Networking: Where to begin?

This guest post comes from Julie Draczynski, an alumna of Holy Cross and HR veteran.
She knows the value of shaking hands and working a room, and we’re fortunate enough to learn from her wisdom!

“How have you incorporated networking into your job search?”

Ah, the fated question that so many people shy away from. Networking doesn’t have to be difficult or scary if you know how to approach it in a way that works best for you. As a Holy Cross Alumna (’99), I remember what it felt like when graduation was around the corner and I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do once I left the hill. Then, as someone who just left a company after 11 years to try something different, I know firsthand how important networking is as you discover the best job fit.

“So what is networking, really?”

Networking IS a process of building relationships with people who can provide you with information, advice and referrals to increase your visibility in the job market.

Networking IS NOT contacting people to ask for a specific job within a company.

As a Holy Cross student about to enter the job market, you should be using two key resources to network: Holy Cross Alumni & LinkedIn.com.  Connect with Holy Cross Alumni through the Alumni Online Community and the Career Advisor Network (CAN), which consists of Alumni who have volunteered to meet with students to discuss their careers. Talk with Alumni who are in a role/industry that interests you or are at a company that you are targeting. My general sense is that alumni are proud to be Holy Cross graduates; they’ve been there and are happy to chat with a soon-to-be fellow Holy Cross grad.

LinkedIn.com is a great networking tool that will help you broaden your network of contacts.  The “LinkedIn Tips” document below will outline how to set up your profile and grow your connections. Use the LinkedIn search tools to search for specific jobs (yes, jobs are posted on LinkedIn and recruiters use that site to search for potential candidates) and to research companies that you may be interested in. When you see a job you are interested in, look at any current employees you may be connected to (1st or 2nd degree). Reach out to those connections and ask for an informational meeting to learn more about the company, the role you’re interested in, if appropriate, etc…

Networking is an essential part of the job search process. It will help you better define what you are and are not looking for in a job and/or company. It can lead to job opportunities that are the right fit for you!

So, have you reached out to someone yet today?

Additional Resources on Networking:

LinkedInTips
Networking Strategies and Tips

Are your parents adding to your job/internship search stress?

This article may be a year old, but it is as relevant as ever: Attention, Nervous Parents in the Audience.

Covenant Prep Teaching Information Session TONIGHT!

Covenant Prep
Hartford, CT
Information Session
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
6:30 pm
Hogan Jenks Suite B (4th Floor)

The mission of Covenant Preparatory School of Hartford is to provide economically disadvantaged yet motivated boys in grades 5-8 from the Hartford area with a quality, tuition-free, private school education.

Covenant Prep provides students with an excellent academic preparation for secondary school and beyond.  Successful candidates will have the opportunity to teach and guide these deserving students.  Be a part of changing the direction of  young people’s lives.  While no teaching experience is required, demonstrated academic achievement and selfless motivation are essential.

Holy Cross Alums currently on staff: Patrick Moore ’03, Meara Weaver ’08, Katie Zakreski ’09, Brigid Cremin ’10, Meghan Dunne ’10

Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 11:59 pm
Apply via Crusader Connections
On-campus interviews: Thursday, May 5

Peace Out!

Have you wondered what life would be like for you as a Peace Corps Volunteer? Where would you live? What would you eat? What would your “work day” look like? Does your Holy Cross experience match with what Peace Corps is looking for?

Come find out what the Peace Corps experience is all about at this information session. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers will tell you what their time was like, then the session is yours to ask all those questions!

Today, Tuesday, April 26
Hogan Lobby
6:00 – 7:00 pm

CAREER EXPO for People with Disabilities, 4/29

Urgent Message to all Job Seekers with disabilities,

There will be a career fair hosted by CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine on Friday, April 29th from 10 am to 3 pm at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. If you have not yet pre-registered for the upcoming Boston Career Expo for People with disabilities, please do it today. Attending this career fair, will give you the opportunity to meet face- to- face with recruiters! This event is free to attend.

Your Career depends on it!

CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine’s
CAREER EXPO for People with Disabilities

FREE ADMISSION TO CAREER EXPO

FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011
(
10 am -3 pm)
Sheraton Boston Hotel

39 Dalton Street
, Boston, MA 02199


IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PRE-REGISTER ONLINE AND ATTACH YOUR RESUME AT:
www.eop.com/expo

By Pre-registering and attaching your resume you will ensure that your resume appears on a disk that is given to all recruiters at the career expo and you will be able to enter the career expo faster than those who do not register online.
•You must be dressed in business attire when attending the Career Expo.
•Bring numerous, printed copies of your résumé to give to potential employers.
•Must be at least 18 years of age

Some of the many companies and government agencies that will be recruiting at this event:
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, Inc., (Bronze Sponsor), Osram Sylvania, Prudential, Raytheon (Silver Sponsor), Wells Fargo Bank (Bronze Sponsor), General Dynamics-Electric Boat, IRS, Liberty Mutual, Lockheed Martin (Awards Sponsor), Amgen, Greater Boston Employment Collaborative, Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Bronze Sponsor), National Security Agency, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Perkins School for the Blind, , MIT Lincoln Labs, National Credit Union, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Social Security Administration, State Street Bank,U.S. Dept. of State, U.S. Secret Service, Wellpoint, Transportation Security Administration, Army Contract Command, Commonwealth of Massachussets, Defense Contract Management Agency, The Veterans Administration, NAVAIR, Children’s Hospital of Boston, and many more.

Attend a free seminar at the career expo!
“How To Work A Career Expo As A Jobseeker”
Presented By: A nationally recognized career advice and recruiting expert
Hosted By: Osram Sylvania
The Corporate Process- Applicant Systems
Getting Ready: What to do before a career expo
The handshake: Everyone thinks theirs if fine
Career fair dynamics for 2011
Do a reconnaissance mission
Booth Speech
The appraoch
Some mistakes to avoid
After the fair

Seniors! This Week’s Deadlines & Events

This Week’s Deadlines & Events
April 25 – April 29, 2011

Welcome back!  Its the countdown to commencement!  Lots of jobs with deadlines this week!

Tuesday, April 26
Lobby Table: Peace Corps, Hogan 2 Lobby, 6-7 pm
Deadline: Apply via Crusader Connections
Teaching: Our Sisters’ School – AmeriCorps Classroom Teacher/Volunteer

Wednesday, April 27
Information Session: Covenant Preparatory School, Hogan Jenks Suite B (4th Floor) 6:30 pm
Deadline: Apply via Crusader Connections
Teaching: Covenant Preparatory School – Volunteer Teacher

Thursday, April 28
Lobby Table: U.S. Navy Medical Corps, Hogan 2, 11 am – 1 pm
Deadlines: Apply via Crusader Connections
Operations: Bridgewater Associates – Operations Associate
Training: eClinical Works – eCW Software Training Specialist – Trainer
Education: Ecotarium, Museum Educator – Business Development Lead
Customer Service: Fidelity Investments – Financial Representative
Sales/Recruiting: Lynx, Inc – Recruiting Associate
Medicine: Massachusetts General Hospital – Pulmonary Function Technician
Organizing: Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers – Community Healthcorps
Law: Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee – Legal Administrative Assistants
National Security & Defense: National Security Education Program
Teaching: Nativity Preparatory School of New Bedford – Volunteer Teacher
Teaching: Portsmouth Abbey School – French/Spanish Teacher
Sales: Saint Gobain Abrasives – Industrial Technical Field Sales Representative
Teaching: Spirit of Knowledge Charter School – Teacher
Teaching: Teachers-Teachers.com – Teacher
Sales: Zipcar – Inside Sales

Friday, April 29
Drop-in Session: Barton Associates, hosted by Kregory Hefner ’09.  Stop by any time between 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm in Hogan 519 to learn about opportunities in Healthcare Recruiting & Staffing

Looking Ahead:
Plenty of employers are interested in hiring Holy Cross seniors!  Upcoming deadlines include:
Thursday, May 5
On-Campus Interviews: Covenant Preparatory School, Volunteer Teacher
Thursday, May 12
Application Deadline: Barton Associates – Sales, Recruiting
Tuesday, May 31
Application Deadline: Cyber-Ark Software – Customer Service
Apply via Crusader Connections for all these jobs

Congratulations to Liz Henry ’14 our lucky Facebook contest winner!

We’re available by appointment (M-F, 9 – 5 – call 508.793.3880 or stop by Hogan 203 to schedule) or visit us during drop-in hours, M-F, 1-4pm, no appointment necessary.

Don’t know what you want to do or where to start?
No Problem!  Set up an appointment by calling 508.793.3880 or stop by Hogan 203.

This Week’s Deadlines & Events – April 18 – April 22, 2011

Before you leave campus for some quality family time (and SLEEP) be sure to apply for a job or two!

Monday, April 18
On-Campus Interviews: Readak Educational Services (Teaching)  Good Luck!
Deadline: Apply via Crusader Connections
Research: US Commission on International Religious Freedom – Joseph R. Crapa Fellowship

Tuesday, April 19
Deadlines: Apply via Crusader Connections
Event Planning: CBI Research – Conference Program Manager
Sales/Technical Recruiting: Insight Global – Training/Account Manager
Thursday, April 21
Deadlines: Apply via Crusader Connections

Financial Services: Newedge (via Campus Scout) – Front Office Analyst Program
Human Services:
Eliot Community Human Services – Case Manager
Management, Sales, Software:
Eze Castle Software – Business Consultant, Junior Software Developer
Sales:
Oracle Direct – Business Development Consultant

Looking Ahead:
Plenty of employers are interested in hiring Holy Cross seniors!  Upcoming deadlines include:
Tuesday, April 26
Lobby Table: Peace Corps, Volunteer
Wednesday, April 27
Information Session: Covenant Preparatory School, Teacher – 6:30 pm, Hogan Jenks Suite B (4th Floor)
Application Deadline: Covenant Preparatory School – Education
Thursday, April 28
On-Campus Interviews: Insight Global, Training/Account Manager
Lobby Table: U.S. Navy Medical Corps
Application Deadline: Bridgewater Associates – Operations
eClinical Works – Training
Fidelity Investments – Financial Representative
Lynx, Inc – Sales/Recruiting
Massachusetts General Hospital – Pulmonary Function Technician
Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers – Organizing
National Security Education Program – National Security & Defense
Nativity Preparatory School of New Bedford – Volunteer Teacher
Our Sisters’ School – Volunteer Teacher
Saint Gobain Abrasives – Sales
Spirit of Knowledge Charter School – Teacher
Winter, Wyman & Co – Sales/Recruiting
Zipcar – Inside Sales
Friday, April 29
Barton Associates, Drop-in session hosted by Kregory Hefner ’09.  Stop by any time – Healthcare Recruiting & Staffing Firm
Thursday, May 5
On-Campus Interviews: Covenant Preparatory School, Volunteer Teacher
Thursday, May 12
Application Deadline: Barton Associates – Sales, Recruiting
Apply via Crusader Connections for all these jobs

We’re available by appointment (M-F, 9 – 5 – call 508.793.3880 or stop by Hogan 203 to schedule) or visit us during drop-in hours, M-F, 1-4pm, no appointment necessary.

Don’t know what you want to do or where to start?
No Problem!  Set up an appointment by calling 508.793.3880 or stop by Hogan 203

For Seniors – This week in Career Planning

This Week’s Deadlines & Events
April 11 – April 15, 2011

The jobs keep coming in!  Employers are hiring!

Tuesday, April 12
On-Campus Interviews: Experian QAS Ltd. (Sales)  Good Luck!

Deadlines: Apply via Crusader Connections
Non-Profit: City Bridge Foundation – Program Assistant

Wednesday, April 13
On-Campus Interviews: Zoom Technical Services (Recruiting)  Good Luck!

Thursday, April 14
Deadlines: Apply via Crusader Connections
Law: Bowditch & Dewey, LLP – Business & Finance Practice Area
Technology: Cyber-Ark Software – Associate Technical Account Manager
Technology: Peoplecube – Junior Implementation Consultant
Insurance Brokerage: Willis Group – Benefit Associate

Like us on Facebook before Monday, April 18 and be entered to win a $25 iTunes gift card!
http://www.facebook.com/CrusaderCareers

Looking Ahead:
Plenty of employers are interested in hiring Holy Cross seniors!  Upcoming deadlines include:
Monday, April 18
US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Joseph R. Crapa Fellowship – Research
Tuesday, April 19
CBI Research, Conference Program Manager – Event Planning
Thursday, April 21
Eze Castle Software, Business Consultant, Junior Software Developer, Leadership Development Program – Management, Sales, Software
Oracle Direct, Business Development Consultant – Sales
Tuesday, April 26
Peace Corps, Volunteer – Lobby Table Hogan 1
Thursday, April 28
National Security Education Program – National Security & Defense
Friday, April 29
Barton Associates, Drop-in session hosted by Kregory Hefner ’09.  Stop by any time – Healthcare Recruiting & Staffing Firm

Apply via Crusader Connections for all these jobs

We’re available by appointment (M-F, 9 – 5 – call 508.793.3880 or stop by Hogan 203 to schedule) or visit us during drop-in hours, M-F, 1-4pm, no appointment necessary.

Don’t know what you want to do or where to start?
No Problem!  Set up an appointment by calling 508.793.3880 or stop by Hogan 203.

Win an iTunes gift card!

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!

Now that Rebecca Black is going to be stuck in your head every Friday for the rest of your life, you might as well buy the song . . .  with a free iTunes gift card!

From now til Monday 4/18

like Career Planning on Facebook

to enter to win a $25 iTunes gift card.

The fine print: You must be a current Holy Cross student. You may not be an employee of the Career Planning Center.   You must like Career Planning before the 11:59 pm on Monday, April 18 to enter.  Winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Tuesday, April 19.

What are you waiting for? It’s fun, fun, fun, fun, fun…

Going abroad your junior year?

Before you go, here’s what you need to know…

Tuesday, April 5th, 4:00 pm, Hogan 304

Career Planning and the Summer Internship Program are hosting a program to help you navigate the internship and job search process while away from Holy Cross.

Topics will include:

  • Planning ahead:  What should you do BEFORE leaving campus?
  • Strategies for applying to internships while away
  • Tips for interviewing while abroad
  • Marketing your study-abroad experiences to employers
  • Preparing for the full-time job search upon your return to campus senior year

Tips from Juniors who are abroad right now!

In addition, you will hear from a current senior who studied abroad her junior year.  Learn how she successfully secured an internship while away and how her experiences abroad influenced her.

Don’t miss this informative program!