5 Tips for Acing an Interview

The saying goes, "resumes get you the interview, but the interview gets you the job." Truer words have never been spoken. Last night I did a workshop for a sorority on campus, part of which covered interviewing techniques and tips. After the presentation, my audience had SO many questions about the interview process and it got me thinking. The interview process is, for the most part, a new and sometimes scary experience for students. Although feeling a little nervous is normal and probably inevitable (this is important stuff, after all!), it doesn't need to be scary. So, how do you make interviewing less scary, you ask? Preparation! Preparation before an interview is key. If you go in prepared, you will naturally feel more confident. There are several things you should and can do to prepare for an interview. Below is my list of preparation techniques: 

1. Do a mock interview with The Career Center. Mock interviews can help prepare you to answer those really tough interview questions. I always say its better to make a mistake with a career counselor than with an employer! Ideally, mocks should be done before you start the job/internship search. Sometimes you get a call for an interview for the next day or two which doesn't always leave much time for you to get on our calendar. If you find yourself in a pinch and in need of some practice, you can also log into PrideCMS through the portal and complete a virtual mock interview using our Mock Interview Module. 

2. Research the company and know the position description. It is critical to have significant knowledge of the company before the interview. Researching the company or organization before the interview will show effort and interest on your part and make a great impression on the hiring manager. A few ways you can research the company is by visiting their website, following them on social media such as Twitter or LinkedIn, and by going to Vault.com to check out their company profile. Lastly, it is also important to review the position description and use it as a guide when preparing answers to interview questions. 

3. Have questions for the interviewer. This ties into doing research. By doing research, questions will probably naturally arise that you would want to ask about the position and about the company. Stay away from asking questions about salary, vacation time or benefits. That will be discussed if/when they make you an offer. If you need ideas on what to ask, make an appointment with a career counselor and we can brainstorm some questions you can ask. 

4. Arrive on time. Arriving late to an interview makes a terrible first impression and may cost you the job. Make sure you know how to get to the interview site before the day of the interview. You may also want to assess the parking situation or do a trail run if you are using public transportation. This may require making a trip to the site before the interview. 

5. Bring materials to show the interviewer. Some employers expect that you have a professional portfolio with you in an interview. This is especially true for creative and visual fields like graphic design. Even if your industry does not generally require a portfolio, it is not a bad idea to bring some visual examples of your prior work. This technique has the potential to set you apart from other candidates. 

Be sure to make an appointment at The Career Center to further discuss interview preparation! We are here to help! 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director

5 Reasons Why Every Student Should Have a LinkedIn Profile

Building a LinkedIn profile is an important piece of each student's professional development plan. It doesn't matter if you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior; you should have a LinkedIn profile! Not only will you use it as a student, but you will be glad you have it together when you graduate as building up your profile can take some time. Not convinced yet? Below are 5 reasons why you should have a LinkedIn profile: 

1. You can connect with people you meet throughout your college career and keep them in your network. These can be fellow students, internship supervisors, professionals you met at networking events and career fairs, and more! 

2. You can join groups on LinkedIn that pertain to your industry or career track. By joining groups, you can keep tabs on trends and news in your industry and also comment on articles to further interact with professionals in your field. Additionally, you can join Hofstra alumni groups and interact with Hofstra alumni in your field or from your school. This is a great way to set up informational interviews!

3. In addition to listing your work experience and education, you can also upload pictures, projects/videos/powerpoints, etc to LinkedIn to make your profile more visual and allow employers to see some of the work you have done. 

4. You can have former supervisors, faculty, and even your peers write you brief recommendations that live in your LinkedIn profile for all to see! There is also a section were you can have your connections endorse you for various skills. 

5. Once you have completed your profile, LinkedIn will recommend jobs based on your profile information. You can also search for jobs on LinkedIn as well!

To get started with your LinkedIn profile, check out the video below from Career Realism. And remeber, if you need more help with your LinkedIn or anything else, call us at (516) 463-6060 or go to hofstra.edu/career to schedule an appointment! 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director 

Changes at The Career Center!

As the summer comes to a close and the first day of classes quickly approaches, I wanted to fill you all in on some great changes that have taken place in The Career Center over the past few months. We are so excited to move forward with these new initiatives and look forward to continue to evolve to best serve you, our students! Check out the changes below. 

Extended Quick Question Hours

We've added more Quick Question hours! Quick questions hours will now be Monday-Friday 10am-11am & 2pm-4pm. There is no appointment needed during these times, so come on in if you have a quick question for us!

Career Counseling Appointments

Career counseling appointments can now be made online! Simply go to hofstra.edu/career and click on "Make an Appointment" on the right hand side of the page. 

Virtual Mock Interviews in Pride-CMS

You can now practice your interview skills whenever and where ever with our new virtual mock interview module! To try it out, log in to Pride-CMS (located under "my apps" in the portal) and click on the "mock interview" option on the left hand side of the page. Wait, there's more! Once you have completed your mock interview, you have the option to send it to the career counselor of your choice for a virtual critique! 

Goin Global

Another new feature in Pride-CMS is GoinGlobal, which provides country guides and advice on careers abroad, international career applications, Visa and related requirements and much more. International students can use it to learn about U.S. Visas. The site also contains career guides on states and cities within the U.S.

If you have any questions about these new initiatives, feel free to call the office at (516) 463-6060. We look forward to seeing all of you on campus next week and wish you luck in the upcoming academic year! 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director 

The Truth About Assessments...

What are assessments?

One of the services that we offer to students at The Career Center is career and personality assessments. Career assessments are tools that are designed to help individuals understand how a variety of personal attributes (i.e., interests, values, preferences, motivations, aptitudes and skills), impact their potential success and satisfaction with different academic majors, career options and work environments. We currently offer Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory, and the Career Decision Making System (CDM). Each assessment serves a different purpose and it is usually up to your career counselor to determine which one would be the best fit for you.

Is an assessment right for me?

Anyone can take a career assessment. For students, assessments can be useful when you are in the process of choosing a major and later on when you want to pin point some career options. Assessments are also a great way for you to assess your values, personality, interests, etc which is just good information to know. For example the MBTI can be helpful in determining how you perceive the world and interact with others. Although very effective when taken individually, the MBTI is a good choice for groups as it can help clarify how you can work together more effectively as a team by playing off each others personality types and cognitive preferences.

Will taking an assessment reveal all the secrets of the universe to me?

Unfortunately, no. Assessments are helpful in narrowing your search and/or pointing you in a certain direction but they are not the end all-be all. Remember, taking an assessment is just one step in your “Path of Pride.” After taking an assessment, there is a strong chance that you will still not be 100% sure which major you are going to choose or what career you are going to have and that’s OK. Truthfully, you do not want an assessment to be the one factor that shapes your future. In addition to taking an assessment, here are some things you should do to further explore:

• Research majors and careers by doing internet research (check out The Career Center's website - we have LOTS of career and major exploration resources) and by talking to other students, faculty and professionals in the field (check out the Alumni-Student Konnection (ASK) program to network with alumni)
• Use your electives to take classes in different subject areas to find out what you like (and what you don't like) 
• Join clubs and other on and off-campus organizations that focus on certain industries or areas of interest
• Volunteer and complete internships to become more familiar with an industry and gain valuable experience outside of the classroom 

As always, The Career Center is here to help you throughout the exploration process! 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director 

Making the Most Out of Your Summer Internship

As many of you begin your summer internships, it is important to remember to make the most out of your experience. Internships are great opportunities for your to build your network, learn new skills, develop a stronger understanding of a particular field, gain confidence as a young professional and the list goes on! To ensure that you are maximizing the potential benefits of your internship, check out this article posted by The Undercover Recruiter which lists 3 practices that will help you to make the most of your summer internship. Whether you have interned before or not, these practices can help serve as a guide and also provide some checkpoints for you to strive towards as you progress through your internship this summer. 

If you have any questions along the way, remember that The Career Center is open over the summer and here to help you! For our summer hours, click here. We look forward to seeing you! 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director 

When to Be Modern (and When to Go Old School) in Your Job Hunt

With the emergence of new technologies, software, and social media sites, there are many different ways to search and apply for jobs. That being said, when you are in the midst of searching for a job, it is important to find a balance between old and new job search methods. Although your application may look or sound different depending on the industry and organization (i.e. startup vs large corporation), there are a few solid job search and application rules to follow regardless of industry. This article from TheMuse.com provides a quick but useful overview of some tried and true "old school" job search habits to stick with and some more modern job search habits to be aware of. 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director 

When it Comes to LinkedIn, Make it Personal!

One significant component of LinkedIn is it's ability to help you communicate, connect and network with professionals in your industry. There is nothing more exciting than the process of building your network and increasing your LinkedIn connections (okay, maybe I'm a little more excited than most - but I am a career counselor after all!). 

Before you click "connect", it is important to be aware that the process of connecting on LinkedIn should not be as simple as hitting a button. To accompany your request, it is always good to send a personalized message to the person. Ideally you will want to reference something from your initial conversation or meeting. If you don't know the person, you will want to give a reason as you why you want to connect. This extra effort will go a long way and is an important first step in maintaining your professional network! Below is an awesome graphic that I found on LinkedIn which gives a little more insight into how to send a good personalized message. 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director