Recruiter’s Advice: 5 Things Employers Look for in Entry-Level Job Candidates

Dunya Carter

A fresh graduate is always intimidated when going in for his or her first real job interview, and many feel that no matter what they apply for they are woefully unprepared and unqualified – especially in this economy, when even jobs advertised as entry level are apparently seeking years of experience. But regardless of how many flourishes are requested in the help wanted ad, many employers are really looking for a few basic things for entry level positions, and all of them are more than attainable for the new worker. Continue Reading

Career Fair Do’s and Don’ts

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Career Fair Do’s and Don’ts

7 Things Not to Do After Graduation

If there’s one thing you can count on after college graduation it is that there will be a long line of people waiting to give you career advice. However, their advice usually revolves around what you should do after you graduate, but there’s plenty of advice on what not to do after school.

Some of us are better prepared for real life after college. Students who earn a professional degree (i.e. engineering, education, nursing, accounting, etc) or who get their first job through a college internship usually have an easier road to travel after they walk across the stage with their diploma. The rest of us, though, often need a little more time to get our careers off the ground.

This extra time can be both a blessing and a curse for recent grads. It is a blessing, because it’s an opportunity to find your best career route. It is a curse, because anxiety and fear about the future can lead to the following post-graduation no-no’s. Continue Reading

How to Land Your Dream Job in Public Administration

Your public administration degree has prepared you for a variety of occupations you probably never dreamed possible. From your state’s supreme court and various charitable organizations to nursing homes and the Nuclear Regulatory commission; all of these career paths are possible with a degree in Public Administration, and plenty of hard work. If you’re a recent graduate, or interested in this highly-lucrative and rewarding field, here are a few ways to get a leg up on the competition, and maybe even land a job beyond your wildest dreams. Continue Reading

Relevant Work Experience Valued by Employers Looking to Hire New College Graduates

College graduates, if you don’t believe employers pay attention to your work experience, think again.  Any relevant work experience you have to offer could make a big difference in whether or not you get a job.

Employers have a hefty list of criteria against which they assess new college graduates for employment, and work experience that is relevant to the job is key among them, according to a study published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Continue Reading

Internship Program: What Employers and Students Need to Know

What can an internship program do for both an intern and an employer?  It can provide the intern with a learning experience in a particular career field, while allowing the employer to observe the work of a potential employee.  However, in order for an internship to be a success, each party must commit to the process. Continue Reading

Interview with a Public Relations Professional

I have worked for four years as a public spokesperson for a medium sized manufacturing corporation. This is my first job out of college and I have been loving it so far. I help the company shape their image and message and then present it to the public so that they understand what it is we do.

On a personal level, I do a lot of different things for the company. Since I am relatively new, I do a lot of writing press releases or information for our website. This can get tedious, but it is fun to see it come together in one of our advertising campaigns or public outreach efforts. A lot of people think that public relations people just spin bad news all day, but this is quite untrue. It is mostly about establishing a report with the public in order to earn trust in us and our products. This report is always based on truths about our company, however. I have never participated in a campaign that distorted or violated the truth. I am glad to be able to clear that up! Continue Reading

One Final Semester – What’s Next?

The job market isn’t exactly ideal for recent college graduates, but recent studies have shown that hiring is finally headed in a positive direction. Bloomberg Businessweek reported that recent graduates of the class of 2011 are seeing progress due to a “window of economic growth,” and that window could be responsible for the greatest increase of hired, newly graduated employees since the school-to-work transition of the class of 2008. Although the increase benefited this year’s college grads in general, grads with degrees in business and accounting saw the most success. Continue Reading

3 Resume Writing Tips to Help Secure a Great Internship

Oftentimes, internship hopefuls are a bit surprised to learn that much of the job seeking process mirrors that of seasoned professionals.  You are responsible for locating great internship opportunities, writing resumes and cover letters, and sitting through interviews on your own.

For some, the most daunting task is writing a resume that can help snag a great interview—and hopefully a cool internship.  The good news is that everyone who has earned a successful career has at some point written their first resume.  By keeping a few tips in mind along the way, the writing process can be made a lot easier. Continue Reading

Tips for a Successful Internship

Photo of walking uphill through snow courtesy of Shutterstock

I graduated from college way, way back in 1988. Yup, I’m 42 years old. That makes me ancient to virtually every student on a college campus. Back in my day, we walked 12 miles to school, through eight feet of snow, with no shoes, it was uphill in both directions, and we loved it. Oops. That was in the days of my grandparents. But I digress.

Very few Gen X’ers like me had internships. Those of us who graduated with any work experience tended to have jobs that had little to nothing to do with our career aspirations. Those going into accounting waited tables or stocked shelves, for example. Gen Y’ers are completely different. They understand that in order to have a reasonable chance of finding a good job upon graduation that they must complete at least one and preferably multiple internships. And employers are catching on too. Some 50 percent of employers expect a college graduate to have completed at least one internship. Indeed, 20 percent of employers expect a college graduate to have completed two internships. How times change.

So what should a college student to ensure a successful internship? Continue Reading