STUDENTCALENDAR NOVEMBER 2008
134 Mary Gates Hall • (206) 543-0535
careers.washington.edu
Raise Your Voice!
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elcome to November! What is traditionally a month of thanksgiving also becomes a month of choice every four years, and this year’s presidential election is one of the most historic of our time. The UW Career Center encourages you to study up on the candidates, and cast your vote this November. Your vote is your voice, and it should be heard! At the forefront of many voters’ minds this election season are the economy and job security. The UW Career Center offers tools to help you navigate the ever-changing job market, and assistance in making yourself the absolute best candidate you can be. We’re offering a variety of workshops this month, interactive sessions lead by our career counseling staff. We also have a special event just for seniors, designed to give you the tools and preparation you need to launch successfully into the world of work. We know you’ve got opinions: we see you working the crowds on Red Square and petitioning your fellow students in front of the HUB. So this November, put those opinions to good use: let the Career Center help you make your future great, and make sure you vote for the leader you feel will do the same.
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Q&A With Cisco’s Janelle Sasaki In October, the UW Career Center asked Janelle Sasaki, senior recruiter for Cisco Systems, a few questions. Q:
What was your first job?
A: My first job after graduating from another Pac 10 school (Cal Bear) was to teach English in Japan through the Japan Exchange Teaching Program (JET). It was an amazing experience. I learned about the Japanese culture, language and educational system. And I love Japanese food! Q: How long have you been with Cisco? A: I have been with Cisco for one year. It’s gone by so quickly because I am having fun! Q: What is the best thing about working for Cisco?
Be A Squirrel
A:
By Briana Keller, from the Husky Career Blog
As much as I dread the end to summer sunshine, I love the increased squirrel activity that accompanies autumn. In the past week, I’ve watched squirrels engaged in all sorts of activities. For instance, this afternoon I saw a squirrel sitting on the HUB lawn eating a chocolate chip cookie and I saw another one chasing down acorns as they fell from a tree near Thomson Hall. On Thursday, I smiled when I saw a squirrel sitting on a bench outside Kane just like he/she was a mini-human. So cute! As we move into the heart of Fall quarter, I encourage all of you to embrace your inner squirrel - plan ahead, work hard, and have a little fun! s301008
T he people! My colleagues are smart, collaborative, and highly motivated. I have three mentors that rock! The culture is resultsoriented, dynamic, and fosters innovation. I feel like I am starting college all over again. I am privileged to represent Cisco on top tier campuses like the University of Washington.
Q: Why do you hire at UW? A:
T he quality of the students. We know that UW students are future leaders of this world.
Q: What’s the worst faux pas a candidate can make in an interview? A: Confuse us with Sysco, the Food Company. (Just joking. This happens more at career fairs.) I believe the worst faux pas is not researching the company you are interviewing for, or asking the interviewer questions about the position. Continued on page 2
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STUDENTCALENDAR WORKSHOPS OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS
CAREER FAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Roadmap to Choosing Your Major
Roadtrip Nation at the UW
All workshops, unless noted, are in the UW Career Center (134 MGH).
Learn more about these events throughout this newsletter.
11/3, 12:30-1:30 and 11/5, 5:30-6:30 (both in 191 MGH)
11/5, 10:00-5:00 • HUB Lawn
Internships and Student Jobs
Construction Management Career Fair
11/3, 3:30-4:30
11/12, 12:.00-4:00 • Gould Court
Job Offer and Salary Negotiations
UW Law Fair
11/4, 3:30-4:30 • 11/21, 1:30-2:30
11/18, 10:00-2:00 • HUB East Ballroom
How to Find a Job
Senior Night at the UW Career Center 11/19, 5:00-7:00 • UW Career Center
11/13, 1:30-2:30
Resumes and Cover Letters 11/5, 3:30-4:30 • 11/14, 1:30-2:30 • 11/20, 4:00-5:00
Job Search for International Students 11/6, 1:30-3:00 • 11/19, 4:30-6:00 (490 Schmitz)
Successful Interviews 11/13, 3:30-5:00 • 11/18, 3:30-5:00
Applying to Graduate and Professional School 11/17, 3:30-4:30
Q&A With Cisco (continued from page 1) Q: How many of your college-level hires go on to have long term careers with Cisco? A: I know we have many UW alumni that work at our company. I’d love to connect students interested in Cisco with those alumni. Q: For candidates hired in the Puget Sound area, are there ever opportunities to work abroad?
Search Apply Interview! The UW Career Center’s online job board, HuskyJobs, features thousands of opportunities exclusively for Huskies! You’ll find part- and full-time jobs and internships for all majors and degree levels. Check back frequently. Employers add new opportunities every day! What are you waiting for? Log on now!
huskyjobs http://careers.washington.edu/huskyjobs
careers.washington.edu | (206) 543-0535
Navigate Your Career Options (and get credit)
C o n ne c t io ns
interviews ... internships ... jobs
A: Absolutely! Cisco is a global company with a wide range of opportunities. Employees tend to rotate into new leadership positions every two to three years for exposure to different areas of the business. For example, my co-worker started out in my position managing recruiting and relations for the University of Washington and other Pac 10 schools. Now he’s in Australia managing the Asia Pacific territory of universities.
We know you Huskies can walk the walk, and in our 3-credit Navigating Career Options class, we’ll teach you how to talk the talk. Resumes, cover letters, interviews: these are all tools through which you market yourself during the job search process. To do this effectively, you need to know exactly what skills, strengths, and experiences you bring to the table. Navigating Career Options is offered in Fall, Winter, and Spring by the UW Career Center. If you need the tools to conduct an effective career search in the ever-changing world of work, look no further. To register, look for “Navigating Career Options” under General Studies 350-D. SLN: 13680.
Choose a Major
As if the bleary-eyed, bed-headed 6am registration process isn’t stressful enough, you do actually need to pick classes that will advance your academic career. The UW Career Center can help. Check out our Roadmap to Choosing a Major workshop (careers.washington.edu/students/ calendar). Visit the “Web Resources” section of our website for extensive advice, tips and exploration tools. And don’t forget to stop by if you need one-on-one help. We know that major decisions are just that: major. We can help you make a choice that fits.
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STUDENTCALENDAR Spotlight On Events
myStory: Phil Gore
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emember that dream for your future you had back when you were eight-years-old? Maybe you were going to be a fireman or a teacher or a trapeze artist? Well, just because you were only eight doesn’t mean you weren’t onto something – back then you probably knew your heart, and weren’t in the habit of rationalizing away your dreams. For Phil Gore, the dream evolved from his love of school and wanting to share his excitement with others: he wanted to run a school.
Phil turned to the UW Career Center for help and found the resources needed to clarify his path. There, he took advantage of everything from the Spring Etiquette Dinner, to career fairs, and resume reviews. Phil especially credits the encouragement he received from UWCC counselor Briana Keller in the workshop titled “Crash Course in Decision Making.” As a career changer, he learned to structure his resume to highlight his qualifications rather than concentrating strictly on his experience.
Phil graduated with his master’s in Educational Leadership and took what he refers to as a “leap in faith” resigning as pastor of his church to dedicate himself to his search for a new posiAfter high school Phil traveled tion. When the position of Director of a winding road, studying electrical the Leadership Development Services engineering, music, business adminiswith Washington State School Directration, sociology, tors Association and psychology at a (WSSDA) became Remember when you number of instiavailable, it was a tutions, eventuwanted to be a trapeze natural fit for Phil ally earning his and his passion to artist or a fireman? bachelor’s degree serve. He applied in management at and found himself Maybe you were onto Northwest Chrisin a new and meantian College. A ingful role. something... volunteer experiThe eight-yearence as a youth old who loved school is now the man camp counselor awoke him to the who serves as the liaison between the fulfillment offered in being a pastor, 296 school districts in Washington which became his calling for the next State and the legislature in Olympia. 20 years. It may have taken a while, but Phil has While serving as a pastor in the stayed true to his beliefs and steadily town of Duvall, where he also raised moved towards his goal to run schools. his children, he was again drawn to education and became a member of - Written by Alyce Mallet the local school board. Tugged by the desire to become more involved with the education system, he decided to go back to school at the UW for a master’s degree. But, even though he was passionate about education, he still was not sure where the degree would lead him. Email your story to mystory@u.washington.edu. careers.washington.edu | (206) 543-0535
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Roadtrip Nataion Visits the UW Nov. 5, 2008 – 10:00-5:00 • HUB Lawn Ever notice that monster green RV parked near the HUB? Well, we’d like to send you on a roadtrip in it. RoadTrip Nation will be on campus Wednesday, Nov. 5th to screen their latest DVD, chat with Huskies, and, rumor has it, flip some grilled cheese sandwiches. Stop by to chat with current roadtrippers about their experience, and how you can combine a fantastic travel opportunity with the pesky little task of figuring out what to do with the rest of your life. Want more information on RTN? Check out roadtripnation.com.
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Construction Management Career Fair Nov. 12, 2008 – 12:00-4:00 • Gould Court If you’re looking for internship or full-time career opportunities in the field of Construction Management, you won’t want to miss this annual event sponsored by the Department of Construction Management.
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UW Law Fair Nov. 18, 2008 – 10:00-2:00 • HUB East Blrm Sponsored by Phi Alpha Delta, pre-law fraternity. Representatives and students meet informally to discuss programs and services.
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Senior Night at the UW Career Center Nov. 19, 2008 – 5:00-7:00 • UW Career Center Attention seniors: what do you want to do? How can you figure it out? How can you find a job, or even just start a resume? There’s a lot to take on during your senior year, and the UW Career Center can help! At Senior Night, you’ll hear from a panel of UW alumni with tips on how to navigate your senior year, and hear first-hand how they broke into the job market. You’ll also learn about all the FREE services and events offered by the UW Career Center, which are designed to help you succeed! To top it all off? Pizza!
CAREER QUICKLINKS • UW Career Center Website http://careers.washington.edu • Husky Career Blog http://careers.washington.edu/Blog • Husky Career Toolbox http://careers.washington.edu/Toolbox • Up-to-the-Minute Student Event Calendar http://careers.washington.edu/Students/Calendar
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STUDENTCALENDAR NOVEMBER 2008 A Note From the Director It’s no doubt that these challenging economic times have everyone on the edge of their seat, wondering what’s next. College students and graduates are no exception. That doesn’t mean all is lost, though. If you are a senior or a graduate student completing your studies this academic year, the first and foremost practical action is to plan a well-organized job search campaign as soon as possible (at least two quarters before you plan to graduate).
Susan Terry, Director UW Career Center
Of course, you’ll need a great resume, interviewing practice, a list of job search resources and, last but not least, connections! Need help? Here are some tips to get you started on your active and ultimately successful job search campaign.
Resumes & Interviews You must have a flawless resume and be fully prepared for interviews. Check and re-check your resume for spelling and grammatical errors – just one could land your resume in the reject pile. We have a number of great resources to help you develop a winning search strategy: •
UW Career Center Career Guide – Available online and in the office, you’ll find a full section covering resumes and cover letters.
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Resume & Cover Letters Workshop – Offered each quarter with handouts online.
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Husky Career Toolbox – all the tools you need, online! (http://careers.washington.edu/Toolbox)
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Walk-in Appointments – Stop by to have your resume checked by a seasoned counselor.
Finding Jobs Internships are increasingly used as a tool to hire graduates. So try to incorporate one or more during your schooling. Many recent graduates take entry-level positions to build experience and compete for more attractive positions later – sometimes good experience is better than good pay. Here are some resources to help you find that great career: •
HuskyJobs – A one-stop shop featuring more than 2,400 full- and part-time jobs, internships and volunteer positions just for you. (http://careers.washington.edu/huskyjobs)
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On-Campus Interviewing – Each year, employers conduct thousands of interviews oncampus for entry-level career positions, internships and summer jobs. Sign up today!
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Career Fairs & Events – Meet employers on campus at the many events offered during the year. (http://careers.washington.edu/calendar)
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Peace Corps – Meet with a Peace Corps representative at the Career Center.
Make Connections Networking is still a critical part of finding a full-time job in a tight market. Successful graduates take advantage of every opportunity to meet and interact with professionals in their fields of interest. Need to make connections? Consider these options: •
Husky Career Network – connect with alumni and conduct informational interviews.
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Attend Career Discovery Week, the Husky Career Lunch and the Etiquette Dinner.
Q&A With Briana Keller Sr. Career Counselor and Grad Student Services Coordinator
She’s got a PhD in Counseling Psychology and they call her “Dr. Killer” on the volleyball court. Meet Briana... Q: What’s the most
common question you’re asked by students? A: “I wasn’t able to attend a workshop you hosted. Is there a way to access the materials from the workshop?” The answer is yes! The materials for most of our workshops are on our website. Q: What’s your favorite food? A: Where to begin? Pumpkin pie blizzards at DQ. Seasoned French fries. Mushrooms. Pizza Hut deep dish. Girl Scout Thin Mints. Sugary cereal. Kiwi. Q: What’s your favorite quote? A: “ The worst mistake you can make is to live your life fearing you’ll make one.” Q: What’s on your iPod right now? A: LeAnn Rimes. (I grew up in Kansas where listening to country is normal.) Q: What’s your favorite non-work activity? A: Working with a nonprofit called Cheerful Givers to provide birthday bags to kids living in poverty.
Managing the Stress •
Talk with a friend or family member. If you can’t, talk with a UW Career Center member or another professional you feel comfortable with.
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Contact the Counseling Center at (206) 543-1240 or visit 401 Schmitz Hall.
In closing, attitude, optimism and mixing-up your search strategies are key. Keep focused on what is in your control versus forces beyond it. Dream big and create backup plans along the way to increase your odds of landing an internship or job. Use departmental resources and the UW Career Center, keep an open mind about options and employers and cast a wide-net. Understand that job searching and transitioning from college to work is a ‘process’ – it will take time and energy. You can do it! careers.washington.edu | (206) 543-0535
The UW Career Center newsletter is brought to the students of the University of Washington each month with contributions from staff and students like you. If you have any questions, please contact us through our website or by stopping by. Rebecca Levy, Assoc. Dir. Marketing & Events Nick Morse, Editor and Layout Cara MacMillan, Writer Alyce Mallet, Contributing Writer
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