The College of Charleston Career Center

New Home for the Blog!

thecareercenter — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:10:18 +0000

The Career Center Blog has a new home! Please change all of your saved favorites to reflect our new address: http://blogs.cofc.edu/careercenter/

At our new address you will still recieve the same great advice regarding resumes, interviewing, career fairs, choosing majors and more! Plus, all of our previous posts are at the new address. See you there!

Undecided about your major? Attend the Major/Minor Fair!

thecareercenter — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:10:33 +0000

The Major/Minor Fair, hosted by the SGA, will be held on October 16th from 11am – 2pm on Physicians Promenade. This is an great opportunity for you, the undecided student, to learn about the variety of majors and minors offered at CofC. Also, it’s a chance for you to speak with faculty and other students about their respective major(s) – Ask questions, pick up some info, and who knows what else you may walk away with (freebies?!)…

Even if you’re not truly undecided, but have an idea about which major you intend to declare (or just haven’t committed to it on paper because you don’t know where the department is located) – this event is for you, too! Stop by and check it out on the 16th.

If you’re still having difficulty choosing a major after attending the fair, please contact your academic advisor in the Academic Advising and Planning Center or contact us at the Career Center for an appointment – we’re here to help!

Networking 101

thecareercenter — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:35:15 +0000

Networking is a valuable skill used in the job search. Through your connections you can get access to information about jobs and companies that is not located on the internet. Only a small percentage of jobs are posted on the Internet job databases (approximately 20%) so you must know people who know people in order to find out about jobs. But. how do you get started networking your contacts?

First, make a list of all the people you know. this includes all your friends, family, professors, supervisors, even your doctor and minister. Every connection you have is another lead on a potential job. Your asking yourself right now “But, how will my preacher help me get a job? I don’t want to become a minister!” Your minister or doctor might not have a job for you but they have connections to who might know of potential positions. Networking is like a spider web, one string leads to another and to another and so on. Before you know it your network is a hundred strong. After you make your list of connections you need to let them know what your looking for. Tell them specifics and give them your resume.

This two step process will then be repeated every time you make a connection. Do you want more information about networking? Check out the Career Center Help Guides for more ideas on establishing an effective network.

The Subjective Resume

thecareercenter — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:54:44 +0000

What is a resume? According to most dictionaries, it is a written summary of a person’s education, experience and other important information. But a resume goes far beyond that for you, the job seeker. A resume needs to be a marketing piece or advertisement for you to prospective employers. And what do all great advertisements have in common? They focus on the best feature of the product and put all the other information in fine print (or not mention it at all).

So what does this mean for you and your resume? Your resume needs to focus on your best features and qualifications for the position. If you have relevant experience you need to focus on that information, not your stint as a bag boy in high school. Information like that becomes part of the fine print (or not mentioned at all). But the entire time you are exalting your best features, remember to remain honest at all times. Lying in a resume will not help in the long run. Not only will they expect things you cannot deliver but they may call you on it and not hire you.

Need to know more about writing that great resume. Check out the Career Center’s resume handout, “Developing an Effective Resume,” on our website.

And don’t forget to attend the Career Center Resume Workshop on October 15 or 16 at 3:00! For more details look at then events calendar on the Career Center Website.

The Five (or six) Year Plan

thecareercenter — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:05:28 +0000

Years ago the standard time frame for college of four years (hence the titles “Four Year College” and “Two Year College”) but fast forward to present day and a lot of students are spending upwards of five to six years in college. Is this wrong? It depends on the reasons.

If you are staying in college five or more years just goofing off, changing your major 10+ times, or taking extended periods of time off to relax at the beach, then, yes the five year plan is wrong! Not only is it not good for your (or your parents) budget but it is a waste of resources. You are taking up valuable space that another more interested student could be filling.

But if you are staying in college five or more years because you are experiencing all that you can plus gaining relevant skills/knowledge then go ahead. Most people who complete an extra degree, take an internship(s), or study abroad spend extra time earning their degrees.

So if some asks what year you are and you feel like hanging your head when you say, “Second year Senior,” don’t! Especially if it is because of meaningful experiences. Those experiences will help you in the long run, not only to gain real world experience/knowledge but to expand your horizons.

For more ideas about how to gain the most out of college (even if it will take a few more semesters, check out these links:

Events Galore!

thecareercenter — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:18:50 +0000

This semester the Career Center is offering a multitude of workshops and other events to help you in your career development. No matter if your a freshman or a senior you can find something at the Career Center. As usual we are offering several workshops on writing resumes and preparing for the Career fair. But new this semester are workshops on choosing internships, choosing majors, completing the online job search, and finding that part-time job. Check out the Events Calendar for more information about our workshops. We also list job related events around the Charleston area.

Don’t Just Sit There, Get Out There!

thecareercenter — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:36:13 +0000

College is more than just classes! You may be thinking that this is odd for someone who works for the college to say but it is true. Through your classes you are getting the necessary educational background needed for the world but everything else you do in college is important too! Through clubs, greek life, sports, part-time jobs, and more you are gaining valuable life experiences needed to be a successful individual.

Many employers love to see extra-curricular experiences on a new college graduate’s resume because it shows that not only did the student not sit in their dorm room for four years but that they have other experiences/skills to be successful in the job. Activities can provide you with valuable communication, leadership, organizational, and team-work skills. Skills that are little harder to gain during traditional lecture classes.

At the College of Charleston there are over a hundred different clubs and organizations that you can become involved in. There are honors/academic, political, religious, social, and professional organizations on campus. And if you say that there is not an organization that meshes with your interests then you are lying to yourself. The College of Charleston offers a diverse mix of groups and if a college organization does not interest you then the Charleston community will have something that fits you.

So get involved, gain some great life experiences and skills that will benefit you in the future when trying to land your dream job.

All About Us

thecareercenter — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:04:01 +0000

The Career Center is one of the few offices on campus that you can start using from the first day of your college career to well beyond your graduation date. Our office specializes in helping students with their various career needs. Below is a little bit more about what we can do for you, the student, succeed over the next four years and beyond!

Part-time Jobs (on and off-campus)
Internships
Full-Time Jobs
Help Choosing Major/Career
Resume Critiquing Services
Graduate School Advice
Plus More!

We can provide you with appointments to meet one-on-one with a staff member or you can drop by during drop-in hours. Our office also hosts workshops and career fairs throughout the year to help you with the job search, writing resumes, etc. So drop by our office in the Lightsey Center (2nd floor) or peruse our website at http://www.cofc.edu/~career/.

Welcome Back Everyone!

thecareercenter — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:03:04 +0000

Hopefully, everyone had a very eventful summer break. Did you have an internship that showed you what professionals in your chosen field really do? Did you take a trip to another country, experiencing another culture to its fullest? Or did you take classes to get ahead of the game in school? Well, whatever you did this past summer with any luck it was fun, relaxing, but meaningful in the grand scheme that is called life!

But now you are back to school and it is time to hit the books. Good luck during the next year. For those of you who are new to the school welcome to the city by the sea and the College of Charleston. A place where you will set down roots for the next few years and gain education and life experiences. For the returning students, welcome back! You know the routine, but remember things will be a little different. Some of you are getting into your major classes, or you’re joining a new club or activity. Or you’re entering your final year at the College of Charleston.

Here on the Career Center Blog we hope to help all of you, no matter your stage in the matriculation cycle. Over the next semester we will be discussing a wide range of topics. And if we do not talk about something you want to know tell us in the comments below. So hang in there for another year of career advice and discussion!

Finding Happiness in the Workplace

thecareercenter — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:04:44 +0000

Your mission should you choose to accept it is . . . . . . to find a career that you love!

Sometimes this is easier said than done but it should be everyone’s goal. As a child growing up you dreamed of doing something that you loved, anything from being a firefighter, a veterinarian, or a teacher (typical childhood dream jobs). When dreaming about those careers, you focused on the activities and how much fun you will have helping animals or teaching kids.

Now many of you always ask “How much money will I make?” Money is important (fact of life) but when selecting a career it should not be the final decision making factor. For example, say you are a outside sales associate making around $80,000+ a year but while you are making the “big” bucks have you thought about your life style? More than likely you work 60+ hours a week, you have the nice house, car and boat but when do you get to enjoy it. And while at the job you constantly deal with customer complaints and a competitive office space where you really don’t enjoy the people you work with. Does that sound like your dream job? (Note: some people will love that setting but it is not for everyone)

When choosing your career focus on what you can gain from it emotionally. Is it going to give you a sense of satisfaction? Will you look forward to it everyday? Can you see yourself doing that job for the next twenty years without wincing? If you answered yes to those questions then it is a good possibility that you have found the career for you, one you can enjoy.

Check out this article by K. Rawley in the Business Journal, “Enjoying your job can increase odds of success.”

So you might not have ended up a firefighter but hopefully you will find a career you enjoy.