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For the week of 2 July 2009
Welcome, students, to the new Career Services version of @COE. This e-newsletter will reach you weekly (biweekly through the summer months) with announcements, news, articles and opportunities from the fine folks in Dunford Hall.
From help finding a summer internship or post-graduation employment to workshops and articles, the Career Services @COE newsletter has got you covered!
Career Services Announcements
There are 117 positions available on HIRE-A-VOL looking for ENGINEERS and 8 companies who have already set up their Fall 2009 On-Campus Interview dates and are now accepting engineering resumes through HIRE-A-VOL including:
- Siemens
- International Paper
- SPX Corporation
- Robins Air Force Base
- Teach for America
- Pepsi Bottling Group
- Schlumberger
- Westinghouse
To register for the HIRE-A-VOL system and start your job search for part-time and full-time job opportunities, visit the Career Services website at http://career.utk.edu and click on the HIRE-A-VOL logo.
Fall 2009 Career Services Important Dates
SAVE THESE FALL 2009 CAREER SERVICES IMPORTANT DATES!
- Fall Semester Classes Begin — August 19, 2009
- Part-Time Job Fair — All Majors — August 26, 2009
- Career Kick Off Picnic — Everyone come and eat! — September 10, 2009
- Kick Off to Engineering Career Success Day — September 15, 2009 — including “Meet Garmin”, Engineering Student Group Information Fair, FREE Garmin/Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity Cookout, Workshops on career success topics by Eastman Chemical, Garmin, Eaton Electrical, Office of Professional Practice and UT Career Services, Networking reception with engineering alumni and the keynote speaker, Col. Hank Hartsfield, UT Alumni and retired NASA astronaut
- Kick Off Day 2 — 30 Minute Mock Interviews and Resume Critiques with Engineering Employers — September 16, 2009 — registration will open on HIRE-A-VOL for this SOON!
- Volunteerism and Term of Service Fair — September 17, 2009 — Discover opportunities to become engaged citizens and serve communities across the nation
- Graduate School for Engineers — Don Asher — September 23, 2009
- Logistics (Industrial Engineers also) Fair — September 29, 2009
- Fall Job Fair — All Majors (250+ companies came in Fall 2008 and ½ of the companies were looking for engineers) - September 30, 2009
- On-Campus Interviews Start — October 1, 2009
Remember that all December 2009 and May/August 2010 graduates need to have a resume on the HIRE-A-VOL system and be “job-fair” ready by September 1st! Expect to start searching for jobs, submitting your resume for interview consideration, talking to recruiters and begin making decisions about your future as soon as you return to campus for the Fall semester. Over half of the job offers for May graduates are usually made and accepted by January 1st! Resume critiques and mock interviews are available by appointment at Career Services year-round.
Refine Your Online Image
Ten E-Savvy Tips for Career Survival
By Allan Hoffman, Monster Tech Jobs Expert
Career Advice –Monster.com
Everyone knows appearances matter when you're job hunting, but while you wouldn't think of wearing torn jeans to an interview, you might not even blink at sending an email message from a personal address you should share only with family and friends.
Let's face it: meanpeoplesuck@skateboardaddict.com may capture the real you, but it isn't exactly the image you want to convey to networking contacts and hiring managers. One click of the mouse, and your chances of a job may be shot.
When conducting a job search and networking, you need to consider the repercussions of how you conduct yourself online. Here are five dos and five don'ts to help ensure you gain respect—and don't make a fool of yourself—with potential employers.
Online Dos
- Use Smart Subject Lines in Emails: Something like "hello" won't get much attention; in fact, it may doom your email to a junk mail folder. Take the time to write thoughtful, specific email subject lines. "Kudos to your team" is a far preferable subject line to "great" on a congratulatory email to a former colleague. And remember: Don't write in all caps to get attention. That's the equivalent of shouting.
- Use a Signature File: If well-constructed, this can be a terrific calling card—a way to highlight your job title, company and contact info. If you have a Web site, a "sig file," as it's often called, lets you direct people to it.
- Think Before You Hit Send: Job prospects have been torpedoed by sending incomplete, in-progress emails. Don't hit send until you're sure you're ready. If necessary, disable the automatic sending function. Spell-check and proofread emails. Keep things simple: Avoid smiley faces, fancy fonts and rainbow colors.
- Be Careful When Posting to Online Forums: Blogs, message boards, forums and other online venues provide great ways to connect. Just watch what you say, as your words will likely be there forever. You may want to call another blogger an idiot—or worse—but employers may not appreciate a worker inclined to spread invective across the e-waves.
- Keep Your Personal Information Fresh: If you have a personal Web site or blog or other personal information stored at publicly accessible places online, be sure to keep it up-to-date. Especially with blogs and Web pages, outdated information may convey the impression that you start projects and don't complete them.
Online Don'ts
- Be Too Familiar: Email may seem informal by nature, but that doesn't mean you should address hiring managers by their first names. Follow their lead in how formal or informal you should be when communicating online. And whatever you do, don't write in all lowercase ("i really think i'm right for this job") just because that's your style when emailing friends. Follow the rules of grammar and style for business communications.
- Build Junk: You may want your own blog, Web page or online photo album, but think before you build. You don't want to show off your tattoos, rant and rave about every topic under the sun or otherwise create sites that might embarrass you when a potential employer Googles your name.
- Instant-Message When You Should Call: With so many forms of communication now available (phone, cell phone, email, instant messaging, beeper, etc.), make sure you contact people the appropriate way. Just because someone's IM user name appears on her business card—the one you got at a networking event—doesn't give you carte blanche to message her in the middle of the workday.
- Bad-Mouth Your Employer: Even if you loathe your current or former employer, resist the urge to lambaste the company online. You may think you're posting anonymously, but what you say will sometimes signal who you are, even if you don't realize it. Employers don't want to hire someone who is likely to berate a company or its managers online.
- Use Stupid, Pornographic or Otherwise Immature Email Addresses: Save this form of self-expression for your friends.
NOW is the Time to Prepare for Fall Interviews!
Follow this advice from the Career Services website (Student Section) and be sure to check out the variety of resources on different types of interviews and interview questions that you may be asked or that you should expect to ask the interviewer - http://career.utk.edu/interviewing.php.
o Interview Practice
Prepare for professional interviews with practice interviews. Use Perfect Interview™ to practice answering questions (see below) or meet with a staff member for an in-person mock interview.
o Mock Interview
Schedule a mock interview to get in-person interview practice by calling 865-974-5435. Interviews typically last one hour.
Benefits:
o One-on-one recorded interview session.
o Immediate feedback and evaluation.
Remember to:
o Bring a copy of your resume to the interview.
o Wear professional attire. (Encouraged, but not mandatory)
o Show up a few minutes early.
o Perfect Interview™
Perfect Interview™ creates a realistic simulated interview in which you can repeat questions as often as you like and hear others’ examples. A built-in Interview Coach offers help if you get stuck, and you can use the Video Capture option to record and play back your answers using a webcam. If you do not have a webcam, you can make an appointment to use a computer in Career Services. Call (865) 974-5435.
To schedule a mock interview call (865) 974-5435.
Cancellations should be made at least 24 hours in advance.
Career Services is OPEN for Appointments during the Summer!
We encourage any graduates who are still searching for positions or seniors who want to be ready for full-time interviews to come and visit Career Services during the summer. Just call 974-5435 to schedule your appointment with Leslie Fox, College of Engineering Career Services Consultant or send her an e-mail at lfox6@utk.edu. And be sure to keep checking HIRE-A-VOL for engineering job opportunities!
To schedule an appointment for resume review, interview and job fair preparation or the job search process, call 974-5435 and ask to make an appointment with Leslie Fox, Engineering Career Consultant. Career Services is located in 100 Dunford Hall on Volunteer Boulevard.
If you have questions, comments or concerns regarding the Career Services @COE, please send them to L. Ashley Susong at lsusong@utk.edu.