From the Classroom to the Community

Do you want to travel the country, meet new people, create lifelong friendships, and give back to your community?

If the answer is yes, AmeriCorps is a way you can dedicate your time and skills to serve. According to AmeriCorps Youth Outreach Specialist for the NorthEast Region, Jessica Brown, each year more than 80,000 American’s enroll in AmeriCorps between the ages of 18-24. With more than one million alumni, AmeriCorps has provided life-changing experiences for members to jumpstart their career path. As a member of AmeriCorps, you can travel the country, earn money for school, and meet the critical needs in your community in 10 to 12 months!

AmeriCorps members are committed to getting things done by tackling different projects with non-profits, public agencies, institutions, and community based organizations. Here are just some of the ways you can help serve through AmeriCorps:

·       Filling and placing sandbags in local communities to mitigate the impact of natural disasters like flooding

·       Educating citizens on sustainability and energy conservation practices

·       Constructing or repairing hiking trails in local and national parks

·       Removing exotic vegetation and planting new trees

·       Assisting veterans, homeless and senior citizen populations

·       Constructing and rehabilitating low-income housing

The advantages of becoming a member allow you to receive money for college, student loan repayment assistance, living allowances, health benefits, and potential job opportunities. At AmeriCorps, you can gain professional skills, network, and begin living your dreams with no prior experience necessary!

If you’re ready to begin creating your future and want to find out more information, please visit www.corps.vet.

Here’s to making a difference!

Hofstra Career Center and Jennifer Fragleasso, External Relations Coordinator

Harassment in the Workplace: Through the Eyes of a Hofstra Career Center Resource

Harassment in the workplace.  If we all had a dollar for every time we have heard that phrase over the past few months… But what exactly IS harassment and what do you need to know as an intern or full-time employee?

You should know that it’s not just full-time employees or paid interns that are protected under the law. The New York State Human Rights Protections for Unpaid Interns in the Workplace Law protects unpaid interns from harassment and other forms of unlawful discrimination in the workplace. Interns are now protected against discrimination based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital status, or domestic violence victim status. The Law applies to all employers with four or more employees.

So, now you know that you are all protected. Next, you should know what you are protected FROM.  According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals.

That’s a lot of words.  Here are some examples:

• My co-workers make negative comments about my personal religious beliefs, including how I dress.  They are always trying to convert me to their religious ideology.
• My supervisor keeps pressuring me for a date and lately has been hinting at a promotion if I accept.
• A supervisor recently asked me about my love life. The questions are detailed and extremely offensive, but I’m afraid to express how I really feel.
• My co-workers tease me about being the only female scientist in our unit. They are constantly making comments that I am not as smart as they are and that I must have dated the boss to get this job.
• My co-workers tell racist jokes and it makes me feel very uncomfortable.  I have asked them to stop but then they just make fun of me for being too sensitive.

Harassment can be physical or emotional. This is a very important point.  Just because someone does not actual touch you in an aggressive or sexual way, does not mean that they have not committed harassment. Offensive jokes, slurs, or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, are all examples of harassment. Also, the harasser may not necessary be a supervisor, it can be anyone in or associated with the workplace.  Further, the victim does not have to be actual person who is being harassed, but someone who is being negatively affected by the harassment.

So what can you do? What are your resources?

If someone is harassing you, the first course of action can be telling them to stop.  If you do not feel comfortable doing that, or if doing so has not changed the behavior, report the situation to a supervisor.  Keep detailed notes of incidences, including emails or written documentation. Be prepared to file a written complaint. Know that under the law, you cannot be fired, demoted or punished for filing a complaint.

As for prevention, I suggest researching companies of interest to see if they have shared any of their harassment policies online.  While not having a visible one may not mean that the company is soft on harassment, you may be able to find some valuable information.  A simple Google search will tell you if the company has been cited for harassment in the past.

You can also ask about these policies at the end of your interview.  Maybe something like “Harassment in the workplace has been in the news a great deal lately. What policies do you have in place here to prevent incidences of harassment?”  Hopefully the answer is that they train their employees properly and have punitive measures in place for offenders.

For a further discussion about this topic, The Career Center is proud to present Harassment in the Workplace, a discussion about the various forms of harassment, on April 18^th from 3:30-5:00 in HofUSA.  We hope to see you there!

Darlene Johnson
Director of External Relations, Hofstra Career Center

How to Lose a Student in 10 Seconds

Making the Most of Your On-Campus Recruiting Event!

College students are complex individuals. They say they want one thing, but often lack the enthusiasm to put themselves out there to go and get it. It is assumed that the reason they are in college is to get a degree and eventually a job. While this is understood, it can be difficult for them to see past the present moment and go after their future goal. Students live in the now. They are more concerned with their upcoming exams, going out over the weekend, and spring break plans than what they are going to do after graduation. Whether this prioritization stems from fear of the future or love for the now, employers need to spend their time recruiting on campus in the NOW where students live. As an employer you may be asking yourself, “How do I get the students to come talk to me?” As a student and the Career Center Marketing Assistant, here is what works:

1.   Quality Freebies

Notice the word quality is in bold. This is because students do not really need another pen or frisbee. They are more inclined to walk up to a table that is giving away something that provides value to their life. The most successful tables I have seen pass out food or vouchers for food. Students are drawn to this because it solves two essential needs: saving money and getting nourishment. The winning component for you as the employer is that the student is going to feel like they owe you something in return and be more willing to have a conversation about opportunities at your company!

2.   Make Your Table POP

While it is understood that different organizations prioritize marketing in different ways, a little in terms of presentation style can go a long way. Put forth the effort to make your display pop; Incorporate colors and graphics! Students view your table display as a representation of your company culture. If there are balloons, a banner, and eye-catching flyers, students are more likely to want to know more. If there is not even a sign to advertise what you are doing there, the odds of students walking right by are going to increase significantly. Like students are expected to be their best selves on Career Fair day, your company needs to be its best self on recruitment days!

 

3.   Integrate an Element of Competition

While this might not be as applicable for Career Fairs, general tabling events that have had great success involve opportunities to WIN. Successful ideas I have seen include raffles and “pong” events! These do not take a lot of effort and if it gives students an opportunity to compete to win a prize, they are all in! Plus, I have seen employers utilize this strategy to gain student information i.e. email addresses and phone numbers to continue the recruitment process past the tabling event.

4.   Be Approachable and Fun!

Put yourself in the shoes of the student for a minute. Maybe they are really interested in your company but are too nervous to walk up and introduce themselves. Alleviate some of their anxiety by standing up, smiling, and positioning yourself in a way that seems welcoming to students. Just by saying “Good Morning” to students as they walk by will leave a positive impression of your company on campus. While it’s definitely easier to sit behind the table and make small talk with your fellow recruiters, students are going to pick up on a vibe of exclusivity and not want to engage with you because they feel left out. Now this does not mean to act like “Recruitment Robots” because that is a turn off too. But a little friendliness and personality can go a long way.

My final words of wisdom are this: understand you are marketing to a generation that lives in the NOW. College students have college student priorities and the best way to get them to think long-term is to appeal to them in the short-term. I promise if you take any or all the tips above, students are going to have a greater interest in your company and want to learn more about why you are standing there recruiting. Hopefully, this will provide you with a stronger and wider pool of candidates that would have otherwise been too afraid to step up to the plate and introduce themselves!

Just my two cents, 

Maggie Tardif 
Graduate Marketing Assistant