We're on Skype!

The final week of the semester brought on a new milestone for the Business Placement Center! Finals week has a tendency to be rather... crazy! You can imagine my response when AirServ, a company who visited campus recruiting for United Airlines, asked me if it would be possible for students to visit them for interviews in Chicago of that week. While some students were able to make it, some weren't. Thankfully, AirServ was willing to conduct interviews via video conference!

We used Skype, the free calling service that eBay owns. It is AWESOME if you need to call overseas or videoconference on the cheap! Using a USB condenser mic and webcam, we were able to turn my office into a sort of 'videobooth' for the students who weren't able to make it to Chicago that week!

Here is a photo of one of those students, Nicki Raufer (Marketing '10), taken just after her interview:
Although I think that everybody agreed that face-to-face interactions are the best, we're excited to use technology to close that geographical gap that southern Illinois (sometimes!) seems to have!

What you SHOULD do over summer break!

The summer break is fast approaching and you don't have an internship or professional job... You knew that you should have started looking months ago, but you were busy and simply thought 'I'll do that later'. Well, later is now. At this point you fear that the only job you will have this summer is flipping burgers or working on a construction site - neither of which appeals to you and you have no idea how you will relate those positions to your studies/career ambitions for Fall interviews.

There is hope.

Consider volunteering around your hometown. There are plenty of non-profit and local organizations that are generally very appreciative to get help with their bookeeping, marketing and/or management efforts. When searching for these kinds of opportunities it's important to be clear about what you can help with and explain to the organization that you are simply interested in volunteering. I would recommend against going in and asking for a paid opportunity, as most volunteer-based organizations simply don't have the budget for extra help.

Some organizations you may want to talk to about volunteering include:

• Chamber of Commerce Offices (this is a great way to get to know local businesses as well!)
• An economic development office
• A social services organization
• School districts (both public and private)
• Goodwill or Salvation Army locations
• Habitat for Humanity
• Politicians who have offices in your town
• You Church or Place of Worship.
  

It's important to realize that if you are hired to assist with a particular task you may will be asked to help out in many different ways around the office. Don't be offended by this, simply look at it as another way to realize that most businesses still take out their own trash every evening. If you have thought about starting your own business or working for a startup these activities can give you a very realistic idea of what it's like trying to 'keep all the plates in the air' on a daily basis.

Keeping up with the Jonses'

I often hear from students who want to get into a particular industry, however don't know anything about that industry. This can clearly make networking within that area somewhat difficult!

Fortunately the extensive access of information that we have at our disposal can come in extremely handy at this point. Consider reading industry-related blogs and articles to gain a better understanding of what is going on in a particular business segment. Just a few examples include:

• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
• Word of Mouth Marketing Association
• Computing Technology Industry Association

It's pretty easy to find the industry organization that you might be interested in. Start off with some basic Googling. Search for things like 'Sports Marketing Industry Association', or some such variant.

Another very cool tool is Google Alerts, which allows you to tell Google to email you when it discovers a new link that is relevant to the terms that you give it. This can be an excellent way to stay on top of new happenings in cost accounting, financial planning, retail marketing, or any other industry!

It's in the details!

When you are applying for a particular job, it's important to gear your resume and cover letter to the actual position. This even includes the little details, such as the file name of your resume!

Case in point: Imagine that you are applying for a marketing position, even though your education and background is in accounting. Clearly you want to explain this career jump in your cover letter, but don't forget what the recepient of your email is going to see if you forget to modify the filename of your resume:


See the confusion? While the resume might still get looked over, the hiring manager will be questioning it as she reads it, because subconsciously she is thinking 'accounting, accounting, accounting'.

Keep an eye on the little details!

Making an Impression AFTER the Interview!!!

How to Write an Effective Thank You Note
(This advice has been customized with core content from http://www.thesimpledollar.com)

We are in the thick in interview season and one of the things I find most students (and even non-students) overlook is the interview follow-up. The first thing you should do following an interview is to SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE! Ideally you will send this within 12 hours of your meeting with a potential employer.

First of all, thank you notes can be written on basic stationery. You can pick up regular stationary just about anywhere - A bookstore, Staples, even Wal-Mart. There are plenty of styles to choose from that you can use to fit your personal taste. University Bookstore has notecards with the SIU seal embossed on them - these can be a great way to help personalize and 'brand' the note even further.

Second, always hand write a thank you note. A handwritten thank you note has a certain level of elegance that you just can’t capture by typing and printing a note. Take out your pen and write down your thoughts. If you prefer, you can draft the note at the keyboard, but then copy your final text from the screen to the card. If your handwriting is terrible (like mine), it's wise to practice on regualr printer paper before making the jump to the actual card (yes, I really will do this from time to time!)

Given that, it’s okay to use printed labels when addressing the envelopes. Not only does this save time, it also ensures accuracy of the address. As long as the note inside is handwritten, this is completely appropriate. Remember to get the appropriate address for your interviewer – You can ask for their business card, look at their email signature (if you’ve been emailing with them) or even ask the receptionist on your way out of the interview.

Addressing the thank you note: Start off with the word “Dear,” then imagine you walked into a room and saw this person (or these people) without having seen them for a year. How would you address them? That’s what you should use next. During your Externship did you call your sponsor 'Mrs. Smith' or 'Heather'?
The first sentence Say “thank you for” and state the opportunity you’ve been given. Here are four examples:
Thank you for the interview for the marketing internship
Thank you for the opportunity to learn how your business works.
Thank you for all of the professional insights you gave me last week.
Thank you for the advice you provided in terms of becoming successful in the sports marketing industry.

The second piece: Express a further detailed appreciation of the gift or opportunity by explaining what it meant to you or what you plan on doing with the gift. Continuing with the above examples:
I learned a great deal about Edward Jones and the financial services industry.
It was exciting and interesting to learn more about your organization and the educational technology field.
I feel extremely prepared in regards to my professional future.
Your insights have greatly helped me in figuring out that I really do want to work in the sports marketing arena.

The third piece: Try to build towards a future connection with the note target. Some examples:
I look forward to speaking to you in the future about other potential possibilities with Edward Jones.
I would greatly appreciate any other career-oriented advice, and I hope that your organization and I can have a long and happy relationship.
Next time I am in the area I would appreciate the opportunity to have lunch with you.
Feel free to call me anytime you visit Carbondale - I would enjoy the opportunity to show off the College of Business to you.

The signature: Sign it pleasantly and friendly, no matter what. I usually sign my notes “Thanks again!” or "Sincerely," and my name under that. I also generally like to enclose a business card for the recipients' records.

Big Mouse on Campus!

The Big Mouse will be taking over SIU on October 13-15th!

Disney will be rolling out a week of activities designed to help you discover how to get an internship of a lifetime!

Click here to find out all the details: BigMouseSIUFlyer

See you there!

Preparing for a Phone Interview

A lot of organizations like using the phone for their initial screening interviews. The reasons for this are pretty reasonable. They may want to save on travel costs, have multiple individuals on the phone call and see how the applicants' communication skills are.

That being said, phone interviews can be frightening - you don't know the reactions of the HR rep on the other end of the phone as easily as you would if you were being interviewed in person. The more you prep for a phone interview, however, the better you can come across. Follow these simple tips to stay comfortable and make your brand shine during a phone interview:

• While you could do the interview in your underwear - DON'T! Dress as if you are really going to the company. It has been proven that you perform better if you are professionally dressed (yes guys, this means wearing a tie).
• Try to schedule the call where you can use a landline phone. A phone interview is the wrong time to have your cell drop out. If you simply can't, make sure that wherever you call into the interview (or where you wait for their call) has strong service.
• Set up a well-lit and comfortable place to sit (or stand, if you are more comfortable) during the call.
• Have a notepad handy to jot notes down on during the call.
• Key tip here: Have copies of your resume, references, company info, and job description laid out. While you should know these documents inside and out, it's nice to have them handy.
• Have some questions for them! Remember, the interview is as much for you to get to know them as it is the other way around. This may lead to a career for you - make sure that you will be happy there. You can get some ideas about what to ask them here.

The BPC can help you prepare for any type of interview - phone, in-person, panel - you name it. Come by 113 or call 618.453.2603 today to schedule a consultation.