Happy Holidays from the staff at the Office of Career Services. The office will remain open through Tuesday, December 23 and on Tuesday, December 30 and Wednesday, December 31. Career advising appointments are available through Friday, December 19 — call 529-3831 for an appointment. Remember, Winter Break is a great time to research employers and potential job opportunities.

Please note the date for Spring Internship & Career Expo (Spring ICE) is Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 1:30 - 5:30 p.m., Millett Hall. The training session is scheduled for Monday, January 26, 4 - 4:45 p.m., Shriver MPR-C.

(REQUIRED) ORIENTATIONS — If you intend to participate in on-campus interviewing you must attend a (Required) Orientation. These Orientations are designed to help you develop your interviewing skills and to effectively use Miami CAREERlink. The next (Required) Orientations are scheduled for:

• Tues., January 13, 4 - 5 pm, Shriver MPR-BC
• Wed., January 14, 5 - 6 pm, Shriver MPR-C
• Tues., January 27, 5 - 6 pm, Shriver MPR-C
• Tues., February 3, 7 - 8 pm, Shriver Heritage Room
• Thurs., February 5, 5 - 6 pm, Peabody/Leonard Theatre/Western
• Mon., February 9, 6 - 7 pm, Shriver MPR-BC

Job-Search Strategies That Work: Bringing Your ‘A’ Game to a Tough Job Market — In these uncertain economic times, understanding how to look for a job is more important than ever. We have scheduled additional Job-Search Strategies programs for the Spring semester to help you understand how to conduct a proactive job search. On-campus interviewing is just one way to look for a job. Attend one of these programs and learn how to develop a self-directed job search strategy. The schedule for the Job-Search Strategies programs follows:

• Wed., January 21, 5 - 6 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Thurs., January 29, Noon - 1 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Tues., February 3, 4 - 5 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Tues., February 17, 5 - 6 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Mon., February 23, 5:15 - 6:15 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Wed., March 4, 4 - 5 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Mon., March 16, 4 - 5 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Thurs., March 26, 4 - 5 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Wed., April 1, 11 am - Noon, Hoyt Hall
• Tues., April 7, 5 - 6 pm, Hoyt Hall
• Mon., April 13, 4-5 pm, Hoyt Hall

1. In order to take full advantage of the resources available to you through the Office of Career Services, you should register on Miami CAREERlink. Many employers use Miami CAREERlink to identify candidates and invite them to interview on-campus. Students also gain access to job listings of employers who may not come to campus to recruit. Click on the link above to access Miami CAREERlink. If you need more detailed instructions on how to use the system, please refer to Miami CAREERlink Quick Reference.


2. Please accurately fill out the profile section. Examples of common errors are: typing in an incorrect email, GPA, graduation date, etc. that results in missed opportunities with employers.


3. If you need help on a certain page in Miami CAREERLink, check and see if there is a tutorial for that page. The tutorials are short videos that discuss the various features of a page. If a page has a tutorial there will be an arrow within a circle next to the tabs at the top of the page. Just click on the arrow and the video will start playing. (Example in PDF format).


4. On-campus recruiting for this semester ends on Thursday, December 11 and resumes on Monday, January 26. Remember to check your account at least weekly. Employers routinely add interview schedules to the system. Sometimes great opportunities pop up at the last minute.

Interviewing Strategies: Preparation & Practice

For those of you who have attended one of our Orientations or Interviewing Techniques workshops, you may have heard the instructor stress the importance of preparing for your interview.

• Know yourself. Develop a list of points which best reflect your strengths in relation to the job. Think of an example of an experience for each point that shows evidence that you have this strength. Be prepared to relate these to the job.


• Understand Your Goals. Employers look favorably upon candidates who have thought about their goals. Be ready to articulate these to the employer.


• Consider the Match. How does this position fit in with your long-range goals? Be sure that the job is compatible with your work values.


• Research, research, research! It is critical that you have comprehensive knowledge about the organization and the field. Employers tell us that they can easily identify those students who have a reasonable understanding of the organization’s mission, client base and competition. Your research should also enable you to develop insightful questions.


• Don’t interview just for practice! You should have a sincere interest in the position.

Interviewing is a skill that is learned through preparation and practice. Besides our workshops, we offer a mock interview service. You can receive helpful insights on how to improve your interviewing skills and become more confident. One-hour appointments can be arranged by calling 529-3831.

Additional information on the interviewing process may be found in the Interviewing guide, which is a part of the Office of Career Services the Career Development Series.

When considering whether to attend graduate school, your goals should play an important role in your decision. Graduate school typically appeals to people who have a passion for research, scholarship or teaching. In addition, graduate school is quite different from the undergraduate experience. Graduate programs are more specialized, they involve more intense relationships with faculty and fellow students, and they require a greater commitment of time and resources.

Attending graduate school is a good idea if: (a) you want a career that requires further education or (b) you seek to develop expertise in a particular field. It may not be the right choice if you waited too long to do a job search, if you are unsure of your long-term goals, or if you are not ready to become a young professional. Ideally, your choice of a graduate program will increase your professional knowledge and help you find a position that is compatible with your professional goals.

Information on graduate schools can be found in our Career Resource Center located at 241 Hoyt and the Graduate School section of our Web site.