Career Reflection in an Unexpected Time

In the past couple of weeks, our day-to-day lives have changed drastically. Our schedules have been flipped upside down and inside out, and we are all doing our best to find normalcy in our new routines. These unexpected times have pushed us into a newfound virtual world that is far from what we are accustomed to. What some of us might not see is the positive that can come out of these circumstances. This new time gives us an opportunity to reflect on who we are, what we want, and where we see ourselves once life returns to what it once was.


As you sit in front of your computer screen, whether you are working remotely or logging on to your online courses, you are now given the opportunity to eliminate the background noise. Classmates, colleagues, and environment now play a lesser role in your current situation. You have the opportunity to focus solely on the content that you are learning or putting into practice, which only leaves one question - are you fulfilled by the content of your work?


Take this time to consider the type of career path that truly makes you happy once all other factors are taken out of the equation. Although we know that life will return to how we once knew, it is important to have a career that you love waking up for when all outside factors are removed. The current situation will pass in time, and I hope you all come out of this more certain of who you are as a professional than ever before.


For more information about career/major exploration, or any other ways to gain insight on your current/potential career path, leverage the Career Center’s virtual resources and schedule an appointment with a career advisor on Connect today!


Stay inside and stay healthy!


Best,
Sabrina Iaria
Career Advisor

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 

Snag that next dream internship, graduate assistantship, or employment opportunity!

With Summer fast approaching, various interviews are being conducted for internships, graduate assistantships, and employment opportunities. No one can deny how nerve-racking an interview can be, but we hope these 6 tips will help you land that dream experience!

1. Do your research on the company.

An employer does not want to hire someone who has no knowledge of their company. Go on their website, and read up not only on your department, but others as well. Especially note the company’s mission statement. If possible, speak to someone who is currently working there. While in the interview, you should try to incorporate the organization’s values in your answers.

2. Prepare questions you are likely to be asked.

A question that is almost a guarantee is the classic “Tell me about yourself”. Sounds easy, right? However, this question is deceptively hard to answer because it is so vague. The key to answering this question is showing you will fit in their company, bring about their desired goals, and elevate it with your skill set. To do so you need to highlight your successes, past involvements, and strengths.

3. Have questions for the interviewer.

This tip ties into your research. Never ask the employer a question that is easily answered on their website. A good question to always ask is “What is your favorite aspect of working here?” Afterwards, be sure to say “Thank you!” for the interview. Everyone loves to be appreciated, and they did choose you.

4. Choose what you wear with care.

The importance of this tip cannot be overstated. Often, employers know within the first ten minutes of an interview whether they are going to hire someone. This is because first impressions matter. One way to make an excellent first impression is by choosing an outfit that is appropriate, modest, and not too flashy. They say that the best color to wear is navy blue because it portrays that you are calm and to be trusted.

5. Remember your body language

Be sure to have a good, firm handshake, sit up straight, and have your shoulders back. Try to be confident, but not cocky. In addition, have consistent eye contact and smile. This will all help improve your first impression.

6. Sign up at the Career Center for a mock interview!

Afterwards, continue to practice with a friend or family member. The more prepared you are, the better you will come across in the interview.

~Wishing you all the best of luck~

 Kristi Rieker 

Career Center Fellow 

Get Focused! 

When you’re in the midst of a crazy semester, how do you stay afloat and on top of all your class assignments, extracurricular demands, internship/job hunt, and all the smaller things in between?

If you’re like me, a “To-Do” list and my planner are my first step to successfully completing all my tasks. Besides, how satisfying is it when your “To-Do” list looks like this?

As we near the midpoint of the semester, I encourage you all to take a moment to write down all of your upcoming tasks and goals on a piece of paper that you can keep somewhere visible. Figure out what your steps are to achieve those goals, and write those down too!

If your goals include getting career-ready (ex: updating your documents, applying to graduate school, taking personality assessments, etc.), then I highly recommend including a visit to The Career Center. And if your goals include finding an internship or a job, I recommend attending our Spring Career Fair to help you achieve that bigger goal.

And to avoid burning out or getting overwhelmed with your “To-Do” list, don’t forget to write down some fun tasks to reward yourself for another item crossed off the list!

Anne Monique Concepcion

Assistant Director

The Career Center at Hofstra University 

What the election has taught me about the job search process....  

You never know what the employer is looking for....they may want someone with years of experience in the field or perhaps they are looking for a new fresh face to bring a totally different perspective.  How are you to know? You can’t, it's just that simple.  

All you can do is put your best foot forward and present your best self.  No matter how well you think you are doing in an interview, do not assume you have the job.  On the flip side just because you feel like you don’t meet the criteria for the job description, you should apply anyway and make a great pitch for yourself to convince the hiring manger how your transferable skills will be a great fit for the position.  

Use your network to leverage yourself and if you don’t get the job, be gracious and don’t burn any bridges. Employers might remember you in the future and may reach out if a different position becomes available that you could be a better fit for! 

Consider the Big Picture with Graphic Resumes

Having just wrapped up the fall Career Fair season here at the Career Center, we have seen a whole lot of resumes over the past few months! One trend I noticed as I was looking at the resumes coming into the office or circulating around the fairs was an increase in the number of graphic resumes, that incorporate some creative design or layout into the document. This doesn’t seem to be a trend specific to our world at Hofstra, either; I was talking with a close friend about his resume, and the updated version he sent me was a graphic one, a complete departure from the previous, more conservative layout.

So, should you take the plunge and create a graphic resume? Consider these points:

Be mindful of your industry. If you’re in a design field, using a platform like InDesign, Photoshop, Publisher, or Canva to create an eye-catching resume can show your expertise using that particular platform. In more traditional fields such as finance or law, where the chronological format and tried-and-true layouts reign supreme, a graphic resume may stand out – for the wrong reasons.

Don’t compromise your content. Resumes should always be as clear, concise, and consistent as possible – the 3 C’s we talk about here at the Career Center! Graphic resumes often end up having a nice, clean layout; take care to make sure that you aren’t sacrificing valuable accomplishments that the employer should know just to get a certain look. The last thing you want to do is under-sell your great experience!

Too much of a good thing? You may be thinking of adopting a graphic resume at some point, but not just yet. Color can help bring a fresh feel to the resume, and can make headings (or your name) pop. But, it’s definitely possible to go overboard and have it detract from the overall “first-glance” impact you’re going for. Try not to use more than one color, and always print your resume in black-and-white first before sending it out to see how the color turns out in grayscale, especially if applying online where you don’t know if or how the employer will print your resume.

Like most changes to the resume, the decision to use a graphic resume is a personal one. Think about your industry, the position and company to which you’re applying, and your own personality to determine what works best for you! And, of course, let us know how we can help.

Happy Designing!

Amy K. Smith 

Associate Director of External Relations 

The Career Center at Hofstra University 

Some important ways to maintain self-care and remember to make time for fun!

Can you believe it’s already October? Now, if you’re a Libra like me whose birthday falls this month, you understand the annual excitement that is your birthday, but also the stress of balancing midterms and class assignments that usually pile up around this time. Throw in some career fairs, job searching, or an internship, and you’ve got yourself a perfect storm to forget about the fun side of life! Whether you have something to celebrate or not, it’s important to maintain your self-care and bring your best self forward. Here are some ways I try to maintain self-care and remember to make time for fun:

* Carry a planner and write EVERYTHING down – this helps you keep track of tests, assignment due dates, club meetings, and any other commitments you may have that could sneak up on you.

* Meal time is for meals, and not work! – First of all, make time for meals. But secondly, let this time be time you listen to music and unwind, read a book, or eat with friends you haven’t seen lately because of all your commitments.

* Try out deep breathing exercises – Breathing exercises are a very easy way to relieve stress because you can do them anywhere! Next time you’re feeling stressed while walking to your next meeting, do some deep-belly-breathing exercises to regulate your air intake.

* Try out grounding techniques – This is helpful to relieve any anxiety you may be feeling and can also be done anywhere. Look around you identify (5) things you’re seeing, (4) things you’re hearing, (3) things you’re smelling, (2) things you can touch, and (1) thing you can taste.

* Always have something to look forward to – Find and schedule time to celebrate big and little things (and write them in your planner)! Whether it’s a birthday or submitting in your midterm assignment, reward yourself with your favorite treat or plan a bigger celebration for the important events, and make a countdown! Having something to look forward to makes your busy days go by faster!

And remember, if you feel The Career Center can support you, don’t hesitate to reach out! Give us a call at (516) 463-6060 or stop by M. Robert Lowe Hall to set up an appointment!