enews 11.7.08

The POWER Lunch series provides the opportunity to network with professionals in various career fields, hear real stories and experiences from experts representing diverse cultures, and enjoy free lunch.

Each month we focus on various career fields plus diverse cultural, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Topics covered will include career information specific to each professional’s area of expertise and a focus on real experiences including stories of challenge and success.

How the economy affects you
For seekers of internships, full-time positions, graduate and professional school, and post-graduate volunteer opportunities

By now you have read or heard the headlines about the credit crises, whispers of recession, and the failing economy. You may even know someone who has suffered a loss; of home, job, or retirement savings. You might be wondering though, how this all affects you. While it is still up for debate whether or not being a college student makes you an actual participant in the “real world,” I can assure you that this current economic crisis affects you. The good news is that there are some concrete steps you can take to remain strong in a weak economy.

Start your search RIGHT NOW.
Most experts are saying that the average time it will take an active job seeker to find something has increased from six months to nine months. That means if you want and internship or full-time position by mid-May 2009, you should have begun your active job search in August.

In order to begin your search, be sure you have completed the following essential tasks:

Want more? Plan to attend our new workshop how to Stay Strong in a Weak Economy on Tuesday, November 18 from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. in the Career Services Center.

Did you know that 75% of jobs are made available
through the informal job market?

The informal job market consists of jobs that cannot be seen, are not advertised, and are not made known to the public in a formal way. As many as 75% of jobs are not available through any publicly available process. In fact, most employers prefer referrals from employees or others since they know these are more reliable and less trouble. These positions are found through:

There are two avenues to pursue to begin networking: warm and cold contacts. Warm contacts are people you know. Examples of warm contacts include parents, relatives, friends, neighbors, alumni, present and former co-workers, teachers, members of professional organizations, service clubs, social groups, members of labor unions, religious institutions, friends’ parents, etc.

1. Do you know of any openings for a person with my skills?
2. Do you know of anyone else who might know of an opening?
3. Do you know someone who has a good network of professional contacts?

It is important to follow up on this information because it can lead to several other contacts.

Cold Contacts are people you do not know. Good resources for cold contacts are the yellow pages and other directories. It is also helpful to keep a record of all contacts and potential contacts. Information you will want to record is the organization, contact person, phone number, source of the lead, and notes such as dates you contacted the person and what your conversation was about.

This Career Alumni Network can assist you in many ways; whether you are researching career fields or seeking internships or full-time positions in a particular city, industry, or organization.

Online Professional Networking
Many people already engage in online social networking through websites such as Facebook.com and MySpace.com. Well, did you know you can use these websites to aid your job search? It’s simple! Start by cleaning up your page to portray the best version of you. Then use the connections through friends of the website search engine to find people who have interned or worked at certain companies. Or join websites that are specifically geared toward professional networking like LinkedIn.com, ZoomInfo.com, and Ryze.com. Read on for more information on LinkedIn!

Informational Interviewing
Informational interviewing involves identifying people who are doing what you want to be doing and asking them questions related to their current job. Check out “Ask Dot” (below) to find out more about informational interviewing.

Looking to gain career-related experience with an internship? Ready to start your job search? View internships and jobs posted recently for Marquette University students. To see even more internships and full-time jobs, register with MU Career Manager.

Did you know Disney offers great opportunities for both college students and professional internships? Click on the links below to learn more!

Dear Dot,

I have heard that networking is a great way to make job connections but I'm pretty shy and have a hard time knowing what to say when I approach someone. Do you have any tips that would help?

Truman N.

www.linkedin.com

LinkedIn's simple philosophy is that RELATIONSHIPS MATTER!

Your professional relationships are key to your professional success.
Their mission is to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.

When you join, you create a profile that summarizes your professional accomplishments. Your LinkedIn profile should portray the best, most professional version of you! Be sure to edit and re-edit all of your content before posting it on the web. Keep pictures and content clean and professional.

Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you.

Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to thousands of qualified professionals. When add connections that may not know you personally, sending a personal note regarding how you are connected and why you are seeking the connection can help build the networking relationship.

Through your network you can:

Find potential clients, service providers, subject experts, and partners who come recommended
Be found for business opportunities
Search for great jobs
Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
Post and distribute job listings
Find high-quality passive candidates
Get introduced to other professionals through the people you know.

It is important to remember to be PROACTIVE while searching for jobs. LinkedIn is another great tool to assist you in creating connections with others in your chosen field. Even though it is possible for employers to do a search and find your profile, it is important that you remember to be proactive and make the first contact for those connections that interest you!

LinkedIn is free to join!

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A great way to network with Marquette alumni is through MU Connect: Career Alumni Network, which is available through the Career Services Center website. It is a link to alumni who have expressed interest in helping MU students with career options. You can contact these alumni to learn more about possible careers you are interested in, to set up informational interviews or for assistance in your job search. Log-in HERE to find alumni who are working in a field you would like to learn more about!

Here are some tips to follow as you are contacting alumni:

Select a manageable number of alumni volunteers to contact. Following up with more than three might prove time consuming. You can always visit this site again to select more alumni volunteers later.

Be sure to include your full name, major, year and any other information relevant to your request. You may choose to include your phone number if a conversation would be appropriate and amenable to you both.

Do not feel that you are imposing, as these alumni volunteers have given their permission for students and alumni to contact them.
Be patient after your initial contact with an alumni volunteer. It may take someone a couple of days to follow up with you.

Begin your e-mail with a little bit about you and your background. Then move into questions that you may have.

Remember to keep your contact communication on a professional level. Use complete sentences and proper grammar.

Monitor the time and the amounts of contact you have with alumni as they have careers, families, projects and their own deadlines and responsibilities.

Show appreciation whenever you can. A thank you letter is always appropriate when someone has provided assistance.

***Fall 2008 Walk-In Hours Daily from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.***

Are you interested in reviewing job and internship postings and taking part in on-campus interviews for internships, co-ops, and full-time opportunities? If so, it is time for you to sign up with MU Career Manager!

Creating an account is easy – just visit the Career Services Center website and click the MU Career Manager link in the large green box on the right side of the screen. You will create a personal profile and upload a resume in this process.

Your account will be temporarily placed in a holding bin after you submit your resume. Each day a career counselor reviews and offers feedback on resume submissions. You will be granted full access to MU Career Manager after your resume has been approved by a member of the Career Services Center staff.

If you have previously created an account, be sure to update your account regularly. Your year in school and qualifications must be accurate. If they are out of date, you may not show up as qualified to apply for certain positions. It is also important to have a current resume on file.

Additional features of MU Career Manager include the "save search" feature where you can set up a "job agent" with criteria for jobs your are looking for. Postings that meet those criteria will be sent directly to your e-mail! You can also do searches by employers if there is a company you are especially interested in.

You may also visit the Career Services Center in person to create an account with MU Career Manager and learn about all of the great features. Walk-in hours are daily during the work week from 12-2 pm. During walk-in hours you can also get an overview of Career Services Center or a brief resume critique. This 10-15 minute meeting with a Career Intern is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information on the on-campus recruiting program and MU Career Manager, you are welcome to contact the Career Services Center at 414.288.7423 or via e-mail at career.services@marquette.edu.

Margaret Collins, Marketing, 2005.

Learn more about the success and career path of this Marquette Graduate.

Contact Margaret Collins at mcollins@tectaamerica.com.

Rockwell Automation is a leading industrial automation company striving to be the most valued global provider of power, control and information solutions. Backed by leading brands like Allen-Bradley, Reliance Electric, Dodge, and Rockwell Software, their mission is to help companies in virtually every industry cut costs, streamline productivity and speed time to market. Now, as an independent company, they're uniquely focused on dedicating people, technology, financial resources, and manufacturing expertise to add value for their customers.

Today’s factories are automated in all aspects of production – and that means that with Rockwell Automation, you have limitless career possibilities and the opportunity to impact customers in every industry, around the world. As the world continues to move from the industrial age into the information age, there is a great need for bridges between the two. We provide those bridges, offering "smart" automation devices that bring together industrial machines with information technology for more efficient, flexible, less expensive, and higher quality manufacturing and processing. Whether it’s bottling beer, or assembling a new BMW Roadster, automation helps increase production by making parts of the operation automatic.

Ask anyone who works at Rockwell Automation what they like most, and they’ll usually say 'the people' — they are passionate about striving for excellence and finding ways to positively affect the business.

Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges (WFIC) will be hosting a ‘Student Networking Capstone Event’ on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 as a new addition to our Insurance Education Initiative. Our organization is working to introduce talented students to all of the exciting career opportunities that exist for them within the insurance industry here in Wisconsin.

Students are invited to attend a buffet-style dinner and Milwaukee Admirals hockey game completely free of charge.

The evening begins at 5:30pm at Buck Bradley’s located in downtown Milwaukee followed by the game at 7:05pm.

Over 30 different professionals from such areas as Risk Management, IT, Finance, HR, Marketing, Sales, PR will be attending as well to network & mingle with students. This is a great opportunity for students to network in a comfortable, relaxed and fun environment – FOR FREE!

These innovative off-campus events allows students to network and interview with companies in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston - and new this year, Los Angeles! This is the 10th year of the consortium events. Last year's events boasted over 200+ employers in EVERY type of field and this year we anticipate more companies and job postings.

Registering for the events early means you’ll get updated information on the events, employers attending, and jobs posted. You can also create search agents to send you postings in particular cities and/or fields.

As always, the Career Services Center is ready to assist you with your resume, navigate the CIC web system and prepare for CIC interviews.

Headed back east for the BIG EAST Tournament?
Seeking an internship or job back east?

New York, New York
Big East On-Site Fair
Friday, March 13, 2009
10:00am – 3:00pm
Madison Square Garden, NYC

Calendar of Events
This calendar includes upcoming on campus recruiting events
and career-related workshops.

Upcoming Career Fairs
This calendar includes upcoming Marquette career fairs,
off-site career fairs, and e-fairs.


©2009 Marquette University.	P.O. Box 1881 · Milwaukee, Wis. USA · 53201-1881