Career Services Notes for MSBA Students 
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 

Happy Thanksgiving Break, everyone! I hope that this week bring some much-needed time to relax, and enjoy being with friends and family.  It’s been a busy semester, and we have much to be thankful for and proud of.  No matter what stage you are in your job search, you are closer to your next job now than you were in August, right?  You know that you are welcome in Career Services to discuss the status of your search and get help with your next-steps, at any time.  Take advantage of resources available to you while you are a student! 

Remember that all past issues of “Career Services Notes” are posted in the MSBA portal of Gies Groups – click on “Newsletters”.  I intentionally try not to repeat information from past weeks, so you need to read the issues you missed! 

Here’s information to keep your job search moving forward: 

Chinese Resume Review – Friday December 6 is the last day this semester! 
Career Studio Chats 
Beyond B-School – online career management resources for YOU 
Big Interview 
Apply for Jobs on Handshake 
Use other Job Boards:  LinkedIn, Indeed.com 

Chinese Resume Review at Career Services 
Students from China and Taiwan – a career advisor is available to review your Chinese Resume! 

Tuesday 2:00pm-4:00pm 
Friday 10:00am – 12:00noon and 2:00pm-4:00pm 
 
The last day for Chinese resume reviews this semester will be Friday, December 6.  Come to the Career Studio, no appointment necessary. 

Resources to help you prepare a Chinese resume (that is a template, instructions for using the template, and guidelines for applying for jobs in China online – written in both traditional and simplified Chinese) are posted in Gies Groups.  Go to the MSBA webpage, click on “Files” and then “Career Services Documents”.   

Prepare your resume, and get it reviewed!  If your first language is Mandarin, you will need both a Chinese resume and an English resume at some time in your job search. 
 
Career Studio Chats 
Yes, you can come to Career Services and meet with a Peer Career Advisor in the Career Studio anytime between 10am and 4pm, Monday through Friday, about any aspect of your career development or job search you’d like help with. 

To highlight the many topics the Peer Career Advisors can help with, we’re suggesting a “topic of the week”.  When you return to campus, consider stopping in to discuss: 

Week of December 2 – How to conduct Company Research on LinkedIn 

Week of December 9 – Interviewing:  How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”   

Week of December 16 – How to Write a Results-Oriented Resume 

Beyond B-School:  “Networking Toolbox” and “Foreign Student Seminar” 
A great resource for Business Graduate Programs students is an online resource called “Beyond B-School". You have access to the full Beyond B-School video library on Gies Groups. If you need to create an account, you will need to use your University of Illinois credentials, since your access to the site is provided by Gies College of Business.  From the Gies Graduate Career and Student Services portal of Gies Groups, click on “Useful Links” in the upper right-hand corner.  Then click on Beyond B-School, and you’ll find on online career services office! 

In the Toolboxes section, check out the “Networking Toolbox” --  at this time of  year the “12 Ways to Stay in Touch with Your Network” guide is helpful.  International students should watch the entire “Foreign Student Seminar” -- click on the ‘International MS Students’ entry to view information specific to students in specialized masters degree programs, such as the MSBA program. 

Watch this information, and let me know what you think of the resource, and what questions you have after watching the videos!  Remember that after you graduate you will NOT have access to these resources, so use them now! 
 

Big Interview 
Practice your interviewing skills using Big Interview – a resource available on the Gies Groups ‘Gies Graduate Career and Student Services’ platform in the ‘Useful Links’ tab.  Click on ‘Register’ to set up your account, using your University of Illinois credentials.   

In Big Interview you can learn either by reading through a series of 9 modules, or watching videos.  The video lessons can be “fast track” (16 video lessons) if you’re short on time before the interview and need to get really good, really fast!, or ”mastery track” (50 video lessons) if you’ve got time to prepare! 

First, learn about interviewing.  Then, click on “Practice” to get questions, and record your answers!  Recording and reviewing your answers will help you see what the interviewer will see and hear, and help you identify where you can improve.  You can select general questions at 3 different levels, and also questions typically asked in interviews for specific industries and roles or to evaluate your competencies and skillsets. 

Use this resource NOW, so you’re prepared when you are invited to interview.   

While Big Interview is an amazing resource for preparing for interviews, nothing can replace meeting with a career advisor for a mock interview for a specific position.  Whether you want to practice interviewing and do not have an upcoming interview, or are preparing for a specific interview that has been scheduled, let me know how I can help you!  If there are not appointment times available on Gies Groups, I will rearrange my schedule to make sure you are prepared for an upcoming interview! 

Apply for Jobs on Handshake 
Handshake is the source of information about on-campus recruiting events (Career Fairs, Company Information Sessions and Meet & Greets, etc.) -- and the Handshake Job Board features positions for college students – internships and entry-level positions. 

Continue to check Handshake to see what opportunities meet your career goals.  (Remember that Handshake’s AI gets smarter the more you use Handshake, so suggested positions are more targeted to your interests....) 

I checked Handshake this morning, and see these opportunities for MSBA  students that I’ve not included previously: 

IBM China – 2020 IBM Taiwan Graduate Hire Program 

IBM China – 2020 IBM China Graduate Hire Program 

ICR – PR Associate - Asia 

Swiss Re – Graduates@swissre Program 2020 – Underwriter Credit and Surety 

Alphasights – Mandarin-Speaking Associate 2020 

Liepin Overseas – Management Trainee, Suning Holdings Group 

DSA International – Human Resource Trainee 
 
These are just a few of the positions posted on Handshake!  Login today and see what positions you find! 

Using LinkedIn, Indeed.com and other Job Boards 
In addition to Handshake, check opportunities on other job boards!  Keep in mind that positions posted on job boards are typically ‘immediate hire’ positions – and since you’re not graduating until August, you’re not available for the posted position. 

BUT this doesn’t mean that you should ignore the opportunity!  Look at these job boards now to find positions that interest you, and use the job posting as a reason to contact someone in the company and ask for an informational interview.  Talk with someone in the company to find out what you can about the company and the role, and develop your professional contacts in the company. In larger companies, it’s quite likely that a similar role will open again, when you will be available!  Build your knowledge and express your interest now, so someone in the company knows you will be applying in the future. 

Your career services office is here to help you prepare for conversations with professionals, so come to the Career Studio or schedule a career advising appointment to get the help you need to succeed! 
 

That’s what I have to share with you today.  Enjoy the rest of Thanksgiving Break, and I look forward to seeing you next week. 

Dede 

Dede Kern Brown 
Your Career Advisor 
Gies Career Services – 1033 BIF