Freshman Friday: Winter Career Expo

January 13, 2012

aerial view of Fall Career ExpoEvery Friday, we’ll be highlighting some helpful information specifically for first-year students. Today we’re focusing on next week’s Winter Career Expo. For more advice, take a look at the Freshman Friday post archive.

Lizzy and Chatoris, two of our peer advisors, have great Expo stories. They started going early in their Michigan career and feel that it gave them a chance to get comfortable talking with employers and build their professional community. At next week’s Winter Career Expo, there will be 21 organizations targeting 1st year/sophomore students. Build your own Expo story by starting with Freshman-friendly organizations like:

Red Frog Events
Red Frog Events is seeking tremendously talented candidates for our summer Event Coordinator internship program to travel to our events and help implement our three nationwide series (WarriorDash.com, GreatUrbanRace.com, and BeachPalooza.com).

The Survey Research Center
The Survey Research Center Internship Program is a 10 week, 20 – 40 hour per week paid position for undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in social science research. Interns will be typically assigned to an ongoing research study, attend appropriate seminars/courses on principles of survey research, and participate in a research symposium.

Dominos
Dominos considers our Interns to be our future team members, and have built a program to reflect this. Our Interns are given project based work with clear objectives to meet. Each Intern’s summer ends by giving a presentation to our Executive Team (including the CEO!) and other stakeholders in the organization on what they learned. Our paid internships run from mid-May to mid-August. Projects are available in nearly every department.

Visit the Winter Expo website for more information on all the organizations scheduled to attend.

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

Fall Career Expo recap: Words of wisdom to help you on day two

October 4, 2011

An entirely new group of organizations and companies will be here tomorrow for day two of Fall Career Expo. Since day one is over, why not benefit from those who experienced it?

shot of fall expo 2011 from the union ballroom balcony
From the Recruiters: 

“Positive energy and a high level of engagement are important.”

“The more you research, the more you will know and the more productive your job search will be.”

“If you take the time to reach out after the first conversation, we’re much more likely to respond.”

“We want to see people who are well put together and confident, but not too overbearing in their approach.”

“Do your research before you approach the table!”

“It’s not always about who you know. In fact, I’m more impressed by someone who can communicate well and who can apply what they’ve done in college to a real career, than someone who just had their dad send me a resume.”

“…as for follow-up, I’m always impressed by people who take the initiative to ask for my card, send me a thank you email or even just send a hand written note.”

“In a career fair setting, you have to be a self-starter. This isn’t the setting to take a passive approach, no job is going to just fall into your lap.”

“Recruiters know that many students will be nervous but don’t allow it to show; make sure it’s clear that even if you feel intimidated, you came prepared.”

“Go for the ride and enjoy it!”

From the Students:

“Be prepared to ask specific questions of different recruiters based on the research you’ve done on their company.”

“Go in with a game plan because the long lines can be disorienting.”

“Remember people’s names from the companies you are interested in. It will make it easier to follow up with them in the future.”

“Make sure you know the structure of the company you are interested in talking to because that will allow you to ask the right questions.”

“Just smile and be yourself!”

“I would have been less stressed out if I was more organized.”

“Come prepared and knowing what position you are interested in. Most importantly, be able to explain why you’re interested in it.”

“Ask recruiters questions as simple as, ‘what tasks do you do on a daily basis at work?’ They can help you decide if it’s a job you’re interested in.”

“Bring a pen and paper to record important contact information.”

“Take a deep breath and remember that all the students there are in the same position as you.”

Lastly, here are a few more last-minute ways to get the most out of the Fall Career Expo.

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Posted by Nell Gable

How one first-year student took advantage of The Career Center

October 4, 2011

The internship search can be a somewhat daunting task for a first-year student still exploring a variety of career interests, and still trying to find his or her place here on campus. Today, sophomore Lauren Gardner shares her experience seeking out internships last year, and how she took advantage of the resources our office has to offer. Lauren was an intern last summer with Red Frog Events, an organization that will be in attendance at Fall Career Expo, and a co-host of the upcoming Marketing & Event Planning Immersion Excursion over fall break.Lauren Gardner in Chicago

Coming to the University of Michigan, like a lot of incoming freshmen, I thought I had made up my mind on what my major was going to be. Everyone kept telling me that I was going to change as I tried new things, but I believed that I knew what I wanted and nothing was going to stop me.

One year and at least six different majors later, I’m still undeclared.

Looking back today, over a year later, one of the best influences that I found on campus was the The Career Center. They helped me find a direction and path for my college education. It all started with a simple career-assessment test, which showed me where my skills and interests lay. From there, I made an appointment with a career counselor, who helped me prepare everything I needed for my internship search.

Second semester of my freshman year, taking my first step into the Winter Career Expo was one of the most intimidating experiences of my life. The Union was filled with recruiters and upperclassmen — I felt like I was going to stick out like a sore thumb. But I built up the courage and did what I came to do. After waiting in line for over an hour, I finally was given the chance to speak to a recruiter for Red Frog Events, an event planning company based out of Chicago, IL. They were so popular among the recruits that I just assumed they would forget about me — a little freshman, with limited experience, vying for an internship that only one out of every 150 candidates receive.

With each step in the interview process, from the phone interview to the in-person interview, The Career Center helped me prepare with helpful advice, useful online tools and practice. At the same time, I fell more in love with Red Frog Events and their incredible work environment—complete with a zip line, slide, tree houses, candy machines and fully-stocked bar. When I received the phone call telling me that I’d gotten the internship, I couldn’t help but squeal with excitement!

The opportunity to work for Red Frog Events was one of the greatest summers of my entire life. I learned new things about myself that I didn’t even know I had in me. As the youngest person in the office, at just 18 years old, I came in on day one thinking that I was going to have no chance in a sea of older, smarter and more experienced peers. But boy, was I wrong! I did not get lost among my co-workers, but rather, I flourished. They brought out the best in me, in ways I didn’t even think possible. My fellow Tadpoles were more than just co-workers; I consider them role models and friends—even today after the internship has ended. Red Frog gave me the chance to travel all around the country, plan events for 20,000+ participants and work in many different areas such as marketing, social media and sponsorship. I came out at the end of this past summer a new, more organized, more confident and happier person. Red Frog taught me to dream big and ever since, I’ve never looked back.

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

Fall Expo 2011: Final Prep

October 3, 2011

Fall Career Expo is this Tuesday and Wednesday and hopefully you’ve had a chance to read our 10 Days of Expo posts from last year. They’re filled with great information to help you prepare to make a good impression with potential employers.  Today we share some last minute tips to help you make the most of Fall Expo:

• Aside from your resume, bring along some stories to tell.  Organizations want to learn more about you, so take advantage of this opportunity to bring up some examples that highlight your Michigan experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. Highlighting experiences that you’re passionate about will make you feel more comfortable, and will help you stand out as an individual.

• Give one more thought to what you wear.  While it may seem obvious, we’ve seen some interesting wardrobe choices over the years. First impressions do matter, and you want to be sure that your smile, your enthusiasm, and the things you say are what the recruiter remembers — not what you were wearing.  Check out our suggestions in 10 Days of Expo: What do I Wear.

•You’ll want to stay in touch with these organizations, so ask about next steps and collect business cards.  It helps you plan how and when to follow-up, so you’re not left wondering what to do at the end of this week.

• Our Career Coaches will be at Expo.  Stop by and chat if you have questions or need an extra confidence boost.

The Expo organizations are coming to see you and their final tip is the best:  be yourself!

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

Freshman Friday: Fall Career Expo

September 30, 2011


Every Friday, we’ll be highlighting some helpful information specifically for first-year students. Today’ we’re focusing on next week’s Fall Career Expo. You can take a look at all the Freshman Friday posts here.

You’ve only been here for a month, so it may seem a little weird to suggest attending a career fair. And yet, take a look at what our peer advisors have to say about attending Fall Career Expo during their first two years here at Michigan:

Lizzy, now a senior majoring in Spanish and Communications, has been going to Fall Career Expo since she was a first year student, even though she knows it’s not common for students to attend in their first year:

“Going as a 1st year and sophomore gave me a chance to try out wearing a suit, shaking hands and waiting in lines.  It was great practice: getting comfortable talking with employers and building relationships for this year.”

Chatoris started going to Expo as a sophomore (he’s a Political Science major) and even though he was a little bummed that most of the internships were for juniors, he didn’t get discouraged. Chatoris had a great conversation with L’Oreal; they invited him to their presentation later that night and he stayed in email contact with the recruiter during the year:

“I still gave out resumes and didn’t feel like it was a waste of my time because ultimately it will benefit me.  Going as a sophomore really helped me get prepared for going back this year and re-connecting with L’Oreal and other organizations with internships.”

Our Fall Career Expo is October 4th and 5th, and there are 16 organizations specifically targeting first and second year students.  Start with these freshman friendly organizations and, like Chatoris, build your professional community by asking questions like:
       What types of projects do your interns work on?
       What makes an internship resume standout?
       What’s my next step if I’m interested in applying for your internship?

There are also 80 other organizations attending Expo.  Take Lizzy’s advice and get comfortable chatting with employers.  Some great questions to start with include:
       What advice do you have for first year students?
       What can I be doing in the next two years to make me a competitive internship candidate when I’m a junior?

Here are just a few of the Expo organizations interested in meeting with first year students.  Visit the Expo website to see the complete list.

Aisin World Corp. of America / Aisin Technical Center of America – Marketing/Sales Internships
Red Frog Events – Event Planning Internships
Johnson Controls – Internships in Sales/Marketing, Human Resources, Supply Chain and more
Steelcase – Internships in Supply Chain, Operations, Finance

Our career coaches will be at Expo as well.  Be sure to stop by — we’re excited chat with you and look forward to working with you throughout your Michigan years!

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

Start preparing for Fall Career Expo 2011

September 22, 2011

Fall Career Expo is just around the corner (October 4th and 5th, to be exact), and we know it can be stressful trying to prepare for a career-related event so quickly after you get back to campus. We’ll be providing more advice about Expo in the upcoming week, but here are a couple things to get you started:

10 Days of Expo
Last year we wrote 10 blog posts in the 10 days leading up to Fall Career Expo. The posts covered quite a few topics that will help you prepare, and it’s still very relevant:

Day One – Kick off your search
Day Two – Should you attend?
Day Three – What’s in a name?
Day Four – Researching organizations
Day Five – What do I say to recruiters?
Day Six – What should I wear?
Day Seven – Management/Leadership Development Programs
Day Eight – Take your preparation to the next level
Day Nine – How to follow-up with recruiters
Day Ten – Last Minute Tips

Resume Help
You’ll want to bring copies of your resume to the Expo and, knowing that many students need help with that, we have a few extra offerings. You should first check out our Resume Builder, located within Career Center Connector. The Resume Builder offers step-by-step help and formatting options, so you can just focus on the content! We’re also staying open late on 9/27, 9/28, 9/29, 10/3 for Resume Review Nights. Many of the times are booked, but you might still be able to squeeze into one of the last few spots if you hurry.

Be sure to stay connected to The Career Center for more help over the next week in preparing for Expo. You can also stay up to date by keeping an eye on the constantly updated list of participating organizations.

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

Winter Career Expo Questions: What do I wear?

January 13, 2011

The Career Center’s Winter Career Expo is January 19th, and to help you prepare we’re posting some common career fair questions with tips and strategies. We’re also featuring some of the organizations scheduled to attend. Today’s question: What do I wear?

Poorly dressed.

Don't be that guy.

If you’re anything like me, you may have unpleasant adolescent memories of a parent critiquing every minute detail of your attire: “That’s what you’re wearing? Well, that’s an interesting choice.”

Even if you don’t normally question your wardrobe, somewhat unfamiliar territory like a career fair can amp up any potential outfit anxiety. You want to project professionalism, but also want to be comfortable. You know that this isn’t time for yoga pants and a sweatshirt, but you also don’t want to look overdone like you’re headed out to a party on Saturday night.

Can walk this line without feeling devoid of personality? It can be done. Really. You can still be stylish, it’s just a different type of style. If you’re looking for a few guidelines, the term “business casual” is still key. Think about the subtlety of a well-cut jacket or the sophistication of a darker color palette rather than simply imagining a sea of button-downs and khakis. Still feeling a bit lost?  Start with this dress code guide and reference some other specific “dos and dont’s” in our previous post.

For women, think “classic.” You don’t want your outfit to upstage what you have to say in conversation. Here are a few sample Polyvore sets that might serve as inspiration. By clicking on the thumbnails, you can see where the various items were purchased — many polished basics can be found at affordable retailers such as Old Navy and Target.

Skirt, blouse and jacket

Sweater and pants outfit

Dark Colors, Oxfords

You’ll notice that none of the shoes here sport terribly high heels. If you are comfortable in 4″ heels, that’s a notable talent, but probably not one relevant to your job hunt. Most folks will be best served by something a bit more modest and comfortable.

For men, clean lines are key. As previously mentioned, you’re not getting dressed for a day at the Big House. On the other side of things, however, you don’t have to feel like you’re playing “dress up” as an investment banker. Leave the Ed Hardy and Affliction at home. And it’s probably true that a t-shirt and blazer combo is a little too Miami Vice. But here are a few examples of men’s looks that could work just fine if you’re wary of feeling too monochromatic.

Men's Gray, Red & Brown OutfitSweater vest, checks and pants outfit

You know you have a lot to offer a potential employer, so take care to construct your appearance in a way that augments the confidence you (hope to) exude. We’ve mentioned this in previous blog posts, but to put it simply, you should be the one wearing your clothes; your clothes should not be wearing you. If you keep that in mind, you should be cool, comfortable and collected enough to make the most of Winter Expo!

Each day we’ll highlight a few Expo employers to give you a sense for the organizations and opportunities you’ll see at Expo. You’ll find the complete list of participating organizations at the Expo section of The Career Center website.

The Nielsen Company Do you know what consumers buy? What consumers watch? Nielsen Knows!
Nielsen is the world’s leading marketing and media information company. Recruiting for Analyst, Professional Service Analytics Program; Intern, Professional Service Analytics Program

Michigan College Advising Corps (MCAC). MCAC plays a pivotal role in the education and achievement of underserved youth. MCAC advisers help address the widening gap in college preparation counseling and programming through placement in public high schools throughout Michigan.

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Posted by mcherem

Winter Career Expo Questions: Who’s Coming

January 11, 2011

The Career Center’s Winter Career Expo is January 19th, and to help you prepare we’re posting some common career fair questions with tips and strategies. We’re also featuring some of the organizations scheduled to attend. Today’s question: Who’s coming?

On the surface the answer is pretty straight forward; the list of participating organizations is available on the Winter Expo website.  The trick, though, is what you do with the list  (which, by the way, is growing almost every day).  Here are some tips:

Tip 1
Look at the organization description and the job description.  The organization description tells you what they do; the job description tells you what they’re looking for and the connection is not always obvious.  For example: Alcoa is “the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina.”  While at first glance you might think they’re recruiting more technical majors, they are actually recruiting for internships and full-time positions in a variety of areas including: human resources, marketing, finance, supply chain, accounting and mechanical engineering

Tip 2
Connect the job description to your own story:  your experiences, interests, skills.  This will give you specific examples to use when speaking with Expo recruiters.  For example: Grassroots Campaigns is looking for candidates with “strong communication and motivational skills, work ethic, and desire for political change are essential. Candidates must be able to work within a team, have proven leadership ability and an orientation towards handling a lot of responsibility.” How would you demonstrate some of these skills? Are you working part-time with a full academic load (work ethic, responsibility)? What was your role in that group project last semester (team)? Are you a student organization committee leader or a volunteer (leadership)?

I would recommend looking at all 62 organizations on the list…you never know what fun opportunities you’ll find. If that’s not do-able given your schedule, try these tips:

Tip 3
40 organizations are recruiting for internships.  To find these organizations select “Internships” in the “Attending For” option.  Then repeat Tip 1 and Tip 2.

Tip 4
Organizations are recruiting for positions in a variety of locations.  To find your top choices use the “Location of Position” search feature.  Then repeat Tip 1 and Tip 2.

So, as you look at the list of  “who’s coming,” do something with it!

Each day we’ll highlight a few Expo employers to give you a sense for the organizations and opportunities you’ll see at Expo.  You’ll find the complete list of participating organizations at the Expo section of The Career Center website.

Fund for the Public Interest In 20 states, the Fund trains our staff to raise money, recruit members and do grassroots political work on behalf of more than 50 progressive organizations — including the Sierra Club, the Human Rights Campaign and Environment America.  Recruiting for Campaign Outreach Director

Discover Financial Services, LLC is one of the largest issuers of general-purpose credit cards in the U.S. and a dynamic and successful division of Morgan Stanley. Recruiting for Staff Associate, Operations Leadership Program; Senior Associate, Strategic Leadership Program

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

Winter Career Expo Questions: Should I go?

January 10, 2011

The Career Center’s Winter Career Expo is January 19th and to help you prepare we’re posting some common career fair questions with tips and strategies. We’re also featuring some of the organizations scheduled to attend. Today’s question: Should I go?

My answer is yes!  I think everyone, whether you’re a first year student or graduating senior, can get something out of the Expo.  I’m biased though…I coordinate Career Center events.  So, I offer up our peer advisors as examples.  Originally posted last semester for our Fall Expo, their experiences listed below still apply for Winter Expo:

Lizzy, a junior majoring in Spanish and Communications, has been going to the Career Expo since she was a first year student, even though she knows it’s not common for students to attend in their first year:

Going as a 1st year and sophomore gave me a chance to try out wearing a suit, shaking hands and waiting in lines.  It was great practice: getting comfortable talking with employers and building relationships for this year.

Chatoris went last year a sophomore (he’s a Political Science major) and even though he was a little bummed that most of the internships were for juniors, he didn’t get discouraged. Chatoris had a great conversation with L’Oreal; they invited him to their presentation later that night and he stayed in email contact with the recruiter during the year:

I still gave out resumes and didn’t feel like it was a waste of my time because ultimately it will benefit me.  Going as a sophomore really helped me get prepared for going back this year and re-connecting with L’Oreal and other organizations with internships.

In his first and second year, Kyle mostly just “poked his head in” but by his junior year he says he “got the routine:”

I picked 5 organizations, did my research and started to get interviews.  Now, as a senior majoring in Public Policy, I’m looking forward to this year’s Expo.  I know what to say when I walk up to the table and I’m ready to network more.

Kyle’s biggest tip:  Grab a business card and send a follow-up email right away.  The person at the Expo has a say in what happens in the recruiting process, and if they remember you it can make a difference.

Want to hear more about Lizzy, Chatoris and Kyle’s Expo stories or get tips from the rest of our peer advising team?  Schedule an appointment with them today.

Today’s Featured Employers

Each day we’ll highlight a few Expo employers to give you a sense for the organizations and opportunities you’ll see at Expo.  You’ll find the complete list of participating organizations at the Expo section of The Career Center website.

Clean Water Action – With more than 1 million members nationally and over 250,000 in Michigan alone, Clean Water Action has a 39-year track record of ensuring clean, safe, and affordable drinking water, preventing health-threatening pollution, creating environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowering people to make democracy work. Recruiting for organizers (interns and full-time)

Corporate Executive Board drives faster, more effective decision-making among the world’s leading executives and business professionals. As the premier, network-based knowledge resource, it provides them with the authoritative and timely guidance needed to excel in their roles, take decisive action and improve company performance.  Recruiting for sales internships.

VivaKi Nerve Center aggregates the marketplace influence of five autonomous brands, including two global media agencies: Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia; two leading digital marketing agencies: Digitas and Razorfish; and a premiere futures practice: Denuo.  Recruiting for Account Manager.

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

Three Tips to Welcome You Back to Campus!

January 5, 2011
Woman holding up three fingers

Three Tips!

Welcome back, after what was hopefully a relaxing and enjoyable winter break! Classes begin today and, if you haven’t started already, now is a good time to get moving on your internship or job search. Here’s three tips to get you started:

Check out Career Center Connector
Some organizations take part in on-campus interviewing activity, posting positions on Career Center Connector (C3) and interviewing students right here in Ann Arbor. Before break we put together a round-up of some upcoming deadlines (some of which have since passed), but you can find additional postings by logging in to C3.

Get ready for Winter Career Expo
Winter Career Expo is just around the corner, taking place on January 19th, from 2-6p in the Michigan Union. It’s a good idea to do some preparation beforehand, so take a look at the continually updated list of attending organizations to see which ones you find interesting. Bonus tip: Don’t get too hung up on names, as many organizations are recruiting for positions in a variety of areas that fall outside of their perceived industry. Be sure to look at the ‘job functions’ category for each organization.

Try lining up some informational interviews
The reality of both the job and internship search is that many companies do not have the resources or need to come to campus and recruit. If you’re not seeing the type of positions you’re looking for on Career Center Connector or the Expo list (or just want to branch out beyond that) there are plenty of other ways you can connect with potential employers. One of the best ways of making initial contact is through informational interviewing, and starting early (as in NOW) is the key to you appearing proactive, rather than desperate or disingenuous. We have a few tips to get you started, but you can also make an appointment for more help on informational interviewing and to discuss other networking strategies.

Good luck, and have a great Winter semester!

Photo credit: LollyKnit / CC BY 2.0

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

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