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April Career Advice: Salty Dog & Pong in the Interview Room

How to transform your Salty Dog outfit into your Interview outfit in MINUTES!

  • Don’t bother spraying your shirts with Febreeze… employers are intrigued by the smell of booze on clothes. It shows initiative that you were even able to wake up for the interview after such an eventful night.
  • Girls: Take a tissue & wipe off the bottom of your eyeliner. Leave on the rest and it will look freshly done!
  • Boys (especially those interested in Investment Banking): The whole full suit stereotype is SO outdated… show those Wall Street studs your best going out tee and khakis.

The Art of a 10-page Resume:

  • Make sure to choose a very elusive font, as employers like a sense of mystery to draw them in. Recommendations: Wingdings or Simplified Arabic (Make ‘em translate!)
  • Another option is to hand write your resume. There’s a reason you spent so much time in school practicing cursive.
  • Include every club you’ve participated in since Middle School. How are employers supposed to take you seriously if they aren’t aware of your membership in Scrapbook Club during 6th grade?
  • Quantity overrules quality.
  • No need to proofread!

Spruce up your Facebook & Twitter:

  • Upload your best Beer pong match to YouTube ASAP.  Employers want to see your competitive edge. Bonus: If you are a regular champion…tack it on your resume!
  • If you don’t have a Red Solo Cup in your profile picture, you’re doing it wrong. Fill it up, snap a picture & show us your best Saturday 2am face. An employer’s dream.
  • Employers want entry-level employees who take charge of the company on Day 1, so show off your authoritative skills by cursing frequently on your public Twitter profile. Maybe throw in a disrespectful statement here and there to seal the deal.

Nail your Interview!

  • Always interview in a pairs just like Brennan and Dale from Step Brothers
  • Don’t bring copies of your resume… it looks like your trying too hard.
  • Always arrive 5 minutes late to the interview. If you are too punctual, they will always expect you to be on time.
  • Have your mother, father or sibling write a follow up thank you note—they love to see your family background prior to hiring

APRIL FOOLS, HO CRO!

P.S. If none of the above statements seemed out of place, please stop by Drop in hours ASAP (Every weekday from 1-4pm in Hogan 203) …We have some work to do!

 
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Easter Egg Hunt vs. Your Job Hunt

Just in time for Easter Break….

On the Hunt…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scurries of eager, bushy-eyed children arrive to the event grounds. The sea of pastel outfits and empty baskets is inescapable. It’s the calm before the storm; It’s the annual Children’s Easter Egg hunt in Suburbia, USA.

 

A key organizer of the event—dressed in something that can only be described as a doily’s cousin— steps up to the podium and proclaims “START NOW.” Like a stampede of African safari animals, kids charge all over the grounds to collect as many eggs as possible.

 

The competition heats up. Little Billy elbows his friend out of the path of a hidden blue egg, while Mary Sue (I guess this is set in the 1950s with that name) takes a tumble en route to a group of pink eggs piled at the bottom of the stairs. She picks herself up and continues to search. The famous line “All is fair in love and war—and Easter egg hunts” is coming to fruition.

 

Thirty minutes later, some kids manage to hoard over 30 eggs with their superior skill sets or help from a buddy, while others withdraw from the race and stand sadly on the sidelines. A few scour the yard & locate a few unearthed eggs with great persistence, while other kids joyfully receive eggs that people decided to share.


…Graduating seniors, one of the above children is YOU in the scramble for full time employment. Underclassmen, the same goes for you for your internship search. PLEASE Note that the only person in the story who does not find employment is the one who gave up! So, whether you were lucky enough to get an early offer, have started to expand your search or happen upon a job during your quest for employment, you must always be armed with optimism and dedication!

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If you are still looking for a job/internship, here are 5 Quick tips for Easter Break:

  1. SEARCH: Sign on to Crusader Connections or the Liberal Arts Career Network and search for open positions with keywords of relevant job titles, companies, industries, etc
  2. ESTABLISH ONLINE PRESENCE: Create or polish your LinkedIn Profile
  3. NETWORK & LEARN: Reach out to a previous employer, family friend or HC Alum in your desired field & ask how they reached their current position
  4. EDIT: Proofread & perfect your Resume
  5. CONTACT US! Call or email Career Planning & make an appointment to meet with a Career Counselor to discuss your options or look over resumes, cover letters, etc. (508-793-3880 or Careers@holycross.edu)

So as you enjoy Easter Break… Remain optimistic, eat one too many chocolate eggs (or Peeps) and STAY HUNGRY IN YOUR JOB HUNT!
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Friends vs. Foes: “Social Media in your Career Search” Edition

Social Media seems to be the buzz word of this century. Everywhere you look, brands are touting their online presence in order to connect with their customers in a deep, more interactive way.  As you’re in the midst of searching for a job or internship, it’s important to realize how your social media activity reflects the personal brand you’re trying to convey to potential employers. Thus, here are our Friends & Foes in the social media world.

Best Friend: LINKEDIN

Get a LinkedIn….. Did you get a LinkedIn yet? …. How about now?

Now you may ask: why does LinkedIn need to be my BFF? On a basic level, LinkedIn is the Facebook of the corporate world: it’s a networking platform, an online resume and a career searching tool in ONE. Bob McIntosh of Things Career Related lays out 10 facts you should know about this social media site in order to boost your career search. Here are the highlights: [Find the complete article here]

  • Choose a PROFESSIONAL looking profile photo
  • Don’t sweat the number of “friends”…. It’s about making connections, not just numbers!
  • List something in your work history, even if it’s a job or internship unrelated to your desired industry
  • PROOFREAD…. Spelling errors count on online profiles too
  • Link your blog or professional works to your page!

FRENEMY: Facebook & Twitter

No one is trying to strip these popular social media sites of their valor, but proceed with caution. Regularly check your privacy settings and THINK before you post. It’s not a myth that many HR recruiters and employers actively seek out their candidates on search engines and/or social media platforms to get a better sense of who they may hire. Try googling yourself as a baseline check. Our message is by no means telling you to delete your accounts… in fact, some media, communications and PR positions want you to access Facebook for market research on consumer companies! Take home message: BE SMART!

FRIEND: The Bloggosphere

Blogging signifies your knowledge of online platforms (WordPress, BlogSpot, etc) and willingness to put your ideas and writing style in the public eye. As long as your content is not inappropriate, your blog posts can also show a side of your personality that might not emerge during the interview process.

 

POTENTIAL MORTAL ENEMY: Facebook Open Graph

Although we already listed Facebook as a “frenemy,” we felt the need to re-list it as the potential “Darth Vader” of the Social Media world, especially in light of new technology. As of this month, Facebook’s new search optimization tool “Open Graph” allows Facebook users to perform detailed searches and virtually target any of your information not explicitly set to private, according to The Social Media Monthly.  Based on the current “Privacy Settings” format, here are some recommendations you should consider ASAP!

Under “Who Can See My Stuff”:

  • Change Who Can See Your Future Posts?from “Everyone” to “Friends”
  • Set Review all of your posts and things you’re tagged in to “Activity Log” so you can pre-approve posts before they show up on your Timeline
  • Under Limit the Audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends or the public, click “Limit Past Posts” ….That way you’re past posts are private!

Under “Who Can Look Me Up”

  • For Who can look you up using the email address or phone number you provided, it is really up to you. We’d recommend “Friends of Friends” at a bare minimum, so you don’t have random people stalking you via your contact info
  • Set Do You Want Other Search Engines to link to your timeline, PRESS “OFF” (This one is KEY)

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The take-home message:  Enjoy social media, but think about your audience!
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Lessons from a Leprechaun

How to be a Pot of Gold level Employee

In the 2012-2013 academic year, we’ve heard career advice from an ambitious turkey and elf trying to attain their dream internship/jobs. If you were impressed by those career savvy holiday fixtures, wait until you hear what you can learn from a leprechaun… after all we are approaching St. Patrick’s Day.

Although Santa makes his grand marketing appearance every autumn, few other holiday characters

have transcended past their season and impacted the advertising world more than the leprechaun. Yep, our dear friend Lucky, the poster child of Lucky Charms has raked in millions of dollars since its 1964 introduction to the market. Although the taste may factor into this profit, we are most impressed by Lucky’s ability to sustain his image for 59 years!

….How does he do it?

1.)    Dress to Impress: When you have holiday characters like Cupid strolling around in a glorified diaper and the Easter Bunny putting no effort into his au-natural look, the bar is set pretty low for holiday symbols’ business attire. However, their fashion faux paus did not stop Lucky the leprechaun from going the extra mile by sporting a tailored green blazer, shirt, black fitted pants and some classy emerald dress shoes. This little leprechaun’s appearance is not only stylish in an understated way, but business ready.

2.)    Be Memorable (In a Good Way!): The best brands boast memorable taglines, commercials and ads. (Or sometimes brands create jingles that are so annoyingly catchy you can’t forget them despite your greatest efforts—still these are memorable, just in a bad way). Similarly in the workforce well-prepared employees keep their best “elevator pitch” in their back pockets in the off chance they encounter a higher up exec one-on-one. It’s all about being able to sell yourself in the best way possible. As for Lucky, his ingenious tagline “they’re after me lucky charms” has become timeless. His cheerful delivery has inspired millions of sweet-toothed children to attempt their best Irish accent. Moreover, the jingle “hearts, stars and horseshoes! Clover and blue moons! Pots of gold and rainbows and me red balloons!” has successfully convinced every kid to pick all of the lucky charms marshmallows out of the bowl rather than eat the whole cereal. (Run out of marshmallows=Need more cereal=money in General Mills’ bank).  And just for argument’s sake, who would want to hear Santa or the Tooth Fairy say “they’re magically delicious!”? ….that just doesn’t work. Case & Point: The world won’t soon forget our brisk little leprechaun.

3.)    Keep a Positive Attitude: Lucky is constantly being chased by a pack of screaming children trying to steal his possessions. It’s like he is a camp counselor for overly persistent, kleptomaniac children. Despite this horrible job, Lucky maintains his cheery, optimistic demeanor and refuses to snap. Similarly in the work force, we aren’t always going to align with our superiors or fellow employees; however, staying cool, calm and collected is pivotal for excelling in a career. [Side note: Speaking of crazed children, I’d also like to give a shout-out to the Trix Yogurt Bunny here… those kids are relentless too …you are not a Silly rabbit and yogurt isn’t just for kids.]

4.)   Stay Dynamic: With technology constantly evolving, adaptability is key. Today, success means staying on your toes, mapping strategies and always being willing to evolve with the industry. In Lucky Charms commercials, Lucky often finds himself cornered on the edge of a cliff or trapped in a tricky situation, yet somehow he ALWAYS manages to escape. Although these are situations Lucky cannot anticipate, he has built up a certain set of sly magical skills, which enable him to adapt to whatever predicament he finds himself in. Essentially, he is a cross between Jason Bourne & Harry Houdini…and it works.

….So, in Summary

  • In whatever field you go into: Dress well, Be well remembered, Have a good attitude & be adaptable!
  • We think Lucky the Leprechaun may secretly be Richard Branson.

HAVE A GREAT ST. PADDY’S DAY, HOLY CROSS!
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Alumni Guest Post: Ty Shaw ’09

Kicking off our Alumni Guest Post series for the Spring Semester, Ty Shaw ’09 discusses how his post grad life led to his current role as a Business Development Consultant at Oracle!

Ty Shaw '09

Job prospects were few and far between when I left “The Cross” in 2009.  America was in the midst of the modern day great depression.  I soon learned the importance of humility, perseverance and strong networking–or as I say, making new friends and embracing old ones.

During my senior year I had one solid job prospect in an industry and location I didn’t want to be in after college, so instead of taking the job, I chose to go back home to Denver, CO.   At the time I was so wrapped up in my own ego and my sense of entitlement that I could not truly understand how tough the economy was.  I was fixed on the thought that I had a great degree from Holy Cross (which I did), and that was all I needed to land a good job.  I was sadly awakened when I spent almost my first year after graduation working with a staffing firm (temp. agency) to keep my resume/skills current.

During that year with the staffing firm, I was humbled.  I could not find permanent work, and I had sent in around one hundred applications and hadn’t landed any interviews.  My dad soon came to me and said “Son, you have to get around the movers and the shakers.”  So that’s what I did, networking became a part of my daily routine.  And I can’t stress enough how important it is to meet people doing things that you think you may be interested in because most companies don’t waste their time looking at resumes where there is no referral with it.  I began to connect with Holy Cross alumni in Colorado that I found off the Holy Cross alumni website, and I joined meetup groups (meetup.com) so that I could mingle with people that were doing the work I wanted to do.  Each networking experience helped me to realize that the best networkers are those that make genuine friends.  In this world we can never have too many genuine people in our lives that want to help and are open to being helped.

After networking in Colorado (and a few jobs later), I thought getting back to HC for a spring football game would be a good idea for me to reunite with old friends and teammates.  And I was right! Going back to HC is what led to my current opportunity at Oracle.  A Holy Cross teammate and friend told me about openings at Oracle and how he was recently hired—and this connection helped lead to my current job.

In my role, I am working as a Business Development Consultant (BDC) for Oracle.  I am responsible for prospecting into companies that have technology issues.  On a day to day basis, I perform in-depth research on these companies to gain a deep understanding of their business.  Also, I am researching to see how Oracle can add value to what they do.  Most of the companies I work with are public so I am able to read their 10k reports to understand their business and see if we can help.

Once I’m done researching companies online that I want to call into, I find people within the company to speak with.  There are a plethora of prospecting tools Oracle has available to BDC’s to use in order to find the right person in a company to speak business with.  The number one goal is to first build rapport with the prospect, and after connecting on a humanly level, I go on to better understand that person’s role inside the company they work for.  Then we get down to business, I ask questions to see if we can add value, and if there is a business pain I proceed to set up a next call to help facilitate the sales process.  My main job is pre-sales, so I do the research, find the business problem and build the relationship before facilitating the rest of the sales process with my sales team.  I also provide advice to my sales team on how we can drive business in their territory based off of the research I find.  Ultimately, I am in the business of helping the customer first and driving revenue second.

My opportunity at Oracle wouldn’t have been possible without my new-found sense of humility, perseverance, and the Holy Cross Alumni community.  The lessons that I have learned are things that I hope that you all can take with you before graduating.  Think long and hard about what you want to do, what will fulfill you, where you want to live, and what kind of work you will be proud of.  In nearly being out of college four years, I’m just now feeling like I’m heading down a path to fulfillment.  A Chu!  Chu!  Rah!  Rah! For Holy Cross!

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Connect with this story?

Learn more about the opportunities at Oracle here.
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Hire me, Santa!

Happy Finals Week, Holy Cross!

Aside from watching 24 hours worth of A Christmas Story and being caught up in the initial glee and eventual boredom of Winter Break, many of you will be applying for internships or jobs during this time away from HC. If you’ve been through the application process already, you know Cover letters mark a critical piece in the internship/job hunt. Along with your resume, cover letters set the tone between you and your potential employer.

So in the spirit of the Christmas (& job hunting) Season, we’ve included a sample cover letter from Elphadora Elf, a college senior looking to apply to Santa’s workshop. Just like us, Elphadora is seeking a job in this rough economy… she’s even willing to relocate to the North Pole! How does your cover letter shape up to hers??

 

Santa, you should hire her!

 

Have a great holiday break, Holy Cross!

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12 Days of Career Planning Christmas

While you plow through your finals hyped up on caffeine and glimpses of motivation, don’t forget about Career Planning! Our Career counselors are available for appointments until the end of the semester, especially as you start applying and interviewing for internship and job positions during Winter Break. So in the spirit of the holiday season, Career Planning decided to pen our own version of the “ 12 Days of Christmas.” Have a happy holiday & we’ll see you in Hogan 203 soon!

♫ ♬ On the ___ Day of Christmas, HC Career Planning gave to me….
…And come visit us in Hogan TWO-O-THREE. ♫ ♬

12 months open per year

11+ industries recruiting on campus

10 Grad Program Pamphlets

9 Staff Members working

8 hours a day open for appointments

7 Career counselors counseling

6 Shelves of Career Books

5 Golden Resumes Examples

4 PM Drop-ins End

3 Paragraphs in your Cover Letters

2 Student computers

And come visit us in Hogan TWO-O-THREE.

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Make sure to check out this post & other interesting articles in this week’s issue of The Crusader, which comes out Friday, December 7th!

Hogan 203 is in the Holiday Spirit!

Good Luck with finals, HC!