Ten questions to ask your career service office

Your Career Services Center has access to many resources that will help you in your career search.

Here are ten questions you might want to ask.

1. What help do you offer to help students find jobs and internships?
2. Does the office have videoconferencing capability for video interviews?
3. Is there help available for resume-writing and revision?
4. Does on-campus job recruitment take place? Are there job fairs, on-campus interviewing, or employer information sessions? What companies recruit here directly?
5. Can I practice interviewing skills or have a mock interview? Are mock interviews videotaped?
6. What resources are here that I may not know about but could benefit from?
7. I’m a freshman—what can I take advantage of at Career Services now to benefit my career in the future?
8. Is there a writing tutor available for help with cover letters, thank you notes, emails, and other communications with prospective employers?
9. What kind of workshops do you offer than might be of use to me?
10. How can I get the most out of our school’s partnership with Global Focus “U”?

Putting it all together with your school’s career services office

Finding a job or internship isn’t just an interaction between you and the recruiter. Your school’s Career Services Center is your strongest ally when it comes to landing the position you want. Career Services professionals are an invaluable resource—don’t let their expertise go to waste!

Three key areas in which your CSC can help are:

1. Resume review. Naturally, your CSC can help you polish your resume by pointing out which of your accomplishments will shine brightest to employers. They can also help you eliminate unneeded information to get that resume down to one pristine page—what most employers want to see.
2. Employer relationships. CSC personnel often have strong relationships with multiple companies that are interested in hiring candidates from your school. CSCs often deliver job postings from these companies to students, in addition to coordinating on-campus recruitment events.
3. Interview preparation. CSC staff can help you prepare for “the real thing” by holding mock interview sessions, during which you can practice what you want to say and receive constructive criticism on aspects you might improve. Your CSC may also be able to help you set up a virtual interview with a prospective employer through the Global Focus “U” system. Global Focus “U” uses InterviewStream to seamlessly connect job seekers and employers via online video conferencing. Your CSC staff can also direct you to Global Focus “U” company snapshots, concise summaries of all the pertinent information you need to know: employment prospects, training offered, educational assistance, and even the top qualities a company is looking for when they hire new employees.

Play to your strengths

Your aim is to be a “high-potential hire,” in recruiter-speak. In order to show employers that you’ve got what they want, emphasize your greatest assets and skills. The best way to do this by giving details in the profile sections that tell employers about your background. Ask your Career Services Center to help you complete your profile using strong, positive language that shows your achievements and strengths. Some sections where you can shine include:

• Academic Honors: If you’ve earned academic honors, don’t hesitate to list each and every one. Employers will be impressed with your hard work and smarts.
• Fellowships: Fellowships are usually merit-based and competitive, which shows a high level of achievement employers will appreciate.
• Scholarships: Being awarded a scholarship usually signifies that you outshone every other applicant by virtue of your achievements. Be sure to tell why you earned each scholarship so employers can get to know some of your strengths.
• Charitable Work / Volunteering: Now is not the time to be modest. If you’ve been involved in public service or charitable organizations, outline what you helped to accomplish. Many companies look for employees with a philanthropic bent.
• Clubs / Campus Organizations: List any clubs and organizations you’ve belonged to, from professional clubs to honor societies, and any leadership positions you’ve held within them. There is no limit to the number of clubs you can list, so your employers can get the full picture of your involvement on and off campus.
• Sports Participation: Many employers cite a candidate’s participation in sports as a positive influence in their decision to hire him or her. If you’ve developed skills such as leadership, teamwork, and endurance on the field, let employers know what you gained from the experience.

How to make your career profile work for you

The goal here is to develop a robust profile. While prospective employers may initially find you based on specific search criteria (such as your major), it’s the detailed descriptions of your skills and experience that will draw employers in.

Creating your profile is a snap. You can set up your profile online from anywhere, and the registration process will guide you every step of the way. Checklists in the online profile make it easy for employers to search for specific attributes, plus they’re quick and easy for you to complete.

In your profile, you’ll include information such as:

• Your resume/CV – Ask your Career Services Office to help you hone your resume before posting it to be sure you make the best impression on employers. A one-page resume is usually best for internship- and first-time or inexperienced job seekers.
• Graduation date and date of availability for employment – These dates help employers identify potential interns versus candidates for entry-level jobs. Keep in mind that your date of availability may not always be the same as your graduation date—are you taking any time off after graduation? Whatever your plans, you should be prepared to have some flexibility in your availability date.
• Areas of interest – Check off the type of work you’re hoping to find, according to function and industry. You can select up to 10 industries, from accounting to telecommunications. Job functions are also presented in checklist format. Pick the ones that fit your skills and goals.
• Areas of work experience – You’ll be able to differentiate between experience you gained during internships and other employment, so it will be easy for companies to see what you’ve accomplished in your field.
• Language ability and geographic preference – Are you proficient in a foreign language? Ready and willing to pack your bags and head out wherever an opportunity may take you? The more flexible you can be when it comes to where you will work, the more likely you are to get that coveted job with your top choice of employers.

What is recruitment?

Recruitment is the process of finding, screening, and selecting qualified candidates for a job at a company or organization. Recruitment begins the moment a job becomes available and ends when an offer of employment is accepted by a job seeker. In between, the recruitment team (or person) may perform any or all of the following tasks: creating a job description, advertising the job, sourcing, screening, interviewing, performing background checks (including references, credit checks, and degree verification), making a job offer, negotiating (terms of employment, relocation, salary), and orienting candidates to the workplace (“onboarding”).

How does recruitment work?
As you can no doubt tell, the process of recruitment involves a lot of legwork for recruiters. Probably the toughest task for any recruiter is finding qualified candidates, which is very time-consuming. Some of the tools recruiters use to find candidates include:

• Sourcing. Instead of passively waiting for job-seekers to come to them via job posts, recruiters actively search for candidates who fit the bill for the job they need to fill. Recruiters “source” by gathering specific information such as a candidate’s name and contact information. Sometimes, they also glean information about the candidate’s skills and experience in a particular field. Recruiters find this kind of information from online searches (e.g., job portals, forums, alumni or other group listings, blogs, and networking websites), by calling a company directly to find out information about its employees, or by asking for employee referrals. Unfortunately, this research is often done one candidate at a time, resulting in a time-intensive and manual process.
• On-campus recruiting is also important in today’s recruiting environment. Many companies host a variety of events on campuses across the country, such as corporate presentations, workshops, and interview sessions. Some firms arrange company site visits for a select group of invitees, while other companies set up mentor programs or networking events. Global Focus “U” and your school's career services office is a great way to stay on top of these events and receive notice of on-campus activities.
• Job postings. Employers advertise (or “post”) jobs in print and online—using trade journals, web sites, and online job boards to post their vacant positions. Job search websites have job search functions, and also allow users to post a resume to attract potential employers. Some online job boards specialize in a particular industry, location, or other criteria. Many firms also post jobs on their own company websites. The main limitation of job postings is that there may be hundreds or even thousands of candidates apply for a position. This means a lot of competition for the candidate. For the recruiter, it means a lot of time spent sorting and sifting through piles of unqualified applicants to identify the truly qualified ones.

An exclusive database of top undergraduate talent

This invitation-only school network provides leading employers with an efficient way to search, identify and attract high-potential, best-fit candidates. With student profiles built to highlight academic, leadership, and club activities and involvement, Global Focus “U” saves corporate recruiters both time and money. School participation is invitation-only to guarantee only the best and the brightest in student candidates.

Within Global Focus “U”, you’ll find

• MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. Global Focus “U” connects your school’s career services office with leading corporate recruiters more easily than ever before. For example, did you know that the recruiter who visits your school—the one from “Company X”—might be only one of twenty recruiters employed by Company X? With Global Focus “U”, all of the recruiters from Company X can connect with you, whether they are able to visit your school or not.
• MORE QUALITY, FILTERED OPPORTUNITIES. As a partner in our network, your school’s career services office has chosen to participate in one of the most recognized and exclusive networks available. So you can rest assured that every job posting and employment opportunity you see is a legitimate career opportunity. And by the way, you’ll never be “spammed” or “scammed” with illegitimate job offers and announcements.
• MORE DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES. With corporate partners are located around the globe, you gain access to widely diverse career opportunities when you register with Global Focus “U”. Whether you’re searching for employment in a particular industry or in a particular location you’re sure to find something that matches your unique interests and abilities.