Month: September 2014

As a second-year student, I feel as though most of my peers access the Holy Cross homepage solely to navigate to Moodle or STAR, and thus don’t see all of the helpful resources affiliated with different office & group pages. The Career Planning Site, located at http://offices.holycross.edu/careerplanning, offers students multiple tips & tricks, resources and guidelines to successfully find an internship or a job post-graduation.

 

I was charged with exploring these Career resources (found on the “Online Resources” tab http://offices.holycross.edu/careerplanning/resources) to see what sites (slash databases) were the easiest to use and the most helpful for students.

Here’s my top 3:

 

1. What Can I Do With This Major ( http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/ )

Personally, I thought that this site was pretty cool. This site is a great starting point for students who aren’t sure as to what career fields come out of their major and, on the other side, what kinds of majors work in the career fields students are interested in. It’s definitely useful and interesting because it gives several “typical” career plans for graduates with the degree you’re seeking. It doesn’t go too in-depth with describing specifically what jobs are available, but it helps students to see the amount of positions available for their desired majors. To see the full potential of this site, I would suggest that users click through the majors listed and do some research onwhich major leads to their preferred career. The information gathered from this site is informative and gives students a good foundation to continue their search for an ideal major / career path. (I would recommend thatstudents who are at this stage of their search also check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ to see the actual metrics behind different occupations).

 

2. CareerBeam (http://cb.careersearch.net/login/?school_id=2475)

CareerBeam is probably the most comprehensive tool listed on this page of resources. It requires registration, which may deter some students, but it takes around 3 minutes to sign up and start navigating the site. The ‘careersearch’ feature on CareerBeam is both simple and user-friendly, allowing students to search for positions/internships in certain areas. I feel as though this feature extends some of the capabilities of Crusader Connections (the main internship/job posting database for the Career Planning Center) because a good portion of Crusader Connections postings are based in the New England / Tri-state area, while CareerBeam is nation-wide. In addition, CareerBeam has supplementary pages on different techniques for finding jobs and impressing employers. Overall, I believe that CareerBeam can be an invaluable resource for students who actually devote the time to using it.

3. lynda.com (http://www.lynda.com/)

Lynda.com is a new resource that Holy Cross has acquired for all students to use. After navigating Lynda.com and seeing its numerous features, it was necessary to add it to my top 3. This service provides multiple online video tutorials from topics in software development to photography and audio mixing. What’s best about Lynda.com is that it offers a diverse range of videos in very desireable skill sets. For students who are looking to dabble in say a programming language or digital publishing (these are just random examples), Lynda’s informative and interactive video / practice series allows you to see if something sparks an interest in you thatyou may not necessarily have a chance to see in the classroom. Finally, Lynda is very easy to navigate and the extensive support of the site means that new content will always be added.

 

So there’s my three top resources on the Career Planning page! I hope you readers find some time in your busy schedules to check them out.

Also, don’t forget to apply to the Summer Internship Program (SIP) by 11:59 on Thursday, October 2nd!

Have you seen the NEWEST FEATURES  on the Career Planning Center Site?

Welcome aboard to a Virtual Tour:  

 

Direction: Click on the tab with the label “student”

Home › Career Planning Center › Students

One of our newest features includes selecting your class and being able to seek advice depending on where you currently are in your Holy Cross career. Click on your class! 

Once you’ve clicked on your class you are now able to see the career planning center’s suggestions.

Direction: Click on the tab with the label “Find an Internship”

Home › Career Planning Center › Students › Find an Internship

EXAMPLE: Interested in gaining some experience in a field your interest in. Let’s find you an internship! 

 

 

This link helps you use different tools offered by the Career Planning Center to find out:

1. Information about our popular summer internship program offered to sophomores and juniors.
2. Different types of recruitment styles companies use to hire students.
3. Information on how to network and different places you can network with Holy Cross graduates
4. Specialized programs to inform student about career options and different site links to submit application and find internships.

Crusader Connections

Spotlight on Careers

CareerBeam

Passport Career

Glassdoor

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Direction: Click on the tab with the label “Affinity”

Home › Career Planning Center › Affinity Groups

 

REPETITATIVE**Do you describe yourself in one of these categories? We made a page just for you! Once you’ve clicked on a box, you will be able to find tools that will aid you in career services.

Direction: Click on the tab with the label “Calendar”                                                                                                                          Home › Career Planning Center › Calendar

 

Are you in the loop on what’s happening right now? Click on calendar and see today’s events! You can even print the whole month and be prepared for future events.

Direction: Click on the tab with the label “Calendar”

Home › Career Planning Center › How to Make an Appointment

 

Come in and see a counselor today! All the information you need to get your questions answered.

 

Congratulations–you’ve received a job offer!  While the compensation and benefits packages are probably the first things you’ll look at, consider the other benefits of the job as well; namely, how much happiness will your job bring you?

Why does it matter and how can you figure it out? Check out “The Guide to Finding Workplace Happiness” from Rasmussen College.

….

Whether you are trying to land your first job or thinking about making a major career change, you might be tempted to accept the highest-paid job offer without thinking twice. But is a high paycheck really enough to bring complete job satisfaction? Many of the happiest working professionals say that money isn’t everything.

For instance, administrative assistants, who make an average of $29,050 (Bureau of Labor Statistics) were ranked among the top-ten happiest professionals in America, according to a CareerBliss study based on 200,000 independent company reviews. Many administrative assistants said—rather than salary—they were happy particularly because of their day-to-day tasks and the people that they work with.

So before you make your next big career move, think about whether or not your time and dedication is really fulfilling? Consider the following top 10 factors that directly contribute to workplace happiness, according to CareerBliss experts:

1. The Person You Work For

Your relationship with your boss has a direct relationship on your happiness; plus it directly effects how well you can maneuver your career in the direction you want. With a great relationship, you can much more easily communicate to your boss about your progress as well as your future career goals—not to mention maintain a great reference. The person you work for is instrumental in achieving your long-term goals.

2. The People You Work With

Coworkers have a direct impact on team-oriented projects. If you have coworkers with whom you enjoy collaborating with, chances are you will have a greater opportunity to improve your teambuilding and leadership skills. Also, a positive relationship with your coworkers makes for a much more pleasant day-to-day work environment.

3. Where You Work

Do you enjoy close-quarters? Do you prefer a large office-setting or would you rather work outdoors? The quality and appeal of the building or setting in which you work plays a role in your overall workplace happiness. After all, it’s the place where you will be spending the majority of each day.

4. The Support You Get

Sometimes it can be frustrating to be required to perform at your maximum potential without adequate resources or support. Some companies make it a priority to provide the tools, resources, and technology to empower employees. Support like tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunity are great examples of employee support from organizations.

5. The Rewards You Receive

Overall compensation—including benefits and salary—is an obvious essential for job satisfaction. As a professional, you should know your worth and ensure that you are compensated fairly for the skills and experience that you regularly contribute.

6. The Growth Opportunities Available To You

There’s not a whole lot worse than working your tail off for a company that may never offer professional advancement. One important step to healthier job satisfaction is to create long-term personal career goals.

7. The Culture of Your Company

One of the major factors employers consider during the initial interview is whether or not you would mesh well with the company culture. That’s why it’s important for you to be honest with your employer about the type of person you are from day one. If you like structure and a serious work environment, you might be unhappy working in a more laid-back workplace environment.

8. The Work You Do

The specific tasks and responsibilities that you have determine how you get up in the morning. Are you eager and looking forward to your day’s challenges? Or do you wake up sluggish, knowing that you will have to deal with tasks you hate? It’s important that you enjoy the work that you do on a day-to-day basis simply because you will be doing those tasks so often.

9. The Way You Work

You should be happy with not only your day-to-day responsibilities but also the amount of control you have in getting your job done. If you are a self-starter, you will be much happier at a free-lance type of job where you are given limited directions. Other professionals thrive on structure and constant feedback. If you have a position that conflicts with your preference in the way you work, you may be limiting your potential.

10. The Company You Work For

Some people find happiness in working for a company with a strong reputation and vision. If you strongly believe in a company’s overall mission, you might find greater satisfaction in maintaining a role at the company. Whether you prefer a long-standing company or a new start-up, the company you work for will directly influence your happiness.

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