NOVEMBER 9, 2009
PR SECTION
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dress for success BY SAMANTHA SARACINO | STUDENT ADVERTISING MANAGER, PR WRITER
We all know that first impressions are important, especially when it comes to job interviews. How you present yourself to a potential employer can make or break you. With the economy in the slump that it’s in, you don’t want to be denied a position just because you didn’t know how to dress the part. In order to be treated like a professional, you must dress like a professional. Here are some business attire tips that will be sure to keep you dressed for success and scoring major points with potential employers.
men
Always wear a suit: It should be a solid color— black, navy and dark grey. If you decide to go with a pinstripe, make sure it’s subtle. And powder blue and all white suits are never good, regardless of how good you think you look. Wear a long sleeve shirt: Make sure that the color compliments the color of your suit. You will always be safe with a solid. A Tie: This is a must, but make sure it’s classy and not tacky. Loud, obnoxious patterns are unnecessary. Your employer shouldn’t be more interested in your tie than they are about hiring you. Socks and Shoes: Your socks should match your pants, NOT your shoes. This is one of the biggest mistakes that men make when putting together their business outfits. It is important that the socks are knee length so that when you sit down, no skin shows and the sock blends in with the pants. Also, leather shoes are ideal and make sure they’re polished. Jewelry, Piercings and Tattoos: Little to no jewelry is always recommended; the same goes for piercings. You want to look as conservative as possible. Be sure to cover up any visible tattoos as well. Look Polished: Make sure your hair is neat, face is shaved and limit the cologne. No one wants to hire a mountain man who smells like the cologne department.
women
Suits are a must: Both pantsuits or skirt suits will work and look professional. Keep the color neutral. Stick with a solid black, brown, grey or navy. If you go with skirt, be aware of the length. It should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably. If you go with the pantsuit, the length should be appropriate when worn with heals; not too short and not dragging on the floor either. The Blouse: Coordinate your blouse with your suit. Again, solid colors are always recommended and it should be tailored. Be sure to keep the neckline conservative. No cleavage necessary. Shoes: A classic pump works every time. Keep the height reasonable; save your stilettos for the bar. Make sure the shoe color matches your suit or is a shade darker. Jewelry, Piercings and Tattoos: Little to no jewelry is best. Limit yourself to only earrings, but not the big dangling ones. Also, no jewelry is better than cheap jewelry. Use your judgment. Keep it classy. Take out any facial piercings and cover visible tattoos as well. Keep in conservative. Hair and Makeup: Both should be subtle and natural. Remember that you’re going for a conservative look. Limit the perfume and keep nails manicured, too. Choose a neutral polish and stay away from those dark colors.
Follow these simple business attire tips and you will be sure to make a great first impression during any interview. Remember, the candidate dressed like a professional will be treated like a professional. So be sure to get that professional treatment, and dress for success.
Monday, November 9, 2009 | PAGE B3
Post-Graduation and the Decisions That Await Seniors By Shaina Messer if the Senioritis epidemic hasn’t hit newsstands, it has hit most of us that are graduating in the upcoming year. If you are a fellow senior, you almost certainly have your sights fixated on graduation. I, too, have been restlessly awaiting May. That is, until I realized that I still have some imperative decisions to make for post-graduate life. One decision that all of us have to make is whether to pursue a higher degree of education or to try and land a job right after graduation. My original plans were to go straight into the workforce. I did not want to put any more time, energy or money into another degree. I watched cynically while others applied to graduate programs and wondered how anyone could not be academically burned out. However, after seeing the brutality of the job market that last year’s graduates faced, I found myself signing up for the GRE and making some very daunting pro-con lists that weighed the benefits of graduate school. Graduate degrees can be very beneficial to a career, both for knowledge and financial compensation. How-
ever, financial compensation might not come immediately after graduate school. Work experience is also extremely marketable for any career, even with a higher degree. This means that getting a job after graduation can be valuable, too. So what is the right path? Well, it depends. Goal setting is an important deciding factor for post-graduate pursuits. Once you set some goals for yourself, you should find and contact professionals who have already achieved them. Set up a time that you can pick their brain. Ask them questions about their achievements and get advice for entering their field of work. Their experience might give you valuable insight, not to mention, the benefit of networking. And in this economy, networking is key. You also need to consider if you would go to graduate school for the right reasons. Going to graduate school because the job market is scary and you don’t know what to do are not good reasons. That is something I had to learn. Graduate school is a commitment of your time and money and it is a challenging process. So if you go to grad school, do it because it will benefit you not because you think it is the easy way out. The benefits of going straight from undergraduate to graduate school are that you already have momen-
tum and sharp study skills. Also, most students don’t have a lot of obligations tying them down. If you don’t know what degree would benefit your career, it might be best to gain work experience that can give you a better handle on your goals. Making sure that you have a focused goal before starting your degree will save you a lot of time and money. Waiting to go to graduate school can also give you time to gain financial stability. Whether you decide that graduate school will be a stepping-stone for your career goals or not, it is important to prepare for post-graduate life. If you are unsure what you will decide, preparing for both options will only guarantee that you don’t miss any opportunities. Senioritis has us all gunning for graduation, but don’t forget to look beyond the moment you receive your diploma. Remember to stay focused on your goals and be prepared to make solid, thoughtful decisions. Most importantly, remember that you aren’t alone in wrestling with the weight of your decisions. We’re all going to experience some uneasiness about the future along with the Senioritis bug.
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How to be recession proof
Tips on how to make yourself stand out among the many applying BY SAMANTHA SARACINO | PR WRITER AND EDITOR/STUDENT ADVERTISING MANAGER
College graduation is a huge milestone. After four (or five) years of working hard, staying up late and dedicating your lives to your major, it all comes to an end. Students say goodbye to college and say hello to the real world, the career world. Initially, the thought of getting a job and being completely independent can be scary, but usually, it’s more exciting than anything else. Most post grads are eager to embark on their career and put their degree to good use. Unfortunately, due to the poor economy, students are not looking forward to graduation as much as they have in the past. Students are constantly being reminded about budget cuts, employees being laid off, the lack of job opportunities and the never-ending search to find a job that will simply pay the bills. This constant flow of bad news is discouraging, but until the economy turns around, this is what students will have to deal with when job hunting. Although getting a job after college may seem hopeless, it is not. You simply need to be prepared for what lies ahead. The following advice will help you to be ready for anything this economy plans to throw your way. Get a head start: Waiting until a few weeks before graduation to apply for jobs is the opposite of a good idea. If you want to be sucessful in your job hunt, start early. Eventually, everyone will be applying for jobs, which means more students applying with less of a chance of actually getting the job. Job hunting usually takes about 3 to 6 months, so if you’re looking to graduate and go right into the workforce, you have to start early. Stay positive: This is easier said than done, but it’s true. If you get discouraged before you even begin the job search, it’s going to be that much harder to be successful. “If you don’t get the first job you apply for, congragulations,
Top 10 Resume Tips BY: ALLIE GEIMAN
The average employer spends 20 seconds or less glancing at a resume. Therefore, it must be pristine to even land an interview. Below are some tips to help make your resume shine; courtesy of Dan Parker of Trane Human Resources, the Stuckert Career Center Web site and monster.com. • Limit yourself to one page. List only relevant, recent experiences and activities. • Visual appearance is important. Spend time designing and formatting the resume. It’s OK to use bold font, italics, underlines and capitals where appropriate. Be sure to leave enough white space so that it is inviting to read. • Clearly label sections and order them so that your strongest points are highlighted first. • Target your resume for the job in which you’re applying. Avoid information that may be irrelevant to that particular position. • Use numbers and statistics to quantify information if they are available. • Use strong, varied action verbs to articulate accomplishments and experience. • List your grade point average. Be prepared to discuss it, especially if it’s low. • Draw attention to your experience. Explain what you did and how you helped the situation or institution. It’s all about making yourself look good on paper. • Use statements instead of complete sentences when writing descriptions to save space. • Prepare a cover letter and know to whom to address it.
you are normal. Try your best to accept it and move on,” said Katie Ryan, former UK student and December 2007 graduate. “Just research a new job, apply, follow up and try to keep a possitive attitude.” Network, Network, Network: Networking is key to landing a job and it’s easy to do. Talk to friends, family, classmates, prior co-workers and see if they know of anyone hiring. So many people have gotten job offers this way. Brad Luttrel, former UK student and May 2009 graduate, said networking is what got him his current job. “Start networking now. Send e-mails, call people, and let them know you’re looking for a job. After you contact them, follow up,” Lutrell said. “When a job becomes available, they just might contact you. That’s what happened for me.” Be flexible: Don’t expect to get a job right away. On average, it takes about 3 to 6 months to land a job. You have to be patient and persistant. If you don’t get a job in your exact field of study, don’t fret. That may not be the ideal situation, but it’s reality. “I majored in ISC and now I’m selling ads, but it’s not exactly the side of marketing I thought I would be in,” said Lisa Becher, former UK student and May 2009 graduate. “I really thought I would be working in an agency, but what I’m doing now is actually a better for me!” Internships: Having prior work experience has always been a huge deciding factor for employees. With the poor economy, this is twice as important. If employers are going to hire someone, they’re going to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. It is so important to have completed numerous internships in order to stand out from the crowd. Not only will internships look great on a resume, but it really will give you hands on experience in your field. Revamp your Resume: It is important to keep your resume updated. Make sure you update it according to the job in
which you’re applying. Keep it neat and presentable. A resume is a first impression, so you have to make youself look good on paper. If you can’t wow an employer within the first few seconds of them reviewing your resume, say goodbye to that possible job opportunity! It’s all about presence. Follow up: If you send an employer your resume, make sure you follow up with them. It shows you’re interested in the position. “Right now, companies are getting bombarded with resumes. So rather than getting lost in the shuffle, follow up. The call means you’re seriously interested and may help you stand out from the rest,” said Caitlin Condo, former UK student and December 2007 graduate. Be a Multi-tasker: While employers want to hire people who have experience, they also want to hire people who can do more than one specified task. Because so many companies are downsizing, they need people who can be versatile. If you can do your job and a bunch of other tasks as well, you’re golden and you will stand out. Use your resources: As college students, you have access to so many resources. Take advantage of them. At UK, the Career Center is a great place to start. You can have people look over your resume and cover letters, participate in mock interviews, become informed about job openings, etc. If you do anything before you graduate, stop by the career center or visit their website. They are there to help you. You can also spend some time on Monster.com, Career Builder and Craigslist. Check the classifieds section of newspapers, too. You never know what you’re going to find. Whether you’re graduating this December or May, or you have some time left to enjoy college, these job tips pertain to you. Everyone will be getting ready for the real world at some point, and there’s no time like the present to start preparing.
WALK&TALK
Over the four years you attend college as an undergrad student at the University of Kentucky, it can be easy to get used to the easy-going lifestyle that you live. Most students attend class, go to work, study for exams and figure out what they are doing from Thursday to Saturday. But what happens when you finally receive your college degree and against your will you are sent out into the “real world?” The transition is never easy. Take the advice from these recent graduates on how to succeed in and out of college.
“You don’t have to know all the answers. You just have to know where to find them.”
-Ryan Walker, Accounting
“Enjoy college…your real life begins when you graduate. Just don’t talk about where you want your life to go, but rather get motivated and do something about it!” - Grace Soards, Psychology
“Don’t be afraid of the unknown when you graduate. Life can take you all different directions, but just go with it. You can learn from every experience.”
-Ali Smither, Dietetics
“Make sure you choose a career path that allows you to do what you love. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. If you’re doing what you love, then it’s not really work anyway.” -David Phillips, Marketing
Monday, November 9, 2009 | PAGE B5
Job Hunting Resources Online career engines give students quick results for job search BY: ALLIE GEIMAN| PR!STAFF
Now, more than ever, the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in the everyday job search. In addition to corporate Web sites, tools such as the following three online trade sites offer a helpful medium for job hunters. Each of the following Web sites offers visitors the chance to create an account, with which they can upload a resume and cover letter. Account holders can also look for jobs using comprehensive searches that supply information about hundreds of companies and have access to tips and tricks to aid in the job hunt.
Monster.com Monster’s newest offering, “Communities,” are networks that make connecting and sharing easy. Such communities include MonsterCollege for recent grads, TheApple for teachers, Excelle for women, and Chef’s Blade for those busy in the kitchen. Career mapping gives an interesting visual to finding a solid career “path.” Job titles are represented by dots, and the common courses between jobs are connected with color-coded arrows. Over 100 articles and advice forums cover pressing, professional issues such as getting promoted and benefit information.
Career Builder.com Links to career tests help visitors determine for which job they are best suited based upon questions of interest and ability. Job Alerts notify users when companies flagged by the account holder post job openings. After applying for a position, Career Builder will begin recommending jobs. International services allow visitors to search for careers globally.
CollegeGrad.com Designed for college students and graduates, CollegeGrad.com focuses on retrieving entry-level jobs as well as internships. “Top Entry Level Employers” list offers handy links and information regarding hiring rates and company statistics. Based solely on projected number of hires, the top three employers include Verizon Wireless, Enterprise-Rent-ACar, and Internal Revenue Service, respectively. Access to employee surveys on Vault.com allows visitors to read insider’s opinions of and experience with companies.
PAGE B6 | Monday, November 9, 2009
Keys to a
$uccessful
job interview
WALK&TALK
What do you look for in employees?
“Individuals who are engaged, interested and inquisitive. We look for people who are thinking about the future in terms of a career and will see something through to the end. I like someone who is well spoken, but funny and fun to be around.”
-Carey Smith, Chief of Big Ass Fans
Related majors: Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, ISC, Journalism, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, Mechanical Engineering
“We are looking for people who care about kids, know their subject matter fully, and can interact in a manner that will engage our students. Our goal is high achievement with no achievement gaps.”
-Stu Silberman, Superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools Related majors: Education
““First impressions are the most important. Most times the application is the first impression. Always check spelling and punctuation and have detailed job descriptions. Cover letters are important because it gives you a chance to show your motivation and interest and always tailor it to each specific job.”
-Chuck Embs, UK Employment Specialist
BY: SARAH GEEGAN | PR!STAFF
That time of the year is quickly approaching. After researching numerous job offers, printing multiple résumés and submitting countless applications, many UK students are preparing for the most intimidating part of their job search: the interview. Stuckert Career Center Counselor, Megan Boone, says that focusing on four crucial components of an interview will yield success. These four categories include appearance, attitude, communication skills and qualifications. Appearance
Communication Skills
An interviewee’s appearance makes the first statement to the interviewer. Therefore, it is crucial to present yourself as serious and professional. Boone recommends conservative colors and jewelry. She also advises against wearing strong perfume, cologne, or anything else that may distract the interviewer. “You want to be remembered for what you say, not what you wear,” says Boone. When choosing an outfit, you should evaluate the company and pick clothes that convey an appropriate message to the interviewer. In an interview, first impressions are crucial.
In order to communicate effectively, you must come to the interview prepared. Another common mistake, Boone mentions, is that people do not adequately research the company. Interviewers will ask questions regarding their corporation and their competitors to gauge a potential employee’s knowledge of the industry and commitment to understand the job. According to Boone, there is no such thing as over-preparation. Also, prepare yourself for behaviorally-based questions; questions that require an explanation based on experience. They usually begin with “Describe a time when…” These questions demand much more thought, and you should think over your different achievements and experiences before the interview in order to access and explain them well. Basic tips for good communication also include good eye contact, a firm handshake and good posture. Practicing these different skills with a friend or in front of a mirror can be very helpful as well.
Attitude Interviewers assess your attitude the moment you step through the door. Boone says that employers often ask their receptionists about interviewers’ conduct in the waiting room; therefore, you should be polite, respectful and positive to every person you encounter. Throughout the interview, strive to convey professionalism, a positive attitude and most importantly, a willingness to learn. Highlight your strengths and ensure them that you will work hard and positively to gain whatever skills you currently lack. Your tone of voice conveys your attitude more than anything else. Speak confidently and avoid mentioning your weaknesses. According to Boone, a very common mistake involves students not selling themselves enough or beginning their answers by pointing out a lack of expertise. Avoid beginning answers with phrases such as, “I don’t have much experience, but...” and instead, highlight your achievements. Let your attitude assure the employer that you will be both hard-working and enjoyable to be around at work.
Qualifications By the time you reach the interview stage, you should have a basic knowledge of the skills you will need to do the job. You should visit the company’s website to view the job description and required qualifications. Be ready to answer questions regarding the different skill requirements. Boone recommends bringing extra copies of your resume in case there are multiple interviewers, a list of references, a portfolio of relevant work you have completed and a list of questions to ask the employers. The interview should be a twoway conversation with each person learning about the other. If you come with a list of questions, it shows more interest in the company and it will help you decide whether the job is truly right for you.
The Career Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. Appointments or drop-in visits for counseling welcome.