What IS a digital resume?? Find out using Vault – a useful, Midd-friendly resource that connects you to scads of employment opportunities and advice! Content includes thousands of e-books covering workplace topics, full-text articles, Employer Profiles, Company Rankings, user-generated reviews on Professions and Employers, industry and profession profiles, and career and profession discussion boards. Take a look.

A digital resume is limited only by your imagination. According to Vault, this representation of your skill set and experience can come in many different forms. Whether a video presenting your expertise or a full fledged website dedicated to  your accomplishments, you may want to make a digital resume as an increasing number of employers are conducting their prospective employee searches online. Vault suggests using LinkedIn, an online resume builder, or including a digital resume on a website you may already have.

Intrigued? Read the whole article here.

And check out Vault at go/vault

I know, it’s not really required of me to make a speech, but I had some Big Feelings about why you should apply for the PCA position, posted below.

The first time I’d been to the Center for Education in Action — or Adirondack House at all — was to interview for job as a Peer Career Ambassador. (Spoiler alert: this job.) It was the Fall of my sophomore year. I’d never been to Drop-In hours. I’d never heard of Drop-In hours. I’d never logged into MOJO. I tried once, during J-Term of my freshman year, when everyone on my hall was freaking out like a 1920s disaster film about their summer plans (because of INTERNSHIPS!) but it tried to make me answer one of those spam-prevention prompts and I was like “eh.” Plus, I felt about “career guidance” the way that many people do about therapy. I was convinced that I didn’t really need it, that it was for strugglers, those incapable of navigating life on their own. I had turned 21 within four weeks of coming to college as a freshman and held a full-time job during the two years I took “off” before school. (I paid ELECTRIC BILLS, okay? I was an ADULT. It was REAL LIFE, deep in the trenches.) I was like, “Career planning? I got this.” (Spoiler alert: I did not have “this” as much as I thought I had “this.”)

Getting this job might have been one of the better things that happened to me during my first two years at Middlebury. This might be one of the best student jobs on campus. This is a super biased claim that I can’t really back with, you know, “science,” but I do know that the people I work with are really, really nice; I get to work on some pretty great and self-directed projects; I get paid to write and research career advice. (Blog! I get paid to blog! It’s not real life). Plus, it always smells like cinnamon in this office. (Seriously, why does it? Tracy, Annie? Is this your doing?) And at the risk of sounding super dramatic, working here has changed the way I access resources on this campus and view the EIA as an ally in my “personal career journey,” and, ironically, I’ve come to treat Drop-In hours exactly like therapy. Because they kind of are. Therapeutic, I mean.

Click here to view the Peer Career Ambassador description, and to submit your application by Friday, February 22, 2013.

We’re hiring for the Peer Career Ambassador position at the EIA! Check out this job description (below) and some reasons I think you should apply in the post above.

Job Description:

Provide and create outreach opportunities to further the early engagement of Middlebury students in the Career Education process.

Serve as a Drop-Ins adviser for first-time visitors to the Center/First-Year students: demonstrate sign-up for/use of MOJO; introduce sample resume(s) and cover letters; assist with MiddNet registrations; make referrals to Career Services counselors for follow up meetings.

• Actively support the Career Education programs and initiatives at the Center for Education in Action
• Collaborate with other Peer Career Ambassadors (PCAs) and staff to effectively strategize and publicize overall Career Services events and programs.
• Develop and deliver peer-to-peer workshops and focus groups for first-years and sophomores in the Commons residences
• Market Career Services/EIA services and events, capitalizing on the Commons residential system
• Contribute to blogs and/or newsletters that outline essential goals and internship/ career timelines that are relevant to the FY and Sophomore experience
• Provide administrative support to Career Education programs as needed
• Assist the Associate Director as required with new career education initiatives
• Perform outreach to targeted campus organization(s) and attend or lead Career Services outreach events when needed, including some nights and weekends
• Assist Career Services staff with various in and out-of-office tasks as necessary

The ideal candidate will demonstrate enthusiasm for the goal of engaging Middlebury students early in the process of career education and bring excellent interpersonal skills, writing ability, organizational talent, and the capacity to work independently to the position.

Juniors or Super Seniors (’13.5) familiar with Career Services resources and in good academic standing to work 6-8 hours/week while classes are in session for the spring semester and beyond.

Education and Training

• Enthusiasm for and experience with the mission of career education
• Knowledge of and experience using Career Services resources
• Experience with marketing and promotion
• Proven leadership ability
• Reliability and organizational know-how
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Willing to dress appropriately for professional office work.

Click here to submit your application with attached resume and a cover letter by Friday, February 22, 2013.

Welcome back from Feb break!  With spring around the corner now is the time to energize your planning for life after Middlebury.  And if you’re not quite sure where you are headed, good news – we’ve got some great programs that can help!

Class of 2013 Career Action Group

Focus on strategies for achieving your life-after-Midd goals with classmates who are also on this exciting – but often nerve-wracking – journey.  We’ll meet four times early in the semester to perfect your skills in writing resumes and cover letters, networking, interviewing, and using online resources like LinkedIn and MiddNet.  Interested? Contact Tim at tmosehau@middlebury.edu

LinkedIn Training for College Seniors

Hearing more and more about this professional networking site, but still unclear how to best use it?  Stay tuned for scheduled workshop dates.  In the meantime, start your LinkedIn profile.

Spring Job Fling

If you are looking for a job be sure to attend this on campus career fair, we are expecting over 15 Midd-friendly employers including Epic (healthcare), Peace Corps, Tuck Business Bridge, MiddCORE, DDR Global (marketing and advertising) and more.  Save the date: Wednesday, March 13 from 12:00 – 2:00 pm in Coltrane Lounge.   More details on MOJO.

Life as a Working Professional (back by popular demand!)

Do you know what your credit score is?  Are you wondering how to manage your debt?  What should you know about insurance?  How do you evaluate your 401K options?  If you’re wondering about these questions and more, this event is for you.  Stay tuned for the date as we make final plans to set up this practical skills workshop.

Etiquette and Networking Seminar

So you’re at a cocktail party and you want to make a good impression.  How do you work the room and make introductions and get introduced?  Let’s say you’re at a formal dinner: which fork do you use for the salad course?  Which way do you pass the bread?  If these sound like amusing, yet serious questions, plan to attend this event.  More details coming soon.

Senior Survey

To top it all off, before you graduate in May (gulp!) we’ll ask you to reflect and think back over your Middlebury experience and respond to a few questions.  We’re looking forward to getting valuable feedback and officially collecting your “plans at graduation”.  In the meantime, check out What Midd Grads Do.

All this plus your 100 Days Party on March 16, preceded by Alumni Appreciation Week March 4-8 sponsored by the Senior Committee.

We’re here to partner and support, guide and coach.  Whether you’ve just started to think about your post-grad plans, or have actively engaged since September, we’re ready!  Drop in hours are every weekday between 2:00 and 5:00 pm or call 443-5100 to set up an appointment to speak with a counselor.  Learn more about all the advisers here:  http://www.middlebury.edu/studentlife/eia/advising

Interested in international studies? Looking to travel after graduation? Teach for America will be here TODAY, and the Global Health Corps will be here tomorrow. Take a study break and check them out.

Teach for America info session AND info table TODAY

Info Table – Grille foyer, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Info Session – Hillcrest 103, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

No matter your major, Teach for America could be a great opportunity for you. Through TFA, recent colleges grads spend two years teaching in urban and rural public schools and “become lifelong leaders for expanding educational opportunity for all children.” Check out the table or head to the info session later today for more interested!

Global Health Corps info session

Tomorrow (December 6th) Bihall 104, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Join a community of committed young leaders who share a common belief:
Health is a human right. Come learn about the Global Health Corps Fellowship, the great impact they have, and the GHC alumni network.

As always, for more info see the EIA calendar of events

“It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it… and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied…it is all one,” wrote M.F.K. Fisher in The Art of Eating.

We all love food, but wow – M.F.K. Fisher really loved food. Her writing dwells heavily on its nurturing power, its ability to heal, sustain, and unite – physically and spiritually. During the 1930s, when Fisher began writing, the food justice movement was almost nonexistent. Today, food justice, a variety of initiatives that aim to increase access to nutritious and sustainable food, is thriving. If you share Fisher’s passion, there are so many paths to make a career out of food – beyond the kitchen.

Continue reading →

…It’s a SUPER Networker!!

Ever wonder what it takes to be a “super networker”? Well, you’re in luck – here are seven key habits of the best networkers around. Think about adopting some of these practices when considering your next steps on the career path.

1. Ask insightful questions

If you do your research and ask the right kinds of questions, you could make a great impression at your next one-on-one lunch meeting

2. Add value

Adding substance to connections early on can be a useful way to solidify the contact – connect contacts with each other as well as to yourself

3. Learn their “story”

Asking a contact about their path to where they are now can not only connect you to them in a valuable way and show your own insight, it can also provide you with valuable information about your own potential career and give you a look at what working with this person might be like.

4. Share a memorable fact

Use personal details – they stick. When asked an open-ended question, seize the moment and give them an answer that truly speaks to who you are and your unique drive. They won’t forget it.

5. Keep a list

After a good bought of networking, be sure to write the contact information, opportunities, and events you learned of.

6. Make small promises – and keep them.

Whether sending an email or following up with a phone call, even small promises can reflect positively (or negatively) on your character. Be sure to follow through!

7. Reward your “power” contacts

Make sure to maintain your most important contacts with small meetings, connecting them to other contacts of yours, or just sending a message their way – on a weekly basis. These people will be very important for your network foundation, so maintain that connection!

For a closer look, see the article.

The big question: how do I get a job after college? We’re all wondering…

Here’s an answer. Check out this article for details on these 6 key steps to readying yourself for the job market after graduation. Though things like LinkedIn, blogging, or utilizing Middlebury’s Career Services in EIA (that’s us!) have seemed the work of over-achievers in the past, today they are absolutely necessary. If you haven’t started networking, putting together a LinkedIn profile and doing internships, you need to start… three years ago. Schwabel even suggests that we should have started in high school! Don’t panic, just read up on your career advice!

Do read all the article has to say, but for now here’s the skinny:

1. Create a LinkedIn profile

2. Establish a presence on WordPress or other blog

3. Get an internship as early as possible

4. Get creative about finding a mentor

5. Use your school’s career services office

6. Join a professional development or industry-specific group

“It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.”

We’ve all heard this before, but how do we turn this slightly obscure piece of hearsay into tangible career-related results? Network.

LinkedIn suggests you start with your “real world network,” or those people “you know and trust” as a foundation for your network online (more info). Think about this when you head home for Thanksgiving – try to seek out the contacts you already have and begin to build, or strengthen your connections. Whether chatting with a family member over turkey and stuffing, or having coffee with a mentor or family friend you had in high school, these contacts may become a key part in your career search now and in the future. It’s important as we consider life after college to start thinking of these people in our lives as professionals – if we do, the feeling may become mutual!

Feeling lost? See this video for how to go about networking in person first, and then online: http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-4/

City Year is an AmeriCorps program that employs young people in a year (or two) of national service as tutors and mentors in public schools around the country. In light of the upcoming application deadline on November 15, City Year alum Rebekah Wilson ’14, shares some insight on the two years she spent with City Year in Seattle, WA before coming to Middlebury.

I first found out about City Year in the fall of my senior year of high school, while researching gap year options online. It’s been five years since then and I have a hard time conceptualizing exactly what prompted me to apply in the first place, but I remember looking at the application with an overwhelming desire to do something big. Yes, something good. Yes, something interesting and challenging and altruistic that would look attractive on my resume and hopefully broaden my college prospects. But mostly I was attracted to the idea of something larger than me that would sweep me up out of the small alcove of the world I had grown up in and land me on a different a shore, a shore that would involve an understanding of social justice issues on the ground level and a sense of what could be done about them.

Continue reading →

I found this NYTimes article really provocative. Would you call yourself an accomplished child? When’s the last time you were told you were special? What if you’re not? I think this short article will make you pause and think. Take a quick read.

What lessons can you learn from this recent grad: just do it! Go out on a limb, try something different, and most important, persevere.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/jobs/taking-a-chance-and-finding-a-dream-job-in-new-york.html

Check out this cool infographic: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/23/the-new-job-hunt-infographic/

The EIA calendar! Check out these upcoming opportunities:

Democracy for America – Info Table

Interns at Democracy for America are key members of the DFA team, working directly with staff to play a substantive role in their department. Possible responsibilities include researching current issues, coordinating progressive events, contacting VIP donors, or conducting a wide variety of other important business. Strong candidates will be creative, motivated young people who want to get involved in progressive politics. Learn about the difference between Political and Training interns here.

Thursday October 25, 11:00am – 2:00pm in McCullough, student mail room

Epic – Info Table, Info session AND Recruiter in Residence all MONDAY NOV 5th

Founded 30 years ago in the basement of an apartment, this company helps to improve the quality of care for patients throughout the world. Epic makes some of the most advanced software in the world while working with the most respected healthcare organizations around. Their goal is to help customers improve every step of the patient care process, from before to after hospitalization.Strong candidates will be bright people who have a sense of urgency and a track record of getting things done.”Do you want to get a job, or do you want to do something Epic?”

Info Table

11:00am – 2:00pm in McCullough, student mail room

Recruiter in Residence

2:00am – 4:00pm at EIA (ADK House)

Info Session

6:00pm – 7:00pm in Hillcrest rm 103

LinkedIn Workshop for Seniors

LinkedIn is a social networking site designed to connect individuals in and to the business community. The idea is for members to establish and document networks of people they know professionally, so that they may expand their opportunities. EIA counselors will lead a workshop for Seniors on how to take advantage of this resource as students start thinking about post-graduation employment. Feel free to bring lunch!

Monday November 5, 12:30 – 1:30pm in Hillcrest rm 103

For further information on these and other upcoming events, see the EIA Calendar.

There is a great post over on the Internships blog about your classmate Luke Elder ’13 and his summer at TNC down on Martha’s Vinyard. Thought you would want to read it and get inspired. Also check out the similar post from Bianca Giaver’ 12.5 who also happened to be in the same area (Cape Cod) working for public radio. Both are part of a series called “In Their Own Words”. It’s a really nice collection of stories.

http://sites.middlebury.edu/internship/2012/10/19/in-their-own-words-luke-elder-13/

Interested in a career in education, or a job in the federal government? Read on!

Call to Serve Speaker’s Bureau representative Ayesha D. Edwards is a Management and Program Analyst in the Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) at the U.S. Department of Education. Ayesha is a young and energetic federal government employee and a native Washingtonian. She earned a M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Maryland College Park and a B.A. in English Language and Literature and African American Studies from the University of Virginia.

Come speak with Ayesha about her background, the application process for jobs and internships in the federal government, or any other questions you may have!

Monday, October 22 4:30 – 5:30 pm Robert A. Jones Conference Room

Looking to continue your education after Midd? Check out these upcoming info sessions:

Tuck Business Bridge Program

Wednesday October 24, 6:00 – 7:00 pm Hillcrest 103

Located at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, the Bridge Program is an intense four-week summer immersion program designed to provide students with marketable business skills relevant in today’s job market. Managerial economics, marketing, strategy, finance, and accounting are just a few of the topics taught by the renowned faculty at the Tuck School.

Northeastern University

Thursday October 25, 6:00 – 7:00 pm Bihall 104

In a 15-month program, Northeastern offers the opportunity to earn both an MS in Accounting and an MBA. This full-time program is designed for liberal arts and non-accounting majors. Students will gain hands-on experience through a three-month paid residency at a leading accounting firm, graduate from the program prepared to take the CPA exam, and get ready to hit the ground running with a new job at a regional, national, or Big Four accounting firm.

MIT Sloan School of Management

Monday October 29,  6:00-7:00 pm Hillcrest 103

Earn a Master of Finance degree at MIT Sloan School of Management. The intensive one-year program prepares students for entry-level positions in corporate finance, capital markets, asset management, research, government, and financial engineering. New announcements from MIT: 1) MIT is offering an additional round of admissions with an application deadline of March 15th, 2) partial tuition fellowships for a select group of highly qualified candidates are now available.

As always, More Info can be found on the EIA calendar.

Update 10/18: please understand this deadline of tomorrow is for the spring session, which would be great for a Feb. Otherwise, seniors interested in this opp should plan to meet the Feb 8 deadline, which is for the summer session. All details and more are here: http://www.ruderfinn.com/careers/executive-training-program/index.html

Apply for this great opportunity in Public Relations!

Ruder Finn Inc. is now accepting applications for the 2013 spring session of its paid Executive Training Program! For 33 years, Ruder Finn has provided a unique opportunity for recent college graduates to work in “an exciting, fast-paced environment.” Held three times per year in NYC, the program offers a 16-week curriculum on the fundamentals of public relations and provides participants with hands-on experience as integral members of account teams.

The Agency is a dynamic and energetic group of communications professionals who place a high priority on problem-solving skills, ingenuity and imagination in helping clients achieve real business results. Ruder Finn is also the first PR agency with an ethics officer, ethics committee and regular ethics meetings.

Strong candidates will be passionate about public relations and skilled in relationship-building, in teamwork, pay attention to detail, and have superior writing skills.

See MOJO for more details including required documents and how to apply.

Have questions? Drop-in hours are 2:00 – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday at EIA.

Check out this article from Forbes highlighting some 5 faux pas that millennials (yup, that’s us) tend to make in job interviews. Yikes. Are you embarrassed on behalf of our generation? I’m a little embarrassed. Don’t let this be you, I guess.

So now that we’ve covered the don’ts — here are some dos. Check out this article, also from Forbes, for tips — specifically for millennials — on giving a better interview.

The unemployment rate for new college graduates is down significantly from last year, continuing a decrease in unemployment for this group, according to an analysis of the numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics last week.

Read more here: http://www.naceweb.org/s10102012/job-market-new-graduates/

A recent article in Fast Company makes a case for Indiana Jones as the ultimate contemporary career role model — specifically in the business world, but also as a figure of thick-skinned “work-adventure” balance, fresh thinking in a bureaucratic system, and spontaneity. “Dr. Jones should be teaching business, not archaeology,” says business and entertainment writer Tom Teodorczuk. “We can all learn a good deal from his exploits in Raiders of the Lost Ark–whether or not our job requires us to bring a bullwhip to work.”

Another popular figure of American moxie, ingenuity, and perseverance has retained global popularity as a career role model, even after his death in 2011. The Times of India reported last month that, according to a recent survey of British adults and children, Steve Jobs was the number one reported career role model, winning out over Barack Obama and British entertainment icon Simon Cowell. Just over 16 percent of kids ages 8-15 named Jobs as someone whom they aspired to be like.

The deadline to apply for Eastern College Career Days in Boston has been extended to TOMORROW, Oct. 11, (by midnight).  ECCD Boston, a day-long interview event with multiple employers, will take place on Friday, Nov. 2, at Back Bay Events Center.

To apply, register online through the ECCD website (NOT MOJO) to interview with Boston/New England employers for jobs in fields like Communications, Education (certification not required!), Law, Travel, Marketing, Sales, Economics Research, Consulting, Banking, Investments, Science, Technology, and Mental Health/Human Services, and more.

If you are selected for an interview, you will be notified by the participating employer. Please note that is event is for Seniors only — only currently enrolled students who will graduate in 2013 are eligible to apply for positions.

To register, apply, and see a current list of participating employers, click here.

Keep checking MOJO for a complete list of upcoming opportunities and deadlines!

Questions? Contact Dana Barrow, barrow@middlebury.edu or ext. 5546

As many of you are gearing up to start, continue, or wrap up your applications for various opportunities, remember this – PROOF READ your documents! You’re probably thinking – yea, duh! – but it is a very important point. You want to make the very best impression on these employers, so be sure to check for misspelling, grammatical errors, etc. Also double check the structure and length of your documents to be sure they comply with expected guidelines. We’re college kids, right? We can handle this!

For more resources and guidance, log on to MOJO or come to EIA drop-in hours. We are happy to clarify any questions you have – before you send in those materials!

In the meantime, here are some instructions on creating a one page transcript:

• Log in to Bannerweb and open the Student Records and Registration Tab
• Open Student Records
• Open Degree Program Report. Do not select all. Instead, highlight the text with your cursor beginning at the word “commons” right underneath the blue line then copy and paste it into a Word document.  You now have a table in word.
• Highlight the entire document.
• Change font size to 8:  This decreases the number pages from x to about 2.
• Widen the margins and adjust the fields.
• Remove extra and empty fields

There are a few givens when it comes to job interviews that we can probably all agree on. Maybe don’t get four hours of sleep the night before an interview. Maybe don’t drink five shots of espresso that morning to cover up the fact that you got four hours of sleep. Maybe don’t bring your best friend to hold your hand in the lobby because you’re shaking/crying hysterically from sleep deprivation/over-caffeination. (Ideally, of course, we would all get at least eight hours of sleep, drink one standard-size cup of coffee and be sitting in the waiting area for the interview fifteen minutes early, hands clasped neatly over a tasteful Ann Taylor slacks/blazer combo. Ideally.)

But did you know that even the food you eat before your interview might give you a leg up? I know what you’re thinking. Ugh, more advice on how to be perfect. Show me the science! Is this blog post sponsored by Weybridge House? But seriously, it’s actually pretty logical. When we eat well we tend to feel well and when we feel well we tend to do well — especially in times of stress. Check out this article from LinkedIn for suggestions on what you might want to eat before an interview. (Hint: Maybe don’t pass on the quinoa fennel saute in Proctor?)

Middlebury was recently ranked one of the country’s top contributors to Teach for America’s 2012 corps, tying with Williams College in the Small Schools division. Fifteen graduates from Middlebury’s Class of 2012 went on to serve with Teach for America, joining over 10,000 corps members serving in classrooms across 46 regions around the country. Check out the rest of TFA’s contributor rankings here.

To find out more about applying to TFA, visit www.teachforamerica.org.

Lots to jam into this post, but it’s all good. Here are 3 things to pay attention to:

1) Did you hear that the Career Action Group is opened up to all seniors now? We’d love to set up one just for Febs, but we need more applicants. Here’s the scoop:

We are looking for 12-15 Seniors who can commit to meeting together 4 times starting October 5.(FRIDAYS, October 5 and 19, November 2 and 16, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Hillcrest 103). The group will focus on strategies for achieving your life-after-Midd goals and give you a chance to learn from and support others who are also on this exciting–but often nerve-wracking–journey. Our meetings are interactive and will focus on these key topics:
• Knowing yourself: using TypeFocus assessment results to guide your search
• Fine tuning your resume; developing compelling cover letters/personal statements
• Networking: preparing to conduct fruitful information interviews; LinkedIn
• Developing a search strategy that fits your needs and timetable
• Successful Interviewing
• Supporting each other with ideas, networking contacts, information, and encouragement

Deadline is Monday, October 1. Apply on MOJO

2) If you missed Senior Meeting, check out the video here: http://www.middlebury.edu/studentlife/eia/resources/media.archive

3) And if finding work in the federal government is your thing, last week we hosted a webinar on this topic. You can check out the archived video here: http://www.middlebury.edu/studentlife/eia/resources/media.archive