Are you LinkedIn?

Social media is all the rave now a days, isn't it? It is safe to say that most college students are involved in at least one form of social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, watching YouTube videos, or writing a blog. While all of these tools may be key for communication with friends and those with similar interests to ours, what are these profiles actually doing for our careers? With a LinkedIn account, the benefits for your future are very clear.

What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is your own, individualized (by you!) online resume. The main focus of a LinkedIn profile is to highlight your work experience and to sell yourself to others (possibly employers!) who are also using it. Through LinkedIn, you can connect with other individuals in your field. For example, say you are a COB (College of Business) student at JMU and you wanted to network with a JMU alumni that currently works at your dream company; through LinkedIn you can connect with one another, and at the same time, share your resume with that alumni (who can then share it with anyone in his network). You can also join groups that suit your interests- there are JMU groups, on and off-campus organization groups and most importantly, professional association groups.

HerCampus.com recently reported about 7 tips for getting the most out of your LinkedIn account. Some no-brainers include keeping information up-to-date and making sure you have a professional profile photo (not one with you at a bar with your friends); a nice head shot shows that you are professional and approachable. Make sure that your profile is tailored to the person and employee that you are; remember, it is a dog-eat-dog world, and to get ahead you have to stand out from the competition. LinkedIn will not only help you stand out by looking professional and prepared, it will also give you a leg up on the competition by networking and creating a 100% complete profile. Imagine, if you put just a quarter of the effort in to LinkedIn that you put in to Facebook and Twitter, you can easily get on the path to a brighter future and leave a more memorable digital trail.

Are you a JMU student and need a head shot for your LinkedIn profile? Make sure you come out to the Fall Career and Internship Fair on Monday, October 1, 2012 from 12-4 PM in the Festival Ballroom to take one at our Photobooth! There will also be more information about LinkedIn at the Photobooth!

By: Melissa Peale
Contact: pealeml@dukes.jmu.edu

On Campus Recruiting: The Scoop

Did you know that at JMU you do not even have to step foot off the campus in order to interview with employers?

That's right! JMU students are so elite that employers actually travel to Harrisonburg seeking to hire Dukes. So how do you get in on this On Campus Recruiting action? Just follow these simple steps and you will be on your way!

 

1. Take the Recruit-A-Duke tutorial. It is fairly short and is vital in knowing how to navigate the website, as well as all of the features it has for you to use. Not a big enough incentive? Without completing this step, you will be unable to access the OCR benefits.

2. Log on to Recruit-A-Duke. Click on Job Opportunities, then On Campus Recruiting and Job Postings for JMU Students. You will then see a bunch of job listings. Browse and see if there are any positions you might be interested in and are eligible to apply for. If you find one you like, submit your resume (for some great resume tips, see the CAP website). From this point, employers will select students who they would like to interview. If you are contacted by an employer, you will be able to sign up for interview time slots on Recruit-A-Duke.

3. Score the interview? Great! Now you need to prepare yourself for it. You can find specific instructions on how to get ready for your OCR interview, as well as tips about interview etiquette and terms you should know on the Student OCR portion of the CAP website.

Note: If you are not contacted for an interview, don't get discouraged! There are plenty of opportunities available on Recruit-A-Duke, so keep checking back! Use this time to take another look at your resume and work on your interviewing skills. Sign up for a mock interview on Recruit-A-Duke or use our new practice tool, InterviewStream from the comfort of your room!

Fall recruiting season ends on November 9th, so get your resume together and hop on Recruit-A-Duke today!

Attention: All PR and Communications Students! Get Ahead of your Competition Before you Graduate!

Just because you are still in college does not mean that you cannot build your resume. Some of the most important learning experiences happen when students are still in school and are given responsibility, or strive beyond what is expected by professors. PR Daily has recently discussed 10 different tips to help Public Relations students get ahead of their competition before they even graduate! Whether you are a senior, or a freshman just starting out, and regardless of major, these points can be very useful and can put you on the path to success!

1. Designate a homework schedule so that you can manage your time properly and keep up with readings. It is also very beneficial to follow PR-related blogs and websites, such as PR Daily. This will help you stay up-to-date with the current topics in your field.

2. Organization is key! When your books and papers are in a clutter, how are you to keep track of things and study? As mentioned in the article, personal planners or Google Calendar are a great way to stay organized.

3. Use disgression when it comes to social media. It is better to be safe than sorry when posting on social media- almost anything can be tracked down these days. The last thing you want to do is leave a digital trail that will harm your chances of landing a job post-graduation.

4. Take a break and network! Everyone needs a study break; a great way to utilize this time is to get involved with social media networking tools such as LinkedIn, Google+ hangouts and Twitter chats. Anything and anyone whom relate to your area of study can be useful!

5. Visit professors during office hours. Professors make themselves available to answer any questions you may have about course material, so definitely make use of it! A professor is more likely to positively remember a face that comes in to their office asking for help as opposed to a last-minute email the night before a test.

6. Join PRSSA or another major-related organization. Many campuses, including JMU, have a Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, or another organization that is applicable to your major and intended field of employment. These types of groups will help you network, gain experience in the field, and to become more involved on your campus!

7. Intern! With the cut-throat competition and suffering economy today, the more experience an individual has, the better they look in the eyes of the employer. If you are ever searching for a job or internship, please consider visiting the JMU Recruit-A-Duke website.

8. Build media awareness. With all of the resources we currently have access to, it is important, and valuable, to research bloggers, important personnel in that particular field, and read up or different organizations. The more you know, the more impressed an employer will be!

9. Start a blog. Everyone has something that they are interested in or passionate about, and blogging is a great way to express those thoughts and feelings. At the same time, you will be creating a portfolio for future employers and tuning your online voice.

10. Learn software. Again, the more you know, the better! Familiarize yourself with any and every tool that is applicable to your field; this will make you a more versatile and knowledgeable employee.


By: Melissa Peale
contact: pealeml@dukes.jmu.edu

Acing the Interview

With recruiting season quickly approaching at JMU, students will have the opportunity to meet with employers and take part in on campus interviews. Participating in interviews may seem a bit intimidating, but there are ways to eliminate a lot of those nerves. Whether it be on the phone, via web chat or in person, the best way to be confident in an interview is to make sure that you're fully prepared. Here are some steps to take to make sure you are more than ready to ace that interview:

1. Check out the interviewing portion of the Career and Academic Planning website. Here you will find steps to take prior to the interview, different types and styles of interviews, what to talk about during the interview, what to do when it's over, and basic interviewing skills. You can find all of these things here: http://www.jmu.edu/cap/job_intern_search/job_interviewing.htm .

2. Sign up for a mock interview on campus. Practice your interviewing skills with real employers without the concern of impressing or disappointing. Get useful feedback for when you do the real thing. Sign up for mock interviews ahead of time on Recruit-A-Duke (https://jmu-csm.symplicity.com/students). Students are each allowed one mock interview per semester.

3. Practice with your friends! Often times employers will ask at least a few standard questions during interviews, so coming up with answers to these ahead of time will be highly beneficial. You can find a list of frequently asked interview questions here: http://www.jmu.edu/cap/job_intern_search/job_inter_employerquestions.htm.

4. Try out Interview Stream, a program newly featured on Recruit-A-Duke that allows students to practice interviews online and share with friends, family, professors, etc. The program allows viewers to leave feedback that can be very useful for students.

There are so many tools and outlets students can use to perfect their interviewing skills. If you put any or all of these to use, you'll be well on your way to becoming an expert interviewee!

By: Kelly Gooch
contact: goochke@jmu.edu

Wrangle your Resume for Resume Roundup!

Have you been working on your resume, but don't feel confident enough with it to land the internship or job of your dream?

Stress no more! Career and Academic Planning is hosting Resume Roundup this upcoming Monday, September 10th, 2012 from 12:00 - 3:00 PM in the Festival Ballroom. There will be representatives from nearly twenty different companies and organizations here to review your resumes and provide feedback. Doesn't this sound perfect? A chance to get the professionals to help you fix your resume, without the pressure of getting the job! The employers attending are as follows:

• BB & T Corp.
• BRMi
• Buckingham Branch Railroad
• Cintas Corporation
• Deloitte Consulting
• Department of Labor and Industry
• FedBid, Inc.
• ICF Ironworks Consulting
• Johnson Lambert & Co.
• Kohl's
• KPMG
• LivingSocial
• McGladrey
• North Spring Behavioral Healthcare
• Target Corporation
• Teach for America
• TJX Companies Inc.
•  U.S. EPA Office of Strategic and Environmental Management

•  CAP representatives will also be present to offer feedback on your resume! 

To find out even more information about Resume Roundup or the employers that will be present and editing resumes, please visit the Recruit-A-Duke website at: https://jmu-csm.symplicity.com/students/.

Need help sprucing up your resume before the event? Read this helpful article from BusinessWeek: Top 10 Resume Tips!

We cannot wait to see you there! Don't forget to bring a copy of your resume! :)


By: Melissa Peale
Contact: pealeml@dukes.jmu.edu

The Importance of Revision

 Nowadays many companies do their recruiting through the web, which allows applicants to submit materials such as resumes and cover letters electronically. This makes back-and-forth communication a little easier, and if anything saves some trees.

There is a downside to sending materials online, however. Typos and grammatical errors are more likely to be found if a hard copy is printed and reviewed, says novelist Danette Haworth(daybydaywriter.wordpress.com). It is also highly recommended that applicants send their materials to their own email addresses first to avoid the distribution of the wrong materials (or no materials at all!). It's happened to the best of us: "you'll find my materials attached", without an attached file to be found. If you intend to attach something in an email to an employer, make sure you actually do it.  Perhaps even more importantly, be sure that you're sending the right materials. 
 
 Vanessa Hodja, a student from Toronto found out the importance of this the hard way.  Instead of attaching and sending her resume to a  career center regarding an administrative assistant position, Hodja attached an unflattering image of actor Nicolas Cage. Needless to say, Hodja was not offered the position.* 

Hodja's "resume"
Source: bit.ly/PW56oL


 From Hodja's mistake we can take away a few pointers to avoid embarrassing mishaps in the job application process:

• Send drafts of emails to yourself first. Not only will you catch mistakes this way, but you can also see if the formatting has changed.
• Go over all of your materials every time you send them out to a new employer (even if you are sure they were perfect the last time you used them).
• Save your materials under a title that is recognizable and professional. This way, you will be sure that you are attaching the right material, and the employer will be able to recognize it in his/her downloads.
• Be sure you are sending from a professional email. Using an email address like beachcutie77@yahoo.com won't get you any points in the professionalism department.

Remember, revision is crucial. If you're not sure that you've caught all errors, send your materials to a friend first. Sometimes having someone else edit for you will help you catch that spelling mistake you've glanced over ten times.


By Kelly Gooch
contact: goochke@jmu.edu


Original article from Monster.com by Katheryn K. Randolph
*See full article at http://college.monster.com/news/articles/2172-student-accidentally-attaches-nicolas-cage-photo-in-place-of-resume----did-she-get-the-job

Looking for an IT job? Don't miss this virtual career fair!

In a joint effort to connect qualified applicants with job openings in the greater Cleveland region, Global Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Software Association (NEOSA) invites JMU students and alumni to participate in a virtual online job fair, from August 20-24.  Recently Business week noted Cleveland as one of the top places in the US for IT jobs.  This is an opportunity for Cleveland’s employers with available IT positions to showcase career opportunities to talent from inside and outside the region. This web-based event is free of charge to job seekers, giving employers a wide pool of diverse candidates from which to choose.

Global Cleveland is a nonprofit economic development organization that strives to connect leading employers in the region with the talent they need to grow and thrive in Cleveland.  This job fair is part of our mission to attract individuals with the necessary skills to fill the region’s growing demand for IT professionals.  

If you are looking for IT related job opportunities please register here: http://www.clejobfair.org/article/register

Participating employers include:

• Accenture
• Continental Broadband, LLC
• e2b Teknologies
• EDSI
• Fenetech
• Forest City Enterprises
• Hyland Software
• Lincoln Electric
• OEConnection
• Olympic Steel
• OnShift
• PreEmptive Solutions
• Progressive
• TMW Systems
• University Hospitals
• Webtego
• Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA