THE DAILY ILLINITUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17Fall Career Guide

2C Tuesday, September 17, 2013 THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

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BY ALICE SMELYANSKYSTAFF WRITER

As students begin the job search, they can turn to The Career Center to help them in the process. This year, one of the resources students can take advantage is the online recruit-ing system I-Link .

Brian Neighbors, senior assis-tant director of The Career Cen-ter, said they are now taking an active role in getting employers to post onto I-Link.

In the past, employers were directed to a college’s specifi c career offi ce or to students in a particular major. I-Link is cam-pus-wide and available to all Uni-

versity students. Thousands of internships and jobs are posted to the I-Link website, yet only half of students on campus are using it, Neighbors said.

“My position is completely newly created, and the focus is to do employer-development,” said Neighbors, whose main focus is to bring more potential employ-ers to the University. “We’ve been targeting more employ-ers, and we’ve been doing more research.”

Emily Wickstrom, assistant director for marketing and event planning for The Career Center, also emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of I-Link in

order to see the skills employers are looking for in an applicant.

“We’re working on bringing in employers who aren’t looking for a specifi c major, but instead are looking for more of a skill-set, like great l e a d e r s h i p skills, great communication skills, writing, customer ser-vice, those kind of things,” she said. “We’re just trying to give the mes-sage that it’s really not about your major, it’s about your skills and experiences. We’re working with employers who also believe that.”

This is a message that Loren Leeberg, Allstate’s universi-ty relations manager, said she notices is becoming increasing-ly important in the workplace.

“I feel cer-tain ‘soft skills’ are extremely transferrable and will assist any student looking for a career today,” Leeberg said. “Some of the top ‘soft’ skills we look for in candidates are effective com-munication and

vision, strong motivation and ini-tiative to learn, as well as adapt-ability and fl exibility.”

With an aging population of

baby boomers, Leeberg said she sees change in employment trends.

“Now more than ever, compa-nies are focused on hiring inno-vators and future leaders,” Lee-berg said. “I am excited to see the changes in the job market.”

Another employment trend, according to Leeberg, is that companies are staying connected to students through social media outlets such as LinkedIn.

“Colleges teach it every single day but it is, in fact, true – jobs are obtained through network-ing,” he said.

However, Wickstrom also said there is no one path a stu-dent who is unsure of what to do with their major needs to take.

“The career path isn’t linear,” she said. “There’s certain pro-fessions, like being a doctor,

where you have to go through certain steps. But most profes-sions aren’t like that.”

Students should apply for multiple internships and learn about their own likes and dis-likes when it comes to a certain career, Leeberg advised. She also said that it’s normal for stu-dents to be unsure about their future prospects, but an intern-ship could help them explore dif-ferent types of environments and people.

“My greatest piece of advice for students is to expand your defi nition of career success,” Leeberg said. “Growth will hap-pen both vertically and lateral-ly, and it is important to always embrace change.”

Alice can be reached at smelyan2@dailyillini.com.

The Career Center recommends I-LinkFOLAKE OSIBODU THE DAILY ILLINI

The Career Center on Wright Street is a resource for students at the University. It offers services such as career advising, mock interviews, career fairs and an online recruiting system called I-Link.

Students looking for jobs and internships should look online

“Now more than ever, companies are focused

on hiring innovators and future leaders.”

LOREN LEEBERGALLSTATE UNIVERSITY RELATIONS MANAGER

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM Tuesday, September 17, 2013 3C

careercentercenterthe

AT ILLINOIS

Looking for a job or internship?I-LINK to opportunities!

Use I-Link, the Illinois career platform, for:

- job and internship postings- on-campus recruiting- list of companies at career fairs- career events calendar

careercenter.illinois.edu/ilink

Whether you’re looking for an internship or full-time job, attend-

ing a career fair is often the best fi rst step toward achiev-ing your goal. But with swarms of qualifi ed people, loud con-versations and professional-ism fl owing from every corner of the room, walking into one can be truly intimidating. It’s a wonder that some people don’t run out overwhelmed. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the career fair experience:

Know your elevator speechFor those who don’t know,

an elevator speech is a 30-sec-ond pitch about your strongest qualities and experiences you want to highlight. This gives recruiters a better impression of what you’re looking for and is short enough to keep their attention. If you don’t want to memorize your speech, write down some key points to dis-cuss. Make sure you practice before you actually speak with someone from a company.

“In my business class, we were taught the importance of always knowing our eleva-tor speech,” said Cory Nelson, freshman in Business. “Our professor mentioned that any of us could bump into an exec-utive from our dream compa-ny, whether in an elevator or at the career fair. It’s benefi -cial to know what to say if that ever happens.”

Be confi dentIt doesn’t matter if you have

job experience or your grades aren’t perfect. If you believe in yourself and act like you know what you’re doing, oth-ers will believe in you, too. Approach a recruiter with a smile on your face, shake their hand and give them your resume. If you act with con-fi dence, the environment will feel much more relaxing, and the conversation should run smoother. Being confi dent shows employers that you are capable and trust your own abilities.

“Sometimes I’ll see a stu-dent who doesn’t have the best resume, but will just blow me away with their confi dence,” said Amy Jorgenson, recruit-er for Michelin. “They’ll say they know they’re not the best

at school, but they’ll prove they can be phenomenal at work. I like hearing that. It’s refreshing.”

Underclassmen should attend as well

When the words “I’m a freshman” come out of your mouth, some recruiters might give you the cold shoulder. As unfortunate as that is, that’s just the way it goes for some companies. Freshmen typical-ly do not have the knowledge or skills to work for a com-pany just yet. However, that doesn’t mean that these com-panies do not value you. Many companies offer job shad-ows or leadership programs for underclassmen wanting to someday work for them. Starting off a conversation by asking about these oppor-tunities can show recruiters that you are interested in the company and have done some research. They are more like-ly to speak to you if they see that initiative.

Adopt a professional demeanor

This is a must. A profession-al demeanor consists of dress-ing in appropriate business

professional attire and looking presentable. There’s nothing a recruiter dislikes more than a student who walks up to them in cutoffs and a T-shirt, pop-ping gum and looking dishev-eled. If you’re serious about fi nding a job or internship, dress the part. Show that you care. Show that you are will-ing to make the effort for them, and they will be willing to do the same.

“How you look makes a huge difference,” said Jonathan Goldberg, recruiter for 3M. “I defi nitely won’t take a stu-dent seriously if they’re not dressed appropriately.”

If you don’t have any busi-ness attire, stop by Express or Banana Republic at Cham-paign’s Market Place Mall. These stores often have busi-

ness attire discounts for stu-dents at certain times of the year.

Bring business cardsAlthough these aren’t neces-

sary, you can always make a good impression with some sim-ple business cards. The Universi-ty offers students opportunities to make custom business cards at a discounted price at printing.illinois.edu with the Illinois logo.

But you’ll want to avoid put-ting a business card in every recruiter’s hand. The trick is to time out the conversation so that at the end, the recruiter will offer you his or her busi-ness card fi rst, and then you can do the same. Feel free to email recruiters after speaking to them.

Come prepared

Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and eat before you go on your job search. This also means editing your resume weeks beforehand. Try to schedule a resume critique with the Career Services Cen-ter. They will give you point-ers on how to structure your resume and tips to work on improving it.

“The Career Center helped me rip apart my resume,” said Lisa Jonas, sophomore in DGS. “They helped change the for-matting, the wording, every-thing. It’s defi nitely worth your time to ask for their help.”

Jolie is a sophomore in Business. She can be reached at jhuang51@dailyillini.com.

BY SAHER KHANSTAFF WRITER

Engineering students can break out their fi nest suits, best shoes and polished resumes for the Engineering Employment Expo, which will take place at the Illini Union from Monday, Sept. 23 to Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Over 200 companies will fi ll the Illini Union rooms A, B and C from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the three-day fair, recruiting engi-neering student for various internships and employment positions.

“There are so many companies that want to come to this univer-sity to recruit the fantastic stu-dents here,” said Ronald Mey-er, co-director of the Expo and senior in Engineering.

Meyer chairs the entirely stu-dent-run committee in charge of putting together both the fall and spring Engineering Employment Expos.

“The Expo is a part of Engi-neering Council, which is kind of an umbrella organization for all engineering societies,” Mey-er said.

Meyer explained that the Engi-neering Career Fair is a separate event run by the College of Engi-neering, but the Expo is essen-tially the same thing as the fair. It is just larger; the career fair is two days long.

The career fair typically attracts more companies than they can accommodate, so the Expo is meant to accommodate the overfl ow.

“We essentially serve the same purpose as the Engineer-

ing Career Fair and work along with them as a co-op, but we just offer another opportunity for companies to come recruit,” Meyer said.

Meyer encourages all stu-dents, underclassmen included, to attend the Expo.

“Freshmen are defi nitely going to want to go so they can get expo-sure and practice. Almost all the companies are hiring for intern-ships as well as full-time, so this is a prime opportunity for under-classmen to get internships,” Meyer said. “If you’re lucky, the companies may remember you in the future because they often come back year after year.”

These career fairs are also benefi cial in that they break the applying-online barrier. Rachel Gross, co-director of the Engi-neering Employment Expo com-mittee and senior in Engineer-ing, said she strongly believes that the majority of people in engineering get jobs through the Expo and career fair events.

“Companies will get hundreds, if not thousands, of online appli-cations from students looking for jobs and internships, but the Expo allows you to meet com-pany representatives in person, so you can really stand out,” she said.

To be best prepared for the Expo, Meyer said students should dress well, research companies beforehand so they know what they’re interested in, and have a strong resume. According to Meyer, students can have their resumes reviewed by Engineer-ing Career Services by setting

up an appointment.Gross recalled how the

Expo can be an intimidating experience.

“I remember I was very ner-vous and a lot of other people were as well,” she said. “But after talking to representatives for a while because of my posi-tion on this committee, I real-ized that these representatives

are just regular people like any-one else and you can talk to them about a lot of things, you don’t have to worry about just impress-ing them all the time.”

Meyer said that despite the intense and crowded atmo-sphere, there really is no need to be nervous.

“The representatives are there looking for students and the stu-

dents are looking for companies so there is kind of mutual benefi t of this. Nobody is really gaining something that the other person isn’t also gaining,” Meyer said.

Meyers and Gross said that on Monday, Sept. 23, the Expo will host a Corporate Social event at The Clybourne from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The relaxed, business-casual gathering will kick off

the Expo and include free food and drink.

“I think a lot of companies like to see students in a kind of relaxed environment rather than a full on suit, so I would defi nite-ly recommend students to go,” Meyer said.

Saher can be reached at smkhan3@dailyillini.com.

Engineering Expo complements career fairExpo gives students edge over online applicants

From freshmen to seniors, career fairs provide opportunities to prepare for future

DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Navigating a career fair like a professional

PHOTO COURTESY OF RONALD MEYER AND RACHEL GROSS

JOLIE HUANG

Staff writer

With summer seeming like a dis-tant dot on your fall-focused sched-ule, it’s easy to put off summer job

applications.But given that many employers start

looking for summer internship applicants early in the school year, procrastination and a missed deadline might be the main reasons you don’t get the internship of your dreams. Since many career fairs take place during fall semester, employers are already thinking about what type of intern they want.

That’s why I recommend that as soon as you come across an opening that interests you, apply for it.

In order to avoid working the same min-imum-wage summer job as you do every year, take the initiative to score an useful internship to aid your developing career.

Here are just a few of the many incen-tives to apply to internships early:

Applying early will force you to look over your resume and cover letter early

Last year around this time, I spent way too much time trying to perfect my resume and cover letter on my own. One way to improve your resume and cover is to have it reviewed by Career Services on campus. The Career Center on Wright Street offers counseling and advising, job search prepa-ration, workshops and special events that are geared towards students ready to start applying for summer internships. Students can make appointments or drop in with gen-eral questions.

Even if you don’t end up getting those earlier internships, your resume and cover letter will already be polished and good to go when you apply for later internships. By maintaining an updated resume, you will be ready when you come across an opening that interests you.

Applying early will avoid the stress that applying late often brings

Because I’m studying abroad this spring, I need to take extra initiative to find an internship before I need to leave. If I am

able to secure an internship before I go abroad, I won’t have to stress about find-ing something when I should be focusing on enjoying my time in another country.

By applying early, you can plan for your internship early as well. If your intern-ship is out-of-state, you can figure out hous-ing for your internship months in advance. Depending on what your internship role you will have, you can improve those skills dur-ing the rest of the school year that got you the internship in the first place.

The earlier you apply, the better chance you have of getting the position It’s time to fine-tune your resume and master the art of your cover letter, because when an employer posts a position online, they usually want to fill the position as soon as possible. If you wait until the end of the school year to begin applying for a summer internship, most positions will be already filled. From my own experience, I know that applying right when a position is posted gives you a higher chance of getting the internship. I heard back from significantly

A sk my friends and fami-ly about me, and it’s likely you would hear a slew of

responses that are not far from the truth. My two older broth-ers would probably tell you that I’m a total control freak. My childhood best friend, Emily, would tell you that I am a little wild, crazy and quirky. To my parents, I’m a go-getter, hard-headed and a dreamer. Col-lectively, the people in my life would agree on one thing: I am anything but conventional.

You see, this fall I am work-ing as an editorial intern at InStyle magazine in New York City and taking a semester off from school. It’s my dream job, located in my favorite city in the world. What could be bet-ter? But, almost immediately, I was bombarded with endless questions about how I will fin-ish school on time. To be honest, I am confident that everything will work out the way it’s sup-posed to. Regardless of whether I graduate on time or a semes-ter late, having the opportunity to do what I love, gain experi-ence and meet professional con-tacts in the magazine industry is worth the tradeoff.

As you can see, I’m a firm believer that “life is about the journey, not the destination.”

My willingness to take risks and live spontaneously is what makes me unconventional – so

much so, that I’ve nearly driv-en my parents crazy. To begin, I spent my junior year of high school abroad in Sweden, study-ing music, art and photography. At the time, this seemed like a totally normal thing to do. But, looking back, I was a 16-year-old who said “Hej då” (Swedish for “goodbye”) to high school and went to live in Europe for a year. Is that really normal? Then, to top it off, this past summer I lived in New York City, working as an editorial intern for People StyleWatch magazine. There, I made a con-nection that allowed me to land my InStyle job for the fall. Once again, I threw my family and friends for a loop.

Now that I’m at InStyle, I could not be happier. Each day in the office is another day that I get to live out my dream of working at a magazine in New York City; I’m doing what I love and all of my crazy, last-minute decisions have paid off, thankfully.

In addition to doing what I love every day, I’m also gain-ing vital and practical on-the-job experience — the kind you can’t learn in a classroom. Now I know what to expect in a work environment, whether it’s dealing with difficult co-work-ers, knowing the basic rules of office conduct or getting thrown into projects with ridic-ulous deadlines (That’s right — worse-than-college dead-lines, the kind that don’t allow spontaneous, regretful visits to KAM’s). Upon graduating, I will have a strong resume, a better idea about the kind of work I’d

like to do and a realistic view of the magazine industry.

After being in the “real world” for several months, it may seem as though return-ing to school would be tortur-ous. But I find it to be the exact opposite. Since starting at Peo-ple StyleWatch in June and then at InStyle in September, I have a renewed sense of excitement and motivation for the future; I can’t wait to hit the books in the spring and learn all that I can about my major. These past few months in NYC have served as the perfect test run for my future life. My hope is to revis-it whatever I was unsure of as an intern when I attend class-es, now that I know what needs improvement.

So, what’s my advice for “go-getters” wanting to follow a similar path? I’ve found that developing professional con-tacts has been the single most important part of the intern-ship experience. It’s important to make a good first impression and to bond with co-workers because you don’t want to end up being “that one intern from two years ago” that nobody remembers. After my intern-ship at People StyleWatch, I still have a positive relationship with a team of talented media professionals, many of whom I

plan to keep in touch with and hopefully work with one day. While it’s smart to network on campus, it’s not likely that I would have gotten this InStyle job without having bonded with one of my editors at People StyleWatch. The profession-al contacts that I have made and am still making will be my most important resource upon graduating.

To get where you want in life, you have to be willing to take risks and be a little unconven-tional. For me, taking a semes-ter off is a choice that I would make a thousand times over. While it may not be the most convenient choice in regard to my original “four-year plan,” I’m learning more from first-hand experience than I ever could from a textbook.

In the end, we are all in col-lege to pursue our professional goals, gain experience and meet people who will teach, influence and help us along the way. Be passionate about whatever you pursue. Dedicate 100 percent of yourself, your energy and your time to it, and great things will happen for you in unexpected ways.

Anna is a junior in Media. She can be reached at hecht2@dailyillini.com.

4C Tuesday, September 17, 2013 THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

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This summer, I found an internship that was a great fit for me. It suited

my skill set, my previous experiences and even the location that I was looking for. The one thing that was out of place was the field — I’m an urban planning major, and this was a reporting internship at a magazine.

So what did I do? I took it, of course. I wasn’t going to turn it down just because it was outside of my major. In fact, I didn’t even give it much thought until other people brought it up.

Then it made me think, does it matter if I stray outside my major? Will it have an effect on my future career path?

I asked Keri Carter Pipkins, associate director of career and pre-professional development at the Career Center, for her advice.

Skills gained at internships unrelated to majors are still valuable and transferable Pipkins said that she believes any professional experience is beneficial. Even if the internship is not directly related to one’s career, student’s can still gain valuable, transferable skills out of the experience. While the internship’s content may be different than the student’s major, they’ll still using and sharpening their critical thinking skills.

“Students should think about how they can contribute at the internship as well as what they might get out of it — what types of skills they might be able to build and expand on,” she said.

At my internship, I was able to hone in on some of my existing skills. I actually got to do much of what I’ve done for The Daily Illini: research topics, interview local professionals and write a variety of articles. Many of these skills are transferable across different fields, like communication, researching and writing.

And given that many majors do not have a specific field, Pipkin believes it’s very common for students to branch outside of their major.

“An English major, communications major, they

cross so many different industries that there isn’t really an English-oriented internship,” she said.

Students can figure out what they need to improve upon at internships outside of their major

Any kind of internship can be helpful because it allows students to consider “what skills they want to develop and environments they want to be in,” which will enhance their career development overall, Pipkins said.

My internship definitely caused me to consider where geographically I’d like work in the future, whether it’s a job in my major or not. My internship was especially convenient because it was in my hometown, so housing was not an issue. My familiarity with the city also gave me a competitive edge over other applicants for the job. Since I already knew so much about the town, I could use that to my advantage. My internship allowed me to consider the benefits of working in an area more familiar to me.

Internships outside of major allow students to explore their other interests and different career paths

When I was younger, I would constantly change my dream career. I had a change of heart every few months based on whatever interested me at that point. While I’m not quite as impulsive today, I still feel like I can’t choose one particular area. All I know is that I like what I’m doing now, so we’ll see where that takes me.

For those who are interested in a variety of careers, some outside of their major, internships in a different field than what they are studying can be a great opportunity for them to try a different career path.

“(At the Career Center,) we say all the time, ‘Major doesn’t equal career,’ so what you major in doesn’t have to be the field that you ultimately end up in,” Pipkins said. “Even the career counselors here, we have a variety of backgrounds represented, from computer science to biology to K-12 education.”

Reema is a junior in Fine and Applied Arts. She can be reached at abiakar2 @dailyillini.com.

REEMA ABI-AKAR

Staff writer

ANNA HECHT

Staff writer

OLIVIA CATUARA

Staff writer

Try out a different career path through a summer internship

Sometimes the unconventional way is the best way to go

Apply to internships now and you won’t regret it later

Professional contacts can be your most important resource upon graduating

Internships outside of your major o!er students a new perspective

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA HECHT

SEE APPLY NOW | 7C

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM Tuesday, September 17, 2013 5C

You’re suiting up for CAREER FAIR so make the most of it.

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BY STEPHANIE KIMSTAFF WRITER

According to Laura Ralph, the mock interview coordinator at The Career Center, the first 60 seconds of your interview can make or break you. Take note of these do’s and don’ts to make a good first impression when interviewing for your dream job.

Dressing for the job you want

DO’S Dress for the part that you want, not the part that you have.

Business-professional clothing communicates preparation and readiness. For men, this attire includes a button-up shirt, a good belt, slacks, dress shoes and the option of adding a tie or suit jack-et. For women, there is greater versatility. Although it is recom-mended to wear a button-up shirt with black slacks, a dress or a blouse with a skirt is appropriate, too, as long as the dress or skirt is below the knee. For shoes, women can choose from sandals, dress shoes or heels. Word of advice from Ralph: “If you can’t walk a mile in your shoes, do not wear them to an interview.”

Sit still and sit up as much as you can.

It’s tempting to move around in a swivel chair or fall into nervous tics, but this behavior will distract the interviewer, and it can take away from your responses. Use small hand movements and the shoulder-hip box. It’ll make you not seem like a robot, but will also let your interviewer know that you’re not a puppet either.

Eye contact shows that you’re their peer, you’re ready for this job and that you can potentially work with them in the future.

Maintain eye contact to let your interviewer know you’re engaged. But when they look away, feel free to look away too. Don’t keep looking down or up because it will leave your interviewer wonder-ing what is more interesting than them.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRENTON TSE AND HASAN KHALID

DON’TS Avoid clothes you’d wear to class, or anything you wouldn’t wear to a family gathering or Sunday service.

This includes jeans, pajamas, T-shirts, gym shoes and flip-flops. Steer clear from any clothing that is too tight or revealing. It is also best to avoid dramatic makeup or distracting jewelry or ac-cessories. Use a modest amount of cologne and perfume; excessive amounts may be distracting.

Use your discretion when it comes to piercings and tattoos.

Depending on the potential job’s office environment or culture, gauge whether piercings and tattoos would be appropriate. But for the most part, keep piercings modest (the simple nose stud being the most acceptable) and try to cover tattoos up when you can.

Take out the “ums, likes and you knows.”

These words take away from your professionalism, confidence and credibility. Practice specific stories that hone in on leadership, teamwork, communication and analytical skills. The “tell me about yourself” question is normally asked within the first 60 seconds of the interview.

Don’t slouch.

Use the back of your seat as support to keep your posture straight. It’s not detrimental to your interview, but it will help you appear more professional.

Avoid distracting behavior.

Try not to play with anything that is within your reach — hands, hair, jewelry, phone or pens. Distracting behavior will let your in-terviewer know that you’re nervous.

Stephanie is a senior in Media. She can be reached at skim108@dailyillini.com.

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Whether it’s at working at her job, going to classes or partici-pating in student organizations, Vienet Romero is always on the move.

A typical week for the senior in Applied Health Sciences looks like this: Monday and Tuesday consists of volunteering at Carle Auditory Oral School and attend-ing class. On Wednesday, Rome-ro works at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, where she is a cashier at the ticket offi ce, and then heads to class after-ward. When class fi nishes, she volunteers at Garden Hills Ele-mentary School and later attends to her secretarial duties for the Bilingual Organization for Speech and Hearing Science Students.

On Thursdays, Romero observes in the audiology clin-ic, attends class, and heads straight to work at Krannert. While Romero has no classes on Friday, she works from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and each weekend she has to work an additional week-end shift.

Romero isn’t the only student on campus who has to balance a heavy course load and work

schedule.An NBC News article states

that “four out of fi ve college stu-dents are now working while going to school, typically 19 hours a week while classes are in session, according to the 2013 College Student Pulse survey conducted by YouGov for Citi and Seventeen Magazine.” The survey also found that “77 per-cent said money played an impor-tant role in where they applied, and one-third said that money was the single most important deciding factor in enrollment.” The online July survey included more than 1,000 college students and high school seniors.

A recent SallieMae study also found that there has been reduction in parent contribu-tions toward college tuition. “Parents now fund from income and savings 27 percent of col-lege expenses, down from 2010’s peak funding of 36 percent,” the study stated.

Romero said she works while in school to lift some of the fi nan-cial burden off her parents and save money for graduate school for audiology.

“I save 30 percent of what I make, and the rest goes to gro-ceries and applications for grad

schools,” Romero said.Whether one’s fi nances is the

reason students choose to work while in school, juggling a job with class has many intrinsic advantages.

Jessica Leach, director of Media Career Services, said that just getting experience in the professional world is important, whether it’s a part-time job, internship or senior position in a student organization.

R o m e r o said that she has improved her skills and abilities from her jobs, such as her commu-nication skills and attention to detail.

“ I ’ v e become way more comfortable speaking over the phone to strangers,” Rome-ro said. “My mom noticed this right away because when I used to call my bank to dispute a fee, I’d usually end up passing the phone to her.”

Emily Wickstrom, assistant

director at The Career Center, said that jobs teach students how to be professional, makes them more employable and helps them build a network and have refer-ences. Additionally, having a job shows future employers that a student can manage both work and school, she said.

Yet, while there are many ben-efi ts of work-ing while in school, stu-dents must learn how to balance school and their job.

S t u d e n t s should know their l im-its and not take on more than they can handle.

“If you don’t have the time, it’s OK to say ‘no’ to things

that aren’t necessary,” Leach said.

Leach said students can stay on top of their schedules by stay-ing organized. One way is by simply making Post-It notes or noting important dates on their phones’ calendars, she said.

To balance work and school, a University of Illinois at Chi-cago article recommends that students fi nd jobs on campus, be transparent with employers about schedules, fi nd out about tuition assistance, have an out-let for stress and more. Having a job on campus can be benefi -cial because campus employers understand students’ needs for fl exibility.

A Forbes article also rec-ommends that students should make sure they don’t “forget themselves.” The article advis-es that students remember to eat property, get enough sleep and fi t in time for exercise. If students take on too much, they will end up getting sick, tired and burnt out, preventing them from doing well in either work or school.

Leach stressed that students’ No. 1 priority is their academ-ics. Leach said that it is “great to be involved,” but students should “take a look at what they are involved in” and weigh their options.

Romero is able to balance her time between work and school by telling her supervisors how many hours she would like to work a week. By planning how

many hours she’ll be working, she is able to avoid burnout.

Romero said she gets a major-ity of her homework done dur-ing her weekend shifts or “dur-ing the down time,” when people are not walking in or calling for tickets.

Whether students are search-ing for jobs during the academic year or after graduation, they should search the “right” way, Wickstrom said.

The right way, according to Wickstrom, is to “know what you’re looking for: location, major, skills and experiences.”

Wickstrom advised that stu-dents searching for jobs during the school year should ask them-selves these questions: What do you want to do? Are you just try-ing to make money, and what kind of experience do you want to gain?

Although her job is unrelated to her major, Remero said she loves her job and has been able to gain many invaluable skills.

“I would go to very few Krannert shows if I didn’t work there,” she said. “I love that I can see so many world renowned performers and get to bring my friends along, too.”

Benefi ts, drawbacks of working while in school

“If you don’t have the time, it’s OK

to say ‘no’ to things that aren’t

necessary.”JESSICA LEACH

DIRECTOR OF MEDIA CAREER SERVICES

PHOTO COURTESY OF THINKSTOCK.COM

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BY MAGGIE O’CONNORSTAFF WRITER

One minute you are coasting along in your orange and blue spir-it wear, enjoying unforgettable nights out with friends, running campus organizations and conquer-ing stressful exams — and the next, that paralyzing question that has been lurking in the corner of your mind smacks you in the forehead: What the heck am I going to do after graduation?

As it turns out, the people you have built relationships with might just be as instrumental in that deci-sion as the information you have mastered in the classroom. Wheth-er they write letters of recommen-dation, introduce you to a profes-sional in your area of interest or know of a job opening, those con-nections can be game changers in the job search. Yet, like anything worth your while, networking is not always easy. Here are a few key tips from University faculty to keep in mind when approaching network-ing opportunities:

Start building relationships early

One way many important con-nections begin is through early involvement in a Registered Stu-dent Organization.

“Students really need to get involved in student organizations because they will meet upperclass-men who already have those rela-tionships,” said professor James Dahl, associate director of under-graduate affairs in Business. “A lot of student organizations bring professionals or speakers to their event, so now all of a sudden you’re getting to know the business or organization.”

The main thing to remember is that a student’s experiential edu-cation does not necessarily have to align thematically with his or her eventual career goal, according to Tom Costello, teaching associate in Communication.

“Maybe even (join) things you’re just trying to discover, because there are so many things that are available to us that we may not even know exist,” Costello said. “So be involved. By joining an organiza-tion, I can help that organization, but by helping, I may in fact be help-ing myself.”

Although extracurricular involvement certainly adds value to a resume, your academic relation-ships deserve equal attention, said Amanda Cox, associate director of academic and campus outreach at The Career Center.

“Go to offi ce hours,” Cox said. “I don’t think very many students take advantage of the offi ce hours that are always listed on the sylla-bus ... that’s a very underutilized resource.”

Self-refl ect

Before approaching someone for help in a job or internship search, students should consider what their long-term goals are and what they are passionate about. Especial-ly when contacting a professional for a letter of recommendation, it is essential that students are clear about what their goals are, Dahl said.

Those referring students for a job or writing recommendations also need to feel confi dent that they are investing their time and utilizing their own connections for someone who will live up to a positive referral.

“Really it’s a sales job — just the thing you’re selling is yourself,” Costello said.

The idea of selling yourself can prove to be intimidating, especial-ly if senior year rolls around and a student is not even sure that he or she has any relationships or involve-ment that could result in a job. To these seniors, Dahl recommended that they “do an inventory.”

“They might be surprised about who they know second degree who has a connection,” he said. “It might

even be their friend’s parents.”

Do not rely on technology alone

Although technology has taken on an increasingly powerful role in the business world and networking overall, the value of face-to-face contact and people skills has not diminished.

Although social media “allows a larger net to be cast across individu-als,” Dahl said, technology has not replaced the person-to-person con-tact that is often more memorable It is more diffi cult to base a connection off of a simple online shared inter-est, he said. A face-to-face meet-ing increases the likelihood that the relationship can develop into a pos-sible job opportunity.

“People want to help people, but also if they don’t know you very well, an employer doesn’t necessar-ily want to hire you just because you asked,” he said.

Be tactful and thoughtful about your approach

A potential network connection will be more likely to respond positively if you approach them looking for information rather than just outright asking for a job, Dahl said. For example, informational interviews or shadowing opportunities, Cox said, are helpful ways to put your name out there and fi nd out whether the particular area is something you want to pursue.

Before even approaching an indi-vidual, consider how you might perceive that person if he or she reached out to you.

“If you’re going to ask something from someone, ask yourself, is it something that you would be will-ing to provide?” Dahl said.

Put your pride aside: What’s the worst that could happen?

Although it can initially be unnerving to contact individuals in high positions or people you do not know very well, students should not be hesitant to put that pride aside and take risks.

“You may contact 10 different people and hear back from one, so you have to be OK with putting in time and energy and not getting a return from it,” Cox said. “So you can’t be easily discouraged because you’re going to put yourself out there, and sometimes it’s going to work out and sometimes it’s not.”

For example, an effective way for students to think about networking is to compare it to calling that guy or girl you are interested in.

“What’s the worst that can hap-pen? Quite frankly, if you call some-one and you want to go out with them, the worst thing that can hap-pen is they say no,” Costello said. “You never how it’s going to work (for) you until it does.”

When it comes to how a professor or professional in any given fi eld will respond to such a request, Costello insisted that students should not be worried.

“People have to realize that most people want to pay it forward; they want to help people,” Costello said. “I would be happy to have some-one I know become accomplished as a result of some direction I sent them.”

Specifi cally at the University, where a student’s education is the ultimate goal for students and fac-ulty alike, requesting assistance is generally embraced.

“We’re all here for students’ education and so because of that, there’s a genuine interest in wanting to be helpful to a student and help them accomplish what they want to accomplish,” Dahl said.

Maggie can be reached oconno36@dailyillini.com.

It’s the people you know who can help you land that job later Tips, tricks on how to network, advance yourself professionally

more companies that I applied to fi rst semester than second semester last year.

The Career Center’s “4-year Career Prep Checklist” men-tions the importance of begin-ning the job search early and reinforces that the Career Center can help with all ques-tions that come up during the process.

Applying early shows you want the specifi c position

Many times, when you apply to a position early, it means that you are not at the point of des-peration quite yet. Applying ear-ly is a good way to show employ-ers that the position you’re applying for is your dream job.

When you fi nd something that really excites you, naturally you should want to dive right in to applying for the position. Being among the fi rst applicants will show employers that you are excited to take on the position.

Employers don’t have many applications to compare

Just like going fi rst in a class presentation, applying early most likely means that when employers receive your appli-cation, they do not have many others to compare it with. Being among the fi rst to apply to a given position shows employers that you’re excited to be able to take on this position, and they should look no further.

Now it’s time to hit the career fair, polish your resume and send out some applications. Don’t be set on one type of internship or job. Have an open mind, and you can end up fi nd-ing something that really inter-ests you more than you thought that it would. This upcom-ing summer can be the time to gain real-world experience and explore your professional interests.

Olivia is a junior in Media. She can be reached at catuara2@dailyillini.com.

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