student, you can post your resume for employers to view. You can view and apply for a variety of internships, co-ops, and post-graduate jobs with employers who want to hire Hokies. 

Why use Hokies4Hire?

Through Hokies4Hire, you can locate a specific employer's contact information. You can also access listings for intern, co-op, part-time, full-time, and federal work study positions. Hokies have the opportunity to share their resumes with potential employers through Hokies4Hire, as well as sign up for information sessions and events. Even more, students have the opportunity to participate in the On-Campus Interviewing Program. 

"Hokies4Hire is such a great job search tool for students. You can find anything from a part-time job on campus, to a full-time job after graduation. It's easy to navigate, and the employers are looking for Virginia Tech students so you get real results!" ~Kate Ward, Human Development 

What is the On-Campus Interviewing Program (OCI)? 

Each year, 250-350 employers send representatives to campus for student interviews. These interviews take place at the Smith Career Center during 8-10 weeks of the fall semester, and 7-9 weeks of the spring semester. These interviews are for post-graduation jobs, internships and co-ops that students can apply for. Students need to apply for each job of interest 2-3 weeks prior to the interview date. 

What's my next step?

Complete your profile today! Visit https://www.myinterfase.com/vt/Account/LogOn 

Sign in with your VT PID. Once your profile is complete, upload your resume and start searching for opportunities! Our Hokies4Hire Quick Start Guide will help you get started. 

To learn more visit: http://www.career.vt.edu/H4H-OCI/H4HIndex.html

GPA 2.0 The Resume Dilemma

There is a myth about listing GPAs on resumes that goes around our campus every year. Let's see if you've heard it:

 "If your GPA is less than a 3.0, leave it off your resume." Sound familiar? Do you agree?

WRONG! 

Why? If you leave your GPA off your resume, an employer is likely to believe you have a 2.0 GPA. Let's say you are like Jason (not his real name), a recent alum I heard from, who graduated with a 2.98 GPA. That's a whole lot better than a 2.0. I say list the 2.98 GPA on your resume so the employer doesn't assume this number is much lower.

A few GPA tips for your resume:

Present the highest GPA first. If you list both your In-Major GPA and your Overall GPA with your degree information, share the higher number first. Your resume is your advertisement, so sharing the best view of your performance first makes sense. Don't know your in-major GPA? Check Hokie Spa, your DARS or visit your academic department or advisor for assistance.

Consider listing a more specific GPA. Did one of these apply for you freshman year?

• You majored in having fun: 
• You were in the wrong major; OR
• You took a while to get used to college course demands. 

Then, after your first year, did your grades begin an upward spiral? If yes, then think about calculating your GPA for a certain number of hours. Here's a sample:

BS, Finance, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Expected May 2016
GPA last 60 hours: 3.2, Finance GPA: 3.0, Overall GPA 2.75

Listing this kind of GPA works for employers or for graduate or professional schools; your most current hours of study likely focus on your area of expertise.

Most recent semester been your best? Then, list GPA Fall Semester 2015 3.51 before listing your overall and/or in major GPAs.

Let's talk numbers. In math class, we learned all about rounding numbers. When you list your GPA in your resume, you do not want to round. If your GPA is a 2.9999, then list your GPA as a 2.99. You only need to share 2 percentage points, and in this case, you do not want to round up to a 3.0, which leads me to my next point...

About employer GPA requirements. Some employers get such large volumes of applications that they have to use a mechanism to pare down the number of candidates. Some choose to use GPA requirements as their method to do this. Some require a 3.0 GPA, while others set the bar even higher. This really varies by employer where some do not have a GPA requirement at all. When we've asked employers about looking at a candidate who doesn't meet a GPA cutoff, the biggest selling point to get past this obstacle is relevant experience. If your GPA is not currently as high as you would like it to be, try to get as much experience as you can before you graduate, so you'll still be competitive as employers review your resume.

If you still have GPA questions, stop by Career Services for Walk-In Advising or make an appointment with an advisor. If you would like to view some samples of ways other students listed their GPAs on resumes, visit our set of sample resumes.

Let us help you present your qualifications, including your GPA, in a way that sells.

The Hokie Nation Stands...Thankful

Thought of these writings from a few years ago as I reflect on April 16, 2007. I wrote these after Virginia Tech police officer Deriek Crouse was shot in a parking lot across the street from our office in December 2011.

The Hokie Nation Stands. Live for the 32.

Know yourself, Know your journey

Marilyn vos Savant, who is known for having the highest recorded IQ according to the Guinness Book of Records, states, “Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” As individuals we tend to focus on “negative” traits we have, rather than identifying skills we have that are good. You may have a hard time being flexible and adaptable, but you forget your strengths in being structured and organized.

Becoming self-aware of your strengths is critical to your career development. Knowing your strengths allows you to utilize and benefit on the key components of your work ethic. Applying these strengths helps you to be more successful in your future professional development.

How you think, learn and study are all things unique to you. However, assessing your strengths on your own can be difficult. Virginia Tech Career Services provides students the opportunity to assess their strengths through a variety of self-assessments.

Strengths Quest: http://www.dsa.vt.edu/aspirations/strengths/

This assessment categorizes you into your top five strengths, out of over 30 possible strengths. Strengths could range from Positivity and Responsibility, to Strategic and Learner. According to their website, “Gallup has created resources to help you develop and use your strengths to achieve greater success in academics, in your career, and in life.”

Myplan.com: http://www.myplan.com/

This assessment focuses on interests, values, personality type, and skills in order to see a journey in to a unique career path for you. Overall, the assessment fits your strengths with career fields. You can take the assessment for free through Career Services.

Do What You Are: This assessment can be given through an appointment at Career Services

The assessment is based on your initial preferences to certain values and traits. When you take this tool, you have the possibility of being one of 16 different personalities. After finding your results, you can be categorized into personality areas that fit best with certain areas of study and work.

You never know what strengths you have, that maybe you don’t even consider as strengths. It is important for you to understand these strengths when deciding and exploring your future journey. Identifying your strengths can help lead you down the path that suits you best. The positivity of focusing on your strengths, rather than your weaknesses, can open so many doors of possibilities.

Be sure to make an appointment with an advisor at Career Services to better help you understand your self-assessments and strengths. To find out more about who you are and your strengths, check out the links provided in this page of our Career Services web site: http://www.career.vt.edu/MajorCareerExploration/SelfAssessment.html