International Student Career Planning Workshop

Are you an international student hoping to work abroad in the United States? Join us for the International Student Career Planning Workshop! Please join us & bring along any questions you have for this interactive session!

5:30-6:30pm on April 15
118 Eppley Center

Brought to you by the MSU Career Services Network.

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Tom Izzo Reminds Us: Spartans Celebrate with Class

This morning I got the following e-mail from Tom Izzo:

As we head to Indy on the last stretch of the road to the Final Four, we take with us your pride, support, and enthusiasm. We are honored to represent a great University and all Michigan State students and alums. We strive to be the best because we represent the best – both on and off the court. We are part of a proud and noble Spartan tradition of winning with class.

Representing the best of MSU on an international stage is a shared responsibility…and a shared opportunity. Let’s all once again show the world that Spartans celebrate our unity with class. It’s an honor to be a Spartan. Be very loud about it. Be very proud about it.

Go Green,
Tom Izzo

There is no doubt that this weekend is going to be a proud & amazing time for all Michigan State students and fans, but let’s take Coach Izzo‘s advice here. We are on an international stage, and this could be one of the few times some people (including employers) are taking a strong notice in Michigan State. We don’t want to give our amazing university a bad reputation.

And – on a personal level, you don’t want this weekend to ruin your personal reputation. Let’s be serious, would 1 night of crazy partying be worth a lifetime record? Or getting kicked out of the University & paying thousands in fines? Definitely not – let’s think ahead and learn from our former fellow classmate’s mistakes.

GO GREEN! – Be loud, Be proud, Have fun, Stay classy.


If you’re not sure how to celebrate without getting arrested, check out: msu.edu/celebrations.

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The importance of Grammar

Word choice and punctuation are crucial in a professional setting. Remember to proof read your professional documents (i.e. cover letters, resumes, etc.)

For more examples of how punctuation can be misleading read Eats Shoots and Leaves.

Be careful not to trust your computer’s spell and grammar check. Just ask Taylor Mali.

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Inside Edge – Going into the World

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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!

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Advice from Alumni: Jessica, Sales Representative at Altria

375px-Altria_logo.svgJessica Doroshewitz, an alumnus of MSU and former employee of the Lear Career Services Center, answered some interview questions to help students in their job search and give advice as to what current students should do before applying to a job/internship. She also tells us what it’s like to work for Altria, a Fortune 500 company. She is currently a Sales Representative for Altria and works within Michigan.

1. What are 3 major things at MSU that helped you find a job?
There are a lot of factors that went into my internship/ job search throughout all of my experiences at MSU. I would say the Lear Center was definitely a huge part of my success. They have so much to offer in terms of guidance, workshops, tools, and the variety of companies that come to recruit through all of the Career Services Centers. Getting involved in many different types of clubs on campus also really helped . It gave me many opportunities to have some leadership on campus and learn about different areas of business. Finally, I would say that networking with employers I met on campus was a huge part of my success.

2. What kind of activities did you do on campus while at MSU? Did they prepare you for working at Altria?

I did a lot of activities during my time at MSU! I started freshman year in General Management Association, holding positions from Secretary to President throughout my 4 years. There was also the Day at State program I was involved with for a few years. I was the President of Toastmasters/ MSU Speak Smart, as well as holding a job in the Lear Career Center for 3 years working as a student assistant. During my time I also had 3 internships when I was not on campus.

3. Describe how your job search went before graduation/ how did you get a job with Altria?

I had some internship experience, so I knew what I was looking for in a full time position. I interviewed with 7 companies during the fall of my Senior year. These recruiters were people I had met through the career fairs, information sessions, or just from attending different meetings. After going through all the rounds of interviews, I had 5 job offers. I was looking for something fast paced, with lots of opportunity to advance/ learn, an office/ field balance with everyday work, and great benefits. Altria had the best offer to encompass all of these things that were important to me, so in the end I chose them while it was the best fit.

4. What is the biggest challenge you face adjusting from college life to the workplace?

The biggest challenge is the responsibility! MSU offers so much support in every aspects of a students life, that when I went from high school to college, I had a huge support from the university, friends, and my family with adjusting to college life. When you get tossed into the real world, you have a lot more problem solving to do. I graduated and started a new job the next month, almost all of my friends moved, I relocated to a smaller town where I didn’t know anyone, and for the first time I was living alone. It is a lot more responsibility but it is a lot of fun figuring everything out and learning how to deal with things on my own.

5. What is your typical work day like?

I am a sales representative, so there really is not a “normal” day. I call on 150 accounts in a territory I am in charge of. I sell new programs, contracts, or products Altria is offering, as well as consult with retailers on how to grow their business. On some days, I have meetings and training to attend either in my area or out of town. It is a very fun job and high paced where no two days are ever the same!

6. What would you recommend students do to get a job/ internship?
Get involved! The best thing you can do is network with other students, employers, advisors, professors, or anyone else you come in contact with. You never know where an opportunity will rise and the more people you know the more opportunities you will have!

7. What has been the best part of working for Altria?
The best part of working here is definitely the people. I can not say enough good things about the company culture and how well this company supports its people. From training and development, to support in everyday activities, I can’t imagine a company that treats their employees better and offers more opportunity.

8. Is there anything else you would like to add or suggestions for students looking for jobs/internships?

Don’t get discouraged! Keep networking, practicing mock interviews, and getting involved on campus and eventually it will pay off.

If you want to use the resources Jessica was talking about, visit myspartancareer.com to check out workshops and events on campus that can help you in you career search!

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Become MSU’s Next Job Idol

Contest begins: November 1, 2009
Final submissions are due by: November 30, 2009

Think your elevator speech is kickin? Prove it. Going on now until November 30th there is an MSU Job Idol contest through MySpartanCareer.  All you have to do is create a two-minute elevator pitch using InterviewStream (part of MySpartanCareer.com system). The winner receives a prize and bragging rights!

How do you get started? Super simple…

1. Go to MySpartanCareer.com and click on the MSU Student Log-In link.
2. Log in to MySpartanCareer.com; from your MySpartanCareer.com home page click on the InterviewStream icon, then click on the Job Idol button.
3. They system will take you through the process step by step.

Winners will be announced prior to Winter Break. If you have any questions post it in the comments section or contact Career Services directly at (517) 884-1300.

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Looking to Jet? Top 10 Best Countries for Business in 2009

Career Gallery has ended, winter is approaching, mid semester pressure is kicking in, and there are still tons of MSU students feverishly interviewing around campus in search of career opportunities for next semester. Is one of the Big Four accounting firms calling your name? More interested in marketing work somewhere on the East Coast? Hell, perhaps you want to go out of the country?

If that’s the case, Forbes has an article that I found to be particularly interesting. With informative statistics, beautiful pictures and a clear breakdown of each ranking countries the Top 10 Best Countries for Business in 2009 have been established as:

  1. Denmark
  2. United States
  3. Canada
  4. Singapore
  5. New Zealand
  6. United Kingdom
  7. Sweden
  8. Australia
  9. Hong Kong
  10. Norway

Now could be an opportunity to snag that international position you have been looking for! To find more details on each country check out Forbes Top 10 Best Countries for Business in 2009.  And remember there are tons of of resources through MSU where you can further your global research, like globalEDGE & Going Global.

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A Tabloid for Accountants

Check out my new favorite business blog:  goingconcern.com

Going concern is a “tabloid” covering the worlds of accounting and finance.  The site provides news, blogs, and an inside scoop on the firms and businesses that shape the industry.

It is imperative for business students to stay current on the issues that face their potential employers!  This is a great alternative to reading the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times cover-to-cover on a daily basis!

So in the next few weeks when you are interviewing with the accounting firms on campus, bring up a current event affecting that particular firm. I guarantee they will be impressed!

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Loose Change – Where to put your Name Tag

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CASHtips – Career Fair Preparation

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RESUME | Resume Makeover – The Do’s & Don’t's

THE DO’S & DON’T'S OF RESUMES

What’s Right…

  • Name & contact information is large and easy to read. Both current & permanent addresses are listed.
  • Degree and awarding institution are spelled out. Additional areas of study are highlighted, as well as more specific information on the Study Abroad program. For many employers, foreign language skills are important. If you don’t have a skills summary in your resume, including languages studied in your “Education” section is appropriate.
  • Formatting is consistent — dates line up, bold & CAPS make important information stand out, font sizes (and styles) are the same throughout, bullets are uniform. Overall, the resume looks orderly and organized without even reading it.
  • Experience related to the student’s field of interest (business) is highlighted in the bullet points describing work history. Past tense is used consistently to demonstrate readiness to move forward and leave even current experience behind. Points are specific (note the use of numbers) and demonstrate the student’s success with and impact on the operations of previous employers.
  • Related extracurricular activities — especially leadership roles — can be included and described in your “Experience” section.
  • Employers are increasingly looking for employees with solid technology skills. Use descriptors like “skilled,” “proficient,” “working knowledge of,” “competent,” etc. to demonstrate your level of proficiency with various programs/applications.
  • It used to be standard protocol to include a statement like “References Available Upon Request” at the end of a resume. Now employers expect that you’ll have references to offer, so including a line to that effect isn’t needed. However, if you have a portfolio or samples of your work that an employer would want to see, including a statement referring an employer to supplemental materials is appropriate, since not all candidates will have those to offer.
What’s Wrong…

  • Using a template or resume program can cause an employer to think that you don’t have the computer skills necessary to create, format, and organize your resume — or that you don’t have the initiative to figure out how to do one on your own. Show employers that you can think for yourself and use word processing software skillfully.
  • The contact information here is too small — one of the downfalls of templates. One of the most important things on your resume is how to get in touch with you. Make sure employers will be able to read your contact information easily.
  • Never include personal information like your Social Security number, birth date, height, etc.
  • Don’t use an unprofessional e-mail address! Set the tone for your level of professionalism.
  • If you’re including an objective in your resume, keep it short and employer-focused. It’s great if you want to advance your skills, but employers care more about what you’ll do for them rather than what they’ll do for you. A better alternative would be something like, “To obtain a manager trainee position with XYZ Corporation.” This shows that you’ve done enough research to know what entry-level position you’d be hired into and personalizes your resume for that particular employer — in other words, at least this resume only got sent to them.
  • Avoid using first-person (i.e., “I,” “my,” and “me”). Employers know you’re talking about yourself. Save the space for words that really matter.
  • There are inconsistencies in the size of bullets, formatting of lines, and too many fonts, as well as grammatical and spelling errors. This shows lack of attention to detail and generally sloppy work habits.
  • Bullet points for work experience are very task-oriented. This only shows the employer what you did, but not your accomplishments how you contributed to the effectiveness of the organization or applied useful skills.
  • Dates are listed in the front, which isn’t where they belong. When you worked somewhere is not as important as your job title or where you worked. Put the most important things at the front of the line.
  • Don’t use abbreviations and acronyms.
  • It’s nice to have interests, but those listed here don’t apply to the world of business or relate to the position for which this student is applying. Will an employer really care that you like to listen to music? Will that help you do your job better? Probably not.
  • Don’t include references on your resume.


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