Does Your Path Spark Joy?

Last week, Sabeen talked about how she changed her major multiple times only to end up on the path she felt was right for her. It all worked out for Sabeen and hopefully it will work out for me as well! 

As a recent Hofstra graduate (2017), I remember my senior year constantly feeling the stress when I hear of all of my peers going on job interviews and signing their contracts, and I had NO clue where to start. I was soon going to be holding my BBA in Marketing and had no idea what I wanted to do with it. I went on a bunch of interviews and nothing felt right. 
I ended up landing a position at a small, family-run project management firm in NYC as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. It ended up being the most amazing first job I could have dreamed of. I loved working for a small company because while my title was Executive Assistant, I was handling all of their marketing, which I was able to brag about on my resume. Eventually I got brought into the swing of project management and got promoted to assist with client projects. 

I still felt something was missing. I would work 9-5 and go home and ask myself "now what?". I tried to volunteer locally, looked for local part-time jobs, I needed to fill my extra time because that's how I am! A year after graduating I decided to apply for graduate school, do a complete u-turn in my career path, and got into the Higher Education Leadership & Policy Program here at Hofstra. 

SURPRISE! I want to work in student affairs because of what Hofstra gave me during my undergraduate years. Hofstra gave me joy and inspiration and being here doesn't feel like a 9-5 to me. So what I hope you get out of my story is that it is OKAY to change your path and it doesn't matter WHEN you decide to change your path! 

As Marie Kondo would say, do what sparks joy for you! 

Kari Schaefer
Graduate Marketing Assistant

What is a Career Fair?

What is a Career Fair and Why Should I Go?

Good question, and we know some of you are thinking it. While the words “career fair” are thrown around in our office with great frequency, we realize that students may not truly know what a career fair is. So, consider this Career Fair 101 regarding our Spring Career and Internship Fair, happening on Wednesday March 13th from 11-2 in the Mack Arena.

A career fair is a gathering of companies that are looking to hire students for full-time, part-time or internship positions. If a company is at the fair, chances are they are actively looking to fill these roles, although they may have varying timelines. For example, some hiring needs may be immediate, while some may be for the following academic year or summer. So, no matter when you graduate, chances are you will find employers who fit your time table.

Not looking for any position at the moment? Coming to a career fair is still a great idea so that you can walk around and know what to expect when you are ready to search for an internship or job. Walking into a room of over 130 employers can be intimidating, so doing a practice run is a great idea!

Here are some frequently asked questions about our career fairs:
What should I wear?
Wear your professional best! Come in business attire. If you are not sure what that means, we can help!

Is the fair only for business majors?
NOPE! Employers attending the fair will be representing a wide variety of industries, including engineering, education, health care, not-for-profit, and may others!

What employers are coming?
You can find the list on Handshake. Review this list prior to the fair, and identify your top preferences. Research those companies so that you know who they are and what they do. Don’t just look at the company name, but review the jobs that they are seeking to fill. If you are a marketing major, don’t necessarily skip over a non-profit organization, as the organization may be looking for interns to market their services to the community.

Should I bring resumes?
Yes, and plenty of them. It’s a good idea to have your resume looked over by The Career Center prior to the fair. Students can get a quick resume review during our Quick Question drop in hours, which are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 and Wednesdays from 11-1, no appointment necessary!

Should I bring cover letters?
Nope, not necessary.

Should I follow-up with employers?
Yes, take a business card from the representatives and make notes on the back with anything relevant that they told you. Send them a thank-you email for taking their time to attend the fair, and attach your resume, even though you may have given them a hard copy at the fair. Don’t be disheartened if you do not receive a reply. Recruiters attend many fairs and meet many students, but taking the time to follow-up with them shows your interest.

Have any more questions? We are here to help! Give us a call at 516-463-6060 or email us at careercenter@hofstra.edu. See you at the fair!

Darlene Johnson
Director of External Relations

Five Reasons to Join the Peace Corps After Graduation

Five Reasons to Join the Peace Corps After Graduation

As you cross holiday shopping off your list, this is also the season to help others by giving your time and energy to make a difference. I recently met Teckla Persons, a Peace Corps recruiter, and she shared some great service opportunities for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. So as you think about wrapping up the semester, whether a December gradauate or upcoming May graduate, consider these five reasons Teckla shares below to join the Peace Corps after graduation. 

Wishing you happy holidays!

Hofstra Career Center and Jennifer Fragleasso, External Relations Coordinator

Five Reasons to Join the Peace Corps After Graduation

Serving in the Peace Corps is a unique opportunity to help a community overseas and build lasting relationships. It is also a way to launch your career and further your educational goals. This year, there are five alumni from Hofstra serving in Indonesia, Lesotho, Morocco, Senegal, and Tonga. Could you be next to join the more than 182 alumni who have already served?

 If you are considering joining the Peace Corps after graduation, here are 5 ways that you can expect to benefit:

1)    Make an impact in a community that needs someone with your skills. 

Peace Corps has open volunteer positions in more than 60 countries each year, and each of those positions has been requested by a community that identified a project that would benefit from the volunteer’s involvement. Do you have an interest in working with youth and experience with tutoring? Education is the program area that has the largest request for volunteers worldwide, and there are education positionsavailable to applicants from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds. If you have a green thumb, or small business experience, or a passion for community health outreach, we have plenty of opportunitiesfor you as well. Learn more about how your skills might fit a community’s needs by reading about What Volunteers Do. 

2)    Boost your resume with language and technical training. 

Once you arrive in your country of service, there are several months of training with other new volunteers before you move to your host community and begin working. Peace Corps training is intense: you learn a local language, technical skills for your new job, cultural norms to help you fit into your new community, and health and safety information. Trainees typically live with host families, so you will have the chance to start making local friends right away. And after pre-service training has ended and you begin service, there are opportunities to continue your professional development through in-service training and ongoing support from Peace Corps staff. Learn more about our training HERE. 

3)    Reduce your student loans.

Student loans do not have to prevent you from serving in the Peace Corps – in fact, service can make you eligible for deferment, partial cancellation, income-based repayment, or loan forgiveness.  Peace Corps service is also considered qualifying employment for the Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives the remainder of certain federal loans after 120 monthly payments are made under a qualifying repayment plan. Under a qualifying repayment plan, your payments could be $0 per month while volunteering. 

Benefits depend on the type of loans you have, so visit our websiteto learn how to get specific information.

4)    Get help paying for graduate school after service. 

If you are planning to go to graduate school and trying to decide whether to serve in the Peace Corps or apply right away, consider this: our Coverdell Fellows program offers graduate financial aid to returned Peace Corps volunteers, including tuition reduction, full scholarships, stipends and assistantships at over 120 participating universities around the country. In addition, as a Coverdell Fellow you will have the opportunity to build on the skills you learned as a volunteer and continue your service through internships in underserved communities. Learn more about the Coverdell Fellows program and see a list of participating schools HERE.

5)    Form lifelong friendships. 

If you ask returned volunteers about the best part of service, many will mention the close relationships they formed with host families, coworkers, students, and friends in the community. Peace Corps service lasts 27 months, but the friendships that are formed can last a lifetime. Visit the stories sectionof the Peace Corps website to read first-hand accounts from volunteers. . If you are interested in learning more about one volunteer’s bond with her host family, take a look at Clarice’s story. To gain insight into the support network that evolves between volunteers, check out this storyabout three women who grew close during their service after learning that they had all been members of the same sorority. And if you want read more about the relationship between volunteers and community members from the perspective of a local teacher who co-teaches with Peace Corps volunteers, check out Isabel’s story. 

To learn more about the benefits of service, or to find out what opportunities are available for you in the Peace Corps, join us at an upcoming event, or contact recruiter Teckla Persons at tpersons@peacecorps.gov. 

Tips for Choosing a Career Path

Choosing a career path can be stressful, there's no doubt about it! There are many people throughout your college career who will help guide you. Keeping an open mind is one of the most important factors in choosing a career. You never know where you may land! The Career Center and the Division of Student Affairs at Hofstra are here to help! In honor of Careers in Student Affairs Month, a month dedicated to the celebration of Higher Education and Student Affairs professionals, the DSA has provided some career tips! 

"Make your potential future employer feel special! Connect the dots for the person reading your application – use your cover letter to show how you fulfill their specific needs as outlined in the job description, or preempt any questions the hiring manager may have about the application. Pay attention to keywords in the position descriptions and use bold font to draw the reader’s eye! Brevity is also key – chances are a recruiter or hiring manager is pouring over lots of applications, so make their job easier by hitting your points in an organized, succinct fashion!"
-Denise Campos, Assistant Director, Student Leadership and Engagement 

"I have learned that by saying yes to opportunities that present themselves despite my own fears, the experiences and rewards have far outweighed the negatives. Some of these opportunities have opened up new avenues for personal and professional growth. The exposure to show my talents to colleagues whom I generally do not interact with gives me a level of visibility that opens new doors and the ability to participate in new endeavors within Student Affairs."
-Novia Ramsay, Director of Operations, Office of Residence Life 

“Most people don’t go to college thinking they will end up working in a college – I sure didn’t!  But, I’m so happy that I found out about this career along the way.  Ask a student affairs pro what they love about their job, and you may discover a whole new path that you hadn’t thought about previously.”
-Michelle Kyriakides, Executive Director, The Career Center

With these in mind, remember to keep your options open and to always keep learning. Challenge yourself to explore new opportunities and to work outside of your comfort zone. Every experience you have while in college will help lead your career path, so make the most out of each! 

Fall in Love With Your Career

It is officially Fall, a time of change and new opportunity. With the many meetings, classes, and events Hofstra has to offer, it can be challenging to take a few minutes to reflect on your job or internship search. As our Career Fairs are approaching, you may be wondering what employers to be targeting. The job or internship search can become overwhelming and frustrating, especially as our society places a large emphasis on “the dream job.” 

I am here to ease those anxieties. Not everyone’s dream job is attainable as soon as they graduate college. Things that are valuable and worthwhile take time and effort! And that is why you need to use all of your resources. The Career Center is here to help; we can give you the tools to develop career readiness and understand each person has a unique path.

As I graduate in December and begin my own job search process. I have been continuously reflecting on what has led people to their current roles today. Below are some of the answers the advisors at the Career Center were kind enough to share with me, and I would like to share with you.  

What did you study in college? 

“ I majored in psychology and minored in sociology. After that I had a series of jobs that I didn’t particularly love. Then, 7 years after getting my bachelor’s degree, I went back to school for a master’s in Career Development. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made!” 

-       Darlene London Johnson, Director of External Relations

What was your first job out of college?

“I worked at a non profit organization after college, where I managed an internship program and the communications work for the foundation.   I learned a great deal about professionalism and creating and maintaining professional relationships.  I also learned that the amount of preparation I did before a meeting was directly correlated to how confident I was in that meeting.”

-       Michelle Kyriakides, Executive Director 

What has led to your current role at The Career Center at Hofstra University?

“Networking! The previous Executive Director [of The Career Center] was also my spin instructor.  I told him how I was looking for a job and he suggested I apply for a job with him at the Career Center.” 

-       Lorraine Massiah, Assistant Director for Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives 

What do you love about your current role? 

“I love that no two days are alike, everyday is a new way to help students. My favorite part of my job is watching the light go off in a student’s mind when they discover their passion, whether in the classroom, on their internship, during a leadership opportunity, or just by exploring their interests in a one on one appointment.”

-       Sabeen Sheikh, Assistant Director of Outreach and Special Programs

With these answers in mind, I hope this provides a bit of clarity on how all career paths are diverse, even among those who are in the same organization.  If you find yourself struggling in your career path, make an appointment with us by calling 516-463-6060.

~Wishing you a wonderful semester~

Kristi Riecker

Graduate Assistant of Career Development 

Spring into Success!

Happy Start to Spring 2018!

Whether this is your first semester or your 8^th (or more) semester, the Career Center welcomes you to Spring 2018! We hope that you had a great holiday season and winter break.

If you are like me, you might approach the winter months as a sort of hibernation – a time to relax and also prepare for the upcoming year.

Although I do not get as much rest as I would like to during the winter, I do give myself permission to spend the month of January to set my intentions for the year and develop a loose action plan to follow. It’s not too late to start this process; I still haven’t finished my 2018 goals to be completely honest. Below are some tips that I have found beneficial over the years that have helped me set and achieve my goals.

• Visualize

Something that I started doing this year was creating a vision board; I have one that I keep in my office and one that I keep at home. The image of my vision board is also the screen lock picture on my phone so that I have a constant reminder of what it is that I would like to see happen this year. Even if vision boards aren’t your thing, I would encourage you to think about how you would like your life to look over a certain stretch of time. Call it faith, the universe, or the power of The Secret/Law of Attraction, but I am a firm believer that whatever you put into the universe is what you will attract. Time to put the great vibes out there and see what happens over time!

*The Secret - https://www.thesecret.tv/about/history-of-the-secret/

• Create an Action Plan

It’s not enough to visualize alone, you have to come up with a plan in order to help make your good vibes come into fruition. One framework, see below, is the SMART goals framework, so that you can get specific with what it is you hope to achieve and by what time line. If this is a new process for you, try starting with one goal that you would like to accomplish this month and then apply the framework to other timelines as you become more comfortable. It also might be beneficial to only focus on a maximum of 3 goals at a time during any period so that you don’t find yourself spread thin and unable to complete the tasks.

• Execute

Once you have your game plan and good vibes, it’s time to execute. Work the plan and make adjustments along the way. The beauty of this part of the process is that you can always course correct. The deadlines are used to guide you, but there will be times when you have to adjust your timelines, and that is okay.

• Repeat

Once you have accomplished your first set of goals, it is time to reflect and then start the process over. My process is a bit intense for some, but I do quarterly check-ins with myself to see how I am progressing and then each year I start the visualization and goal-setting process over again.

Hope you found this helpful! Have a great Spring semester and we look forward to helping you achieve all of your successes!

Ava Danville, MBA

Assistant Director

The Career Center, Hofstra University

I went to the Fall Career Fair, now what?

It was great seeing so many of you at the Fall 2017 Career Fair and we hope that you had a positive experience. For some of you, it might be clear what your next steps are, and not so much for others. Either way is completely okay! Hopefully these scenarios and suggestions can help.

·       Met with great companies, but they don’t have positions of interest:

In this scenario, you have the advantage of having connected with some recruiters, and this is the first step of the relationship building process. One suggestion is to message the recruiter periodically (maybe start with once a semester) and keep him or her informed with your updates and what you are interested in pursuing; the updates will help keep your name and story top of mind for when opportunities of interest do open up within the company. Another suggestion is to use the insights that you gathered from the conversations to help you gain more clarity around what attributes you are looking for in a company and then you can articulate that in conversations with other companies as part of your reason for why you want to work with them.

·       Met with great companies, and they have positions of interest, but you don’t qualify for them:

 In this scenario, you have connected with recruiters, which is important. The next step would be to do some introspective reflection and assess why you don’t qualify for the positions of interest. Is it because the position requires a certain class year? GPA? Other experience? Have no fear, you are not the first person to encounter these obstacles, nor will you be the last. If you weren’t able to address these perceived barriers in your initial conversation, we would encourage you to follow-up with the recruiter and share with them your value proposition for why you are a great candidate for the position, even if you don’t check off all the boxes they are looking for in an ideal candidate. This scenario is all about selling your story, hustling hard (see post "It's ALL about Hustle"), and applying anyway. Feel free to schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor to help you develop and sell your story.

·       Didn’t see any companies of interest:

We thank you for coming to the Career Fair anyway and hope that you were able to have some good conversations even if they didn’t pique your interest. Although this scenario can be frustrating, it can also help you gain some more clarity around what it is that you are looking for in a company; sometimes the best way to figure out what you want is by knowing what you don’t want. We recommend that you schedule an appointment with at Career Counselor to debrief on your Career Fair experience and what your strategy should be moving forward.

We at the Career Center are here to help you throughout your different scenarios, so don’t hesitate to come in for our drop-in hours (between 10-11am and 2-4pm every day the university is open) or schedule an appointment with a counselor. Happy Fall!

Ava Danville, MBA

Assistant Director

The Career Center, Hofstra University

P.S. As a reminder, if you have not yet sent follow-up thank you emails to any recruiters you spoke with, we recommend that you do that as soon as possible and include some information about your conversation to refresh their memory.

How to Add & Not Subtract from Your Job Search Equation

Major + Internship = Job

Math might not be everyone’s strong suit but the above equation seems simple enough.  It is expected though, like in any advanced math class, the teacher will say “Show your work”. 
The same concept applies to finding and obtaining a job. It is imperative as an active job-seeker to show the work that got you to the place you are at today. But as busy students, we often ask ourselves what work needs to be done to get that job?

      Step One: Update your resume

Step Two: Write a cover letter

Step Three: Pursue an informational interview

Step Four: Figure out your “Elevator Pitch”

Step Five: Participate in a mock interview

It may not be the mathematical order of operations we are all used to using, i.e. PEMDAS, but it is a proven method to help students advance in their career aspirations. The Career Center is much like a tutor or professor who is present to help you out with these things.

If you are not sure what your story is, we will help you figure it out.  If you are not sure what jobs you can get with your major, we will help you figure that out as well.  Just remember, we will not give you the answers.  We are here to equip you with the tools needed to obtain the job. Keep in mind it may not be the dream job, it may be the prerequisite. However, much like any math problem, it is important to take those preliminary steps to get to the right answer!

Have a great semester,

Lorraine Massiah

Assistant Director of Career Services

Student Spotlight: Benji Weiss and How He Locked Up a Lockheed Martin Co-Op Internship

Meet Benji Weiss

Benji Weiss is the 2016-2017 Hofstra University Co-op Student of the Year from the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. To compete, both Benji and his supervisor at Lockheed Martin wrote about the significant contributions that Benji made during his co-op experience at Lockheed. Benji will be nominated by Hofstra University for the national co-op award competition hosted by the Cooperative Education and Internships Association.

Cooperative Education is currently offered in the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Hofstra. It is one of the most impactful ways to learn about yourself and get your foot in the door for the career you want. To find out more about co-op, contact Phil Coniglio at Philip.M.Coniglio@hofstra.edu.

Co-op Experience

Coming into college, I knew I would need internship experience to stand out and have a chance at a job when I graduate. Little did I know, the co-op experience was exactly what I needed. I have aligned myself with exceptional interview experience, resume content, and a life changing job, all because I applied for a co-op internship. Here’s how I did it.

I went to Philip Coniglio to figure out what this co-op internship was all about. After he told me all the relevant information, I needed to update my resume and hand it in to him. Philip also made it very clear and straightforward to my parents about how the co-op internship worked because they were very uneasy about me graduating a semester later. Philip handed out my resume to a plethora of companies, in which four of them wanted to interview me. The first three were all in person, and the last one was over the phone. I was rejected by the first three; which was still okay because I got the interview experience that I needed and the necessary feedback to grow from this. The last of the four was Lockheed Martin, the largest defense contractor in the world! All they wanted was an over the phone interview, in which I immediately accepted and thankfully, they gave me an offer.

At this point, Lockheed Martin has already offered me a position to intern for their software team and I had accepted! Beginning the co-op in June 2016, I was super excited. I began working on various automation projects that positively impacted their software team, and would make their lives easier. I also worked on simulators that would inevitably help the development of submarines for the U.S. Navy. This work was extremely fulfilling and a phenomenal learning experience. By partaking in this internship, I developed better communication skills, presentation skills, a sense of business attire, and the ability to collaborate with other software engineers.  Not to mention all the new programming languages and skills I learned as well! I returned from the co-op as a more developed and prepared engineer, and thankfully, they wanted me to come back for another internship which I completed this summer of 2017. 

With all of this said, you can imagine how life changing this could be for someone who was just going to graduate undergrad with no internship experience. Now I have 10 months’ worth of internship experience, amazing resume content, a professional sense of the working world, and ultimately, a position at Lockheed Martin waiting for me for when I graduate. I could not thank Philip Coniglio enough for providing me with this opportunity. If you are reading this, it is not too late. Apply for the co-op internship and start interviewing!