All of our new and current content is at www.sunycortlandcareerblog.com. Go there today and bookmark the site.

Help in a Competitive Market
When Mom Won’t Send Money
Welcome back to SUNY Cortland…now what?
sunycortlandcareerblog.com

Thank you to all of our loyal readers. We have moved the Career Services Blog to provide more functional content.

Please visit www.sunycortlandcareerblog.com or subscribe directly to the feed to find out what is new in Career Services.

There are some great new features coming to the blog this year, so stay tuned!

Aww, summer. The time we look forward to barbecues, dips in the pool and relaxing.

Reality check!

Summer is a time to get things done to build that resume.

What an opportunity!

Twelve weeks to do an internship (or two). An internship will give you invaluable work experience. You will learn more about your chosen field, the good and possibly the bad. With the proper paperwork filed with Career Services, you can receive school credit for the hours you put in to a summer internship.

Twelve weeks to volunteer for a non-profit or charity in your area. Volunteerism is a selfless act that teaches you responsibility and skills, while doing something good for others. Employers look at volunteer experiences on a resume. They look for individuals who reach beyond their comfort zone and do that little bit more.

So yes, go home and enjoy the days of summer, and the fruits of your labor.

Most of us now are very well-versed in social networking, but surprisingly few know how to network effectively in a professional sense. Whether a senior ready to leave or a sophomore just getting into the college stride, it is never to soon to think about making connections that will help in your career.

Though you do not need to be proficient in every new technology available, the following image shows many of the ways we can effectively build our networks, and it also illustrates one of the most important factors about networking:

Networking is just as much about giving and sharing your knowledge and skills as it is about benefiting from the help of others. You must contribute something positive in order to reap the greatest benefits from networking.

flickr image by courosa CC license

Capitalize on the ease of the internet to establish a professional presence. Follow thought leaders in your industry and begin to engage in conversations taking place in your field. If you don’t feel you are knowledgeable enough yet, share links to interesting and relevant articles.

Get to know people in your field online, but also be sure to get involved in live events to shake hands and engage with employers, recruiters and future colleagues.

It may be daunting, but with each step you take, you are moving closer to a new opportunity in a tough job market.

Students occasionally get confused about when they graduate.  Graduation is when you complete the requirements for your degree which my include an internship or student teaching or a few summer classes. Walking at commencement next week doesn’t have anything to do with your official graduation. Most students walk to make their parents happy or they want to walk through the ceremony with friends who they may have  started with as freshman. 

SUNY Cortland Graduates

–If you’re an education major and graduating, remember you need to complete ALL the Requirements for Initial Certification in order to teach in New York State. Requirement info can be found at Career Services and includes workshops,tests, fingerprinting, TEACH on-line application and the Teacher Certification Recommendation Authorization form also found at CS.

–All students who are going out on SUMMER Internships, please make sure your paperwork is completed and has all the proper signatures. There are deadline dates of June 1st for Summer II session and July 1 for Fall Semester. Please come down to Career Services and get a Internship Handbook if interested in credit-bearing internships.

Have FUN at graduation—-it’s a lifetime full of memories.

In today’s bad economy, many students are stressed over how they will find a job. There are many steps you can take to help yourself in this process. Networking is essential. According to the NYS Department of Labor, 70% of jobs come from networking. 20-25% of jobs come from direct recruiting (such as job fairs) and only 5-10% from ads or online postings.
The SUNY Cortland Career Services office has created a group on LinkedIn so you can network with other SUNY Cortland students and alumni. It’s the facebook for the next phase of your life! We post articles about the job search process. You will have the opportunity to “meet” alumni in different fields who may be able to provide you with some tips for success and/or job opportunities.
If you’re not already using LinkedIn, sign up for an account at www.LinkedIn.com. If you are already using it, join the SUNY Cortland Career Services Group today!

Whether you are a senior getting ready to head out into the real world or a prospective student beginning career exploration, it is important to regularly think about your career plans and progression.

One easy way to do this is to follow career blogs and watch for career related news items.

-The Work Buzz blog from CareerBuilder has many great articles

-SUNY Cortland Career Services has a LinkedIn group that often posts career-related news items

Also, by following news and blogs in your industry or major, you can gain valuable career advice that comes from experts in your field.

For example, I read a great post titled “What Makes A Great Cover Letter, According To Companies?” on the Smashing Magazine blog; a blog primarily devoted to web design. While the article had a ton of great general advice on cover letters, it also had great industry-specific insight from employers in that field. Those articles help give you an edge in a tough marketplace.

AXA Advisors will be conducting interviews on campus April 28th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Career Services.

To set up an interview or learn more, contact Mickey Gibbons at michelina.gibbons@cortland.edu or call 753-4715.

Interviewing can be stressful for some people. Have you ever wished you could talk to people in your field and ask them all the questions you wish you could ask in an interview, before it happens? Well if you are an education major, Career Services can grant that wish.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is a career-dining program specifically designed to assist Education majors with dining etiquette, career networking, interviewing, and job searching techniques. This year it takes place on April 6th at 5:45 p.m. in the Function Room. The program provides students with the opportunity to converse with school administrators in an informal setting about the interview process. It is also a unique networking opportunity between our students and school district administrators. We recruit local administrators and seat them with our students. As the program progresses, Louis Larson, Assistant Director of Career Services, hosts as Master of Ceremonies. He gives tips and techniques to succeed in the interview process. As each course is served each administrator rotates to a new table. The dinner is four courses, so that equals face time with four different administrators.

You will get four perspectives and viewpoints and hopefully gain an advantage in successful interviewing. Former students who have attended this event have said “The dinner helped ease the tension about a first interview. Fantastic interaction and excellent food. The administrators were so open and personable.”

If you are not an education major, and need assistance with interviewing, Career Services staff is here to help. We have tips and techniques to help you through interviews for grad school, employment and internships. We can also hold a mock interview with you, acting as the perspective employer, and asking the questions they would ask you. These mock interviews can also be videotaped. That may sound intimidating, but it is a great way to see yourself in the interview. Your mannerisms, your speech patterns, and any habits you may not even be aware of. Our office is a great resource to help you with your future plans.