Monthly Archives: September 2011

5 Tips for Career Fair Success

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by Dan Klamm
Marketing & Communications Coordinator 

Our Career Fair at the Carrier Dome is less than a week away! On Wednesday, October 5, more than 110 employers will be at the Dome from 1 to 5 p.m., ready to talk to YOU about internship and job opportunities with their organizations.

Here is the list of participating employers.

To help you prepare for this major event, I sat down with Sue Casson, associate director of employer relations. In this video, Sue offers five key tips to help you achieve Career Fair success.

In addition to following Sue’s great tips, be sure to stop by our office on Monday (10/3) or Tuesday (10/4), because we’re offering resume critiques by employer experts! Resumania will take place from noon to 3:30 p.m. on both days. Meet with employers in technical fields (such as engineering) on Monday, or meet with employers in non-technical fields (such as retail) on Tuesday. This is a great opportunity to get your resume in tip-top shape before heading to the Career Fair on Wednesday!

As always, our staff members are available to answer any questions you may have before next week’s big event. Give us a call (315-443-3616), shoot us an e-mail, send us a tweet, or leave a comment on this post! We wish you the best of luck at next week’s Career Fair.

Employer Spotlight: How SU alum Nick Martin launched a career at City Year

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by Nick Martin, SU ’09

My wardrobe mostly consists of Orange t-shirts, not necessarily my favorite color, but an indicator of my Syracuse pride.  At Syracuse University I majored in International Relations, International Security and Diplomacy, with a geographic concentration in the Middle East and a minor in Communications and Rhetorical Studies.  Obviously, I chose my major based on the length of its name.  Joking aside, my addiction to current events and news grew exponentially throughout my college career.  In selecting the major that I did, I made the decision to not turn a blind eye to the many pressing issues we see in our global community every day.

First steps after college…

I finished my degree in International Relations and merged my personal passion for volunteerism into a pursuit of a humanitarian career path.  I committed to a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) with the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay in Disaster Services.  I worked to improve emergency preparedness efforts and relations in 145 communities through the execution of a strong liaison program with government, volunteer community, and non-profit partners.  I was responsible for leading a team of Red Cross responders in over 26 local disaster scenes, assisting more than 150 individuals with disaster relief services.

The experience stretched me out of my comfort zone, humbled me beyond belief, taught me how to utilize my untamed passion for impactful good and showed me the path I wanted to follow when my year was up and beyond.

Turning My Passion into a Career

My year of service ended in Boston on a Friday and I started at City Year the following Monday in New York City.  I now proudly serve as an Admissions Manager at City Year for a regional team based out of New York.  Every 26 seconds, a student gives up on school in America; we can’t ignore this crisis.  High school dropouts are three times more likely to be unemployed and eight times more likely to be in jail or prison.  I’m propelled by this challenge and more importantly the successes of our efforts.

City Year is a national organization that partners with schools to improve the chances that students will graduate from high school.  We focus on neighborhoods where 50% of the students are at risk for dropping out and have strong evidence our programs are working.  As the Admission Manager I recruit, interview, and hire idealist, 17 to 24 year olds, to give a year of their lives to serve full-time in some of America’s most under-served schools.  We provide critical services like tutoring and after-school programs, giving students the role models they need and making the schools more engaging places to learn.

I share in the City Year founding vision that one day every student will turn to his/her peer and ask the common question, “Where are you doing your year of service?”  I applied to City Year because so many of the ominous issues we see in our global community can be directly tied to education.  I encourage you to answer the call to service and put more Orange in our Red Bombers.

For more information about City Year, please visit www.cityyear.org

Introducing Shannon Feeney…

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by Shannon Feeney
Employer Relations Coordinator

Hello blogosphere!  I am Shannon Feeney, the new Employer Relations Coordinator here at Career Services.  A 2009 alumna with a passion for everything Orange, I am definitely happy to be back on campus helping students connect with employers of their dreams.  My role in Career Services is to expand the employer base that recruits and hires students from Syracuse University.  I have done lots of research on different types of companies and made efforts to reach out and tell them exactly how awesome you are!

Some things to look forward to this year: we’re welcoming a bunch of new employers to the Fall Career Fair on October 5  – Aeropostale, Amphenol Aerospace, Burlington Coat Factory, eClinical Works, and Turning Stone, just to name a few. We’ll also be hosting all types of information panels. Keep an eye out for the Service Panel on October 3 with representatives from Teach for America, City Year, Student Conservation Association, and Peace Corps!  We’ll continue to connect employers like Macy’s, JPMorgan Chase, GE, and Deloitte to student groups for presentations too.

In my newly created role, I’ll be focusing on bringing opportunities to you from a variety of employers. As I do this, what’s most important is that I hear from you! As I continue to do research about employers and industries, I would love your feedback.  Here are some ways you can help:

1) Share companies that you would like to see on campus

2) Let us know about great companies you’ve interned for

3) Offer ideas for better ways to connect employers with you or your student organization

4) Have a connection to a company that might be interested in recruiting SU students? Pass along my information!

Feel free to contact me with your feedback and ideas! I can be reached by e-mail, telephone (315-443-9092), Twitter, and LinkedIn!

Go Orange!

Tips for Internship Success from a Recent Intern

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by Cristina Nogueras, SU ’12

This summer I had the opportunity to be part of the Grow @ Grey internship program offered by Grey Group Puerto Rico. I was officially a public relations intern, but was also assigned tasks from other departments. Although I did learn a lot of technical skills in my internship, I want to share with you some practical things that can really apply to any field.

Always be prepared. Of all the things I learned during the 12 years I was a Girl Scout, that motto has turned out to be more relevant and useful than I thought.

I could not be present the first day of my internship this summer because I was sick, so my first day was really every other intern’s second day. I dressed very professionally and, in fact, seemed a bit overdressed. It turns out I made a good and professional first day impression. This brings me to the first thing I learned in my internship: It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.

Be careful with what you say. I was walking in a parking lot with my supervisor and one of our clients, and as part of our light chat I commented that I did not like a specific car that was parked there. It turned out that the client’s spouse owned one. I was lucky that saying a car is ugly is not a big deal, but just imagine if I would have commented on something more serious, like politics or even a person. This does not mean that you can’t speak your ideas and opinions, but always be respectful and keep in mind that what you say might hit a nerve.

“There are no stupid questions.” I had heard this a thousand times, but I had not internalized it until this summer. It turns out it’s better to ask a “stupid” question than to work two hours on the wrong document just because you didn’t ask… because you thought it was a stupid question.

Punctuality is supposed to be a “must” with everything you do; keep it that way. Being a punctual person not only reflects your commitment, it also shows you’re reliable. Even if people working above you are not punctual and even if you can be 10 minutes late without a remark, stay punctual.

Don’t lie about what you can do. If your supervisors assign you a task that you don’t know how to do, don’t lie and say that you know how to do it. Instead, be honest but say that you will learn how to do it and ask questions. This will not only show your integrity, it will also demonstrate your dedication to what you do.

This advice is pertinent to any field you might be interested in entering. Technical skills are essential, but it’s the little details that tend to remain more present on the mind of your employer. The way you carry yourself professionally, at the end of the day, will set you apart from other interns.

Local Internship Fair brings 100+ employers to campus next week

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by Dan Klamm
Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Like many SU students, you might be thinking about pursuing an internship in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., or even abroad, but have you ever considered taking an internship right here in Central New York?  Local employers LOVE to hire SU students for internships.  Next week, you will have an ideal opportunity to connect with these very employers at the Local Internship Fair.

Students at the 2010 Local Internship Fair

The event will take place on Wednesday, September 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. under tents on the Syracuse University quad. More than 100 employers will be in attendance, including advertising agencies, media outlets, financial firms, non-profits, government organizations, hospitals, and start-ups. The full list of participating employers can be found here.

An internship is a great way to explore professional interests, gain hands-on experience, and bulk up your resume. In many cases, you can even receive academic credit for your internship experience!

Whether you’re interested in taking an internship during the academic year or you’re planning ahead for next summer, I encourage you to check out next week’s Local Internship Fair.

Jennifer Pluta, the event organizer, was kind enough to speak with me about the Local Internship Fair. Here’s what she had to say about why you should attend and how you can best prepare:

The SU Network

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By Ira Berkowitz, SU ’82

Before I start, let me tell you the important stuff about me. I graduated from SU in 1982. My wife graduated from SU a year after me. Our daughter graduated from Newhouse in May of this past year and our son will be class of 2014. At our wedding, 9 of the 12 in the bridal party were SU grads and we are still very good friends with all of them (well, almost all).  Oh, and our dog’s name is Cosmo. Questions?

SU Class of '82! From left, Zeta Psi fraternity brothers Mike Solondz, Jeff Pappalardo, Ira Berkowitz,and Dave Grossman

In 1992, after 10 plus years of working in the TV commercial production business in the big city, I left that world for life in the world of graphic design and print advertising in suburban New Jersey. The business I was going to be a partner in, Monarch Graphics (now Monarch Communications), was an existing business that was spending more money than it was taking in. The owner needed somebody to market the company, as that was not really her strength.  It was going to be my job to go out and sell, sell, sell.

My first order of business was to alert everyone I knew about my new career. My thinking was not everyone shoots TV commercials for national advertisers but anyone who had their own business needed some sort of graphic design and/or printing. I put together a mailing list (remember, this is before internet and emails) trying to think of everyone I knew who owned a business or worked in a business that could use graphic design services.

Many of the folks I reached out to were contacts I had made at SU or alumni I had become connected with since I graduated. That first mailing list included my roommates from junior and senior years, fraternity brothers, classmates and many local NY/NJ alumni I had met over the years.

One of the first things I noticed as I became more involved with my new business and the business community outside New York City was the amount of networking opportunities there were. Chamber of Commerce meetings, formal and informal networking groups, social and religious organizations, all offered me the opportunity to promote Monarch and our services. This was very different from my life in the high profile, high-speed world of New York City advertising. You didn’t really network as much as you socialized.

Being out in “the burbs” gave me a chance to learn about life in small business America. From the day I left SU, I had worked on national advertising accounts with major 6 figure budgets for one 30-second TV commercial. Now I was looking at projects with budgets in the thousands, sometimes even in the hundreds. I knew that I had to build long, sustainable relationships with my clients so that as their businesses would grow, so would mine.

And here I am, almost 19 years later. New technologies such as voicemail and email have made person-to-person networking even more important to my business.

You can tweet, you can text, you can send emails, but the best way to close the deal is getting in front of your clients and potential clients. I use social media to open doors and keep those doors open but I still make sure that when I am working on a piece of new business, that I get to see the client in their work environment. If I am going to help advertise and market what they do, I better understand it and get a first-hand look at it.

In those 19 years since I left the business world in the big city, SU alumni have proven to be a great resource for my business and me. My client list today includes my roommate from my last 2 years at SU, a contact I made at an SU golf outing a couple of years ago, people I have worked with and met through my involvement with the local alumni club, and others. Since July 2005, I have been president of the local SU alumni club, SUNNJAC (that’s www.NorthJerseyOrange.org if you are interested). This has given me very high visibility in the local SU community and has generated many leads and referrals for my business. As a matter of fact, Monarch’s two newest clients are both SU grads; one is an active participant in our club’s monthly business-to-business breakfasts, which is how we met and how he came to utilize the services of my company.

In the spring of 1982, when I graduated from SU, if you had told me that Syracuse would be such a big part of my business and personal life, I probably would have laughed – but I’m not laughing now. So here’s my lesson for anyone who is at SU now or is an SU graduate and is looking for ways to promote themselves and/or their business: Your networking opportunities don’t begin the day you leave SU. They begin the day you first arrive and, if you’re smart, they will continue for a long, long time.

How to update your resume after a summer internship

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By Tracy Tillapaugh
Career Counselor

Did you just finish a summer internship, job, study abroad or other career-relevant experience? Well then, it’s time to update your resume! Before you groan, remember that your resume is a living document. Constantly updating it allows you to show your most current experiences and skill sets.  This is a surefire way to make sure the best information about you is being shared.

If your internship or work experience is directly related to your future career aspirations, then listing that information toward the top of the resume is key. Employers often spend just 10 to 15 seconds visually scanning each resume. Don’t let your most recent and relevant experience get lost!

Make sure to think through the bullet points and write them out strategically. Emphasizing your real world experience will certainly impress your next internship company or employer after graduation.

Be descriptive. Include the specific tasks you performed at your internship. If you worked for an event planning company, instead of writing “helped plan events,” you can write “worked with supervisor to assess catering needs and place orders with catering company for a series of networking events” or “worked closely with interior designer to ensure the appearance of the event space matched client’s expectations.”

Quantify the work that you accomplished. Continuing with the event planning example above, make sure to include the number of events you assisted in planning, as well as the number of attendees at these events.  If you had a certain budget to work with, that would be good to include as well. Not only will this showcase the scope of your work, but it will reflect your attention to detail (a great skill to possess in almost any job).

If your internship or job experience does not relate to your future career goals (i.e. you want to be a journalist but spent the summer waitressing), IT’S OKAY! Look for transferable skills. Where do your skills as a journalist intersect with your skills as a waitress? Both journalists and waiters: communicate with individuals, multi-task several duties at once, and serve external and internal customers on tight deadlines. Those are just a few things that transfer from being a waiter to being a journalist. Can you think of others? Draw attention to these transferable skills on your resume!

Good luck updating your resume with your summer internship experience. When you’re ready and want an extra set of eyes on it, bring it to Career Services during our 15 Minute Drop-In Hours to be reviewed and discussed!

Introducing ‘CuseConnect! A new way to connect SU alumni and students

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Logo by @RussoNoon (Thanks Jennifer!)

By Kim Brown
Alumni Programs Coordinator

I’m really excited to use my first blog post to announce ‘CuseConnect – our new LinkedIn group that’s meant to connect SU students and alumni. ‘CuseConnect members are alumni who WANT to offer students career advice and help you through the job and internship search process.

Want to join? Just click here!

‘CuseConnect replaces a program called Mentor@SU, which many of you (especially if you’ve already graduated from SU) likely used.  We’ve spent a lot of time looking into different ways to make these great Orange connections happen, and truly feel that having a LinkedIn group is the best way for us to stay relevant.

Though the main purpose of ‘CuseConnect will still focus on career information and advice, it will also allow alumni to share job and internship leads.  Alumni can use the Jobs tab within the group to post Orange Leads – opportunities that you learn about and would like our students/your fellow alumni to know about as well! Who doesn’t love companies with a lot of Orange?

Alumni will be admitted to the group as soon I see your request to join. There’s also a subgroup of ‘CuseConnect that’s just for you. You can find that by going to the “More” tab and scrolling down to “Subgroups.”

Students - both undergrads and grads – must complete a ‘CuseConnect Orientation before being accepted into the group. You can easily sign up for one through OrangeLink, which you can access via MySlice.

Students, once you’re in the group, don’t hesitate to start discussions that you may want all of the alumni members to see. You’ll notice there are many discussions already taking place! Make sure to take a look at the Jobs tab as well for those Orange Leads.

Alumni, please take a moment to look through the discussions and see if you might be able to offer your advice to the students who are posting. Start your own discussion if you have something to share with everyone!

For both students and alumni, the “Members” tab is an important one. After clicking on Members, click on “Advanced Search” – and that toolbar on the left side of the page will allow you to narrow your search results to alumni who may be the best connections for you.

Remember – when you’re making a connection request on LinkedIn, ALWAYS PERSONALIZE THE REQUEST! Tell the person why you’d like to connect with him or her. Don’t write a book (in fact, LinkedIn won’t let you), but DO tell a bit about yourself and how you think he or she could help in your career.

Have suggestions on how we might improve ‘CuseConnect? Please don’t hesitate to share them with me!

What to expect from Career Services this fall

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Recruiting events…alumni speakers…special workshops…we’ve got a busy semester ahead at Career Services! Whether you’re a first-year student just getting your bearings on campus, an upperclassman preparing to depart for “the real world,” or an alum twenty years out of school, Career Services has something to offer you this fall.

Take a look at our event schedule to learn about all the events taking place this fall. We have a number of new employers planning to attend our Career Fair at the Carrier Dome on October 5, including Aeropostale, American Junior Golf Association, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Everyday Health, and Hershey! Other employers attending are from the finance, retail, IT, marketing, healthcare, communications, non-profit and government industries (just to name a few). There really is something for everyone!

We also have more than 100 organizations signed up to attend the Local Internship Fair on September 21 — an awesome event if you’re looking for an internship in the Syracuse area!

Our Graduate & Professional School Day and Law School Day on September 21 and September 22 will give you opportunities to connect with representatives from top graduate school programs. These events offer you the chance to ask questions, collect information, and gain insight into potential graduate programs of study.

The Alumni Speaker Series will bring a bunch of notable alumni back to campus to share their career journeys. Women’s empowerment and motivational coach Gabrielle Bernstein ’01 headlines the series with her speech on Wednesday, October 19. Other alumni guests will include Jason Yaley ’05 MPA ’06, who works for the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as Mindy Stockfield, Vice President of Marketing and Digital Media at Hyperion. Stay tuned for more information on date/time/location of the speeches!

Career Services will also be going “on the road” once again, speaking about career development topics to numerous student organizations, fraternities and sororities, and residence hall floors throughout the semester. So far, we’re scheduled to give presentations to the National Association of Black Accountants, the National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Club, Phi Beta Sigma, and students participating in the Transfer Success Series. If you’re interested in having us speak to your group or classroom about resume writing, interviewing, networking, social media, or a variety of other topics, get in touch with Dan Klamm!

As always, we will continue to meet with students and alumni on a daily basis. Not only will we help with resume critiques and interview practice, we can help you explore broader career questions and we can help you make decisions about your future — selecting majors, deciding what to do next summer, or switching careers. To get started working with a career counselor, just stop by our office during our 15 Minute Drop-In Hours (listed on the front page of our website) or give us a call (315-443-3616).

Let us know if you have any questions about this fall’s Career Services happenings. We look forward to seeing you this semester!

Welcome to the official blog of Syracuse University Career Services!

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We’re excited to launch this blog as another way for you to keep in touch with our office. We plan to deliver career advice, event news, student and alumni profiles, featured employment opportunities, and a variety of other content that will hopefully keep you coming back again and again!

Meet the bloggers!
Our blogging team consists of: Dan Klamm, Kim Brown, Tracy Tillapaugh, and Shannon Feeney. Dan manages marketing and communications efforts for Career Services, as well as outreach to students. Kim leads our office’s alumni engagement, which includes planning the ever-popular Alumni Speaker Series and SUccess In The City event series. Tracy counsels students and alumni on career exploration, the job search, and everything in between. And Shannon sparks connections with new employers, giving SU students and alumni access to high-quality job and internship opportunities.

In addition to our own blogging, we’ll feature posts from other Career Services staff members with expertise in interviewing, resume writing, and internships, as well as contributions from SU students, alumni, and employer partners. (If you’d like to write a guest post, let us know!)

We’ll update the blog twice per week with content that’s relevant to you. Some posts on the horizon include: how to build connections with SU alumni, tips for succeeding at the Career Fair at the Carrier Dome, and networking advice from recent SU grads who have successfully landed jobs.

Do you have ideas for the blog? Topics you would like to see featured? Leave us a comment below.

We look forward to connecting with you here!