The spring term just ended. We applaud the graduates for the successful completion of their programs. If you need career advice, job search, or mock interviewing preparation, we are here for you. Please contact our office for assistance. 815-740-3440.
Congratulations Grads!
How is the Career Success Center providing service during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Your Career Success Center at the University of St Francis is ready to assist you virtually. Students and alumni can submit resumes for review to careerservices@stfrancis.edu and can also request virtual appointments via https://stfrancis.joinhandshake.com/ or via email.
We can meet via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Our job board stfrancis.myhandshake.com is also available for Job search, use the same credentials you use to sign in to your classes with us. If you are considering a change in major, we offer career conversations and assessments too.
Reach out today and let us know how we can help. It is a great time to dust off old resumes or get yours started. Our Virtual Coffee and Careers meeting takes place on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-Noon. Let us know where to send your invite. You can also call our Director, Maribeth Hearn, at 815-740-3384 to talk about services and programs.
What should I do for connection?
With much of the nation on a shelter in place order, you can use this time to connect with others online. We recommend reviewing your Linkedin profile, updating old information, adding certifications and keywords, and of course, connecting and building relationships with your network. If you can create useful content, do it. If you can like, comment or reshare a post, do it.
Support your people and stay positive.
If you don’t have a Linkedin profile set up—start one today. There is a free and paid version. Start with FREE and use it.
Zoom
If you haven’t already set up a Zoom account, you can connect with friends, family, and coworkers via the video chat service.
The quality is excellent, and you will feel more connected than just on a conference call or phone call.
Microsoft Teams
Similar to Zoom, Microsoft Teams has a video chat where you can stay connected and hold meetings online. It works very well and even allows you to blur your backgrounds (for those working from home settings). If you are managing a team remotely- this service can keep everyone in the loop and provide face to face virtual connection.
How Can I Use This Time to Make Me a Better Job Candidate?
It is a great time to update resumes, connect with new and existing contacts online, and learn.
If you have always been meaning to learn a new skill, this is the time. Interesting in learning a new language, download Duolingo. Between sites like YouTube, libraries with audiobooks, and online books and apps, you will find a plethora of ways to gain a competitive edge and use those new skills.
Where Should I Look For Jobs?
The Career Success Center recommends that you use the Handshake job board at https://stfrancis.joinhandshake.com/ for jobs and internships.
Workforce Services Division of Will County has a job board too: http://www.jobs4people.org/job-seekers/job-board/
Whom Can I Talk To About Internship Questions?
Betty Kohl is the Career Success Center’s Employer & Internship Support Specialist. You can email at bkohl@stfrancis.edu Her phone number is 815-740-4295.
The Center is in the process of updating the forms and how students will go about obtaining the 6 signatures that are required to start an internship.
You can search for Internships on the USF Handshake Job board at www.stfrancis.joinhandshake.com log in with your USF credentials. You can choose connect with the Career Center and appointments to schedule one online.
Can I Drop Into the Office for Services?
The Career Success Center is working remotely to serve your needs and abide by the Shelter in Place directive. You can email careerservices@stfrancis.edu to schedule a one to one virtual appointment or call our Director, Maribeth Hearn 815-740-3384. You can go to stfrancis.joinhandshake.com to schedule appointments too. Choose the service and it will show you availability.
The LGBTQ community offers many resources for members of the community, especially in regards to job searching. While job searching, it is important to understand what resources are available and how to use them. Recently, legislation has been changing to put policies into place to protect the LGBT community in the workforce.
Some questions may arise such as:
Should I disclose my sexual orientation on my resume or in my interview?
How do I know if my employer is committed to equal practices?
How do I read the culture of the workplace?
How do I decide which employer will be right for me?
Searching for a job that will be a right fit for you and provide a welcoming environment doesn’t have to be difficult. So long as you are able to identify your career goals, and you utilize the resources provided to you, you should be successful in your job search. Below are some links to pages providing helpful information for LGBTQ candidates actively on the job search:
We met with Aubrey Knight, Director of Alumni Services, to discuss the processes and benefits of the Student Alumni Mentoring Program, also known as “SAM” at University of St. Francis. The program matches students of all levels and majors with an alumnus in the same field to provide guidance, networking opportunities, and career opportunities. It is an opportunity for students to build connections with their mentors, other students’ mentors, as well as other students in the program.
How does the SAM program work?
Student and alumni both submit applications at the beginning of the school year (student applications are due October 4th). The applications are then looked at from a career standpoint first to pair students with alumni who are in the field that the student is pursuing. Next, the applications dive further into interests, hobbies, aspirations, etc. and these are also taken into consideration when making matches. It is important that the pairs have qualities in common to create that connection that will be beneficial to both the alum and the student.
What can students gain from the program?
Both parties gain access to an extensive professional network by participating in the SAM program. Along with gaining access to the alumni mentors, by connecting with them, you also gain access to their professional networks. Students also get one on one interaction with their mentor in the form of monthly communication for discussions and guidance.
What are the requirements?
For anyone interested in joining the program as an alumni mentor or a student mentee, an application must be submitted, and the pairing process takes about a month. Once students and alumni pair, they are sent an email with information about the mandatory induction dinner, held in early November where they will become acquainted with each other in person. After the induction dinner, it is only required that SAM members attend the Career Networking Dinner in February. Also, the pairs of students and alumni are to converse monthly; whether it be via email, text, face to face meeting, etc. Every month, members will receive an email containing discussion topics and resources to help ease the process. This program designed for the busy worker as well as the busy student keeps requirements low and communication open to accommodate busy schedules.
What are some successful outcomes of SAM?
There have been many success stories from the SAM program. One international student paired with the CFO of In-N-Out Burger, and the CFO took care of the student’s flight costs to fly out to California and participate in an internship with In-N-Out, that this student may not have been able to participate in given the flight costs. Also, a student who matched with an alumnus in Washington DC was able to utilize the alumni’s network to get an internship in Washington DC. These are just a couple of the many students who have gotten internships, jobs, and otherwise great benefits from the SAM program.
For more information, contact Aubrey Knight at aknight@stfrancis.edu or visit stfrancis.edu/sam
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.
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.
Guest blog by the LinkedIn Careers Team
Learn Something New with LinkedIn
LinkedIn is helping people discover and develop the skills they need through a personalized, data-driven learning experience.
Browse different Marketing jobs, descriptions, and even salary info
Have you spent hours, days, or even weeks scrolling through hundreds of job listings trying to identify the “perfect job title” that fits your interests? You’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges job seekers have is knowing what types of jobs to search for in their job search, or even which jobs exist (e.g: Sales Jobs).
Industry information updated by LinkedIn
LinkedIn heard you and as a result launched new career pages designed with the applicant in mind. Now, job seekers and students unfamiliar with the professional landscape can browse job titles within various job functions. LinkedIn surfaces popular titles and listings, as well as top cities and companies for a specific job (e.g., Human Resources jobs), making it easier for job seekers and exploring students to learn more about opportunities in various fields.
Now that you’ve found the right path, start diving in by learning new skills.
Discover and Develop New Skills Via LinkedIn Learning Video
Each week presents a new opportunity for you to learn the skills necessary to take on the next big challenge.
LinkedIn Learning wants to do everything possible to help make that happen.
That’s why each week more classes are added to the 10,000+ course library. LinkedIn’s goal is to help people discover and develop the skills they need through a personalized, data-driven learning experience.
Take Your New Skills to the Next Level and Achieve Your Goal!
You can identify which skills are key to achieving business goals, and learn those skills in a personalized, efficient way. Delve into paths that are available to you with your new skill set via the Linkedin career exploration pages. There you can discover jobs by function, with job titles you didn’t even know existed, and relevant salary information.
Networking is the act of building relationships and partnerships with business professionals that are capable and interested in helping you further your career goals.
Believe it or not it is never too early in your college career to begin networking and the earlier you begin making connections, the better.
In an article for immigration and education reform advocacy website FWD.us, contributor, Joshua Rodriguez, wrote about struggling in his classes and having a hard time finding an internship the summer after his freshman year of college.
He writes, “Never in my life had I gotten C’s before, and it was difficult to understand why I was struggling in college.” Going into his sophomore year, he realized that he had to take a different approach to his studies and job search. He states this hard truth in the article:
“College shifts the responsibility of education from the teacher and institution to the student. You are in charge of educating yourself and making sure that you are getting what you need”.
The fact of the matter is that whether or not you need assistance in your job search or your classes, this is assistance that you’ll need to seek out yourself.
Who can you include in your network?
You can begin forming these connections by asking yourself this question: What do I aim to achieve through my network?
According to Rodriguez, if you’re looking for assistance in your college courses, then your goal might be to build professional relationships with your professors that enable you to feel comfortable asking for their help.
If you’re looking to acquire an internship over the summer, your goal might be to build professional relationships with people that can serve as a reference for a job application.
However, don’t limit your network to people in your immediate social circle. Emily Bennington, owner of Professional Studio 365, an organization that helps students transition into careers post-graduation, suggests, “checking out conferences in your field or your local Chamber of Commerce.”
Don’t be afraid to go out and seek mentors! Start making connections today! Contact your professors or visit the USF Career Success Center for help researching job and internship options.
USF Career Success Center
Tower Hall N204
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
References
Grant, A. (2011, 28 September 2011). 6 ways to network while you’re in college. U.S. News & World Report
Rodriguez, J. (5 April, 2015). Your network is your net worth: Using your network to succeed in college. Retrieved from http://www.imfirst.org/2015/04/networking-in-college/
A job interview is your first and only opportunity to make a positive face-to-face impression. So, it’s important that you’re prepared to answer whatever questions come your way.
However, not all questions are going to have simple yes or no answers or require you to rattle off your work experience and skills. Employers may simply want to gauge your ability to think critically or assess how you’ll fit into the company culture.
You might be wondering: Where do I begin to answer the question? How much detail is too much detail and what are employers looking for in my answers?
So, here are 4 commonly-asked, interview questions and what employers really want to know:
This formula prompts job candidates to guide their answer by talking about present and past job positions they’ve held, the skills they acquired through their past positions and how their experiences and skills pertain to the position they’re applying for.
2. What is your greatest weakness? It may seem counterintuitive to go into a job interview and explain in detail your greatest weakness to a potential employer. However, it’s important to realize that they’ll simply want to ensure you’re aware of your weaknesses and have taken steps to improve.
So to answer this question, you might want to share an anecdote about a time one of your weaknesses e.g. an inability to delegate tasks, threatened your work efficiency and explain how you overcame that challenge e.g. by learning to delegate tasks.
Monster.com says that when choosing a weakness to discuss, make sure it’s not directly related to the job you’re applying for e.g. if the job required you to keep track of and file documents, it would be unwise to mention that you have a problem with organization.
Instead, mention that you tend to take on more work than you can handle. So essentially, don’t place doubt in your employers mind that you are unable to handle critical components of the job.
3. What is your greatest strength? When asking this question, employers typically want to confirm that you have the credentials listed on your resumé. So, don’t be vague when giving your answer.
Detail concrete examples of situations where you exhibited a strength in order to complete a task e.g. being detail-oriented helped you to identify a mistake in a client logo that no one else had noticed and was due to be printed on 100+ shirts.
4. Where do you see yourself in five years? According to Dayvon Goddard from LinkedIn, employers want to know that their potential investment in you is going to be a valuable one. Do not place doubt in their minds by suggesting that your potential investment in them is not a long-term one.
Instead, suggest that you are interested in growing with the company and that the position is pertinent to your long-term career goals.
Begin preparing answers to these questions now so you’re not thrown off guard during a job interview. Make sure that you’re confident in your answers so that a potential employer is confident in your abilities.
Need some practice?
The USF Career Success Center conducts mock interviews.
Visit Tower Hall N204
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
References:
Adams, S. (6 February, 2014). 4 ways to use facebook to find a job. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/02/06/4-ways-to-use-facebook-to-find-a-job/#16480f0f1fab
Doyle, A. (18 January 2017). Best way to answer interview questions about your weaknesses. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-your-greatest-weakness-2061288
Goddard, D. (15 July 2014). Where do you see YOURSELF in 5 years? (how to answer). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140715181346-135125319-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-5-years-how-to-answer
Martin, C. (2017). List of strength & weaknesses: What to say in your interview. Retrieved from https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/greatest-strengths-and-weaknesses
Minshew, K. (2017). A simple formula for answering “tell me about yourself”.. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/a-simple-formula-for-answering-tell-me-about-yourself
In most cases, employers won’t look at a job applicant’s resume until they’ve read their cover letter, and if the letter doesn’t convince the hiring manager and/or executive director that you’re the right person for the job, your resume will most likely be thrown in the trash.
What exactly is a cover letter, you ask? Simply, it is a letter that is addressed to the hiring manager and/or executive director of a company and explains an applicant’s qualifications for the job.
It allows the applicant to go into more depth regarding their skills and qualifications than their resume allows, although, like a resume, it too should be short.
The most important element to writing a cover letter is directly addressing the needs of the company and position to which you’re applying.
The hiring manager or executive director will want to ensure that an applicant has a basic understanding of the company’s mission and needs.
For example, the Illinois Spina Bifida Association (ISBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that “works to improve the quality of life of individuals and families living with Spina Bifida [a spinal cord disorder]”.
So, the applicant would need to understand how the organization is currently achieving their mission e.g. ISBA provides in-home social work services; sleepaway camp for individuals with Spina Bifida looking to become more independent and provides youth and adult support groups.
The opening paragraph of a cover letter should address who you are, what position you’re applying for and how you came to hear about the job listing. Did you see a newspaper ad about it? If a respected employee of the company or organization told you about the position, make sure to include that information.
As a precursor to the following paragraph, where you’ll be explaining your qualifications in detail, write an opening of 1-2 sentences that summarizes why you believe your qualifications make you the right person for the job. For example:
“As a recent graduate of University of St. Francis where I studied Communications with a concentration in PR/Advertising and Journalism, I believe I have a deep understanding of how to target messaging and branding towards specific audiences. It is my hope that my educational background combined with five years of experience working for ABC Advertising Firm, as a project manager, will prompt you to consider me for the position of Marketing Research Analyst.”
The body paragraphs are where you’ll want to elaborate on the specific qualifications you have that are applicable to the position you’re applying for. For example, if the job posting specifies that the company is looking for someone who can, “improve quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes; implementing changes”; then, you may want to mention any experience you’ve had as a project manager. For example:
“At ABC Advertising, I was tasked with leading a team of graphic designers to create a logo for a sports recreation facility. It was during this time that I came to learn the importance of evaluating progress not only within the context of the finished product but in the ability of the team to work together. My considerations have helped me better manage my creative teams and increased overall workplace efficiency.”
The closing paragraph of your cover letter should reiterate why you’re qualified for the position, and as a personal touch, why you think the company is the right fit for you. Make it clear that you’re interested in interviewing for the position and that you’ll be in touch.
Sign your name, include your contact information and check for any grammar or spelling mistakes and you’re good to go!
Visit the USF Career Success Center for cover letter writing assistance
USF Career Success Center
Tower Hall N204
MWF 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
References:
Doyle, A. (18 June 2017). How to write a successful cover letter. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-2060169
usfcollegetocareer.com 