A networking experience, or two, or three...

So I feel like it would be great to see a couple of networking moments as they happen. But since I cant post a video of my past, I guess I'll settle for just telling you how my experiences went- both good and bad.

My first experience really highlights how far networking can take you- and it all starts with my father. My father talked to his best friend about the fact that I was looking for an internship. In turn, my father's friend knew someone who needed interns. After calling him, it turns out he was looking for full time students, but he knew of someone who typically needs interns. This fourth guy had just recently filled his last position for interns but did know of a fifth guy. This fifth guy also turned out to be an Israeli general working on a joint defense project with the Air Force. We talked a few times, but in the end I did not quite have the skills needed for the position.

So in the end, five people down the line, I nearly ended up working on a military defense project for the summer (and paid too!). I was amazed at how friendly people were.

About two years ago now, my father talked with an acquaintance of his that he hadnt seen in a while. The acquaintance asked my father if he knew of anyone to fill an internship for that upcoming summer. Of course, my dad suggested I call. After only a brief discussion, I ended up with an internship for the summer. Quick, easy, and 15 minutes of networking turned into a great summer internship. As a side note, that experience helped me acquire my next internship this past summer. So in reality, two internships for a 15 minute networking phone call.

A little networking goes a long way.

Networking- It’s Just Talkin’ to People

Networking. Some think of it as schmoozing or kissing up, but really it’s just having a conversation with someone. It’s being at those family friends’ holiday parties and actually talking to the adults and not playing with their parents in your search for companionship.

That old guy with the way oversized glasses and a few strands of hair left in his comb over, yeah he could actually be pretty interesting and knowledgeable; hard to believe, I know.

So what is networking? Simply put, it’s getting to know people and talking to them about their careers and potentially getting leads for internship or job searches.

Where do you start? Friends and family. Do you really know what all your friends’ parents do? As you talk to people you will branch out to others whom you didn’t know before.

Word to the Wise- DESPERATE IS NOT ATTRACTIVE. Desperate guys aren’t attractive; same goes for job hunters.

-Be interested in the conversation and try to learn about the person, their career, and their company. DON’T ask for a job in the first 30 seconds of a conversation!

What’s next? After speaking with someone if you feel comfortable doing so and that it is appropriate you could ask several things, such as for their business card, if he/she knows of any job openings, or for an informational interview.

Crucial Step- Follow up as appropriate!!

NO REGRETS- I was at a Q&A with James Carville and could have asked him for advice related to my plans post-graduation. I didn’t (partly because I was star-struck & couldn’t figure out how I wanted to say it) and I definitely regret it.

So be prepared and take the risk- Go talk to someone!

Getting your foot in the door. . .

Hey everyone,

I'm Natalie, a senior Spanish major and Biology minor looking to go to dental school next fall. Applying to dental schools share many of the same trials and tribulations as obtaining a job or an internship. Resumes/applications float amongst the masses all trying to compete for the same spot/position. I have found one sure fire way to make an application/resume stand out above the rest: Networking! It a shock, but life after the undergrad years is a whole new ballgame. Often, the majority of the people are just as smart as you with many similar experiences that make them as qualified or even more qualified for whatever you are applying for. A helpful way to get your foot in the door is by knowing someone on the inside. It is a very powerful thing to mention a person's name in a cover letter as a reason why you would like a job, an internship, or in my case a certain dental school. It makes your application pieces more personal and shows that you have really taken the time to investigate the company/school. Also, many jobs are never posted, so knowing people to let you know about these hidden jobs are the only way of ever applying. Approximately 80% of jobs are found through networking; clearly it's a great thing to get started doing.


However, networking is a skill. One has to know where to encounter people that can help them get where they want to be. The Career Center can help with its many activities such as the "Meet the Companies" sessions, "Lunch with a Pro" series, and "Road Shows" trips. You can even network by yourself with the help of career fairs, informational interviews, volunteering within your field, and professional associations. I've personally found it helpful to contact the Washu Dental Alumni Association, volunteer in the dental field, and tour dental schools. Also, your personality and how you present yourself is very important when networking. Being personable, down to earth, and just generably likable can get a person very far in life, with jobs, internships, and post bacclaurate schools. One way to see how your personality comes across to other people is through the mock interviews that the Career Center offers. It's a lot to keep in mind, but networking is very useful for getting to the next step of your career goal.

Hi Everyone!

I'm Shelly and one of the other Career Peers at the Career Center. It's been a pretty busy semester so far, with classes and job searches. I think the most important thing I've been trying to figure out is what exactly I want to do exactly with my life, and that sometimes changes everyday. I have so many interests, ranging from healthcare, consulting, finance, marketing, and food sciences. I always see these cool and interesting jobs on eRecruiting and everytime I talk to a recruiter, either at information sessions, job fairs, or interviews, I get excited about the positions offered! I'd love to work in Chicago, but there are definitely times when I dream about working in cool places like London, Hong Kong, Alaska (bear hunting, anyone?), and everywhere in between.
I think the main thing I've learned so far is just to be open minded to all opportunities and you never know what you'll end up loving! It's always great to talk to recruiters and Wash U alum and ask them about their own career paths. And, as always, the Career Center is here to help in anyway we can! Good luck :)

A slightly different path

When I first took a career assessment test at The Career Center when I was a freshman, the top job it thought I should consider was "Catholic priest and/or Rabbi". I was a little disappointed, to be honest. I had come looking for direction, and this test basically told me to go and join a convent. Great.

Fastforward to now, 4 years later. I've graduated from WashU with a major in Japanese. Having spent a year in Japan, however, I'm pretty sure that I don't want to live there, but I'm not fluent enough to use my language skills in a professional setting here in the US. This puts me in a bit of a bind in terms of finding a job directly related to my major. By the time graduation was nearing, I didn't have any solutions to this problem, and I was beginning to panic. It was time to think "outside the box" (nooooooo!).

Thankfully, I got a job at The Career Center working as Career Development Fellow, a one year position doing student group outreach on campus. This satisfies my primary career-related urges: helping people, giving advice, and having lots of contact with others (all things that would have made me a darn good priest, if only I weren't so attached to being female) AND gives me time to plan my next step, with lots of help and support if I need it.

And my next step is this: I'm applying to graduate school to study creative writing and become an English teacher, something my friends have always teased me was my kharmic fate while I always insisted that my past lives couldn't have screwed up that bad. But now I'm thinking maybe they were right. I'll fulfill all my career-related urges, and get to play with language. What could be better?

Oh, yeah... not having to write a personal statement. Ah, well. If you need any help with a resume or cover letter (or personal statement!) feel free to stop on by. Oh, and did I mention? I took another career assessment test this summer. This one told me I should consider becoming either a teacher or a career counselor. Guess I'm in the right place :)

~Katie, cdf

Rejection

Last week, I was rejected for a job with Boeing.

Normally, I would feel let down by such a failure, try to understand why Boeing didn't think I was good enough, and rationalize to myself that I really am a good person and it was Boeing's loss and not mine (essentially my same reaction to being rejected by girls.)

However, last week when I received that "job opening has been filled" email, I brushed it aside. The reason: that job was a summer internship for last summer, and I applied for it about 6 months ago. In the past six months, I have probably been rejected by Boeing for a dozen different internships--most of the rejections coming in June and July when I was already working somewhere else.

Getting into a job or internship is a fickle process. From my experience, it is a far cry from the straightforward college admissions process that everyone at WashU should be familiar with. Companies do not send out brochures or those little CD's the size of business cards to students with high PSAT scores. Companies do not have January 15 deadlines. Companies do not wait list the borderline applicants. What does it take to land a job? Well...I'm going to leave that for the other Career Peers and my future posts. If you really want to know, just drop on by Umrath Hall and visit with one of us or an advisor (basically Career Peers in grownup form).

So, I should probably say who I am. Besides being a Career Peer with WashU's Career Center, I'm a senior mechanical engineering student from Utah, and I like to gripe about Boeing.

-Dave

Effective Search Strategies

Hi fellow students! My name is Chris and I am one of the Career Peers here at WashU. I am currently in my fourth year of a five year 3/2 BS/MBA program. I have spent the past three years studying Mechanical Engineering. However, I put all of that on hold at the beginning of this year to start my MBA education (no concentration just yet) and I will complete both at the end of next year. In the meantime, I am trying to learn as much about working in the business world as I possibly can by seeking a summer internship as a consultant.

Fortunately, I have been able to plan my internship search based on lessons I have learned over the past two years:

START EARLY. It is never too early to start searching for an internship.

USE THE CAREER CENTER. Even if you have no idea what you want to do, there are a number of resources that can assess your strengths and interests. If you think you know what you are looking for, a peer or advisor can help you refine your search.

BE ACTIVE. Job listings change daily. Check eRecruiting frequently to stay aware of what is available. Also, your resume should be a dynamic document that you regularly update.

NETWORK. Whether you attend a job fair, a company information session, or a Career Center workshop, use the opportunity to develop a list of contacts who can help you learn more about the professional world.

STAY POSITIVE. You are not always going to get every opportunity you apply for, but the very worst thing that can happen is that you learn a lesson and become a stronger candidate in the process. You never know what you are capable of unless you try for it.

FOLLOW UP. Whether you are following up an application or an introduction, doing so solidifies your network, makes you more memorable, and ensures that contacts have everything they need.

Good luck in your own searches and by all means, let us know if we can help!

Hey Reader!

My name is Sarah, I’m originally from Columbus, Ohio. I’m a senior in Arts and Sciences majoring in the all but extinct Social Thought and Analysis program. I will also graduate with a minor in Fine Art. As you might imagine, with this combo I get a lot of the really fun “OOOhh, and what ARE you planning on doing with that?” questions. Besides finding amusing ways to circumvent these questions, I also really enjoy music, reading, biking, and traveling.

As far as next year, I’ve decided that I would love to go to grad school eventually, but for the time being I’m a little “schooled out”, I’m sure many of you can sympathize. I also decided to take some time off pre-grad school so I can make sure I’m going in the right direction before I commit to any specific grad study.

So far I think my main interest is in working in the non-profit sector, possibly in the DC area. Many of these jobs don’t hire until the spring so for now I’m just trying to wait it out and get a target list of some organizations in order so I can attempt to avoid answering the aforementioned question by saying “yep, probably nothing”.

I’ll keep you updated, but until then, good luck in your own internship/life/major/summer employment/job searches!

-Sarah

Welcome Readers!!!

Greetings blog readers!! Welcome to the Career Center’s new blog! I hope you enjoy it and continue to visit and comment on the posts. I suppose I should introduce myself now : )

My name is Ashley and I’m a senior majoring Accounting with an unofficial minor in Organizational Behavior. Like many seniors, I am in the middle of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life after graduation. I used to want to do public accounting, which is essentially auditing. Then I wanted to work in Corporate Finance, which is ambiguous enough for me to not have to decide what I really want to do. But, recently I decided that I want to pursue a career in health care administration. I truly believe this is a great field to work in because not only are you able to work in a business atmosphere but you can also indirectly take part in curing and saving lives. I am by no means “doctor material” so I think this career path will allow me to use my business background in a health care oriented job. So, now I just need to decide if I want to attend a graduate program for a Masters in Health Care Administration (MHA) next Fall or if I want to work for a couple of years and then pursue graduate school? Just to be safe, I’m taking the GMAT next week. I figure worst case scenario, I don’t go to graduate school next year but I can use the scores for when I eventually decide to go. Fortunately, I also have some second round interviews scheduled with Eli Lilly, Abbott Laboratories, and Wells Fargo. So keep your fingers crossed that I get an offer from at least one of these. I’ll keep you posted on how the interviews go, how the GMAT went, and my decision on graduate school. Good luck with your respective job searches and please feel free to stop by Quick Questions at the Career Center on Wednesdays from 2-5pm if you want to chat with me.

Ashley