Career Development Center

Nancy Stubblefield, Career Coordinator

Bragg Mass Communication, Room 130

www.mtsu.edu/~career New CDC Mission

The mission of the Career Development Center is to prepare and engage students in a comprehensive career development process with a focus on lifelong learning. This is

accomplished by providing innovative resources and integrated technology, which will assist students to effectively transition from an academic setting into their career field.

Registration with LJS

Open an account at: www.mtsu.edu/~career

Click on red “register now” under LJS logo.

Fill out the form. Read the Use Statement.

After submitting, the CDC will confirm your academic information and send an email with your username and password.

Please allow 1-2 business days for this to occur!

Tools for Success

www.mtsu.edu/~career

Walk-In Hours

I work on Wednesday’s from 10 a.m. – Noon

Tuesday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Wednesday 10:00 am – 2:00 pmThursday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

No need for an appointment, just drop by KUC 328!

Six Steps to Career Success

1. Assessing

• What are my strengths?• What do I like to do?• Why am I in this major? • What are my work interests?• What is my personality?• What are my skills?

If you don’t know what you’re selling, you can’t expect anyone to buy it!

Check out the sample portfolio on Focus 2

2. Exploring

• Researching job industries

• Researching job functions• Majors Fair• Focus II

CDC Internet Resourceshttp://career.web.mtsu.edu/resources.htm

What can I do with my skills, ability, interests, and major?(If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?)

3. Building

• Perfect Interview • CDC Resume Guide• JobChoices Magazine (free

copy available in CDC)

• Critique of resumes & cover letters by staff

• CDC Internet resources list – for detailed list of resources

Building your job-search skills – writing resumes /cover letters and interviewing effectively. It is not the best candidate that gets the internship or job, but the best prepared!

Career TV selections :•Tips for Keeping Resume Out of the Trash (1:37)•Cover Letters-Right Way/Wrong Way (1:44)•Employer Voice Mail (1:09)

Resumes that REACH

• Readable

• Emphasize strengths

• Applicable experience

• Consistent

• Hire me!

Objective

• One or two sentences about the kind of job you want and what you can contribute to the company in return

• Get the reader’s attention quickly

BAD OBJECTIVE:• “Desire a position where skills are utilized.”

How could this objective be improved?

Be specific!GOOD OBJECTIVES:• Recording Industry candidate with Spanish minor and

customer service experience seeks career in record promotions.

• Public Relations candidate with experience in event planning, advertising and sales seeks internship with a non-profit agency.

• Electronic Media degreed candidate with experience in television writing, editing and production seeks career in news industry. An ideal candidate for position as a Production Assistant.

Objectives

Key Word Searches

• Create a five star resume!• List relevant skills and key words • Coursework/Professional Training• Accreditations and Licenses

Subjective Skills/Hard Skills

• Friendly and helpful• Team Player• Hard Worker• Dependable• People Person

Resumes….Creating Depth

• Begin bullet with action word• Start each bullet with a different action word to show

creativity• Go the distance……think of situations which show an

action and result• Example: Developed a promotional fund raising

campaign which resulted in pledges of over 30K• Promoted new menu items to customers to improve

sales and meet weekly goals

References

• References available upon request• Portfolio available upon request• References and portfolio available at

www.mywebpage.com• Create new page with matching header• Include three to five contacts and their title,

organization, address, phone number, and email• Check with your contacts before using them

Cover Letter

• a.k.a. application letter, prospecting letter, networking letter, letter of inquiry

• Copy your resume header to compliment• Use proper business letter formatting• Like an objective, the cover letter should be specific to

the position - if known• Traditional format letter - job openings where you

know the contact and are familiar with the company• Cold lead format – sent to companies in hope of job

opportunity

Portfolio – Electronic or Paper?

• Showcase work, but don’t show too much of one type

• Cover letter/Bio about yourself• Graphic experience• Demos of recordings• Jump drives, CD’s or hard copies• Refer to website using personal web page – be

careful not to include address and personal information

Handling Illegal Questions

• What is legal and illegal?– How old are you? – Are you over the age of 18?

– Have you ever been convicted of a crime?– Have you ever been arrested?

– Are you willing to travel occasionally or relocate if necessary?– Do you plan to have a family?

– How much do you weigh?– Are you able to lift 50 lbs. and carry 100 yards?

– List any professional organizations or trade groups which you consider relevant in your ability to perform this job.

– What clubs/social organizations do you belong to?

Answering Illegal Questions

Three Options

1. Answer the question

2. Answer it legally 3. Refuse to answer

Interviews

Traditional QuestionsDesigned to test knowledge, skills, accomplishments

Situational QuestionsYou are given a hypothetical situation and asked how you

would respond

Behavioral QuestionsFocuses on actual instances from your past experiences

How Should I Respond?

Interview Answer StructuringEmployers are looking for these skills in your answersSituation

Task

Action

Result

Maturity

Mental Ability

Motivation

4. Experimenting

After developing or building job search skills, it is important to get practical information and experience.

1. Lightning JobSource2. Cooperative Education Program3. University Internship Program4. Academic Internship Programs5. EXL Program6. Service Learning Program7. Student Employment Program8. Career Fairs – Internship, Summer

Jobs, Fall, Spring, etc.

Networking - Online

Alumni Informational Interviews – Mentor Module will soon be active

MTSU Alumni Events – Join Linked In and Alumni FacebookBoth have RI Specific Groups

I’m sure Mom’s proud. . .

Social Networking video on CTV (1:47)

Eight Recording Industry Student Organizations

Recording Industry• Arms/Grammy U• Audio Engineering Society• The Digital Millennium Copyright

Society• The Nashville Songwriters

Association International• Omega Delta Psi• Electronic Music Student

Organization• Society for Electronic Music• Christian Music Society (?)

Benefits of involvement:• Development of leadership skills • Meeting new people with similar

interests • Eases the transition into college • Employers look for extracurricular

activities • Strengthens professional and

interpersonal skills

• http://frank.mtsu.edu/~record/organizations.html

GET INVOLVED!

Internship Real World

• Scenario #1– Mike is excited about his new internship. His first day of work ends up being very boring. He realizes the company does not have time for him and they really just want him to get coffee and run errands.

• Scenario #2 – Judy has been working about a week at her new internship. Today, her employer has asked her to answer the front office phones. One of the callers asks a question she does not know the answer to. She responds, “I don’t think we do that here.”

5. Implementing

Implementing Your PlanJob Search or Graduate/Professional School

• Update your Lightning JobSource account• Utilize Campus Recruiting Program • Attend MTSU Fall & Spring Fairs• Watch Networking (see CTV video; 2:44)• See Faculty & Academic Advisors• Join Professional and Student Organizations• Join MTSU Alumni AssociationCTV : Job Hunting-Hitting the

Streets (:29)

6. Practicing

Life-long Career Management

How many jobs will the average person have between the ages of 18 and 42?

Your first job out of college is the first of many experiences you will have.

In a recent longitudinal study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals held an average of 10.8 jobs from ages 18 to 42, with the majority of the jobs being held before age 27.

Practicing Tip

Leave Gracefully

•Give notice – 2 weeks or more•Leave on good terms•Offer to assist with transition period•Build your last employer up!

What is Your U.S. Market?

You are in top 28%!(72% don’t have a post H.S. Degree)•Workers 18 and over with a Bachelors degree earn average of $51,206 a year, while those with a high school diploma earn $27,915.

•Workers with an advanced degree make an average of $74,602, and those without a high school diploma average $18,734.

* "High school graduate" includes people with the G.E.D. and similar equivalents.Source: Census 2000 analyzed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN).

Negotiating Job Offers

Salary Scenarios

1. When I completed my application, I noticed there was a blank for previous salary information. I completed with my last three jobs.

2. In my interview I was asked if I was willing to relocate? I said no.

3. The first question I was asked during my interview was what my salary requirements were. I responded at least $10/hr.

Questions?