In this issue: - Accounting Interviews - Fall 2012 Job Fair - Career Spotlight - Mock Interviews
WS U C a re e r S ervices
Hire-a-Shocker Issue 02 / 09 .04.12
Accounting Interview Days:
October is on-campus interview time Accounting firms will be on the WSU campus this October to hold interviews with seniors majoring in accounting and graduating in December 2012 or May 2013. The interviews are for full-time jobs that will start after graduation. All on-campus interview opportunities are posted in Hire-a-Shocker, the online recruiting system which can be accessed through myWSU. Students must have an approved resume in Hire-a-Shocker before they can request an interview. Students must upload a resume by September 10. The staff of Career Services will critique each resume and, if changes are required, students will be notified via email. Students can request an interview through Hire-a-Shocker, if they meet the qualifications required by the employer. The employers will select the candidates to interview and those selected will be notified by email. Accepted students will log in to Hire-a-Shocker and select an interview time. All interviews are held in the Career Services’ office in 203 Grace Wilkie Hall. The attire for on-campus interviews is business professional. Students are encouraged to schedule a mock interview with a career counselor in preparation for the interviews. Call Career Services to make an appointment.
Accounting Interviews On Campus Koch Industries --- October 1, 2012
Allen, Gibbs & Houlik --- October 2, 2012
Ernst & Young --- October 3, 2012
Kennedy & Coe --- October 4, 2012
Grant Thornton --- October 5, 2012
BKD --- October 8, 2012
Adams, Brown, Ball, Beren --- October 9, 2012
Lindburg, Vogel, Pierce, Faris --- October 10, 2012
How do I ace an interview? You practice with a Mock Interview! By Jan Mead
When you go into an interview, you want to go in with all the skill you can possibly muster. How do you best do that? How do you prepare? You practice! A really good way to practice is to schedule a mock interview with one of our career counselors. During a mock interview, we will do our very best to help you feel as though you are in a real interview. We will ask you to come
dressed as though you were going to a “real” interview. We will ask you the same kind of questions employers ask in a “real” interview. We will also give you feedback on what questions you did really well on and what questions you
“Ace the Interview” Kit, available in our office and on our website
need to think about more. We will help you work through answers to the questions that are really difficult for you. You have the opportunity to do more than one mock interview. If your first practice doesn’t go quite as smoothly as
it might, you can do another mock interview with the same or a different counselor. All this being said, there really is no reason not to give yourself the benefit of a mock interview. You will be all the better for it.
The Highest-Paid Majors Among Liberal Arts Grads Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder: www.naceweb.org.
Who are the highest-paid majors among graduates in the liberal arts? Liberal arts and sciences/general studies majors are currently the top paid among graduates in the liberal arts, but not by much. Liberal arts and sciences/general studies majors have received a median salary of $38,300 followed closely by history majors with a median salary of $37,500, according to results of the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) April 2012 Salary Survey. While NACE notes that it’s early in the salary-reporting cycle for Class of 2012 graduates, the results do show that the highest-paid majors in liberal arts are fairly clustered. In fact, all of their median starting salaries are above $30,000, and just $3,500 separates their highest and lowest median salaries. Rounding out the top highest-paying majors for liberal arts graduates are foreign languages and literatures ($37,400), English language and literature/letters ($36,900), and visual and performing arts ($34,800). It is important to remember, of course, that these are national and median salaries - individual salaries vary due to a number of factors, including who your employer is, the nature of the job, and where the job is located. Still, it’s important for you to have some sense of the “going rate.” Check with your career center for additional resources that can help you. (One option for getting salary information for specific occupations: the Job Seeker Salary Calculator at www.jobsearchintelligence.com/NACE/jobseekers/salary-calculator.php.) Whether you’re majoring in liberal arts or any other discipline, make sure to visit the career services office for the most up-to-date
Essential Knowledge... Phone Interviews The phone interview might be the first chance you have to actually speak with a recruiter. He or she will be listening to see if you sound as good as you look on paper. - Smile while you talk; it makes a difference in your voice. - Don’t use the speakerphone. - Don’t chew gum, smoke, drink or eat during the interview. - Your manner should be professional and self-confident, yet friendly. - Always send a thank-you note requesting an on-site interview.
information about the job market for college graduates.
Career Coffee Blog...By Jan Mead Opportunities It’s a brand new semester and a brand new year. Full of possibilities and fresh starts. If you are new to WSU, we welcome you. If you are returning, we welcome you back. It is probably a fair guess you are here to increase your chances of landing the job you want as a result of your college education. Please don’t assume that it is a given. You will face lots of stiff competition when you leave WSU to join the ranks of full time college educated workers. Those of us in Career Services hope you will use your college days to develop yourself into a person who will stand out from other job candidates in your field. Here are some tips:
Career Spotlight: Medical Lab Scientist Interested in the medical field but don’t want to work directly with people? Medical laboratory science is a growing area that provides doctors and other health care professionals with the laboratory information they need to make medical decisions. Medical Laboratory Scientists, sometimes called Clinical Laboratory Technologists, run many of the behind the scenes diagnostic medical tests such as blood matches, testing blood for drug effectiveness, and analyzing blood, tissue, and cells for bacteria and parasites. They also assist other medical professionals in evaluating test results.
Over half of Medical Laboratory Scientists work in hospitals while the rest work in physician’s offices or with diagnostic companies. People with strong analytical judgment, problem solving skills, attention to 1. Earn good grades and get experience related to your major and/or career goal. 2. Learn to work with other people and to be a “team player.” 3. Join organizations and be an active member. Also, develop leadership skills. 4. Get to know people. Your instructors, fellow students, and employers who come to campus. College offers you the opportunity for so many experiences. Take advantage of them. I wish you an exceptional semester!
detail, laboratory experience, coordination, and strong visual skills make excellent job candidates. If this sounds like a job you would enjoy, the first step is to find a Bachelor’s level program in Medical Laboratory Science or Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Employers may also hire candidates with Bachelor’s degrees in laboratory science such as Chemistry or Biology. However, more specific programs often include invaluable hands on clinical experience as part of the coursework.
Requirements to practice as a Medical Laboratory Scientist vary from state to state and may require an additional certification or licensure test. For more information, check out the website for the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science http://www.ascls.org/?page=career_toolkit. To learn more about WSU’s program by visiting http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=chp_mt&p=/index.
The All New Fall 2012...
JOB FAIR
Important considerations for all resumes -
The Fall 2012 Job Fair will be held in Koch Arena from 4:00-7:00 pm on Thursday, September 20. The Job Fair provides an opportunity for students and alumni to network with employers and find out about available jobs. Employers will be recruiting for career positions, part-time and full-time nondegreed jobs, as well as seasonal and temporary jobs. Bring copies of your resume or business cards to leave with recruiters who cannot accept resumes.
Top Ten Reasons to Attend the Fall 2012 Job Fair:
Attending Companies Looking for Majors and/or Departments Business - 29% Engineering - 29% Liberal Arts - 21% All Majors - 21%
Writing a Resume
10. Gain experience marketing yourself to employers. 9. Learn more about your chosen field. 8. Become familiar with companies recruiting at WSU. 7. Recruiters are eager to meet you. 6. It’s free. 5. Assess your career options. 4. Increase your chances for an interview. 3. It’s an efficient and economical way to network. 2. Learn about the job market. 1. To get a job.
Job Fair Prep Party
All WSU students are invited to the Job Fair Prep Party on the Grace Wilkie lawn on September 12 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. If you’ve never been to a job fair or are uncomfortable in networking situations, be sure to mark your calendar so you won’t miss this event. The staff of Career Services will be at the Prep Party offering tips on how to prepare for the fair, including handouts on what to wear and how to tie a tie. Your resume is the best tool you have in your job search. Career counselors will be available to critique resumes. Bring a copy of your resume for a quick review during the event. Preparation for the Job Fair should include learning about the employers of interest to you. Pick up a list of the companies registered to attend the Job Fair on September 20 so you can study their websites and job opportunities. It’s important to know about the companies before you arrive at Koch Arena for the Fall 2012 Job Fair. Take the time to research companies of interest. “You don’t need to study financial reports, but you do need to have a sense of what service or product the companies provide,” said Karen Gillenwater, event coordinator. “Then you will understand if their is a fit between your skills and the employer’s requirements.” Recruiters can tell which students have been coached by Career Services. Their resumes look good, they know how to dress, and they know how to act appropriately when interacting with recruiters.
FREE Hats --- FREE Resume Critiques --- FREE Goodies
Social Media table at the Spring 2012 Prep Party.
The purpose of a resume is to obtain an interview. A resume is a document of highlights, not a complete history. Think of a resume as a marketing tool you use to sell your experience and qualifications to an employer. Your resume should be absolutely error free. What an employer sees on paper often provides the first impression and is an indicator of the caliber of job you will do. Employers spend 15-20 seconds scanning each resume. If you want yours to pass the skim test, make sure it is clear, concise, well organized, easy to read and professional.
Resume Tips - All information on a resume is fair game for interview questions. - Quantify to show the scope of your responsibilities, e.g., number of staff supervised, dollar savings, budgetary responsibility. - Experience gained through class projects can help support your career objective. - Use our “Starter Kit” to help you with other tips for writing your resume, along with having one of our career counselors review your resume during Walk-In Hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm.
Hire-a-Shocker If you’re looking for a job, you need to check out Hire-a-Shocker, our online recruitment system. Post your resume and search for part-time, full-time, degreed and nondegreed positions, including oncampus opportunities. Hire-a-Shocker also shows which employers are coming to career events and allows you to apply for on-campus interviews.
Other Employers Interviewing On Campus Comptroller of the Currency --- September 17&18, 2012
Edward Jones --- September 26, 2012
Northwestern Mutual --- October 11, 2012
Mutual of Omaha --- October 18, 2012
Hawker Beechcraft --- October 24, 2012 To sign up for on-campus interviews, log in to your Hire-a-Shocker account and click on the “Sign Up for Interviews� tab at the top of the page. Please contact us if you are having trouble signing up for interviews.
Fall 2012 Events In the next issue: - Fall 2012 Job Fair - Elevator Speech - Career Spotlight - Dress for Success
Office Hours Monday & Tuesday 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sept. 5 - Job Fair Prep Party 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Wallace Hall Lobby
Wednesday through Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sept. 10 - Job Fair Prep Party 10:30 am - 1:30 pm Clinton Hall Lobby
Walk-In Hours
Sept. 12 - Job Fair Prep Party 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Grace Wilkie Lawn Sept. 20 - Fall 2012 Job Fair 4:00 - 7:00 pm Koch Arena Sept. 27 - Design of Networking 5:30 - 6:45 pm Beggs Hall Lobby Oct. 1-10 - Accounting Interview Days, sign-up required Oct. 9 - Sales Panel 5:30 pm Clinton Hall 206 Nov. 8 - Education Career Fair - Hughes Metropolitan Complex
Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Notice of Nondiscrimination Wichita State University does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, status as a veteran, genetic information or disability. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita KS 67260-0205; telephone (316) 978-6791.
Hire-a-Shocker August Stats Degree Preferred - 39% Degree Required - 34% No Degree Required - 20%
1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, KS 67260-0042 316.978.3435 - career.services@wichita.edu www.wichita.edu/career
On-Campus - 4% Seasonal/Temp/One Time - 2% Volunteer - 1%