Post Written by Louie Larson

The whole concept of “Choosing a Major” is overwhelming for some and very easy for others.  But it’s all about the fit and the PASSION.  You have to be passionate about what you want to study or it doesn’t work very well. If mom or dad thought you should be a dentist and you dislike chemistry—it’s not going to work well.

Let’s look at a few suggestions:

Your Interests: Everybody has interests.  Have you ever been with a friend and you were doing something you liked and they said something “you like doing that or reading that?” and you said yes. Go with the interests!  We are talking about work-related interests and how it may impact your decision-making.

An example of an interest which may go either way:
I like music.  Know anybody who doesn’t like music?  I don’t. But how many of us are going to be the next AMERICAN IDOL?  You will probably like music the rest of your life and some will go into the music business because it’s a passion.

The Choice of your major DOES NOT Dictate your Career(s)!!!!!
Now the reality!  Some majors require you to have a degree in the area you plan to work in.

Examples: teachers need an Education degree;  Nurses need a Nursing degree;  Engineers need an Engineering degree—get the picture?

Lots of people have degree in one area and work in another.

Examples in our office:
-John has an MBA and works in a Career Center and is the Internship Coordinator
-Michele has a degree in Elementary Education and works in the computer field
-Louie has a degree in History and works as a counselor
-Mickey has a degree in PR and work as an information specialist

It’s the skill you bring with you to the job.

“When I told my father I was going to be an actor, he said fine ‘Fine, but study welding just in case.’”
Robin Williams,  actor

People have so many interests some of them will have many jobs within a career and even several careers in a life-time.

–Ask your parents for help—they know you well and your skills and interests.

–Take an interest test to confirm what you believe or to give you a few more options to consider.

–Go to Career Services and make an appointment to talk with a career counselor.

–Do a few internships to see if this is where I want to start my employment career based on my major.
–Ask questions of potential employers to see if having this major and these skills is a “right” match.

And finally:

ENJOY YOURSELF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE  and Make it a GREAT day.

Post written by Donna Young, credentials coordinator

Letters of Recommendation are letters that are written about you by select individuals describing your educational or work experience.  For example: a professor,student teaching supervisor, or anyone who you have worked closely with.  Employers and Graduate Schools request letters of recommendation in order to learn more about your qualifications.

The Credential File Office provides a service that makes it easier for you to send your letters of recommendation to potential employers or graduate schools.  You can find out more about this service by going to our website at www.cortland.edu/career or follow the link for credentials.

A resume is arguably the most powerful tool in your job search toolbox. Writing a resume is a personal process. In creating a resume you are highlighting your skills, personal achievements and experiences.
Most people perceive resume writing as difficult. How do you think of things that an employer would find interesting? How do you showcase your best work? I don’t want to talk about myself! Well if you don’t tell the employer about yourself, who will!
Here are some basic tips to get you started:
Your experiences should reflect your ability to do the job that is being advertised.
Resumes are written in phrases that start with verbs not long sentences and paragraphs.
Resumes are skimmed by the employer in 30 seconds or less to see if your experiences match their needs.
Resumes must be error free, I repeat, error free. Ask multiple people to proofread it for you.
Write in proper tense, past or present.
Include volunteer experiences you have.
Feel good about what you have written.
Just remember, don’t be modest. Stay focused and stay positive.

Many of our students have done a resume at some point in their lives, whether it was for college, a job, or a scholarship. Most, however, have not had any experience with writing cover letters. The cover letter introduces your resume, so it needs to grab the reader’s attention.
The general idea of a cover letter is to introduce yourself, tell the organization why you’re applying, to present skills and achievements, and to let them know why you’re a good fit for the organization.
The letter should always be addressed to an individual and it should never be a form letter. While your resume will stay much the same for different positions you’re applying for, the cover letter should address specifically why you are applying for that particular position with that particular company. Do your research!
Your letter should be in business format, error free, and on quality paper that compliments or matches your resume.
For more information on cover letters, please go to http://www2.cortland.edu/dotAsset/117194.pdf.  You can also come into Career Services to see sample cover letters.

It wasn’t like the question was unexpected; I saw it coming from a mile away. I wondered if it would be my father or mother who would make the first attempt, but it really didn’t matter who verbalized it, it had to be asked. Rather than wait for the rest of the awkward silence to fill up the already quiet dining room table, I decided I would be the first to speak. “No. I haven’t decided what kind of job I want to pursue.”

I could visualize the thoughts that were running in circles through my mother’s mind. Benefits, bills, possibilities, disappointment, future happiness, dissatisfaction. How could I have gone through almost four and a half years of college and still not know where my Communications degree would lead me? The creases in her forehead calmed, and her attempt at a smile brought some comfort. “It’s time to decide.”

Picking a career and deciding all with one simple decision the rest of your life is terrifying, especially when the idea of the life you want to be living is hazy and unclear. I couldn’t for the life of me get a picture of actually being a “real person” in the real world. Did I want to be in a cubicle for the rest of my life surrounded by people who hated their job just as much as I did? The only thing I could see in front of me was the image of the character in Office Space asking me if I took his stapler. I shouldn’t, couldn’t, WOULDN’T be miserable the rest of my life. But what do I do?

 “If you could pick any job in the whole world, what would it be?” The question made my body freeze, and all the sudden I was unable to move. What kind of job would I get? Where did the time I had to decide that go?

 “I don’t know.” I said simply. And those were the last words that came out of my mouth. They tried to pull in ideas: work for a magazine, write for a newspaper, go into publishing, I just politely shook my head no. Nothing really triggered any feeling of confidence. The job descriptions seemed so broad, yet so constricted.

Discovering FocusCareer2.Com has opened my eyes to the possibility of an attempt to figure out what my future will include. Not only does it allow you to create a career profile to be on your way for success, it includes different assessment tests that can give a clear view of what is out there for you specifically.

Signing up is easy, and there are ways to show you what you are academically strong in, leading to the future career you may not even know you want. The questions that are asked seem simple, but the specifics allow me to fill in details of my strengths and weaknesses that I never knew I had. The limited time lets you answer certain questions on instinct alone, and without thinking too much is the sure way to discover the truth.

Finalizing your college career is as terrifying as the monsters that used to live under your bed, but FocusCareer2.Com is there to lift the covers for you, showing you there is nothing to be scared of.

New York State Teacher Certification

With all you have on your plate right now, thinking about becoming NYS certified to teach is probably not at the forefront.  It does, however, need to be.

The following are the things that you need to do to become certified, in addition to completing your degree at SUNY Cortland:

Child Abuse Recognition Workshop (CAR): dates can be found at http://www2.cortland.edu/centers/cee/students/course_child_abuse.dot.

Safe Schools Against Violence Workshop (SAVE): dates can be found at http://www2.cortland.edu/centers/cee/students/save.dot.

File the “Teacher Certification Recommendations Authorization Form” with the appropriate office (Registrar for undergraduate students, Graduate Studies Office for graduate students).  You can get the form from Career Services or through “myRedDragon.”

Teaching Exams: Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), Content Specialty Test (CST) and the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) Test.  Contact us for specific information about your testing requirements, as it varies by major.  Information about registering for the NYS Teacher Certification Exams can be found at www.nystce.nesinc.com.

Fingerprinting: Career Services is now doing digital fingerprinting.  An appointment is required.

Applying on-line at TEACH for your Teacher Certification.  Once you have applied for graduation, you will find instructions on “myRed Dragon” for applying for your teacher certification.

For additional information or questions, please contact Career Services.

This information is current as of 10/1/2009

Post contributed by Louie Larson

The question Juniors and mostly Seniors ask about this time of year is? To go or NOT to go to Grad School or should I wait? And as important is: What should I get my degree in!

For some it’s easy and you know what you want to get your degree in or it’s required. But for many it’s a real dilemma. If you don’t know what you want to get your degree in—–DON”T go to graduate school and waste time and money. Don’t go to GS until you know what you want to get the degree in. Work has a nice way of helping that process along.

A few things to consider:

-There are deadline dates. Check them out.

-Do I want a part-time or full-time program. There are benefits to both.

-How do I pay for a master’s degree. Many colleges offer assistantships to help with college tuition and fees.

-Do you have a research interest that a faculty member might have in the department

-How does size and location play in your search for a grad school

-Do I meet the requirements of the program I am interested in: GPA, test scores, letters of recommendation

For further information about Graduate Schools go to the Graduate School page on the Career Services web site.  Great information awaits you. Good Luck!

The heavy bass from the loud music startles you, spilling your drink slightly below your neck to your off-white sweater. Disappointment quickly turns into a nonchalant hand wave; cranberry juice will come out in the wash, right? A night of fun is well deserved after all those applications you sent out this week, and this Friday night couldn’t look any better. Dancing and good friends, the night is young and so are we, not a worry in the world. 

       Smile big…

               Flash. 

Going out with friends is innocent enough when you are in control and playing it safe, but pictures don’t lie. The internet has become a large piece of society’s socialization and our generation in particular has become obsessed with quickly taking as many digital pictures as possible, and posting them online even faster. We have slowly become our own paparazzi, posting unflattering pictures for anyone to see, especially potential future employers.

Would you hire someone who posed in a picture with a large pink stain on her shirt, sweaty with dance moves? Or the party hero who could do a keg stand for more than thirty seconds? Employers everywhere are more interested in who you really are online as opposed to who you say you are on an application.

Brand-Yourself.Com is a website made for the potential future employee, before they apply for a job. It helps build up a good name for yourself and show who you really are. Instead of being “that person” on Saturday night everyone just needed to take a picture of, Brand Yourself gives you the opportunity for positivity on the internet. According to the website, 83% of employers today will Google their applicant’s names. 43% of employers will base their decision on what they find.

Signing up is free, giving you your own online profile and helping you establish a professional existence on the internet. Although Facebook and MySpace are entertaining social networks, when it comes time to being serious, how do you want to be seen?

Say goodbye to campus wide e-mails. Starting October 15, 2009 students and facility will no longer receive e-mails regarding campus events from many prominent campus listservs.

Before rejoicing at the fact that in boxes will no longer be flooded, keep in mind that those e-mails were the most efficient way to spread campus wide messages. After October 15, all of the messages that would have been sent via e-mail will be posted under the Student life online tab on myRedDragon.

Organizations that will be most dramatically effected by this change are Rec. Sports, Career Services, SGA, Student Affairs, Judicial Affairs, Multicultural Life, and Health Services. For students this means, it will be necessary to check the student life tab periodically to stay up to date with events held on campus.

Post by: Andrew DeBardelaben, Student Intern

Like studying for an exam or writing a paper, interviewing is something else in your life that requires preparation. This blog will share with you tips to help you prepare and hopefully calm your nerves.
Tip 1 – Do Your Homework. – Research the company or school district you will be meeting with. Visit their website. Read their mission statement. Know the companies needs and be able to reflect your experiences that may meet those needs. Bring extra resumes with you.
Tip 2 – Role Play. – “Rehearse” your lines. Practice general interviewing questions and think about how you will answer them. Ask a friend or relative to practice with you. Avoid saying “like” and “um”. Remember – you are selling yourself.
Tip 3 – Eye Contact. – When you practice interviewing, practice looking at the person, not away. This shows that you have interest in the job.
Tip 4 – Prepare questions. – Not only are they interviewing you, but you are interviewing them. Write down some questions that you plan to ask the interviewer.
Tip 5 – Dress the Part. – Dress professionally and conservatively. First impressions are important.
Tip 6 – Schedule Time to Get to the Interviewer. – Do Not Be Late!! Arrive 15 minutes early.
Tip 7 – Follow-Up. – Send a thank you note to the interviewer within 24 hours.
With the proper preparation, there is less of a margin of error. Less chance of looking rattled and more opportunity to look polished. Remember that Career Services is here to help you through the interviewing process, so stop and see us in Van Hoesen Hall.