Eva McSpartan's Job Search

Checking In

2010-06-20T16:24:00.002-04:00

Hello future, current, and past job seekers of the world. It's been quite a while since I've added a blog entry and figured now would be a good time to reflect on the last few months and prove that Eva McSpartan is surviving school and beyond.

As a bit of background, I officially graduated in December of 2009 and am now employed by a major company which I will not disclose the name of. Before beginning work, I had the opportunity to travel to 8 different countries throughout Western Europe in all of 11 days on a whirlwind tour of London, Amsterdam, Munich, Venice, Lucerne, and Paris. All I have to say about the trip is...wow! It's always fantastic to get another view of the world and get a taste of what the rest of the world does while all of us are going along with our "normal" lives. Plus there's nothing like forgetting which language you should be speaking (of course, very broken phrases in that language) on a given day because one day you're saying "Danke" and the other you are saying "Merci" depending on which country the tour bus dropped you off at. I've said it before and I'll say it again, for anyone who is thinking about burning some time traveling before starting their full-time job or going to graduate school...go for it! You really have nothing to lose except for a finite sum of money and it's worth all the life experiences you gain. You may not think about it now, but only having 2 weeks of vacation time doesn't leave you with a whole lot of extra time on your hands. It becomes more and more difficult to find 2-4 weeks to travel when you're trying to save up vacation time for holidays, family gatherings, etc.

Now that I am officially a big, bad working girl, I've truly learned the value of many of the things I talked about previously in this blog and have also gained a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dealing with people on a day-to-day basis in a manufacturing shop. I can never emphasize enough how valuable it is to work on your "soft" skills - written and verbal communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving, etc. Considering that I deal with upwards of 50 people a night to keep my shift and sometimes other shifts running says a lot about what may happen in an evening. Laying down a network as soon as you get in the doors of your new job can put you way ahead of the competition in any new job. Being the friendly, open, and focused new person is way better than being the timid or condescending newcomer to the shop with not enough knowledge or patience to earn anyone's respect. Like I've said before, respect leads to respect and making each opportunity your own will guarantee some form of success. Keep in mind that even your big time failures can lead to success because you learned a boundary or something you didn't know before.

On top of all these recommendations, I'd like to emphasize something for anyone who is starting their full-time career: your life is going to be a fluid progression of experiences and opportunities. Just because you finished school does not mean that your degree is complete. In the real world, you need to focus on constantly learning to make yourself a better person and employee. Strive to find things that interest you and learn about them. Continue to set short and long term goals for yourself for the future. I've mentioned before that post-college life may seem like a cliff because after the diplomas have been distributed, everything seems to be unknown. I challenge everyone to welcome opportunities and change, but also realize that you need to have control of the undercurrent of your life. If you finish your degree and realize that the working world is just not for you after a few years, there's always time to consider an alternate career or look at advanced degrees. Figuring out "what you want to be when you grow up" is not something that ends as soon as you get that first job. For most of us, what we wanted to be when we were little changed from day-to-day and even though now it seems to change less frequently, but it's important to stay aware of those changes. If you work for a year in operations and figure out that working with people makes you physically ill from stress and due to lack of interpersonal skills, it may be time to look for a change. On the flip side, if you work in operations for a year and realize that your true calling is being a floor supervisor, feel free to adjust your goals and go for what you enjoy.

Life's too short to suffer through a job you hate!

That's about all. The moral to my rant for now is that:

A) Eva McSpartan is currently surviving the real world and loving it by keeping an open mind, learning as much as possible, and realizing that a career is built up of a fluid progression of experiences and opportunities. There's always going to be rocks, dams and rapids to impede your way, but when it comes down it it, water erodes rock so make it your goal to carve out a place for yourself in unknown terrain!

B) "What you want to be when you grow up" doesn't stop once you've graduated. It is a continuous learning experience that requires determination and effort to help you go where you need to.

C) Every experience is a success because even failure can help guide you in the right direction.

As always, thank you for your time and attention.

Eva McSpartan

The Moral of the Story...or Stories

2009-12-05T22:17:00.004-05:00

Well everyone, the end is here or at least an end of sorts. It is time for me to move on to new adventures and time for all of you to do the same. The last eight months of blogging have been a great learning experience for me and hopefully a good learning experience for all of you as well. For anyone who is new to this blog, please feel free to look around! To make things easy, I've organized my past entries into different categories:

Career Search

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/11/signing-your-one-way-ticket-out-of.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/10/offer-letter-101.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/10/interviews-love-hate-relationship.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/10/lets-get-ready-to-rumble-career-fair.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/making-your-list-and-checking-it-twice.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/07/career-search-tactics-creating-company.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/05/finding-jobnow-graduating-senior.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/alternative-strategies-for-job-seekers.html

Resume Development

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/being-more-than-just-another-pdf-file.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/cover-letters-use-it-or-lose-it.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-1-everything-you-ever-wanted-to.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/resume-breakdown-break-it-down-now.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/tid-bit-from-last-week-and-intro-for.html

Communication

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/11/for-anyone-who-has-been-referred-to-as.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/have-you-networked-today.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/06/maintaining-your-network.html

Relocation

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/student-nomad-tips-packing-like-champ.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/were-not-in-kansas-anymore-tips-for.html

Corporate Culture

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-be-top-dogwithout-drooling-on.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/07/art-of-midterm-review.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/05/tips-for-your-1st-week-on-new-job.html

Advanced Education

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/11/exams-exams-everywhere-all-i-want-to-do.html

Additional Topics

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/11/are-you-financially-savvy.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/10/welcome-to-limbofeel-anxious-yet.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-school-rush-are-you-ready-to.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/08/im-linkedin-youre-linkedin-were-all.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-be-busy-bee-without-getting.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-squirrels-attack-freshmen-survival.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/07/becoming-one-with-your-anxiety-dealing.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/07/beware-boys-and-girlsschool-is.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/06/alphabet-strategy.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/06/tree-charts-youa-visual-approach-to.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/06/helpful-advice-for-job-seekers-part-2.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/05/helpful-advice-for-job-seekers-part-1.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/05/litte-more-q-with-eva-mcspartan.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/05/q-with-eva-mcspartan.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/theres-only-4-weeks-of-school-leftnow.html

Enjoy!

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

For Anyone Who Has Been Referred to as "That Person with the iPhone"

2009-11-29T23:08:00.004-05:00

Today I'd like to cover a topic that is currently affecting and may significantly influence our generation's workforce. With the introduction of products like the iPhone and Blackberry along with other smart phones, a new race of people has started to crop up. I've seen them all over campus and in the workplace. These beings have a left or right hand constantly occupied by a cell phone or may have an ear that lights up blue as they mysteriously talk at people without making any eye contact or carrying on a logical conversation. While technology is super cool to play with, and I can't criticize too much because I'm an avid text-aholic, there's a point where we need to put down our cell phones, start connecting with people personally, and well...get a life!

Step Away from the Impersonal Communication Methods

While some companies encourage their employees to use a Blackberry or commit 8+ hours of their day to sitting at a desk within hands reach of their phone and e-mail, doing so isn't necessarily the best method for encouraging positive relationships inside and outside of company doors. While working with several companies, I've noticed that company culture has a strong influence on communication methods. Last summer while working at an oil refinery in the South, the best form of communication in many cases was to make sure to meet someone in person before ever commencing communications with them because your e-mails or phone calls would probably be ignored otherwise. In contrast, at another company I worked with where it was necessary to communicate with multiple locations around the world, calling someone and speaking with them before commencing any e-mail communications was the best way to be productive.

Given that many recent college graduates have grown up in the age of e-mail, cell phones, and Facebook, it may come to a surprise to them when their e-mails go unanswered or calls go unreturned for days or weeks at a time. What these graduates do not realize is that they way they have been communicating with their friends while growing up is not necessarily appropriate for their work environment. Graduates...here is your hint! It is time to ditch the impersonal communication methods and get your networking skills shaped up. Especially when starting a new job at a company, it is important to actually meet people in person whenever possible or call them personally to introduce yourself. Believe it or not, this will significantly increase your ability to effectively communicate with individuals with various backgrounds and experience levels. If a person is able to associate your name with a face or voice, they are far more likely to help you out.

I know the thought of having to introduce yourself to new people can be a little scary, but I can assure you that it's not so bad once you try it out a few times. The shyness will pass as you see the benefits of your work. For example, last summer I had to compile a large amount of information to validate the existence of a certain kind of machinery throughout a plant. Since there was no way I could possibly identify each piece of equipment in three months, I had to network with individuals to help me figure out what was in service, rotting on a block, or had been torn out years before. At first I was very hesitant to introduce myself to anyone since I was the new kid on the block. Luckily, my mentor identified this, told me get over it, and made a point to introduce me to anyone and everyone he could to get me going. After a few weeks, I had this whole introduction thing down and was able to gather all the information I needed to get my project done within the time frame proposed. A few individuals even made a point of going out of their way to help me and back me up in any difficult situations that arose!

When it comes down to it, making a point to go out of your way to listen to someone or introduce yourself to them is a great way to network. I've always thought of it as your door into a special communication club. Once you have given the password (an introduction and initial point of contact), you are officially in the club! You may not have free reign of the club, but you have the opportunity to build a positive relationship with a co-worker and promote productive communication.

The moral of the story is that it is important for you to get away from your e-mail sometimes and go talk to people in person. Just because you sent ten e-mails to someone doesn't mean they are going to listen to what you have to say. Plus, you might be surprised by what you may have in common with your co-workers or it might turn you that you are both struggling with different aspects of a problem and may hold each other's answers.

That's all for now. Your work assignment for today is to put down your iPhone/Blackberry/Smart Phone for a few minutes and go talk to someone instead of e-mailing or texting them!

If you have any additional questions on this week's topic or any career-related topic, feel free to e-mail me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com or comment on this or any entry.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

How to be a Top Dog...Without Drooling on Everyone

2009-11-25T08:51:00.006-05:00

When it comes to working in industry, you will learn over time that there is a delicate line between being at the top of your game and being at the top of your game while keeping the peace with co-workers. While it is advisable for you to apply yourself at work and take care of your responsibilities, it is important to keep several details in mind. When you first start at a job, it is important for you to jump into the learning curve with both feet. Ask questions, seek answers, and find out who has the information you need. Always say "thank you" and try not to inconvenience people to the point of annoyance. The first few weeks on a new job are some of the most important. This can also be the time that you ask the questions that no one has thought of before or that defy the "rules" set by co-workers who have been staring at a problem so long that simple solutions may have been ruled out years ago for no good reason. A fresh perspective can be a HUGE asset!

Another detail that needs to be considered when you're a high achiever at work (I'm avoiding the term over-achiever) is to consider how your big successes affect other people. While coming up with the greatest new project is fantastic, you need to consider how it plays into the lives of everyone else. If you were given assistance on your project by anyone, it is important to acknowledge their involvement. Contrary to some thoughts, going it alone is not always best. If you have asked the appropriate sources for extra information and assistance and acknowledge that, it shows that you are not trying to hog the spot light and that you have done your research. Also, when you propose a project you need to consider the project scope from multiple roles. You should look at the project from an operations stand point, financial perspective, and give it a thorough technical review. Is your project going to benefit the company long term? Will this be a source of financial gain for the company? Is this project going to put your manufacturing floor at risk? What do you need to do to prevent health, environmental and safety accidents from happening? As many of my co-workers at a certain oil refinery said, if something is dangerous, you need to engineer the safety into it. This means reinforcing structures to add more support, adding in secure rails to tie off a harness to and clearly marking all safety and health risks.

The last detail to cover is something I've mentioned several times in the past. In many and almost all cases, respect leads to respect. If you respect someone's opinions, etc. (this doesn't mean you have to agree with them), there is a solid chance they will respect you in return or at least feel obliged to act respectfully towards you. Keep this in mind while working on projects that put you at risk of stepping all over people's toes. If you are informative and take responsibility for your successes and failures, you will hopefully succeed in winning over their approval. While there are always going to be people who don't want to have anything to do with you or your new project, in many cases, utilizing these tips will help you succeed.

That's about all for now. I'll be back next week for more fun with Eva McSpartan. If you have any questions please send them to SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com or comment on an entry.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!
...and GOBBLE GOBBLE! Happy Thanksgiving!

Exams Exams Everywhere & All I Want To Do is Nap!

2009-11-18T08:32:00.018-05:00

Even though there's still a month left until Final Exams, I'd like to take a bit of time to cover a few other exams you should consider taking. I've divided the exams up by what kind of employment track you would be looking into.

Technical Track

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (Link to GRE Site)

GRE® General Test Overview (from ETS Site)

What Is It?
The GRE® General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills that are not related to any specific field of study.

Verbal Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to:

analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
recognize relationships between words and concepts

Quantitative Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to:

understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis
reason quantitatively
solve problems in a quantitative setting

Analytical Writing — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to:

articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
examine claims and accompanying evidence
support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
control the elements of standard written English

Who Takes It and Why?

Prospective graduate applicants take the General Test. GRE test scores are used by admissions or fellowship panels to supplement undergraduate records and other qualifications for graduate study. The scores provide common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in evaluating grades and recommendations.

Where Do People Take It?

The General Test is offered year-round at computer-based test centers in the United States, Canada and many other countries. It is offered at paper-based test centers in areas of the world where computer-based testing is not available. See which format is available in your area.

Who Accepts It?

Any graduate or professional school, any department or division within a school, or any fellowship granting organization may require or recommend that its applicants take the General Test, a Subject Test, or both.

Fundamentals of Engineering/Professional Engineer (FE/EIT/PE): (Link to NCEES Site)
(Description from NCEES Site)

Why take a Fundamentals (FE/FS) exam?
To pursue a professional license, you must pass one of the Fundamentals (FE/FS) examinations:

Engineering licensure candidates: take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.
Surveying licensure candidates: take the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam.

Exam waiver: The Fundamentals exam may be waived for an engineer or surveyor who has earned an advanced academic degree and/or acquired many years of work experience. Guidelines vary greatly for each jurisdiction.

Who is eligible to take a Fundamentals exam?
Rules vary greatly for each jurisdiction, go to ELS-EXAMREG.org for details.

What material is covered in the exams?

The FE exam covers subject matter taught in a typical EAC/ABET-accredited baccalaureate engineering program. It appropriately covers a comprehensive range of subjects in engineering.
The FS exam covers subject matter taught in a typical ASAC/ABET-accredited baccalaureate surveying program. It appropriately covers a comprehensive range of subjects in surveying.Go to Study Materials for reference books and sample exam questions.

What is the format of the Fundamentals exams?

Each exam is 8 hours long, with one 4-hour session in the morning and another in the afternoon. Examinees must participate in both sessions on the same day. Both exams are closed book, and reference material is supplied. All questions are multiple choice.
The FE exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions. During the morning session, all examinees take a general exam common to all disciplines. During the afternoon session, examinees can opt to take a general exam or a discipline-specific (chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, industrial, or mechanical) exam.
The FS exam consists of 170 multiple-choice questions. Examinees take a general exam in both the morning and afternoon sessions.
FE examinees will be furnished a copy of the FE Supplied-Reference Handbook at the exam site. This is the only reference material you will use during the exam.
FS examinees will be furnished a copy of the FS reference formulas at the exam site. This is the only reference material you will use during the exam.

After I pass a Fundamentals exam, what's next?

Passing a Fundamentals exam is the first step toward licensure. To continue the licensure process, complete the following:

Obtain at least 4 years of experience deemed acceptable to your licensing board
Take one of the Principles and Practice (PE/PS) exams.

How do the Fundamentals exams differ from the Principles and Practice exams?

The Fundamentals (FE/FS) exams cover subject matter in a typical EAC/ABET-accredited baccalaureate engineering curriculum or ASAC/ABET-accredited baccalaureate surveying curriculum.
The Principles and Practice (PE/PS) exams go beyond testing academic knowledge and require knowledge gained in engineering or surveying practice.
Both exams are required for professional licensure.

Business Track

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT):
(Description from mba.com. More Info at mba.com and gmac.com)

The GMAT exam is a standardized assessment, delivered in English, that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. By taking the GMAT exam, you have a better chance of being targeted by business schools that are a good match for you—and learning more about their programs and admissions processes. You can help them find you by creating an mba.com profile and opting in to being contacted by schools. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs.

How much does it cost to take the GMAT® exam?
The cost to take the GMAT exam is US$250 globally.

Where can I take the GMAT® exam?
The GMAT exam is delivered in testing centers around the world.

What schools use GMAT® scores?
Over 1900 graduate business schools around the world use GMAT scores as a part of their admissions process.

How can I prepare to take the GMAT® exam?
The Graduate Management Admission Council® provides free test preparation software and preparation materials to purchase as well as suggestions about how to prepare for the exam.

What does the GMAT® exam measure?
The GMAT exam measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that you have developed in your education and work.

How long are GMAT® scores valid?
Your GMAT score is valid for five years, so you have the flexibility of “banking it”—choosing to start your graduate studies right after university or later on. Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, you can take the GMAT exam again. Remember, though, that all of your GMAT scores from the past 5 years will appear on your Official Score Report.

Professional Track

Law School Admission Test (LSAT):
(Description and More Info at LSAC.org)

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day, standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. All American Bar Association-approved law schools, most Canadian law schools, and many other law schools require applicants to take the LSAT as part of their admission process.

In the US, Canada, the Caribbean, and some other countries, the LSAT is administered on a Saturday, except in June, when it is generally administered on a Monday. For Saturday Sabbath observers, the test is also administered on a weekday following Saturday administrations.

Many law schools require that the LSAT be taken by December for admission the following fall. However, taking the test earlier—in June or September—is often advised. Some schools place greater weight than others on the LSAT; most law schools do evaluate your full range of credentials.

Test Format
The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score. The unscored section, commonly referred to as the variable section, typically is used to pretest new test questions or to preequate new test forms. The placement of this section will vary. A 35-minute writing sample is administered at the end of the test. LSAC does not score the writing sample, but copies of the writing sample are sent to all law schools to which you apply.

What the Test Measures
The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others.

The three multiple-choice question types in the LSAT are:

Reading Comprehension Questions
These questions measure your ability to read, with understanding and insight, examples of lengthy and complex materials similar to those commonly encountered in law school work. The reading comprehension section contains four sets of reading questions, each consisting of a selection of reading material, followed by five to eight questions that test reading and reasoning abilities.

Analytical Reasoning Questions
These questions are designed to measure your ability to understand a structure of relationships and to draw logical conclusions about that structure. You are asked to make deductions from a set of statements, rules, or conditions that describe relationships among entities such as persons, places, things, or events. They simulate the kinds of detailed analyses of relationships that a law student must perform in solving legal problems.

Logical Reasoning Questions
These questions are designed to evaluate your ability to understand, analyze, criticize, and complete a variety of arguments. Each logical reasoning question requires you to read and comprehend a short passage, then answer a question about it. The questions test a variety of abilities involved in reasoning logically and thinking critically.

The registration fee for the LSAT is $123. If you meet certain criteria, you may qualify for an LSAC fee waiver. Late registrants must pay an additional $62.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT):
(Description and More Info at aamc.org)

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess the examinee's problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Scores are reported in Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, Writing Sample, and Biological Sciences. Medical colleges consider MCAT exam scores as part of their admission process.
Almost all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT exam scores. Many schools do not accept MCAT exam scores that are more than three years old.

Preparing for the Exam
Order practice tests, review content descriptions for each section of the exam, see a sample study plan.

Reserving a Seat

Locate an available test center, reserve a seat, apply for accommodations, and check the registration deadlines.

Taking the Exam

Understand admission requirements and other test day policies and procedures, and submit a test center concern.

Releasing Your Scores
Check the score release schedule, view your scores, and send your scores to schools.

Okay, so hopefully that gives you a good idea of what exams may need to be in your future depending on what kind of track you are looking at. Since a lot of this information is directly cited from exam websites if you'd like additional information the best thing to do is check out some of the sites provided.

If you have any questions about other career-related topics, please feel free to e-mail me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

One Month Left of Eva McSpartan!

2009-11-15T23:38:00.003-05:00

Hello Boys & Girls!

This is a friendly reminder that there are only 4 weeks left of classes and 1 week of final exams here at Michigan State University. That being said, please note that there are only FOUR MORE WEEKS LEFT of the Eva McSpartan blog as we know it! I will be graduating and moving on to new adventures in industry and retiring my weekly blog.

For anyone with questions, comments, or suggestions for entries, speak now or forever hold your peace! I has been a pleasure writing to the blog-o-verse the last few months. I hope I have helped at least a few people on their search for employment and their journey towards becoming happy, high-achieving employees.

Please refer any questions to SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com or comment on any entries!

Many Thanks,

Eva McSpartan

Are YOU Financially Savvy??

2009-11-11T18:44:00.005-05:00

Believe or not, there is a day in every graduated student's life where you finally find that job you've been looking for and end up (gasp) making money instead of pouring it into rent, textbooks, and tuition!! When that day comes, it is important that you be prepared to invest your money wisely and learn to budget what you are making in order to save up the rest. You may ask, "Why do I have to save my money? I've been scraping by on a student's budget for years and I'll spend the same way I do now!" With the exception of a few people, there's a solid chance that once you start getting a big 'ol paycheck in the mail every month, you're going to be inclined to spend it. You won't want to live in crappy campus apartments anymore where your room may or may not be a closet and eat cups of noodles and free pizza from student organization meetings every night. Eventually, you are going to start watching your paycheck get put into mortgage payments, car payments, new toys, cell phone bills, and who knows what else (depending on your hobbies). Speaking from experience, when I started doing co-ops and realizing that I could make a decent amount of money every week, my trips to the mall definitely increased. I was in a better position to travel more and had a bigger cushion fund for buying the things I wanted instead of just the things I needed.

When it comes down to it, there are thousands of students graduating every year and even adults, too, who have very little knowledge about managing their money. Having poor money management skills now can lead to a world of hurt in the future because you may not be able to live within your means. How is a company supposed to trust you with their money if you can't even stay within your own budget??

Let's start with a quick review of money management for any beginners. The most basic Money 101 tip that I can give anyone is that if you look at your bank account, the money you make every month should be greater than the money you spend. In other words, if you make $2,000 a month, but spend $5,000 a month because you love to buy used fishing poles off of eBay in the wee hours of the night, you need to seriously reconsider your spending habits. If you feel like you do not properly monitor your spending habits, I'd highly recommend using a site like Mint.com. Some banks even provide a free service as part of their membership that involves a very similar process. If you are an MS Excel pro, you can even make your own spreadsheet to track your spending each month. It may seem silly and even a little scary, but keeping an eye on your budget is actually a fantastic way of getting your act together. You'll start to see the trends in what you spend the most money on and can alter your budget accordingly. These kinds of resources are especially great as a student since we all know that most students have to work with very tight budgets.

While it would take me hours to explain all the different ways to invest your money, I will talk about several options that you should do some research on. The following investment options are just a few of the many ways to intelligently save your money:

Create a cushion fund in addition to your budget that can help you through a fair amount of financial trauma. If you lose your job, have to deal with extensive fees, or your car takes a flying dump, it's important to have a cushion fund to help break your fall.
Look into investing into your 401K each month or a long term savings plan.
Look into ways of saving through your bank. Many banks allow you to create CDs that earn interest each month. There's usually a minimum balance of $500 or so. These are good and bad because you cannot withdraw funds from the CD before it rolls over unless you want to pay an early withdraw fee.

Unfortunately, I'm no finance major so a lot of the more complex investment methods are something I'm not enough of an expert about to really talk about here. Even so, I challenge you to research different investment methods to make your money work for you. When it comes down to it, money is not everything, but having some can help you feed yourself, live in a suitable home, and maybe even allow you to drop some cash on hobbies you enjoy.

That's all for now. If anyone can contribute any stellar tips or advice, please feel free to add them to this entry! Also, if anyone has any additional questions about any career related topics, please feel free to e-mail me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com or add a comment to this post.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Signing Your One Way Ticket Out of Sleep Deprivation

2009-11-04T09:22:00.005-05:00

This week I'd like to cover a few extra details about making your final decision for a full-time job (or internship/co-op). There are few things to consider before and while you sign on the dotted line of your acceptance forms.

First of all, when negotiating your final offer, you need to look at your salary, benefits, and start date/location. While salaries with most larger companies and development programs are usually mandated by a strict pay structure policy, some companies will be flexible with salary negotiations. While negotiating salary think about several things:

Unless a company says that a signing bonus will be a certain amount after taxes, assume that 30-40% of your signing bonus will be taken in taxes.
Check the cost of living and search a few apartments in the area you are planning on living. $50,000 a year in Lansing goes a lot further than $50,000 a year in New York City or Washington, DC.
A good set of benefits are worth big $$! Having low co-pays and great medical benefits will help in the long run, especially if you plan on staying with a company for many years. It may seen small now, but having good medical, dental, and vision insurance will literally save you thousands of dollars in the future.
Companies with solid investment and savings programs get an A+ because they help their employees made the most of their investment and savings strategies.

When it comes to your start date, it's always a good idea to discuss your options with your company of choice. Having a few weeks to recover from school and possibly travel may be the difference between you being a happy camper or being a burnt out camper after a few months on the job. Keep in mind that most companies only give you 10 days (2 weeks) vacation starting out so the odds of you being able to take 3-4 weeks off to travel around the world are slim to none for your first few years of work. If you are dead set on starting out at the your job right away, that is fine, but know that you may be missing out on an opportunity to relax, spend time with family/friends, and feel like a human being again before having to start work. Even though making money is a very good thing, if you can afford to take some time off it may be worth every penny you have to earn back to cover your expenses during that time.

When Things Go Bad

Given that the current economy is pretty sad, it is important to consider the worst case scenario. Several companies in the last few years have been forced to rescind job offers or make significant cuts to their younger work force. Just because you have a full-time offer doesn't mean it's going to be there forever. Make sure to work hard and get noticed at work, but also make sure to keep your resume updated and continue training to develop your skills.

On the other hand, there may be a point that you decide that you no longer wish to work for a company. If you decide this before starting your job, but after sending in your final acceptance, it is important that you understand something. If you decide to rescind your acceptance, you are burning a bridge with a company. There are NO take-backs. It is generally safe to assume that if you accepted a job then decide 2 months before you start that you want to back out, you have officially burned a bridge with that company. Do not expect them to go out of their way to get you back if you decide that you made the wrong decision. There's a big different between declining an offer right away and backing out at the last minute.

On the topic of burning bridges, it is very important that when accepting and/or declining offers, you be as polite and professional as possible. Throwing an offer in a company's face because it is "too low" or "not competitive enough" is a solid way to torch any relationship you had with that company. Behaving like that is immature and not one bit professional. Let's put it this way, treat a company giving you an offer like your grandmother trying to give you a cookie. You wouldn't tell your grandmother to shove the offered cookie where the sun doesn't shine. If you would, well, then you're just not a nice person. Keep this idea in mind when declining an offer from a company. Be polite and concise with your rejection. Tell them that you appreciate that they took time out of their busy day to help you and that you wish them all the best. Even though you may be closing the door on a company for now, it's a good idea to make sure that door is not bolted and boarded shut for the future when that company may be a good choice for you.

That's all I have for this week. Hopefully this is helpful to any of the seniors out there who are trying to decide on their future employers. If you have any additional questions, please send them to me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Offer Letter 101

2009-10-28T08:24:00.021-04:00

Now that quite a few people have gone through their first set of interviews and maybe even second sets of interviews, it time to start talking about offer letters. There's no better feeling (professoinally that is) than getting an e-mail or letter from the company you've wanted to work with forever saying "Dear ____, We are pleased to inform you that you have been offered a position with our company as a _____ making $XX,XXX/year at _____ location." After the big 'ol smiles wear off and you start to realize that you are actually going to have to decide on what to do with the rest of your life, it's a good idea to use a strategy for figuring out which offer to take.

The Mathematical Approach

The first critical approach you can utilize to figure out which job offer you'd like to take uses a decision matrix. The first thing to do with this approach is to figure out 5-10 meaningful factors to you that will determine whether or not you take a job. These could include location, compensation, opportunities to relocate or travel, advancement opportunities, actual job description, and opportunitites to earn advanced degrees or receive additional training. Once you've put this list together, rank each factor. After you've done that, go through each job description and rank how well it stacks up in each category. Then go through each description and multiply your ranking for how important a factor was by your rank of how that job offer stacks up. The last step is to add up all the totals for each company. Theoretically, if you gave the most important/appealing rankings the highest scores, the offer with the highest sum will be your leading job offer. Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

The Gut Approach

The next approach to figuring out which offer will be the right one is going with your gut. When it comes down it to, money and ego do not matter that much. Go with the offer that you think you'll be the happiest in. Sometimes there's more to life than being able to bring in the bacon (and a whole lot of it).

Oink Oink.

Ask Around

One good thing to do when you're trying to figure out which job offer to take is to ask around. Talk to people who have worked with the companies you are looking at and ask them questions about how they like their jobs and the company in general. It's important to take a bit of caution when talking to others about your job choices because in some cases what they think you should do has nothing to do with what is best for you. Take your peers' advice with a grain of salt in some cases knowing that when push comes to shove, this is your life.

Making the Final Decision

When you finally figure out which offer you would like to accept, it is important that you do several things.

Mail your letter of acceptance and any additional paperwork required by your company.
Send letters of decline and/or call the recruiter/HR representative you worked with during the interview process to inform them that you have chosen to decline their job offer.
Send "Thank You" notes to any recruiters, HR representatives, or employees who assisted you with the interview process.
Make sure to review your prospective company's benefits packages. Things like medical, dental, and vision insurance are VERY important!

Things to Avoid

When dealing with job offers there are some things that everyone should avoid. While negotiation is appropriate in some cases, getting all crazy with it should really be avoided. If you feel like a company is totally low-balling you, talk with career advisors to determine appropriate starting salaries for certain skill levels and geographic locations. Another thing to avoid while dealing with offers is overstepping your bounds by being rude or arrogant. Even though a company may be willing to offer you a job, that doesn't mean you have the right to boss them around and demand completely ridiculous conditions. Always be respectful of everyone and anyone who takes time out their busy day to lend you a hand!

That's about it for now. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to send them to SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Welcome to Limbo...Feel Anxious Yet?

2009-10-21T09:15:00.008-04:00

Now that many of the interviews on campus are over and the career fair is a distant memory in everyone's overworked minds, we have settled into a lovely limbo where no one quite knows if they are going to hear back from companies or if they have just become another PDF file in a sea of resumes. Never to fear job seekers, Eva McSpartan is here to help you through this little version of purgatory!

First of all, if you attended career fair, but did not interview with anyone, it's time for you to get on MySpartanCareer, check out company websites, and get networking. If you don't know what to do, check out some of my older entries for tips on all of this. If you still feel lost, send me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do to help. I will probably ask you these questions before I provide any answers:

Do you have an updated resume? Have you ever had it critiqued?
Did you attend Career Gallery? Who did you talk to?
Have you submitted your resume online on MySpartanCareer and company websites?
Have you networked with company recruiters by going to information sessions, college events or through friends?

If you have not done any of these things and e-mail me I can pretty much promise you that I will tell you to do these things then get back to me. On the other hand, if you've been diligently reading my blog and have done all these things, please come into the Center for Spartan Engineering or e-mail me so that we can get you setup with advanced career search strategies.

The last topic I'd like to cover for this week is maintaining contact with recruiters. Frequently, students will talk to recruiters here and there in the fall or during their internship/co-op search, but lose touch as soon as school gets crazy. Then in the spring when they are strapped for a job offer, they forget that they have all these great connections, but haven't done anything with them. One great tip I have for students is to maintain your network of contacts! Check in with your contacts every now and then by dropping them a quick e-mail wishing them well. For example, I did an internship a few years ago at a company that I was interested in working at full-time after graduation. I've maintained contact with several co-workers and recruiters for the company by making sure to send them brief updates about what I've been up to and sending updated resumes to recruiters stating my interest in starting with the company full-time. This has worked to my advantage because now that I'm close to graduation, I have open lines of communication with that company to be able to apply for full-time employment.

That's about all for now. Please send me any questions you may have via SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com or by writing comments on an entry. Don't be shy! :)

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Interviews: A Love-Hate Relationship Explained

2009-10-14T08:20:00.022-04:00

Now that you've all rocked the career fair with your snazzy 30 second introductions, refined resumes, and sharp sense of style, it's time to learn the art of interviewing. For some of you, interviewing is an entirely new subject that you're just starting to explore as you try to find internships or co-ops for this coming year. For others, you've experienced many interviews...some good, and some bad.

Things to Do Before Your Interview

Research the company you will be interviewing with! I have said it many times, but I will say it again. Doing research will help you in the long run. You will ask more informed questions and are more likely to impress recruiters with your ambition and preparedness.
Think of 5-10 standard questions to ask during your interviews. Some of my old favorites include: "What opportunities does your company have for advanced education and training?", "Will I be required or able to relocate within your company? Where? How often?", "What is you company structure? Company culture?", and "What do you enjoy most about working for your company?".
Think of 3-5 company specific questions to ask. These could involve the company's recent financial standings, recent relevant news relating to the company, the company mission (usually on their website), a product line they offer, or any services they may offer. It's okay to ask questions that a recruiter may not know.
Review sample interview questions (you can literally find hundreds online) and talk through them in your head or with a friend. Pulling support from your experiences is always a good thing to do when answering a question. If a recruiter asks for a time when you were challenged by a technical experience, talk about something that has actually happened. If you DO NOT have an example from work, academics, or your personal life, DO NOT make something up. Say that you haven't had a situation like that so far and talk about something you have done to prevent that. For example, if I am asked about dealing with someone I didn't quite get along with, but I haven't had a situation like that ever, then I'd say, "To be honest, I haven't had a whole lot of difficulty with that. I think it is because I make a point to be open and respect other people's opinions and boundaries. I may not always agree with everyone, but I've never had a case where that has been escalated to an unfavorable situation." The recruiter will either ask more about what you've done to prevent unfavorable situations from occurring or move on to the next question.
If you can, schedule a mock interview with your local career center or ask a friend/family member to ask you sample interview questions.

Non-Verbal Communication

Believe it or not, a large percentage of communication and first impressions are dependent on non-verbal communication. For some of you this may come as a big surprise and for others, you've known this all along. For example, if you dress sloppily for an interview with an uneven tie, messed up hair, and a food-stained suit coat, you send the signal that you are unorganized and can't hold it together long enough to get through an interview. Making sure that you look cleaned up and polished for an interview is one of the first steps to sending out positive vibes. Another component of non-verbal communication is body language. How you shake hands, make (or don't make) eye contact, if you fold your arms across your body, if you smile, and even the position of your eyebrows, all say something to a recruiter. Think about this...when you're talking to one of your friends, if they constantly look away from you, have their arms folded across their body, and have pursed lips, what impression do you get? When interviewing, it is important to exude positive non-verbal communication.

Let's do a little exercise. Compare the pictures below. Which one of the guys in these pictures would you hire? Considering that you've probably never met these people and are just looking at them for five seconds or less, you would never know their qualifications or job experience.

Probably the first one, right? His shirt is tucked in, he looks sharps, and it's obvious that he made an effort to look presentable for the interview. I'm not knocking the classy teal suit in the third picture, but it's probably not going to give off the vibes you want to project. And it's WAY outdated.

Tips for the Big Interview

Have an extra copy of your resume on hand just in case. It's usually good to have a portfolio as well with an extra resume, pen, place to put business cards, and place to write down questions or write notes.
Don't be afraid to talk about your accomplishments. There's a big difference between being an arrogant turd and taking pride in your accomplishments and experiences. While being an arrogant turd is not advisable, being proud of what you've worked hard on and pointing out moments where you stood out as a superstar is definitely advisable.
Don't be afraid of a little silence. If you are stumped on a question or don't have an immediate answer, it is okay to pause for a few moments, take a deep breath, review the question in your head, and continue from there. Recruiters know that you won't know all the answers immediately. Rushing into an answer isn't going to make you look better. Especially if you don't know where you're going with what you're talking about if you rush into an answer.
Always finish your interview strong. Ask for contact information for each recruiter you talk to and follow up the interview with a concise "thank you" e-mail. Take a few moments at the end of your interview to state your interest in the company if you really want a position. Sometimes your interest in a position may not come out in an interview (it seems silly, but it's true) so it can be important to just say "Based on what we've talked about today, I think I'd be a great fit for your company and this position. I'm looking forward to hearing back from you about this position. If I have any additional questions, what is the best way to contact you? Thanks so much for your time! I really appreciate it."
Be on time for your interview! That means at least 5 minutes early!
Always be kind and pleasant to everyone you meet from the time you get out of your car to go into an interview and when you get back into your car at the end of an interview. You never know who you will speak with or meet in the elevator. Being rude to an administrative assistant is not acceptable no matter what the situation. One remark from anyone in the office about how you scoffed at them in the elevator could be the difference between you getting a call back and you hearing crickets.
Don't be a no show. If you have to cancel an interview, do it at least 24 hours before the interview is scheduled. If you skip out of an interview through MSU Career Services, your MySpartanCareer account WILL be frozen and you'll have to send a letter of apology to the recruiter you were set to meet with.
Follow up with your interviewers if you haven't heard anything in 5-10 days. You don't have to be rude or snobby with your follow-ups either. Just say "Hello ____ - I just wanted to check-in with you regarding our interview the other day. I haven't heard anything back yet and just wanted to know if there's anything you need or anything I can do to help make the process easier for you. Thanks again for your time! Regards - Eva McSpartan."

The STAR Method

The most popular interviewing style at the moment involves the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation-Task-Action-Results. Interview questions may include "Tell me about a time that you had trouble meeting a deadline." and "Tell me about a time you had to pool your resources to solve a problem." The majority of these questions usually start with the phrase "Tell me about a time..." The important thing to remember with these questions is that you need to think about every aspect of the STAR acronym. Give a situation, talk about tasks you had to perform to deal with the situation, the action you took to accomplish all of these things, and the overall results relating to the situation.

That should just about sum it up for now. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com or by writing comments to this post.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Let's Get Ready to Rumble: Career Fair Style

2009-10-05T18:05:00.005-04:00

For anyone on Michigan State's campus, this is the big week on campus where all of your hard work preparing your resume, for interviews, and for networking with company representatives should be put into action! For anyone who doesn't know because they've been living under a rock or rocking out with ear muffs and blind folds on, this week is the Career Gallery on campus! On Wednesday and Thursday, company representatives will be here from over 200 companies! Take this opportunity to attend the biggest career fair MSU has to offer on an annual basis!

Now let's talk about the things you NEED to be doing to set yourself up for success this career fair season.

Things to Do Before the Career Fair

Do your research! Figure out what companies you definitely want to talk to and have company profiles made for them. Need help making a company list? Go here: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/making-your-list-and-checking-it-twice.html. Any questions on how to make company profiles? Go here: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/07/career-search-tactics-creating-company.html
Apply to companies online that you plan on visiting at the career fair. Have beef with applying online? Go here and find out ways to stand out: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/being-more-than-just-another-pdf-file.html. Add a cover letter to your online application, too! Any questions? http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/cover-letters-use-it-or-lose-it.html. Don't have a resume?! Go here: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/09/week-1-everything-you-ever-wanted-to.html And here: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/resume-breakdown-break-it-down-now.html
Set out everything you need the night before the Career Gallery. This should include the clothes you plan on wearing, at least 10-20 copies of your resume printed on resume paper (you can find this at any office supplies store or campus bookstore), portfolio to hold your resumes, and a list of the companies you'd like to visit.

Career Fair Etiquette

Looking sharp at the career fair is a must! If possible, normal attire for a career fair is a suit. This means that your suit and shirt should be pressed and tidy. You should be showered, hair done, and shirts tucked in. If you don't have a suit, business casual is a must. For guys, this is nice slacks, nice shoes, a belt if necessary, a button-up shirt that is ironed and tucked in, and a tie that matches the shirt. If you do not know if you tie matches your shirt, call your mom or ask a friend. For girls, if you don't have a suit to wear, its important to at least where nice slacks or a skirt and a nice top. Make sure to keep it conservative. Showing off your cleavage is a bad idea.
Make sure to have a "30 Second Introduction" prepared and rehearse it a few times in your head or with a friend. It should sound something along the lines of "Hello, my name is Eva McSpartan. I'm a senior mechanical engineering student looking for a full-time position. I've done some research on your company and think that your company does a great job with _____(insert product type or process or cultural highlight)."
Never EVER EVER go up to a company and say "Hey, so what exactly is it that your company does?" This question is like the kiss of death. Don't ask it. Be prepared.

How to Set Yourself Apart

Demonstrate how prepared you are by having your resume ready to pass out and do research about the companies you plan on talking to beforehand.
Make sure to have a good handshake. Be firm, but not too forceful. If you shake hands like a limp fish you should seriously reconsider your choice in hand shake. A limp handshake says "I just don't care. And I'm a total pushover."
Apply to companies online before talking to them at the career fair.
SMILE! :)
If you're really interested in interviewing with a company, ask the recruiter if they will be interviewing on campus and if you can get onto the schedule. It seems forward, but if you show the interest and have the goods to back it up, they will probably hook you up.
Make sure to ask for a business card or contact information from the recruiter.
Send "Thank You" e-mails to the recruiters you talk to during the career fair. This is a great way to mention something that you were really interested in that you discussed or bring up something that you didn't get to cover with them. It's usually advisable to attach an updated version of your resume as well for reference.

That should be about it! If you can accomplish all these things, you should be in a very good position to get an offer for a position.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

REMINDER: Career Gallery is COMING UP!

2009-10-02T10:37:00.003-04:00

This is a reminder for any MSU students:

Career Gallery is COMING UP!

NEXT WEEK!

Take this opportunity to meet company recruiters from over 200 companies! Pass out your resume! Get an interview!

FIND A JOB!

Any questions? Check out the website at:
http://www.bus.msu.edu/learcenter/cg/.

More questions? Stop by any MSU Career Services Center.

Have You Networked Today?

2009-09-30T08:28:00.009-04:00

According to the dictionary (or dictionary.com), networking in the career-sense is:

"...to cultivate people who can be helpful to one professionally, especially in finding employment or moving to a higher position. Example: His business lunches were taken up with networking."

Sounds easy, right? Finding people who can help you in your career and who may even help you find a job. Well, for some of you, that may seem like a daunting and scary task. Never fear! Eva McSpartan in here! This week I'm going to tell you how to network, resources you can use to become a better networker, and maybe even give you clues on where to find people to network with.

The Importance of Networking

Before we talk about how to actually network, let's talk about why networking is an important part of your career journey. In fact, communication, in general, is probably one of the most important assets to your career. Being able to successfully present your ideas to a broad audience and communicate day-to-day tasks to anyone from a floor operator to the CEO of the company will keep you at the top of your game in the workplace. On top of being able to communicate in the workplace, maintaining a professional network inside and outside of the workplace will allow you to find mentors and identify key co-workers with exemplary skill sets.

Not-So-Nice Networking

On the flip side of networking, there's also some not-so-nice networking you can do to prevent yourself from forming a positive professional network. The fastest and easiest way to negatively impact your online network is by posting lots of inappropriate photos and comments on Facebook. Believe or not, employers use Facebook as a tool to find out well...whether or not you are a tool. Another way to avoid discrediting your online resume is to change your privacy settings on your Facebook. Avoid accepting friends with just anyone who comes along and set it so that people cannot view all your information without being friends with you. The same ideas apply for other sites like MySpace. If someone can Google you name and find pictures from your drunken Spring Break vacation in 2003, you should probably make a few modifications for your own sake.

Networking 101

Now let's start talking about how to network. Networking is a popular buzzword that is defined by the professional relationships you make to positively impact anything from your day-to-day career to your long-term career goals. You can literally network with just about anyone...people in your classes, the people you work with, someone you meet on the street, etc. The first part of networking is starting a conversation with someone and finding a common interest or belief. If you talk to a recruiter who is into deep sea fishing and you are a total deep sea fishing fanatic, you've just started your network! Don't be afraid to talk to anyone and everyone. Being shy just is not a good excuse not to talk to people. You'd be surprised who you can strike up conversation with if you try. For example, I've struck up conversations with recruiters while at work that I ended up interviewing with or just plain being friends with. Many of them are still in my network. Now here's the big secret about networking...it's just talking. If you can strike up a conversation...you can network.

For extra resources with networking, please reference these past entries:
How to Use LinkedIn: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/08/im-linkedin-youre-linkedin-were-all.html

Maintaining Your Network: http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/06/maintaining-your-network.html

Hopefully all this helps! Now get out there and network!

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

This Week's Assignment: Gripe to Me!

2009-09-23T10:04:00.003-04:00

Dear Viewers, Followers, and Blog Creepers:

Your assignment this week is to send me your questions, comments, and gripes! What do you want to know more about? What are you struggling with? Do you think I'm just a big 'ol bag of hot air who should shut down her blog?

I want your feedback!!

Thanks,
Eva McSpartan

Being More Than Just Another PDF File in a Big 'Ol Database

2009-09-23T08:55:00.003-04:00

Over the last few years, it seems like applying for jobs have moved into a realm of endless online forms, impersonal candidate reference numbers, and dead silence after submitting anywhere from a handful to a boat load of resumes. If you've been to a career fair in the last five years, there is a solid chance that you've been told "I cannot take your resume now, but please go to our website to apply online." Where do all of these online resumes go anyway? Down a virtual toilet? Sometimes it definitely feels like all your typing, pointing, and clicking can be a total waste of time. Today I'd like to focus on why companies are asking you to apply online and how you can stand out in a sea of electronic documents.

Are you completely sick of hearing "apply online" or "I cannot take your paper resume, please go to www.blahblahblah..."? The truth behind all this online application hooey is that companies are legally bound to having candidates apply online to prevent any age, race, or gender discrimination. For some companies, if you have not applied online, they are legally unable to offer you a position or hire you. I know it can be frustrating sending your resume out into cyberspace, but there are things you can do to stand out and alternative methods of pursuing jobs that can supplement your online job search.

First, let's look at what you can do to stand out with an online application. The essential documents you need to compile for an online application include a custom cover letter for the company you are applying to (avoid general cover letters or accidentally switching up two company's cover letters -- Company X does not want to hear about how you want to work for Company Y), a custom resume for the company and position you are applying for, and an unofficial transcript of your coursework if you are a recent graduate applying for an entry level job or a current student applying for a co-op or internship. Once you have all these documents together, you should be ready to rock the online application. If you read this little task list and thought to yourself, "Eva McSpartan is a total jerk. I have to all of this for each company?!", then what I have to say in response is "Tough Noogies!" If you are too busy, too proud, or too stubborn to put in the work to complete these documents, then have fun being just another PDF file in a sea of resumes.

The last component of the online application process is checking your work a second time to ensure that all of your information is accurate and up-to-date. It is very easy to transpose numbers or letters incorrectly after going through a blur of online applications. Check your work to make sure that all of your information is 100% correct. Taking the time to do so now will be of significant benefit for you overall. A wrong e-mail address or phone number could be the difference between you being contacted by an Human Resources representative or hearing crickets.

In addition to applying online, it is important to utilize alternative methods to communicate with a company. Here are some ideas of things you can do to get your name on a company's interview roster:

After meeting a company recruiter at a career fair, ask for their business card or contact information so that you can send them a "Thank You" e-mail with an electronic copy of your resume and a few lines about why you are interested in working for their company or expand on a topic that you discussed with the recruiter.

Talk to you local career services center and see when that company may be interviewing on campus and how you could get on that roster.

Find out if any of your friends, fellow students, advisers, or professors have worked with the company. They may be able to give you an employee's contact information.

Check your campus' or a nearby campus' events calendar to see if the company is hosting any upcoming information sessions or networking events.

Check the company roster on upcoming career fairs in your area. If you are a member of a professional organization that hosts a career fair, also check those company rosters. Organizations like the Society of Women Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Engineering Society of Detroit (just to name a few) have annual career fairs.

Hopefully all this information will assist you in becoming a well-informed, uber-prepared online applicant! If you have any additional questions, please shoot me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Making Your List (And Checking It Twice)

2009-09-16T08:24:00.006-04:00

One of the first big steps to jumping into your job search is creating a master list of all of the companies that you would like to apply to. Since Santa will not be handing out job offers like candy this year, it is going to be VERY important that you start figuring out where to send resumes. Luckily for you, taking the time to make a top company list and starting research on each company will help you prepare for the Career Gallery this October and look like a super star because you will not be the kid asking "So what is it that you company does?" By the way, if you ask a company that question, it will be quite obvious that you did not do your research. Please do not ask that question. For my sake and for yours.

Here's a step-by-step tutorial on creating a company list:

STEP 1: Find a piece of paper and a pencil or pencil. (Whoo! Easy step, right??)

STEP 2: Start writing down industries that interest you, locations you'd like to work in, etc.

STEP 3: Start looking for companies that fit your criteria. The best ways to find companies is to search the web, or ask your peers/career counselors/your mom. I'd highly suggest searching through Fortune 500 Companies or companies that rank in searches like "100 Best Companies to Work For", "50 Best Companies for College Grads", etc.

STEP 4: Get as many plausible companies on your list as possible. It'd be a good idea to check things like the MSU Career Gallery company list from this year's career fair to see if any of your top companies have attended the CG.

STEP 5: Narrow down your list to about 5-10 companies. These are going to be your "1st Choice Options".

STEP 6: Start researching your top companies. Checking job listings, tracking financial reports for the company and looking for news related to the company are all great ways to get a better idea of what is going on with your top companies. This research will be a huge asset when it comes to perfecting your resume and ultimately applying for jobs!

STEP 6.5: Create company profiles for your top companies. Include the following information:

Company Name

URL of Company Website

Size of Company (Divisions, Numbers of Employees, Etc.)

Locations (Headquarters, Plant Locations, Regional Headquarters, Etc.)

Financial Profile (Annual Income, Trends over the last 5-10 years, Stock trends, etc.)

Recent News (Significant news relating to company over the last few years)

Products/Services (General list of products and services provided by the company)

Company Contacts (List any contacts you may know at the company)

Have you applied? What positions have you applied to? Did you receive a candidate number?

Do you have an interview date set? Who will you/did you interview with? Have you sent them a "Thank You" e-mail/card?

If you can get all this information together, you will definitely be a super star at your upcoming career fair or interview!

If you have any additional questions about any of the material I covered this week or any other questions, please send them to SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Cover Letters: Use It or Lose It

2009-09-09T08:42:00.003-04:00

My fellow students frequently ask me what cover letters are or if they are actually necessary for applying to a job. To prevent myself from launching into an extensive narrative (yet) here is the answer:

"YES! USE A COVER LETTER!"

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let's talk about what a cover letter actually is. Cover letters are used as precursors to your resume when applying to a company. The overall purpose of a cover letter is to:

Identify Yourself as an Interested Candidate
State Your Intentions & Interests
Briefly State Why YOU Should Be Hired
Give Your Contact Information

Easy enough, right? Now make all that information fit into about 3-4 paragraphs. That is where things get tough and a lot of students get stuck.

First, let us examine the anatomy of a cover letter. The average cover letter should be comprised of the following material:

Contact Information of Person and/or Company You are Applying To
Date of Application
Appropriate Formal Greeting like "To Whom it May Concern", "Dear Mr.Smith", etc.
Introduction Paragraph: Introduce yourself, state what you're looking for (a full-time position in operations, etc.)
Skills/Experience Paragraph: Briefly state what skills or expeirences you have that will positively influence the company.
Interest Paragraph: State your interest in the company because of products they offer, processes they use, or something you have found about them that interests you. Be specific. If I really want to work for Company X because they have an impressive line of window cleaning products and that is my #1 interest, I need to say that.
Closing Paragraph: Thank the person for their time, tell them that if they would like to contact you with any questions then here is your contact information.
End the letter with a formal closing like "Sincerely" or "Regards" and if you are applying via a hard copy make sure to sign the letter.

Now that you know how a cover letter is setup, let's talk about why cover letters are so important. Many students do not realize that sending in a resume without a cover letter significantly decreases your chance of getting a position and if you send a general cover letter instead of a custom one, you may also be at a disadvantage. With the current market environment, let it be known that submitting customized cover letters for EVERY position you apply for is a MUST. It is not good enough anymore to avoid sending in a cover letter or to send in a general cover letter. That may have flown a few years ago, but today it will get you nowhere.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I have for students and professional who are in the process of writing cover letters is to do your research! The best cover letters reflect that you have looked at a company's mission, products, recent news, and/or financial portfolio. You will be able to show this research by demonstrating how your interests and passions match up with what the company may have to offer.

That's about it! If anyone has any questions or would like me to post examples of cover letters, please shoot me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com. For more information, another great place to stop by is the Center for Spartan Engineering at 1340 Engineering Building on MSU's campus.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Week #1: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Resumes

2009-09-03T10:24:00.012-04:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the Fall 2009 Semester! For those of you who are new to the Spartan Job Seeker Blog, my name is Eva McSpartan and I will be writing new blog entries each week this semester to help you with your job search! I'm currently a senior in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University and have LOTS of information to share! For those of you who are old pro's and have been following my blog for a while...welcome back! : )

This week's topic is going to be resumes and everything you could ever want to know about them.This covers a whole range of skill levels with resumes so if you encounter things you already know then good for you! Please continue on reading just in case I've included things you may not know.

Anatomy of a Resume

This section covers putting together your first resume or formatting your current resumes. When advising students, we suggest that your resume has several different sections:

Name and Contact Information
Objective
Education
Work Experiences
Skills
Extracurricular Activities

Here's an example of what a resume should look like:

I have a few extra tips regarding resume format. The first is that you should keep your margins at 0.5" on top and bottom and 0.75" on left and right MINIMUM! There is a delicate line between too much and too little white space around your resume. Having too small of margins and way too much text in small font says "I can't be concise to save my life." Having too much white space says "I have no experience...at all." Neither of these impressions are favorable.

Resume Content Guidelines: Make Them Want to Hire You

The content of your resume is going to be the meat and potatoes of this document. It is going to tell companies WHY they should hire you. As a result, you should prepare your resume content in a manner that conveys your experiences in the best possible way. One great way of doing this is by giving magnitude to your resume content. Employers are looking for benchmarks in your resume like people, money, and time. For example, if I managed a project at Company X, it is not good enough just to say that I managed a project. I need to provide a magnitude to this project so that employers know how big of an impact this project had. Here's where it'd be a good idea to put that I managed a group of 10 mechanical engineers that was valued at $150,000 and took 6 months from brainstorming to completion. See how much that enhances my statement of managing a project?

Common Resume Mistakes

This section is devoted to common resume mistakes I've seen in the past few years that you need to make sure not to make! Even the smallest grammatical error on your resume will negatively affect how a recruiter sees you. Here are a few to watch out for:

Make sure that your contact information is 100% accurate. It's really easy to misspell your e-mail or mess up a letter in your phone number. Even being off by one letter or number can be the difference between getting a response from a recruiter and hearing crickets.
After you have earned your first GPA at college (usually by the beginning of your first spring semester), it is time to remove your High School accomplishments and GPA. You're a big kid now and your resume should reflect it. Scared that your resume will be too sparse? Start getting involved! You have no excuse not to get involved with student organizations. Saying "I'm too busy" is all relative. Speaking from experience, you can make time for a lot of things.
Make your bullet points for each description concise and give them magnitude by including people, time, and money specifications. Try highlighting one or two main projects instead of listing your daily tasks.
Avoid putting obvious things in your "Skills" section. Adding in things like "Personable" or "Open minded" are silly to include. Show these qualities in your bullet points and by your presense. Recruiters will figure out very quickly if you are personable or organized! You do not need to point it out.
Keep everything appropriate. This includes your e-mail address and voicemail message. Also, make sure your internet resume is clean! If any of these things include evidence that you are a party animal, irresponsible, or a wild child, you may want to start revising them now. If a recruiter calls you and gets, "Hello. You've reached Big Mama's Brothel...Haha...Just kidding. This is Eva. Leave me a message," they probably won't call you back EVER. Just be aware!

That should just about cover it all. Check back to these entries for more information on resumes:

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/resume-breakdown-break-it-down-now.html

http://spartanjobseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/tid-bit-from-last-week-and-intro-for.html

If you have any specific questions that you would like me to answer or feedback on the Spartan Job Seeker Blog, please send these to SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like Always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

The Back-to-School Rush: Are YOU Ready to Rumble?

2009-08-20T14:56:00.003-04:00

Scary as it may seem, the summer is just about over and it is time to seriously think about how to ramp up for the beginning of fall semester classes. Beyond the usual preparations like finding textbooks, selling your unborn first child to purchase text books, moving into your dorm or apartment, and figuring out your class schedule, there are things you should be thinking about to prepare for your job search this fall. These things can be summed up into several categories: Things Involving Career Services, Things You Need to Do Yourself, and Things You’ll Kick Yourself For Not Doing ASAP.

Now class, let us begin.

Things Involving Career Services

Even though you may have never set foot in your local Career Services Center, it is time to change that. Many Career Services Centers, and especially the ones at MSU, have loads of information regarding interviewing, resumes, and many other subjects. Unless you have been doing some serious research on your own, there’s a solid chance that taking a few minutes to stop into your nearest career center will help you to learn something new. Another great asset the majority of career centers have are experienced advisers who can help you figure out what path you would like to take or help you be more successful in the career path you have chosen. In addition to learning about how to enrich your career path by speaking with an adviser, most career centers also have a plethora of resources in the form of written materials, websites, and information sessions you can use to use to enhance your skills.

If you are an MSU student or alumni, your next step after visiting your career center is to register for My Spartan Career. This is a website that supports job postings, seminar registrations, and other events relating to career services.

http://myspartancareer.msu.edu/myspartancareer

Once you have registered for MSC, your next step will be to upload an updated resume to your profile and fill in all of the required information regarding your contact information and education. Other documents that may be helpful to upload include your unofficial transcript (you can go to http://stuinfo.msu.edu to get this information) and a cover letter.

**A word of warning for anyone on MSC. You cannot apply to ANY job postings in MSC until you have posted a resume to your profile. Also, the times for generic resumes and cover letters are over. It is important to cater your resume and cover letter to each job you apply to!**

Things You Need to Do Yourself

Aside from your usual responsibilities, there are some key things you need to

do to prepare for the upcoming career search season. Here are a few:

Update Your Resume
Update Your Unofficial Transcript
Look up the companies that will be attending the Career Gallery in October and make a list of the ones you would like to visit at the event.
Start researching your top 5-10 companies that you’d like to apply to this semester.
Visit the Center for Spartan Engineering to schedule a mock interview, get a list of upcoming seminars, bring your resume in to be critiqued, and find a time to meet with a career adviser.

Things You’ll Kick Yourself for Not Doing ASAP

Here begins the section of the things you might just kick yourself for not doing ASAP. The number one thing on your list should be to put the time in NOW to save yourself grief LATER. I’ve talked to far too many students who have left their career searches until the last minute or are seniors and have never even put together a resume. To be frank, it would be silly to think that even if you wait until the last minute, you’ll still be able to pull something off. With the way things are right now, even people with their ducks in a row are having an incredibly difficult time finding internships and full-time positions. This is not the time to sit back and watch the world go by. It’s time to take charge of your career goals and get rolling!

Now that I’ve gone through my generic “get your butt moving” pep talk, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of things you really should be doing to get your search rolling…

One very helpful method of staying on track is by making yourself a list of career goals to accomplish for the semester along with a record of the things have done so far. One thing I do every year is to make a list of all of the companies I have applied to. After I have my base list, I’ll add in how I applied to them (in person, online, etc.), when I applied, who I can contact from the company if I have any questions, if I sent them a “Thank You” note via e-mail or snail mail, and what position(s) I applied for. Making a list like this is a good way to keep your head straight during the craziest part of the career search season (from September to November).

That’s about all for now. Taking care of these things now will be an important asset in the near future when things become a little more complicated and you’re required to keep track of many different activities. In addition to all of these different action items, make sure to check in with my blog each week to learn more about resumes, networking, interviewing, and many other career search related topics. I will be covering a new topic each week so tune in and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two!

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Starting next week (the first week of classes), I will begin my fall blog series. Each week will be devoted to a new career topic so tune in to learn more about how to search for jobs McSpartan style!

I'm LinkedIn, You're LinkedIn, We're ALL LinkedIn: A Lesson in LinkedIn

2009-08-16T13:28:00.002-04:00

With social media sites on the rise, sometimes it's hard to figure out which sites are ones that you should really take advantage of. One very helpful site is called LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com). For anyone who is unfamiliar with LikedIn, this is a social networking site with a focus in professional networking and resources. To make this little LinkedIn tutorial as informative as possible, I'll divide it up into sections.

How Do I Get Started?

First of all, here's a quick definition of LinkedIn:

"LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals."

Getting signed up with LinkedIn is really easy. Just go to their website (link above) and create a profile. Once you've done that, it's time to make your profile shine!

Creating a Rockin' Profile

There are several components to a LinkedIn profile and as you may notice, a lot of the information you are able to provide may fit in closely with information you already have in your resume. The main categories in your profile will include summary, experience, education, recommendations, contact information, and additional information about yourself. Your best bet is to approach these categories like you would a resume. Avoid spelling and grammar errors; make sure to state your achievements and goals clearly and concisely; and keep everything appropriate. LinkedIn is meant to be a lot more professional than other social media sites like Facebook or MySpace. Try to keep everything on your LinkedIn as professional as possible because there are lots of very important people who may see your profile on LinkedIn and the last thing they need to see if you topless on Spring Break last year.

One great asset you can have with your profile is recommendations. LinkedIn recommends that you have at least 3 recommendations by other professionals because it will help develop your profile and will give you a better chance of getting more hits to your site (visits). These recommendations can come from peers, co-workers, bosses, etc.

Exploring Your Resources

One great thing about LInkedIn is that it doesn't just stop at networking by finding people you already know. LinkedIn is focused on connecting you to people from all over that do all sorts of things with their professional life. You can find other people who similar interests to yourself by getting connected to groups and also by requesting that your connections introduce you to other people.

For example, if I was very interested in working in Company X and my good friend, Joe, was connected to one of the recruiters for Company X, I could request that Joe introduces me to that recruiter. Don't be afraid to use LinkedIn as a networking tool to get your name out to companies you may be interested or people you're very interested in meeting.

Wait, LinkedIn Has Job Postings, Too!?

It's true boys and girls! LinkedIn also has a handy dandy job posting section. With many people out of work due to recent cut back at many companies, this tool can be a HUGE asset for your career search. When apploying for jobs online, make sure that your resume and cover letters are polished, refined, and customized! Sending out mass cover letters and resumes just isn't going to cut it anymore. Make sure to state your qualifications and genuine interest in the company and position.

Additional Resources

Since it would take a small novel to list of the great things you can do with LinkedIn, I'm going to leave all of your with some great additional resources to check out if you'd like to do more research on LinkedIn.

Here are some great places to start...

LinkedIn Learning Center:

http://learn.linkedin.com/

BNET LinkedIn Crash Course:

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13070_23-219860.html

LinkedIn Blog:

http://blog.linkedin.com/

"What is Linked In?" Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch%3Fq%3Dlinkedin%2Btutorial%26www_google_domain%3Dwww.google.com%26hl%3Den%26emb%3D0%26aq%3D0%26oq%3DLinkedin&feature=player_embedded

"LinkedIn for Dummies" Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV_7yAPnkFw&feature=related

Hope this helps!

Good Luck Job Seekers!

How to be a Busy Bee Without Getting Squashed: A Lesson in Time Management and Organization

2009-08-09T12:31:00.002-04:00

For anyone that knows me personally, you probably know that I am the queen of overbooking myself and sprinting from one activity to another. While I do not encourage other people to take on jam packed schedules, I have been able to work out a few time management and organization tricks that will hopefully help anyone and everyone efficiently complete everything they want to in a day.

Let's hit organization first. When I'm talking about organization, I'm not necessarily talking about whether your socks are folded and arranged in neat little piles in your drawer. Organization (especially when it comes to career searches and school) is your ability to set yourself up for success because you have covered all your bases before ever entering an interview or a classroom. The best piece of advice I can give to any student or professional is to keep track of the things you do! Keeping a planner, jotting things into a Google Calendar, or having a notebook with your daily accomplishments can make a huge difference!

Here's how I have applied these ideas to my life. Ever since high school, I have kept a planner to manage all my classes, appointments, homework assignments, projects, tests, etc. Depending on who you talk to, the idea of keeping a planner is either seen as an essential or a waste of time. In my case, I think I'd forget to do a whole lot of things without a planner. The more you have going on, the more a planner seems to be an asset to your day. On any given day during school, I can check out my planner to figure out what my #1 priorities are for the day in order to get work done. Once I know what I need to attack for the day, I can decide how I want to space out my time. If I know I have to accomplish a lot in an evening. I'll avoid scheduling any other activities, get over to the gym early, and space things appropriately so that I have enough time to take a small break in between activities to catch my breath.

The way I use this method at work is to keep a notebook with everything I get done during the day. Obviously, I'm not going to put "Peed 6 times and chatted with my officemate for 24.5 minutes", but I will put down if I finished a spreadsheet, called someone to get critical information for one of my projects, or attended certain meetings. Doing this will help set you up for productive reviews with your boss and also works great for helping you remember what all you've accomplished if you feel like you've gotten stuck in a rut.

This brings up to time management. I had a discussion a while back with a friend about prioritizing time in two different ways. One way is to give yourself a list of things to do for the day knowing that each thing will take a certain amount of time and just take each thing down one at a time. The other way of organizing your time is outlining your day almost minute-by-minute and saying that you may have 1 hour at the gym, 4 hours of class, 2 hours to finish your thermo homework, etc. Either method works depending on how you like to divide up your time. Personally, I like the first method. It may not always be the most efficient, but it seems to keep me from getting so overwhelmed with what I have to do when and I'm more likely just to sit down and tackle a whole mess of things.

The next step to mastering time management and organization is figuring out your priorities. What is going to be most important to get done in your day? Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in small details that we are unable to focus in on the things that are essential to our day. When planning your time, think about what you truly need to get done in the time you have available. Some days that is actually going to be realxing and taking time for yourself and other days that is going to be spending 4 hours in front of a computer at an EB lab and knocking out a lab report. It may occasionally be frustrating to face the fact that today is just going to be a very tough day, but dealing with one tough day is generally way better than scrambling through an entire night trying to get something done and losing sleep.

One tip I have for anyone with lots of projects on their plate or tests coming up is to break everything into manageable pieces and attack the entire project over time. Giving yourself several days and knocking out material in small portions can be a huge asset to your ability to get things done. Instead of spending an entire evening trying to finish a project, it is way less stressful to work on it over several days. You're also way more likely to get things done on time and save yourself from losing some serious sleep.

The final piece of advice I'd like to extend is making time to do the things you want to do. I've talked to a lot of people who tend to say "No, I can't, I don't have enough time." Okay, I understand if you're just flat out too busy to do something, but that's not always a passable excuse. If you aren't using your time wisely and are thus missing out on great opportunities, you may want to rethink your approach to time management. Even though I'm busy, there are things I'm almost always willing to make time for. Even in the worst semesters, I have made time to communicate with family, get in solid workouts at the gym, or even take walks with friends or family member to just cool down my stress levels.

The moral of the story is that time management and organization are HUGE assets to your ability to get the things you have to do done so that you can start focusing on the things you want to do. There's always going to be times where your life feels like a mad house, but if you set yourself up and cover your bases, there's a solid chance you'll survive your busy days. Also, if you stay open to continuously re-examining your priorities and maintain a positive attitude, you are almost guaranteed to make a dent in your day.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Commercial Break: The Fall Blog is Coming!

2009-08-04T14:21:00.002-04:00

Believe or not, there are only 28 days left until the Fall 2009 semester begins!

As soon as school arrives, I will be shifting gears a bit to weekly themed entries. For example, one week I'll be focusing completely on resumes, another on interviewing, another on networking, etc. Start tuning in each week to get your dish on some great career search tips and advice!

Did I miss something you're wondering about? E-mail me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com to ask specific questions relating to career development. Want to talk to someone in person too? Stop by the Center for Spartan Engineering at the MSU Engineering Building (at the corner of Shaw Lane and Red Cedar) to meet up with one of our advisers!

Get excited everyone! The Fall Blog is coming! : )

When Squirrels Attack: The Freshmen Survival Guide

2009-08-04T13:35:00.004-04:00

This week's entry goes out to all of the "youngsters" who will be entering college this fall. Just to make it clear right away, to the best of my knowledge, no one has actually been attacked by squirrels on MSU's campus or any other campus that I know of. Do not fear the MSU squirrels. As long as you're not covered from head to toe with peanut butter, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Continuing on, I'd like to focus on a few main points that will help incoming freshmen prepare for college and especially for starting their exploration of the job market. I know it seems like it may be too early to start thinking about jobs, but the sooner you get your basics down, the better. Honing your networking, interviewing, and resume skills now will help you stand out sooner and help enrich your college experience.

Not sure where to start? The first step is to figure out where you are now and where you'd like to be in the near future. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself:

Do I have a resume?
Do I know how to write a cover letter?
Have I ever interviewed before?
Do I know what kind of major I'd like to have in college? If so, what kinds of things am I interested in relating to that major that I look into to get more information about my major?
Do I know who my adviser is? Have I been in contact with them yet?
Do I have any extracurricular interests I'd like to pursue at school? Are there any clubs or organizations that cater to my interests?

Once you've gone through these questions, your next step is going to be finding ways to find out the things that you don't know, but will hopefully learn over the next few months. College is a great opportunity to focus on what you WANT to learn and less on what you HAVE to learn. There are always going to be classes that you aren't 100% happy with, but for the most part, your college education should include subjects that you enjoy on some level or that you at least feel are valuable to your future. On a side note, if you seem to be majoring in things where course numbers will never be assigned...like flip cup or power napping and only minoring in things like math or economics, maybe it's time to re-evaluate your goals.

Some great ways to answer these questions are by asking questions. Find upperclassmen, advisers, faculty members, and other students who have experience in any of these subjects. If you have never heard of resumes before and don't have a clue what a cover letter is, stop by one of the many career services centers on campus and find out. There's a solid chance that someone will be able to tell you then and there or at least direct you on the right path. If all else fails, ask me!

Another aspect of making the most of your college experience is getting involved with extracurricular activities. This is a great way to make new friends, try new activities, and spend time participating in activities you enjoy. For example, if you have been a huge fan of break dancing for years, but never really had a chance to try it, there's actually a club on campus for people who love to break dance! Seriously! This applies for a lot of other things, too. You can play intramural sports, join professional organizations based around your major, and if there's not a group that fits your interests, you can even register your own student organization. Cool, right?

I know this doesn't give a whole lot of specifics on how exactly to survive your first year at school, but the first step of your college career is going to be to define what you'd like it to encompass. One thing that I can guarantee about your college experience is that if you make an effort to grow and learn something new every day, week, and semester, you will never be disappointed with your experience.

In summary, this is the time to start figuring out what you'd like to do to learn. Before you know it, you will surrounded by hundreds of people who are going to contribute to your academic education and your education in life.

Welcome Future Spartan Job Seekers!

And watch out for squirrels. ; )

Feel the Love

2009-07-29T21:57:00.002-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Check out www.Careerealism.com for more career resources and insights.

Don't forget that if you have any questions about certain career-related issues you may be having you can e-mail them to me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

That's all!

-Eva McSpartan

P.S. More to come in the near future! Oh, and if you have a google account, please click the "Follow" button on the right side of the site. Following my blog will give you updates every time I post something new. I promise not to spam your inbox with lame entries!

Becoming One With Your Anxiety: Dealing With Graduating 101

2009-07-27T18:23:00.002-04:00

For anyone like me who is starting the process of graduating in the next academic year and may be mildly OCD (hypothetically), there's a solid chance that you're starting to feel the pressure that comes with having to start acting like a bonified grown up. To be perfectly honest, I'm about 5 months away from my big bad graduation ceremony and I'm definitely starting to feel the anxiety of having to make some major decisions. I guess it's natural, but for a control freak like myself, it kind of stinks.

While I know it is only natural to be a little intimidated by the future, it is a good reminder that any of us who are graduating in the near future really need to get our act together. To be perfectly honest (sorry if this is a little too frank), many of my classmates who were not able to find employment after graduation may have had some particular flaws in their search process that significantly decreased their likelihood of finding employment. I'm not here to bash everyone's search, though. I'm here to tell you what to do to prevent an all-out employment scramble when you graduate.

Here it goes...

1 - Be Open...Don't Judge Too Quickly...Get Off Your High Horse

One thing that many students figured out in the last few years is that many companies are pretty quick to employ interns or co-ops if you put yourself out there. For many people in my class, finding an internship or co-op for the summer was a little like finding mold in dorm showers. Easy, right? Things have changed. Many qualified students are coming short of offers and being forced to find alternative paths for getting experience. This is not a bad thing, but it is a new challenge. One your biggest assets during competitive times like these is to be open to new and different things. While students could get away with pigeon-holing themselves and still finding good jobs a few years ago, that is NOT the case any more. Unless you have some serious connections, there's a solid chance you are going to have to shop around. These are no longer times to sit on a high horse and wonder why nobody wants to hire you. Hop off your horse and make it hard for companies not to want to hire you. It's going to take effort, but the results should be positive.

2 - Make it Hard for Companies NOT to Hire You

Think that putting out a general resume and lame cover letters (or no cover letter) is going to get you the job of your dreams? Wrong! Quit dreaming and start acting. Make it hard for companies NOT to hire you by perfecting your resume and cover letter to state your intentions, interest, and qualifications. Use these two documents as tools to show off your strengths you've honed from experiences at school and in industry, and also verbalize your interest in a company by showing that you've done your homework well enough to point out specific things that make you want to work for that company. Students entering the current job market need to understand that with less jobs on the table, they need to start putting forward their best foot to stay in the job race. There's no excuse for sending out weak resumes or wimpy cover letters. If you really want that job, go get it!

3 - Get Down with Your Chatty Self

Especially when it comes to engineers, communication can be a fatal flaw in our ability to convey ourselves. Some of the most brilliant students I know who can kick my butt in any and all of our classes are still unable to sell themselves well enough to also kick butt in the job market. To be completely honest, you can be the best at what you do, but if you cannot communicate your goals and ideas to other people, you are going to seriously struggle in industry. Don't let this get you down if this is something you need to work on because it is something that you can work on.

Here's an example. Let's say you have this amazing idea to starting building an entire line of wheelchair parts out of a new carbon fiber derived material instead of the usual aluminum parts. Using a certain class of materials and a rockin' new design you've come up with, you can literally make a wheelchair in half as much time, with half as much money, and with twice the benefit to the customer because they get the same support with a lighter design. Awesome, right? The only problem is that you cannot for the life of you communicate your new idea to your manager or marketing in order to get the funding to make the chair and save the company tons of money. At this point, no one will ever know about this great opportunity as long as you're unable to communicate it.

At this point, it is time to figure out how you are going to effectively communicate your idea to the appropriate people to get the project rolling. If you struggle with presenting in front of other people, try practicing your presentation in front of the mirror or with a peer to gain confidence with your presenting skills. Maybe you can't seem to find the right way to explain your new idea to an non-technical audience. In this case, it would be a good idea to get together with someone you know who has a technical background, but a working role in the business side of things. Use this person as a sounding board for toning down the technical nature of our presentation and enhancing the all-important business-wide benefits of your new idea.

While I know that transitioning into the "real world" can be difficult and most likely will be difficult, it is important to focus on the things you can do to make this transition as beneficial as possible. Sitting back and thinking that everything will turn out alright doesn't work if you haven't put the time in to ensure that there's a small chance of it going wrong. We all know life can change and our paths can vary, but putting yourself in a position to succeed is going to be very important during the time leading up to graduation.

Phew. Take a deep breath everyone. While this whole process of becoming a full-fledged adult can be intimidating, it is also a part of life that can be a stepping stone to great opportunities and challenges. If you keep a positive attitude and roll with the bumps along the way, there's a solid chance you'll be able to get through this time of your life in one piece.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Beware Boys and Girls...School Is Approaching!

2009-07-19T15:28:00.002-04:00

I'd hate to start a panic of any sort, but let it be known that classes start in roughly 6 weeks! If you're like me and graduating in less than 6 months or even looking at something closer to a 6 year kind of plan, how you prepare for going back to school will set the tone for the beginning of your semester. Now I know that many of you may be saying "What the heck. I just got out of school. I have to start like thinking about student groups and jobs and how I'm going to make the most out of my time at school?" Yes. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you should probably start thinking about all of these things. Don't worry, there's still plenty of warm weather and lazy afternoons left before the hustle and bustle of school.

The first order of business with preparing for the upcoming school year is to figure out the logistics of all your academics. Are you signed up for the classes you need to be? Do you need to schedule an appointment with your adviser to talk about your future? Make sure that these details are figured out before you set a toe on campus so that when you actually get there you'll have one less thing to worry about.

The second order of business is figuring out what you need to do this year to make your experience better. I don't necessarily mean that you need to start looking into social etiquette classes or clocking more hours at the gym, I'm talking looking at the weaknesses on your resume and figuring out what you can do to make them strengths. For example, if you have absolutely nothing to do with ANY student groups on campus, you need to start thinking about joining one if you can make the time for it. Student groups are a great way to meet people with similar interests to you, get leadership experience, and get exposed to different areas of campus. Michigan State has literally hundreds of student groups on campus ranging in interest groups from sports to arts. If you are really interested in something and there isn't a club on campus that meets your interests, you can ever start your own club! Here are a few websites that may help you figure out what student organization is good for you:

http://www.studentlife.msu.edu/

http://www.studentlife.msu.edu/current_students/rso/orgs.htm

http://www.egr.msu.edu/student-groups

Attending events like Sparticiation will help you figure out what groups may be good for you as well. One tip I have for any underclassmen is to attend several events for a variety of student groups you may be interested in with the intention of keeping only one or two memberships long term. If you tend to keep yourself inside your comfort zone or feel a little shy, getting involved with student groups is going to be a good way for you to reach outside your comfort zone and meet new people. Everyone has been the "new kid" before. Rolling with the initial awkwardness is well worth it when the end result is making friends, learning something new, and enjoying yourself. Plus you can put your student organization memberships on your resume!

The third and final order of business for preparing for school is getting ready to take your career search to a new level! Some things that should definitely be on your "To Do" list for this fall include:

Get your resume critiqued at the Center for Spartan Engineering.
Speak with your academic adviser and career adviser about your future.
Sign up for a mock interview.
Register on MySpartanCareer (http://www.myspartancareer.msu.edu) with your updated resume.
Sign up to attend the Career Gallery Job Fair at the Breslin Center and make sure to attend the Pre-Gallery Cram Session in October.
Stay tuned to this blog for tips on resume development, interviewing skills, and much more!

That's all for now! If you have any questions about getting ready for this fall or can think of something I've missed, shoot me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Noteworthy Article about Internships

2009-07-16T10:57:00.003-04:00

Check out this article from Heather Huhman:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-828-Entry-Level-Careers-Examiner~y2009m7d16-From-intern-to-fulltime-employee

It continues on the theme of making the most of your internship to prepare for full-time prospects.

The Art of the Midterm Review

2009-07-12T12:48:00.002-04:00

Believe or not boys and girls, we have officially reached the half way point of the summer! Hopefully you feel like the first part of your summer was great and are optimistic that the 2nd part will be even better.

For anyone who is interning right now, one thing you may be preparing for is your midterm review (if you company you are working for conducts these). While reviews can be a little stressful, they can also be incredibly beneficial. The key to a constructive midterm review is to do your homework. Make sure that you have written down specifics on some of your major projects so far and also looked over the review format to give yourself an idea of what kinds of questions you're going to get feedback on and will have to answer.

During your actual review, it is important to regard this experience as more than just a time where your employer to tell you all the things you've been doing poorly. If you walk into your midterm review and that is in fact all that they have to say about you, it is time to start asking questions and find out what you can do to improve your performance. In most cases, your employer is going to give you feedback on what you did well and what you should work on. This a good thing. Receiving your constructive criticism then taking steps to improve your performance in these areas will set you apart from the pack. Espcially if you are a younger intern and still have the opportunity to intern with this company or another company before you graduate.

An example of a constructive criticism that you may receive during a midterm review is that you may need to improve your communication. This could mean several things. You may struggle with communicating your ideas to other engineers, managers, etc. If this is something you need to work on, think of better ways to get your ideas across. One good thing to do is to write down what you're trying to convey. Having a little cheat sheet with all the details you wanted to discuss will keep you from blanking out and also help you support your ideas.

Another disconnect in communication may be how you communicate with others on a day-to-day basis. To be frank, one thing that engineers generally struggle with is their ability to communicate in general. I know this a typical stereotype and not all engineers struggle with communication, but for anyone who does struggle with this, there are steps you can take to improve your communication skills. Here are a few examples:

Smile! It may seem simple, but smiling and being positive with your co-workers conveys that you are open to conversation. Even if you're having a bad day, taking it out on other people by being negative to them will not help you AT ALL. Just because something is getting you down doesn't mean you have to take everyone else with you.
Find opportunities to improve your skills. Doing things like being involved in social events with other interns or your co-workers, volunteering to make a presentation or lead a meeting, and talking to someone in person instead of e-mailng them are all ways to work on your communication skills. The key to many of these is to take yourself away from electronic modes of communication and actual interact one-on-one.

Make sense? I hope so!

So now that you know how to receive your constructive criticism and grow from it, the next step of your internship is going to be applying those improvements to you day-to-day work. In addition to this, you and your employer should set goals for the remainder of your experience. This is so that when you go to do your final review, you will have some top projects to discuss and hopefully some deliverables to present.

While reviews can be stressful situations, it is important to look at them as more than just an opportunity to get your behind handed to you for showing up to work late too many times or sleeping at your desk. Take your constructive criticism as an opportunity for improvement and a way to show your employer that you can make progress working on your weaknesses. Also, keep a mind set that you should find ways to make it hard for your employer to demerit your work. Find ways to be innovative, thorough, and positive in your work every day and I can almost guarantee that your employer will be hard pressed to give you a terrible review.

I hope this information is beneficial! If anyone has questions that they'd like me to address or feedback about this or past entries, shoot me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

As usual,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Career Search Tactics: Creating Company Profiles

2009-07-01T12:03:00.007-04:00

In contrast to the last few weeks' entries, this week I'd like to focus on something more specific to your actual job search. For anyone looking at co-ops for the Spring 2010 semester or who will be graduating after the Fall 2009 semester, this tactic will hopefully help you in your search and also with your interviewing skills.

The first step to this process is to figure out what companies you'd like to create profiles for. You can do this with the help of the career search blurb at the bottom of this blog which helps you refine your top company list.

After you have created your company list, you can use that information to create company profiles. Here's what to do. Once you know who you'd like to research, get out a piece of paper, or make an Excel or Word document. On this page, make a table with the following categories:

Company Name
URL of Company Website
Size of Company (Number of Employees, Divisions, Etc.)
Locations (Headquarters, Plant Locations, Regional Headquarters, Etc.)
Financial Profile (Annual Income, Trends over the last 5-10 years, Stock trends, etc.)
Recent News (Significant news relating to company over the last few years)
Products/Services (General list of products and services provided by the company)
Company Contacts (List any contacts you may know at the company)

The advantage of making company profiles with these categories is that you can not only use them to prepare for interviews, but you can also use them if you are considering multiple offers from different companies. By utilizing a one-stop resource for useful information, you'll be able to make more informed decisions when the time comes to decide on which company is going to be best of you.

Confused on where to find this information? Most companies' websites actually have the majority of this information. Larger companies will generally publish their most recent annual reports which contain useful information like their annual income, company size, and major changes in company structure or significant mergers, acquisitions, etc. Some companies also publish fact sheets with many of these details as well.

Doing your research is one of the the most valuable things you can do to expand your job search. Making company profiles like the one suggested above with help you be moved informed of significant company information so that when you speak with recruiters, interview, or consider job offers, you'll be informed and ready for action.

As usual,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Maintaining Your Network

2009-06-28T18:43:00.002-04:00

While it isn't always easy, one integral part of your success is the ability to communicate with more than just your peers, co-workers, and supervisors. Especially for students doing internships for multiple companies, it is important to maintain your network beyond the time that you spend within a company. This also applies to connections you may have with professors, mentors, and other professional connections. In the same way that you call a good friend every now and then to check up on them, you should also considering checking in on your professional connections. Sending an e-mail wishing them well and updating them on a major landmarks going on in your life is a great way to keep up. For example, if you recently finished a lab class that you were profoundly interseted in, shoot one of your contacts who works in that area an e-mail to tell them about your interest in that material.

What can maintaining your network do in the long run? In addition to keeping your name on a person's mind when they may be in a position to help you find programs, jobs, or areas of study that may interest you, managing a network is also good business. Keeping a positive connection of communication at any opportunity will strengthen your reputation and could also to be to your advantage in the long run. You never know when you will work with someone again or when you will be connected to someone by a degree of separation or two. When it comes down to it, showing respect, being positive, and maintaining communication with other professionals is and will be a significant part of your career. Keep this is mind every time you meet someone new or consider shooting a quick e-mail to a friend at an old job or from an organization you have worked with.

If you have any questions or suggestions of material to cover in the future, please send me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

As usual,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

The Alphabet Strategy

2009-06-17T21:59:00.002-04:00

Since I'll be gone this weekend visiting friends from State a state over, here is your weekly fix of Eva McSpartan a few days early. This entry is inspired by our economy and how it has affected industry.

Unless you've been under a pretty decent sized rock for the last few years, you know that our economy has taken some blows and it hasn't been pretty. Yes, we realize this, now what do we do to deal with it?

Here's an idea for everyone...the Alphabet Strategy. This is a play on the idea of having a "Plan B". Given that our economy has been pretty unsteady, industries have become a bit unsteady as well. Prices have fluctuated dramatically on stocks, products, and materials which has led companies to make dramatic changes in their structure, products, and overall management. As a result, companies that may have been stable a few years ago are making cuts in people, products, and their benefits packages.

The hard truth of this is that these changes are affecting everyone from the CEO's of major companies to the interns who are on the bottom of the totem pole. Here's how you are going to get through this mess...it's time for you to accept that change is going to be the norm. Figuring out what you want, what you can compromise with, and how to be open minded are going to be important parts of surviving this rough patch. You can have control of what seems to be a complete mish-mash of craziness. Seriously.

Let's start thinking about how to use the Alphabet Strategy in connection with these thoughts. The Alphabet Strategy is the idea that you need to have more than one back-up plan because your life is never going to follow one path. A visual example of this is with the tree chart from last week. The point of this strategy is to give yourself an expanse of overall goals that you want to accomplish so that when you are faced with a road block, you can continue on a different path and still be successful. If you start asking around, you may find that some of the most successful people were the ones who looked at a bad situation, readjusted, and continued on to accomplish their goals in a different fashion. Not everyone can have that "perfect" path that we see in the movies. Life just doesn't work like that (and that's why it's so much fun!)

Now that we've discussed this theory, let's start custom building it to fit our lives. The first step of this is to write down 5-10 goals that you have for the next 5-10 years. These can vary from goals that you have professionally and personally. Here's a few goals that I have:

Graduate from college in December 2009 with a job offer in my pocket.
Complete a masters degree. It could be an MBA or Masters in Engineering Management. It could even be a masters in physical therapy.
Pass the FE Exam so that I have the option of consulting someday if I'd like to take that path. Depending on graduate school info, I may add the GMAT or GRE to this list.
Move out of my parent's house (sorry ma) by the time the summer of 2010 rolls around.
Save as much money as possible my first couple of years at work for a cushion fund to spend on grad school, a house, a car, or to just save for later.

Those right there are a start. There are definitely quite a few more goals on that list, but for now that gives me something to work with.

My next step for these goals is to formulate stategies on how to accomplish them. I'll look at number 5 to demonstrate this point. One thing that many new graduates don't realize is that getting your financial act together when you're first starting out in industry can help you a lot! When you are first starting out, being frugal like you're still in college can be to your advantage. Avoid making huge purchases right away if you can. Using tools like www.mint.com can help you as well. This website helps you track your spending so that you can see where all your money is going. Even the most money conscious people may be surprised by what all is going on in their bank accounts. In addition to helping you for the future, taking steps now to raise your financial IQ will be to your benefit later. If you can handle your accounts like a champ now, when your life becomes more complicated later you'll be able to deal with it.

While I could go on for pages and pages about all the things you could do to make potential plans for yourself, what is going to help you the most now is to try this out! All you need is a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and a few minutes. Write down your goals, start making up strategies and maybe even put together a simple tree chart. Confused? E-mail me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Tree Charts & You...A Visual Approach to Planning for the Future

2009-06-15T18:58:00.003-04:00

(Click on picture for better view.)

Confused on what your next step is? Lost in a sea of options and decisions? Here's a strategy for getting yourself organized. Shown above is what I like to refer to as a tree chart (I honestly just made that up, but bear with me). This little guy (or gal) is a great way to visualize different options for your near future.

The first step for making a tree chart is to figure out your goals. Some of your main goals may be to graduate by May 2010, attend graduate school, work for Company X, and travel. Your next step is to start your diagram with what is going on right now. This coming semester will you be studying abroad, doing a co-op, or taking classes? From there you can start branching off your options.

The last step of this diagram is to go through and make notes on important factors that may influence your decisions one way or the other. Make a small pros and cons list under each bubble that details things like how each decision will affect your financial situation, overall happiness, and how valuable you feel the experience will be for you.

It may seen a little silly, but charts like these can really clarify things. It's easy to get caught up in an idea of what you think you should do when it may just be easier to take a different route to that same goal. An example of how I applied this to my own tree chart is when I was deciding whether or not to study abroad this summer. Since I had already studied abroad in the past, but knew I still wanted to go overseas again in the near future, I weighed how studying abroad versus traveling after graduation would affect my overall plan. When I really thought about it, I didn't necessarily want to study abroad again and would be in a much better position to afford a trip overseas after doing an internship for the summer before my graduation. Also, the study abroad I was looking at was based on research in a lab. Since doing research is far from my area of interest, I had one more reason that using a study abroad program to go overseas would have been the wrong choice for me because it didn't fit my area of interest.In addition to this, it would have been a big commitment of money and time.

This chart is only a start to ones that you could make for yourself. Really feeling nerdy? Try making a weighted system for your pros and cons list. Tools like charts and just writing down your goals or thoughts can make a huge difference! While doing this may not give you the answers to your life right away, it will help you figure out what is feasible for your future.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Helpful Advice for Job Seekers (Part 2 of 2)

2009-06-06T19:30:00.002-04:00

Now that all of you are well-versed in "making it your own," I'd like to focus on my second piece of adivce...

"Respect leads to respect."

We've all heard the phrase "respect your elders" about a zillion times, but for a minute let's contemplate how valid that statement is. There are almost always going to be people in this world who have experienced what we are experiencing now and they might just have some helpful insights that are applicable to our own lives. Currently in industry, many companies are facing an issue where there is a huge gap in their age demographic. Because of heavy layoffs in the 1980's, most large companies have a demographic that is rich in people who are in their early 20's to early 30's and then from their early 40's to retirement age. That leaves a gap of almost a decade in age. Think I'm lying? Check it out for yourself. It's actually true. While there are exceptions to the rule and variations among companies, this is actually a big deal in many large companies. Especially since a lot of the older demographic will be retiring in the next 5-15 years. Now where does that put the younger folk? As a result of this demographic, younger employees are being prepared to take over substantial leadership positions in large companies. This is good and bad. It is good because younger employees are being given more responsibility faster. This is bad because when the older generations in the work force retire, a vast expanse of knowledge is going to be lost in industry.

Now how does this affect how respect leads to respect?

The phrase "respect leads to respect" represents the notion that if you respect an individual, they will respect you in return. While this isn't always true, approaching relationships in this manner can be incredibly valuable. Being able to reflect on your relationships with other people in the work place or outside of work and having a goal of respecting the people around you can lead to some fantastically positive results.

For example, when I was getting ready to study abroad in Ireland, we were told that there was a significant chance that initially we would be stereotyped as greedy, pushy Americans. The way we needed to crush that stereotype was by respecting the communities we were living in and showing a genuine interest in our new cultures. By taking this approach, our program participants were able to kick bad stereotypes to the curb and also embrace our host culture. If we hadn't been able to step back and respect our new cultures, we may have had much less positive experiences.

Now let's look at how we apply this principle to working in industry. Like I said before, much of America's work force has a substantial age gap. One way of closing this gap is by respecting seasoned co-workers who have a great deal of knowledge to share. I'm not saying you have to suck up to everyone, but if you are sincere about your interest to learn and willing to listen, there's a solid chance that someone will be happy to help you out.

Now that you have learned Eva McSpartan's top two lessons for life, hopefully you can apply these ideas to your own lives. Think I forgot something? Leave comments on guiding principles you believe vastly improve your quality of life inside and oustide of work.

That's all for now. Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Helpful Advice for Job Seekers (Part 1 of 2)

2009-05-31T15:20:00.002-04:00

This week's blog entry brings us to two pieces of advice I would like to pass on to all the job seekers out there. These two pieces of advice are ideas I have settled on over the last few years during internships, school, and studying abroad. Let's begin.

"Make it your own."

Sometimes when things get hectic, you may feel like life is out of your control. We have all been here. Occasionally the combination of several stressors in our lives can set off what feels like a nuclear explosion of stress and the feeling that the light at the end of the tunnel will never arrive. Explosions like this seem to happen even more frequently for college students in engineering who are trying to balance one of the hardest majors on campus with trying to maintain a social life and get enough sleep to survive. Yes, it's hard, but let's think about this in terms of making it your own.

Making it your own means choosing paths for yourself that match what you truly want. This includes being introspective to figure out what things you would like to pursue, a determination to find out more about these things, and a drive to accomplish what you have set out for yourself. An example of this is how I settled on doing study abroad. I've known for a long time that I want to integrate travel into my life, but it wasn't until I arrived home after my first year at MSU that I really started wanting to pursue a study abroad program. After a few weeks back at my parents house, I realized I didn't want to have to live at home over the summer again if I could help it (sorry Mom and Dad). Knowing this, I started brainstorming ideas of how to get away. The two paths I ended up settling on were study abroad and a co-op program.

My first step towards spending my next summer somewhere else was to research each path (co-op and study abroad) in order to figure out the plausibility for each and make a plan to incorporate these into my life. For study abroad, I got onto the Office of Study Abroad website and searched programs that met my criteria. I wanted something outside of engineering, in the summer, and preferably in Europe. The program I chose was literally the first one I looked at. I kept on coming back to its profile because it seemed to be exactly what I wanted.

The next step was to make a plan. Within a week, I contacted the program coordinators, researched scholarships, and started to figure out the logistics of making a commitment to this program. The rest is history.

Now how could you apply this to your life? If you know that you'd like to do an internship program, start using your resources to figure out how to do this. Sitting around talking about how you want to do this or that is never going to get you there. Start acting on your ideas and see where it leads you.

Another aspect of making it your own has to do with when you're committed to something and realize you are totally overwhelmed. This is the point where you need to step back and figure out how to setup the situation so that you are able to be happy. An example of this is when you move somewhere new for an internship. How can you make it your own?

One way to make it your own is to figure out one of your passions and integrate it into your new position. Love trying new things? Sign up for a class or event in your new location. You'll get to learn something new and also meet new people in the process. This can pretty much be applied to anything.

Hopefully this piece of advice helps! It has definitely been an important part of my mind-set over the last few years. Next week I'd like to continue with Part 2 of the advice for job seekers with how respect leads to respect.

As usual,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Tips For Your 1st Week on a New Job

2009-05-26T22:59:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again! The time where you may find yourself moving to completely foreign locations, meeting entirely new people, and getting that "I just arrived at camp...what do I do now?!" feeling. No worries, though! Before you know it, you'll be happily settling into your new position and feeling right at home.

From past experience, I can tell you that it usually takes 2-3 weeks in a new environment to start getting truly acclamated. Do not stress if you do not feel at home right away. The disorientation will pass!

Here are a few tips to make sure that you can get acclamated to your new quickly and also take care of some important steps in your employment...

Stage One: Welcome to our Company...Overwhelmed Yet?

Before starting work, make sure that you have all of the necessary information for your starting day. Where should you report to? Who is meeting you? Do you have their contact information? Making sure you're prepared for the little details will ensure a good first impression. Being late or lost on your first day are no fun. Get the facts before you set foot on company property.
Be prepared for a slew of paperwork. The first thing you will have to do at the majority of companies is complete all the necessary paperwork for HR. This includes I-9's, Direct Deposit applications, company codes of conducts, etc. It's generally a good idea to check what forms of ID you will need to bring with you on your first day. Also, if your company does Direct Deposit, there is a solid chance you will need to bring a voided check so that they can record your account and routing numbers.
DO NOT BE SHY! In many cases, companies will do on-boarding for multiple people at a time to prevent having to make the same speeches hundreds of times when they could just do it all at once. In these settings, it is always a good idea to avoid any shy tendencies. Introduce yourself to other new hires. Besides meeting people right away in your company, you'll also give the impression of being amiable. Plus, getting conversations started will ease your nerves along with the nerves of the people you are talking to.

Stage Two: The "What is your name again?" Scramble

The next part of your on-boarding at a new job will generally include a marathon of casual or formal introductions. At this point in most new employees' days, this is where your brain truly starts to fry. Stay calm. You will not be tested on the names of everyone in your office at the end of the day. Here's a few more ways to make this part of your on-boarding easier.

Remember that you can always ask someone's name later or look for clues to figure it out. Name plates on cubes or office doors, printed on badges, or listening in for greetings between two people are great ways to figure out someone's name. If all else fails, asking again is not that bad. Just make an effort to remember their name for next time.
Similarly to during your on-boarding, make sure to avoid being shy because you feel out of place or nervous. Smile, greet everyone kindly, and go out of your way to be pleasant. Shyness can also come across as arrogance or seen intimidating. Silly, right? But it is true!

Step Three: The Overload

This is where you have to make like a sponge and absorb every bit of information possible. Reaslistically, this process should continue into every single day of your working life. At this point, it is your job to ask questions, observe, and figure things out. Expect to be overwhelmed and do not be afraid to ask what may seen like silly questions. To be honest, you will seen much sillier if you ask them a month down the road.

While there's no way that I could possibly generalize everyone's initial experiences at a new company, hopefully this gives you a small taste of what it is like to go into a new job. Keeping a smile on your face and your curiousity bubblin' will allow you to start to wrap your head around your new surroundings. Every day you are able to do this is one day closer to starting to feel accustomed to your new environment and feeling like you fit into your new position.

As always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

A Litte More Q & A With Eva McSpartan

2009-05-16T14:54:00.002-04:00

Since I will be moving down south next week for my summer internship, next week's entry is coming a little early. I have a few more questions I'd like to throw out into the job-seeking world.

What has been the most important thing that you have learned during your experiences?

More than anything, I have learned that if I abide by two rules during my experiences, they will usually end up positive. The first rule is to make each experience your own. Doing this will always lead you on a path towards enjoying your experiences near and far. This rule can also make dramatic changes in lifestyle or environment a little more manageable. For example, I know that going to the gym helps me relieve stress and centers me. As a result, the first thing I look for in a new place is a good gym that may have new and exciting group fitness classes. Even though I may be hundreds or thousands of miles from home, I still am able to maintain a sense of being grounded because there is a part of my life that is consistent. My second rule is that respect leads to respect. By respecting your peers in a new work environment, or even an old one, you are way more likely to work smoothly with these people and earn their respect in return.

Have you considered graduate school? If yes, what would you like to do?

My answer to this question is definitely "yes." After four years of my degree program, I feel like I'm only scratching the surface of the knowledge I hope to gain in life. I have realized in the last few years that the next step in my education is most likely going to include an MBA program or something related to management. While I enjoy researching new and exciting technologies, I know that I like working with people in fast-paced operations and management roles much more. For anyone who is confused about what their next step after their undergraduate degree should be, it's a great idea to speak with people who have taken different paths post-undergrad. Engineering degrees are a great entrance to medical school, law school, engineering graduate school, and beyond. Some engineering grads even choose to go into an advanced field of study that is dramatically different than their initial degree. Knowing that you have a solid base for your resume and curriculum vitae with a B.S. in your chosen engineering major, explore your options beyond your undergraduate degree!

What has been your favorite part of working with the companies you've interned with?

By far, my favorite part of working with the companies that I've interned with has been the people I get to work with every day. No matter where I've gone, I've always managed to make friends. One rule of thumb for interns is that you may actually make more friends when you move far out of your geographical comfort zone because being away from everyone you know forces you to get out and meet new people.

From speaking with a lot of students, and even professionals in any field, the people you work with every day can seriously influence your satisfaction with you own career. It's one thing to spend forty hours a week with people you can stand, but being able to spend forty hours a week with people you enjoy working with and can even have a few laughs with is extremely important.

On a side note, always make sure to watch your boundaries at work. Company cultures all vary and figuring out your boundaries is a large part of your initial experience working with a new corporation. Use the power of observation to figure out what is appropriate and what definitely is not. I know that kind of bursts the whole "I love my co-workers" bubble, but it is a very important lesson that should be learned as soon as possible.

As always, if anyone has any questions, suggestions, or comments, please send them to me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Q & A With Eva McSpartan

2009-05-11T23:08:00.003-04:00

Happy End of Finals Everyone! For anyone who is venturing off to internships, co-ops or full-time jobs, good luck with your move! For anyone else who will be taking classes for the summer or will be making the most of staying at home, good luck as well!

Instead of the usual format, this week I'd like to change things up and do a little Q & A. For anyone who is enrolled in EGR 393, answering similar questions would be great for your blog entries, publication or YouTube/BubbleTweets. So here it goes...

Why did you choose your major?

I first realized I wanted to be an engineer around my freshman year of high school because of my interest in math and science. The tall tale relating to that realization has something to do with going woodchuck hunting on a local dairy farm with my father in middle school. Originally, I had dreamed of being a vet. On that particular day, let's just say that I realized I had no desire to be a vet, and would much prefer something involving less blood. My choice of being an engineer of the mechanical persuasion was made after participating in a high school engineering workshop at Michigan Tech. I realized that of all the engineering majors, mechanical was the closest to my interests.

How have you made connections for your internship/co-op positions?

I've made connections several ways. For two of my internships, I have applied to companies directly online and received interviews from those applications. The key to those applications was my strategic use of cover letters. By stating my interest and qualifications in my cover letter, I was able to give recruiters/hiring managers a better idea of what I could do for their company and why I would be a good fit. Another way I made connections for a co-op was at a Society of Women Engineers Career Fair at the SWE National Conference. Attending career fairs like the Career Gallery or career fairs at professional society conferences is a great way to network with companies and maybe even interview with them. The last way that I have made connections for internships is by networking. Through an introduction, I was able to meet and speak with a hiring manager. As a result, I was able to submit my resume and inquire about interviewing. Within 24 hours of meeting this particular recruiter, I was offered a position with the company. This goes to show that you should always be prepared to network!

What has attracted you to the companies you have worked for?

There are various qualities I look for when looking at a company. These include:

Company Culture
Education, Development and Leadership Opportunities
Company Structure (Formation of Divisions, Degrees of Separation Between the Top Dog and Everyone Else, etc.)
Recent Innovations/Diversity of Product Portfolio
Locations
Company Mission
Etc...

More Q & A to come in the future. If anyone has specific questions you would like me to answer feel free to comment on this entry or e-mail them to SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

As usual,

GOOD LUCK JOB SEEKERS!

And congratulations on another successful semester!

Job Seeker Event: Secure Your Job Search

2009-05-07T16:15:00.004-04:00

Career Services Network Presents...

SECURE YOUR JOB SEARCH!

Wednesday, May 13th, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Residential College at Snyder-Phillips in the Theater*

Including presentations on resume skills, interviewing, networking and LinkedIn

Have your resume critiqued by Career Services professionals!

*Snyder-Phillips Theater is in the Basement, on Bogue & Shaw Lane, CB20 Terrace Level*

Free Parking available in Lot #9 between Bogue & Physics Rd.

Finding a Job...NOW: Graduating Senior Edition

2009-05-05T20:16:00.005-04:00

This entry is dedicated to my classmates who, despite their determination, may be unemployed upon graduation. Stay hopeful friends! Let's find you a job! (Keep on reading for details...)

It has become painfully obvious that our economy is well...not good. As a result, graduates who a few years ago would be be shooing away job offers like flies for being in the wrong location or not with a high enough salary, may be looking at moving into their parents' basement or flipping burgers for the summer while searching for jobs. I know it stinks.

I have broken this tutorial into several parts:

The Basics

The first step to seriously looking for a job is handling all your basic areas that need to be taken care of before you can ever truly be considered for a position. This includes preparing all your professional documents and making search strategies for yourself.

Professional Documents in this case include your resume, unofficial transcript (go to stuinfo.msu.edu to find yours), and cover letter. If you have not created or updated any of these three documents in the last few months, you have not been setting yourself up for success! Go! Now! Update! I'm not going to focus much on advanced resume critique or cover letter writing in this entry so it's your job to do a little research! You can reference my resume breakdown entry from last week for more info on resume writing and important topics to cover.

Making a search strategy for yourself is also an incredibly important part of your search. Here are things you need to put on your strategy:

Industries you are interested in.
Locations you would be open to moving to.
Any higher education (graduate or professional school) that you would like to consider and what would be required to apply (GRE, GMAT, MCAT, etc.).

From the first two bullet points you can get a better idea for what companies you may want to work for.

Other basic steps for your job search include registering yourself on MySpartanCareer (myspartancareer.msu.edu), creating a LinkedIn account, and going to Career Services to speak with a career adviser. All of these basic steps as a whole are incredibly important for your search! If you know you'd like to go to technical graduate school, but haven't even taken your GRE yet, you need to get on that ASAP!

Be Organized...or Flip Burgers

Here's the deal. I know we're not all organized all the time. To be honest, as obsessive compulsive as I can be, when things really start hit the fan even I will become incredibly messy. It happens. Do not let it happen to your job search. Let's face it...companies don't like it when you can't get your act together and keep things straight.

The next important portion of your job search is going to involve attacking job openings from all sides. This includes applying for jobs on company websites, networking, looking at postings on MySpartanCareer, looking at Monster.com, looking at Chambers of Commerces websites, etc. Since most job searches have gone online, it's your job to seek out the positions.

Networking is also a huge part of your job search. Wherever you go, whatever you do, know that there may be an opportunity for you to network with someone that will be important in your job search. For example, I got my internship for this summer because I walked into my work at the right time. It just so happened that my bosses were meeting with a recruiter who ultimately interviewed and hired me within 24 hours of meeting him. If I had come into work that day talking smack about one of my classmates or wearing a pair of smelly old sweatpants I may not be employed right now.

The part of this section that involves being organized is keeping track of who all you've applied to and what has happened with them. Make a list of everyone you have applied to, the positions you've applied to, if you sent "Thank You" notes to the recruiter, etc. Persistence is frequently the reason that a candidate will be selected. I'm not telling you to stalk your recruiter, but check in with them. If a recruiter gets an e-mail or call from your every month or two letting them know that you're still interested in the company or that you've recently won an award for this big senior capstone project, that may mean that when that new opening comes up your name pops into their head. Don't just give up if they don't want you the first time! Giving up = flipping burgers. Giving up is bad...and so are grease burns.

Searching for jobs late in the game can be frustrating, but if you play your cards right, it can still be effective. This is the point in time where you need to focus on making yourself as alluring to recruiters as possible. Having an effective resume, using a cover letter to state your intent and being persistent will all give you an advantage over other job seekers who may not have as much work experience as your or who refuse to use cover letters. When push comes to shove, make it difficult for recruiters not to want you.

I sincerely hope that these tips will be of some assistance to anyone who is still looking for full-time employment after graduation. If you have any specific questions about the topics I've covered please shoot me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Congratulations Seniors and Good Luck!

Some Insights from a Career Search Pro!

2009-05-02T11:46:00.003-04:00

If you get a few minutes, please consider checking out this sound file! This is an interview that was conducted for 88.9 THE IMPACT at MSU with Kelly Bishop. Kelly gives some fantastic insight into general career searches in today's economy and how to take advantage of the resources that MSU Career Services has to offer students and alumni!

http://news.msu.edu/media/audio/2009/04/097dcd69-cb33-4e0d-b22b-58b8fead8498.mp3

As usual, GOOD LUCK JOB SEEKERS! Kick some butt on your Final Exams next week!

The Resume Breakdown (Break it Down Now...)

2009-04-27T23:57:00.003-04:00

This goal of this entry is to give a crash course in resumes. For anyone who is somewhat unfamiliar with resume writing, this will hopefully give you some basic structure to use in connection with other, more specific templates. For anyone who has spent a significant amount of time perfecting their resume, with any luck, you will be able to use these insights for a little advanced resume critiquing. Keep in mind that this is from an engineering perspective. Resumes for other fields may be significantly different. Let us begin...

PART ONE: Who are you again?! And what do you want?!

It may seen a little odd, but one extremely important part of your resume is what is at the top...your name and contact information. Any major issues in this data may cause mild confusion for recruiters and could possibly result in you never hearing back from a company because you missed one digit in your phone number (doh!). So here's what the first few lines of your resume should include:

Full Name <-- Make it large enough that a recruiter can glance down while talking to you and catch what your name.

Address <--It is okay to put your permanent and university addresses, but make sure they are accurate for the time frame you are looking at. If you're moving in a month, maybe put down a more permanent address.

Phone Number <-- Keep your voicemail message professional! Avoid ridiculous comments or profanity. If a recruiter hears "F this, F that, leave an F-ing message..." they will never call you again. Ever. You're a big kid now so your voicemail should reflect that.

E-mail <-- Again, make sure it's appropriate. IKickPuppies@aol.com is probably not a good address to put on your resume. Something like JoeSpartan@msu.edu is much better.

Objective <-- State what you want and when you want it. For example, my objective statement would be something like "Seeking a full-time position or leadership program position in the Spring of 2010 with a focus in operations management and manufacturing."

PART TWO: Hey Look, I'm a Spartan...Hire Me...

As a college student, one of your biggest assets is your potential. Since most student only have a hand full of work experience in their field, the majority of their potential is reflected in their performance at school. Good grades and recognition for academic excellence are signs to recruiters that you can work hard at school and for them. Here's what to include in this section:

Full Name of University and its Location
Major (i.e. Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering)
Projected Graduation Date
Purely Academic Honors (i.e. Honors College, Full-Ride or Partial-Ride Scholarships, etc.)
*For any Michigan students, putting your Michigan Merit Award in here is not advised unless you are looking to fill space. It is an award, but a whole lot of Michigan residents received it as well so it's not too terribly unique.*
GPA
**Having your high school GPA on your resume is acceptable until you receive your first set of semester grades in college. After that, say bye bye to high school. You're a big kid now.**

PART THREE: Work It

This is the section where you will give details about your most significant work experiences that relate to the job you are applying to. If you wish, you can include extracurricular experiences in this section or have an entire section devoted to your extracurricular activities if you would like. While everyone's experiences are different, the format for each of these experiences should include:

Company Name and Location
Time Frame of Work (i.e. May-August 2009 or for current jobs, September 2006-Present)
Name of Position
Major Projects/Duties (These are usually given as bullet points with concise details. Giving details relating to money, time, and people are generally solid ways to give a magnitude to your experience. If you say that you saved money at Company A that does not say much, but if you say you saved $100,000 at Company A then you've really made an impact.)

PART FOUR: Check Out My Skills

This part of your resume is the time where your unique skills should come out. While I'd steer away from calling out super abstract skills like being able to touch your tongue to your elbow, this section can act as a conversation starter with recruiters. In addition to listing skills like "Proficient in MS Office" or "Completed Six Sigma Black Belt Training", you can also include things like "Certified to Teach Underwater Basket Weaving" or "Fluent in Dolphin". These are unique skills that require a certain level of dedication and training to achieve.

This completes the Resume Breakdown. If all of this information is old news to you because you are a resume star, then I apologize for repeating something you already know. If some of this is new to you, please take a few minutes to apply what you learned here to your resume. If you have any specific questions about resume building, please feel free to e-mail me at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

As usual,

Good Luck Job Seekers!

Tid Bit from Last Week and an Intro for This Week's Entry

2009-04-27T23:26:00.003-04:00

5 Easy Resume Tips:

1. Use your Objective statement to your advantage! State what you want and when you want it. For example, my objective statement may be:

“Seeking a full-time position in the Spring of 2010 with an emphasis in...”

2. Format your bullet points for your experiences by emphasizing the three things listed below. Quantifying your experiences gives a magnitude of your work. If you saved your company money, make sure to say how much. If you worked with people, say how many, etc.

Money
Time
People

3. Don’t frown on your experiences because you think they aren’t related to “engineering”. Engineers need to know much more than how to crunch numbers! Emphasizing the soft skills (communication, networking, trouble shooting, etc.) you learned during a “non-engineering” experience can actually fill out your resume more than you think!

4. Try not to be redundant. Listing a C++ class under your education section then saying that you know C++ in your skills section is an example. For something like that, I’d skip adding your classes to your education section and just go straight to skills.

5. Trying to fill space in your resume? In your extracurricular activities and interests, mention activities that you may do that stand out! If you are a black belt in karate, say so! These details may help you maintain a recruiter’s interest and show that you have been successful in activities that may take discipline, patience, etc.

Alternative Strategies for Job Seekers

2009-04-21T22:50:00.005-04:00

When Things Seem to Hit a Wall: Making the most of your Summer Without an Internship

With the economy in a bit of a rough patch, it seems that increasing numbers of student are facing something they may not have been expecting...trying hard, but not finding an internship for the summer. For all of you who worked your tails off without success, or had a company cut your position, do not fret! Yes, you may be living at home this summer or taking summer classes, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up hope for next year. Taking an active stance towards finding an internship or co-op this summer may actually make you incredibly appealing to all those companies who may have let you pass by this time around.

Here are some things you should do NOW to make you a fantastic candidate in LATER:

Job Shadow Professionals in your Field:

Even though you won’t get paid to network with professionals in your field, doing this is a great way to learn more about your field, ask questions you may have about jobs/school/etc., and learn about how companies function in the real world. Key people to contact to find people to job shadow may be your career advisers, alumni services, neighbors, etc.

Work on Your Weaknesses:

Let’s say that you feel like your interviewing skills are lacking. One great thing to do over the summer may set up several mock interviews. You could practice in front of a mirror, ask your parents or siblings to ask you sample interview questions, or even find a career adviser to help you out! This can apply for any set of skills.

Make the Most of a Summer Job:

Worried that flipping burgers is going to stunt your career growth? Get a new perspective on your summer job. There is a whole lot to be learned outside of technical engineering. Engineers need to know how to communicate effectively to broad audiences, troubleshoot difficult situations, etc. Find a summer job that will get you in touch with those “soft” skills. Feel like you need to work on your “people” skills? Work a job where you have to interact with more people that you’re used to. You can still emphasize these skills on your resume! In some cases, having experience with perfecting your “soft” skills might actually get your that engineering job!

If you are able to accomplish three things over the summer, you will be on your way to setting yourself up for success during the fall job search! Taking care of the simpler details now will hopefully allow you to move on to the more advanced career search techniques I’ll tell you about in the fall.

Good Luck Job Seekers!!

Student Nomad Tips: Packing Like a Champ

2009-04-14T22:34:00.012-04:00

Of the many things I thought I'd learn in college, I never thought that being able to pack up months of my life in a compact car would be one of them. For as long as I can remember I've been totally fascinated with playing "house", so coming to college was a great chance to deck out a dorm room or apartment with fun furniture, artwork, and who knows what else. What I didn't realize during these daydreams about that really awesome apartment was that if I wanted to have lots of stuff, I had to pick it up and shove it up stairs, through doorways and end up dropping it on myself or the unsuspecting people I asked to help me move. Now that I've thoroughly dented every wall in town along with my fingers, toes, shins, etc. I've begun to learn the beauty of minimizing and prioritizing. It is from these two points that I begin my tutorial on how to pack like a true champion student nomad.

Prioritizing
The first step to packing like a student nomad is to prioritize like one. Like with any engineering problem, you have constraints and variables. In this case, the amount of space you have available to move all of your stuff is a constraint. This may be as little as a few suitcases for airline travelers or as much as a large vehicle or moving truck for others. It is important to realize your boundaries. Yes, you need room to see out your back window and move around during driving. If bags are falling on you when you turn, please re-think your packing strategy. In this case, what you choose to take along is your variable.

Here a few things you may want to think about always packing:

Emergency Kit: Include flashlight, water, blanket, jumper cables, First Aid Kit etc. If anything goes wrong, it's better that you are prepared.
Cell Phone Charger: Pretty self-explanatory. Dead phone = no help.
Directions/Contact Information for your destination(s).
Anything you will not be able to get where you are going or things that you would have a lot of difficult getting. For example, in parts of Europe, certain cold medications that are Over-the-Counter in the U.S. require a prescription. Do your research if you're moving somewhere where your everyday essentials may not be available. Figure out a way to bring them with you, or consider adapting.
A good luck charm. Why not? Keep it small and avoid perishables.

Another aspect of prioritizing is dividing things up by what you definitely need and what you may need. You would be surprised how much you could eliminate from packing for relocation by taking away the things you may need. Besides keeping around toiletries you will use en route to your new destination, you do not really need any additional toiletries. For an avid hair product consumer such as myself, leaving behind a slough of toiletries could save me space in an entire tote bag. You can carry over this mentality to other items. If you are really strapped for space, only take the bare essentials. If you can buy new things when you arrive at your new location, this will save you plenty of space that can be used for the items you will definitely need...like clothes, essential electronics, and you handy dandy good luck charm.

Minimizing
The second step to student nomad packing success is to minimize. Once you figure out the things that you absolutely need to relocate, condense them. Instead of taking five photo albums of your family/friends/dog, set your screen saver to scan through your pictures and call it a day. This step is really about tapping into your inner laziness. If you really don't want to move that big, pointy object hundreds of miles only to drop it on yourself and require your first aid kit, don't bring it. Your back with thank you.

Helpful Small Car Tip: If your car is small with oddly shaped places to pack your stuff in (small trunk, back seats, etc.) consider packing things like clothes in duffel bags or trash bags since they conform to the space they are being packed into. While putting everything into boxes seems logical, it could actual waste a whole lot of space.

Beyond the slightly obvious hints and tips for living minimally in order to make moving easier, one of the best things to keep in mind while relocating is to have an open mind. There's a solid chance that you're not going to fall in love with your new location immediately. If you do, you are one lucky person and I sincerely hope that you continue to enjoy your new environment. For anyone who has not relocated on their own before, be prepared for some culture shock. It's important to recognize that it usually takes 2-4 weeks to really start adjusting to a new environment. Try not to write off your new location right away just because it doesn't feel quite right. Sometimes the differences in a new location are the things you will miss most when you leave to return home.

If you have any more questions about relocation, please feel free to send them to be at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Good Luck!

-Eva McSpartan

Event for Job Seekers

2009-04-14T13:16:00.001-04:00

SPECIAL EVENT: How to Find a Job in Tough Times
WHEN: Monday, April 20, 2009 @ 7:00 pm ET
WHERE: College of Communication Arts and Sciences, MSU, East Lansing, 48824 - Room 147
WHO: Sports Agent and Author Molly Fletcher, Job Search Specialist and Author Kevin Donlin, MSUAA Director of Career Services John Hill

This free local area networking reception hosted by the MSU Alumni Association features Molly Fletcher -- author of the book "Your Dream Job Game Plan - 5 Tools for Becoming Your Own Career Agent", Kevin Donlin, contributing co-author of "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0", and John Hill, Director of Alumni Career Services with the MSUAA. The three will discuss proven job-search tactics, including how to get hired using LinkedIn.com, why your resume is not working (and how to fix it), how to network without being a pest, and more.

RSVP REQUESTED: hilljohn@msu.edu (please put date of event in the subject line)

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Tips for Successful Relocation

2009-04-09T15:43:00.003-04:00

Finding Your Place in a New Location

For many students, aside from moving to East Lansing for college, their first exposure to moving somewhere new is during their first internship or Study Abroad experience. As a seasoned student nomad, my advice to anyone who is having anxiety about moving somewhere new is to relax and enjoy the new experience! If my mental math is right, since coming to school, I have moved into and out of nearly 7 dorms, apartments, or host homes and spent almost a year 80 to 2000 miles away from MSU/home. Let’s just break it down this way…if I can move all those times and survive, there’s a solid chance that you can too. Here are some ways to make relocation significantly less painful.

Do Your Homework

Doing some research on the area you are moving to will help you get an idea for the major demographics of that area along with get a feel for the general “culture” of the area. Here are some suggestions to lead you in the right direction:

Put on Your Tourist Hat: Check out tourism websites for the town you are moving to. These usually have summaries of local events, attractions, good places to eat, etc. Making an effort to experience unique activities that are special to your new location can really boost your connection to your new location in addition to just being something fun to do when you’re not at work!
Go on an Adventure: Not doing anything for the weekend? Grab a friend or two and take a Road Trip! You don’t have to go far, but check out something new. Go on a photo scavenger hunt around town, drive to the nearest body of water…find a reason for an adventure and high tail it out of town!
Learn a New Skill: Many medium to large-sized cities have community education classes or community colleges that hold workshops or classes year-round. These are a great opportunity to meet new people and try new things. For example, if you are interested in painting, try taking a class in your new location. Prices for classes vary wherever you go so find something that is affordable, fun, and something you’d really like to try out.
Connect to Alumni: Michigan State has entire databases of alumni all of the US and internationally! Take advantage of this resource to connect with other Spartan fans in your new location. Some cities may even have an active MSU Alumni Association. Sometimes the best medicine for home sickness is being around people who know all about Dairy Store Ice Cream, Sparty, and love MSU sports as much as you do.

On top of taking advantage of activities in and around your new location, a great way to get accustomed to a new area is by networking with your co-workers at your new company. In some cases, your company may already have ample networking opportunities for interns/co-ops/new hires, but that may not always be the case. Here are some sure-fire ways to take networking into your own hands:

Anyone Hungry? One easy way to network with other employees is by starting lunch groups or inviting someone new to eat with you.
Volunteer. Many companies encourage their employees to volunteer in their community and will even host community service activities. Ask around to see what activities may be coming up. In most cases, these activities are fantastic opportunities to network with all levels of employees. You never know when you might end up volunteering alongside big-wigs in your company!
Plan Intern Social Events. While some companies have intern social boards, others may not. Take the time to meet your fellow interns and see what their interests may be. If several of you are passionate about rock climbing, research local climbing hot spots or take a trip to the nearest climbing wall.

Even though moving to a new place can be daunting, it is not the end of the world. More times than not, after about two weeks in your new location, your anxiety levels will decline and any homesickness you may have will have passed. By taking charge of your experience, you can make your move work for you!

There's Only 4 Weeks of School Left...Now What?!...

2009-04-07T14:27:00.006-04:00

Didn't realize there were only four weeks of classes left?? Well, be aware Spartans! It is almost summer! Or at least the closest that Michigan can come to summer. With snow still on the ground, it seems a little inaccurate to call the season we're currently in spring. That discrepancy aside, it's time to start thinking about making the most of our time off. Whether that be by working, going to school, traveling, or just getting a rockin' tan. No matter what you are doing this summer, there are some things everyone can do (myself included) to prepare for the upcoming school year.

First on the Agenda...Things To Do Before Finals Are Over:

Meet with Your Adviser and Enroll for Your 2009-2010 Classes

Check http://schedule.msu.edu for more information on class times, etc.
Take a gander at Degree Navigator...this is one resource that few students seem to know about it! It details all of your class requirements, grades, etc. This is a great thing to review before visiting your adviser. Here's the link: https://degnav.msu.edu/AppLogin.Asp

Make Some Goals.

Okay...so I know not all of us are pro-list making people, but give it a try! Setting goals for yourself keeps you on track and can actually make you feel pretty good when you accomplish them!
Here's a sample list set-up:

Top Career Goals for the Summer (This might include reviewing your resume, creating a LinkedIn account, apply for X number of jobs, make an appointment at The Center to talk to a career adviser, or just to get yourself in gear and do a little research on what you might want to do when you "grow up".)
Top Personal Goals for the Summer (These are fun because it's stuff YOU want to do! Here's an example...this summer I want to visit at least 5 new places I've never been before, try a new group fitness class, and send at least 3 snail mail letters to my family back home while I'm away on internship.)

Even for non-listers these kinds of goals are fun to map out! Think of random things you might like to research and do!

Not too painful, right? Let's move on to a few suggestions I have for getting your career search on the move early.

Take the time to update your resume.

Change contact information, class information, etc. as it changes.
Starting a new job this summer? As you work on projects or get a handle on what all you are working on, update your resume to reflect it.
Ask for resume critiques!! Getting a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th opinion on your resume is a great idea! The only thing to remember is that everyone has a different resume writing style. There will always be disagreements about formatting, wording, and what is okay or not okay to include.

Start thinking about what you might things you want to be involved in for next year.

Want to look for a new campus job? Student organization? Hobby? Fish around now so that when you get back to campus you can dive into whatever it is you'd like to do!

If you can get all those things done this summer, you'll definitely be on track for success in the Fall.

Good Luck! With Finals...and just in general!

Welcome to the SpartanCareerSeeker Blog

2009-04-07T13:52:00.002-04:00

Hello All and Welcome to the SCS Blog!

My name is Eva and I will be your guide the next few months on how to perform effective job search and how to boost your Career IQ!

Here's a little bit of background about myself. I am a senior at Michigan State University in the College of Engineering. I will be graduating in December of 2009 with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an ultimate goal of finding a full-time position as an engineer in industry. While at MSU I have been able to be involved in student organizations, a fantastic study abroad program in Ireland, several student jobs around campus, and have even had several chances to do internships with some great companies! Now that I'm nearing graduation, I'm looking to use all of the skills I've learned during my education to land a fantastic job!

In addition to tracking my own progress, my goal for this blog is to act as a resource to other students who may be looking for internships/co-ops or full-time positions. With the job market as competitive as it is right now, it is important that we all put our best foot forward in order to set ourselves up for success!

If you have any specific questions that you'd like me to address in this blog, topic ideas, or constructive criticism please feel free to e-mail me SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com. I will be happy to incorporate your feedback into my weekly entries!

Eva McSpartan's Job Search

Checking In

The Moral of the Story...or Stories

For Anyone Who Has Been Referred to as "That Person with the iPhone"

How to be a Top Dog...Without Drooling on Everyone

Exams Exams Everywhere & All I Want To Do is Nap!

One Month Left of Eva McSpartan!

Are YOU Financially Savvy??

Signing Your One Way Ticket Out of Sleep Deprivation

Offer Letter 101

Welcome to Limbo...Feel Anxious Yet?

Interviews: A Love-Hate Relationship Explained

Let's Get Ready to Rumble: Career Fair Style

REMINDER: Career Gallery is COMING UP!

Have You Networked Today?

This Week's Assignment: Gripe to Me!

Being More Than Just Another PDF File in a Big 'Ol Database

Making Your List (And Checking It Twice)

Cover Letters: Use It or Lose It

Week #1: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Resumes

The Back-to-School Rush: Are YOU Ready to Rumble?

I'm LinkedIn, You're LinkedIn, We're ALL LinkedIn: A Lesson in LinkedIn

How to be a Busy Bee Without Getting Squashed: A Lesson in Time Management and Organization

Commercial Break: The Fall Blog is Coming!

When Squirrels Attack: The Freshmen Survival Guide

Feel the Love

Becoming One With Your Anxiety: Dealing With Graduating 101

Beware Boys and Girls...School Is Approaching!

Noteworthy Article about Internships

The Art of the Midterm Review

Career Search Tactics: Creating Company Profiles

Maintaining Your Network

The Alphabet Strategy

Tree Charts & You...A Visual Approach to Planning for the Future

Helpful Advice for Job Seekers (Part 2 of 2)

Helpful Advice for Job Seekers (Part 1 of 2)

Tips For Your 1st Week on a New Job

A Litte More Q & A With Eva McSpartan

Q & A With Eva McSpartan

Job Seeker Event: Secure Your Job Search

Finding a Job...NOW: Graduating Senior Edition

Some Insights from a Career Search Pro!

The Resume Breakdown (Break it Down Now...)

Tid Bit from Last Week and an Intro for This Week's Entry

Alternative Strategies for Job Seekers

Student Nomad Tips: Packing Like a Champ

**Event for Job Seekers**

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Tips for Successful Relocation

There's Only 4 Weeks of School Left...Now What?!...

Welcome to the SpartanCareerSeeker Blog

Event for Job Seekers