 |
Getting
your foot in the door
By
Amy Bowman
Staff Reporter
If the search for an internship were a television sit-com,
the theme music might be “Getting to Know You.”
That’s because the decision a company makes is based
on more than just a resume or even a face-to-face interview.
“Seventy percent of the interview happens before
an applicant even goes into the room,” says Bill
Stowe of Career Services.
And that’s why besides resume and cover letter critique,
Career Services also offers mock interviews where students
are interviewed, filmed, critiqued and told how to improve.
But even before that practice comes basic decision-making
about internship possibilities. They include:
•Finding the perfect internship whether it’s
in state, out of state or out of the country.
•Preparing the perfect resume and awesome portfolio
and planning to nail the interview.
•Planning how to use the internship to your benefit
by gaining a clear understanding of your industry.
There are many sources of information about internships.
One is searching the Internet or newspaper classified
ads to find opportunities in Fort Worth and the surrounding
cities, out of state or even out of the country.
And there is word of mouth. When you hear someone bragging
about their internship, ask them about it. There might
be another opening in the company.
Professors and advisers in your department may keep lists
of employers favorable to TCU students.
Ricky Garnett, who graduated in December with a geology
major, has been keeping in contact with people he knows
in the business, he said. His advisor helped him get a
temperary job in January but said he has been posting
his resume.
“Persistence is the key,” Garnett said.
Stowe notes that Career Services has job and internship
opportunities listed on its webpage and also maintains
several books of internships offered in different geographical
areas around the country.
Christe Anderson has an internship in the marketing department
of Texas Bank, she said. Before graduating in May, she
took it upon herself to get her name out there. Anderson
said she attended TCU career fairs and searching online
databases like Monster.com.
One of the most important parts of the job search process
is networking with people, she said. They keep her updated
about openings, she said.
Many websites offer good advice and are an alternative
to using the career services.
Findyourspot.com
offers a quiz based on weather, activities, finances and
other preferences to match you with the perfect city.
Once you find the city that matches you with your interests,
see how it corresponds with job availability.
Forbes.com offers its list of the Top 10 places for
businesses and careers as well as housing costs, attractiveness
of the city and net migration.
Besides ranking first for places to live in 2003, Austin
also ranked first for best places for singles according
to Forbes.com.Next comes the resume and cover letter.
Stowe said a student should stick to a single page resume
unless he or she has done numerous outstanding jobs relevant
to the job being sought.
Put the most important information first, and be aware
that as you get older, high school information, such as
head cheerleader, should be left out, Stowe said.
An employer is going to look at all aspects of a resume
and that means that listing skills, whether they are communication,
technical, or people skills, is the most important, Stowe
said.
Online application is OK in this developing technological
age, Stowe said, but students also should send the prospective
employer a hard copy of the resume and the cover letter.
That personalizes the application.
“Companies hire people, not resumes,” Stowe
said.A secret weapon is to provide the internship employer
with a professional portfolio.
The experts of Internweb.com say portfolios aren’t
just for “creative” jobs like advertising and
designers.
Portfolios might also include letters of recommendations,
information about scholarships and details of awards.
That information gives employers a chance to see the applicant
in a more personable way, study his or her achievements
and evaluate the applicant’s potential as an employee,
the webpage said.
Once you get the call back, the employer will most likely
ask you to come in for an interview.
Stowe said the main mistake students make in an interview
is not planning ahead and anticipating potentially asked
questions. Students also need to be able to tell the employer
what they have to offer to the company.
Anderson said she has learned time management, organizational,
interpersonal and public relation skills that she’ll
be able to brag about during an interview.
That’s where Career Services’ interview practice
comes in handy.
Once the internship is secured, it is up to the student
to make the most of it.
Stowe said it is vital for students to attend community
and professional meetings as an excellent form of networking.
The goal is to not only find people who are good for you,
but people you can help as well. Collect business cards
and keep track of the people you meet.
And if you do all of that, and the employer really does
get to know you, sometimes these internships turn in to
after-college job offers. At the minimum, they make good
entries on the resume for the next time. |
|
|
|
|
Sarah
Chacko/photo editor
|
| Students
can set up interviews with potential employers on
campus through Career Services. |
|
The
Perfect Internship
To find the perfect city for your visit:
www.findyourspot.com
To find the perfect internship visit:
• TCU Career Services
• Internet
• www.internabroad.com
• Word of Mouth
Top 10 Cities for Singles (www.Forbes.com):
1. Austin
2. Denver-Boulder
3. Boston
4. Washington-Baltimore
5. Atlanta
6. San Francisco-Oakland
7. Los Angeles
8. New York
9. Raleigh-Durham
10. Fort Worth-Dallas
Best Places for Business and Careers (www.Forbes.com)
1. Austin, Texas
2. Boise, Idaho
3. Raleigh-Durham, N. C.
4. Atlanta, Ga.
5. Madison, Wis.
6. Provo, Utah
7. Omaha, Neb.
8. Des Moines, Iowa
9. Dallas, Texas
10. Washington, D.C.-Northern Va. |
|
