Welcome to the Career Development Center's electronic newsletter: Working Beyond Expectations! We hope that you find this newsletter both informative and useful as you prepare for the next level of your life.
Quote of the Week
Career News
Coming Up! Join Us!
IUP Featured Alumnus
FR/SO/JR/SR Tip
Let's Hear What Your Colleagues Are Doing!
Did You Ever Consider a Career In...
Networking Tips
Note from the Director
Editor's Note
Quote of the Week
A quote referring to the online video resume debate (See story below):
"Frankly, these exist because the technology allows them to be created easily, not because they represent some great innovation or add anything to improve recruiting. Recruiting processes are designed to include highly structured elements to ensure consistency. Video resumes are, for now, at odds with the requirements of structured processes" - Raghav Singh (www.ere.net)
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career News
by: Emily Tamosauskas, Graduate Assistant
University Testing Center/Career Development Center
Benefits and Disadvantages of Online Video Resumes
Video resumes are becoming more popular in the job search process due to the availability and decreasing price of a web cam. More and more employers are seeing this as a way to apply to a job. Beware that this new, technologically savvy, tool has its disadvantages along with some benefits.
DISADVANTAGES:
First, the video resume can be time consuming for the employer. They are no longer able to jump from section to section on your resume, but have to listen to the entire online resume in order to get the same information. Second, the applicant can come across as uncomfortable and nervous, which would not help the decision process. Third, it may be hard to distinguish which employer would appreciate creativity and humor and which one would not. If you were to decide to take this approach, you may eliminate yourself automatically from the applicant pool if you are incorrect in your assumption. Finally, although it is not encouraged to discriminate based on race, gender, or disability, there are currently no laws pertaining to the use of online video resumes. This could mean that you could potentially be discriminated against during the hiring process.
ADVANTAGES:
First, an online video resume may be helpful if you want to explain a point that is hard to make in writing. Second, applicants can use creativity to distinguish themselves from other candidates (although we already know there is a negative side to this point as well). As you can see, there are not many advantages to using an online video resume.
CONCLUSION:
You will have to weigh the benefits and disadvantages yourself while using this new job application tool. As long as you are aware of the potential impacts, you might be able to use this to your advantage. Whatever you decide, be sure to portray yourself in the best light and show the employer why you are the perfect fit for their company.
Who knows what the future may hold. We may be required to embrace this new technology in the future. Maybe now is the best time to practice???
(Source: www.ere.net)
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let us "Link" you to our services:
Service Learning and Volunteer Opportunities
Internships
Part-time Student Employment Opportunities (On and Off Campus)
Choosing a Major
National Student Exchange
How to Write a Resume and Cover Letter
Job Fairs
University Testing Services (ACT, CLEP, GMAT, GRE, FLCT, LSAT,
MAT, PRAXIS, TOEFL)
Preparing for Full-Time Job Search
Preparing for Graduate School
Employer Directory - Lists 12 Million Potential Employers - ReferenceUSA
Post Your Resume and Gain Access to Job Listings (CCN)
Education Majors: PA-Educator.net and PAREAP.net
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coming Up! Join Us!
Click here to view a flyer containing activities-at-a-glance for the office.
(no longer available)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional Week! (January 28 - February 1, 2008)
A complete schedule of the week's activities is coming soon!
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IUP Featured Alumnus
Meet: Rose (Dill) Glenn
Indiana University of PA
BA Journalism '82
Share your undergraduate experience and/or graduate experience:
I studied way too much! Actually, I have great memories of wonderful classes in my major taught by young, enthusiastic professors with real-world experience who wanted to arm their students with practical, valuable skills. There is not doubt in my mind that IUP’s Journalism professors contributed greatly to me landing my first job two weeks after graduation.
Did you work while you were a student?
Every semester and summer! I was a hall counselor in Gordon and Wallace; worked in the IUP Public Information Office, first as a secretary/assistant and later as a writer; and I sold clothes for different retailers at the Indiana Mall! I sometimes worked two jobs while taking 17 to 18 credits a semester!
What are you doing now?
I am the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations for Henry Ford Health System, one of the largest and most respected health care organizations in the United States. It is really a dream job because one of my main responsibilities is promoting the Henry Ford Medical Group, a 900-member physician practice discovering ways to improve health and saving lives every day. If I couldn’t be a doctor, promoting the men and women who are making a huge difference in the lives of thousands of patients is the next best thing!
How did your experiences (both academic and/or work related) assist you in deciding what to do post graduation?
I knew when I was in eighth grade that I wanted to major in journalism. I just thought I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. When I took an introductory communications’ course my freshman year, I learned of all the fields one could pursue who had an interest in writing—and public relations was, of course, one of them. My advisor, Randy Jesick, happened to be a former PR executive and thought that I would do really well in a career in public relations. His mentoring, along with great classes in the field, and internships in the Public Information Office on campus and at Westinghouse helped me to decide that public relations was the right choice for me.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
In May, I will be celebrating my 25th year in health care PR and marketing, and that is a huge surprise to me. I never thought I would still love what I do after being in the field for so long—but I do! In five years or so, I would like to return to school and pursue a master’s and, perhaps, doctorate. I envision my next career to be a college professor, teaching public relations to a whole new generation.
What would be one piece of advice?
Follow your passion. I love what I do and it makes work a joy. And get experience early. Work for free, get an internship, expose yourself to the field you are interested in and meet people who are currently in the role you want! Five of my former interns now work for Henry Ford Health System; networking really works!
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FR/SO/JR/SR Tip
by: Mallory Bower, Graduate Assistant, Career Development Center
Freshman Tip:
Learn about the area in which you now reside. It can be intimidating moving to a new place. Ask a few classmates or your roommate if they want to explore the town with you. College towns are usually very accommodating to the student population. You might be surprised about what you may find!
Sophomore Tip:
Consider a student exchange program. Attend information sessions about studying at a different institution. Study abroad programs are a great chance to meet new people and to have new and exciting experiences. Visit the Career Development Center to learn more about the National Student Exchange program.
Junior Tip:
Set goals for yourself. You may have started setting goals for yourself during your freshman year. Evaluate your recent experiences to see if you have fulfilled your goals. Make a list of things that you have already achieved and things you would like to achieve within the next two years.
Senior Tip:
Create a reference list. Over the past four years, you may have had close professional relationships with professors, advisors, and supervisors. Ask these mentors if they would be willing to write you a letter of reference when you start to apply for jobs or to graduate schools. Connections at your undergraduate institution will be very beneficial in both of these processes.
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's Hear What Your Colleagues Are Doing!
Current Student: Jana K. Hoffman
Journalism
December 2007
How would you describe yourself?
I consider myself to be extremely determined. I set goals for myself and I try to figure out ways to make them realities. I’m organized and have strong time management skills. I’ve learned that I need those two qualities to make it through the day. I’m a hard worker. That’s a quality my parents have instilled in me at a young age. I’ve always tried to go above and beyond what’s expected because I’ve always felt that I had to prove it to not only myself but my parents as well. With that, I’m also patient and sincere. I like to do nice things for people. I love to be a good friend. Just being friendly in general makes me a happy person.
At what point did you choose your career and why did you choose this career?
I think I was one of the fortunate ones. In high school I just knew that journalism was exactly what I wanted to pursue. I’ve always loved to write. Coming to college, I chose my major right away and began taking classes during my freshman spring semester. From there, I took a variety of classes that helped paved the path; experimenting was fun. Eventually, I started writing my fashion column and something just clicked. For years I enjoyed fashion. I really found my niche. After my summer internship, I fell in love with the magazine industry. There is something really special about journalism. It allows me to be creative in a variety of outlets from writing to designing. Plus, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some really amazing people, and that just adds to the excitement of this career.
What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
My parents. They have provided me with every opportunity to succeed and I couldn’t be more thankful. Through everything they have been incredibly supportive and basically my sideline cheerleaders. I’m also motivated by failure. I think I’m scared of it so I’ve tried really hard to do everything to avoid failing.
Who is your favorite professor and why?
I can’t answer this question! I’ve always admired Randy Jesick and his ability to learn students’ names and where they’re from. It was really important to me that I was a student with a name and not just some face in the crowd. He’s really an impressive professor, and I have learned so much from taking his classes. I think he’s brainwashed me! I can’t stand poor grammar now. I actually considered transferring because I thought I wanted to go to school in a bigger city. He convinced me to stay.
What are your standards of success in school and what have you done to meet these standards?
I set the bar pretty high. My goal during my freshman year was to make the Dean’s List every semester. I haven’t missed it once. I think it’s something to be proud of. I’m a stickler for good grades. I also feel successful when the outcome of a project or exam makes me happy or impresses a professor.
To meet these standards...
I’ve studied long hours and put the extra effort into making sure projects looked professional and well-done. Sometimes I’m hard on myself. I hate turning in something that’s mediocre.
In addition to your academic course load, what activities, memberships, jobs, etc. do you maintain?
I wrote the fashion column in The Penn. This opportunity provided me with great clips for my portfolio in which I can show future employers. Writing for a newspaper is a great learning tool. I was able to express my thoughts and opinions through this column. Having creative reign over my own column was really exciting. It definitely helped me land my internship.
I am an Account Executive for Lasting Impressions, IUP’s student-run public relations agency. I really learned how to work with clients to find out their needs. It actually allowed me to grow up in a sense. I had to act professional. I also gained leadership skills.
I am a student worker in the journalism department part time during the weekdays. I really learned how to balance work, class and school work. It was important to me to have a job throughout college not only to pay the bills, but to develop skills necessary to function in the workplace.
I am also a server on the weekends. I really learned some patience with this job and just dealing with people in general. I’ve gained some great people skills.
In addition to completing the academic courses required for my major, I participate in other outside-of-the-classroom activities that exemplify working beyond expectations. They are...
I have definitely tried to take advantage of extra credit work even if I knew I didn’t need it.
What are your plans after graduation?
I will begin my career as the editorial assistant and junior staff writer for Lehigh Valley Style magazine (Palmer, Pa.) Dec 17. I’m so excited to be a part of this magazine!
What advice would you give to an IUP student in order to have a successful experience at IUP?
Become involved. I didn’t join clubs and organizations right away because I wanted to get a feel for college life. Eventually, when I felt that I could juggle class, work, studying and extra-curricular activities, I joined organizations in which I knew I could benefit. It’s a great way to meet people. My other piece of advice is never to give up. It sounds cliché, but no matter how hard things may get, the outcome can usually be pretty rewarding.
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did You Ever Consider a Career In...
. . . Journalism?
Since its founding in 1980 when it was created from the English department, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania journalism department has created opportunities for its graduates in a variety of professional fields where writing is the No. 1 requirement for an outstanding career.
Newspapers. Magazines. Public relations. And occasionally in radio and television.
Writing is the basis and the foundation around which most of the more than two dozen courses in the major are taught. Writing. And lots of it.
And the proficient writers and the superior writing have resulted from IUP journalism over the years because all writing courses prohibit more than 16 to 18 students. This department rule allows for more writing and more feedback and more personal instruction. The result: better writers and better graduates from this relatively small department of approximately 220 majors and six full-time faculty. The department has no graduate program, which means that all professors teach all students from freshmen to seniors.
Once these seniors complete their undergraduate requirements, usually with an internship, where do they go? Where have they gone?
In newspapers, IUP alumni have worked for or are working for publications from coast to coast. Here’s a sampling: The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Los Angeles Times, The Harrisburg Patriot-News, The Erie Times-News, The Morning Call (Allentown), The Charlotte Observer, The Dallas Morning News, The Rocky Mountain News (Denver), the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat & Chronicle, the Nashville Tennessean, The Scranton Times.
In the magazine industry, aside from a long list of publications designed and written for an organization’s internal audience, Forbes magazine is representative of a national publication where IUP journalism graduates have worked. So is People magazine.
Then there’s PR – public relations. The unofficial list includes nearly 300 organizations around the country and even the world. How about these for recognizable names: General Electric, Alcoa, Xerox, IBM, Mitsubishi, the National Park Service, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Mellon Bank, Heinz, DuPont, Eli Lilly, Westinghouse, Grumman Aerospace, Monsanto, AT&T, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Purdue University, the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Pittsburgh, American Federation of Teachers, U.S. Department of Defense, the Pennsylvania Senate, the University of Michigan, the Pittsburgh Symphony, Princeton University, the Henry Ford Health System (Detroit), Penn State University, Hallmark Cards, Verizon, Bayer, Armstrong World Industries and NASA.
Of course, many IUP journalism students feel the need, sooner or later, for a graduate degree or two – to help them move into college teaching or to enhance their employment appeal. Journalism grads have earned master’s and/or doctoral degrees at, for example, Syracuse, Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Columbia, Georgia, Temple, Ball State, Alabama, Ohio University, Carnegie Mellon, Indiana University at Bloomington.
In the more than 27 years that journalism has been a separate entity, the department has produced approximately 2,000 graduates who have departed campus with a strong grounding in and an appreciation for the basics of journalism and accuracy and writing. They are progressing through their professional lives with timely promotions and advancements based in large part on their academic preparation at IUP.
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NetworkingTips
by: Malaika Turner, Assistant Director for Employer Relations and Development
Career Development Center
There is more to networking than one might imagine. For example, networking does not mean that you try to meet as many people as you can, instead its about making new contacts while building a trusting relationship. You will find the following article very useful for when you attend your next social gathering.
Breaking The Myths About Career Networking
by Sherri Edwards
Networking is often a misunderstood concept. The development of a strong network requires making connections that will sustain more than a simple introduction. Those connections, and the support required to maintain them, are the necessary ingredients to developing a network. An initial meeting or contact with someone does not establish a connection unless there is follow up of some kind. The follow up must suggest a genuine interest in developing a mutually supportive relationship.
Developing relationships (not just contacts) is key to having access to opportunities. Expecting people to be eager to listen to a "sales job" about your value is decidedly different from developing a relationship based on mutual needs/interests. Contacts may be immediate, but a relationship can be established and built only over time. Credibility and trust are much stronger cases to build a relationship on than an instantaneous commercial. The potential to build begins with the first introduction and requires the investment of time and energy for follow up. The follow up and continued contact is a prerequisite to developing relationships that will support your desire to be remembered. Making "contacts" with no follow up or genuine interest will most likely lead to dead ends (and a large collection of worthless business cards).
Networking events may be in themselves intimidating or misleading. Calling an event a "networking opportunity" may create unnecessary pressure for the inexperienced networker. In actuality, all situations or events that allow interaction with others provide the potential for building a network. It is what a person does with the contacts they make at these events that will lead to something closer to his or her desired outcome.
It is important to prepare what you will say and to know what your objective is when you attend an event. Come prepared with questions. Identify the settings or situations that you are most comfortable with and plan your time in advance. Some people are very comfortable with an informal setting. Others prefer a structured event. The point is to participate and practice until you can move on to other, less comfortable interactions and still succeed in developing connections.
A novice networker often indicates a fear of not knowing what to say. Although there is much to-do over inventing a "30 Second Commercial," it is more likely that you will gain more by listening, than speaking. Key in on the speaker’s needs. Ask questions. (The more you speak, the less you will learn.) The more you learn, the more you can 1) solve problems for someone and 2) build on your strategy for solving your own problems.
Networking vs. Selling
A successful network connection requires a mutual understanding from the start that it is about "what I can do for you" as much as it is about "what you can do for me." Building a network requires time and a commitment to helping others. Networking is not just meeting as many people as you can with the intent of presenting a "30-Second Commercial" to them about what you need. Networking requires showing a concern and interest in others that will help build the credibility and trust that is the mainstay of establishing an effective network.
"Drive-by" networking is often perceived as "selling." This is the kind of networking that most people experience. It involves saying hello to many people and passing out business cards but does not include any followup. It is an ineffective means to establish a productive network. How many of us are turned off by telemarketers or other individuals who sell without expressing an understanding of or interest in our needs?
Most successful sales situations are relationship-based. A relationship requires time to build, and more importantly; it requires integrity, credibility and trust. To establish trust and credibility, the salesperson (job-seeker) needs to ask questions and listen to the answers. You need to show an interest in your audience’s needs or concerns. This rapport-building cannot be accomplished in 30 seconds, nor can it be accomplished without asking some questions.
By identifying your audience's (an individual or the group’s) needs, you can present intelligent solutions or responses. By asking prepared, thoughtful questions that actually produce meaningful results, or by providing helpful connections, you are more likely to impress the person you are speaking with. When an initial good impression is formed, it can be the beginning of a longer-term relationship.
A relationship must be nurtured. It grows over time. The elements of trust and credibility that you build over time are reasons for someone to remember you. Your relationship could potentially lead to your main interest: securing a new position. In the mean time, you have established yourself as a reliable, concerned, problem solver. Isn’t that a good thing?
Breaking the Myths About Career Networking ; Quintessential Careers http://www.quintcareers.com/career_networking_myths.html
November 29, 2007
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Note From the Director
A Note from the Director, Mr. Mark Anthony: "You came to college to get a good education that leads to a good job or admission to graduate school. But, there are no guarantees. The Career Development Center can help you prepare by obtaining the skills, abilities, opportunities, experiences, and tools to achieve your goals. This newsletter will keep you informed of how we can help you."
back to top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's Note
Editor: Tracy VanHorn-Juart, Career Development Center
We hope you enjoy the bi-weekly publication of Working Beyond Expectations ! Its intent is to inform readers of the events and services that are available through the Career Development Center, as well as, to encourage the reader to explore the multiple opportunities that are available to them through employment, careers, and academic programs and services at IUP. The newsletter is designed specifically to enhance the educational experience and to prepare the student for their next level of achievement. Whether the next level be freshman to sophomore, classroom to internship, undergraduate studies to graduate studies, or student to full-time employee, the Career Development Center will assist in making smooth and prepared transitions.
If you have any questions , or, if you have recommendations for enhancing this resource, please contact me via email at tracyvan@iup.edu.
back to top
