An American (Spartan) Hero

Ryan Miller, an East Lansing native, got his first pair of hockey pads when he was eight years old in 1988.  In 2010, he became Winter Olympics 2010 Ice Hockey Tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player).  Leading Team USA to a 5-1 record and a Silver medal, Miller showed his Spartan pride with a picture of a dog with a block “S” on the back of his helmet.

However “heroic” Miller is on the ice, he’s even greater off of it with The Steadfast Foundation, his charity that supports the victims and families that become afflicted by cancer.

If you’d like to support The Steadfast Foundation or Ryan Miller in his normal habitat (the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL), do so with the pride of Michigan State for one of our favorite Spartan Hockey players.

Teach For America

Teach For America is a national organization of outstanding recent college graduates and working professionals – of all academic majors, backgrounds and career interests – who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders for expanding educational opportunity for all children.

Currently, there are 14 million young people growing up in poverty. Over half of these students will not graduate from high school by the age of 18. Those that are lucky enough to graduate read, on average, at an eighth-grade reading level.

Teach for America seeks outstanding individuals who possess the leadership skills and experience to solve educational inequity.

Our teachers receive full salary and benefits, an America Corps grant, loan deferral, professional development, and access to a powerful alumni network.

After the two year commitment, alumni go on to make a difference in public policy, law, education, business, and medicine. Teach For America is one of BusinessWeek’s “Best Places to Launch a Career” offering exclusive partnerships with top companies like GE, Goldman Sachs, Google, KIPP, J.P. Morgan, McKinsey & Company, The White House Project and over 200 top-ranked graduate schools.

To apply submit the online application.
Selected applicants participate in a 30-minute phone interview, followed by a final day-long interview.

The FINAL Application Deadline: Friday, February 19, 2010
To learn more, visit www.teachforamerica.org/admissions or contact admissions@teachforamerica.org

Update from Career Service Network: Career Survey

Voice your opinions at: www.universumsurvey.com/us

Because Michigan State University students are highly sought after by employers, your opinions are extremely important and valuable sources of information.  Top companies, including many that recruit Michigan State University students, base their recruiting strategies on Universum’s research so it will truly benefit you and others on campus to share your opinions on recruiting and employers. Companies will only see the collective Michigan State University results, and your participation/identity will be kept confidential.

In appreciation for your time you will receive a free copy of the WetFeet Insider Guide: Killer Cover Letters and Resumes (a $21.95 value!)

Coming Soon:  The new and improved Career Profile in the next couple of months. If you choose to receive mailings from Universum, you will receive an exclusive invitation to join Universum’s Career Profile—an online career toolbox where you can compare your survey results with other groups of respondents; receive targeted announcements from top employers about recruitment events, contests, opportunities, and more; get the inside scoop on your ideal and considered employers; and more.

In addition, thirty (30) students from your campus will have the option to:

1. Donate to PROJECT HOPE – providing life-saving vaccines to children in developing countries

2. Donate to the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) U.S. Fund

3. Donate to breast cancer research

All respondents are also entered into the Universum 2010 Sweepstakes to win a $1000 Universum Scholarship or one of two $500 Universum Scholarships, as well as Golla laptop bags and accessories.

Take the survey now at:www.universumsurvey.com/us

It’s your life, your future and your world!

Linda S. Gross, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Career Services Network
Michigan State University

Spring Break Job Shadow Day 2010!

Inside Edge: Scott from Command on Standing Out

MSU Speed Networking 1/19

How “Weirdness” Can Get You a Job

Either you said it, you’ve heard it said, or it’s being said behind your back:
“My friends are the weirdest people in the world.”

Well, fine citizens of Earth, this can help you stand out when looking for a job.  Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com spoke in a New York Times article with Adam Bryant about how he looks for “weirdness” when searching for employees.  He views it as establishing culture for his company, establishing a creative and pleasant workplace for all.  An example question in the interview would be, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?”  The importance of the question is less of what you answer, but more of how you respond.

Although many companies are going to be more traditional like we’re used to, there are going to be several others, like Zappos.com, that are searching for a more “weird” employee.  So don’t be afraid you trekies, bandos, WoW players, and others to be yourself when applying to these companies that welcome you to be you!  Just make sure to do some research in advance…

Full New York Times Article

Inside Edge – Going into the World

To-Do list for Salary (or Benefits) Negotiation

In my COM 340 (Fall 09) class, a group did a really great job on a presentation on negotiation in the interview room.  Here’s the list of tips they had for the process:

1. Be Confident.
2. Prepare for your interview!
3. Know your value.  Don’t under/over value yourself.
4. Be flexible.
5. Proper timing is key.
6. Be professional.  Don’t make it personal.
7. Look at the entire compensation package, not just the salary.
8. Take your time when making a decision.
9. Ask for the offer in writing.

Do you have any advice from any salary or benefits negotiations you’ve had? Leave them in the comments & share your knowledge with other students!

How To: Build Relationships Online

Talk Researching the Job with Spartans & Target Recruiters

Interviewing tips: what is STAR?

What is the “STAR” interview technique? You may have heard professors, employers, career advisers, etc. talk about it, but you can never remember it, right? Whether you know it, need a reminder, or have never heard of STAR before, here’s a quick review of the system.

First, what is STAR? STAR is an organized train of thought to answer behavior based questions (Behavioral Based Questions: Tell me about a time that you… “exemplified great leadership,” “were working with a particularly difficult person and what did you do about it,” “had a task/project due in a short time and what did you do to complete it.”).

S = Situation

Describe the situation you were in and why you were put in it (the club/group/job should probably already be on your resume):
e.g. “While in Project Green during my freshman year I participated on the Executive Board for the Final Event in which Project Green put on a day of redecorating, games, and health awareness.”

T = Task

Tell the employer the task YOU were responsible for in the Situation:
e.g. “I took the task of the Food Coordinator on the Executive Board to recruit local businesses to donate food so the 200 participants of the event could have lunch and snacks.”

A = Action

Explain what skills, highlighting the behavioral based question, you used to put your task into action.
e.g. “I used my communication and sales skills to pitch the benefits of supporting the community, promotion for the business, and how much the restaurant’s contribution would benefit the Final Event to all of 60 local businesses.”

R = Results

Paint the picture of your accomplishments from the work you did.
e.g. “I was able to get 40 businesses to donate over $400 worth of food and feed the 200 children, students, parents, and volunteers. Both the Final Event Coordinator and the principal of the elementary commended me for the extraordinary food and work that I had done.”

Be ready to answer any questions that could follow your STAR situation like, “What would you have done differently?” or “What kind of trouble with managers did you run into when you called the restaurants?” Typically, it’s good to prepare 6-10 STAR answers and adapt them for each job you’re hoping to land. Write them down and BRING THEM to the interview. It will show the employer that you really care about the position and are truly prepared.