Friday, February 25, 2011


Job Interview? 9 Great Tips to Get You to Round 2

By Amy Levin-Epstein | Feb 24, 2011
Get ready to nail your next interview, job seekers. I’ve asked my experts for their A-list advice to get you a second interview. I suspect you’re already savvy enough to send a thank you note and avoid lying on your resume. Let’s take your technique to the next level.
What follows, in no specific order, is a tried-and-true list of job interview tips. And by all means, if something else has worked even better for you, please sign in below and share it in the comments section.
1. Ask them upfront why they wouldn’t hire you.
The interview is coming to a close, but make sure you stick your landing, says Roberta Chinksy Matuson, President of Human Resource Solutions and author of Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around. “Always end the conversation with the following question: ‘Is there anything about my background that gives you concern?’” says Matuson. Now you’ve bought yourself a bonus round to derail any doubts.
2. Prepare sound bites.
Successes and skills need to be displayed clearly. “A sound bite is succinct and direct, catchy and easy to remember. An example is ‘I’ve designed logos for three Fortune 500 companies,’ or ‘My efficiency plan decreased product-delivery times by 15 percent without costing the company one cent,’” says Charles Purdy, senior editor and career expert at Monster.com. Implant these one-liners in your brain, and you won’t be grasping for words.
3. Ask for homework.
Until you’re hired, you’re an unknown to your potential employer. You sound great, but can you perform? Erase that question by asking for a trial assignment, suggests Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs. “Ask whether there’s any job-related task that you could do for them that would allow you to showcase your qualifications and maybe even save them a little time,” says Sutton Fell. Do a good job, and you’ll be getting paid to do the same work soon enough.
4. Mirror your interviewer.
You might feel like you’re in the hot seat, but if you can match your interviewer’s speed of speech and mannerisms, you’ll both feel more like you’re old friends and less like you’re in an NCIS interrogation room, says Ken Sundheim, CEO and Founder of KAS Placement, a New York City-based staffing agency. Not sure how you’re doing? “If you’re following their tone, speed and breathing correctly, validate your pacing technique by taking a sip of water - the interviewer will take a drink as well,” says Sundheim.
5. Be a stalker (within limits).
I hope you’re already Googling the person who will interview you, and reading about the company - but you need to feel it out further. “Dig deep by using tools like Klout and Pipl,” says public relations executive Meryl Weinsaft Cooper co-author of Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Hired, Noticed and Rewarded at Work. “Lurk around LinkedIn.  Do some investigations by interviewing people who work there, or those who have left, to get the skinny on the culture and crowd.”
6. Record a pre-interview practice.
Ever wish you could tell how you sound in an interview? Find out, suggests Marlene Caroselli, Ed.D., author of The Critical Thinking Toolkit: Spark Your Team’s Creativity with 35 Problem Solving Activities: “A week ahead of the interview, record your reply to expected questions. Play the tape back and analyze your responses. Would you hire you?” If the answer is no, press rewind and try again.
7. Lean in for the kill.
OK, we’re exaggerating slightly. But you do want to lean slightly forward so your interviewer can tell you’re game.  “Slouching or leaning back may send the wrong signals.  When you sit down for a formal interview, lean forward to show interest and active listening,” says Kathryn Minshew, co-founder and editor-in-chief of  PYP Media, an online career consulting tool for women.
8. Use the word “we.”
Look, I trust you when you tell me you’re a team player - but during an interview, you can come across as a total narcissist by using only the word “I,” says Kimberly Schneiderman, job search consultant and owner of City Career Services. She suggests talking about what your last team created, and only then describing your particular role. An example: “At ABC Company, the New Projects Team, of which I am a member, created a new app that would identify bakeries by location for our users. My role on the team was to identify bakeries within a specific radius of New York City and categorize them by specialty.”
9. Bring props.
Think of an interview as show and tell, suggests Jenni Luke, national executive director of Step Up Women’s Network.  “Bring a ‘brag book’ of career accomplishments which demonstrates the quality of your work. [Or] if you see great work that a competitor is doing, bring that to the interview and critique it,” says Luke. This will clearly show what you can do and how you think. Bonus: Having a prop can also calm jittery nerves.
Public Service and Non-Profit Career Fair
If you missed the fair, don’t fret! The Career Services office has a list of companies and contact information!
Something New Called Focus 2!
Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.
It helps you decide what your major should be!
OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!
FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students.  It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors.  FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile.  Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.
Be sure to check it out today!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
Not only should you send a typed-written thank you note for an interview, you should also send a thank you note if you are hired.

Whether it was an individual who hired you or a board or directors, thank them for the opportunity and express your enthusiasm for the job. Send out the note before your first day on the job.
As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Events for the Week:
2/28
Vector Marketing

Atrium
10:00 am – 1:00 Pm
3/1
Teacher Career Fair

221-222 YGCU
1:00 pm -3:00 pm
3/2
MidAmerica Nazarene University MBA Program

YGCU
10:00 am – 2:00 pm

3/8
2011 Kansas Statewide Career Fair

Salina Bicentennial Center
2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
3/9
U.S. Navy
Walk-up Recruiter
Lunch & Learn

YGCU
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
11:30 am-12:30 pm

Friday, February 18, 2011

Another Busy Week!

Tips for a Competitive Resume


Unemployment rates may have fell in January to 9% from 9.4 % in December according to the Labor Department's report today, but the job market remains extremely competitive due to the recession.
Matthew Rothenberg, editor-in-chief of career Web siteTheLadders.com, said no matter what kind of job you are applying for--or if the salary is $25,000 or $100,000-- the most important thing is to demonstrate your value to potential employers, and be specific. “Don’t divert your resume with what your goals are on an objective statement,” Rothenberg said. “Make yourself stand out and say ‘This is exactly how I bring value, and how much value I can bring,’ and back it up with numbers.”
Here are Rothenberg’s tips for brushing up your resume to stand out in the job market:
No. 1: Update your history. Being current should always be a priority, he said, and any and all new clients and companies need to have a spot on your resume. “Make sure in your history and summary section, these new ones are added,” he said. The more in-depth your resume is, the more successful you will be in the job race.
No. 2: Demonstrate your value with figures. “The more dollar and percentage signs you can get in it, the better,” Rothenberg said. If you have increased your own budget at a company, or are bringing in more revenue as part of a team, include the details for potential employers.
No. 3: Review your skills. Keeping your skills set current is important, and helps set you apart, Rothenberg said. “Make sure you update it often,” he said. “Are there any recent certifications you’ve received, or experiences you can add to it? Pick things that really demonstrate your skills.”
Public Service and Non-Profit Career Fair
If you missed the fair, don’t fret! The Career Services office has a list of companies and contact information!
Something New Called Focus 2!
Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.
It helps you decide what your major should be!
OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!
FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students.  It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors.  FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile.  Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.
Be sure to check it out today!

Etiquette Tip of the Week:
Since we are just past Valentine's Day, it is important to talk about the people in your organization that need love the most: the ones who fix your computer. IT people usually deal with people at their worst. Their computer is not working. Their Internet is down. They have lost the Power Point presentation they have been working on the last five hours, and with it, the will to live.

IT people deal with people who are stressed out. Whether they are in your office or on another continent offering support by email, instant message (or that archaic device known as the phone), do not transfer your stress to others.  Be patient, be positive and treat people who are assisting you with respect and kindness.
As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com

Events for the Week:
2/21
A Christian Ministry in the National Parks

Atrium
10 am - 2 pm
2/22
Health Professionals Career Day  

Atrium
1 pm- 3 pm
2/24
Department of State
Open Info Session

212 YCGU
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Career Athletes Networking Event

The 810 Zone on the Country Club Plaza, 4686 Broadway, KCMO
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
2/28
Vector Marketing

Atrium
10:00 am – 1:00 Pm

Friday, February 11, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day

Friday, February 11, 2011 3:43 PM


It’s All in a Name … or Is It?


By Louise Fletcher

I'm happy to be one of CareerRealism's Twitter career experts. We answer job seeker questions in 140 characters or less, but today's question seemed to call for a more detailed answer. Here it is:

"I am in job search mode, and have decided to take the opportunity to transition into another field. It is a role I have performed in the past but not titled. Advised by professionals/experts in the field, that it is feasible. However, although my targeted resume has gotten to the hiring managers, and even some interviews, I do not get offers because I lack experience. How do I find the right balance? I don't want to give up on this new dream!"

This is a situation many of my clients find themselves in. It's a common misperception to think you have to have held a title in order to have success. Actually, this isn't true. You just have to be smart about how you communicate your skills in your resume. Because a great resume will not only open doors - it will also remove the 'not enough experience' reservations people have about you.

If you are in a similar situation to the one outlined above, I'm going to give you a few of my favorite resume strategies to change perceptions. For the sake of illustration, let's say you have been employed for 10 years as an executive assistant within a small company. During that time, part of your responsibility has been marketing and this is the part of your work that you love. You've now decided to apply for marketing positions but you don't have any related titles on your resume. So what can you do? Here are just 3 ideas:

Find ways to demonstrate expertise and then link to these on your resume

Write an article, blog posting or Squidoo page about marketing. Make it really, really good! Write about something you know inside and out. Then place a link prominently in your resume and cover letter, saying something like "Check out my article on 10 ways to market a small business through social media."

Highlight your marketing experience right upfront

Head your resume: "EXPERIENCED MARKETING PROFESSIONAL" and write a sub-header like "10 years of marketing experience despite never holding a marketing title" or "I've been the untitled marketing manager at my current company for 10 years." If you can find a way to inject some light humor into this sub-header - even better!

Employers won't miss the fact that you don't have a marketing title, so you might as well address it right upfront and get it out of the way.

Focus mainly on Marketing

As you write your job descriptions and accomplishment bullet points for each position, focus on marketing. Don't write about accomplishments that have nothing to do with marketing, no matter how impressive they are. Reinforce your marketing expertise with every word you write.

Of course, if our fictional job seeker needs to apply for executive assistant positions, she'll need a completely different resume and that's OK. Your goal is to show your readers how you are the perfect person to meet their needs.

It's important to note that these tips only work if you actually do have enough experience but the experience just isn't clear to employers because of your job title. If you don't have that experience, you'll have to get it before you can convince anyone to hire you. The best way to do that is to step up and volunteer to help the marketing team in your current company. Take on as much as they can throw at you - it's all fodder for your eventual getaway.



Something New Called Focus 2!

Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.

It helps you decide what your major should be!

OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!

FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students. It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors. FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile. Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.

Be sure to check it out today!



Etiquette Tip of the Week:

Dr. P.M. Forni, author of Choosing Civility and The Civility Solution and co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project said he is often asked about the saying, "Nice guys finish last."



His response is, "Smart and nice are the most powerful combination."

As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com



Events for the Week:

2/14 Federal Reserve Open Info Session

Yates Dining Room

10-11

2/15 Public Service and Non-Profit Career Fair

221 YGCU

2:30-4:45

Friday, February 4, 2011

Enjoying This Weather?

White Gloves, Party Manners, and Job Interview Tips


Jan. 29 2011

By: Kerry Hannon

Say it’s so. Forty-two percent of companies expect to increase hiring in the next six months, according to a quarterly survey conducted by the National Association for Business Economics released this week.



ABC News reported that of the 35 leading economic experts their reporters interviewed, most said they expected hiring to improve over the next six months. One firm they contacted, financial consulting giant, Deloitte, said it is ready to increase its payroll by 10,000. “Holy Mackerel!,” as my late father would have said.



On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release January employment figures, so we may have a better sense of whether hiring is gaining traction. Last month, the news was encouraging, so I’m hopeful.



If job openings are lighting up, then for boomers transitioning into a new job–whether it’s full-time or a part-time position to bolster retirement income– it’s your time.



I figure smart companies will be looking to hire talent, experience, and someone who can hit the ground running. There are plenty of you out there to cull from. They’ve cut to the bone, and they need an infusion of ready-to-roll workers.



Here’s a list of 10 interviewing tips that can help you get one of those jobs.



1. Your interview starts before you shake hands. Be early. Ten or fifteen minutes is about right. You’re on stage from the instant you state your name at the receptionist desk. Most interviews last between 25 and 30 minutes, so your performance time is short and sweet, use every minute of it.



Don’t sit in the waiting area gabbing on your cell, for example, or tweeting. Focus on why you are there. It’s Ok to review a list of questions you want to ask.



2. Bantering sets the tone. Kick-off the first few minutes of your interview as you would a conversation with someone you have just met at a business reception. Keep it relaxed, conversational, yet professional, and not too personal. Commenting on wall décor or a desk accessory is acceptable, but saying you like someone’s shoes may be stepping over the line, is my standard advice.



I personally like to scan someone’s photographs, say, and see if I can find a common bond. A framed image of a Labrador Retriever, or a horse, always sets an instant connection for me. These initial moments are where the chemistry between the interviewer and you can spark. Think speed dating.



3. Offer your resumé before you sit down. Presenting a resumé to an interviewer is akin to bringing a gift to a host or hostess. You’re passing along something of value in exchange for their invitation to meet and their time. By taking it out in the opening moments of the interview, it becomes an interactive asset. If there are areas or responsibilities that you want to emphasize or explain, the interview is your chance to draw attention to them.



People think if something is on their resumé, that it’s clear to the interviewer what the significance of it is, but those bullet points don’t always speak for themselves.



4. Synch up with the interviewer’s rhythm. It’s important to go at their tempo. Don’t try too hard and talk too fast. Answer concisely and with a confident, relaxed manner. Pause before you respond­–even repeat the question if need be–to buy yourself some moments to gather a measured answer.



•No rapid off the top of your head answers. This isn’t Jeopardy. There’s no race to push the buzzer. You might come off as flip without meaning to do so.

•Don’t talk so much that you go on for ten minutes answering one question. Crisp and to the point answers allow the interviewer to get to all their questions and gather as much knowledge about you as they can.

•Be enthused, but not fawning. You’re a pro, remember. Act interested and dignified. Interviewers really want to know what appeals and intrigues you about their company, too. It’s a two-way street. Yes, you are there to sell yourself, but they are selling the job too. It also makes them feel good about their own good fortune to work there. Even the most jaded hiring manager has a glimmer of insecurity.

5. Subtly slip into the conversation that you’ve done your background check. Set up a Google news alert for the company and the specific industry to make sure you’re au courant ahead of time. This insider knowhow will show that you’re aware of the state of their business right now. It will make it easier to respond to questions about why the job is something that’s a good match for both of you–that you have the key skills to solve their challenges today and moving forward.



6. Stick to your main selling points. It’s easy to veer off topic in an interview. Write down and practice at home three main selling points about yourself to help you stay focused. I recommend that towards the end of the interview, you click through your mental checklist to make sure you’ve covered each of your topic points during your discussion. If not, don’t leave until you have. If the interviewer is wrapping things up, and you can sense this, politely interject that you want to make sure you mention X, Y, or Z, and why.



7. Don’t be thrown-off if asked if you think you’re overqualified for a position. You might be. Here’s your canned answer: What matters to you at this stage is having the opportunity to work with outstanding people in a company whose values and products you believe in and where your skills and experience can be used in a meaningful way. Bottom line: They could only be so lucky to get someone who can bring even more oomph than they need.



8. Use your mentoring skills as a selling point. Explain how mentoring has always been a part of your work style. It’s a process that you have benefited from over the years as a mentee and a mentor and hope you can continue to give back by guiding less-experienced co-workers. And you’re open to learning from them too. Again mentoring helps both people.



9. Ask for a business card. In this age of e-mail, a business card seems a little quaint, but it’s a tangible gift exchange. You can leave them with yours, while accepting a card in return with appreciation. It intrinsically shows you’re interested in them, as well as the job. Ask if they prefer to be contacted via phone or email.



10. Good manners count. No hugs here. Go for a firm handshake, look them straight in their eyes with a warm smile, and offer genuine thanks for their time.



And call me old-fashioned, but never forget to write a thank-you note to everyone you interviewed with, often you will meet with more than one person on a company visit.



I’m a stickler for this in all aspects of my life. I learned the power of a proper note from the yellow-covered White Gloves and Party Manners that my mother gave me when I was a child. It’s an etiquette guide for young people, first published in 1965, that was written by Marjabelle Young Stewart and Ann Buchwald (wife of Art Buchwald).



A thank-you note is simple, classy, and just might make you stand apart among a roster of applicants. I personally like a handwritten one, but an e-mail works today, if you shoot it off within 24-hours. In many cases, the immediacy is welcomed and effective.



It’s not wrong to do both, particularly if there’s additional material you’d like to share with the interviewer, or if there were any questions you stumbled on, or didn’t answer well before you left. Use your correspondence to wrap up and leave a positive impression.



Something New Called Focus 2!

Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.

It helps you decide what your major should be!

OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!

FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students. It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors. FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile. Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.

Be sure to check it out today!



Etiquette Tip of the Week:

You have been shown to your table in the restaurant. Instead of being laid out, your eating utensils (flatware) are snugly tucked into a single napkin bundle, like they are going off to summer camp. What's a diner to do?



First, free the flatware and place the napkin in your lap. Then, lay out the flatware in your place setting. What goes where? Here is an easy way to remember: the words "fork" and "left" have four letters, so the forks go on the left side of your place setting. The words "spoon," "knife" and "right" have five letters, so spoons and knives go on the right. The knives are closest to the plate, blade in, and the spoons are on the outside.



Enjoy your meal and remember to eat neat!

As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com



Events for the Week:

2/9 US Navy

Union

10-2

2/14 Federal Reserve Open Info Session

Yates Dining Room

10-11

2/15 Public Service and Non-Profit Career Fair

221 YGCU

2:30-4:45

Enjoying This Weather?

White Gloves, Party Manners, and Job Interview Tips


Jan. 29 2011

By: Kerry Hannon

Say it’s so. Forty-two percent of companies expect to increase hiring in the next six months, according to a quarterly survey conducted by the National Association for Business Economics released this week.



ABC News reported that of the 35 leading economic experts their reporters interviewed, most said they expected hiring to improve over the next six months. One firm they contacted, financial consulting giant, Deloitte, said it is ready to increase its payroll by 10,000. “Holy Mackerel!,” as my late father would have said.



On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release January employment figures, so we may have a better sense of whether hiring is gaining traction. Last month, the news was encouraging, so I’m hopeful.



If job openings are lighting up, then for boomers transitioning into a new job–whether it’s full-time or a part-time position to bolster retirement income– it’s your time.



I figure smart companies will be looking to hire talent, experience, and someone who can hit the ground running. There are plenty of you out there to cull from. They’ve cut to the bone, and they need an infusion of ready-to-roll workers.



Here’s a list of 10 interviewing tips that can help you get one of those jobs.



1. Your interview starts before you shake hands. Be early. Ten or fifteen minutes is about right. You’re on stage from the instant you state your name at the receptionist desk. Most interviews last between 25 and 30 minutes, so your performance time is short and sweet, use every minute of it.



Don’t sit in the waiting area gabbing on your cell, for example, or tweeting. Focus on why you are there. It’s Ok to review a list of questions you want to ask.



2. Bantering sets the tone. Kick-off the first few minutes of your interview as you would a conversation with someone you have just met at a business reception. Keep it relaxed, conversational, yet professional, and not too personal. Commenting on wall décor or a desk accessory is acceptable, but saying you like someone’s shoes may be stepping over the line, is my standard advice.



I personally like to scan someone’s photographs, say, and see if I can find a common bond. A framed image of a Labrador Retriever, or a horse, always sets an instant connection for me. These initial moments are where the chemistry between the interviewer and you can spark. Think speed dating.



3. Offer your resumé before you sit down. Presenting a resumé to an interviewer is akin to bringing a gift to a host or hostess. You’re passing along something of value in exchange for their invitation to meet and their time. By taking it out in the opening moments of the interview, it becomes an interactive asset. If there are areas or responsibilities that you want to emphasize or explain, the interview is your chance to draw attention to them.



People think if something is on their resumé, that it’s clear to the interviewer what the significance of it is, but those bullet points don’t always speak for themselves.



4. Synch up with the interviewer’s rhythm. It’s important to go at their tempo. Don’t try too hard and talk too fast. Answer concisely and with a confident, relaxed manner. Pause before you respond­–even repeat the question if need be–to buy yourself some moments to gather a measured answer.



•No rapid off the top of your head answers. This isn’t Jeopardy. There’s no race to push the buzzer. You might come off as flip without meaning to do so.

•Don’t talk so much that you go on for ten minutes answering one question. Crisp and to the point answers allow the interviewer to get to all their questions and gather as much knowledge about you as they can.

•Be enthused, but not fawning. You’re a pro, remember. Act interested and dignified. Interviewers really want to know what appeals and intrigues you about their company, too. It’s a two-way street. Yes, you are there to sell yourself, but they are selling the job too. It also makes them feel good about their own good fortune to work there. Even the most jaded hiring manager has a glimmer of insecurity.

5. Subtly slip into the conversation that you’ve done your background check. Set up a Google news alert for the company and the specific industry to make sure you’re au courant ahead of time. This insider knowhow will show that you’re aware of the state of their business right now. It will make it easier to respond to questions about why the job is something that’s a good match for both of you–that you have the key skills to solve their challenges today and moving forward.



6. Stick to your main selling points. It’s easy to veer off topic in an interview. Write down and practice at home three main selling points about yourself to help you stay focused. I recommend that towards the end of the interview, you click through your mental checklist to make sure you’ve covered each of your topic points during your discussion. If not, don’t leave until you have. If the interviewer is wrapping things up, and you can sense this, politely interject that you want to make sure you mention X, Y, or Z, and why.



7. Don’t be thrown-off if asked if you think you’re overqualified for a position. You might be. Here’s your canned answer: What matters to you at this stage is having the opportunity to work with outstanding people in a company whose values and products you believe in and where your skills and experience can be used in a meaningful way. Bottom line: They could only be so lucky to get someone who can bring even more oomph than they need.



8. Use your mentoring skills as a selling point. Explain how mentoring has always been a part of your work style. It’s a process that you have benefited from over the years as a mentee and a mentor and hope you can continue to give back by guiding less-experienced co-workers. And you’re open to learning from them too. Again mentoring helps both people.



9. Ask for a business card. In this age of e-mail, a business card seems a little quaint, but it’s a tangible gift exchange. You can leave them with yours, while accepting a card in return with appreciation. It intrinsically shows you’re interested in them, as well as the job. Ask if they prefer to be contacted via phone or email.



10. Good manners count. No hugs here. Go for a firm handshake, look them straight in their eyes with a warm smile, and offer genuine thanks for their time.



And call me old-fashioned, but never forget to write a thank-you note to everyone you interviewed with, often you will meet with more than one person on a company visit.



I’m a stickler for this in all aspects of my life. I learned the power of a proper note from the yellow-covered White Gloves and Party Manners that my mother gave me when I was a child. It’s an etiquette guide for young people, first published in 1965, that was written by Marjabelle Young Stewart and Ann Buchwald (wife of Art Buchwald).



A thank-you note is simple, classy, and just might make you stand apart among a roster of applicants. I personally like a handwritten one, but an e-mail works today, if you shoot it off within 24-hours. In many cases, the immediacy is welcomed and effective.



It’s not wrong to do both, particularly if there’s additional material you’d like to share with the interviewer, or if there were any questions you stumbled on, or didn’t answer well before you left. Use your correspondence to wrap up and leave a positive impression.



Something New Called Focus 2!

Focus 2 is a new program here with Career Services! We are very excited about it.

It helps you decide what your major should be!

OR if you have a job you want it tells you what major would be best!

FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students. It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors. FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile. Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.

Be sure to check it out today!



Etiquette Tip of the Week:

You have been shown to your table in the restaurant. Instead of being laid out, your eating utensils (flatware) are snugly tucked into a single napkin bundle, like they are going off to summer camp. What's a diner to do?



First, free the flatware and place the napkin in your lap. Then, lay out the flatware in your place setting. What goes where? Here is an easy way to remember: the words "fork" and "left" have four letters, so the forks go on the left side of your place setting. The words "spoon," "knife" and "right" have five letters, so spoons and knives go on the right. The knives are closest to the plate, blade in, and the spoons are on the outside.



Enjoy your meal and remember to eat neat!

As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com



Events for the Week:

Feb 9
US Navy

Union

10 am-2 pm

Feb 14 Federal Reserve Open Info Session

Yates Dining Room

10am-11am

Feb 15 Public Service and Non-Profit Career Fair

221 YGCU

2:30pm-4:45pm