From: Career Services News

Subject: Rose-Hulman Career Services eNewsletter - using quarter break wisely

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Student eNewsletter                                                                                       February 23, 2012
Career Services Quick Links: Career Services website Career Services Web Orientation eRecruiting Login Peer Advisor Hours Reporting Forms: Internship offer reporting form Full-time offer reporting form	Next week is quarter break. This is the perfect time for you to focus on your search for an internship or full-time job. Here are some things you can do during break: Follow up with companies you met at the Winter Career Fair Reach out to them if they haven’t reached out to you Did you interview with a company after the winter fair and haven’t heard anything back? 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 those 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! Learn to use Linked In Make meaningful connections with a vast network of contacts We are big fans of Linked In in our office. Every time we sit down with a student and show them how the site works, we get excited. The potential for connecting with recruiters and hiring managers at companies around the country is incredible. If you have not used the site yet, we encourage you to take some time over break and learn how. Here are some quick tips to get you started: · Build a complete profile. Your Linked In profile is like a public resume. Take the time to fill it all out, using information already on your resume. · Join Groups. The more groups you join, the more contacts you can make. Join groups related to your major or industry. We have over 1000 members in the RHIT Career Services group, so be sure to join our group, too! · Learn the Search Options. You can search for people, groups, companies and jobs on Linked In. Take some time to learn how to do each of those things, and you will quickly discover the opportunities available to you. · Start making connections. The more people you connect with on Linked In, the more people you can connect with. It’s a big web of contacts, and each person you add opens up more opportunities for additional connections. Feel free to connect with any of us here in the office. If you’d like a little more information about how Linked In works, check out their Learning Center, or stop in and visit with us! Network with friends and family Use break to make connections with those that can help your search 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. Use the time you have during break to identify people that can help you with your search, and then approach them. Make connections with local companies Research opportunities in your own back yard If you’re going home for break, be sure to spend some time looking for opportunities that you may have overlooked before. Grab the phone book, search Google, or ask friends and family to help you identify companies that are local to your hometown that might also be hiring. Use your time to search out and find a point of contact for each business, and consider how you might make a connection with them. Smaller businesses might be receptive to a drop-in visit, but calling ahead will ensure someone is willing and able to meet with you. Consider how you can present yourself and your skills in a way that will meet their needs. Larger companies might be difficult to drop in on, so research a point of contact that you can send a cover letter and resume to. Be sure to add any of the companies you contact during break to your overall list of companies to follow up with later. SENIORS: Report your offers Keep us informed of your plan following graduation We work closely with seniors as they search for graduate schools and full-time work. If you haven’t yet connected with your assigned advisor, take some time to send them an email and let them know what’s been going on. Let us know if you’ve had any interviews or if you’ve already accepted a job. If you need help and aren’t sure what you should be doing, then let us know that, too! We’re here to help, but we need to hear from you in order to do that. If you need to report an offer, you can use a handy form on our website to do that. Prep for the 2012 Spring Career Fair - Wednesday April 18th One more chance to connect with hiring companies Plan to attend the last recruiting event on campus. April 18^th will be the last time Career Services hosts companies from around the country for this academic year. Confirmations are currently being done for registered companies, so check out the company list online and plan your strategy for connecting with your top companies. As new companies are added, consider how you will approach them at the fair, and how you can prepare to put your best foot forward. If you’re going home for break, make sure you bring back appropriate clothing for the fair and any interviews that you might be invited to. eRecruiting - Update your account to avoid missed opportunities Get your profile and your resume ready to be seen Everyone should be logging in as soon as possible to upload a new resume and update their profile on eRecruiting. Be sure to mark your most current resume as your Primary Resume. Pay special attention to your GPA, class status, job intent and date of graduation when you update your profile. Seniors should also add a secondary email address if they have not yet found a job. You would be surprised to know how many opportunities you might have already missed, so make a plan to check eRecruiting regularly to maximize your recruiting leads. We also post information about regional recruiting events and other opportunities to this system, so it really is the best place to stay connected to what we have to offer. Make sure you have a plan In the end, it’s up to you to make sure you have a roadmap for success Whether you choose to use eRecruiting, Linked In, or explore other job sites for leads is your choice. 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. In the end though, 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 the next week 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!
5500 Wabash Ave., CM 15, Terre Haute, IN 47803 | 812-877-8212 Career Services website