The Power of “Thank You” – Two Little Words Can Do So Much

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I wanted to visit the topic of the two most powerful words: 

thank you.  Yes our parents taught us it was polite to use “please” and “thank you,” but did you also know it could make or break your career? 

I keep all my thank you cards and emails, some even on display in my office.  Those who are appreciative for my help always stand out in my mind.  Want to know the secrets to making gratitude at work also work for you?  Don’t worry; this doesn’t defeat the purpose of giving thanks or mess with your karma.  Check out this blog from the Daily Muse for helpful hints: 2 Little Words That Have a Huge Impact at Work. 

Put this to practice and thank someone today!  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

Scared You Won’t Get a Spring Internship?

Don’t let these events sneak up on you…

As a child, we are scared by ghosts and ghouls.  But now, as a college student, missing spring internship deadlines can elicit a frightening shriek.  Plan ahead so you don’t give your roommate a heart attack! 

Enjoy your costume parties, scary movies or other plans for this spooky day but come November, here are two internship events you can attend to ward off any bad omens. 

Target Info Session

November 4^th 4-5:30 in The Career Center

Open to juniors and seniors of all majors.  Find out about the job and internship opportunities at Target, as well as their commitment to volunteering, health and wellness.

JAGUAR FREIGHT Paid Rotational Internship Program Info Session

November 5^th 3:30-5 in The Career Center

The rotational program covers operations, marketing & sales, social media, finance, accounting, and information technology.  Yes, it is paid, now there is a treat!  They are seeking undergraduate and graduate students in any major for an internship starting January 2015. This is a great chance for any student to get a well-rounded view of an international logistics company.

NORDSTROM’S Paid Retail Management Internship Info Session

November 14^th 2pm at Nordstrom’s, The Roosevelt Field Mall, 3^rd Floor

This internship is designed to jumpstart your career and prepare you to move into an assistant department manager role.  You’ll rub elbows with some of the top performers at Nordstrom and learn from the best while earning competitive commission based pay and merchandise discounts.  Discounts at Nordstrom’s?  Yes please!  This program is open to active college students who will be graduating in 2015 or 2016. 

Right now, talking to employers might seem scarier than hanging out at a graveyard past midnight but trust me, it is all smoke and mirrors.  The scary employer in a suit ready to interrogate you is not the norm.  They want to put you at ease to get to know you, and hopefully hire you.  Check out these events and you will realize there is nothing to fear.

Thanks for checking in with The Career Center blog and we hope you have a very spooky day (insert scary laugh).

Happy Halloween,

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

I Just Graduated…Now What?

Now that many of you are coming down from the natural high of graduating, reality may have started to drift in.  Or, for some, reality may have hit you like a mack truck.  People are asking you left and right “What are you doing?  Do you have a job?  What are your plans?  What’s your next move?”  It’s exhausting!  There is so much pressure to have all those answers.  You might feel like “everyone else has it figured out, so why don’t I?” 

Well, what if I told you that it is okay to not have “the” answers right now?  What if I told you it was brave to say, “I’m not sure right now”?  You might not trust my opinion but how about the opinions and stories of about thirty famous and/or successful people?  Someone recently recommended the book I Just Graduated…Now What? By Katherine Schwarzenegger.  In the book, Katherine Schwarzenegger talks about the concept of pausing.  Instead of hitting the “fast forward” button on your career and future, hit the “pause button.”  Here is an excerpt from the book:

“Pausing allows you to take a beat-to take a breath in your life.  As everybody else is rushing around like a lunatic out there, I dare you to do the opposite.”

Full disclosure:  I have not read the book yet.  It is on my list of books to read.  However, I am definitely intrigued by her message and think “pausing” is a useful tactic as long as it is not used as an excuse to procrastinate.  Pausing, in my opinion, doesn’t mean that you put a halt on exploring or doing things that might interest or challenge you.  It means that you don’t have to make definitive decisions at the moment.  It means taking the time to venture into opportunities that excite you to just “see where they go” without a full-fledged plan of action.  It is okay to take things on step at a time.  

If someone had asked me when I graduated what my plan was, I would not have said, “I am going to become a career counselor.”  It was the culmination of volunteering, having conversations with professionals, and other unplanned events that led me to my current career.  You will find, with the more people you speak with, that this is a common theme.  So, whether you read the book or not, the moral to this story is don’t panic, just pause.   Feel free to leave your comments below or make an appointment with a career counselor to talk about your “pause.” 

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director 

The One Skill Every Student Needs When Applying to Internships

Whether you are finishing up your internship search for this summer or beginning your search for the fall, there is one skill that every student needs to acquire when applying to internships:  investigation!  Yes, you need to become your very own private investigator.  As a student, your time is of the essence, so it is important to use it wisely. Apply, interview and accept only the internships that will be valuable to you!  Here is how you can do so:

1. Make sure the employer is legitimate.  Search for a company website, make sure the contact person’s email address is a company address (not a private yahoo or gmail account), and don’t reply to anyone asking for private information like your bank account or social security number.
   
   
2. Become clear on what the internship is about.  Read the internship description carefully and answer the following questions for yourself.  Is the employer stating what you will be doing and your key responsibilities?  Does the work sound meaningful?  Will you learn new skills?  Can you connect what you are learning at Hofstra to what you will be doing on site?  Will you be supervised and/or is there department in place that is already doing the work that will be required of you?
   
   
3. Ask key questions at the interview, so you can effectively evaluate the offer.  Here are a few you can use:
• Can you give me some examples of the type of work an intern will be doing, such as day-to-day activities and key assignments?
• Will I be supervised?  How will my supervisor evaluate me?  Will I be meeting with my supervisor regularly?
• Does this internship offer any training?  If so, what type of training?
• What do you see as the key benefits of this internship?
• What are the most important qualities you look for in an intern?
• Could you give me an example of an intern whom you thought of as outstanding and what he/she did?
• Are interns included in staff programs such as staff meetings, seminars, or training sessions? Do interns observe site visits, or meetings with clients?

If at any point you are unsure of whether to accept an internship offer, contact our office and speak with a career counselor.  We are here to help!

Deanna Rodin,

Associate Director

The Top 7 Body Language Mistakes Made on Interviews

The Career Center offers mock interviews year round, but right now is our busy season for interviewing

prep.  Students are coming in every day to practice before the “real thing.”  We are so often concentrating on what to say that we forget the importance of our nonverbal communication, aka body language.  It doesn’t matter what we say if we are saying the opposite with our body.  For instance, has a friend ever told you what you were saying was “so interesting” but instead was looking around or at his/her phone?  It would be far more believable if your friend were making eye contact, right?  The point, don’t underestimate body language on an interview!  

When practicing with students, I have found these to be the top body language mistakes:

1. Crossing your arms or legs
2. Avoiding eye contact, or staring too long
3. Repeating gestures over and over, or fidgeting
4. Not smiling
5. Bad posture (leaning back, leaning forward, slouching)
6. Weak handshake, or too aggressive a handshake
7. Playing with your hair or with something on the table like a pen

If you’re not sure which of these mistakes you are making, if any, then join the rest of your peers and make an appointment for a mock interview by calling our office at 463-6060.  Happy Interviewing!

Deanna Rodin,
Associate Director

Is It Too Late to Apply for a Summer Internship?

One of the most frequent questions that students are asking at The Career Center is “is it too late to apply for a summer internship?”  The answer is “no, it’s not too late.”  Truth be told, though, it is crunch time.  To be successful in finding a quality internship, you will need to plan at least 4-6 months in advance of when you hope to begin interning.   Yes, I can do math and this only leaves you with less than 3 months to prepare.  However, the majority of college students are notorious for waiting until spring break to apply.  It is very difficult to manage classes, midterms, clubs, jobs, and a social life while applying for internships.  So if you want to beat the rush, don’t procrastinate and start now.  The process can be overwhelming.  To help you out, I have broken it down for you in a few manageable steps:

1)   Decide what type of internship you would like.  You can choose by major (i.e. I want to internship in journalism) or by industry (i.e. I want an internship focusing on sustainability).  You can even narrow it down by type of employer (i.e. I want to intern with a political candidate on a campaign).  If you need help brainstorming, take a look at our resource called “What Can I Do With This Major?”  It is important to be open minded, however, searching for an internship without a focus is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

2)   Prepare your resume and cover letter.  Whether you have a connection through your network, you meet an employer at event, you are attending a career fair, or you are applying online, you will always need a resume.  If you don’t have one, use our career planning handbook on our website to draft one and have it critiqued during our quick question hours. 

3)   Schedule a mock interview at The Career Center.  You can have the best resume in the world but it comes down to the interview as to whether you beat out the competition or not.  Our counselors offer individual feedback to help you practice and prepare during our mock interviews.  Schedule one by calling the office at 463-6060.

4)   Search and apply.  There are many ways to go about applying to internships.  I am only going to mention two here.  First, log onto Pride CMS (our online job/internship database specifically for Hofstra students).  Secondly, search on Internships.com, accessed through Blackboard.  Third, attend our Spring Career Fair on April 2^nd. 

5)   Don’t do it alone.  Schedule an appointment with The Career Center so we can support you through the process.  Let us tailor our resources and program recommendations to you.

That’s it!  Follow these five steps by tackling one and moving on to the next.  It is that simple once you get started.  Good luck!

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

Culture Shock

As we begin the new semester, many of you are beginning your spring internship.  A common question students ask during their internship interviews is “what is the company culture?”  How many of us really know what that means or what we are looking for?  My guess is not many.  However, how we “jive” with an organization’s culture is very important to our career success and happiness.  Your internship is a great time to start to understand this concept and get a feel for what you are looking for. 

Internships.com published a helpful article on “Getting a read on corporate culture.”  Check out the article for some clarification on what company culture really means and how to understand it. 

Best wishes for a great spring semester!

Deanna Rodin, Assistant Director

Try This Out

Recently, our counselors have been making visits to classes on campus to introduce ourselves to students. I have really enjoyed meeting students and faculty, as for many of them this is the first time they are connecting with our office. Today I visited a class of sociology majors. One of the questions I was asked was “do you have any opportunities for me as a sociology major on Pride CMS or at the upcoming Job & Internship Fair?” As a career counselor and liaison to the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, I LOVE this question!

The truth is, you will rarely see a posting or an employer with a sign that says “Sociology Majors Wanted” or any other major for that matter. Employers don’t think in terms of majors, they think in terms of skills and so should you. My best advice to any student looking for opportunities is to keep an open mind and look at a posting and/or an employer and think about what type of person with what type of skills or experience would be a good fit. Market yourself this way too. You are so much more than your major!

So, when you are looking at the list of employers attending our Job & Internship Fair (available on our website at www.hofstra.edu/career), click on the employer, read about them and the positions they are recruiting for, and ask yourself “does this sound interesting or like something I could do?” Don’t just think “are they looking for my major?” Approach this employer on March 7^th and introduce yourself like this:

“Hi! My name is _____ and I’m a junior _____ major. I’m a member of _____ organization and have worked during the summer for a few years as a _____. I’m great at _____ and I’m looking for an opportunity that will allow me to _____. Do you have anything at your organization that might be a good fit for me?”

Just remember, our friendly staff will be available at the fair to help you as you try out this process. Don’t be shy, come and ask us a question. We will see you there!

~ Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

The Back Up Plan

A student met with me this week asking, “I have an idea of what I want to do when I graduate but I need some back up plans, what else can I do with my degree?”  This was not only a common question from students but also a great conversation to have. 

As it turns out, this sophomore student was so focused on finding her potential back up plans that she wasn’t working on her goal at all.  When we began talking, I found out that she had so many ideas of what she could be pursuing towards her aspiration, such as requesting research opportunities with professors and conducting informational interviews with people she knew in the field.  She could be spending this time connecting with these opportunities and people to help to her in pursuing her passion but she wasn’t utilizing their help.  There were many untapped resources within her reach!  Once we shifted her focus from “what do I do if I fail?” to “what can I do now to succeed?” her whole outlook changed.  She left the office excited, full of hope, and with action steps in mind. 

In life, especially with careers, once we shift our thoughts and energy from what we don’t want, to what we do want, we find that things start to fall into place.  I encourage you to spend time concentrating on the things you want in life and on the support you have to help you achieve your goals.  Start to shift your focus and see just how powerful and uplifting it can be! 

     ~Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

A Phone Call Away

This week I had an appointment with an alumnus.  He had a very successful career in education as a teacher and administrator.  Now, as a retiree, he is looking to give back through volunteering and came to our office to discuss his possibilities.  Not only was I inspired by his charitable spirit, but also by the fact that he graduated from Hofstra in 1975 and here he was 37 years later, welcome in our office!  Many students don’t know that they can always come see us after they graduate, and this is a reassuring piece of information.  However, I do not recommend you wait until you are one of our alumni to stop by!  

If you haven’t yet made an appointment with a career counselor, pick up the phone now, while it’s on your mind, and call us at 516-463-6060 to take that first step!

~Deanna Rodin, Associate Director of Career Services