The Career Center's Upcoming March Events

Spring 2017 Career Fair
Lots of employers will be at the fair offering both amazing internship and job opportunities that you just can't miss!! This event is for undergraduates, graduates AND alumni! Make great connections and put your personal brand to the test! Register on Handshake!
Wednesday, April 5, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, Hofstra University

Health and Helping Professions Career Fair
Over 30+ employers will be at the fair offering internship and job opportunities in the health and helping professions fields. This event is for undergraduates, graduates AND alumni! Register on Handshake to attend!
Tuesday, Apr 11 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Hofstra University, MultiPurpose Room

Career Snapshot
Students will participate in small group discussions and have the opportunity to network with and receive advice from Hofstra Alumni and other Industry Professionals representing various Careers in Sports Media, Music and Entertainment, News, Technology and New Media and Non-Profit
Wednesday, March 15, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Green Room #211 - Herbert School of Communications

Project Management Information Session
Introduction to Project Management
Learn how you can use project management skills in any profession, plus gain inside information on the profession of project management itself.
You will also be introduced to the Project Management Institute and PMILIC (Long Island Chapter), associations that can help students with scholarships and certification assistance. RSVP is suggested.
Wednesday, March 15, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Brower Hall, Room 0102

For more events, check out Handshake at hofstra.edu/careerhub.

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 

The first step to leading is… following?

We live in a society focused on leadership. If you’ve ever been to the Career Center, I bet that at some point in your meeting with us, the topic of leadership came up in some capacity. It makes sense; outside of work experience, opportunities to take on leadership roles have been rated by employers as one of the top characteristics they look for in candidates. Sometimes, when this topic comes up, students feel somewhat unqualified because they don’t have leadership experience. While it’s true that not everyone gets the chance to be a leader, does that mean that you don’t gain valuable skills that are applicable to your life and work? Absolutely not! Followership, and the skills you develop while being a follower are, in many cases, just as or even more important than leadership.

What are some of these skills? Critical thinking allows you to make sense of what is being asked of you and prioritize how it will get done. Communication, empathy, and respect are integral to building the relationships necessary to collaborate in a team setting. Your sense of commitment provides you with the motivation to achieve, and your competence in your role lets you actually get it done.

Think about it; not every follower becomes a leader, but every leader had to be a follower first. In fact, in cases where individuals are simply placed in positions of power without following first, they tend to fail as leaders. Why is this? Many of the characteristics touted as those of great leaders are skills that are honed whilst being a follower—you can make a case for each quality I listed in the last paragraph! Additionally, the experience of simply being a follower gives great perspective once one becomes a leader; you can better understand the feelings of your team if you have been there, too. Without the foundation built by followership, the ability to properly lead suffers.

So, the next time you’re thinking about your positions of leadership as they relate to your career, I encourage you to think of your positions of followership, too. What skills have you gained along that journey? Where do they come in handy for your career and your life?

Of course, if you’d like to talk it through with us, we’re always here to help.

In followership, Amy

 Amy Smith, Associate Director of External Relations

LOVE what you DO

Let’s face it, life is short.  Each day that goes by we will never get back so we must make the most of the time that is given to us.  That is why choosing a career is so important!  If we are going to do something for the immediate future, it should be something we enjoy doing.

Money, unfortunately, does play a role in our decision making because we need money to survive and prosper.  Whether money is something you value also plays a role in what type of career you choose.  If you love money, you may settle for a position you do not care for because the money you receive will compensate for your overall unhappiness of the position.  If money is something you do not value, and you would rather spend your time doing something you love, you may decide on a career that fits your interests and values more accurately but may not have a large financial compensation.

The relationship between money and love of job is not so direct as the one I just illustrated for you.  I once had a friend who loved to draw and paint.  Most would think that a career in art would not offer a very high salary.  However, this man was in love with drawing and painting and wanted to make a career of it.  He ended up starting his own stamp business where he designed special stamps and made a ton of profit.  He had a passion for something as well as the innovation to find where his skillset could be used to make the most money in this society.  He chose stamps and never looked back.

Find what you love.  Do some soul searching.  Find out who you are and what makes you happy and pursue it.

DO what you LOVE.

Scott Davidson, Career Center Graduate Assistant 

Starting Your Spring Internship on the Right Foot

This past semester you have spent researching, prepping, and interviewing to land an internship. For some of you it may be the perfect internship and you could not be more excited, for others you may be dreading this unpaid graduation requirement. For all of you, however, congrats are in order. Landing an internship is not easy, and takes time and resources to do so. Here are seven tips to get the most out of it.

1. Dress the part. Before you show up in an inappropriate outfit make sure to ask your supervisor the dress code. We at the career center recommend that if you are uncertain of what that means to please contact a career counselor, or at the very least over dress. Better to be overdressed than to be underdressed and embarrassed.

2. Be put together. Do not show up on your first day looking sloppy. Studies have shown that people are more likely to put positive attributes to a person that is physically attractive, also known as the halo effect. And while this is grossly wrong, it always helps to make a good first impression.

3. Plan ahead. If you have never been to the site before, look it up. Figure out the proper route. Do not decide the night before is the perfect night to celebrate being 21. Staggering in on your first day is a mistake you do not want to make. It may seem like overkill for some of you doing menial tasks, but sometimes a little sacrifice is necessary.

4. Arrive early. With many internships, employers will be looking at their interns to see if they are right for their company. This means that they want to see good work ethic. If waking up is not your thing, you need to go to bed early and set as many alarm clocks as

you need. I once had a professor who always said “If you’re early, you’re on time. if you’re on time, you’re late. And if you’re late, you’re embarrassed.”

5. Be professional. This means being respectful to your fellow interns and employees. This includes social media, peeps. You need to be aware that your social media is a part of your marketing. If you google yourself and do not like what you see, then things need to change.

6. Don’t blow off this internship. If you’re internship is not one to lead to a job, that is okay! This is all a part of experiential learning, and it will be helpful whether you get a job or not. This internship can lead to a glowing reference, an opportunity for networking, or a better understanding of what you want to do in your career. You never know the opportunities or skills that can arise simply from being in a workplace.

7. Make friends. You don’t know what kind of people you will meet on site. It is important to keep an open mind when meeting people. This internship can either fly by or drag on for months all depending on your co-workers. Some of the best people in my life I would never have met if it were not for the places I have worked.

Wishing you all the best of luck!!

Kristi Riecker

Career Fellow 

WHY you should do an internship...

As the 2016 Fall Career Fair is fast approaching, we at the Career Center encourage you to seek out all the wonderful internship opportunities that will be presenting themselves on campus November 2nd! With over 100 employers attending, the possibilities are endless! Internships are a great way to gain experience and explore a field of interest while you’re pursuing a degree. At the Career Center, we’re happy to talk with you about all of the benefits of having an internship experience along with getting you prepared for your dream opportunity! Here are a few very important reasons why you should intern...

First, internships allow you to work hands-on with professionals in the field! If you’ve always wondered what it’s like to work in your industry of choice, internships give you a front-row seat! While interning up close and personal, you're better able to figure out what you like and what you don't like about a given position or field of study! 

Second, internships both improve old skills and cultivate new ones! The skills you’ve gained from your classwork and co-curricular activities will be strengthened by the professional experiences you have, while new skills will be acquired as you meet unique people, execute new and challenging tasks and take on different responsibilities. 

Third, as an intern you can make great connections that will benefit you in many ways throughout your professional career – you never know who you might meet along the way that can help you take that next BIG step in the future! 

If we can help you, schedule an appointment with us at any time online at Hofstra.edu/careerhub or by calling 516-463-6060.  

Don’t forget to register for the 2016 Fall Career Fair and check out all the employers attending! Click the link provided to view all the event information!

https://hofstra.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/562

We can’t wait to see you there!