Let’s talk about leadership: a quality that is not stressed enough to college students. When you leave North Carolina State University, you will be graduating with students from similar majors or concentrations. If this is the case, what make you unique? With job competition increasing every year, students must set themselves apart from their peers and get noticed by employers and recruiters. Getting that perfect GPA will not automatically result in a job or successful career. Ask yourself, “What will make me a stronger candidate out of college?” The answer to this question is leadership!

In the years that you spend with the Wolfpack family, make sure you get involved with something. It can be a club, honor society, professional organizations, Greek life, sports, or dance teams. Follow your passions and gain experiences that could potentially be utilized during a job interview. You can use unique experiences to gain common ground with your interviewer, or draw upon what you learned from these experiences to help answer tough interview questions! N.C. State has a variety of clubs/organizations that students can participate in, ranging from professional business fraternities like Alpha Kappa Psi to the Skateboard and Ski Club. Organizations such as the Accounting Society, Supply Chain Club, or American Institute of Chemical Engineers could also prove to be beneficial in terms of networking because you will get the chance to interact with working professionals and gain access to job opportunities.

In addition to simply getting involved, try to attain leadership roles and really immerse yourself in the club. Adding a leadership role will definitely give you a competitive advantage when looking for jobs. A little known fact for N.C. State students: Many employers would rather hire a student with a 3.2 GPA and leadership experience than a student with a 4.0 and no leadership experience, because the 3.2-student could effectively lead and manage others in a professional setting.

Leadership roles allow students to hone their communication and public speaking skills for the future. Students learn to manage members of their organization and build ways to effectively communicate with one another, similar to what businesses do on a daily basis in the work environment. These skills are also transferable to personal life as students are able to apply their leadership experiences to academic life. Becoming more involved on campus or in the local community opens more doors and strengthens your professional network as you continue to move up towards bigger things in life.

Now that school is back in session, it’s time to start looking for job opportunities and attending career fairs! All students should seize the opportunity to attend as many career fairs as possible around campus. Career fairs present incredible opportunities for students to apply for summer internships or co-ops. Even if you may not be ready to apply for opportunities by October, attending career fairs will give you a chance to look the various types of companies hiring, as well as find out what kind of skills the companies are looking for in their applicants.

Career fairs can be overwhelming and intimidating, but only if you let them be! Here are some tips below to help you navigate fairs and find your perfect internship or co-op!

1. Create a professional resume with the correct formatting, grammar, and spelling. If you think that your resume may not be up to par, visit the Career Development Center in Pullen Hall! Our counselors will critique your resume before you hand it to companies!
2. Make sure you have at least 25 copies of your resume printed out. Always overestimate the number of resumes that you think you may need. Companies will not consider students without seeing their resumes.
3. Dress professionally for any career fair that you attend. It’s always better to overdress than under-dress. Companies will take you seriously and the chances of getting that internship increase significantly.
4. See which companies are attending the fair by visiting the CDC website. You can view lists of all companies attending, so you can see which ones you want to speak with.
5. DO NOT just hand a resume to a company representative and leave the table! Converse with the representatives and ask questions about their internship and co-op programs or the kind of students they are looking to hire.
6. Take down as much information as possible from each company that you are interested in. You can use this information to guide you in your search for internships in the future!
7. Arrive as early as possible for the career fair – you may miss your opportunity to speak with the companies that interest you if you arrive late.
8. Lastly, do not be nervous!! Career fairs are a way for you to explore the various companies and make connections, so just do your best and have a good time!

There are many tools that will help you on your journey here at at N.C State! If you want to gain interview skills or need help finding an internship or co-op, visit the Career Development Center! They can critique your resume, help you with interviewing skills, and assist you with obtaining co-ops, internships, and full-time jobs. Happy hunting!

Depending on both your schedule and your degree track, you may take anywhere from 3 to 5 years (or more!) to graduate from college. I ended up finishing in 4… and what a great 4 years it was!  I was able to get my degree and a couple of minors, along with participating in a few extracurricular activities.  I had it drilled into my head to always be looking forward and preparing my resume for the job field; plus, I’m a planner by nature.  As a result, I went to numerous career-counseling sessions and joined the Career Ambassador Program!  This really helped prepare me for post-college life and the transition to the “real world.”  If you didn’t happen to take advantage of these services during your time here, not to worry – you can embrace what happens after college with the career services still offered to you!

Maybe you’ve graduated and don’t have a job yet (totally okay!) and realize it is now time to get going on that resume.  No worries… you still have 1 year of Career Development Center (CDC) services available to you after you graduate.  After 1 year, you can contact NC State Alumni Career Services for their help!

The CDC can also help with your graduate school application process, in addition to resumes and your job search, so don’t be afraid to get help while it is still free of charge!  There are professionals who charge a lot of money to look at resumes, so utilize these services before they are gone!

Go ahead and dig up those packets of information and Job Search Guides you received over the past few years, check out the CDC website, and make an appointment through ePACK.  Every Wolfpacker is more than capable of getting that great job or getting into that grad school of choice!

Looking even further beyond the next year, try to keep your resume updated and find out if the company you work for offers career services.  If so, use them!  Have those professionals critique your resume and always keep your resume up-to-date. No matter what, there are always ways to improve.  Everything we learned in college about resumes and getting that first job will change some.  For example, after a few years of working, your education will be 1 or 2 lines at the bottom and all of your projects and work experience will take the forefront of your resume.  This area of the professional world is always changing and updating with new technology…so don’t get behind!

Good luck, fellow Wolfpackers…GO PACK!

I participated in my first group interview yesterday, and I’m happy to say it was a positive experience! Group interviews are becoming more and more popular, as employers don’t want to waste time with candidates that are not serious about the job, or are just simply not qualified. Employers are also realizing that two heads are better than one! The chances of hiring someone that’s not a good fit with the company are drastically reduced when the candidate is evaluated by multiple people on multiple levels.

Group interviews typically consist of a small group of people being evaluated by one or more persons. The employer will usually provide some information about company history, goals, policies, and what type of employee they are looking to hire. The neat thing about group interviews is it can sometimes take a lot of pressure off the individual – facing a panel of employers by yourself is a lot scarier than facing it with other people who are in the same boat!

So…how do I make sure I’m noticed without coming across as overbearing?

1) Take Initiative – In a group interview setting, employers will typically ask a question to the group and then have everyone answer individually. While it’s completely acceptable to take your time thinking of an answer, if you do think of something right away, go ahead and jump on it! Employers will appreciate your initiative to be the “guinea pig” and make note of your self-assuredness.

2)  Be original – In a group interview, it’s very possible to hear an answer to a question or story almost identical to the one you were about to explain. Employers are almost always going to ask you about a difficult situation you encountered, whether it be with co-workers, employers, friends, etc., so it’s ideal to have a couple of different (true!) stories on hand. If someone inadvertently steals yours, you can present another one and keep the employer from becoming bored from hearing the same story over and over.

3) Set yourself apart – In a group setting, it can seem a daunting task to try to achieve standing out from the other candidates without rudely demanding attention or taking time away from others. There are several little ways to do this, though! As with any interview, make sure you have good posture, maintain eye contact (looking at other candidates while speaking also shows you are comfortable with public speaking), always have a question ready to ask, don’t interrupt others, and make sure to arrive early. You might get an extra point or two if the other candidates show up later!

When faced with a group interview, just remember to take initiative, be creative and unique with your answers, and polite yet firm when making yourself stand apart. The smallest detail can make the biggest difference in a group of people!

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to interview with a great company for an awesome position, but what I didn’t know about the interview was that I was actually auditioning for the part. The recruiting manager stepped out for a bit and told me to wait in the area where I was interviewing.  During this time I learned the daily functions of the job and had several conversations with the employees. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the employees were analyzing me determining if I was a good fit for this position or not. This company in particular was very team oriented and wanted to make sure that I got along with everyone. So what lesson can we take from this? You never know who’s watching – especially during an interview – and it’s very important to not only be yourself but to be professional at all times. Not every employer is the same, and it’s not always just about how the company matches your qualifications, but how you match the company.

Last week during a work lunch, I had the opportunity to meet the Chief Development Officer at my organization.  Although I will not mention where I am interning, I assure you it is somewhere I would like to work in the future!  During our conversation, she gave me her business card.  Since I am very interested in keeping in touch with this organization for a potential job in the future, I wanted to be sure and send a follow-up email.  When it came time to send the email, I realized it was pretty late at night – around midnight.  No big deal, that’s what email is for, right?  Then I remembered a conversation I had with my brother about sending emails late at night, which he did not recommend.  I also remembered that my mother taught me at a young age not to call people past 8pm, but what about email?

But isn’t that the purpose of email – to send information to others when it is on your mind, when it’s convenient, and when it won’t disrupt the other person?  Then again, since many of us have smart phones, our emails come through the phone and could potentially disrupt someone (with beeping or some sort of notification) when the email comes through late at night or too early in the morning.

Since I still wasn’t sure whether to send the email at midnight or not, I decided to wait.  I suppose “when in doubt, wait it out” (enough cheesiness!), but this is unchartered territory for me.  Although some people may say the time does not matter, others do notice when emails are sent.  Ultimately, it comes down to people using their best judgment for each situation.

I’d love to hear your thoughts/opinions/comments on this and what you would do in this situation!

So you’re ready for a career fair — your resume is printed, you’ve looked up the companies online and you’ve had your morning cup of joe; however, you need the finishing touch — a sleek outfit.  When attending a career fair, regardless of whether or not you are on the job hunt at the time, you should dress business professional.  For men this means a well-tailored suit and for women a suit, business dress or business skirt.  It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed.  Also, if you think your suit or skirt is too small or tight… don’t wear it until you get a second opinion.  Remember: this is not America’s Next Top Model, so make sure your grandmother would approve of your outfit before you leave for the career fair or interview.

I spoke with someone from a company last week who talked about how often she saw people come into interviews in “street clothes” or “club clothes.”  Even if the company gives off a hip and casual vibe, you still want to dress professionally for the interview.  This HR manager explained that the clothes people wear were actually part of the interview screening for the company’s internships.

So check with a friend or someone from the Career Development Center about your outfit before your next interview.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry!  Goodwill and the Thrift Store on South Saunders are both great resources for cheap dress pants, too.  You can get pants for about ten dollars and get them hemmed for a few more.  With a student budget it can be hard to find a suit, but definitely think of saving up and investing in one!  Hope these tips help and feel free to comment with any additional ideas or questions.

Recently, I had the opportunity to apply to a company for a part-time position in an intense writing field. To my pleasant surprise, I got the interview, and the person I spoke with said they would email the directions to the office. You can imagine how shocked I was when I not only received the directions, but also a homework assignment! I had to create a blog using another digital medium of my choice and have it prepared in about 2 days. This wasn’t just some homework assignment – it was actually the deciding factor between receiving the job or being denied that position! Here’s is a list of the steps I took to ensure that this was some of my best work:

1)   Start early! Procrastinating for schoolwork is one thing, but a job interview is a different ball game, and you will need as much time as you can get to fine-tune your work.

2)   Recruit outside sources! I know my strengths and weaknesses, and graphic design is something I am still improving on. With that said, I decided to ask one of my friends who is a graphic design major to look at my work and offer up some suggestions. Critiques can only benefit you!

3)   Spell Check! I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure that everything that you have turned in is spelled right and is grammatically correct – it could be the deciding factor for the job offer!