Career Services Notes for MSM Students
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Good Afternoon! At the start of the break between Summer session and Fall Semester, I’m back with tips and reminders of how to use this time to prepare for the upcoming On-Campus Recruiting season. Believe me, your efforts to prepare during break will definitely pay off when companies are on campus and you have a full schedule of classes, work, and everything else ‘on your plate’!
Remember that all “Career Services Notes” are archived on Gies Groups, MSM program portal, in the “Newsletters” tab. Information in past issues is not repeated in this message. That said, check last week’s newsletter for important information on using Quinncia (only through August!); what jobscan.co is and how it might help you;
Topics in this week’s “Notes”:
- “Career Studio” Re-Opens in Fall 2019
- Handshake
- Now Hiring - Illini Football Games - Premium Seating Customer Service Team
- Illinois Business Consulting (IBC)
- Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) Doing Consulting Projects
- Quad Day – Sunday, August 25, 12:00noon until 4:00pm, Main Quad
- Cover Letter Writing Resources
- Exploring Career Paths
- Informational Interviews
- Career Foundations Online Course Student Satisfaction Survey
Career Studio
When Fall Semester starts, Career Services will have a Peer Advisor available between 10:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday in the “Career Studio”, in our reception area – 1033 BIF. You are encouraged to stop by the “Career Studio” and get help from an advisor whenever you have a quick question, or need support sorting out an urgent situation. The Peer Advisors will refer you to an Advisor (Elizabeth Chominski, Deb Hom, Lily Huang, Layla Alazawy or myself) when an advisor’s involvement will be helpful to you.
Handshake
Please, get to know Handshake in the next few weeks. Specifically:
- Complete your Profile – the more information you provide in Handshake, the more targeted information will be “pushed” to you via Handshake – and the more likely it is that your profile will be included when recruiters search Handshake for students with your profile.
- Upload your Updated Resume
- Make your resume “Visible on Profile” so that your resume is included when recruiters search Handshake for resumes of students meeting certain selection criteria
- Preview companies attending On Campus Career Fairs (“Events” > “Fair Search” > select a fair > click on “View All Employers” on the left side to get the company lists)
- Make your notes to yourself now, to use at the Career Fair
- Look in the “Jobs on Handshake” section of the company description, to see what positions they’ll focus recruiting on at the Career Fair
- If there is not a “Jobs on Handshake” section, make a note to yourself to check back at least a week before the career fair to see what positions are posted on Handshake; many companies do not post actual positions on Handshake until shortly before the career fair
- You can also check the company website to see what positions are posted. Keep in mind that not all positions on the company website will be included in the company’s on-campus recruiting efforts
- “Favorite” companies, and “Favorite” positions on the job board – this will inform the Artificial Intelligence that powers Handshake of your preferences, so that the suggestions Handshake provides are as relevant as possible to your search.
- Also – set your “Notifications” so that you get a message when the companies you “Favorite” add a job or an event on Handshake!
- Look ahead at “Events” to stay on top of company-initiated recruiting events on campus. As of today, I see “EY Invasion Day” is already on the calendar.
Illini Football Games How Hiring – Illinois Premium Seating Customer Service Team
Will you be available to work all seven Saturdays our Fighting Illini will play in Memorial Stadium? Looking to gain some experience in Customer Service? Interested in being part of the team that creates an amazing game day experience for folks in the stadium’s Premium Seating? If so, read on!
Get this: I found a “Help Wanted” add in the local newspaper, the News-Gazette. Details about the position are online at http://premiumseating.fightingillini.com/memorialstadium/employment.html
I thought this might interest you, so I called to get a bit more information. What I heard is that “this isn’t something that one does for the money” – rather, it’s a great opportunity to get experience unlike your past experience, and it’s a fairly short-term commitment. Read the ‘Team Member Posts’ (job descriptions) on the application form and you’ll see what I mean!
If you’re interested, apply online, NOW. I just noticed that you will need at least two references for this job. I’d be happy to be a reference; if you want me to be a reference go ahead and complete the form and then send me an email message. I’ll write the optional letter of recommendation when I get back in the office!
Applicants will be chosen for telephone interviews, and selected based on the phone interview. Required training will be on August 20 and 21.
Illinois Business Consulting (IBC)
IBC provides students opportunities to gain real-world skills that will enhance your capabilities, elevate your career and open doors to new opportunities. Students interested in joining IBC need to apply bu August 30. Admission to IBC is quite competitive, and it is not uncommon for students who apply and are not invited to join in Fall Semester to re-apply and be invited to join in Spring Semester. So: my advice is that every student who is at all interested in IBC should apply for Fall Semester. If you are invited to join, you’ll get the experience in Fall Semester – and if you aren’t invited for Fall Semester, the experience of applying in Fall Semester will help you prepare to apply in Spring Semester!
Complete information about IBC, and link to the application, is on online at http://www.ibc.illinois.edu/
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) Doing Consulting Projects
Don’t overlook the fact that there are many ways to get experience providing consulting services to clients – and depending on your career goals, an organization other than IBC may be the best fit for you. Illinois Consulting Academy is an RSO that serves to foster collaboration among these organizations. Check out the ICA website at http://illinoisconsultingacademy.com/
Here are the organizations I am aware of, and you should check into so that you know their purposes, application processes, deadlines, and so on:
There are very likely a few more student organizations that work on client projects – you’ll find over 700 student organizations recruiting members at Quad Day – Sunday August 26, 12:00nooon until 4:00pm on the Main Quad!
Cover Letter Writing Resources
A few students have mentioned that they want to learn more about writing cover letters. My sense is that many companies recruiting on campus do NOT ask applicants to write a cover letter, since the recruiters meet you at recruiting events and career fairs. The conversations you have at career fairs provide the kind of information you would include in a cover letter, and often the only document used in the application process is your resume.
However, when applying for positions with employers that do not recruit on campus, you will need to write a cover letter.
My first piece of advice is: every cover letter you write needs to be written specifically for the position you are applying for. Writing a great cover letter is an illustration of the analytical ability you claim to have! The content of your cover letter should be your analysis of how your experience meets (exceeds!) what the company needs a person in this role to be capable of doing. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” cover letter -- sending a “form letter” cover letter is a sure way to have your resume and cover letter land in the recruiter’s “do not consider” pile.
Below are a few cover letter writing resources you can tap into over break. Each resource is intended for a different audience. Take this opportunity to use the resources in Lynda, Vault, and Beyond B-School, and discover who these resources are intended to appeal to, what fits best for your situation, and what other topics you can learn on these resources!
Lynda. Access is on the Business Graduate Programs portal (not the MSM portal) of Gies Groups, in the “Useful Links” on the left side. (If you need to enter credentials to access Lynda, they’re looking for your University of Illinois netid or email address, and the password you use to access University of Illinois online resources You do NOT want to simply go to Lynda.com, as you have FREE access via your university account.) On Lynda.com, look for a “course” (which is comprised of several short videos)
- Writing a Cover Letter, with Jenny Foss
And, you’ll see many short clips of other courses that address cover letter writing.
Vault. Access is on the Business Graduate Programs portal (not the MSM portal) of Gies Groups, in the “Useful Links” on the left side. (If you need to enter credentials to access Vault, they’re looking for your University of Illinois netid or email address, and the password you use to access University of Illinois online resources.) When you are In Vault, click on “Career Advice” along the top of the screen and then select:
- Cover Letter Advice, and then you will find short videos including
- Cover Letter Basics
- This Cover Letter Trick Will Make Hiring Managers Read to the End
- Selling Yourself in a Cover Letter
- 4 Tips to Write a Better Cover Letter
Also on Vault you will find several blog articles on cover letters. (Subscribe to the Vault newsletter and you’ll get emails with on-target career advice….)
Beyond B-School. Access is on the Business Graduate Programs portal (not the MSM portal) of Gies Groups, in the “Useful Links” on the left side. When you are in Beyond B-School, click on “Cover Letters” in the “Quick Links” on the upper left side. Select:
- Powerful Cover Letters: What Do They Look Like and Do I Even Need One, with Ross Macperson. Don’t panic that the example is a letter written by someone with career experience, for a higher-level position than those you will be applying for. Watch the video and apply the basic principles to your situation.
When you have a solid draft of a cover letter written, stop by the Career Studio, and ask the Peer Advisor for feedback, and additional tips for your letter.
Writing Consultants from The Writers Workshop will present a Cover Letter Writing workshop for Business Graduate Students in early October. Plan to attend that workshop for additional help.
Exploring Career Paths
Vault (see above) provides great guides to several career paths. Use them to learn about the industry – and figure out what more you want to know when you talk with someone currently working in that company or industry.
When in Vault, look for Career Guides, such as:
- Vault Career Guide to Market Research
- Vault Career Guide to Social Media
- Vault Career Guide to Health Care Management
- Vault Career Guide to Consulting
- Vault Career Guide to Insurance
- Vault Career Guide to Energy
- Vault Career Guide to Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
- Vault Career Guide to Commercial Banking
- Vault Career Guide to International Careers
- Vault Career Guide to Environmental Careers
Also in Vault are several guides for specific roles, such as:
- Vault Guide to Marketing Jobs
- Vault Guide to Internet Content Jobs
- Vault Guide to Sales Jobs
- Vault Guide to Event Planning Jobs
- Vault Guide to Project Management Jobs
The lists go on, and on! Please check out Vault and see what you find that aligns with your career interests.
Informational Interviews
You’ve been encouraged to reach out to young professionals working in your target industry or company, to learn from their experience, by holding an Informational Interview. If you’re not exactly sure what that means, look on Lynda (see above) and watch this very comprehensive course on the who, what, when, where, why and how of Informational Interviews:
- Informational Interviewing, with Barbara Bruno
Career Foundations Online Course Student Satisfaction Survey
I included this last week, and not many of you completed the survey!
Would you please take a minute to think back to the weeks leading up to the start of the MSM program? The MSM Admissions team sent you information, and a link to the Business Graduate Programs Career Foundations Online Course which you were requested to complete prior to arriving to start the MSM program.
Career Services needs to hear from you about this course – whether or not you completed it. A link to a survey about this course is at the bottom of this email message. Your responses will help improve the course for future students.
Thank you in advance for completing the survey. If you have questions, please let me know.
That's it for today, and the next few weeks. I will be out of the office next week, and will return on Tuesday August 13. I imagine that there will be important information I’ll share via email > newsletter, just before the start of Fall Semester. Enjoy the break from classes! Focus on achieving your goals for the next few weeks! If you’re on the road, travel safely. See you when classes start.
Dede
Dede Kern Brown
Gies Business Career Services
1033 BIF
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