Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Who'da Thunk?

By Thien Van Tran

Did you know?

So you’re a student at the University of Miami, or maybe even a recent graduate. Obviously, you decided to come here to place yourself in a position near South Beach to obtain a desirable job. But the journey is a perilous one, with many, many routes. And much like encountering the massive gum and candy smorgasbord presented to you while waiting in line at the grocery store, you ask yourself, “There are so many choices, but which is the right one for me?” Without guidance, it’s very difficult to get to where you want to be, or to even know where you want to go. But I bet you didn’t know, this is exactly (probably) what the Toppel Career Center was created for.

The Toppel Career Center, located inconspicuously on the corner of Stanford Circle, provides all the resources that can help you secure the position you want. Advisors are available to answer any questions, workshops are presented to provide tips to improve various aspects of professional life, and endless networking opportunities are available with numerous companies. So, think you’re giving yourself the best possible chance at landing that coveted position without taking advantage of what the Toppel Career Center has to offer? (Spoiler: no).

Cave of Wonders

Picture somewhat unrelated

Now you may or may yes be pondering how I myself was able to discover this cave of wonders. Well I happen to be the newest Toppel Peer Advisor, and only recently have I been able to realize the vast amount opportunities that I’ve been neglecting every time I’ve walked passed this building without so much as a glance. Let me break it down for you.

Resumes, Cover Letters, and Personal Statements

Whether you have a resume created or not, we can help. For those who have no idea where to begin, there are free guides to writing the ideal document to market your experiences. These contain formatting tips, specific “rules,” as well as numerous examples to help you create your own. For those who have already completed a draft, you are welcome to bring it in and get it critiqued one-on-one. No appointments necessary! The same applies to cover letters and personal statements.

Interviewing Skills

Remember the last time you walked into an interview utterly unprepared and completely uninformed, but somehow managed to secure the position? Me neither. One doesn't simply walk into Mordor land a job by chance. If you’ve never had a professional interview before, it can be an understandably nervous experience. That’s where we come in. Not only do we provide an interviewing skills handbook, we also conduct mock interviews! There are mini-mocks, which are approximately 30-minute sessions, and are done on a walk-in basis. Full-mocks are about an hour long, and an appointment is required. Both of these are tailored to fit your needs, whether it is a graduate school interview, or a business internship. You know you’ve got the skills and talent that the interviewer is looking for in a candidate, so all you have to do is make sure they know it as well. We can help you exude that confidence!

Hi my name’s Thien, but you can call me later


Internships and Jobs

Now I’ve always heard that having internship experience is critical if I want to be able to find a job upon graduation, but how do I go about getting one of these things? The hardest step is usually getting your information out there in the real world for employers to see. Fortunately, we have a website dedicated to showing you positions employers are wishing to fill. Not only can you view these jobs, but once you make an account on this website and upload a resume, you can directly apply to these jobs instantly! The website is www.HireaCane.com, and is completely free!

But let’s say you don’t find any openings that pique your interest online. In this case, I’d recommend that you go to the Career Expo that is held every semester. There, you’ll be able to meet directly with recruiters and give out resumes like candy. If nothing else, this is a great opportunity to network and get to know your prospective employers on a personal level. Talking to someone in person will always give you an advantage over simply applying on a website, and much like Peter Pan, being ahead never gets old.

Act Now!

Who would have thought all these resources were available to students right here on campus? I have barely skimmed the surface of what the Toppel Career Center has to offer, but rather than read my superficial descriptions and somewhat irrelevant analogies of everything we have to offer, make like a baby and head out to our office and see for yourself! And unlike reading the Twilight books, you won’t regret it, nor be embarrassed to tell your friends about it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a cute blog post.

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