Thank You!

A lot of people maybe finishing up interviews for jobs, internships, and grad schools around this time. But don't forget one of the most important things about the interview, the thank you card! I do say card because it is more personal and may make you stand out from those who sent thank you emails. Plus, think of all the emails you receive during the course of a day. Most professionals get even more than you. There are certain circumstances were email thank you notes maybe the better option, like if they are making a decision about you in the next couple of hours or if the company is really big on communicating by email. The point is to express your gratitude. They took time to interview you from their schedule and will have to make a decision about you alone or present you to other people and a group decision will be made. The least thing you can do it let them know you appreciate the time that they spent on you.

What goes into a thank you note? It is a very nice thing to reiterate some of the conversation that occurred during the interview, why you are interested in the company/school, and what qualities you think will be beneficial to that company/school.

Who does a thank you note go to? Everyone that interviewed you or anyone that you engaged in a substantial conversation . If you meet a lot of people on a tour, you don't have to send individual thank you cards to everyone you meet. Sending a card or email to a department address to everyone and asking it to be circulated around the office is a good idea too.

Have you applied to a lot of jobs/internships/schools and haven't been getting any good news yet or no news at all? Try sending a thank you note today Even though it is best to send the thank you note out within 24hrs of the interview, it is better late than never. Just try it, you maybe surprised how a little expression of gratitude maybe the one thing to turn your opportunity search around and find a successful position.

Still looking for your summer internship? AT&T is looking for summer interns in Tucson, AZ to help with research programs similar to the direction the company is taking as a whole. If you're looking for a summer with a different climate than the currently rainy St. Louis, and are interested in working on and researching technology, you should definitely check out this opportunity. Previous examples of work can be found here: http://www.research.att.com/index.cfm?portal=23


For those of you who have interviews coming up, remember to brush up on your interviewing skills. This is especially important if you haven’t interviewed in a while, or if this is your first ever interview. Think about questions the company may want to know (who are you? why do you want to work here?) as well as questions about yourself (what makes you tick? what other activities do you enjoy?). Scheduling a mock interview can also be extremely helpful as you also get feedback on how to improve your interview. One technique for interviewing is the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Results. Following this method, you can be sure your answer is a strong and confident one that covers all of the important material for the recruiter. Finally, remember that interviewers can ask many types of questions, not necessarily only those related to the internship you're applying for.

Finding that job or internship that is a little Atypical

Interested in fields that are not so common, a little atypical?
Or maybe you are looking for a job or internship in your hometown,
which isn’t LA or NYC. The search process can be a little, well, tough and frustrating.

I am experiencing a little bit of this as a senior looking for work in the environmental non-profit field in Florida. It’s quite ironic. There are many environmental campaign canvassing positions available, but really, that’s not what I am looking for.

So what can you do?
To find positions in locations that are a little more obscure, here are some ideas-
1. Search E-Recruiting by location, searching for your town and the nearest big city
2. Non-profit? Search Idealist.org and sign up for the email alerts. They send jobs that are specific to your interests.
3. Looked on Monster or Craig’s List recently?
4. Talk about what you want… to any and everyone. Talk to your parents, friends, and anyone who asks you what you are doing/want to be doing. You never know who or what they know.

Upcoming Deadlines for the less common JOB locations
From eRecruiting

AT&T- Entry Level IT Position
Locations- San Ramon, CA; Hoffman Estates, IL; Middletown, NJ; Alpharetta, GA; Richardson, TX

Altec- Associate Engineer
Locations- Asheville, Charlotte, & Raleigh, NC; Louisville, KY; Roanoke, VA

Upcoming Deadlines for the less common INTERNSHIP locations
From eRecruiting

Arlington Park- Marketing Internship
Location- Arlington Heights, IL

Hedrick Smith Productions- Documentary Intern
Location- Chevy Chase, MD

Abiomed- Software Engineer Remote Monitoring Co-Op and more
Location- Danvers, MA

Senioritis

As we seniors come back from spring break--the lucky ones with tans, the unlucky ones (me) with sunburns--we find ourselves with only about 8 weeks until graduation. This point in our lives is pretty friggin' important as we set the stage for the rest of our lives. With May 16th bearing down, the stress can easily build up.

For some of us, the Career Center can be a great resource to help out. Counselors here know tons about what to do after graduation; be it a full time job, a year working internationally, or a longer stint with the Peace Corps. The counselors won't do all the work for you, but they will guide you to great ideas and resources.

One of the resources I recommend is wustl.erecruiting.com with its large number of job and internship spots, some specifically tailored for WashU students. Just a glance, and you can find some interesting jobs (among the standard ones) like being a camp counselor at Camp Eureka in Puerto Rico.

Spring Break!

Whether you believe it or not with all of the snow on the ground, spring break is right around the corner. Depending on your plans for the week, it can be a tremendously productive time in any job search.

If you are going home, use this week to make a target list of some companies. Get in touch with them and explore the possibility of meeting for an informational interview at some point during the break.

If you are not going to be in a position to visit with professionals or potential employers, take advantage of some free time and make sure that your materials are in order. Compose a resume that you are happy with. Start practicing cover letter writing.

Many positions, including Procurement positions with Boeing, have deadlines within the next two weeks. Capitalize on some free time over the break as well as the lull in coursework that many students experience after the midterm rush and make sure that you are presenting yourself as the best candidate possible.

Come in for QQ or an appointment with a Career Advisor for help!