Finding Public Career Fairs

Posted on by usfcareersuccess

The University of St. Francis Career Success Center offers excellent opportunities from career fairs, career month, and other networking opportunities. These are all great resources to take advantage of, but it can never hurt to expand your network outside of USF. Public career fairs are a great way to do this. They are free to the public; all you have to do is register and show up! What’s stopping you? Get out there and build your network!

  • By creating a Handshake account, you have access to public career fairs as well as events at USF and other surrounding schools. Handshake is also helpful for tailored job searches, employer reviews, and connecting with your peers. Create an account at joinhandshake.com and use your MyUSF Portal information to log in and get searching.
  • jobfairsin.com is a great resource to find public job fairs not only in Illinois but other states year round.
  • nationalcareerfairs.com is another resource for finding career fairs all over the country, all through the year.
  • https://www.myemploymentoptions.com/register-for-virtual-job-fair/ offers online job fairs in addition to job listings open to all.

By attending multiple job fairs, you can expand your network, grow your confidence, and become a more marketable job candidate. Be sure to update your resume before every event you attend, and maintain a professional manner to be successful at any career event you may attend.

Remote Work: Is it for you?

Posted on by usfcareersuccess

With technology on the rise, remote jobs are becoming more and more sought after. Some jobs have become more flexible with part-time on-site work and part-time work from home options, and other jobs have moved entirely online. If faced with the opportunity, how do you know that remote work is right for you?

The first step in deciding if remote work is a good job for you is to know yourself and in which conditions you work best. Some things to take into consideration may be:

  1. Do you work better in solitude or a busy environment?
  2. Do you have an organized, quiet environment to work in at home?
  3. Are you able to set specific time aside to work throughout the day?
  4. Will you be able to complete your expected tasks from the comfort of your own home?

If you can meet work expectations from your home, remote work may be a viable option for you. If this is something that you are interested in, you can search for remote jobs just as easily as on-site jobs. Using “remote” or “work from home” in a keyword search on any job board will provide you with remote job opportunities.

It may be beneficial to take a remote position part-time to adjust to the new schedule and work setting before committing full-time if remote work is not your best way of working. Remote work may come with different working hours, forms of communication, and expectations and tasks. The job may take some adjustment and structure to be successful, but if remote work is a path you choose to take, you may find more job opportunities than you expected.

Dealing With Illegal Interview Questions

Posted on by usfcareersuccess

When interviewing for a job, you should understand your rights as an applicant. You have the right to certain privacies and by law, employers cannot ask you questions regarding specific personal information.

So what can and can’t an employer ask you in an interview? Specifics on age, gender or sex, religion, country of origin, disability, pregnancy, marital or family status, living situation, if you’ve previously applied for workman’s compensation, credit, and financial status are all examples of topics that should not be explicitly asked in an interview (“Illegal Interview Questions- What Not To Ask Candidates”, 2019). If the applicant offers the information on their own, that is at their discretion. The interviewer may ask around these topics in order to be sure that the applicant is available and physically capable of doing the job, but that is the extent that the questioning can go.

Why would an interviewer ask these personal questions in the first place? Some may ask because they want to get to know more about their applicants and they are unaware of what is appropriate and what is not, but applicants are still entitled to privacy rights. Especially in the cases of questioning that may have discriminatory motives, the applicant is not required to answer illegal interview questions.

So, what do you do if an interviewer asks an illegal or inappropriate question? Depending on your personality and comfort with confrontation, there a few ways to handle this situation respectfully and maturely. The simple one—answer the question. For example, if asked about your religious beliefs, you could answer “I attend church, but I prefer to keep my views separate from work” (Doyle, 2019). This way of dealing with the situation is much less confrontational, but still gives up the applicant’s rights to privacy. Applicants are also entitled to not answer these sorts of questions. If an applicant feels uncomfortable or like their privacy is being invaded by the questions, they could simply ask how the information relates to the job being discussed. If it doesn’t, redirect the conversation.

Furthermore, if a truly inappropriate or offensive question is asked, this is the time to decide if the employer is one in which you would like to work. IT is not a good sign if your interviewer is unaware of what questions can and cannot be asked. Pay attention to your impression of the culture at the workplace, and think about if it is one in which you would enjoy to work and thrive.

Although most HR personnel should be familiar with (and using) the appropriate practices for interviewing candidates, it may not always go as expected. If you are an applicant that is educated on your rights, and you communicate effectively, this should be of no issue.

References:

Doyle, A. (2019, March 14). Tips for How to Answer Interview Questions Employers

Should Not Ask. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-answer    inappropriate-interview-questions-2061334

 

Illegal Interview Questions – What Not to Ask Candidates. (2019, May 22). Retrieved from

https://www.betterteam.com/illegal-interview-questions

 

For more information, check out these helpful articles:

https://www.betterteam.com/illegal-interview-questions

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/job-interview-questions-that-are-illegal-1918488

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-answer-inappropriate-interview-questions-2061334

What is Handshake?

Posted on by usfcareersuccess

Handshake is an online database that has become popular among college students and employers searching for college students or recent graduates to fill positions. Handshake is much like any job search database, but has some special features that are tailored to college students and employers.

This job board creates custom lists of jobs that you may be interested in based on your field, location, and other jobs in which you’ve shown interest. When you favorite a job, Handshake curates a list of similar jobs for you to browse. You can also view jobs based on if they require travel or not. This is helpful in finding a job that genuinely interests you and matches your skillset and career goals.

Handshake provides an events tab that includes events at University of St. Francis as well as other venues. This is a good place to find free public career fairs and other career related events that you can attend outside of USF. While USF offers great opportunities to meet with recruiters and find a job, it can never hurt to explore on your own.

In looking for a job, you might be wondering, “what’s it like to work here?” or “what’s the job environment like here?”. With job reviews, you can see what others had to say about their own experiences with employers, and get a better idea of the place you’re applying for.

In addition, Handshake gives you the opportunity to create your own profile to highlight your skills, experiences, and what makes you valuable to an employer. While this information is available via your resume, it makes the information easily accessible for employers looking for ideal recruits.

If you haven’t created a Handshake account yet, check out stfrancis.joinhandshake.com and use your USF portal information to login and get access to all the helpful job search tools they have to offer.

What is the ‘3 to Degree’ Program?

Posted on by usfcareersuccess
Picture of young college graduates in graduation gowns.

If you take a walk down the College of Business and Health Administration hallway on campus, you’ve probably seen or heard the phrase ‘3 to Degree’ around campus, but do you know what it means? Our College of Business and Health Administration offers an awesome opportunity to earn your Master of Business Administration in a shorter amount of time than if you were to go to a traditional graduate school, and at a much lower cost.

The term ‘3 to Degree’ was coined in reference to the 3 courses that are taken during your undergraduate degree that count for dual credit towards your undergraduate degree as well as your graduate degree. This helps you earn your master’s in a timelier manner because after you complete the 3 dual courses, you only have 4 certificate courses and 5 general courses left to complete, and this can be completed all over the course of one year, whereas typical master’s programs usually take 2-3 years to finish.

At the end of the degree, you end up paying around $16.7K which is significantly less than the average MBA cost of ~$20-$25K. How do we offer such a great deal at a lower price? At USF, undergraduate tuition is the same for 12-18 credit hours, and when you take the 3 graduate level courses during your undergrad degree, it is automatically wrapped up in that predetermined tuition price. Also, our MBA level certificate classes are offered at half price tuition of $399/credit hour. This is a great deal for those who are planning on furthering their education and want an opportunity to do it in less time and for a fraction of the price.

Keeping Up with Technology in Your Industry

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It’s no secret how quickly technology has changed over the past decade. This has affected every industry imaginable: medical, business, art, education, etc. As an upcoming graduate or recent graduate, technology is key to understanding what’s happening in your industry and knowing it allows you to keep up with industry standards. Candidates with updated tech skills can put these on a resume and enhance their A2B (Applicant to Business) marketing.

Because technology is changing so fast, it may be intimidating to try to decode and understand all of the facets of what you should be familiarizing yourself with and learning. It is an unrealistic goal to know every system in your field, especially with no experience. Patience is crucial in keeping up with technology because there is always a learning curve.

            Research: A great place to start is to review some job postings to see what skill sets and technology are listed.  Go on indeed.com, monster.com, joinhandshake.com, or any other job search boards, and look through various entry-level and mid-level positions in your field. First, look at the required skills and then the preferred ones.  Take note of your findings, and be aware of the programs or technical skills that you see listed for multiple different positions.

Network: Professors, mentors, and other people you know in your field may be able to give you an idea of what technology you should know before entering the workforce. Reach out to recent graduates in your field and ask them what they needed to learn to be successful in their post-graduation positions. Not every position is the same, and will not require all the same skills. Focus on the ones that are being talked about most among your network and job descriptions, and build your skills around those programs or technologies.

More Research: Once you gather a list of technologies and skills you would like to learn, start a preliminary search among others who already possess this knowledge. Look for YouTube How-To’s, Reddit threads, and Google. You need to conduct a cost-benefit analysis.  Is this software worth the price to learn because it will lead to more employment opportunities, or can I use a free trial to gain some experience and evaluate my plan after the trial?  Any experience with technology can help build your resume and land you an internship where you can gain more skills or even a job.

Every industry is changing due to technological advances, and keeping up with them makes you more marketable as a potential employee. Your A2B Marketing Plan will benefit from your technical skills, and so will your resume.

 

Dress to Impress

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When interviewing for a potential job, it’s important to look your best and make a good first impression. All you will need is a few staple items that can work for any interview or professional event you have. For women and men alike, it is important to take care of your professional clothes to make sure they’re always clean, free of wrinkles, and properly fitting.

Men’s Professional Dress

When considering what to wear for an interview, consider clothing that is professional but comfortable. If you are comfortable in your clothing, you are more likely to be confident and do well in your interview. Wear a pair of nice pants, a shirt and a jacket that fit well.

In addition to fit, your ensemble should match. The shirt, pants, jacket, tie, and shoes you wear should all coordinate and go together seamlessly. For example, men should have a black, grey, or navy blue matching pants and jacket that could easily pair with a white or light blue collared shirt, and a plain tie. Shoes, usually black or brown, should be polished and match the color of the belt you wear as well.

Your attire is only the beginning: you must be well groomed. Men’s hair should be well kept, and facial hair should be properly groomed.

Women’s Professional Dress

Women’s professional clothing can be very simple to create a wardrobe that is timeless. Women have an array of choice for professional looks. Women can wear sleek dresses, slacks, blouses, blazers, heels, flats, scarves, and multiple combinations of these to create a professional look. Like men’s clothing, these items should match or be coordinated to look put together, and well kept. Clothing should fit properly (not too tight, not too loose) and be able to conservatively cover chest, stomach, legs, and bottom. For an interview, a conservative look is recommended.

Women should be sure to keep a basic look, with neutral colors and clothes that aren’t distracting. Bright colors and prints shouldn’t be worn to an interview, nor should eccentric jewelry, makeup, nails, and other accessories. You can still be expressive, but keep flashy and dramatic pieces away from the interview.

Overall, as long as your clothes are pressed and well put together, and you keep your look simple, you should be ready for any interview. After all, the interview isn’t about your clothes, so you don’t want to outshine your personality with your clothing choices. Remember if you think maybe something you have on is inappropriate or not a good fit, you are probably right. Update your appearance and land the job.