Dress to Impress- Making a Good First Impression!

You’ve just been called for an in-person interview for the job you have been dreaming of. After countless resume reviews, cover letters sent, and phone interviews, the company has asked you to interview in person. The day of the interview, you pull up to the office, resume in hand, feeling confident. As you walk in the front door, you ask for the interviewer, the receptionist asks you to sit while they come down. You look around the room, at the five other candidates applying for the position, and notice something. You think about it for a moment, and realize, you’re underdressed! The other candidates are dressed in professional suits, and you look down at your outfit, faded khaki pants and a short sleeve polo shirt. Sitting and waiting to be called for the interview, you wonder if this will be a deal breaker.

First impressions are one of the most important pieces of interviewing for a position. An employer will likely remember everything about your first impression. Work on making your first impression the best it can be. A first impression is a presentation of yourself and your work. Always dress your best when going for an interview. Suits and professional dress attire can never hurt because the more professional you look, the better. You can never be overdressed for an interview. Avoid looking too “casual;” wearing short sleeves, shorts, sweatshirts or leggings. Neutral colors are best, such as grey, brown, or black. A splash of color to show off your personality can look nice, too. Avoid bright colors that make a bold statement that hinder your professionalism. For example, a red, white and blue suit, while patriotic, is not appropriate for an interview. 

Looking to pick up some extra professional attire? JC Penney’s at Roosevelt Field Mall is offering Hofstra students an extra 40% off all professional wear! Suits, business-casual attire, shoes, watches and accessories are all included. This Dress to Impress event will take place Sunday, October 7^th, 6pm-9pm. Entrance to JC Penney’s will be through the Red Parking Garage at the mall. All students are encouraged to attend with their Hofstra ID.. Hope to see you there! 

Cheryl Posner 

Marketing Graduate Assistant 

The Career Center 

Start Living Your Best College Life Now!

If you’re just going back and forth between class and your dorm/house, chances are you are not going to have a great college experience.  College is the perfect time to expand your horizons and try new things: build relationships, make friends, have fun, and leave your mark on the campus.  You can widen the circle of human beings who know you and care about you while building your skills, confidence, and resume.

And when it comes to making the most of your college experience, “Better late than never” is not the best way to roll.   You can’t get back lost time so don’t wait until senior year to realize that you’ve missed out on doing lots of cool stuff.  So here are some optimal ways to experience, socialize, pick up skills integral to any career and help ensure fulfillment now and success later.

Get involved in a group or organization on campus.Check out the Hofstra club database (GetInvolvedHU) which includes over 200 clubs and organizations with descriptions, contact and event information.  Go to: hofstra.collegiatelink.netand click on “organizations” .

Volunteer!  Not only does it feel good to do good, but it’s a great way to gain experience, meet people, and try out different types of jobs and work environments. Whether you’re interested in Health Care, the Arts, Education, Advocacy, Tech ….  there are volunteer opportunities that will engage you. Devote as little or as much time as you want to.  Here are two great websites to find and secure volunteer opportunities:  volunteermatch.org, idealist.org

Build Relationships - About 80% of today’s jobs and internships are landed through networking.  Networking starts with building relationships and building relationships takes time.  People in your network can support you in many ways: providing advice about and majors and careers, suggesting  things you can do now to prepare, introducing you to other people.  So start building relationships with your peers, classmates, professors, advisors, other staff members.  Here are a few ways you can get started:

•   Go to Office hours – Get to know your professors and stay in touch. 

•   Form study groups-Collaborate with your peers and share common goals.

•   Get involved!Join a club or organization on campus.  Volunteer on campus or in the community.

•   Attend events! Lectures, workshops, career fairs (visit handshake for event info.)

•   Talk to people- You don’t know who knows who!  This includes family members, neighbors, friend’s parents, co-workers, managers, etc.

 

Create a LinkedIn profile and start building your professional network. 

LinkedIn is your resume on steroids!  Mange all your contacts in one place and get the power of your connections’ connections.  Stay visible to hiring managers and connect with vast numbers of professionals who are experts in the field you are pursuing.  Find and reach out directly to Hofstra Alum in the jobs/companies you would like to learn more about.

Visit the Career Center during freshman year.   We can help you with all of this and much more!  Some of the services we provide are: 

·      Career and major exploration

·      Answers to “What can I do with this major?”

·      LinkedIn profile creation and networking

·      Resumes and cover letter reviews

·      Internship and job search guidance

·      Practice interviews

·      Graduate school assistance 

You can schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor by calling our office (516-463-6060) or online via Connect (from the portal).   

Hope to see you soon!

Lisa Kornberg

Getting Ahead of the Game

Many first-year students have a hard time viewing themselves as professionals in the workforce. As a large percentage of incoming first-year students have only had part-time job experiences, they often believe that they lack the necessary skills to even walk into The Career Center. These students may feel insecure about their previous experiences and unsure about how it relates to their future career goals. They believe that they don’t have a strong enough background to fill a resume, so they may not even try to create one at all. What these students fail to realize is that it is never too early to begin exploring their professional identities and how beneficial their skill sets and experiences can be as they begin their career path. 

There is a common misconception that professional opportunities, such as internships, field work experiences, and full-time positions, only come into play in a student’s third or fourth year of college. This notion allows students to feel like they can push back the start date on resume building and interview preparation, which could not be further from the truth. Opportunity can knock at any given moment, so it is imperative that you are all set and ready to go when your time comes. Visiting The Career Center as early as your freshman year will allow you to embrace your professional identity from the start, thus making you comfortable and confident when the perfect position comes your way. Resume critiques, practice interviews and job/internship searches are just a few of the resources that are at your disposal as soon as you step onto campus. In fact, even attending career fairs will help you acclimate to communicating with employers, which will further boost your confidence as you start the interview processes. It is never too early to start chasing your dreams and The Career Center is eager to help! 

Sabrina Iaria 

Graduate Assistant, External Relations 

The Career Center 

Welcome Back! New Opportunities Await!

If you are like me, you may be thinking, “How is it September already?”  Summer always has a way of passing too quickly, but with September comes the excitement of new beginnings, a fresh start, and a chance to do something different and exciting.  

This past weekend, I participated in an END trip to the Long Island Adventure Park with a group of 12 first year students.  Now, I’ve always been afraid of heights.  I even tried to conquer the fear a while back when I was on a high ropes course during a leadership training experience.  Long story short, my harness got tangled and I was lowered down to the safety net by the emergency staff.   I was terrified, not to mention, embarrassed.

I knew this trip would test my limits. I wasn’t sure if I could complete a course, but I said to myself “I have to at least try one…”  What’s the worst that could happen?  I have already been lowered to the ground using a harness, after all. 

As the first course began, I was nervous.  Even though I was trying hard to appear composed, a student asked if I was ok.  Throughout the course, we helped each other out with encouraging words and tips on how to get through the obstacles.  Before I knew it, we had both completed the course.  By the end of the day, I ended up completing 3 courses, including the new Grand Rapids course which had several ziplines. Who knew flying between the trees (while holding on for dear life) could be so fun and so exhilarating?  

As we debriefed the experience, I was inspired by the first-year students sharing their own experiences of growth during the few short hours we were at the park together. One student even said, “I feel like I can accomplish anything now.”   That students’ statement perfectly summed up my feelings at the end of the event.

With the start of a new semester, I encourage you to be open to all the opportunities and experiences available to you as part of the Hofstra community.  Get involved.  Meet and chat with your faculty outside of the classroom.  Attend events.  Explore a new interest.  Develop friendships.  Challenge yourself.  This is your time to discover who you are and who you want to be.  If you step out of your comfort zone, you will soon realize you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

As you reflect and explore on each of these new experiences, the Career Center is here to help you design your path to a successful and satisfying future.   Our advisors are available for individual career counseling sessions and for quick questions.  You can schedule a time to meet with an advisor by logging into Connect on the portal, or by calling the office at 516-463-6060.  Our team has also been hard at work throughout the summer planning special events and site visits to help you network with professionals in a variety of fields.  I encourage you to attend these events – even if networking is outside of your comfort zone. (We can help with that too!)

Also, I encourage you to check out the opportunities and resources on the Career Hub (www.hofstra.edu/careerhub).   You can find jobs, internships, event information and more in Handshake, industry information on Vault, and so much more!

I look forward to seeing you all throughout the year.  And remember, "if you don’t challenge yourself, you will never realize what you can become.”

Best,

Michelle Kyriakides

Executive Director, Hofstra Career Center