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CAREER
CENTER
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| DECIDING PROFESSIONAL FOCUS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Determining
which type(s) of jobs to pursue can be challenging. A software program
called FOCUS
helps in this process. The program takes approximately one hour to
complete and is available online via the preceding link or at www.citadel.edu/career_services. FOCUS is, in effect, a profiling program that matches your values and interests with those of professionals in a wide variety of occupations to help you determine the occupations that best fit you. |
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| Learn
more about a particular type of job. Before you interview for
a specific job, conduct some informational
interviews to determine if the type of job you are after is
a good fit. This is best done during the junior year, but can be
done at the outset of the senior year. (Alumni looking to change
careers will find informational interviews of assistance as well).
Contact some companies of interest to you and ask if you may meet
with someone in a particular department to hold an informational interview.
Ask questions to learn more about the job, the responsibilities, how
the position fits in with the company and its mission, etc. This is
not an employment interview. It is an opportunity for you to gain
information and for a potential employer to learn about you in an
informal setting. Your initiative and successful performance at such
a session may be rewarded with an opportunity to formally interview
for a position in the future.
Learn about employment opportunities. Actively seek out opportunities. The best ones are usually not advertised. Take advantage of all resources available to you to learn about position openings. In addition to reviewing the materials available to you through the Career Center and its website, be sure to network with people you know and those you meet along the way. Introduce yourself to potential employers at presentations you may attend, conferences you may go to and people you meet through acquaintances, relatives, and friends. |
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| GEOGRAPHIC TARGETING | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| You
are typically most effective when you identify the several cities
of greatest interest to you, then intensively market your skills in
those cities. Confining your efforts to a single city, especially
a smaller city that attracts many job seekers (such as Charleston)
can be frustrating and you may realistically need to expand the scope
of your search to include larger metro areas. Conduct an internet search of the cities of interest to you by visiting various websites, such as government sites (city/county/state) and chamber of commerce sites, to learn about what the specific locations have to offer regarding housing, school systems, taxes, voter registration, etc. In many cases, relocation or "newcomers" information is available. (For example, if you select the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, you will find a section about Living in Charleston). Visit FirstGov.gov for links to state government home pages and visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to find links to the chambers for the cities of interest to you. (Below are direct links to the member directories of chamber sites for commonly desired cities).
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| For a Charleston Area Search review the proceeding document. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For any geographic targeted area, search www.indeed.com, a job board that searches several other job boards at once. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ORGANIZATION TARGETING | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Using
the same websites suggested above for your Geographic
Targeting, search for information regarding the major
industries in the cities of interest to you, as well as specific employers. Target firms, after researching their websites and other sources (refer to the Career Exploration section at the Information for Students' page for additional ideas), in prioritized groups of ten. Type a list of these firms, leaving space by each to record contact information and the next steps needed after each contact. Bring a copy of this list to your meetings with alumni and other contacts, asking them to identify friends/associates in those firms who could serve as networking contacts. When an alumnus or other contact refers you to someone of great interest to you, ask the alumnus to call that person while you are still in his/her office so you may schedule your next appointment quickly, following a brief introduction by the alumnus. This provides you the opportunity to build your network quickly and to meet with people in the firms of greatest interest to you to showcase your skills. |
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| Advertised
Jobs vs. Unadvertised Jobs Classified job advertisements in newspapers and on-line generally account for less than 50% of available jobs. The rest are found via targeting and direct contact with the firm, and through networking. |
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| RESUME, LETTERS, WORK SAMPLES/PORTFOLIO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Resumes Your resume should be kept to one page, if possible. List your most-relevant skills in a skills block on the top half of the page. Be sure your contact information is current and clear. Concise and appropriate objective statements are important (and necessary on resumes you provide recruiters participating in Career Center sponsored events). Any incorrect spelling or other error on a resume can prevent a candidate from being hired. Alumni, please note: If transitioning from the military, translating military experiences as applicable to the civilian position, where possible, is important. Avoid including personal information on your resume, such as marital status, that may bias your candidacy. Review Resume Construction Tips, Information, and Samples on our website, including a proven sample resume format. Many of the templates included in word processing packages provide weak formats; our suggested format is significantly stronger. You can 'cut and paste' the heading of your resume to the top of your letters (cover and thank you) and to the top of your reference page. This is professional in appearance and helps the recipient organize your materials. |
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| Cover Letters Review Cover Letter Information and Samples on our website. Cover letters typically need to:
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| Thank You
Letters Review Thank You Letter Information and Samples on our website. Send a thank you letter to the Recruiter(s) within 2 business days of the interview. Each letter you write should be unique and company specific. Include specifics you discussed and confirm your interest in the company and in the position. (If you are no longer interested, thank the recruiter for the opportunity and politely ask to be removed from consideration). |
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| Work Samples/Portfolio Increase your marketability by maintaining a collection of your academic work for employers to view during an interview. Refer to the following document that explains what an Academic Portfolio is and how to create one. Be certain to save a selection of various documents for use in your Academic Portfolio. You will not use all that you set aside, but it is better to have several to choose from. You may also only want to include parts of a particular project or paper vs. the entire document. View samples at the Career Center for other ideas. Include documents such as (but not limited to):
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| REGISTER WITH THE CITADEL CAREER CENTER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registration is through The Gate, the online job/internship posting and resume database system. Current Students and Alumni are invited to register per the appropriate instructions on the website beside The Gate icon at www.citadel.edu/career_services (or via the Information for Students/Information for Alumni web page as appropriate). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CONTACT TARGET FIRMS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Finding
and Using Information on Firms The best sources include the following (typical) Chamber of Commerce publications:
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publications provide valuable information such as key contact
names and titles, phone and fax numbers, web site addresses, type
of business, employee count, where headquartered, etc. and are
sold to the public by Chambers of Commerce. Using this comprehensive information helps you identify and research the firms of greatest interest to you as you develop your target list. It also helps you avoid overlooking many firms. Identify the professional area that best-fits you in the Membership Directory, such as CONSULTANTS-BUSINESS. Alphabetically cross-reference the firms of interest in the front of the directory to get the name of a contact for each firm. Call each firm to express your interest and to ask for advice on applying to that firm. If you need more information on a firm, ask if you can visit the firm's office to get this information, or use the internet and/or libraries to research the firm. Contact the Chamber of Commerce for your geographically targeted area(s) of preference via the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. If focusing on Charleston, visit CharlestonJobNetwork for a listing of jobs in the Charleston area. |
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| Employment
(& Internship) Search All Citadel Students and Alumni are invited to register with The Citadel Career Center Gate (The Gate) to review and apply for (as appropriate to their needs) full-time employment, seasonal & part-time jobs, and internships posted by employers. Registration Instructions and Information & Tips may be found beside The Gate icon for Students and for Alumni at www.citadel.edu/career_services (or via the Information for Students/Information for Alumni web page as appropriate). On-Campus Interviews (held for current students) are also connected to The Gate. Career Resource Links: Provides employment/job board links, direct links to various organizations' employment websites, and other career-related resources and tips. |
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| Recruitment
Events The Citadel Career Center arranges a variety of Recruitment Events each academic year for employers and graduate schools to share their opportunities with qualified Citadel students. (Alumni may participate as appropriate; keeping in mind that the majority of opportunities being recruited for are entry-level). Please refer to the Information for Students' web page to access details regarding the current/upcoming year's events as they become available. (Organization of recruitment events begins in the summer prior to the academic year they will take place and throughout that year. Events are not held during the summer months). |
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| Finding
Alumni Contacts: The CAA Online Community Alumni contacts are available via the new CAA Online Community developed for alumni association members. To learn about and use this online directory, visit www.citadel.edu/alumni, go to Membership, then select CAA Online Community. When searching to find alumni in a specific firm, use the Advanced Search option (available at the bottom of the Simple Search screen). You may also go directly to www.alumniconnections.com/thecitadel. The best time to contact alumni in the cities of interest to you is after you have constructed your list of target organizations. Ask if they can advise you re: contacts in the firms of interest to you. Provide these alumni copies of your resume and be sure to keep those you ask for referrals updated on your progress. Alumni Club Contacts: For current Citadel Alumni Club Contacts, see the Citadel Clubs, Classes, and Groups at www.citadel.edu/alumni. |
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| INTERVIEW PREPARATION, FOLLOW-UP, AND EVALUATING OFFERS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| You must be an attractive candidate to the potential employer, and need to show him/her why you are the best person for the job. This requires preparation, to include preparing to answer commonly asked interview questions as well as thoroughly researching the firm. Visit our website for Interview preparation resources. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The job search process is demanding. Do not let up at the most crucial part of the process. Follow-up is extremely important and can often be the deciding factor between two otherwise similary qualified candidates. Refer to the following web page for resources regarding appropriate Interview Follow-Up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Follow-up with employers who make job offers in a timely manner, while still allowing yourself a reasonable timeframe to consider them. For further information refer to the Evaluating an Offer section of the web site. Students should also refer to the NACE Salary Survey (conducted quarterly) for information on starting salary offers. The latest table is available at the top of this page and the full report may be viewed at The Citadel Career Center. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SEASONAL JOB AND INTERNSHIP SEARCHES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Review the following documents and sites to assist with your seasonal job or internship search, as appropriate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The following information is from organizations seeking summer or intern candidates. Apply as indicated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| WebSite Links for Seasonal Jobs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ADDITIONAL RESOURCES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Recommended
Reading:
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| Commissioning
(Current Students), Transitioning, and Former Military
(Alumni): Some search firms have asked us to refer transitioning military (especially JMOs) to them for assistance. You may want to contact such firms one year before you will be leaving the military to begin your file. Visit their websites and the websites below for job search tips, sample resumes, and other useful information.
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| Competitive
Edge Services assists transitioning and former military via Corporate
Gray Military Job Fairs, Corporate Gray Online, and Corporate Gray
Series Books: "From Army Green to Corporate Gray," "From Navy Blue
to Corporate Gray," and "From Air Force Blue to Corporate Gray." For
additional information, please visit www.corporategray.com.
Additional Related Sites: |
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| Other Resources | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Last Modified 5/2/08 by Career Center
Please send comments and suggestions about this site to Jennifer.Wells@Citadel.edu