More Reasons to Get into STEM

Why do we read the news? It presents negativity and fear mongering almost all the time. For instance, I found this video on CNN today, about the world’s worst jobs:

CNN Best and Worst Jobs — According to Career Cast

The good news is (besides the fact I did NOT see a photo of myself there) the flipside presents the world’s BEST jobs, all according to CareerCast. The best jobs for 2013 tend to be in the STEM areas, i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Actuary tops the list, and not surprisingly, software engineer. Audiologist made it to number 4. I wouldn’t have imagined that one at all, so it goes to show that reading is better than guessing.

I would’ve guessed the worst job to be maybe something like taking care of an elephant with intestinal issues, but alas, no.  To satisfy your morbid curiosity, the worst job was determined to be …

Newspaper Reporter

CNN-Career Cast’s Worst Jobs

CNN-Career Cast’s Best Jobs

If you haven’t yet perused CareerCast’s resources, head over to http://www.careercast.com/

Two Very Interesting Articles — We are so Cutting Edge!

About a year ago I read that cover letters are passé. But I keep seeing them, and even see requests for them when submitting things like writing or photos/artwork for publication. To me, they are like the introduction to a book, and your resume is kind of like the table of contents. Don’t ask me what the index is analogous to.  So don’t jump to dump the cover letter, but do stay on top of trends, as they may grow into the accepted standard.

Here’s an interesting article from the venerable Wall Street Journal  on Twitter as a job board, something of great interest to job seekers, and very interesting to those of us in a career services office:

WSJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one more from Forbes on your online presence, your resume, and how they are melding into the same thing.

Forbes

Thanks to Matt Tanner, Assistant Director in the FIU Career Services Office, for these links.

A Belated ‘Welcome Back’ to FIU for Spring 2013

We survived December 21, 2012. Welcome back to FIU for spring. Though it may not feel like spring to the rest of the U.S., remember to enjoy what beautiful clear, slightly cool, bright blue weather we have this time of year. And remember to continue working on putting your FIU degree to work for you by getting everything out of it, and FIU, that you can.

How to start?

Come to Career Bash this Monday, 11am to 1pm, January 28 at the Biscayne Bay Campus.

What’s Career Bash?

Career Bash is an informal day of career help and guidance, not stuck sitting in a classroom (we know you do too much of that already), but outdoors in the Panther Square area. You can walk around and talk about career issues and questions you may have. We won’t corral you into spending the day, or sign you up to do anything you don’t want, so come on by. You might even win a Kindle, but you’ve gotta ask someone working Career Bash how!

Career Bash is also intended to kick off MEGA Career Week. MEGA Week is a series of our professional development workshops offered in an intensive schedule. All this leads up to CAREER FAIR!!! So even if you can’t make it to Career Bash, you can take advantage of our workshops to prepare yourself for Career Fair.

Career Bash Spring 2013

Want to see all the professional development workshops and career events in ONE place!? Why, click here and your want will become reality.

One last thing: Iron your suits, shirts, blouses, etc., and bring your Panther ID and a resume to the Wolfe University Center Ballrooms on Wednesday, February 6, 11am – 3pm for Career Fair. And then do the same thing again on Thursday, February 14, 3pm – 7pm in the US Century Bank Arena for the MMC Career Fair.

FIU News Repost — Internship Profile: Janet Reyes

Here’s a nice report from FIU News about one of the interns our office has assisted:

http://news.fiu.edu/2012/10/internship-profile-janet-reyes/46456?utm_source=News+%40+FIU+Subscribers&utm_campaign=fe211f8704-FIU_News_Oct_12_2012&utm_medium=email

8 Ways College Could Better Prepare Students for the Job Search – U.S. News

Interesting:

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/08/15/8-ways-college-could-better-prepare-students-for-the-job-search-_print.html

 

Fall Semester = Insanity

It seems the fall semester is the craziest time in the Career Services Office. At least for me it is, and I’m pretty sure for my colleagues as well. In chronological order, here’s why:

Blogroll: LaEbony Livingston Takes D.C.

One goal of this blog is to create a useful blogroll (collection of links to other blogs, etc.), concentrating on links of interest to career services, student and alumni jobseekers, and the university community. Here’s one link I will include, but which also deserves special focus. FIU alumna LaEbony Livingston (B.A.in Political Science/International Relations, 2012) worked with us in the Career Services Office on the Maidique campus where she maintained the front desk, looked at resumes, and a host of other “as needed” duties for the office. She recently left us to start her internship in the District of Columbia.

If you are at all interested in what it’s like to have an internship, take a look at her blog: How to Survive on an Unpaid Internship in D.C.

Congratulations, LaEbony!

Congrats to CSO’s Own Future Business Leader of America

Career Services’ Jose Nunez, a peer career coach in our Graham Center office and FIU business student, is one of the winners at the 2012 National Leadership Conference. For details, follow this link. Congratulations, and well done!

Guest Post: What’s it Like to be an Intern?

This guest post is courtesy of Allisha Jenkins, an FIU alumna and Research Assistant for Career Services for Alumni. We look forward to reading more about her internship experiences.

I began the first of three semesters of internships last week. I am a graduate student who took some time off between undergrad and grad school. While I was job-searching after I finished my first degree, I kept running into positions with the same criteria: “X” amount of education plus “Y” amount of experience. Are you serious? How could employers expect me, as a full-time undergraduate student, to achieve “Y” amount of experience when I was spending the bulk of my time earning my “X” amount of education?  Talk about frustrating. After a number of conversations and venting sessions, I began to understand the importance of internships. Where else can I gain useful and relevant experience in the field of my choice while I complete my degree? Plus they’re great networking opportunities, and some even pay or at least offer a stipend. So you mean to tell me if I intern or volunteer regularly in a relevant career field, by the time I receive my degree I will be much more marketable in this already-competitive job arena and can possibly qualify for more than an entry-level position? Sounds like a winner!

Some time has passed between then and now, and I would like to say I’m a little wiser. Now that I’m back in school, l feel like I have a second chance to capitalize on some of the avenues and resources I overlooked during my undergraduate career. My academic program takes care of placing its students in appropriate internships, but not all programs do that. For those who need or would like some assistance, FIU’s Career Services Office has staff dedicated to helping fellow Panthers prepare for and select the internships that are best for them. Give them a call or stop by and schedule a one-on-one  appointment. Also, be sure to attend the Internship Fair on September 20^th, 2012 in the GC Ballrooms!

Allisha Jenkins

YOU CAN’T COME IN HERE DRESSED LIKE THAT!

… yelled the Career Services Office employee to the guy wearing jeans & a t-shirt.

What NOT to wear

I don’t think any of us would yell, but it feels like that when someone in charge tells you that you are not dressed appropriately. I personally have been told that in my life, and I bristled automatically at what I felt was a personal attack. How dare you! So why do we do it sometimes here in Career Services? Isn’t this a state university campus full of students who can express themselves any way they want? It is, but here is the heart of the issue. At events like Career Fair, we want you to treat the event as you would a job interview, because that’s pretty much what it is! If you went to a job interview, you’d basically wear a business suit if you’re a guy, and for women, you’d also wear a suit, either with a skirt or pants. If you dressed carelessly for an interview, it would directly reflect on you! This is not to say you need to wear a $3,000 suit, but you do need to wear business attire to be taken seriously at something like a job interview. At a Career Fair, I personally (as a male) would feel OK in a shirt and tie (and pants!), though a suit jacket would make me feel a bit more empowered. That said, we do allow students to dress “professionally,” which offers options to the typical dark suit, white shirt (or blouse), and tie.

Now for the difficult question: What constitutes “professional” attire and what clothing will keep you out of a career fair?

Here’s where we get A LOT of gray area and differing opinions. Some Career Services professionals say a polo shirt and slacks are fine; others say a full suit only. And what about women’s suits — is a miniskirt OK with a suit? How short is too short? It is Miami after all.

I have to admit there is no firm answer to this. The Career Service Office has over 20 staff members, and that means about 20 opinions about what dress code enforcement should mean. The red graphic is a guide to what will definitely keep you out of Career Fair: sneakers, shorts, jeans, sandals, etc. Otherwise, play it safe; wear a business suit.

If you are now thinking “but I’m not a business major, why should I dress like someone going for a corporate job?” take it from me. I’ve worked at FIU for 15 years. I have no desire to work in the corporate world (nothing wrong with it, just not for me), but I would never wear anything other than a business suit to a job interview, or any event at which I may meet a potential future employer. It’s just tradition, formality, what’s expected, the norm, etc. And as my wife once so astutely said “If you can’t show that you can follow the rules at an interview, how can you be expected to follow the rules at a job?”

If you have any questions about professional attire, ask us at any one of our offices. There may be differing opinions, but we’ll all be likely to tell you to wear a suit! And remember, if you’re denied entrance because of dress, we aren’t trying to be arbitrary snobs. We want you to REPRESENT! — FIU, Career Services, and especially YOURSELF!

What to wear