Career Services Notes for MSTM Students
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Good Afternoon! I hope your weekend is off to a great start, and you’ll find some time to relax and catch your breath. Reflect on the past few weeks. Recognize the progress you’ve made on your job search. Review your job search strategy, and consider possible revisions, based on your experience so far.
In the past five weeks you’ve polished your resume and LinkedIn profile. Hundreds of companies have been on campus at three major career fairs, countless company-sponsored information sessions and student organization events. You’ve met many recruiters, learned about career opportunities, and submitted your resume (on the company website and Handshake, if the company is using Handshake) to be considered for an interview. You’ve followed up with recruiters to reiterate your interest. You’ve dedicated a lot of time to your job search.
Over the next few weeks you’ll see the results of your efforts so far. Companies will continue to be on campus holding first-round interviews for the next three or four weeks, so if you have applied for positions on Handshake make sure that you are checking the status of your applications daily. If the company is using Handshake to schedule interviews, students who are selected to interview (labeled “Primary” in Handshake) can start scheduling interviews at the first minute (12:00midnight) on the date the schedule opens. Most companies also select students as “Alternate” interview candidates, and the timeline for each position indicates the date on which “Alternate” candidates can schedule any remaining interview slot, starting at 12:00mindight.
If you are invited to interview, make sure you let me know, so that Career Services can help you prepare and you’ll succeed in being invited to continue in the recruitment process. You can meet with a career advisor for a mock interview for the position; whenever possible, Career Services helps you connect with an alumnus in the company so that you are knowledgeable about the company and role you’re interviewing for.
Keep in mind that while many companies conduct first round interviews on campus, these are only a small subset of the employers you should be interested in. Now that you’ve done your best to meet companies that do recruit students directly on campus, expand your search to companies you have not met. Handshake job postings are positions for which companies seek current students, I.e. the positions posted are early-career opportunities. Handshake is a nation-wide job board, so most of the participating companies do NOT come to our campus – but you are strongly encouraged to apply to all positions that interest you. When you find a company that interests you, do some research to find a current employee, and ask for an “Informational Interview”. Learning about the company and position from a current employee’s perspective will help you revise your resume, and write a cover letter that proves you are a top candidate for the position.
In the coming weeks there will be fewer and fewer on-campus recruiting events, but don’t take this as a sign that you can put your job search on hold. Most MSTM students ultimately get job offers as a result of the professional networks they develop, and the extensive knowledge they develop about their target industry or role. A solid foundation of all MSTM students’ professional networks is built on the contacts they have from prior employment and former classmates, professionals they meet at career fairs, company-sponsored events, with classmates, through classmates’ professional networks, alumni presentations, by attending professional association events, and other similar events. Developing a professional network happens over a long period of time, so you need to continuously attend to your professional development and make contacts with people in the industry and companies you aim to join.
Career Services is here to help you at every stage of your job search. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of our services. If we have not met, please make an appointment to come talk to me about your career plans! When I learn about your background and your career goals, I can help you find resources to reach your goals. The more I know about your situation, the more likely it is that I -- and my colleagues in career services --will be able to help you.
Meet with Career Services Advisors:
Career Studio: 10:00am until 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED. Peer Advisors available for quick consultations on your resume, LinkedIn Profile, cover letters, general job search questions
Mandarin Resume Review: in Career Studio, No Appointment Needed
- Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm
- Fridays 10:00am until 12:00noon and 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Scheduled Appointments, made using Gies Groups “Career Advising Appointment” system. Meet for 30 minutes to discuss specific topic (resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter writing, using Handshake, full-time job search, questions about an interview, international issues, and other topics) with selected advisor (myself, Layla Alazawy or Peer Career Advisor
If you are invited to an interview, please contact me by email (djkbrown@illinois.edu) and we will find a time to meet for a one-hour mock interview, two or more days before the scheduled interview, to prepare specifically for that position
Events and Updates for the coming week:
Upload Your Resume on Handshake
Research Park Graduate Student Networking Event
Career Services Events
- Advanced LinkedIn Techniques –Tuesday, 5:30
- Cover Letter Writing Workshop – Thursday, 6:30
Company-Sponsored Recruiting Events
Apply for Jobs on Handshake
Positions of Interest – Not on Handshake
- Southwest Airlines
- Amazon
Get Connected:
- Research Park Student Newsletter
- Illinois Technology Association (ITA)
Pro-Tip: Your Voicemail Message
Upload your Resume on Handshake
Please make sure that the best general version of your resume is uploaded on Handshake, and is marked to be “Visible on Profile”. This means that when recruiters search the Handshake resume database for students meeting certain selection criteria (program, graduation date, GPA, undergraduate degree, and so on) your resume will be included in the results of that search. Career Services frequently hears from recruiters who are looking for candidates with specific skills, and the recruiters are encouraged to use Handshake to find qualifying candidates.
If you have any questions about uploading your resume on Handshake, come to the Career Studio.
Research Park Graduate Student Networking Event
Tuesday, October 1
5:00-7:00pm
Enterprise Works, 60 Hazelwood Drive, Champaign, IL
Please RSVP on Handshake to let them know you’ll be there!
This event is exclusively for students in Masters and PhD programs. Research Park employers hire students for a wide variety of positions – attend this networking event to meet folks working at the research park and discover opportunities to gain experience. A panel of graduate students currently working at the Research Park will share their experience.
Career Services Workshops
Attend these workshops to develop your skills and take your job search to the next level!
Advanced LinkedIn Techniques
Presented by Lily Huang, Gies Career Services
Tuesday, October 1, 5:30-6:30pm
RSVP on Gies Groups (or click the green "RSVP" button in the box below this message) to save your seat
Note: Information to help you create your LinkedIn account and profile is available in the Career Management Foundations course sent with MSTM admissions and pre-arrival information. This course remains open for you to use, at learn.illinois.edu. You will need to use your netid and password to access the course. Questions? Come to Career Services in 1033 BIF!
In Tuesday’s workshop, Lily will talk about how to use LinkedIn for professional networking: how to find appropriate contacts, reply to recruiters’ messages, use LinkedIn to apply for jobs, and cultivate your professional image on LinkedIn.
Cover Letter Writing Workshop
Presented by Writing Consultants from the Writers Workshop
Thursday, October 3, 6:30-7:30pm
RSVP on Gies Groups (or click the "RSVP" button in the box below this message) to save your seat
This workshop will help you with writing cover letters – whether you’re just getting started, or have written cover letters in the past and are looking for the latest tips and tricks to get a recruiter’s attention.
Company-Sponsored Recruiting Events this Week
Again this week, many companies will be hosting gatherings of all sorts on campus. Check Handshake “Events” for a complete list. If an event is visible on Handshake, you are welcome to attend. Please be aware of the intended audience, and remember that these events are opportunities to increase your knowledge and expand your professional network. An Event that may interest MSTM students is:
Wednesday - Mercer – Virtual Information session on Health & Benefits Consulting, 4:00-5:00 Central time Additional Information here
Apply for Jobs on Handshake
This is my weekly reminder about applying for jobs on Handshake: check the “Jobs” board frequently, and apply for positions that interest you. Some companies will be holding interviews on campus (in which case the application deadline may have passed), and many more companies will contact applicants directly to schedule first-round interviews (most likely by phone, virtual connection or ask you to complete a digital interview).
Using the Handshake “Jobs” board, to apply for jobs, or “favorite” jobs if you generally like the position but choose not to apply at this time, will inform the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Handshake of what types of positions you are interested in. Frequent use will make the AI more accurate, so that your time searching the jobs board on Handshake becomes increasingly efficient throughout your job search.
Jobs of Interest – Not on Handshake
I discovered a few jobs that are not posted on Handshake, that might interest you. They’re posted below. I hope that you have identified 20-25 companies that you are interested in, and that you have used the company website job board to look for opportunities, and that you’re using the automation provided on the website, such as setting up ‘job alerts’ so that you are notified when new positions are posted.
Southwest Airlines – Associate Business Analyst, full-time. Position opened for applications Wednesday. Internship applications will be accepted starting October 1 until October 14 at https://careers.southwestair.com/campus-reach
Amazon Full-time - https://www.amazon.jobs/en/jobs/903385/amazon-mba-master-s-level-full-time-opportunities-2020-united-states
Amazon Internship - https://www.amazon.jobs/en/jobs/903384/amazon-mba-master-s-level-internship-opportunities-2020-united-states
Bloomberg APAC positions – Students from Asia Pacific region, please look in your email inbox for my message sent Wednesday, September 18. Submit your resume by 12:00 noon on Monday September 30, to the email link provided in that message, so that your resume is included in resumes sent directly from Career Services to the recruiter.
Illinois Technology Association
With LinkedIn being such an amazing resource for finding contacts in your target industry, you may have overlooked another resource: Professional Associations. For every industry you want to get into, there are associations (organizations) or people currently working in that industry. The associations generally host a website with industry information, host an annual conference (which may be regional or national, or both), produce publications highlighting recent industry developments, and often the association hosts events for members to gather and get to know each other!
Thre are many such associations. As you research people on LinkedIn, look to see if they list membership in a professional association – that's your clue to look into how you could join that association as a student.
One such association is located in Chicago – the Illinois Technology Association, known as the ITA. ITA’s purpose is to elevate the local tech community, and make Illinois the place for tech companies to thrive. By joining, you have access to information and events! Student membership is free, so you have nothing to lose by joining and getting updated information directly to your email box. Don’t pass up this opportunity.
ÔÇïÔÇïÔÇïÔÇïÔÇïÔÇïÔÇïPro-Tip: Your Voicemail message
Don’t be surprised – recruiters use telephones to call people! If you’re not available to take the call, the recruiter will want to leave you a message. Therefore:
- You MUST record a professional message, asking callers to leave you a message, and stating that you will return the call promptly
- If you do not have your voicemail set up – or if your message does not impress the recruiter – the recruiter may decide that you are not an appropriate candidate
Career Advisors will be happy to listen to your voicemail message and help you improve it. Stop by the Career Studio for help, or schedule an appointment if your concerns need a 30-minute conversation.
That’s it for this week! I hope that we will meet soon, and that you will update me on the status of your career development and job search.
If you are NOT seeking employment to follow graduation from MSTM (for example, if you will return to a previous position, or you will continue your education, or you will postpone entry into the workforce for any reason) please let me know. Until I hear otherwise, I assume that all students are in the job market – and I expect all students to take advantage of everything that career services offers, to help you reach your career goals.
This week I will be available from 1:00 until 4:00 on both Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, as I am the advisor supporting the Career Studio then. If you’re looking for a time when you can catch me for a quick chat, stop by Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. I look forward to seeing you!
Dede
Dede Kern Brown
Your Career Advisor
Gies Career Services - 1033 BIF
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