Title: Senior Engineering Design Preparing for Your Final Year
1Senior Engineering DesignPreparing for Your
Final Year
- Laura F. Kestner
- Director, Career Services Center
- Marquette University
- Holthusen Hall, First Floor
- 414.288.7423
- career.services_at_marquette.edu
- www.marquette.edu/csc
- This presentation was updated
- Fall 2008
2Marquette University Career Services Center
3Mission Statement
- The Marquette University Career Services Center
strives to - assist all students and alumni in discerning,
developing, and - pursuing meaningful traditional and
non-traditional careers. - This is achieved through
- Teaching students and alumni to develop lifelong
job search skills and use online and traditional
career resources - Providing leadership and support in the career
area to the university - Developing positive relationships with employers
resulting in student and employer connections
and - Supporting institutional outcomes and research
endeavors.
4Services Offered
- Career counseling and job search assistance Get
a plan! - MU Career Manager
- On-campus interviewing
- On-line links to full-time and internship
listings and resources - Resumes for referral to employers
- Resume required for registration it will be
critiqued
5Kimberly-Clark Career Library
- Subscriptions to newspapers, magazines and other
periodicals that profile job vacancies - Industry information that include a variety of
directories Information and handouts concerning
occupations, such as What Can I Do with a
- Major in ?, job titles for positions obtained
by Marquette grads - Graduate school and entrance exam information
- Job search resources including sample resumes,
sample letters, information about search
strategies - Three computers for job search use, including
access to a laser printer
6www.marquette.edu/csc
7Resume Writing
8Resume and Cover Letter Writing
- A resume and cover letter are your only chance to
make a first impression - These job search materials are an advertisement
of you and your skills - The average time an employer takes to read a
resume 20 seconds
9The Resume
- There is no right way to write a resume
- Employers have different opinions on what they
each prefer - Choose a resume which best highlights your skills
and interests
10Purpose of Resume
- The most common mistake job seekers make is not
knowing what they want to do - Job seekers must know themselves, their skills,
and their career goals - Why are you sending this resume?
- The Ill take anything approach doesnt work
11Job Search
12Job Search Techniques
- Know yourself
- Define your criteria
- Perfect your job search materials
- Three ways to find a job
- Set goals and time commitments
- Master networking and interviewing skills
13Know Yourself
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- What sets you apart from others in this room?
14Define your criteria
- FIVE things you need in a position for it to be
satisfying - Setting/environment
- Distance from home
- Size of city
- Pay vs. cost of living
- Fit with co-workers
- The Decision Making Process Handout
15Define your criteria
- What are your goals?
- How could your first job get you closer to those
goals? - Can you concretely put those criteria into words?
16Remember your criteria when...
- Thinking over your first offer
- Applying for a WACKY job
- You are tired of the search, ready to be finished
- All of your peers have great jobs
- Faced with making some compromises
17Its okay to be flexible and open...
- as long as you are paying attention to any RED
FLAGS - Turnover within organization
- No one could say anything good about working
there - Seems too good to be true
18Perfect your job search materials
- Based on your resume, would YOU hire you?
- Resumes critiqued, make any changes
- Cover Letter Draft
- Interviewing
- Mock Interview
19Three ways to find a job
- Respond to position openings
- Develop target list of employers
- Network with potential contacts and employers
20Respond to position openings
- Golden Eagle SearchThis Job Search Portal has
over 5 million national job postings that come
from corporate web sites, job boards, education,
government, newspaper and recruiting websites.
Jobs are collected from all industries,
disciplines, and regions. - Access via Career Gateway https//www.mu.edu/gate
way/ - MU Career ManagerStudents and alumni are
encouraged to submit their resume for inclusion
in the MU Career Manager program. This
comprehensive online job search tool connects
students with employers in three main ways. - Full-time and Internship Position Openings
- On Campus Interviews
- Resume Referral
21Respond to position openings
- Internet
- Field specific search
- Go to favorite search engine
- Type jobs
- See what comes up
- Professional Associations
- Go to favorite search engine
- Type association
- See what comes up
- Look for words like career, employment, jobs
22Develop target list of employers
- Vault Vault is the worlds leading source of
career information. It will make your efforts at
researching employers, industries, and career
subjects infinitely easier and more efficient.
Resources include 80 Career Guides 3,000
Company Profiles 1,100 Career Articles
Industry Profiles - Access via https//www.mu.edu/gateway/
- Reference USAReference USA is a database of 12
million companies and organizations. It is
searchable by geographic location, SIC codes,
company size, etc. - Access via https//www.mu.edu/gateway/
- Book of Lists Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis
23Network with potential contacts and employers
- MU Connect Career Alumni NetworkThe Career
Alumni Network is a link to alumni who have
expressed interest in helping MU students with
career options. The program can assist you in
many ways whether you are researching career
fields or seeking a position in a particular
state, industry, or organization. - Access via https//www.mu.edu/gateway/
- Professors
- Friends of family/family of friends
- Campus networking events
- Speaker series
- Alumni events
24Career Fairs
- Career FairsUsing MU Career Manager, students
can see which organizations will be attending our
career fairs. - Fall Career Fair Two-day fair for Marquette
students and alumni only. FALL - WorkForce Wisconsin Private Colleges Fair held
in Marquettes Student Union for MU students and
those from other private colleges in Wisconsin.
EARLY SPRING - Big East Fairs Colleges and universities from
the Big East Conference schools have joined
together to form a Big East Recruiting
Consortium. They hold both an on-site fair in
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY and a
virtual fair. EARLY SPRING
25Fall Fair
- Marquette University Career FairTuesday,
September 23, 2008For Employers Offering
Post-Graduation Volunteer Programs Wednesday,
September 24, 2008For Business, Communication,
Government and Nonprofit EmployersThursday,
September 25, 2008For Engineering, Computer
Science and Technical Employers 400 p.m. -
800 p.m.Alumni Memorial Union Ballroom
26Set goals and time commitments
- Finding a job is a full time job
- Set weekly goals for working on your job search
27Successful Interviewing
28Interviewing Savvy
- Meeting of two (or more) face-to-face to discuss
employment - No set recipe for a successful interview, but the
objectives are - To elaborate resume information
- To supply info NOT on resume (personality,
communication skills, general fit) - To enable you to gain additional info on the
employer
29Types of Interviews
- Screening
- general
- on-campus (MU Career Manager)
- career fair interaction
- eliminates unqualified candidates
- Selection
- longer, more thorough
- identify more qualified
- day-long, see about 3-5 people
30Getting ready...
- Who gets the job?
- most qualified?
- best dressed?
- best interviewee?
31Know yourself
- Dont know your strengths?
- Ask your friends
- Think of past supervisors or professors and what
kinds of praise they have given you - Two helpful handouts
- http//www.marquette.edu/csc/students/handouts.sht
ml - Top Skills Employers Seek
- Transferable Skills
32Know yourself
- What are you strengths?
- Assignment 10 strengths/ 10 examples
- Strengths
- Strong public speaker
- Leader
- Example of how you might demonstrate this
strength - Present frequently in class presentations. Most
recently was part of a group presentation for a
student leadership conference. - Served as representative on student government
33Know yourself
- Clearly define your goals before the interview
- What are the five things you need in your next
job for it to be satisfying?
34Know yourself
- These may be based on your interests, skills,
work values - Some examples might be
- Location (city, suburb, region of country) and
distance from family and/or friends - Salary, be sure to compare cost-of-living
- Small or large organization
- Culture of organization (corporate, casual,
non-profit) - Travel required
35Know the organization
- The function and size of the organization
- The potential for expansion or growth
- The products or services provided
- Typical salary ranges for your desired position
- Geographical locations
- Research or practical emphasis
- Career advancement possibilities
- Opportunities for training or further education
- Stability of the financial condition or backing
36What to Wear
- SUIT, SUIT, SUIT
- Always err on the conservative side
- When purchasing a suit, tell the person helping
you that it is for interviewing, not clubbing
37Now you are ready for the interview!
38Upon your arrival
- Get there early
- Treat receptionist with respect
- Introductions
- smile -)
- firm handshake
- eye contact
- use names
39What to Bring
- Padfolio
- Extra copies of resume
- Official Transcript
- List of references
- Possible questions to ask the interviewer
- Pen and paper to use FOLLOWING the interview for
notes
40Responding to Questions
- As directly as possible
- Honestly
- Be yourself, focus on positive qualities
- never apologize for your lack of anything
- back up everything you say with examples
- If you talk quickly, count to 3 before answering
questions right away
41Practice
- Articulate and natural
- No canned answers
- Know your general strengths
- Three things you do well
- Back up EVERYTHING with examples
- Mock Interview
42What employers seek...
- Ability to assume responsibility
- Willingness to work hard
- Initiative, drive, resourcefulness
- Motivation
- Ability to handle stress
- Interpersonal Skills
- Flexibility
- Oral Communication
- Self-discipline
- Confidence, self-reliance
- Personality
- Interest in job
- Organizational, planning skills
- Leadership
- Creativity
- Written Communication
- Job-related experience
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Need for advancement
- Defined career goals
- Good GPA
- Computer Literacy
4360 Second Commercial
- Advertisement of yourself
- Where are you now?
- Where have you been?
- Where are you going?
- Career Related
- Not personal not where you were born, how many
brothers and sisters you have, etc.
4460 Second Commercial Your Turn
- Advertisement of yourself
- 3 minutes to come up with one
- Get into pairs
- Practice answering question
- Tell me a little bit about yourself.
45Sample Questions
- What are three of your strengths?
- You have more than three, pick those most
career-related - What arent you good at?
- Think about what you wish you did better
- Tell me about a difficult situation and how you
dealt with it. - Behavioral question
- PAR
46Questioning the Interviewer
- You will be evaluated on the questions you ask
- Never ask about salary or benefits until they
bring it up or a job offer exists - Avoid asking questions available in company
literature
47Questioning the Interviewer
- What is a typical day like?
- What are the priorities of the position?
- What do you enjoy about working here?
- What are three main qualities or skills you are
seeking in an ideal candidate? - End with this What is your timeline for filling
the position?
48After the Interview
- Always send a thank you letter
- Reiterate your skills
- Mention something you may have forgotten or
hadnt had the chance to speak about - Hand written on nice notecards or Typewritten on
letterhead - Send to all those with whom you met
49Evaluating your interview
- If youre feeling down about the interview
- Think of how you could have answered the
questions differently - Remember, practice makes perfect
- Focus on something else
50Tips
- Dont talk too much
- Follow-up in a reasonable manner
- Watch nervous mannerisms
- Be on time
- Be friendly and enthusiastic
- Wear a suit!!
- Knock em dead!!
51Success can be yours with the help of the Career
Services Center