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.

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

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

More and more young adults ages 16-24 are getting involved and helping others. In fact 8.2 million young adults were involved with volunteer activities in 2008 – an increase of roughly 500,000 people from the previous year (The Corporation for National and Community Service).

Each semester, students have the opportunity to meet with community agencies to secure service learning, volunteer positions or credit bearing internship positions at the “Volunteer/Civic Engagement Fair.” This semester’s event will be held Tuesday February 2, 4-5 PM in the Corey Union Exhibition Lounge. Past agency participants include Lime Hollow Center for Nature and the Environment, Family Counseling Services and the JM McDonald Sports Complex (to name just a few). Please mark your calendar and plan to join us!

For additional information, please visit the events page at SUNY Cortland.

Contrary to popular belief, dreams are actually capable of coming true. It’s been said, “Reach for the moon because even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars.” A newly college graduate in this economy? I’d settle for the stars for now, it can only lead me to the moon of my choice. 

The car is all packed, and the diploma has been placed in your hand. A simple wave gives you a definition of the word goodbye you never thought could bring such emotion. The quick end of the last four (plus?) years of your education smacks you in the face, real and unsettling.

Did you blink too fast? Leaving college with the degree you’ve strived to achieve, for what feels like forever, has left you drowning in confusion and swimming in denial. 

Okay, that was fun. Now what? 

Internships are the perfect way to determine where it is you should be, and give you the experience to confidently decide your education has lead you to the right place. Whatever the job, unpaid or paid, grabbing coffee or running errands, internships have one common goal: building your resume that will stretch your arm, reaching for the moon. 

Most jobs out there, especially in the media field, require some sort of experience before they will even give your resume a once over. It’s understandable. Would you want a three-year-old walking around your just-printed-eight-page-paper carrying a loaded paint brush? Sure, we’ve graduated and received the education of our choice, but only experience can make us experts. 

So apply for that dream job, but keep in mind that applying as an intern would be more substantial for your future. Don’t be discouraged if you are placed amongst the stars grabbing coffee or running errands. One day, the loaded paint brush will be a distant memory, and you will have landed on the moon of your choice.

You take your right foot out

You put your right foot in the door

And you shake it all about

You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around

That’s what it’s all about!

            Is that what it’s all about? Placing yourself in a chair across from a big important desk, hoping and waiting for the slim chance you’ll be accepted? Going into interviews with a perfected resume and every kind of extra-curricular activity might get your right foot in the door, shaking. But will it allow your whole body to slip through as well?

Having the most amazing credentials and being able to brag about every kind of award you won might not be the golden ticket to the chocolate factory of your choice anymore these days. Good grades, volunteer work, internships, it all adds up to what we know as a successful undergrad experience, likely to get that right foot in the door. But there is another factor added into the mix which will typically help you shake it all about, turning yourself around into the perfect candidate for that perfect job.

Connections.

No, not the kind that allow you to grab that five-dollar-foot-long from Subway on main street, or pick up some car-side-to-go at Applebee’s (although both are extremely convenient and delicious.)

Connections that can get your foot in the door before you even enter an office, fill out an application, or send in a resume (and these kinds don’t require swiping a Cortland ID card.)

With this economy, employers seem to be pulling away from hiring college graduates because there are just not enough paychecks to go around. We’ve heard this. We know this. How will we stand out and prove these employers actually do NEED us without hearing our names before our cover letter headline silently announces it? Turning up the volume of our resume might be the way to ensure we are heard, and get what we deserve: a chance.

You may not even realize the connections you have. Your friend’s uncle might be the CEO of that major business. Your mother’s work friend might know someone who knows someone’s friend-of-the-family who knows the CEO of that allegedly unattainable publishing company. The truth is, you never know. Networking and communicating with all different kinds of people can ultimately be the reason your foot gets in the door before the important desk is staring at your future in the face.

Knowing someone who knows someone is an excellent way to have your name dancing around in important mouths, and that might just be what it’s all about.

Internships are available throughout the year in Cortland, across the country and around the world. You can earn up to 16 credit hours toward graduation through internships as long as you are in good academic standing and have completed at least 12 credit hours at Cortland. For more details about the process, please visit the Career Services website or call Career Services today at 607.75.4715 to explore options.

Hopefully you had a great summer and made the most of your time away from SUNY Cortland. I am sure that some of you worked more hours than you wanted while others struggled to find a decent job. Many of you gained practical experience through internships with organizations like the New York Jets or the Bank of Tokyo. Some of you traveled (lucky you!), some worked on their tan and others researched their fantasy football picks. Whatever occupied your time this summer, now is the time to once again shift gears into “academic mode.”

What do you hope to accomplish this year? Trying to boost your GPA to get into graduate school? Looking for another internship or service learning placement? Stop by the Volunteer Fair on September 2nd. Need a part-time job to earn a few extra dollars while you take classes? Check out the Student Employment Fair on September 19th. New resume, change your major or get fingerprinted before your field placement? Career Services is here to help you with all of these issues and any other career related questions you might have.

If you hope to find a good job when you graduate or get into the grad school of your dreams, you must start now. Develop skills through participation in residence hall programming, working with a faculty member on a research project or participating in any number of campus and community activities such as student government, Habitat for Humanity or Greek life. The key is to get involved NOW.

Take the first step now and don’t wait – commencement and the “real world” will be here before you know it. Summer flew by, didn’t it?

STUDENT STAFF WRITER
MARKETING INTERN
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER

Application

Fall Deadline is Friday, September 11th for 2nd quarter internship.

-3-9 hours per week
-Flexible Schedule
-Academic Credit Possible
-Available to all majors

Student Staff Writer:
-Serve as contributing author for the Career Services Blog
-Develop student-centered content to assist others in their career planning process
-Create blog posts about the job search process
-Research career-related articles and write reviews

Marketing Intern:
-Enhance Career Services visibility on campus utilizing social media and traditional media
-Develop creative ways to market the Career Services blog and myRedDragon’s student life tab

Photographer/Videographer:
-Enhance Career Services website and blog through graphic and/or video content
-Utilize The SUNY Cortland Communications Guide to create content consistent with The SUNY Cortland Brand
-Attend Career Services events to capture visual content

Advantages and Benefits:
-Use current technologies in an on-campus location
-Work independently
-Create a solid finished product that will be used by the college
-Highlight your creative ability
-Learn new skills, refine skills and build your resume
-Enhance your own career development while helping others in career planning

Requirements:
-Dedication, responsibility, and creativity
-Ability to work independently
-Available to meet with professional staff bi-monthly to discuss projects
-Time commitment is 40 hours per internship credit/Approximately 3 hours per week during semester
-Maintain good academic standing

Fall Deadline is Wednesday, September 9th for 2nd quarter internship.

Email  questions to michele.baran@cortland.edu

Choose the right people.
Having a large pool of trustworthy references to choose from can make your life a little easier. Pick at least five people who know you from different settings, and who can talk about your character, abilities, and work ethic. For example, a professional reference could be someone who knows you from a work setting, like a boss or manager. An educational reference could be a teacher or coach. A personal reference could be a neighbor or family friend. Pay attention to job listings because many specifically request professional or educational references. Avoid listing family members. Many hirers will not consider them. After all, Mom might say anything to get you the job.

Give a heads up.
Some people will be more than happy to act as your reference. Others may not know enough about you to answer the questions an employer might ask. If you want a reference from someone you currently work with, like a manager, make sure that person is allowed to speak on your behalf; some companies have policies against giving references. It’s always best to ask the person politely if they feel comfortable speaking about you to an employer. Do not be offended if you are turned down; it’s better to find out before you list the person’s contact info!

A little prep goes a long way.
Inform your references! Let them know what type of job you are applying for ahead of time. If you are applying for a job with which you have little to no experience, then your reference may be able to talk about what a fast learner you are in the classroom, or maybe even discuss how your determination on the soccer field carries over into everything you do! Don’t let your references be taken by surprise, they may not be able to think fast when Sally from Pets-R-Us calls asking about your experience with parakeets.      

Follow up.
Always thank your references, especially if you find out they ultimately helped get you the job. Go the extra step and send a short note or card thanking them. You never know when you might need to ask for their help again, so let them know they are appreciated!

With great references to back you up, you are ready to go into the interview process with confidence. Stay tuned to the CS blog and check out how I fare in the mock interview later this semester. I hope this post was useful. Thanks for reading!

I found a lot of great info for this post here. Check it out!