Meet Our HU Students: Neil A. Carousso

Sean: Alright, can I please have your name, your hometown, and your major?

Neil: Sure, it’s Neil A. Carousso. I am a Journalism and Accounting major with a Political Science minor. I’m from Bayside, Queens, New York.

S: So, Neil, when you were young what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?

N: You know when I was young I remember, and you know I work at the radio station here at WRHU [Radio Hofstra University] and I remember calling games in front of my TV. Like, I would sit in front of a Mets baseball game and I would call play-by-play of it into a recorder and I would keep the score of it and everything. So I’ve always loved TV, I’ve always loved broadcasting so it has actually been one of my passions since I was a little kid. And I used to do even a talk show in my living room, so I always kinda wanted to do radio and TV in some fashion. Whether I knew it or not I always did broadcasting and always wanted to be a broadcaster and a journalist.

S: So what job do you hope will be the first job that you take after you graduate?

N:  Well I do a lot of producing here, a lot of producing, a lot of executive producing, and building the content for a show. Luckily here at the station, here at WRHU, I’ve been able to put together shows that I’ve been producing on air for. I mean ultimately I would like to produce and be on air for the same program. However any producing job I think is you know really powerful to control the content of a program so I’m looking towards television and hopefully working for a network in New York City.

S: So what experience do you believe has best prepared you to reach this goal?

N: Certainly my experiences here at WRHU as the producer and host of the morning show, WRHU’s Morning Wake-Up Call, doing the evening news as a producer and anchor for Newsline, and really just going out and reporting and finding stories. Enterprising stories, tracking down people, going out on location, meeting people in person, doing interviews, and reporting on those stories people don’t know about or people wouldn’t have a chance to know about unless you actually put it there on the airwaves so we’ve a powerful job to do and I think that when you could enterprise and report a story you’re doing the community a better service and that’s something that has prepared me the most.

S: What advice would you give for others that are trying to follow in the same career path?

N: I advise that you really delve into your college radio station, into your college TV station, or your high school. Try to get some experience in some way, write for the school newspaper, and really you learn by doing. So if you want to be on the air, I mean, the biggest part is writing so definitely get involved in your school newspaper and learn how to write properly and learn proper English and really just get involved. I mean, if you can get into your college radio station and pick up a few slots and the more time you put in the more you’ll get out of it.

S:  So who here at Hofstra University would you say had the biggest positive impact on you?

N: I would probably say John Mullen, who is our faculty advisor here at WRHU and he has given me great advice whether it’s putting together a report or going out on location or just the business of news, the business of sports, the business of broadcasting and ratings, and things like that that they don’t normally teach in the classroom. So John has been a big influence on me in preparing me for the outside work.

Making Your Space Cubicle Chic

Working in a cubicle is sometimes a way of life in office settings. But, depending on the rules of the organization, that doesn’t mean yours has to be boring. So, here are five great examples of “cubicle chic” to inspire you in the workplace.  Be sure to talk with your supervisor before you get too creative!

Gary Alan Miller,
Executive Director

It's Almost Career Fair Season!

It’s that time of year again, when we start to say farewell to summer and to say hello to a new season… career fair season! If you just groaned, I apologize. I understand that career fairs are perhaps produce a bit of anxiety.  But, they really are a great opportunity to meet people and explore possible jobs and internships.  So, here are three good ways to prepare for any of the upcoming fairs (and if you don’t know when they are, log into Handshake via the Career Hub).

Tip 1: Research the companies in advance.  By logging into Handshake and clicking on the “fairs” link on the left, you can browse each fair and see what employers are attending.  Once you’ve identified those of interest (and don’t let the company name be your only guide – look at the actual positions for which they are recruiting), then be sure to research both the positions and the companies so you can be well prepared when you meet them.

Tip 2: Practice introducing yourself.  You’ll be interacting with a lot of people at the fair, and each of them will want to hear some basic information about you when you first approach their table.  So, prepare a short overview that sounds something like this:  “My name is Gary Miller, and I’m a senior here at Hofstra studying Philosophy and Psychology.  I’m interested in positions that involve critical thinking and analysis and have had some great opportunities to develop those skills in some past internships and campus opportunities.  I understand you’re here to recruit for (position name here), and I’d love to hear more about what you’re seeking.”

Tip 3: Freshen up your resume and have plenty of copies on hand.  Not every company accepts resumes on the spot, so don’t be offended if they ask you to apply online.  But, most organizations at the fair will want to take a copy of your resume.  So, make sure you update it and make sure it’s telling the narrative you really want to tell.  If you need help with that, please come see us at an appointment or in our Quick Questions service.

We look forward to seeing you at any of the upcoming fairs this fall and are excited to see you present yourself with confidence!  You never know who you might meet at the fair – it’s might just change your life!

Gary Alan Miller, Executive Director

Events for Week of 4/3/15

Events for Week of April 13th! General On-Campus Recruiting: On-Campus Recruiting are opportunities brought right to the Hofstra campus! Employers post job and internship opportunities that students are eligible to apply to; and if selected, first-round interviews occur right on campus at the Career Center. All positions are listed on PrideCMS and require resume submission by the respective application deadlines listed below: GEICO: Tuesday, March 14th at 11:59 PM OCR Position for Management Development Program. See listing on PrideCMS for details and desires majors/class years. St. Francis College Annual Bridge to Your Dreams Career Fair Wednesday, April 15, 10-2PM, 180 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights, NY, 4th Floor in the Genovesi Center Hofstra students are invited to the St. Francis Annual Career Fair in Brooklyn to meet with over 140 diverse companies from all industries who are looking to recruit from various majors. Resumes and professional dress are required, but students do NOT need to register in advance. The final list of company attendees will be posted on  http://www.sfc.edu  a few days before the event. *This is not a Hofstra University sponsored event, for any questions please contact the St. Francis College Career Center at (718) 489-5360. Save the Date! Amazon Day: Lunch Meet & Greet Wednesday, April 22, 2015, Common Hour (11:15-12:45PM), Career Center Workshop Room Amazon.com, the largest internet-based retailer in the United States will be holding a meet-and-greet at the Career Center to discuss Operations and Area Manager positions! This event is open only to undergraduate students. Lunch will be served. RSVP on PrideCMS is strongly encouraged. Amazon Day: Amazon in Residence Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 9:30-3:45PM, The Career Center Meet one-on-one with a representative to discuss available career opportunities! Students must reserve a time-slot appointment on PrideCMS accessed through the 'MyApps' folder in the Portal website. All majors are welcome to schedule a pre-interview with an Amazon representative.  Amazon Day: Cookies with Amazon Information Session Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 4:30-6:30PM, The Career Center Lab Amazon.com, the largest internet-based retailer in the United States will be holding an information session at The Career Center to discuss career opportunities and what it's like to work for the company! This event is open only to undergraduate students. Refreshments will be served. RSVP on PrideCMS is strongly encouraged.  Amazon Day: Tabling On-Campus Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 10-4PM, CV Starr Lobby and Student Center Atrium Amazon representatives will be tabling at CV Starr Lobby and at the Student Center Atrium to meet with students and provide more information on available opportunities and what it's like to work for the company! Internship Careernival Wednesday, May 6, 12-4PM, Intramural Athletic Fields Step right up! Come one, come all! Fun for all majors and all years! Grab your popcorn and cotton candy. Have your fortune told and learn what your future holds for you. Play some of your favorite carnival games with employers and find out about their available internships for Summer or Fall! We've got it all: games, prizes, food, music, opportunities, and more!

5 Questions All College Students Should Be Asking

You have a lot of experiences and gain a lot of knowledge as a college student. But, to a large degree, it falls to you to figure out how all these things are connected and to make personal meaning from them. So, while it’s perhaps not the type of advice that makes the rounds on the internet, reflecting and synthesizing your knowledge and experiences could be among the most important things you can do to impact both your short- and long-term success.  

This kind of deep reflection and meaning-making can be hard to do. So, here are five questions you can ask yourself to help with the process.  You can use these during and after experiences (and by “experiences,” I mean just about anything – class projects, volunteering, student organization work, studying abroad, interning, going to your part-time job, and so forth).

1.      How does this connect this to other things I’ve learned or experienced? 

2.      What was the most challenging aspect of this experience, and what skills did I use with that challenge?

3.      In what ways did this experience require me to communicate with others?

4.      What mistakes did I make, and how could I have done things differently?

5.      How did I interact with other people in this experience?

There are many other questions you could ask yourself to prompt reflection as you move through college.  These are just a start. I recommend you start a journal and have a set of standard questions like these that you use to reflect on everything you do. You will learn a lot from doing so, and you’ll be better prepared to integrate what you’ve learned into future experiences. Resume writing and interviewing become easy when you do this kind of reflection. But, more importantly, what you experience and learn will have relevance and meaning to you, and that’s truly what college is about!

Gary Alan Miller,
Executive Director