Simmons College

Informational interviews can play an integral role in your job search! You create the opportunity to talk with people to gain a better understanding of your field of interest and at the same time create an opportunity to market yourself and "get known" to employers   (It's not surprising that hiring managers prefer to hire people who they know, or someone who they trust knows!).  What is an informational interview?  It is a half-hour meeting for which you prepare questions in advance and ask for career information, advice and referrals.  The purpose is NOT to ask for a job, but to research an industry, organization, or job role.

The benefits are many!  You gain an "insider's view" of the workplace, find out where you fit, and clarify your next steps. In addition you learn about skills needed to be effective and discover new opportunities.  All this with the added bonus of building your confidence for a job interview! 

Of course staying in touch after your meeting is key so that the employer will remeber you when an opportunity comes up. Keep your job search moving forward and enjoy meeting interesting professionals who are more than willing to help you by sharing information and advice. To get started, go to the CEC website featuring "How To" resources on networking and informational interviews. Also check out the Quint Careers tutorial on informational interviews and then consider setting up an appointment with a career coach.

Well, seniors - classes and exams are finished, it's Senior Week, the family's coming to town at the end of the week, and it's all over this Friday, so. . .C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S! Woo hoo! You made it.

So now what? Following on from Roxanne's previous post linking to a great compendium of advice for graduating seniors is this article. It comes from the US News & World Report's Money section "On Careers" column and carries an eyes-wide-open message:

"The good news is that this year's graduates are predicted to fare better than those graduating in previous years have. According to a recent Job Outlook survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire 13 percent more new college graduates than they did last year from the Class of '12. The bad news is we are still in a competitive job market. It is going to require more work and effort to land that first job out of college. Spraying and praying your résumé all over isn't enough."

What to do? Not to worry, says Career Sherpa Hannah Morgan, whose no-nonsense advice includes eight key tips. Here's a sample:

"Get real. You are not likely to land your dream job right out of college. In fact, your first several jobs are stepping stones. Learn from each experience what you like to do and what you don't. Don't hold out for the "perfect" job. The longer you are out of work, the tougher it may be. Build skills and experience any chance you can get." 

Love it. Read the entire piece here. And if you are still feeling pre-graduation jitters - or even post-graduation, for that matter - come in and visit us at the CEC, ground floor SOM/Academic building. That's what we're here for. We'll leave the light on for you.

PS If you haven't yet filled out the Class of 2013 Commencement Survey, join over 200 of your classmates and  take five minutes to complete it now - thanks.

Photo: Courtesy UndercoverRecruiter.com 

Well, it's that time of year and that time of your college career: you are a senior and you are about to graduate - yikes! Where did those four years go? And now you need a job. 

First piece of advice: don't panic! Check out this article for college seniors from career website QuintCareers founder Dr. Randall Hansen, who says: "Your job-search plan -- which you should develop and implement as soon as possible -- includes all the sources of job leads you intend to use, including informational interviews, your network of contacts, career services office, college professors, job fairs, job boards, and cold-calling. It also includes all the activities you need to accomplish before starting your job-search, such as polishing your resume and prepping for job interviews." 

In the article Hansen also recommends that college seniors visit their career services office - brilliant advice!  You've got terrific resources at your dipsosal right here at Simmons, starting with the CEC website but also including in-person coaching and the deep career resources found  on the Beatley Library website. The Careers section of the Library Guides houses dozens of guides within it either tailored to your major or on key career topics, such as Job Hunting Online, each with multiple links and articles to get you headed in the right direction.

Still don't know where to start? Need a friendly voice to talk to? Then contact the CEC and set up an appointment with a career coach. We're here for you - and now's the time! 

Photo: Courtesy Boston.com/iStockPhoto 

 With commencement less than 3 months away, many seniors have already started their job search, but others may be wondering how to begin. The first step in any job search is to be clear about what you want to do and be able to answer this question: "What are you looking for?"  A specific answer to that question becomes your job target.

If your answer is fairly general and hovers somewhere between "I don't know" and "something related to my major", begin by doing self-assessment and then follow up with some career exploration activities as outlined on the CEC Career Toolkit.

If your answer is more specific such as, "I'm looking for a communications position in the healthcare industry ", you'll want to uncover the various types of communications positions in the healthcare industry that are a good match to your interests and strengths.  Once you've done some online research, conduct informational interviews with contacts in the field to help you further clarify your answer.  Learn more about informational interviewing, and take the tutorial, by checking out Optimize Your Networking on the Career Toolkit.

A successful job search begins with clarity - a job target that includes a specific function, a specific industry and a specific geopgraphic location.  Once you can fill in the blanks and say, "I'm looking for a _____________(name of  position) in the _________ (name of) industry in _______________ (geographic location).", then you've taken the first step.

Get started on the NEXT STEPS in the job search, and download the CEC's Job Search Check List!

Do you want "just in time" access to a wealth of career information and advice? Then click on www.simmons.edu/cec to begin exploring the Career Toolkit. You can quickly zero in on information that you need NOW and find tools helpful in preparing for your career. Check out the topics below!

Assess Who You Are
Understanding yourself is the first step in identifying a good career fit. Learn about your values, interests, personality traits, and personal and professional goals.

Explore Majors & Careers
High-quality information leads to good decisions about your major and career path. Learn about online resources and gathering information from professionals in your field of interest.

Career coaches consistently tout the benefits of internships to our students; however, the best advocates for this experience are the students who have had an internship themselves. 

English, History, Modern Languages, Philosophy, and Women & Gender Studies majors enrolled in the internship course for their major, also took Humanities 370, a career course taught by the CEC.  Here's what a few of those students had to say about their internship experience this fall:

"It helped me become more confident in my overall abilities.  Working for a non-profit organization, you're asked to work on a myriad of projects.  It can be overwhelming, but I learned how to manage my work and finish it with time to spare.  I surpassed my own expectations and it gave me confidence to pursue anything I desire in the future." Veronica Kildare, English 2013.

 

 

Choosing a major can be challenging for some students because of the belief that an academic major ties you to a specific career path.  While some majors are preparatory for a particular career, for example, teaching or nursing, most other majors are not. Even those who start out in a particular career path may find that their career can change and evolve in unpredictable ways and that a major in nursing or education could eventually lead to other careers as well.

The best overall advice for choosing a major:  Choose a subject that really interests you and one in which you will do well. 

Here are some additional tips to help you decide:

1. Look at the things you love to do.   For example, are you very interested in art or have talent in this area? Then considering art or arts administration as a major may make sense for you. Likewise, if you often find yourself reading science-related articles, and loved lab during high school, you might want to consider a science major.

2. Explore what's important to you.  You'll find self assessment exercises on the Assess Who You Are page of the Career Toolkit that will help you uncover important themes.  The TypeFocus report gives you information about personality type preferences in regards to occupational fields, careers and suggested majors. The CEC also offers a College Major Scorecard assessment that can help you focus and decide on a field of study.

3. Talk to other Simmons students.  Speak with students who are pursuing majors that interest you.  You'll get honest information about what this major is like.  It's a great opportunity to learn about the classes and why others chose this major.

4. Do your homework.  Review the course requirements for a particular major. Do you need a certain GPA to apply for a major program? Are there certain prerequisites?  Does it require a practicum or field experience? Be honest about what you find out: Are you excited about taking the courses or do they seem uninteresting or too demanding for you?

5. Consider doing some career exploration.  Most employers are looking for students with transferable skills such as problem solving, written and oral communication, and critical thinking skills, rather than a specific major; however, it can be helpful to learn about career possibilities.  Check out What Can I Do With This Major?

6. Make an appointment with a career coach for advice and additional help with your decision.  A CEC career coach can help you decide what major is a good fit for you and assist you in exploring your career options.

Whether you are a first semester freshman just starting to think about and explore career opportunities or a senior finishing up in December and actively looking for a full-time job, you won't want to pass up these two golden opportunities to meet with recruiters who want to meet you!

On Wednesday, October 17, from 10:30-3:30 at BU's George Sherman Student Union on Comm Ave. you can meet with dozens of employers across all industries. Tune up your resume, your handshake, that big bright smile, and your elevator pitch and get on over there! All Simmons students welcome.

On Thursday, come join the CEC as the Peace Corps spends an entire day right here on campus, as follows:

>> Info Table - 11 am - 2 pm, Fens Lobby
>> Drop-in Hours - 2-3 pm, Campus Center
>> Info Session - 4-5 pm, M-106 (Career Resource Center) - Special guest appearance!

For those interested in attending the Peace Corps Info Session we ask that you please RSVP to the CEC at careers@simmons.edu or 617-521-2481.

Get more detail on these and other upcoming CEC events at our Events page. We hope to see you there!




Photo: Courtesy of Peace Corps
 

 

OK, so you may be just settling into those fall semester classes and not thinking too much about jobs right now. And, admittedly, the Army is not coming this time around.

But we do have a number of other exciting employers and their recruiters looking to meet with and hire Simmons students over the coming weeks of the fall semester. Here's a look ahead at the line-up of upcoming recruitment events, both on- and off-campus:

ON-CAMPUS

10/4 (Thu), AT&T
Info Table (11-2, Fens Lobby) and Info Session (4-5 pm, M-106)
Reps from America's first and foremost telecommunications firm will discuss their acclaimed Business Sales Leadership Development Program. A recent college graduate and current program participant will be in attendance.                                           

10/18 (Thu), PEACE CORPS
Info Table (11-2, Fens Lobby) and Info Session (4-5 pm, M-106)
Meet with representatives from the Peace Corps and learn all about America's overseas action corps. Includes anticipated cameo appearance at Info Session by special campus celebrity. . .   

10/22 (Mon), TEACH FOR AMERICA
Info Table (11-2, Fens Lobby) and Info Session (4-5 pm, M-106)
New on campus this year! Come learn about opportunities and the application process for positions with America's teaching corps, Teach for America.

OFF-CAMPUS

10/3 (Wed), NORTHEASTERN CAREER FAIR
4-6 pm - Over 200 employers registered to attend - Simmons students welcome!

10/17 (Wed), BU CAREER FAIR
10:30 am - 3:30 pm - 75-100 employers expected - Simmons students welcome!

10/24 (Wed), CCCOB COMMUNICATIONS CAREERS INFORMATION EXCHANGE  
5:30-7:30 pm - Roundtable career exploration event with reps from local firms in advertising, PR, social media, publishing, TV and radio, more. The six schools in the CCCOB (College Career Centers of Boston)  co-produce the event: BC, BU, Emerson, Emmanuel, Simmons, Suffolk. At Suffolk University, 120 Tremont (steps away from the Park Street Green Line stop).

So here's your chance to get out of the classroom and meet and greet these recruiters, looking to talk with YOU!  For more info on any of these events, visit the CEC website EVENTS page. For more info on how best to prepare for these events, you can start with the Career Toolkit on the CEC website or contact the CEC to make an appointment with a career coach at 617-521-2488 or careers@simmons.edu.

Good luck!