Connections Newsletter


Employment Advice: How to get the kind of job you went to college for

By: Kristine Johnson and Danielle Krizan

Have you ever been asked by someone that famous question "What is your major?" You may have that prepared answer of "Advertising with a multi-media minor" but that doesn't necessary mean you really want to do plain advertising. The truth is, Communication degrees break off into a lot of gray areas. You may plan to graduate with an Advertising major and be an art director while the person sitting next to you at graduation wants to be a copywriter. In this case, you may want to talk to someone about how to look for the specific job that you want. That is what the people at Career Services are for.

Career and Leadership Development

Office Hours
Monday-Thursday: 7:00AM-8:00PM
Friday: 7:45AM-4:30PM

Address
University Center 146
800 W. Main Street
Whitewater, WI 53190

Phone, E-mail & Fax
Phone: 262.472.1471
Fax: 262.472.5539
E-mail: Career & Leadership Development

People who can help you at Career Services

Kathy Craney
Career Counselor
(262) 472-1961
craneyk@uww.edu

Kathy will help you find your way around Hawkquest, a program designed to provide internship opportunities and jobs for past and present students, and use it correctly. She will also look over your resume and give you tips on what to fix.

Laura Morrow
Internship Coordinator
(262) 472-1606
morrowl@uww.edu

Laura will help you to figure out which internship will fit you best, where to look for an internship and how to apply.

Job Sites

indeed.com
This site has many different types of jobs for after you graduate.

bigshoesnetwork.com
This site has many different jobs that are hiring.

creativehotlist.com
Creative and Multimedia students should check out this site.

Ad Agency Redbooks
These are advertising agencies that hire students. Our university library offers this resource online, but only one university student can be on it at a time. http://library.uww.edu/indexes/alpha.html.

journalismjobs.com
If you are looking into print journalism, this is the website for you.

What is an Internship?

(From Career Services Website)

  • Are typically one-time, structured work experiences related to a student's career goal.
  • Involve a student working in a professional setting under the supervision of a professional in the chosen field.
  • May last anywhere from one month to a couple of years, but typically last for an academic semester (approximately 15 weeks for fall or spring) or for a summer (approximately 12 weeks).
  • May be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid.
  • Might be required as part of the curriculum in an academic program or offered as an elective, allowing a student to earn academic credit.
  • Are typically completed later in a student's college career after the student has attained appropriate preparation (skills and knowledge).
  • Whether for credit or not, should be structured around a student's intentional learning goals which have been collaboratively developed by the student, his/her internship site supervisor, and his/her faculty advisor (if applicable).
  • Promote and enhance a student's academic, career, and personal development.

Internships 411

Top Five Reasons to Have An Internship:

  1. Build confidence: If you are nervous about graduation, this will help you ease into the process.
  2. Apply the classroom: Often what you learn in class is not what happens in the real world. An internship will give you hands-on experience you could never receive in the classroom.
  3. Resume: Employers aren't just looking for good grades anymore. They want to see what you've done in the real world.
  4. Networking: Connect with people who can eventually either offer you a job or connect you with people who could.
  5. Experience: You get a taste of the real world and a chance to see if this is really what you want to do for the rest of your life.

How to search For an Internship

HawkQuest

  1. Start by going onto the Career Services website.
  2. From there, click on the Hawkquest link on the left side of the page or visit www.uww.edu/career/hawkquest.html. This program is designed to provide internship opportunities and jobs for past and present students.
  3. Create an account. This will allow you to post your resume online for employers to view.
  4. Once you get to your page, you can do a specific search by going to the search box towards the bottom. This allows you to narrow down the internships that you might be interested in.

If you are still confused, Career Services put together an Internship Search Plan. This web page can help give you new ideas on where to search and how to start.

Another place to look would be Craig's List. On this website there are links to where and what types of jobs you are interested in. Each job listing should have contact information provided.

There are also ways of looking for jobs without the internet. Usually newspapers will have job postings listed. Otherwise be creative:

  • Network with people that you are very close to you and who could provide positive qualities about you.
  • Find something you are interested in and start your own business.
  • Use your ideas to start up a webpage about something you are passionate about.

Don't be afraid to get an internship AFTER you graduate. Employers look at experience. If you do not have experience in the field you would like to pursue, take the pay cut and start the internship. It will pay off in the end!

Top Ten Ways to Screw up an Internship

Warning: This material may be detrimental to your internship. If you follow these guidelines, you will surely have a lot of free time as well as be out of a job.

  1. Show up Late: That's right; you are definitely the best person at the job, so they can wait for you. After all, they were lucky to find you. Make sure you don't shower before coming and dress in jeans and a T-shirt. You may as well just roll out of bed and come in four hours late. Work for ten minutes and then call it a day.
  2. Wear flip-flops: Why dress up? There is no reason to impress anyone. Flip-flops, shorts and maybe a shirt if you're a girl. Men, wear man sandals, because why waste a minute when the beach is next door, where you can go on your lunch date. Or cut out of that boring meeting early to ride ten the waves.
  3. Make sure to bring your I-pod: Everyone knows an internship is boring, so bring your I-pod to liven up the day. Plus, you can plug in when people are talking and you don't care to listen. And don't forget to check out Facebook to see what the latest tunes are.
  4. Don't talk: Don't make any new friends; they just want to steal all your brilliant ideas. Try to avoid eye contact, and roll your eyes during meetings to show your boredom. Walk against the wall, and look down so people don't know you exist. Then they can't be your friend.
  5. Avoid company outings: You don't actually work for the company, so why waste your time with snooty employees. Go watch some TV instead or play some wild video games.
  6. Complain and slack off: You won't be here long, so no one is going to notice if you don't finish all the tasks. If they send you on an errand to get coffee or donuts, buy one for yourself on the company. You deserve it after the long walk. You're working hard; take a cigarette break for twenty minutes whenever you feel like it, even if you don't smoke.
  7. Avoid getting advice: You know everything, so why should you ask for help? Yawn when someone starts giving you a lecture and cross your arms to get your point across. Pull out some gum when they start talking and snap really loudly and blow bubbles.
  8. Don't ask questions: If you don't understand what someone told you, don't worry about it. It's their fault for not talking clearly. Or, you could let them know that they have a speech problem and should probably get it checked out.
  9. Reject criticism: If someone criticizes you, they are just jealous. You know what you are doing, so why should you listen to anyone else? Just block them out. You could even put in earplugs to get your point across.
  10. Waste time: You have nothing important to do, so make a photocopy of your butt. Play solitude on the computer, or gamble online. You could even do online shopping and have it delivered to work. As said earlier, go on Facebook. Stalk your fellow employees and try to make dates with them. Or comment loudly on their pictures, such as "That's a good one!"

Real Tips for Interning

  • Look for a job and get your resume out early.
  • Ask older students where they have interned and if they have any advice for you.
  • Talk to your professor; they know people and usually have been in the field for a number of years.
  • Attend job fairs to get a feel of the job you want, and look for a similar internship.
  • Do research on the company. Once you learn all you can about the company, you'll know about the decisions they have made in the past and can discuss why you like their company when interviewing.
  • Read professional trade journals and magazines. The more you know about your future job profession, the better you will sound in interviews and the more you will know if you plan on getting hired after your internship.
  • Be prepared to do some grunt work. Take on the smaller tasks and keep your mind focused on the big picture. However, if all you do is fill coffee, you might want to talk to your supervisor about the goals and expectations that you have for the internship.
  • Ask questions. Take advantage of being an intern and ask questions about anything you don't understand. It will also make you look more motivated. As an intern, you aren't expected to know everything.
  • Find a mentor. Learn from the people you admire. Professionals like to share their expertise and are usually willing to share knowledge to help you succeed.
  • Be a professional. Maintain a professional image, and try to avoid gossip and staff politics. Try to be positive and look as nice as possible. Try to avoid using the phone or computer for non-work related things.
  • Develop professional relationships. These will help you in the long run. Try to talk with co-workers because relationships are the key in starting a successful career.
  • Be enthusiastic. If you are positive, it will rub off on others. If you're looking to be hired after your internship, qualities of an enthusiastic worker are a positive quality employers are looking for.
  • Stay focused. Try not to get discouraged or upset about the little things. Remember the internship isn't that long.

Interview with Confidence

  1. Be yourself and don't lie. Many students feel they have nothing different to offer a company, so they tend to make up stories or jobs they never had. Don't over exaggerate about previous job experience. Also, don't tell an employer about qualities you don't posses, because if they question old employers and discover you are the opposite, you will never get hired.
  2. Know why the company should hire you over someone else. Know why the qualities you possess will help with the job you are seeking and be ready to give examples of how you have used them in the past.
  3. Realize why you chose the organization and talk about that. Employers want to know that you have done your research. Talk about the company policy and why it fits you and what you stand for. If you know nothing about the company, then how can you help to sell or promote the company?
  4. Promote what you do well and explain what you are improving on. Explain what makes you unique. While it is important to make a good impression when you are interviewing, be careful not to be arrogant. They want to know that you are going to be a good employee, but don't talk too much about yourself because you are there for the company and to make them better. Let them know what you can offer.
  5. Avoid asking nosey questions. These are questions such as what benefits are like, how much vacation you will have, or how much your salary will be. Leave these questions until you get a job offer and are then negating salaries, start dates and benefits.

How to Find an Internship

It may be very hard to find an internship that you are interested in. However, there are many ways to find the perfect internship for you!

  1. Start looking early: Some internships have early deadlines. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get the required materials in. Check with Career Services or go online to Hawkquest to begin your search.
  2. Match an internship with career goals: Look at the qualities you have and what you are looking for in a job. Internships can help you figure out what exactly you would like to do. Also, you may find that the job is not for you. If that's so, reevaluate your career goals and try something else!
  3. Network: Think of all the people you know. Who do you know that could find a great internship for you, or help you apply for one within their own company? Contact UW-Whitewater alumni to see what they are doing now.
  4. Attend career fairs: Career Services puts on career fairs during each school year with employers looking to hire. Before attending, make sure you have a completed resume and are dressed up to impress possible employers. Be prepared to give a 60 second introduction that describes your skills, interests, experience, and motivation to the employer. Be sure to follow up with any recruiters you speak with at the fair.
  5. Contact a career counselor: Having someone help you figure out what type of jobs you want to apply for can be very stress relieving. Also, it can be nice to have someone match your qualities with a good job.
  6. Develop your cover letter and resume: If you are stuck and can't figure out what is missing in your resume, contact Career Services. A good resume should stand out from all the other applicants. Career Services can give you sample resumes and cover letters which can give you a better idea of what to incorporate in your own.
  7. Follow up: Make sure to contact the business you applied to if you haven't heard back in reasonable amount of time, such as two weeks. By following up, you can check the status of your resume and show your interest in the position. Don't forget to send a thank you letter!