Let’s be honest. The job market is a little intimidating right now. People are being laid off in many of the industries that our students are trying to get jobs and internships in, which means that the available talent pool is getting bigger and bigger, creating more and more competition. Just going to a career fair on campus isn’t always going to be enough. It’s a great start, that’s for sure. But take a few moments to read through this eNewsletter and find out other things you can be doing to help jump start your search. It is important that you are using every tool available to you. Don’t keep waiting and hoping that a company will come to you, it is time to make things happen for yourself!

What is Our Reality?

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is predicting full-time and internship hiring to be down at least 22 percent this year –- the largest downturn in new college hiring since the Class of 2002, after the World Trade Center terrorist attack and dot-com bust, when hiring was down 36 percent. Nearly two thirds of companies that responded to that NACE survey indicated a significant readjustment of projected hiring from the previous three to four months. In an April NACE spotlight, they also indicated that additional early survey results show only 22% of seniors (in our disciplines) who have applied for jobs have obtained one. Currently, 70% of our senior class has an offer, has accepted an offer, or is planning on graduate school or the military, so we are ahead of the rest of the country – but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work hard to get everyone to the finish line.

RHIT Spring Career Fair – A Good Start

We have one final career fair coming up, and this is a great way to get in front of companies looking to hire for full-time, co-op and intern positions. We have 50 companies registered and are hoping to get several more before the event arrives. You can see their profiles online as well as the positions they are hiring for. Make plans to attend. These companies are not coming here just for networking. They are coming here for hiring, so it is important that you have a presence and have a plan put together on how to connect with these representatives. Our Peer Advisor has office hours every day during the week and is happy to help you construct your 30 second sales pitch.

Fair Details:

Wednesday April 22^nd from 11am to 4pm in the SRC.

But Don’t Stop There – Outside Fairs and Expos

Our career fair is not the only way to get a job. In fact, if you look online you can probably find information about career fairs and expos all over the country that you might be interested in attending. Here are two you might want to consider:

NE Indiana Career Employment Expo:

If you are going to be in the Fort Wayne area during Spring Break, you might want to consider stopping in at the Northeastern Indiana Career Employment Expo. It is open to the public, and any college student from Indiana is welcome to attend. Here are just some of the companies that will be in attendance: Blackstone Laboratories, Buck Consultants, an ACS Company, Fastenal, Lincoln Financial Group, Logikos, Inc., Lutheran Hospital, Medical Informatics Engineering, Regal Beloit, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Zimmer, Inc.

Fair Details:

April 16th from 2-6 p.m.

in the IPFW Walb Student Union Ballroom, Fort Wayne, IN

For more info, visit their website!

NSWC Crane and Military Support Contractors Job Fair:

This Job Fair focuses on the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center and military support contractors. Expected participants are: Lockheed Martin, EG&G, SAIC, ITT, Stimulus, McKean, TSC, Tri-Star, Saber and CLEC (Crane Learning and employment Center for Veterans with Disabilities). NSWC Crane is interested in journeyman level scientists, engineers, contract specialist, logisticians (with military systems experience) and a few accountants. NSWC Crane’s contractor partners are also interested in those positions as well as technicians and administrative support. Contractors are also interested in entry and midlevel candidates.

Fair Details:

Saturday, April 25th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

The location for the event is the Purdue Research Park located at the Ameriplex, adjacent to the old Indianapolis airport., 5225 Exploration Drive, Indianapolis

You’re Missing Out if you Skip eRecruiting!

Whether you love eRecruiting, or hate it, you are missing out on daily opportunities for employment if you’re not plugged in. Every job opportunity that we get, from co-op and internships to full-time, goes into this system. With most jobs you can apply with the click of a button. Additionally, there are two special programs that you can participate in for FREE just by logging in to your account:

Microsoft Students2Business:

The Microsoft Students to Business (S2B) program is a Microsoft Community Initiative that provides unique training opportunities and resources to students, and is designed to connect Microsoft-skilled students with partners and customers for entry-level and internship positions.

Schlumberger Talent Community:

The brand-new Schlumberger Talent Community is an initiative to help students find the right fit for their career in engineering or technology. By joining you get access to apply for Schlumberger jobs, learn inside info including resume tips designed to help you secure a position, see the latest information and news about on-campus career fairs and events, learn more about different career paths available at Schlumberger, discover the benefits of working for an international corporation, and expand your professional network.

To join either of these groups, simply log in to your eRecruiting account and opt in. Once you have joined you can go back to these groups by accessing your networks in the top level navigation bar.

Using Other Search Sites is Also Important

Of course we are pro-eRecruiting, because that is where we post all of the work opportunities that companies send to us to market specifically to our students. However, there are sometimes limitations to our system, so we encourage students to also explore other online websites and job portals. We have a section of the Student Page of our website devoted to Online Resources, and one of the sites you will find there is called My Perfect Gig. It is a site that companies join with the sole intent of getting connected to student talent in engineering and science. It is a closed system, so you can create an account, upload a resume and send it directly to a company rep for a response regarding their interest in you. On our online resource page you will also find a link to other job hunt websites, and many of these (such as CollegeGrad.com) are excellent resources, too! Our only caution is to be sure to read about the privacy practices of any website you choose to use, so you know who is accessing your resume and how it will be used to help you find a job.

Networking – It’s Hard, but Necessary

You’ve probably heard the adage that “it’s not what you know, but who you know”, right? It’s so true! If you can build and utilize a network of alumni, faculty, previous employers, friends and family, then you have a much better chance of being successful in your job search. One of the key things to remember about networking is that it isn’t just about you. Networking should be a mutually beneficial relationship, where you are giving as well as getting help, assistance and advice. If you call on a colleague or friend once, be prepared for them to call on you one day, too. Reaching out to your network can be done via email or over the phone, and should be done professionally. If you have never written a networking email or cover letter before, come in and visit with us in the office. We can help you get things in order so you are building bridges and not burning them.

What About Networking with Alumni?

Rose-Hulman alumni can be a great addition to your network. We can help you connect with alumni in your field for the purpose of networking, but we also have a new alumni mentoring program (called AMP) that you can start taking advantage of right now! If you visit the AMP website you can read more information, or you can log in to your eRecruiting account and connect with a waiting mentor right now! The link is in your navigation bar, and you can search for alumni by their major, their company, their geographic location or by what type of mentoring they are willing to provide. Start making some connections now, and you might be surprised about how it pays off down the road!

Follow Up – Go After the Ones You Want

Did you interview with a company after the winter fair and never heard anything back? Or did you apply for a job on eRecruiting and never got a response? The first thing you should do is attempt to follow up with these companies. It could be that the company has a long hiring process, or perhaps they did not think you were interested any more. Having an interview or sending in an application should not be the last step in your attempt to connect with a company. You should always follow up to express your continued interest and attempt to find out whether they intend to pursue you as a candidate. If you need help with finding contacts or writing your follow up correspondence, let us know!

Are There Any Internships Left? YES!

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that companies are done looking for interns already, because they aren’t! We have internship opportunities in eRecruiting right now, and post more nearly every day. In addition, many of the companies coming to our Spring Career Fair are looking for interns, too. There is still time to find your summer experience, but you need to set a plan in action NOW.

Our companies for the 2009 Biomedical Internship program and the 2009 Entrepreneurial Internship program have also been chosen. Some of the companies have posted their openings into eRecruiting, and some are coming to the Spring Career Fair on the 22^nd, so if you are interested, make sure you are ready to engage these companies!

In the End It Comes Down to Your PLAN

Whether you choose to stick to eRecruiting or explore other job sites is up to you. You can attend our career fairs or seek out other regional events and go to those. You can also network with friends, family, alumni and previous company contacts. But in the end it comes down to making sure you have a plan of action. Without a solid plan in place you will find frustration mounting, and you might also find that a lot of opportunities have passed you by because you failed to take action. Consider taking some time during Spring Break to look at what you have done so far and what you still need to so. If you don’t have a plan in place, come see us. We can help! We can assist you in figuring out where your resources are, and how to use them. It’s not too late!

Located in the Hulman Memorial Union, 812-877-8212