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8 THE CAMPUS PRESS JANUARY 24 - 30, 2006
I N F OCUS »
Job hunt jum start
At the interview: For goodness sake, do NOT... Refuse to leave until you’re hired. Local police are just a phone call away. ...After observing a picture of the
Word to the wise: Profanity is better left outside a job interview.
Sure, it sounds like common sense. But what if it is ingrained in your social habits, much like those
“um”s and “ah”s we canʼt seem to drop? This week is Career Servicesʼ annual Spring Career Fair, sure to
leave some wishing they had practiced the ABCs of professional preparedness. Whether youʼre in the job
market or not, there is plenty to do to get ready for the day youʼll need to watch that potty mouth.
When: 9 a.m. — 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 25 and Thursday, Jan. 26
Where: UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom
Prepare: Bring your BuffOne card, copies of your resume, and dress in professional
business attire
That’s some nerve you’ve got!
Itʼs normal to be ner-
vous. While some want noth-
ing less than perfect, many
employers expect some jit-
ters. But thatʼs no excuse
to shake and tremble your
way through the interview
process.
“Practice, practice,
practice,” said Jane Rogers,
student coordinator of CUʼs
Career Services.
Mock interviews with
friends, family or an appoint-
ment with an organization
like Career Services are all
ways to be one step ahead.
In addition to practicing the
interviewer’s family, say, “That’s one good looking daughter/son you’ve got there. I’m currently single, by the way.” ...Give evidence to your motivation by saying, “Trust me, I’m driven. Give me one year and I’ll have your job.” ... Say, “So, is my drug dependency going to be a problem?” ...Introduce
Career Services Spring Career Fair
Q and A, brushing up on
self-confidence is essential,
Rogers said.
“Give yourself a pep
talk. You know — ʻI can do
thisʼ.”
Rogers said positive
self-talk before and even on
the way to an interview will
help set the tone for a bet-
ter interaction and greater
confidence.
According to a 2002
study at the Georgia Institute
of Technology, job-seeking
candidates with an optimis-
tic outlook and a higher self-
esteem find more success in
the job hunt. are a little bit less nervous,”
Ann Herrmann, a career said James Herlyck of JR
counselor who works with Engineering. “But arrogance
interested employers through is a big turn-off, too.”
Career Services, also said Herlyck said that some-
practicing is key, but find- times students have unre-
ing a focus is as important alistic expectations of what
as having confidence. If a responsibilities they will
student looking for a job or be given upon entry in the
internship can demonstrate field.
their goals through showing The best way to counter
knowledge and motivation,
an employer will take him
nerves (or a hefty ego) is to
know your stuff. Employers
or her seriously.
But there is such a thing
and job hunt agents said itʼs
important for the applicant
as too much confidence. to study up on the company,
“Employers in general the job and especially on his
are looking for people who or her own focus and goals.
Jessi Gomez,
a senior psy-
chology major,
searches for
a chair at the
Job Search
Planning Day
on Thursday,
Jan. 19, in the
UMC. This event
was arranged
by CU’s Career
Services Center
to help students
get ready for the
Spring Career
and Internship
Fair on Jan. 25
and 26.
CP Photo/Xiaomei Chen
CP Photo/Xiaomei Chen
Chris Ratay listens to audience members
describe their role-playing during his lec-
ture on how to network in job searching on
Thursday, Jan. 19 at the UMC.
Elizabeth Reynolds, a senior communication and elementary education major, introduces herself to Wynne Dillings (left)
and Breanne Massingill (middle) from APEX right after they gave a lecture on Career Fair skills on Job Search Planning Day
on Thursday, Jan. 19.
Search early,
search often
According to Herrmann,
about 150 employers repre-
sent themselves at the annu-
al fall career fair looking to
hire for spring and summer
internships and post-gradu-
ate employment. Some of
the employers donʼt return
for the spring fair, which this
year has about 120 signed
up to recruit.
“Iʼve found students
often donʼt start their job
search until late January,”
she said.
The fall 2006 career fair
takes place Oct. 3. Before
then, attendees should
revamp their résumés, leaf
through employers to find
jobs of interest to them,
research companies and job
descriptions, practice inter-
view skills and expand their
personal network of connec-
tions.
Regarding making con-
nections, it is never too early
to start. According to http://
www.AcetheInterview.com,
up to 70 percent of jobs
are not filled through out-of-
company advertising. That
means getting word out that
you are qualified and on
the job market can play a
huge role in expanding your
options.
“Networking is the best
way to get a job,” Rogers
said.
But Herlyck empha-
sized that a connection alone
wonʼt earn the job.
“No matter what, the
candidate must be quali-
fied,” he said. “Every quali-
fied candidate will have an
equal chance.”
What Not to
Wear, starring CU
“A lot of employers tell
us that CU students are a
lot more casual than other
schools,” Herrmann said. “I
think itʼs just part of the
whole Boulder scene, but
students need to realize they
give off the perception that
theyʼre not taking the job
seriously.”
Some employers say
dress and looking kempt
rank No. 1 on the hire-me
checklist because it is the
very first thing a job appli-
cant will be judged on at an
interview or meeting. Others,
like Herlyck, said that when
looking to hire, appearance
finishes off as less important
than having an ability to do
the work required for the
job. Ultimately, it is impor-
tant to look decent no matter
what.
Herrmann advised
wearing only 2 to 3 pieces
of jewelry to an interview.
A pair of earrings counts
as one. Other accessories
should not be gaudy or too
noticeable. Facial piercings
and tattoos are question-
able, so when in doubt, take
them off and cover them up,
respectively.
Hair on men is bet-
ter kept short or nicely
trimmed. Herrmann said
some employers still do not
allow facial hair, so it is
important to know what the
hiring companyʼs policies
are.
As for apparel,
Herrmann said it is not nec-
essary for women to wear
skirts or dresses, but wear-
ing a suit or coordinated
pants and jacket are, well,
suitable. Career Services
holds a clothing drive every
fall where gently used pro-
fessional attire is available
at a low cost to students.
While itʼs nice to think
fancy clothes and looking
perfect arenʼt significant
factors of whether or not
youʼll be hired, itʼs simply
not true. Does one have to
look absolutely perfect? No,
but trying wonʼt hurt.
JANUARY 24 - 30, 2006 THE CAMPUS PRESS 9
Design and story by
Debra Thiegs
achievement, a few stand-
out scandals have crossed
this way. Has the value of a
yourself with, “Hey, I’m ready to shoot the s*%$ whenever you are. I want this m%&*#! f@$#&% job!” ... High-five the boss when you get the job.
CU degree decreased for it?
Or are CU loyalties stand-
ing firm?
“Weʼve had some nega-
tive feedback from some
employers. Weʼve had
a couple who have said
ʻWeʼre going to hold out for
nowʼ,” Rogers said.
She said most employers
take a sympathetic stance
and realize that CU, on the
whole, is a great university.
“(Bad press) overshadows
the awards that are won, the
everyday student,” she said.
“These are the voices that
donʼt get heard when there
are headlines dealing with
other problems.”
CP Photo/Xiaomei Chen Herlyck and many others
said they do not think the
reports have had any effect
on their companyʼs hiring
Effects of a
process.
If the schoolʼs rep seems
post-bad-press
to have been compromised,
CU degree use it as a discussion piece.
The more you can demon-
strate your knowledge and
Letʼs face it. CU has been critical thought on the issues
less than idolized in the around you, the better.
papers the past few years.
Despite continuous posi-
tive student and faculty
Job Hunt Toughies
-Your GPA is lower than Mike Tyson’s fighting tactic.
Some employers want to see a GPA, some don’t. But it is important to
address it if a GPA could potentially keep a company from hiring you.
“You can always be upfront with a recruiter,” Rogers said.
She added that being honest about a rough semester or two (and includ-
ing why it was so) can be followed up with reasons why it will not affect
employment with them, or by giving evidence of progress made since
then.
“If a student doesn’t have a great GPA and no internship, it’s harder
to catch our eye,” Herlyck said. “But if they have project experience
related to class, then that’s something.”
-You can’t think of an answer to one of those tricky “Why are manholes
round?” questions.
A pause before responding is not a bad thing, said both Herrmann and
Rogers. It is best to take a moment to think, and if nothing comes to
mind, ask to come back to the question after you’ve had a chance to
consider it more.
-You took the wrong exit off I-25 at rush hour, rendering you upwards
of 3 hours late... Okay, 2 hours.
Plain and simple: avoid it.
“Things like that happen,” said Herlyck, then adding that if you are
over 5 minutes late, a call is in order.
Think of it this way: If early -- bonus points. If on time -- no qualms. If
late -- no interview.
Visit the location beforehand to make sure the directions aren’t off and
leave extra early in case of traffic hold-ups.