PROOFREAD!!!

Always, always, always proofread anything you submit in writing. Cover letters, thank you notes, and many other kind of business correspondence are important documents that you will generate during any job or internship search. And because you'll most likely be hedging your bets and applying to multiple positions you'll be have quite a paper trail.

Business correspondence isn't fun but it is important and it can be tremendously beneficial. Even a quick letter can tell a person about your maturity, professionalism, and interest in a position. Don't allow the monotony of replicating the process hinder your chances by lulling you into making a typo.

Many documents will assume a similar form, but each document should be personalized. For example, cater your skills to a particular employer in a cover letter or draw from a specific topic of interview conversation in a thank you. One simple way to avoid making errors is to avoid the temptation to copy and paste information. Recreating each new document will force you to actively move through each step of the creative process and improve the continuity in general. Of course, proofread no matter what!

Success tips for the Co-op or Internship Search

Carrie, a Junior in Biomedical Engineering wanted to do a co-op during her spring semester, but wanted to stay in St. Louis. She went through the search process and was successful in finding a co-op with Stereotaxis. Here’s what she did, along with some tips.

The Search

-She found out about one particular company from her engineering class
-students had to interview someone from an engineering firm and one student’s presentation sparked her interest
LESSON- You never know where or how you can learn of an organization that interests you!

-She found another organization on The Career Center website and then was able to meet the company at the Job and Internship Fair sponsored by The Career Center.
LESSON- Whenever possible it is always best to meet a representative of a company in person. This gives them a face to put with the name and a feel for how well you would fit with their company.

-A former member of a student group Carrie is in sent out a group email telling that the engineering company he works for is hiring. Carrie applied for a position.
LESSON- Don’t forget to let your friends and family know what types of internships you are interested in (ex. Art, architecture, being a camp counselor…)

Carrie applied and got an interview with Stereotaxis, the company she met at the Career Fair. After several more interviews, she received an offer and accepted!

Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Cover letters can be a very hard task to do. Often it can take more time than the resume itself. If writing a cover letter is necessary for a job application, as it is frequently required on E-recruiting, here are some common mistakes to avoid before sending it out:

1.) All about me: Don't focus on how the job will be beneficial to you such as "This job is very interesting to me" and "I want more experience in this field." Most employers don't care about your needs and are looking for what you can do for them.

2.) Resume regurgitation: The cover letter shouldn't be a paragraph form of your resume. You may want to focus on a few accomplishments and talk about how those experiences can contribute to the business. You can also highlight things not in your resume.

3.) Carbon Copies: The main goal of a cover letter is to show how enthusiastic you are about the position and what you know about the company. This can't be done with a generic cover letter. Also, many recuriters can tell when they have recieved an impersonalized cover letter.

4.) Self-esteem: As students, we may feel inadequate at times since we don't have that much work experience. Don't use the cover letters to highlight your lack of work experience. Instead talk up your great activities that you have done and how those skills can be useful for their business.

5.) To whom it may concern: Try very hard to personalize the cover letter. If using E recruiting, use the employers search function to see who is the recruiter if it is not listed on the individual job posting. Also, look into calling the company and finding out who to send your job application materials to. If all else fails, Dear Hiring Manager will have to suffice.

Upcoming Career Fair!

If you would like to get your resume reviewed and printed out on resume paper, stop by the Career Center! We've got a big Career Fair coming up on Friday in the Athletics Complex from 10 AM until 2 PM, with 90 registered employers looking to fill internship and full-time positions. To see a list of who's registered, look on eRecruiting under "Upcoming Career Fairs" and "Registered Employers".

We're looking forward to seeing you!

Though I have only had two long-term internships, my experiences have varied greatly. I have logged hours doing tasks that run the gamut from the banal to the exciting and challenging. I have presented proposals, created and co-run an art show, developed programming for the fall exhibit, researched dance classes for people with disabilities, and organized volunteers. At the other end of the spectrum I have also found myself painting drywall, watching it dry, and even setting up interviews with RV salesman in the greater Ohio area (?!).

The beauty of internships is that they are a great way to try out something that you think is interesting but are not sure if you could have as a career. If you like it then you leave with a positive experience and a little direction in future career searches. If you don’t like an aspect of the job remember, at least you know now as opposed to 5 years down the road when you figure out that that writing up TPS reports makes you want to destroy fax machines with baseball bats. Either way, some of the best advice I received prior to starting my internship was to make sure to ask your fellow employees about their job.

Here are some examples of great questions to ask:

1) What’s a normal day like for you?
2) How did you get started in this career?
3) Do you like your job?
4) What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to stop by the Career Center for Quick Questions or an appointment!

Part-time jobs during the semester

For the past two years, I've worked part-time jobs during the school year. Not only do these jobs provide extra cash (which is always good!), but they also allow me to gain experience in the field I plan on working in after graduation. Many companies in the St. Louis area are looking for some extra help and are more than willing to hire you as intern during the school year. I also found that most of them will be accomodating to your school schedule, so you don't have to worry about the job distracting from your studies at WashU.

I highly recommend using eRecruiting to explore opportunities that may be availabe for the semester. Particularly, check eRecruiting at the beginning of the semester as there will be employers that are looking for help for that semester. Oftentimes, after doing some research on eRecruiting you may have to submit an application on the company's website or even contact someone at the company to find out more about the position. Look for opportunities in the area(s) that you are interested in, but don't be turned away if you can't find a job that specifically matches your interests, be open to different experiences and opportunities. Getting work experience in general will look great on your resume and will give you some talking points in an interview.

A change in Direction

I came into college an excited freshman who was pretty sure she wanted to major in psychology and then go on to become a clinical psychologist. The psychology department offers for credit internships and I decided that would be a great way to gain some hands-on experience in the field.

So, the summer after my sophomore year, I interned at a teen mom program in Washington, D.C. I worked alongside the social workers helping to plan programs and address the social, educational, and emotional needs for every teen mom in the program.

In this internship, I got to see the pros and cons of working in social non-profits and discovered how much the local and federal governments affect the funding and the way these organizations operate. I became frustrated by the many obstacles the organization I was working with had to face and many of them were government policy related.

I have always been interested in public policy and from this internship experience, I realized that I could help others and make the biggest change, not by going into psychology, but into politics.

On account of this one internship experience, my goals and dreams for my career path after graduation were changed.

Get an internship this summer, you never know how it could change your life!

Spin

A casual conversation with one of my roommates just provided the inspiration for this post. We were talking about interviews and the inevitable questions about prior experience. The best thing you can do to prepare yourself to answer these questions is get solid internships.

However, no matter how good your experience may have been, it is critical to present it correctly. Many resources recommend the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Results. Give specific details about the circumstances of your experience and the responsibilities that you were given. Then describe what you did and how your response added value to the company.

It is also important to direct your experience toward the employer with whom you are interviewing. "Spin" your experience in a way that the skills you demonstrated are applicable to the skills required by position that you are applying to. The best way to prepare in this regard is to do company research before the interview. Familiarize yourself with the company, the industry in which it operates, and the specific requirements of the position.

Be sure to visit the Career Center for company and industry information and for interview practice.

Internships: The Good

Internships make amazing doors. Some come with glass windows that allow you to see through, others are solid wood doors so you dont know whats on the other side until you walk through, and a last group is more like a safe door where you really need the combination just to open it.

No matter what type of door stands before you, they always lead to opportunity. At the very least you have one more experience to put on a resume.

Sometimes one internship will lead to the next, either with the same company in subsequent years, or with different companies in the same industry.

One of the best possible outcomes is when your internship turns into a job offer. One of my friends received a $10,000 signing bonus for accepting the job offer from the company she interned with!

Another good possibility is further definition or even a change in your life's goals. Maybe you thought you really wanted to write for a travel journal, but your summer experience made you realize you'd rather write for a political magazine.

Internships also offer exposure to office politics without actually having to be involved. Sometimes this can put you directly in front of executives of the company, which then puts you in great position (if you impress) to pick up another internship or job offer.