Here at Career Services, we make it our priority to update you about the latest tools available for writing resumes, learning about employers, applying to internships, going on job interviews, etc. Last April, we featured a blog post about the Vault Online Library. It was a great resource then, and it's recently been redone to make it even better.
For people who are unfamiliar with the Vault Online Library, it is summed up nicely on the site's main page:
"Vault is the ONLY career information source with our own staff of more than a dozen industry-focused editors and researchers. Our staff stays on top of the latest developments in their industries through research of all the vital industry trade publications and research tools, as well as our own network of insider contacts, surveys, ensuring that our readers have the best and most updated information possible."
You can access it by logging into WebCenter and selecting “Career Services Web Resources” from the drop-down menu. Then select the Vault Online Library. You’ll need to create a new account by entering your email and filling out a short profile. (You’ll use your email and a password you select every time you access the Vault.) Once you activate your account and log in, click on “Download Guides” at the top menu bar. The PDF guides are organized by section – employer guides, industry guides, and so on. (Just so you know, although the Vault features a lot of information, we're focusing on the guides specifically so as not to overwhelm people. Feel free to peruse the other tabs if you're feeling extra ambitious.)
There are five different categories of guides: Interview & Resume, Career Topic, Industry, Employer and International. Depending upon your interest, you may want to look through just one, or a combination. If you look in Interview & Resume, you'll find guides about more general topics, such as how to craft a stellar resume and cover letter, and also guides about more specific subjects, such as how to ace a finance interview. For Tufts-specific resume, cover letter, and interviewing advice, visit http://careers.tufts.edu.
In Career Topic section, there is a Guide to Schmoozing that may prove helpful for people who feel that their networking abilities could use a little polishing. There are also "View from the Top" guides that feature valuable advice from high level business people, such as "Q & A with Legal Women Leaders."
The Employer guides are some of the most interesting to read. They feature the insider scoop on big name companies in a variety of fields, thanks to information collected by Vault from actual employees. You can the lowdown on anything from the Top 50 Accounting Firms to the Top Media & Entertainment Employers to Engineering Diversity Programs. Obviously, you shouldn't limit your research to the companies located in these guides, but it's a good place to start to get a feel of what sort of environment you'd most like to work in.
The Vault Online Library is a collection of immensely helpful materials. The downloadable guides are terrific because they cover a variety of topics, feature honest testimonials from actual employees, and are portable - read one on your laptop or print one out and stick it in your bag in the morning. You can whip out the Guide to Schmoozing during your coffee break at the Rez, and test out the advice right then and there. Corporate world - here you come.
