Offer Storm: Choosing an Internship

I'm pleased to announce that I have accepted a Summer Internship! Whooooo!! No more applications, interviews, or people asking me what I'm doing this summer!

All the time, I hear from friends and read about the importance of the summer internship before senior year. It's often viewed as the first step towards whichever industry/company you could potentially be working in after college. And with big steps come great responsibilities (Spiderman reference). In this post I'm going to give some tips on determining which internship would be best for you, practicing proper etiquette with offer deadlines, and declining/accepting internships once you've made your decision.

The Decision
I wouldn't say that my decision was quite like Lebron James' infamous ESPN segment announcing his move to South Beach, Miami. The media and paparazzi certainly left me alone to decide this one for myself. What I found most difficult about my decision was that after going through each company's interview rounds, I felt very connected to each organization's mission and the position that I was applying to. It was difficult to realize that I would not be able meet with all of these interesting and thoughtful people outside of a phone or Skype interview. But I had to make the decision, and I did so with mucy career counseling and advice. Here are some of the common factors to consider when choosing between multiple offers:

• Location, Location, Location
• Location of your summer internship is very important, especially if you don't live near a major city. Even if you are going to live at home, you have to figure out how you are going to commute to work. If you're looking to take a position in a new city, here are some resources for students looking for housing. Tufts even has grants available for summer housing!
• Don't choose an internship location blindly. Moving somewhere new can include some hidden costs that you should be aware of before signing that offer! Housing, commuting and parking expenses will take a toll on your finances, so this is another factor that is important to consider.

• Job description
• Do you like the job description? This is, perhaps, the most important aspect of choosing an internship. Think about how each internship would effect your future. What will your choice say about your experiences? How will people understand the way this internships fits in with the rest of your resume?

• Gaining valuable experience
• Make sure the role is something in which you want to gain experience and are interested! Now is the time to try out departments you always wanted to explore and that fit in with your career goals.
• Is this something specific that you want to do in the future!?  If not, you should probably pick the internship that you are most interested in pursuing after you graduate. Not only will this give you a chance to test out a certain field, but it also puts you in a place you could potentially work at after graduation (If you're a GREAT intern, that is!) 

• Opportunity to network
• If you're not particularly sure what you want to do, rotational internships are perfect for you! You can experience working in different departments, and assess which is best for you.
• When choosing among different internship opportunities, assess which one has the best networking opportunities.

Deadlines

Source
"Don't be nervous, just go to the Career Center!"

So you've got an offer (or two). Congratulations! Now you have to decide whether you want to work there. Is this internship your first choice, or are you waiting to see if you receive another offer? Situations like this show why it's important to be honest during the interview process, and to keep companies aware that you may have other offers in the works. This keeps the recruiter/HR rep aware of how quickly they'll need to respond to you, or if you need extra time for a deadline. Don't be afraid to ask for an extension if you need it!

My advice for this is just to keep everyone aware, so that you can make the best decision for yourself and not feel pressured by offer deadlines. Don't rush, and if you need career advice always feel free to make an appointment or stop by Drop-In Hours at the Career Center!

To Be or Not to Be: How to Decline/Accept an Offer

Accepting my offer was pretty simple. I thanked them for their time interviewing me and told them that I had decided to accept the position.

On the other hand, I felt that declining an offer was very difficult. Especially after a long interview process when you've done so much research, dedicated so much time, and were really excited about the position. However, you do have to make a decision if you have multiple offers. Unfortunately, you can't be working at several places at the same time like Hermoine (HP Reference). Here is a great post on how to Gracefully Turn Down a Job Offer by The Muse - one of my favorite up and coming career blogs.

Declining an offer isn't the end of the world. Feel free to still stay in touch with the internship/company if you would still like to work with them in the future! Staying in touch goes a long way, and it keeps a contact in your network rather than permanently ending communication.

Source
"Get ready for the summer! Prepare better than this turtle!"

I hope this posts helps with making the tough decisions, especially for those who are waiting to hear back from companies. Summer is almost here, and I hope everyone enjoys the last few days of campus life. We've all survived a crazy winter and deserve to have the best summer ever.

Carpe Diem,

Nicole Brooks

Class of 2016

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Avoid wasting time in the interview process: Part 2 of Prof. Jack Derby's advice on the job search

MOVING THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS 

The first interview 

As I’m sure you know, first impressions are critical. Jack Derby echoes many job search experts who strongly encourage you to research the company and position, and he explains why. Don’t waste time in your interview walking through your resume step by step - they’ve already seen that. Instead, point out 2 - 3 critical items and focus on your value and what you can do for the company (and this is why you need to conduct that research!). Take notes and ask questions to show that you’re interested.

Follow up after interview

Keep showing your value and your interest. Even after the interview, it’s critical to show that you’re interested. Jack told us a story about one of his students who was applying for a job at a company where he had connections. She did calligraphy as a hobby, and she thought it would be great to send them a beautiful hand-written thank you note. But she didn’t get the job, and when Jack asked why, he was told that they hadn’t received a follow up from her, so they gave the job to someone who seemed to want it more.

Moral of the story, follow ups are important. Don’t send a boring and awkwardly short email that just says “thanks for your time, hope to hear from you!”  But, if you're going to invest time in making your follow up high quality, keep in mind that you need to expedite this correspondence.  The purpose of the follow up is two-fold: to thank them for the interview and the time they spent with you, and to get to reiterate your interest in the job while they're deliberating over finalists.

What's a high quality follow up?  Make your thank you more than a pointless formality - take the opportunity to expand on something mentioned during the interview (for example, link to a blog post you wrote or an article about something you talked about). And keep following up even after the initial “thank you” email - it shows that you really care about this position. People are often concerned about being annoying. Avoid poking them every day to ask if they’ve made a decision, and instead provide something of value without asking for anything in return: Send an article you think they’ll appreciate (shows you’re paying attention to the industry). Even better, do some work for them! No better way to show how you can help than by giving them some suggested solutions for a problem they’re facing. More on how to not be annoying in a follow up and how sample work makes you stick out from other follow ups from career site The Muse.

The offer 

Know what you want in case you get an offer. Negotiation is good because it shows you’ll stick up for yourself, meaning that you’ll also bargain on behalf of the company.  But also, as entry level workers, we don’t have a lot of leverage, and you don’t want to sound arrogant. Know the typical salary range for that position so that you can tell whether you’re getting what you deserve. Look up the position on Glassdoor to see the average salary range for someone with your background and skills. Also, figure out the cost of living for the job location. You might think that job in NYC pays well but once you account for how much it costs to live in the city, the offer actually isn’t ahead of the others. Jack encourages students to figure out what matters to them throughout the whole job search process which includes prioritizing in your salary negotiations.

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Show Me the Money: Notes from the Salary Negotiation Panel

By Angela Sun

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to attend the Salary Negotiation Workshop hosted by Tufts Career Center in Dowling Hall.

(If you're thinking, "Who? What? How wasn't I there?" Then remember to regularly check our e-calendar for our upcoming events!)

The workshop was in the form of a panel moderated by Bob Burdick of the UEP Program. Panelists included:

• Jennifer Antle, College Recruiter at Liberty Mutual,
• Lisa DiTullio, A11 (Psychology), Human Resources Associate at Reit Management & Research LLC
• John Hurley, Human Resources Business Partner at Americas Sales, and Formerly Talent Acquisition Manager and Worldwide College Relations Manager at Analog Devices,
• Jessica Yu, College Recruiting and Student Program Manager  at The MITRE Corporation.
• and Rachael Wolber, A12 (IR and Environmental Studies), Grant Writer at the Appalachian Mountain Club

In case you missed the event, here are my notes from the event. You know what they say, a dollar negotiated is a dollar earned. 

When should I negotiate my salary?

The answer is pretty much always... if the salary is negotiable that is. There may be situations in which salary is not negotiable. For example, one of the career center counselors mentioned that many recruiters from consulting firms do not negotiate entry-level salaries. So ask if the salary is negotiable first! 

Now if the salary is negotiable, you should always negotiate simply because if you don't, the chances of getting more money is zero, so you really have nothing to lose. For some organizations, your promotions will be a percentage increase on your starting salary, so this number could have implications beyond just your first year/ employment period. 

"Often times you can pick up cues from employers as to when to bring up salary negotiation"--Hurley. 

"Though I didn't, I probably should have negotiated for my first salary. I was an intern, I knew the people, knew the company, etc."--DiTullio.

How much should I ask for?

I would direct you first to this fantastic post on our blog about where to go to research salary ranges for a reasonable expectation. With websites like glassdoor.com etc., take everything you read with a grain of salt because the information on the site is not verified. In addition to the resources suggested in the post, I would add that networking with professionals in the field or even the firm is another great way to get reliable information!

"Rapport is really important, building a relationship with the HR recruiter through the interview process made the negotiation process much more comfortable and allowed me to get more information." -- Wolber.

"For most firms, there is in fact an approved 'range'. Look at what other people, with similar experiences as you, get in the company"--DiTullio.

How to negotiate?
You are much more likely to be successful if you can back up your number with why you should be paid that amount. Solid bargaining points include realistic costs like reallocation (not loans, those are your own responsibility!) or any special skills/ experiences to the table.

"We worked with a candidate because he had legitimate costs like reallocation to factor in. Though we did not change the initial offer, we made sure that the numbers made sense for him in terms of the full package, including compensation, etc."

"Solid work experience is an important bargaining chip. College graduates sometimes must be realistic about the fact that they might have less to work with, even if they did internships."-- Antle.

"Don't ask for money just because you 'want' more. If you are honest and confident, you will be heard out. But salary negotiation is different from shopping, it's important to stay reasonable, rather than throw out really high numbers in hope of being met in the middle."--Yu.

"I have never been offended by someone negotiating who could back up their number."--Hurley.

How much time do I have to negotiate?
This factor will range from firm to firm, depending on when you are given the offer. Most likely, you will not have a lot of time to respond, this could be only a few hours or a few days...so make sure you do your research prior to receiving an offer.

"If a candidate was hired in August the previous year, then I might give him or her a couple of months, but if the candidate was hired in May, the maybe only a couple of weeks."--Antle.

What are some pitfalls in the process?
Asking for way too much money is obviously a key one. But miscommunication can also result in an unpleasant experience!

"Sometimes a deal just doesn't happen because the gap in expectations is too great"--DiTullio.

"Be consistent in your communication. It's bad form if I don't hear from a candidate for a really long time, and then all of a sudden hear from them again." --Antle. 

"Have one point of contact only on the issue. Nothing is more frustrating if I am negotiating with you, and you go to another person in the company to try to play us against each other."--Hurley.

The last piece of advice I would offer you is to look at salary negotiation from the employers point of view. 

"We are not out to low ball you! If we bring you on board at a salary that is out of the norm, then we must also justify our decision to other employees. You were given an offer because we genuinely want to bring you on the team."--Yu

"Firm to firm is different. When I was at PwC, there wasn't much negotiation for starting salary because we hired a lot of college grads to do the same thing. But at a smaller company, that flexibility might exist."

"You tell me. How will you make an impact/ contribution to the team at my company? What are you trying to achieve? Start by being introspective."--Hurley.

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My Experience With the Job Search: Report A Hire

This is the third in a series of posts about my quest to find post-graduate employment. For the previous two posts in the series, please go here and here.


The Monday before the two-week deadline, I received an email from an HR Coordinator in Washington DC, where the company is headquartered, asking me to send her a list of references. That whole day was spent sending a barrage of emails to potential references, and I was thrilled (and lucky) to receive quick and willing responses. After collecting the email addresses and phone numbers of 6 or so references (and double-checking their accuracy a zillion times), I emailed the list by the end of the day.

It was only after completing the frantic exercise of reference-collecting that I could sit back and ask: what does this all mean? I had never been asked to share references for an internship or job opportunity before (apart for the occasional academic program), and I had no idea what this signified in the vein of job-applying. Do employers reference all of the top contenders? Are references used to make decisions between candidates? Or is it the last step before an offer? Everyone seemed to have a different answer. My ever-optimistic dad was convinced it was the latter option; meanwhile, my pragmatic mom said it was a good sign, but that I shouldn’t get my hopes up quite yet. My go-to friends on Google search also had different answers (as well as incredibly entertaining stories. One especially enraged man, for instance, decided it would be a good idea to threaten every employer who didn’t offer him the job).

The week that followed was an oscillating sea-saw of emotions. I was an irritable, antsy, and sleep-deprived mess. As my references contacted me to tell me about their glowing reviews, I felt incredibly hopeful, imagining myself receiving the offer in no-time. This exuberant optimism slowly dissipated as the two-week deadline came and went. As friends, family, and Career Services reinforced, the hold-up could be anything, from a busy schedule in the HR office to a sluggish administrative process. There were also other less-than-promising possibilities: that HR was simultaneously checking other candidates. Or that they had made another offer and were waiting on the response.

By Friday, I was tired of waiting and thinking, of forming quasi-absurd scenarios in my head. I accepted that the “no-news” wasn’t exactly good-news, and that I shouldn’t count on this position. I planned to follow up with the firm on Monday and, in the meantime, urged myself to start considering other options (obviously easier said than done).

Friday afternoon, I was distracted by the series of interviews I conducted alongside Shimrit for the ambassador position. By the end, I’d half-forgotten about the unsettling piece of unheard news; that is, until I checked my phone. I saw that I had missed a call from an unknown number with a 202-area code. My heart slammed against my chest. Flushing, I grabbed my cell-phone and ran outside the offices, frantically dialing my voicemail. The voicemail was from a HR coordinator in Washington DC, asking me to call her back immediately.

I looked like a frantic, disheveled mess as I made that phone call; my fingers were uncontrollable, dialing all the wrong numbers and shaking as they managed to find the right ones. My bag and coat were sprawled in a mess right next to me, most certainly blocking the passage of the gaggles of students and tour-groups exploring Dowling. The person that picked up the phone, of course, was not the woman who had called me, and I had to admit that no, I did not remember her last name (I could not begin to process it), but can I please be put on the phone with a Michelle? I think?

That was when I was offered the position. It was shocking and thrilling and weird and mind-boggling and every single emotion at once. I wanted to shout yes, yes, yes, but she told me that I shouldn’t give her an answer yet, and that we would arrange another time to speak the following week. Then, in a well-intended explanation that felt way longer than it was, she laid out my compensation and benefits, which she promised to send via email. It all sounded fabulous, at least what I processed. When I hung up the phone, I ran in to tell the very people that, in all their support and wisdom and selfless guidance, helped make it all happen. Being at Career Services when I first heard the news felt oddly symbolic; it was if my experiences at the office felt really complete, as if everything had come full-circle.

Back at my dorm a few days later, I at last clicked the button on TuftsCareerConnect I had been so eager to press: Report a Hire. Entering basic information for the office database---including company name, address, position, and hours---made the whole job thing feel uncannily real. (I’ll be working hours per/week? And be receiving a salary?).

What I learned from this whole process? Probably too much to put into a small wrap-up paragraph. But I can say this: the ultimate thrill of snatching a job comes at a different time for everyone, but it does come. It’s so hard not to (I mean, look at me), but try not to overanalyze every missed deadline, every email wording, or every step of the process. Simply go with the flow; remain confident that you’ve put forth your best effort, and that you are a fantastic job candidate in your own right. Continue to be proactive, open-minded, and optimistic. And continue to be yourself---in every email exchange, phone call, and interview. Stay true to your skills and passions and what it is that you genuinely love to do.

Well, it’s been a lot of writing, so I guess I’ll end here. Good luck to you all---no matter what stage you’re at in the job process. And in the meantime, enjoy the remainder of this year! We have the rest of our lives to be serious real-world-people, so let’s take in the time at Tufts that we have left.

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