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Career Planning Twitter Alumni-Student Initiative

 

         Welcome Crusaders to the Twitter Edition of our #CareerPlanningBlog where we’ll be talking all about one of your favorite places to visit, #Twitter and  how it can help you on your path to landing a great internship/job opportunity. 

We all know how fun #twitter is in communicating thoughts, ideas and news! Hash-tag’s have become a huge part of our modern day lingo and many #companies look to twitter as a tool for reaching out to customers and clients as well as sharing information on #JobOpening’s and opportunities available to apply for. You may have thought twitter was all about your friends cleverly communicating every aspect of their life (even the aspects you don’t want to hear about), but in fact 77% of Fortune 500  companies actively use twitter. Why? #ThreeReasons 

                                           1. #Connect With Customers         2.#Visibility            3. #Self-Promotion

You may now be thinking, “So why is Twitter so important for an undergraduate seeking career advice at Holy Cross?”

            Well…Here at the Career Planning Center, we want to educate you about all ways of communication between students and the sources that help provide news/opportunities about exciting careers and internships. As it just so happens, we also have not ONE but TWO twitter accounts @CrusaderCareers & @HCSIP, which we would like to use in the most efficient of ways, so…we have come up with an initiative to better help you reach alumni who are currently in your preferred field.

Here’s what you have to do!

 1. TWEET US. (ANYTHING!) most importantly, we want to hear your questions!

Tweet us your questions using #HCCareerQuestions or #HCCQ and we’ll do our best to have that question answered by an alumni who has experience which can help you in your career endeavors. WHO KNOWS! you might get paired with an alumni who may just land you your next internship at a Fortune 500! 

All you have to do is send a simple Tweet. Here are some possible questions asked by completely imaginary HC Students:

@HCSophomore23: Hey I’m interested in marketing and advertising, what internships are out there for me? #HCCareerQuestions

@KingoftheHill77: Hi, Is there a place I can find out more about Business Programs at the Graduate School level? #HCCQ #HCCareerQuestions

@LarrytheCrusader: I took an internship at GE this summer, can I please connect with someone who has experience with this company? #HCCQ

@MaddieFitzgerald358: Hey I’m a junior interested in entering the fashion and designer world, is there anyone I can contact? #HCCareerQuestions 

So next time you’re daydreaming about where you’ll end up after the hill, or your scrolling down your timeline and run into a question, TWEET US! @CrusaderCareers or @HCSIP. We’ll be happy to answer and/or send it to a Alum in that same field.
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Flap your way to sucess!

 

Recently, I found myself hooked on the latest app sensation, FLAPPY BIRD. I know I’m not alone in this epidemic, as  the demand for the app has gone up and through the roof!! Currently iPhones which have the app installed are selling at $9,000 online!! I’m not sure what exactly it is about this gamehowever, considering people are willing to pay a pretty steep price just to conquer it, I think that makes it news worthy as well as career worthy !!

  • Now you may ask: Why is the intern rambling about Flappy Bird on a Career Planning blog?

Well… I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the skill sets needed to survive more than 8 rounds of Flappy Bird (My High Score) and successful careers tips for the real world. According to a recent article, featuring CEO Felipe Venetiglio, a few career lessons can be learned from playing the infamous Flappy Bird. Let’s explore…

1.)  Aim HIGH but not too high: “Ambition is great and should always motivate you. But your career choices should be smart and planned or else you might bump your head and need to restart all over again.” In other words, if you  are aiming to be CEO of Microsoft directly after your time on the Hill, just know it is not that easy. Think smart and plan for careers you can honestly see yourself learning and benefiting from. You’ll work toward that CEO position in no time!

2.)  Don’t be afraid of taking risk:  Sure, some obstacles will seem too difficult- but playing it safe will not help you either.  If you are doubting a job choice, come in for Drop-In’s @Career Planning Center #Hogan203 from 1:00-4:00pm or Tweet us @CrusaderCareers / @HCSIP

3.) You might FAIL…then FAIL AGAIN : In Flappy Bird, you are haunted by that little buzzing sound of failure every time you bump into something. No matter how many times you hear that sound, you can not give up! “If careers had high scores you wouldn’t get yours on the 1st,  2nd or 3rd try. Remember to be cool, keep your calm, you’ll get there! Everyone gets stuck at some point but it is continued effort that gets you further!”

4.) Remain Open: Success does not solely hinge on delegating tasks and having your opinion heard, it also depends on listening. Thriving leaders share the ability to hear others’ opinions and remain open to changing their ideas. You may think you’re about to nail the new high score then fall short. The same is true for the internship/job search. Remember to remain open and interested in all opportunities you are presented with… you never know which might land you the job of your dreams!

5.) Make sure you like it: You should want a healthy relationship with your job/ internship. Try not to endure something for its name or position. If you’re in a new internship and dreading the work that you’re doing, let it be a learning experience. You wouldn’t want to apply yourself to a future career that might not be for you.

…So the take away message?

Develop or identify some of these quick tips and find the inner Flappy bird champ in yourself.  You just may flourish in finding success in the job/internship world! Remember to use as many career resources both online on the Career Planning site as well as in the office, Hogan 203!

 PS: If you have never played Flappy Bird, please ask someone  about its addictive qualities… You may just want to try it out yourself..
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Battle the Cold! Stay Ahead of the Winter Fold!

Well Hello Crusaders!

Nothing says “Welcome to Spring Semester at Holy Cross” quite like sub-zero temperatures and snow! While you’re probably wanting to stay under that purple HC Snuggie and sip a nice hot tea to overcome the Antarctic climate that seems to have invaded the hill, lets make the most of this indoor time to push yourself ahead of the pack in your career search. How?.… Well here at Career Planning we have some helpful ways to get started.

First up: The Good News → The Average starting salary for graduates has increased 2.6 percent! WOOOO!

 Just Some Motivation Keep on Pushing!!! 

According to a recent report from NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), the final overall average starting salary for Class of 2013 bachelor’s degree graduates increased 2.6 percent to $45,633 from the final overall average of $44,482 for the Class of 2012. The current overall average starting salary is boosted by the 2.9 percent increase to humanities and social sciences majors’ and a 2.3 percent bump to the average salary of business majors. 

Adapted from www.naceweb.org

…Now what should you do?

  • Come to Career Planning!! #Hogan203

    • Career Planning manages our connections to employers & maintains Crusader Connections, so this is the place to go for internship/job hunting
    • Drop-in Hours are Monday thru Friday 1-4PM
      • Drop-ins are appointments for quick career questions or edits to a resume or cover letter
    • Stop by Hogan 203 or call (508) 793-3880 to make a brief appointment with a career counselor
      • Whether you want to create a resume/cover letter or simply discuss career options, these meetings provide the time you need be as successful as you can in your Career endeavors!
  • Make Connections & Network!
    • Make yourself aware of company info tables and career nights & practice the ins and outs of forging connections
    • Meet alums at the 2014 Practice with the Pros (2/12, Hogan 320, 5-7pm) RSVP via Crusader Connections
    • Reach out to alumni & learn about their career paths using the Career Advisor’s Network
  • Go DIGITAL (you can stay in your Snuggie for this one…)
    • As the “Facebook for the business world” LinkedIn is a social media outlet where you want to establish an online presence
    • Make or update your LinkedIn Profile (Education, Activities, Job/Internships, Honors/Awards, etc.)
    • Connect with friends, family, past co-workers, neighbors, etc.—Even if you think you can’t relate to Uncle Ron’s career as a dog hair groomer, still request him on LinkedIn…Uncle Ron might be grooming the dog for the CEO of your dream company!
    • Remember: Many employers search for you on other social media platforms, so adjust privacy settings & be cautious about posting or tagging yourself to things you wouldn’t want employers to see  (i.e: Your friend’s raging 1st Weekend Back Party)

    Pick something from the above list & get proactive with your career!

  • Remember, consistently revisiting career oriented blogs and websites is always a good way to kill time when you’re just lounging in bed. If you haven’t already, re-visit the blog post from November on popular Career Search Apps! 

…Now you can hop back in your bed & relax a little… 

…Netflix is always a good remedy for bad weather…