Post-Career Fair Tips

Last Wednesday, 2/10, the Career Center hosted its annual Spring Career Fair in Gantcher. There's so much buildup to this event, especially in the Career Center, that it almost feels time to take a break. With the hard part behind us, it'd be easy to do this; but, as any Career Advisor will tell you, follow-up is crucial. So, to prevent filing the Career Fair into long-term memory storage for the rest of the semester, here are some post-Career Fair tips to make sure you continue to get the most out of the experience.

Send thank-you/follow-up emails. If you spoke with employers at the Career Fair, odds are they gave you their business card - with an email address on it. Be sure to follow-up any conversation with a brief and professional thank you email. The Career Center has some tips on their website (see the "After the Interview" section at the bottom of the page) for writing thank-you emails, but the best advice in my opinion is to be prompt and specific. A good rule of thumb is to reply within 24 hours of your meeting, and be sure to mention specific details from your conversation. Taken together, these steps will increase the probability of leaving a lasting impression in the employer's mind, so that when applications come around, they're more likely to remember you for more than just your awesomely bright tie (a comment I actually got from an employer at the 2014 Fall Career Fair - sadly, it wasn't even my tie).
EXTRA TIP: Attach a pdf of your resume to the thank-you email. This will ensure that the employer receives a copy even if he loses your printed copy from the Career Fair.

Source

Keep up the momentum. Don't just stop at one follow-up email. Send another email a few weeks later about an interesting article in your and the employer's field, or check in to reiterate your interest in working for their company. Repeated interaction will definitely lead to a better professional relationship, and it won't hurt that afore mentioned lasting impression you want to make. However, being enthusiastic is very different from being overly persistent. Be sure not to send too many emails, or you may come off too strong.

Keep records and stay organized.  A good way to prevent yourself from sending too many emails is to keep frequently-updated records of all your encounters with different employers. I'm a big fan of the Excel spreadsheet; keep a column for the employer/contact's name, the dates of your correspondance, and next steps to be taken (submit an application, follow-up on an interview, etc). This will also prevent any name mix-ups or other blunders on your part.

Start getting serious about summer plans. The Spring Career Fair, in my opinion, provides a perfectly-timed wakeup-call for Tufts students across campus to start arranging their summer plans. While many of us might not need this extra push (shout-out to the proactive Jumbos out there, I have no idea how you're real), for most of us the Career Fair jumpstarts us into thinking critically about summer internships and, more broadly, our careers and post-graduation plans. Follow-up after the Career Fair can be for yourself as well as for your new network contacts. Make an appointment with a Career Advisor, browse our website or Jumbo Jobs, and get that ball rolling if you haven't already.

This doesn't have to be you. Come to the Career Center. (For some reason no one likes any of the slogans I propose.) (Source)

This post makes it sound like a lot of work has to go into your Career Fair experience after the Career Fair itself ends. While it's true that you shouldn't put the Career Fair out of your mind once it's over, you don't have to become wholly devoted to follow-up networking. Take little steps at a time - an email here, a 15-minute organizing session there - and it won't feel like some big, intimidating task that requires so much from you. The next baby step you take could lead you to an internship, or even the career, of your dreams.

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Advice for your First Winter Break!

This is for the first years who have never had a Winter Break last more than two weeks. While upperclassmen discuss the Winternships they're doing or all the cool networking and applying they plan on doing, there's definitely a pressure to get some career stuff happening over the break.

Break will be here before you know it! (source)

As first-years (and second-years as well!), this is a good time to "prep" your career. You don't need to be out there working to work on your career development. Working on your career can be something you do from the comfort of your own couch this break!

Aww, the Career Center wants to see you, too! (source)

One resource that will be available to you over the break is the Career Center!  Here are a few ways you can work with them:

1. Have a virtual appointment* The Career Center is open to your questions and resume critiques throughout the winter break. You can call or email any of your questions, and Skype appointments are available as well. Just call so that you can get in contact with the proper person.
2. Have a Skype/phone mock interview* Not only is it important to practice how to conduct yourself during an interview, but there are specific things to practice during a Skype/phone interview as well! Here's some helpful tips on the different types of interviews from the Career Center website.
3. Come on in! If you're local, come say hi to the Career Center! It's a bit slower this time of year, so there is more availability for appointments. Again, just call beforehand.
4. Check up on our job/internship opportunities. Each day, employers are adding new opportunities for Tufts students for internship and job positions. Stay tuned!
5. Look through our resources! The Career Center website has sooo much to offer on its own, including the Winter Break Guides for each class year.   If you ever get tired of your Facebook newsfeed, try switching to the Career Center website! We have resources for internship search, job or fellowship search, tips for resumes and cover letters, and so much more <-- so many hyperlinks!! :D

(*You can make an appointment by calling: 617-627-3299)

Whenever you're done with...whatever it is you're doing...(source)

A lot of what you can accomplish career-wise over break won't take more than a couple spare hours a week. Whenever you find time between Netflix episodes, maybe sit at your hometown café and leisurely work on one or a few of these career necessities:

1. Create/Update your resume. This is especially important for freshman and sophomores who may not even have a resume. Without a resume you can't apply for a internship, and if you don't keep it updated, it could be a disaster trying to make changes right before a deadline!
2. Create a LinkedIn profile. In the similar vein of having a resume, LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals and get noticed by recruiters. 
3. Look for summer opportunities. Maybe the deadline is far away, but winter break is the perfect to start looking. Hopefully by next semester, you have a narrowed down list of opportunities that you can start applying for. And of course, you can bring this list to the Career Center for help on apps!
4. Look at the Alumni page.  Tufts Alum extend to all career fields, and rest assured, there's nothing people love more than talking about how they got to where they are today. Send out a few e-mails asking for informational interviews and see what happens. But don't be too sad if they don't respond--it is the holidays after all...

There are a lot of important things to get done around break (source)

Speaking of the holidays, remember: It's still break! You deserve to laze around and enjoy your time with friends, family, and probably TV. Here's a list of non-career activities that I suggest:

1. Do absolutely nothing for at least one full day
2. Watch Netflix all day and night until other people think I've died
3. Visit friends and family to reassure them that I'm alive
4. EAT HOMECOOKED FOOD!!
5. Read a book! 
6. Probably hug your dog/cat/gerbil/fish/pet rock (I have no pets--not even a pet rock, so I'm very jealous)

If you try to get a little bit of career work done each week, by the end of the break, you'll be surprised by what you bring to the Career Center next semester.

Get pumped for the holiday season! (source)

Enjoy your time at home! It's been great spreading Career Center cheer throughout this semester~~

Thanks for reading and see you in January!

Nina Joung

Class of 2018

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Notes from the Career Fellows Open House

Last Monday, the Career Center held its first Career Fellows Open House. There was food, games, raffles - but most importantly, great conversation. In addition to serving as the campus debut for the Career Fellows program, this event was a great way for the Fellows - myself included - to connect with students of all years and majors, answer questions, and explain our role in the Career Center. Following suit, this post will serve as a synopsis of Monday evening and also help to clarify what the Career Fellows can do for students.

First of all, I was blown away by the variety of students at the event. From freshmen to seniors, from engineering to arts and sciences, from IR to psychology - it almost felt like a perfectly randomized sample of the Tufts student body. And, across all years and majors, everyone was curious about the Career Center. In addition to mingling with students, the Career Fellows and Career Advisors spent the evening answering students' questions, from "where can I get my LinkedIn photo from the Career Fair?" to "how can a freshman find summer internships?" And personally, I found that many of my answers ended with, "...and if you make an appointment with a Career Advisor, they can definitely help you with any other questions you have." This brings up an important point that the Career Fellows and the Career Center want to make: Career Fellows are not meant to replace Career Advisors. Rather, they can serve as the entry point for a student in the Career Center, a first stop in their journey with the Career Center that can involve an Advisor, multiple appointments, and hopefully a successful end product, whether it's a resume, an internship, or a job. By increasing the number of student faces in the Career Center, the Career Fellows hope to enhance student/user experience.

Some of the food from the Open House. Trust me, it was good.

One of my favorite parts about the Open House was the interactive question/answer boards. For those who didn't make it, there were several poster-size pieces of paper hung around the Career Center with questions written at the top, and markers placed throughout the room so that guests could answer them. Questions included, "What is the scariest interview question/story you've ever had?" and, "What did you want to be when you were 6? What do you want to be now?" (To whoever wrote that they wanted to be a pony when they were six: find me so we can be best friends). One response to the question, "What is your favorite part about the Career Center?" made all of us jump for joy: "Friendly people." Some students are really intimidated by the idea of an appointment at the Career Center - I chalk this up to its association with the scary notion of the future - and a lot of the guests told me that it was their first time in the Career Center ever. One of the biggest goals of the Career Fellows program is to dispel this rumor, and to give nervous students the option for an informal meeting with a peer before getting into the nitty-gritty with an Advisor. If you're one of those students who's avoiding the big, scary Career Center as much as you're avoiding your paper due next week, stop by for drop-in hours or make an appointment to see that, like me when I write papers, you're just making stuff up.

I promise it wasn't this complicated to answer the questions. Well, maybe the one about what you want to be now.

Students weren't the only people in attendance at the Open House; staff members from offices across campus also stopped by for a visit. Mod, another Career Fellow, and I had a great conversation with Donisha Thaxton, the new Area Residence Director for Area 4. During the conversation, it came up that the Career Fellows are interested in doing presentations and workshops in the residence halls, to bring the resources directly to students (especially those in Area 4. AKA South and Lewis. AKA the opposite end up campus. Uphill.). Donisha was incredibly receptive to the idea, and defintely recommended that we follow up with her for future collaboration. We were so happy to hear this, because this is another mission of the Fellows. In addition to increasing student presence in the Career Center, we want to increase Career Center presence in student areas, like the dining halls and dorms. Stay tuned for some future events that you possibly won't even have to put on a coat to get to!

In short, the Open House was a tremendous success. We were so happy to share our space and the evening with the campus community, and there's already talk of more open house-style events in the future! If you didn't make it last Monday, be sure to keep a lookout for the next time you'll be able to eat free food and get some career advice in one night.

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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Be Prepared: The Art and Science of the Interview

With the Career Fair last week, the Career Center feels like a revolving door for on-campus interviews – in the past few hours that I’ve sat in the Career Center typing this post, I’ve seen almost a dozen students come in and out of interviews with at least three different employers. As it’s been a while since this blog has covered interviews, I thought that I’d focus my post this week on the interview process – specifically, on preparing for an interview. I’ve been interviewed many times before, and I even had the opportunity to be an interviewer when the Career Center was hiring a new social media intern last spring. So, here are my tips, supplemented with my experiences on both sides of the interview table, on interview prep.

What you can avoid by doing prep work!

Practice answers to common questions. Interviewing is just talking about yourself, right? I do that all the time, right? I don’t really need to rehearse talking about myself, right? WRONG. No matter how confident you feel about the position you’re applying for, interview prep is a must. Of all of the interviews I’ve had in my life so far, all of the ones that ended in me not getting the position were ones that I didn’t prepare for. Write down and practice a small script to answer questions you know will be asked – common ones like “Tell me about yourself” and “Why are you interested in the position?” Even if you can’t recite your answer from memory, having a few well-constructed phrases in your head can improve the cohesion and clarity of your answers, and leave a stronger impression on your interviewer. If this feels unnatural, practice your answers until they become natural.

Do your research. If you want to show an interviewer that you’re suited for their position, you need to demonstrate that you know what the position and/or organization is all about. You might even get a few questions about the company or its products that you’re expected to answer, such as “Who’s our CEO?” When I was helping with the interviews for a social media intern last year, one of the most common questions we asked interviewees was whether they’d read our blog and if they had a favorite post. The candidates who had read the blog stood out much more to us. A quick tip that I've found really helpful for interviews is to read the company's mission statement. Then, match your experiences and skills to parts of the mission statement to show that you are a great fit for the organization.

Review and update your resume. Your interviewer will have your resume in advance, and will most likely have a copy of it with him/her when you arrive. (Extra tip: be sure to bring copies of your resume so that you can offer one to your interviewer if they don’t have one!) Because of this, it’s important to know what’s on your resume, and to be prepared to verify and discuss every line of it. Make sure it’s up-to-date and accurate – stop by the Career Center for a resume critique if you want an extra pair of eyes on it!

Pick out your interview outfit in advance. This is a common tip, but it’s so easy to do and so worth doing that I had to mention it. Picking out an outfit on the day of the interview is just additional stress that could take away some of your energy from the interview, and that’s the last thing you want.

Whether it's an interview or a first date, make sure you're putting as much thought into your outfit as Leslie Knope.

Make sure you know where the interview is, and give yourself enough time to get there early. One of the worst ways to start off an interview is to be late; in addition to making a bad impression, it can stress you out and make you feel flustered and unprepared. To avoid this, make sure you know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and how long it’ll take to get there. Leave early to account for any unforeseen traffic or other delays. If the interview is on-campus or nearby, you might even want to go to the location beforehand, just so you can be certain when the big day arrives.

The purpose of interview prep is to minimize stress during or immediately before the interview, and thus to improve your confidence and your chances of having a successful interview. For more tips on interview prep, and interviews in general, check out the Career Center’s website – they have a whole page devoted to interviews! But, as we all know too well, there's more on the Internet than just the Career Center website. There are all sorts of interview dos and dont's lists out there - like this extensive one from LinkedIn. Interviewing may seem easy, but there’s an art behind it that, if mastered, will really set you apart and let you present the best possible version of yourself to an employer.

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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Get on the Elevator: Networking at the Career Fair

Get excited, y'all - the Fall Career Fair is less than a week away.

Nina and Nicole are writing great posts about the Career Fair experience as a whole, so I thought that I'd dig a little more into one of the more confusing and stressful parts of the Career Fair: the talking part. In the professional world, "talking" goes by the fancier name of "networking". And for some reason, giving it a fancier name really freaks some people out. But networking is nothing more than talking with the right people.

At the Career Fair, networking takes on a short and simple form, affectionately referred to as the elevator pitch. The elevator pitch is a brief (20-30 seconds) speech about yourself, your interests, and your goals that you can use to begin a fast conversation with an employer. Given the massive amount of people employers have to talk to in such a limited amount of time, the elevator pitch is both a networking tool and a solution to a classic problem. However, this brevity is exactly what makes the elevator pitch so difficult for students to grasp. How can we summarize ourselves in a single soundbyte?

Fortunately for us, there are Career Center tips and resources that are available to master the elevator pitch. These will come in handy not only at the Career Fair, but in other professional settings in which networking must be done quickly. (Remember, 75% of jobs are found through networking, so this is not something to shy away from!)

Prepare it in advance. As college students, we're no strangers to procrastination and winging it. Most of us probably never even think to practice and prepare an elevator pitch beforehand. But the elevator pitch is one thing you really don't want to improvise. First impressions are everything in networking, and if your elevator pitch sounds sloppy, it could mean bad things for your relationship with employers. Think about yourself, what you want employers to know about you, and how to express these things, and incorporate them into a concise, clear script that you can practice (out loud!) beforehand. You might even want to tailor your pitch to different companies if the fields they come from or the positions they're offering vary.

Check out the Career Center resources. As always, the Career Center can be your best source of information for elevator pitch development. Their networking guide has a section devoted to elevator pitches and how to prepare them. Additionally, there are some great video resources on the Career Center website that you can utilize. These resources, Candid Career and Career Spots, include videos specifically for preparing an elevator pitch and navigating a career fair. Check them out for some great advice from members of the professional world.

Relax when the big day arrives. The Career Fair can be a stressful event. So many students, so many employers, and all of them are talking about the big and scary future. The simple experience of being in Gantcher, with all your suited-up peers swarming around you, can overstimulate you into panic. But don't let it affect you - if your voice comes out shaky and fearful, you won't leave a recruiter with an accurate representation of the suave and confident person you are (when you're dancing alone in your room). Remember that you introduce yourself to people all the time - and it's even easier now that you know exactly what you're going to say.

I talk the talk a lot on this blog - more faithful readers might even fall under the (mostly false) impression that I'm a put-together person who's right on track and has all the career development answers. But rarely do I walk the walk - mostly because it's hard to show walking via blog posts. So, I'll try to change that by sharing with you a sample elevator pitch - one that I crafted for last year's Career Fair (and have since updated) for myself. Although this is by no means a perfect example, or one that you should use a template (everyone's elevator pitch is different), it can give you an idea of what students can say to establish a first connection with an employer. Here it is:

"Hi, I'm Sean Boyden. I'm a current junior at Tufts, majoring in biopsychology and community health. I'm looking to enter the healthcare field, likely a clinical position, and would love to hear any advice you have or opportunities you know about for people in my position."

My elevator pitch is one that's clearly used by a college student - if I were looking for a full-time job, it would probably be more sophisticated (or targeted to a specific position an organization is recruiting for at the career fair). But, this is what I came up with, what I practiced, and what I said (and continue to say) to employers. I hope that, in seeing mine, you realize that an elevator pitch is not some vague, abstract concept - it's an easy little blurb that, while simple at first glance, can really make a difference in your professional development.

So before you trek to Gantcher next Wednesday, make sure that you bring your game face, your resume, and a well-prepared elevator pitch.

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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This Is It (Sort of)

I hate to reminisce. Really, I do. I’ve had some great memories, but looking back on them always makes me more sad than anything else. Bittersweet has always tasted just a little too bitter for me.

But, when I sat down to write this, my last post for the academic year, I couldn’t help but click back in time to the first post that I ever wrote for the Career Center. In that post, I wrote about the trials and tribulations that faced me and my fellow 2017-ers, from declaring a major to fighting the sophomore slump. I said that although I thought (for a long time) that I knew what I wanted to do, I was questioning my life plan, and hoped that I’d be able to solidify a career (or at least a career field) by the year’s end. I spoke of the “utter confusion” that young college students must wade through during these dangerous transitional years.

And, for the first time, reminiscing made me so, so happy. I thought back to who I was last September, and who I am now, and I am so proud of the progress I’ve made. I (finally) declared my major; I did some serious soul-searching, and came out the other side a much more self-assessed person; and I have a *very* tentative idea of what I want to do for a career.

I was fortunate enough to cover a lot of ground with my posts this year. I was able to attend and write about the Etiquette Lunch, the Fall Career Fair, the Spring SciTech Fair, the Sophomore Career Seminar, and more. I reviewed some common resources the Career Center offers, like tips on writing a resume, tools for finding internships and volunteer experiences, and suggestions for navigating the application process. Through it all, my career (and personal) journey was a common theme, from my posts about declaring a major, the sophomore slump, and the quarter-life crisis. And, with the Career Center’s help, I’ve made some pretty big discoveries and decisions. I've learned that although I can be introverted, I want to work with people and make a difference. I’ve learned about all the possible career fields that are available to me, and since choosing the health field, I’ve discovered the near-infinite ways I can enter it. I’ve developed my written communication skills and ability to work independently and in a team. But most of all, working for the Career Center has allowed me to utilize my passions and skills in a job that I love and look forward to doing – what more can one want?

The Career Center has helped me immensely with my personal career development. With their guidance, I’ve been able to find some incredible summer opportunities. This summer, I’ll be a clinical research intern at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, working with patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis to determine the root cause of their pain. I’ll also be working in an animal behavior research lab here on campus, helping a graduate student with her study on the effects of invasive bee species on local bee populations. For so long, I’ve wondered whether I want to go into human or animal medicine; hopefully, my experiences this summer will shed light on what it really means to work with patients in a clinical setting, and I’ll be able to determine whether it’s the right environment for me. Either way, I am so grateful for these opportunities, and the people at the Career Center – especially my supervisor, Nicole Anderson –  who have not only helped me secure these positions, but have been incredible role models and sources of guidance all year.

Right about now, you might be thinking, "Wow, this kid certainly has a lot to say about himself. But how is this relevant to me or the Career Center?" Well, this is one of those "if he can do it, anyone can" scenarios. I hope that from my experiences with and writings on the Career Center, I have inspired students - especially first-years and sophomores - to seek out the Career Center and all it has to offer. Your future doesn't have to be this big scary idea that you'll worry about once you graduate - with the Career Center, you can come in at any point in your own career development story, and find support, advice, and guidance from a qualified professional. The Career Center shouldn't be a place that you only go to during your senior spring when you're trying to apply for jobs or field offers - you should utilize its resources to the greatest possible extent. And, as my story (the first part of it anyways) proves, if you do, you will not be disappointed.

Well, here we are. The end of my last blog post.

Just kidding! Did you really think the Career Center could shake me that easily? The summer will be fun, but I’ll be back with more TV references than ever next fall, continuing my post as a Career Center Social Media Intern. I’ll also be working even more with the Career Center as a Career Fellow, a new program being launched that will feature students (like me!) helping other students with their personal career development, both through one-on-one meetings and group presentations. So although I may be leaving a me-shaped hole in your hearts for a few months, fear not, readers! I won’t be gone for long, and I’m so incredibly excited to continue this project that has already done so much for me as a budding professional and person. So it’s not a goodbye, but a “see you later”. Good luck to all with your summer plans (whatever they may be), and I’ll see you soon.

Until next time (and there will be one),

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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Post-Snowpocalyptic Updates and Preparations

Actual picture of me walking to class this week.

If you’re reading this, congratulations! You’ve survived the “SciFi original movie”-level of snow that’s been dumped on the northeastern corner of the country, and have either emerged from your igloos or managed to build one in an area with a good wifi connection – either way, a real accomplishment. With all the recent cancellations, it may seem like the Career Center – or even the entire campus –  hasn’t been up to much lately. As you may know if you check the Career Center’s website or read the Career E-news, this is NEVER the case. The Career Center always has opportunities abounding for students, even freshmen and sophomores who aren’t decided on a career path yet. Here are just a few of the Career Center’s upcoming events, and why you should make it a priority to go to each of them:

Resume Critique Day: Mon., 2/9, 4-7 p.m.

With the upcoming SciTech Fair and Spring Job and Internship Fair, there is no better time to get your resume critiqued than now! For those of you who have never been, it’s a simple, incredibly fast process (appointments usually last around 10 minutes) with a qualified career counselor who will teach you how to make your resume describe the best possible version of yourself. For all the skeptics (looking at you, inquisitively-minded science majors) who are pondering if 10 minutes’ worth of changes will really make a difference in your resume, check out this Forbes article that lists some of the most common reasons resumes get rejected. You more than likely have one of them on your resume, especially if you’re a college student new to the world of job searches. You can also always have your resume critiqued during the Career Center’s drop-in hours (check out the website for daily times).

Tufts SciTech Fair: Wed., 2/11, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Gantcher Center

The Tufts Science and Technology Fair is a career fair specifically oriented to students pursuing careers in the STEM fields. For engineers and other science majors, this is an incredibly lucrative opportunity to explore different job/career prospects, especially if you felt that the Career Fair last fall didn’t have enough opportunities for STEM careers. Over 100 companies are attending, and you can search them by alphabetical order, job type, or, most conveniently in my opinion, by major.

Tufts Spring Internship and Job Fair: Wed., 2/11, 5-7 p.m. in Gantcher Center

If you haven’t found a job or summer internship yet, or didn’t make it to last semester’s Career Fair, here’s your chance! Like the SciTech Fair, the Spring Job and Internship Fair will boast over 100 companies with job openings, only more spread across such diverse fields as business development, writing, IT/web design, and government jobs (including both the CIA and FBI – very cool). This could be the break you’ve been waiting all year for!

In addition to checking out these events, be sure to take advantage of all of the resources at your disposal. Here are just a few examples of the resources available:

• Research jobs/companies on JumboJobs or from the lists of attending companies on each fair’s web pages. You want to be sure that you are thoroughly informed for whichever fair you attend.
• INTRODUCING . . . the super-new-ultra-fancy-high-tech Tufts Career Fair App! The Career Center released an app for any smart phone that will provide all the information you need on the upcoming career fairs. Instead of printing out paper booklets (what are we, Neanderthals?), the Career Center has gone digital, making it incredibly convenient to learn about the fairs before or during them. 

This picture of pasta comes up when you Google image search "JumboJobs". C+ work, Google. 

Finally, let's review some key tips and tricks for making the most of the upcoming Career Center events. If you're a faithful reader of this blog, some of these points may seem like review, in which case you should reevaluate how well you're doing them and consider what you could do better this time around.

If you had only an
elevator ride to convince
someone to hire you, what
would you say?

Practice, practice practice. It may not be as fancy as Carnegie Hall, but be sure to have a clear idea of how you will present yourself before you get to Gantcher. These spring fairs are the perfect time to update your self-pitch as well as your resume. For further reading, this Forbes article is a great guide for building (or remodeling) your elevator pitch!
 Come with a plan. Make a list of all the companies/booths you'd like to stop at, and order the list for maximum organization. I've found that when I have a solid game plan in place before I go to an event like a job fair, it can help with calming the nerves and getting flustered or overwhelmed.
Make eye contact, smile, and be confident! These don't warrant an explanation; they're just good last-minute tips to tell yourself before you take the big leap.


You may notice a common theme throughout the list above. This blog has had many posts highlighting the importance of preparation in all aspects of career development (and in life in general). Nevertheless, here it comes again: preparation is the key to success. Be sure to take advantage of any or all of the resources listed above, as well as the dedicated and capable Career Center staff!

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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Bridging the Gap: The Career Center Student Advisory Board

Last Wednesday, I attended the kickoff meeting of the Career Center’s newly-formed Student Advisory Board. This organization consists of around 20 students, myself included, from all academic years and disciplines, as well as several representatives from the Career Center—Senior Associate Director Donna Esposito, Associate Director Robin Kahan, and even Director Jean Papalia joined us! The group focuses on improving the relationship between the Career Center and the Tufts student body, and ensuring that the student voice is heard in the Career Center. It was an exciting evening, filled with introductions, pizza, and bucketloads of brainstorming new ways to make the Career Center more accessible to students. By the end of the hour, there were pages and pages of ideas proposed, ranging from broad and far-reaching to detail-oriented. In keeping with one of our main goals, I thought I'd take this chance to increase awareness of the Student Advisory Board, and share some of the discussion topics from our first meeting. 

As a quick aside, many colleges and universities across the country boast Student Advisory Boards in their Career Services departments, and they have been shown to yield benefits for staff and students alike. The Career Center has had intentions to start a Student Advisory Board for years, and was very pleased with the positive response they received from students (in the form of many applications). Donna mentioned that other universities in the greater Boston area have tried to start Student Advisory Boards in their Career Centers but have had little success, so the formation of this group at Tufts is a great example of the pride Jumbos take in making their home a better place!

Jumbo Pride!

Increasing awareness. Right off the bat, several suggestions pertained to increasing awareness of the Career Center’s usefulness to students. One of the main reasons I joined this group was the lack of utilization of the Career Center by many of my friends that I’ve observed since I began working here. A lot of students aren’t even sure about what the Career Center does. One of the board members explained that she applied for the board because she had never set foot in the Career Center before, and wanted to provide this perspective (which, along with all others, is welcome!). Several other board members offered suggestions for services that the Career Center already provides. The board agreed that a key facet of our work will be the increased promulgation of Career Center services, events, and functions throughout the Tufts community.

International attention. A good number of the board members are international students, and have used the Career Center to a varying extent. They emphasized the importance that the Career Center should place on tailoring some services specifically for the international student population—a significant portion, given the pride Tufts takes in its internationalism (just look at the first paragraph of the Tufts Wikipedia page!). The Career Center has already begun this process—for the first time this summer, Career Center summer internship grants will be awarded for students who accept internships abroad as well as in the US, meaning that international students can go home for the summer and receive payment from Tufts for their internships! Now that the board has voiced its support, the Career Center will be able to do even more to extend its reach to international students.

Broader focus. Many board members noted that companies at the Fall Career Fair belonged to a select few career fields (consulting/finance, data/IT, etc.). Although Robin pointed out that this was because only specific types of companies are prepared to recruit employees in the fall, the idea of a broader focus presented itself in other suggestions; someone else proposed the idea of a workshop series that focuses on all levels of career development, from the basics of career planning to more advanced shadowing opportunities and company tours. Although this seems like a lot to take on, expanding the scope of the Career Center is perfectly aligned with the Student Advisory Board’s mission statement, and will likely be the crux of our work.

The above list, which only covers some of what we discussed last week, is ambitious to say the least. It is unlikely that we will accomplish everything mentioned in our kickoff meeting by the end of the academic year. But as Donna explained, there is no limit on what can and cannot be done, and all suggestions are welcome. The potential of the Student Advisory Board is immense, and it can become whatever we want it to be, which in my opinion is the most exciting part of being a member. In the short-term, board members will be interviewing several friends each about their perceptions of the Career Center over the next few weeks, and reporting their findings at the next meeting later in the semester. Once we have a larger data set, we will be able to move forward and make a real impact on the student-Career Center relationship. Stay tuned for more information on this great new organization!

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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A Trial Run: Why I Attended the Career Fair as a Freshman, and Why You Should Too

For those of you who have been living under a rock, the Tufts Career Fair is this Wednesday, October 1st!

Are you as excited as Spongebob?
(Source)

In Nicole’s introductory post for the social media interns, she mentioned that I attended the Career Fair last year as a freshman. The experience was daunting, I’ll admit—walking around Gantcher surrounded by upperclassmen and employers all dressed in full business attire was not how I’d anticipated spending one of my first days on campus. In the end, though, the experience was so valuable that I recommend all underclassmen attend the Career Fair, at the very least for the opportunity to get the wrinkles out of your fancy clothes (which most of you probably haven’t worn since Fall Gala). I had many questions about what to do, what to say, what to wear—anything and everything (I’d been a college student for a month; adulthood is a rough transition). Most of these questions were answered simply by my going to the fair and experiencing it firsthand. Here are some of the questions I had, and my answers to them so that you’re slightly less clueless than I was.

Should I do any prep work?

The first time I even heard about the Career Fair last year was on the day it was happening, when one of my floormates walked by my room in a suit and asked me if I was going. I hadn’t been planning on it, but on a whim I offered to go with him and headed down to the fair. Although I wasn’t exactly looking for a job, I soon learned that this is not the proper way to approach a career fair. It’s important to do research on the companies that will be there, and maybe even make a prioritized list of employers that you plan on speaking with. It’s also important to prepare what you’ll say to employers. You may want to draft a small 30-second blurb about yourself and your interest in the organization, and practice it a few times beforehand.

The Career Center has myriad resources to aid your preparation, including a list of all the companies that will be at the fair—take a look at it here. If you couldn’t make it to the Prepare for the Fair event this past week, have no fear! There is a video series on the Career Center website featuring actual employers discussing this topic and many others. These videos are only 3 minutes long and full of great information. 

What do I wear?

(Source)

The ultimate question, and one that causes a surprising amount of stress for a lot of attendees. I had no idea what to wear last year, so I threw on a nice(ish) shirt and some slacks and hoped for the best. When I got to the fair, however, the majority of people were in suits or sports coats, with very few casually dressed people. For underclassmen who aren’t as concerned with finding a job, it isn’t extremely important that you wear business attire, but definitely don’t show up in jeans. It’s better to overdress than underdress, and overdressing might even leave a more lasting impression on employers. Use your judgment, and accept the blazer.

If I’m not looking for a job, what should I do? Why am I even bothering?

At the first table I approached, the employer made it clear that he was only looking for juniors and seniors and seemed unsure of why such a scared-looking freshman was talking to him. It was a discouraging first step, and you, too, may find that some employers aren’t looking for underclassmen. This does not mean there’s no experience to be gained. You can think of this career fair as a trial run—work on your presentation, practice handing out resumes and shaking hands, and most importantly, get comfortable talking to employers. This will make it far less intimidating and stressful when you're looking for a job in earnest. I really enjoyed the fact that I could gain this experience and face no real pressure to make significant headway in a job search.

Don’t completely write off the day as practice, though. Some companies might be looking for interns, and inquiring about availability can never hurt. Once you’ve spoken to a few employers and feel confident enough, find the organizations that you’re really interested in, and ask about any opportunities for younger students. You never know what will come from a simple conversation! 

Can I take all the free stuff?

The college student mantra.
(Source)

Four words: Don’t. Be. That. Guy. Yes, it’s super cool that there are free pens and key chains everywhere, and yes, you’re a college student on a budget now, but employers don’t appreciate you walking up to their table, feigning interest in them and their company, and then grabbing their swag and peacing out. It’s just not professional—it’s something you’d expect of a middle schooler, not a college student. Make an effort to connect with the employer, talk with him/her for a few minutes, and take one of their giveaways as you leave. I learned this lesson the hard way after a very awkward stare down with a guy who had really top-notch pens. To this day, I feel bad about that pen.

When the big day comes, put on your game face and get ready to be the bright, inquisitive, budding professional you are. Your sweatpants and Netflix will be waiting for you back in your room.

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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LinkedIn: Your New Favorite Networking Tool

By now, you've at least heard about LinkedIn, the largest online professional networking site... And perhaps you've already made a LinkedIn profile to market your skills and make you look really good when people Google-search your name-- great!

...But now what? Now that you've created your LinkedIn profile, what are the best ways to use it?

You'll be happy to learn-- LinkedIn is far more than just a marketing tool: It's also a networking and research tool that really can, through harvesting valuable connections and focusing your job search, help you get hired.

Here's HOW:

Make *Meaningful* Connections
You always want to connect with people you know (otherwise it's a little creepy [just a little]), so maybe start with your family and friends! Best practice is to delete the "I'd like to add you to my professional network," and replace it with a personal message about how you know your connection, including their name and the words "thank you." LinkedIn is not like Twitter, where it's socially acceptable to follow anyone, or like Facebook where you can friend everyone you met once and their dog (if ONLY puppies had social networking sites!). With LinkedIn you need to be both professional and personable--so channel that deep-seated anxiety you have about your Twitter and Facebook profiles possibly preventing you from getting a job into the idea that maybe LinkedIn will!

Research Companies

There's a "Search Companies" function on LinkedIn where you can search companies by size, location, industry, or keyword. This is great for narrowing your job search or researching a company you're applying to. LinkedIn also shows you if there's anyone in your network employed at the organization. 

Prepare for Interviews

Before an interview, you should definitely look over the company's LinkedIn Page, as well as your interviewer's profile. Pay close attention to the company's values and culture, as well as the skills and job functions utilized by its employees. Think about way you have exhibited the same traits and used the same skills.

Join Tufts Groups
There are over 100 Tufts groups on LinkedIn--many of which are career-specific--so join as many Tufts groups as you find intriguing. Looking for a good place to start? The two largest Tufts groups on LinkedIn: Tufts University Professional Network and Tufts University Alumni are must-joins.

Gather Networking Contacts 

In Your Groups

Search your groups for potential networking contacts. Anyone doing anything you'd like to be doing? Anyone working for a company you'd like to work for? 

Using the "Find Alumni" Tool

Under the "Network" tab, LinkedIn has this AWESOME "Find Alumni" tool that can help you search your alma mater's alumni (THOUSANDS OF JUMBOS!) by keyword, company, location, major, activity, or field! Look for people whose career path is relevant to your interests, and then...

Network with Contacts!

Even if you're not connected, LinkedIn allows group members to message each other. So no need to pay money for InMail--Just search a contact's name in the group to send them a message... But not just any message:

THE INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

This is essentially the meat (or tofu, if you're vegetarian) of LinkedIn networking. This is what you need to do to get you a job. I strongly suggest reading through this link, especially page 4 on Informational Interviews. In the meantime, here is a sample LinkedIn message:

Subject line: Tufts IR major seeking career advice 

Dear Mr./Ms. (Last Name),

I’m a senior IR major at Tufts and I found your name 

through the Tufts International Relations Program group 

on LinkedIn. From your LinkedIn profile, I see that you’ve 

worked at a variety of NGOs, most recently in Syria.

As I’ve focused my own studies on the Middle East, 

including time spent studying abroad in Cairo, I’d like to 

return to the region after college. I’d love to hear about 

your own experiences living and working in the region, as 

well as any advice you might have for me as I begin an 

international job search.

I wonder if you might have 20 minutes to speak, at your 

convenience, on the phone or via Skype. Thank you for 

considering my request.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Tufts University, Class of XXXX

Perfecting Your Profile
Before you begin using LinkedIn to network, you'll want to make sure your profile says everything you want it to say and is ready to go! Here are some of my favorite Career Center tips:

• Fill in your experience; don't be shy. Your resume should only be one page, so here is the place to show off what you've accomplished in detail. Use targeted keywords and don't forget about any projects, organizations, volunteer work, and causes you've been involved with.
• Update your headline. "Graduating Economics major seeking financial analyst position"--be direct and simple, but also engaging and meaningful.
• Upload a professional photo. You wouldn't trust someone without a profile photo--Adding a face to your profile breeds familiarity, which breeds trust, which is essential to networking.
• Tell your story. The section that says "Summary" is where you can write about what you do and why--or what you'd like to do and why! Write your summary in first person to add a voice to your profile, include targeted words, and keep it career-oriented.
• Market your skills. Give yourself credit for your areas of expertise-- What languages do you speak? Which computer programs or websites can you use proficiently? Are there any skills that you picked up while working in the lab?
• Pick a location and industry--any location and industry! It doesn't have to be "Higher Education in the Greater Boston Area" just because we're Tufts students on the Medford campus. Gives some thought to where you want to be.
• Include all of your links. Have a blog or Twitter that you're looking to show off to a potential employer? Link away! You can also link from your blog/Twitter to your LinkedIn.
• Don't forget to proofread. Because your skills should never be upstaged by the wrong "your" or "there." Because you care.
• Personalize your URL. So that when you include your LinkedIn address on your resume and emails, you won't have to remember: LinkedIn.com/abcdefg983745905820917452334.
• Publicize your profile! Your LinkedIn is one of the few things about you on the internet that you want everyone to see. That being said, it's best to update your privacy settings so you are in fact visible to "everyone."

If you found these tips helpful and want to learn more, call the Tufts Career Center at (617) 627-3299 to pre-register for our next LinkedIn Lab on Wednesday, October 23rd, 12-1pm in Eaton 208.

Until next time,
Best regards,
Nirvanna

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Career Center Coaching: The Inside Scoop

One of the greatest resources Career Center has to offer is Career Counseling.

I, myself, didn't know what that meant until just last Friday, when I arrived three minutes late for my 11:30 appointment with Donna Millmore, a Career Counselor, as well as an Assistant Director for the Tufts Career Center.

Luckily, she was still finishing up a meeting with someone else when I arrived.

I sat in the waiting area, consciously and continually deciding not to fumble with my phone while I waited. I didn't want to come off as another social media-dependent millennial (even though that's a real part of who I am). I wasn't really sure if a Career Counselor was someone I needed to impress and figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from my first session with Donna. I'd met her twice before around the office and still didn't really know her. I'd been working in the Career Center for two weeks and I was also still getting to know it. But there was also the much larger element lingering in my subconscious: The giant abyss that is life after college. And like most other seniors, I was not ready to start talking about it.

I had set up this appointment on a whim, with nothing specific to talk about in mind--I really just wanted to see what it was, truthfully.

When Donna came to get me, I hurriedly followed her into her office. The room was small and cozy with warm light--like a living room equipped with a computer, desks, and chairs. On her bulletin board were pictures of who I assumed were her relatives or students she has helped--the photos gave the room an amiable vibe. And Donna fit right in--her demeanor was just as warm.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

I laughed and told her the truth, "I have no idea!"

Unfazed by what I now know is a common response, she proceeded to tell me about the Career Center and all of the resources available to me. She told me about upcoming events and marketed The Career Fair as an exciting learning opportunity: "The only time you'll be in a room with over 100 people looking to hire," she said. She told me about Jumbo Jobs and the different tabs on the site that lead to information on campus interviews and resume jobs. And about the Career & Internship Connection Career Fairs occurring over winter break.

In a normal circumstance, this would be a great introduction to the Career Center and the events and services it offers to the Tufts community; however, my job is to publicize those same events and services, so I already knew a lot about them and I wasn't shy to share my thoughts.

"You really did your homework!" said Donna, surprised.

In my nervousness, I awkwardly had not let her know from the start that I worked for the center, thinking she already knew. But she didn't! 

It proved to be a humorous situation, and Donna's pleasantness alleviated any sense of doom I was having at the start of our meeting. It was much easier to speak with her once the ice was broken.

"Tell me everything about yourself," she said.

Everything. There are so many things about me! And for me, personally, that's a huge issue where my career goals are concerned. My interests are so varied that I can see myself doing literally anything most things after college.

For someone like me, Donna recommended turning to some self-assessment tools, to help me better understand my interests and personality. She finds these tools helpful in working with students to identify a focus and figure out the types of jobs and work environments that will make us happiest.

I then brought up another enormous anxiety I have about my career search: having spent the last few years studying social inequalities and unjust systems, it makes me personally uncomfortable to earn a living by indirectly supporting stereotypes and other unconscious biases, as well as the self-fulfilling prophesies they put forth. A media job is all I've been trained to do and as the media is a mirror of society, perpetuating existing societal problems can be unavoidable in the field--especially in a starter position. 

I hope this doesn't come off as arrogant,  but the same student who was accepted into this school with colossal dreams of making the world a better, happier, more peaceful, and more efficient place for everyone is still alive and thriving within in me, four years later. I still want to do BIG things, even after countless pessimistic conversations about logic, statistics, and the so-called "reality." (Cue Ashton Kutcher's Teen Choice Award speech: We create our world).

Instead of laughing at me or trying to tame my goals and pull me back down to earth, Donna brought my attention to positions on the opposite side of the same professional spectrum: Cause Marketing and non-profit work. She recommended Idealist.org as a resource for finding work in non-profits.

This bout of support and encouragement helped me realize that Career Center "Counselors" are more like coaches! Their job is to instruct, teach, and train us professionally.

The Career Center staff is here to coach you on exploring yourself, potential majors, and different careers; finding jobs and internships; networking with relevant professionals; and refining your interview skills, resume, and cover letter. They can train you for your job hunt with one-on-one resume critiques and mock interviews. Career Counselors will open doors for you as a young professional, but it's your job to walk through them.

"I hope you work with me," said Donna invitingly at the end of our meeting. She asked me to send her the most up-to-date copy of my resume and gave me her card, putting it upon me to take initiative and schedule our next meeting.

I left the meeting feeling really good about myself, more confident about my big goals, and ready to start thinking about my future. The dreaded abyss that is life after college suddenly seemed like something I wouldn't mind jumping into.


And that's the inside scoop!

To schedule your appointment with a Career Counselor, call (617) 627-3299.

Best regards,
Until next time,
Nirvanna

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