Here are a few tips that can help you in getting more out of your references:

• -Pick people who are naturally outgoing, with a lot of personality, and who are enthusiastic when they talk about you.




• -Select a good balance of individuals.  Those entering the job market for the first time may cite a former summer job employer, a school or college teacher, a community leader, or a friend from the business community.
  Comments from clergy or family friends usually don’t count for much.  Experienced workers generally provide three or four references from recent employment and possibly one from a community or civic leader.




• -You will be judged, in part, on the quality of the names you provide as references.  If you can cite leaders in your field or your community who really know you, this may help.




• -If you don’t cite supervisors on past jobs, your references may look suspect – like you are hiding something.  Therefore, cover all past employment with someone who can attest to your performance.

These tips and more can be found in the Credential File Office, B-4 VanHoesen Hall.  So, stop by and check them out.

Ever think about working for Disney (or one of their other companies like ABC or ESPN)? If a few months in Florida (or California), work experience, academic credit or a paid internship sounds good to you, you might want to check out the Disney College Program.

One of the key qualities to make your résumé stand out is work experience. What better place to gain experience than with one of the most renowned entertainment companies? The Disney College Program is a paid internship, offering the chance to earn while you learn. The program is open to all majors.

The Disney College Programs at the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort are unique. While most of the internships are definitely entry level, participants gain real-world experience while expanding their education and plan for their future. You will have the opportunity to take courses, enjoy admission to Disney theme parks and receive a variety of discounts on select merchandise, food and beverage and hotel accommodations. Participants also have the opportunity to make friends from around the world while living in fully furnished, secured apartments. 

College Program interns build their résumé, get paid and get an edge over the competition by working for one of the most admired entertainment companies in the world.  

Interested?  Please attend one of the upcoming presentations: Tuesday March 2nd at 5 PM or Wednesday March 3rd at 1 PM. Both presentations will be held in the Corey Fireplace Lounge and should last about an hour. For more information, please contact Career Services or visit disneycollegeprogram.com.

Remember the first impression you make is the most important one.  You are marketing a very important product “yourself.”  So make every effort to wear the proper attire for the job you are seeking.  Teacher Recruitment Days is a very good opportunity in which to do this.  How you are dressed sets the tone of the interview.  Here are some tips to achieve a positive result.  Dressing conservatively is always the safest route.  If you overdress (which is rare) or underdress (more likely) you may give the impression that you don’t care about the job.

In the “real world” to be prepared for interviewing you should have a least two professional sets of attire to get started.  For both men and women the following tips are a must – Clean/polished conservative shoes, a well groomed hairstyle, cleaned and trimmed fingernails, minimal cologne or perfume, no visible body piercings (only earrings for women), well brushed teeth and fresh breath, minimal jewelry and no offensive body odor.

For women a safe choice would be a conservative navy or grey skirted  suit (skirt should be long enough to sit down comfortably), low healed shoes and conservative make-up.

For men a conservative sport jacket (usually navy or black are good choices) with nicely pressed dress slacks, dress shirt and conservative tie and of course clean/polished shoes.

Things you should not bring to the interview are as follows:  gum, cigarettes, ipod, coffee/soda, and body piercings and please cover tatoos.  If you must bring a cell phone make sure it is off.

The reality is you are judged by what you wear!  Let’s hope these tips help you land that first job and if not that you will make a lasting and favorable impression and you might be kept in mind for a future opening. 

Good luck interviewing at Teacher Recruitment Days.

Hey EDUCATION majors: If you you’re going to teach in any public schools you need to have a certification and it takes some PLANNING on your part.�
Here are a few thoughts on Certification:

-Certification takes time and you can start as early as your freshman year with getting your FINGER-PRINTING done. Come to Career Services and we’ll get you going.

-There are a number of NYS tests you have to take, depending on your certification. The LAST(Liberal Arts and Science Test) can be taken at the end of your sophomore year. When the majority of your GE’s are done—-take the test.

-Come see us for details on which tests you should be taking or visit the NYSTCE page for more information

-There are 2 workshops you have to take: Child Abuse and Safe Schools Against Violence.  Take them early and get one more thing done.

-During your senior year usually during student teaching you will be applying for your INITIAL Cert. from NYS. You will complete the NYSED on-line application for certification called TEACH. Same TEACH website as you did for your Finger-printing information.

-If you are a PROCRASTINATOR you might be in big trouble. We now have seniors who NO longer have enough time to get everything done to be considered for a job next fall.  Please take this very SERIOUSLY.

-This info is for New York state.  If looking to get a certification in another state we have that information as well.

-New York State certification requirements can vary based on certification and other factors, and this is only a summary of general requirements

-If you are unsure of any part of the process, come to Career Services and we can help get you started—B-5 Van Hoesen Hall,  753-4715

Central New York Teacher Recruitment Days will be held at SUNY Cortland on Monday, April 12 and Tuesday, April 13.  Students from the 14 participating colleges and universities who graduated in December, 2009 or will be graduating in May, 2010 or August, 2010 are eligible to attend.

Online registration begins February 15 and ends February 26 at http://www.oswego.edu/TRD.  There is a $10 registration fee.  You must be registered to attend.  Due to the poor economy, there are fewer districts that will be in attendance, so there is a cap on registration.  Applications will not be accepted after February 26 and there is even a chance that registration could become full before February 26.  Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Last semester, two of our interns worked on this project, and though we have not transitioned out of email yet, the video is still worth watching…be sure to have the volume on:

Also, the Publications and Electronic Media Office is looking for a student intern.  The details are listed below.  If you are interested, contact Michelle Cryan.

The Publications and Electronic Media Office is seeking a student intern to help with Web site development. This is an opportunity to learn marketable job skills. You will receive training in the College’s content management system, dotCMS, and other Web-related software as needed. Work hours and schedule are negotiable.

The Work
Your work and projects will be assigned based on your skills and interests and may include:

• -Assisting with developing new Web sites: planning, content creation and migration
• -Reviewing and updating content on existing Web sites
• -Entering data and polishing Web sites
• -Collecting and analyzing Web statistics
• -Conducting usability studies with students

Essential Skills and Qualities

• -Strong computing skills and an aptitude for learning new technical skills
• -A basic understanding of HTML and how Web sites work
• -Good writing skills and the ability to organize information effectively
• -Attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high quality work
• -An interest in Web site usability and good design practices
• -An interest in conducting feedback sessions with students
• -A willingness to contribute your ideas and serve as an advocate for improving the student Web experience
• -A desire to get realistic work experience in a team environment

Desirable Skills and Qualities
(if you have them, you’ll get the chance to use them)

• -Experience creating a Web site, blog, or other web project
• -Dreamweaver
• -Photoshop
• -Digital photography
• -CSS
• -javascript

The Career Services Office is here to help you in all aspects of your job search; writing resumes, cover letters and conducting mock interviews. But what you may not know is that we also host employers who visit campus to recruit SUNY Cortland students for internships, summer employment and full-time employment.

Examples of past recruiters are: Cartwright School District in Phoenix, AZ, Bank of Tokyo in Manhattan, and Disney representing Disney World and Disney Land.

Students are encouraged to regularly check the Career Services webpage – www.cortland.edu/career to be informed of on-campus recruiting opportunities.
Some recruiters will visit campus to table in Corey Union, some will speak in classes and some will conduct interviews through Career Services.

If you visit our webpage and see that a recruiter is conducting interviews and you would like an interview time slot, please contact our office at (607) 753-4715 for an appointment. Signups are a professional commitment to complete the interview process. A student who fails to show up for his/her interview will not be allowed to sign-up for any other on-campus recruitment. Students are expected to dress appropriately for interviews, and to arrive for the interview at least ten minutes before the scheduled time. It is highly recommended that students write thank you notes to the interviewer immediately.

Take advantage of these great opportunities to experience the interviewing process and start your career search with Career Services.

Facebook. The word has become a part of our everyday language, a part of our daily routine. It’s our way of knowing what everyone is doing without so much as getting out of bed to do it. Most college students would vote Facebook as their favorite social networking site, but there are probably more than a few things on your Facebook walls you wouldn’t want your parents seeing, so why would it ever be acceptable for potential future employers?

Okay. I know how addicting TheFaceBook.Com is. It’s so important that I even felt the need to add a respectful “the” in front of the address (it works if you try it.) It used to be a rite of passage, the day you finally signed up for Facebook, when you picked the college you would be attending after you graduated high school.

Almost as important as receiving your diploma, you finally received your college e-mail and signed up for Facebook immediately. Nowadays anyone can sign up, but it used to be strictly a college-based website, which is probably the reason so many newly college graduates are on it today. Facebook has become a true mirror or who you are for employers everywhere.

Facebook doesn’t have to be as harmful as it actually is. Changing your name could work, but keep in mind that posted pictures exactly that: posted. On the internet, for all to see. There’s nothing wrong with having a good time on a Saturday night, but do the pictures taken have to involve a beer bottle with its arm around all your friends?

Your page might be private, but keep in mind whoever else is in those pictures might not be private as well. Like my mother says: every picture tells a story. The next time you’re smiling in a picture, or not smiling, think of what kind of story you’re telling to your Facebook friends, or potential employers.

Post written by:  Hilary Rosen, SUNY Cortland Graduate

Career Builder reports on the top 10 things employers are looking for in good job candidates:   Job Seekers Video

So you found the place you want to intern or work and you’re all excited for your new career. You can picture the desk inside the building you know is yours, and outfits are getting quickly planned out in your head as you envision all the space in your closet for new work clothes. Ambition is great, but how do you let the employers know about your plans?

Resumes aren’t simple, but they aren’t as tough as they sound. Employers want to know what kind of education you’ve had, what skills you may have, and much more in order to determine how you will fit into and strive as an employee.

If you are confident enough to decide the job you’re applying for is the perfect fit for you, there should be no problem explaining to whomever it concerns who you are as an individual and why you would be the perfect candidate for their business.

There are so many different styles of resumes; there is no right “format” at all. When it comes down to it, this is how you are presenting yourself, and you want the best light possible. This piece of paper is an interview without your presence, a one-sided conversation.

Gaining experience is the perfect way to build your resume, proving to employers that you would be the perfect person to sit in that desk inside that building.

Post by Hilary Rosen, SUNY Cortland Graduate