Monthly Archives: September 2009

Where do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

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Posted by Anne, Career Counselor

What does your future hold?
What does your future hold?

Let’s say you have a really important interview coming up.  (This is no doubt because you attended our fall Career Fair and you scored an on-campus interview opportunity!)  Anyway, you’ve done your prep work.  You’ve prepared a list of strengths and weaknesses, generated your top 5 “success stories” from college, and practiced in front of the mirror til you’re tired of looking at yourself.  You waltz into that interview room, and nail those questions.  And then the interviewer asks…

“So, where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Yikes.  The one question you didn’t prepare for.  You were so focused on what you’ve done that you forgot to explore where you’re going.  You’re so focused on this job, that you forgot to plan ahead.  This is common, and this particular question can be a tough one.  The best answer will differ depending on your industry, but here are some great pointers and some responses you want to avoid when elaborating on your future goals.

Now back to the mirror…more practice!

Welcome Back!

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Posted by Anne Lapour, Career Counselor and Career Development CoordinatorBack2SchoolClock

Hello to all you Beavers out there.  It’s the first day of school!  Maybe you’re excited to be back in Corvallis–seeing friends, starting new classes, and meeting new people.  Or maybe you’re already missing those lazy summer afternoons.  No matter which is true for you, Career Services wants to wish you a sincere “Welcome Back”, and we hope you’ll come see us soon.  We have an exciting year planned, and we hope you’ll join us for our annual events, as well as some new ways to connect with employers, alumni, and opportunities.  Don’t miss the following…

Career Fairs: The All-Majors Fair is on October 20th, and the Engineering Fair is October 21st.  Dress spiffy, dust off that resume, and come meet some wonderful employers.  Check out the lineup by visiting BeaverJobNet.

Speed Mock Interviewing: Every heard of Speed Dating?  Well, now’s your chance to do the professional version while brushing up on those interviewing and networking skills.  The event will take place on Monday, October 19th.  Contact Career Services for more info (737-4085)!

Career Exploration Group: Feeling lost when it comes to your direction in life?  Want to connect with other students in a small group format?  Our fall career exploration group begins on October 28th.  Contact Anne Lapour at Career Services for details (737-4085).  Space is limited!

Informational Interviewing

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Posted by Anne Lapour, Career CounselorInterview_1(1)

Have you ever found yourself wondering, I know there are jobs out there that may be perfect that I’ve never heard of.  How do I find them? Most people ask this at one time or another.  There are many ways to research occupations, but one of the most effective is:  Informational Interviewing.

What is “informational interviewing”, you ask?  An informational interview is an interview that you initiate with someone in a field that interests you.  You ask the questions, because the purpose is to obtain information.  This is one of the best sources for gathering information about what’s happening in an occupation or an industry, because you’re talking to people actually working in the field.  You get to interact with someone and have a dialogue—something you can’t do with a computer screen. Informational Interviews allow you to:

  • explore careers and clarify your career goal
  • discover employment opportunities that are not advertised
  • expand your professional network
  • build confidence for your job interviews
  • access the most up-to-date career information
  • identify your professional strengths and weaknesses

Informational interviews can teach you about those mysterious job descriptions you’ve never heard of, and give you insider information about your field of interest.  And best of all, they can teach you what kinds of experiences you’ll need to give yourself a leg-up in the job market during these tough economic times!

To conduct an informational interview, follow these steps:  1) Identify the occupation or industry you wish to learn about, 2) Identify People to Interview 3) Prepare for the interview, 4) Arrange the Interview, 5) Follow Up.

More questions?  Come to the Career Center and meet with one of our career counselors. 

We do What?!

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By Linsey Stripling, Career Assistant and OSU Junior

Even if you're a first-year, come and have your resume critiqued!
Even if you're a first-year, come and have your resume critiqued!

Career Services is a great resource for every student on campus—from the anxious first year to the exhausted fifth year.  There’s just one problem…all the time, I talk to students who DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US!

As a Career Assistant who spends lots of time at Career Services, I have compiled a list of many of our “Hidden Secrets” that every student should know.

  • Our Location: We are located in B008 in the Basement of the Kerr Administration Building; once you get off the elevator turn right and you can’t miss us.
  • Drop Ins: We offer drop in hours Monday through Thursday 1pm-4pm. This is the time you can stop by and get advice and tips on how to create your resume and cover letter.
  • Beaver Job Net: This is our online database for student jobs, internships, and careers.
  • Mock Interviews: Do you have a job interview coming up? Schedule a practice interview with one of our career counselors and receive feedback on how you presented yourself as a professional, and receive tips on how to improve.

If you are looking for more information on the services that we offer, feel free to visit our website at http://oregonstate.edu/career or you could even stop by our office…now where is that located again?

Resumes: It’s Not Just About Experience

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By:  Silver Trujillo, Career Assistant & OSU Junior

Don't let this be you!
Don't let this be you!

Resumes are a crucial piece to finding the job you’re looking for, whether it’s a part time position, or the dream job you’ve always wanted. When asked how their resume is looking, many people reply with, “My resume is great, it doesn’t need any work.”  But is any resume ever perfect? There is always room for improvement.

Often times people confuse that question with how much experience they have listed, as opposed to the resume layout and format. A person may have tons of experience, but they may not correctly show it on their resume.  A great example is shown below.

Great experience, but not-so-great layout or content:

November-September   Sales Associate    Prestigious company inc.          Corvallis, OR.

  • Talk to people
  • Write reports
  • Check if items are in stock
  • Show new sales associates how things are done

Great experience, great layout and content:

11/1/05-Present                              Prestigious Company Inc. Corvallis, OR

Sales Associate

  • Assist in processing and replenishing merchandise and monitoring floor stock
  • Participate and contribute to the development of customer relation programs offered to clients, prospects and company employees
  • Maintain contact with all customers in the market area to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction
  • Responsible for training new employees by showing them work policies and excellent customer service

Keep in mind that this is one of the many aspects of a resume that can be improved. For more resume tips, follow the link to our career guide.

It’s Never too Early

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By:  Rachel Erickson, “Career Assistant” and OSU Senior

School is about to start.  We all have a lot to do.  It’s back to a full load of classes for many of us, finding or returning to

Start that networking!
Start that networking!

campus jobs, and adjusting to new living arrangements.  Starting the job or internship search is usually low on the summer priority list.  But if you’re serious about getting an internship or landing an ideal job next summer, it’s important to start now.  Many employers actually begin recruiting for their summer positions during the previous fall term.  By the end of winter term, many internships are filled.

The good news is that you can start your job or internship search with easy steps.  Research the companies in your field to get an idea of the careers they employ, job titles and their descriptions.  Examine the desired qualifications in those careers and how they match your own.  Find out what careers you are interested in.  Find job titles to entry level positions in those careers.  Think about the primary geographic areas you plan to live when doing your job or internship, and what options in your field are offered there.

Come down to Career Services and take advantage of opportunities that will help strengthen your job search.  Consider doing informational interviews with employers in your field.  Attend the workshops in Career Services before the Career Fair to get help on resume writing, effective job search, and interviewing skills.  Research the companies you are interested in that will be attending the Career Fair and come up with information about each you can express interest in when speaking to the companies representative at the fair.  Sign up for MOCK Interviews to help perfect your interviewing skills before the real deal.

As you can see there is much preparation and not much time to spare.  Start your search early.  You can also find more tips on preparing for the job/internship process at this website.

And come down to Career Services to make your job or internship search a success!