As you enter into a job search, you are hopefully utilizing as many resources as possible to learn about open positions.  While it is a good idea to attend career fairs or reach out to networking connections, it is also highly recommended that you browse through JOB CENTER for leads, apply through online websites that you uncover (those belonging to individual companies and those that list jobs for many places), and mail out resumes with letters of inquiry to organizations you are interested in.  Keep in mind, though, that especially with search tactics that involve sending things out, you are likely going to be required to include a cover letter along with your resume.  If you have never written a cover letter, don’t stress too much – there are plenty of resources to help you!  Just be sure to tailor each letter toward the job/company you are applying to and give yourself plenty of time to have it revised. 

The purpose of a cover letter is to persuade the employer to read your resume and grant you an interview.  It does not repeat your resume in paragraph form; it does provide support and examples of ways in which you meet their qualifications.  For assistance in writing your cover letter, come to our next Simply Impressive 20 Minute Clinic on Cover Letters!  Additionally, take a look at the following article that gives tips on The Do’s of Writing a Spectacular Cover Letter:    

Writing a stellar cover letter becomes even more important in today’s job market when there are so many applicants competing for the same position.  Click HERE for tips on how to make yours stand out!

Many students are unsure of what they want to do once they graduate college, a decision that often becomes more difficult to make as your time at LVC comes to a close.  As an LVC 2009 graduate of Music Education, Sarah Linde has delayed beginning a traditional teaching career as she spends a year working with inner city students of Philadelphia.  Read Sarah Linde’s story of her choice to become a City Year corps member.

“Who knew I'd use my music degree to help students write raps and beats?  Honestly, it was the last thing on my mind at graduation. I wanted to help, but could I honestly give an entire year of my life to help decrease the 50% high school dropout rate?  Mentoring and tutoring were important, sure, but how in the world could I make a serious difference?  I took the plunge and applied to City Year Greater Philadelphia as a corps member. I was accepted on May 15th, the day before I graduated from Lebanon Valley.  Throughout my experience, I am realizing the huge impact this experience has had on my future teaching career.”  Continue Reading: Sarah Linde's essay

Sarah will be on campus Monday, March 15^th, 2010 to talk with students about City Year and AmeriCorps opportunities.  She will be holding an information session from 6:00-7:00pm in Humanities 302 and will be available at a table display in Mund College Center from 10:30am-1:00pm and 4:30-5:30pm. 

If you’re spending your spring break thinking about your job search, either for a summer internship, part time position, or full time job after graduation, then it would certainly be wise to think about how you can present yourself to employers as an ideal candidate.  This can be done through self evaluation to help you understand the strengths that you have to offer, through research to help you determine what you are interested in pursuing and what companies are looking for, and through preparation so that you can make it to, and excel in, the interview process. 

Some of you, along with students from many other area colleges and universities, may have attended the CPEC Job & Internship Fair a few weeks ago in search of job leads.  I hope that you found that to be a beneficial experience!  After the event we asked for recruiter feedback on their overall perception of students/candidates in order to provide you with future guidance on approaching employers.  Their advice can be applied to any interaction you have with professionals in your job search. 

To see a list of employer comments from CPEC 2010, click HERE

On Sunday, February 21^st, the Alumni Office hosted a very successful Career Networking and Professionalism Dinner that brought in over 20 LVC alumni to network and offer advice to students.  After an interview presentation that included round-table mock interviews and an informative networking reception, students sat down to a multi-course meal.  While dining, Stephanie Stout, a 1977 alum, provided information on the origins of dinner etiquette and the proper way to conduct oneself during a business meal.  All of the advice provided came straight from professionals in the working world and were invaluable tidbits for students planning for their eventual job search.  For those who missed the event, Amber Keeseman (class of 2011) has formulated a list of 20 things she learned/realized over the course of the evening:  

1.       Alumni are truly friendly and love to help out current students.  I met multiple people who offered plenty of advice during the event and said they were more than willing to help me in the future.

2.       The Power of Networking – After having the opportunity to make a connection with a Human Resources Manager at a company that I applied for an internship with, I realized that networking is one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of a field/company.

3.       First impressions are made instantly – An employer develops an impression of you within 30 seconds, so do everything you can to make it a good one!

4.       Confidence – The event involved approaching and then eating dinner with alumni in order to learn how to interview, network, and maintain dinner etiquette.  Successfully completing these tasks had the effect of increasing each student’s confidence when approaching professionals to help us prepare for entering into a job search.

As some students get close to graduation and plan to move out on their own into the professional world, many are looking for job options that appeal to them.  Part of that appeal may be a large salary, right? 

According to the Winter 2010 NACE Salary Survey (based on reports of salary offers extended to students graduating between September 1, 2009 and January 15, 2010), average salary offers to new college graduates have dipped slightly compared to salaries reported a year ago.  What students should take from this is the understanding that there is always the chance of making less upon graduation than what they were expecting, regardless of the field of study.  In response, we recommend that students take a hard look at what they need to make as well as a realistic look at their current expectations.  Researching your industry can help with the latter, while sitting down and writing all your planned expenses after graduation to get an idea of your situation is recommended for the former.  

To help, the Alumni Office is hosting a Life in the Real World Bootcamp workshop on March 28^th that will include Budgeting Basics and a Cars, Cribs, and Contracts discussion.  With the economy as it is, now is definitely a good time to be thinking about attending that event to have an opportunity to really learn what life after college might cost!  You can’t have a good idea of what salary range you need in order to make ends meet until you reflect on what expenses are around the corner.

The other big piece of advice is to research your industry as much as possible, in conjunction with the current job market, to gain an idea of what salary range you can expect in an entry level job.  Resources such as www.jobweb.com (look under the students tab for a plethora of information), Career Insider (access this extensive online career resource library through the Career Services website), industry magazines and professional organizations, NACE’s Salary Surveys (Career Services has copies of recent reports) and internet searches can be a helpful place to start. 
 
Regardless of your plan for after graduation, managing your expectations through research will surely help prepare you for life after LVC!     

As you may have guessed, my typical Wednesday posting schedule was interrupted by the massive snow storm here!  I hope you all enjoyed the winter wonderland and managed to stay safe and warm.

The topics for the first two sessions of the Simply Impressive 20 minute clinic series focused on utilizing co-curricular experiences and developing transferable skills for use in resumes, cover letters, and interview answers.  Sometimes it is difficult to know how to incorporate those things into your job search mindset, especially when trying to determine what employers are looking for specifically.  A great article was printed in the January 29^th issue of the Central Penn Business Journal that offers guidance on what makes someone truly exceptional.  The seven key attributes listed within are certainly things you can develop here at LVC to offer to employers.

1. Trustworthy
2. Resourceful
3. Dedicated
4. Proactive
5. Flexible
6. Innovative
7. Competitive

Nearly 80,000 state government employees work for Pennsylvania in just about every field imaginable.  From auditors to auto mechanics, cosmetologists to computer programmers, scientists to security officers, the list goes on.  We recently received information from the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Employment (BSE) informing us that they have changed the way you can apply for non-civil service positions.

NON-Civil Service positions:

The commonwealth offers employment opportunities in over 2,000 job classifications, all of which fit into two broad categories: non-civil service or civil service.  Nearly one third of commonwealth jobs are non-civil service positions filled by the BSE. 

The commonwealth has improved the way students seeking summer employment can apply for non-civil service state jobs.  The Bureau of State Employment is no longer accepting resumes and Personal Data Sheets for applications; however, it’s easier than ever to apply online at www.employment.pa.gov.  Students will provide their contact information and work history, then select the type of job they want to apply for.  They can log back on any time to update their information or apply for additional jobs once they have graduated.

Click here for a Non-civil Service Employment FAQ Sheet, sent to us by the BSE.

Civil Service positions:

About 70% of the state’s jobs are civil service including, for example, technical and professional positions in fields such as nursing, budgeting or accounting, auditing, engineering, information technology, and human resources.  If students and graduates are interested in civil service jobs, they should continue to apply at www.scsc.state.pa.us. 

Students are reminded of the importance of being involved on campus from the time you first begin to the time you graduate.  Big reasons for this are because being involved allows you to explore and develop your interests, enables you to step into leadership roles and learn to work with others, and provides you with opportunities to volunteer and get involved with the community.  All of these things have the underlying benefit of networking.  Being involved on campus allows you to meet people you wouldn’t necessarily meet within the classroom.  But how do you continue to meet people who might be more helpful toward your job search and life after LVC?  Hopefully you’ll stay involved in any organizations you’ve connected with as a student, but you should also begin looking for opportunities that allow you to be involved with other professionals.

One recommendation would be to check out your local Chamber of Commerce.  Whether you are planning to relocate or are staying put, there is plenty of information to be found through the Chamber.  If you are not familiar with the purpose or role of a Chamber of Commerce, it is an organization that serves its members (local businesses) and community.  From their website you can find information on the businesses in that area, which can be an excellent resource if you’re wondering what industries and companies are located near you.  You can also learn about networking and professional development opportunities that can help you get out there and meet people.  Remember, networking is the name of the game when it comes to job leads and professional success!

You may be interested to know that the current President and CEO of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce is LVC alum Larry Bowman.  He was recently featured in the Central Penn Business Journal, January 1, 2010 issue.  To read his thoughts on chamber operations and trends, Read on ->.

For the Journal’s LIST on Chambers of commerce ranked by number of local members, click Here ->.  

Welcome back, students!  I hope you enjoyed your holiday break and are ready to begin the semester at full speed.  Career Services has been busy putting together a semester of programs to help you get ready for life after LVC, details of which you can find through your JOB CENTER Career Events tab, by reading our weekly “This Week in Career Services” emails, or by continually looking out for our posters, emails, and other advertisements.  Of course we’re always happy to meet with you individually, but keep in mind that the spring semester can get very busy and go by very fast-so schedule an appointment early!

In encouraging news, NACE, the national organization that we are a member of, has recently published results of a poll regarding predictions of the college job market.  
“While the college Class of 2010 is facing a tough job market, there has been improvement in the hiring index for three consecutive months indicating that college hiring may have stopped receding and is slowly starting to rebuild”  Read on! ->

Career Services wishes you a safe and wonderful holiday season!  Our office will be closed from December 24th - January 4th.  We look forward to seeing you in the new year!