5 Tips to Jump Start Your Job or Internship Search

By Jordan Adams, Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting

“I’ve applied over and over to internships and jobs but can’t get a solid interview, how do I get my foot in the door!!!”  Below is the advice I give to UM students, alumni, my own friends, and family.  
 

1. Fix your resume:   

Your resume is a living document that can always be improved and adapted so it should continually be on your mind during a job search.  Most importantly, it has to be concise and to the point.  Recruiters see hundreds of resumes at a time and only keep reading until they get bored.  This means that your resume should only be one page (2 max for people with significant experience), no paragraphs! (only bullets and phrases), and it should be tailored to the position/organization you are applying to. They took time to write a job description so you should take time to reorient your resume to compliment the position and highlight the skills they are looking for.  

And just as importantly, don’t sell yourself short.  Any job experience is valuable and can relate to your job search.  Worked in the student store as a cashier?  Well, you have excellent customer service skills, assisting over 150 clients daily, and facilitated the implementation of a new digital textbook rental program that has saved the university over $200k annually.  Just remember that bullet points for your experiences should highlight what you did, the skills and tools you used, and positive outcomes.  It is important to orient the bullets to your particular job search and to use specific examples/quantify your experiences as much as possible.  

2. Research: 

The more you know about your job and internship search, the better off you will be.  Research can take many forms.  You may be interested in a specific field, but are not sure about actual career paths or how to leverage your major, or you may know exactly what you want to do, but are not sure how to make it happen.  Either way you have to get prepared and Toppel has compiled great resources to help you such as Career Links that has important industry-specific information, Glassdoor that compiles thousands of company reviews and salary information, ONet Online that provides important industry/occupational descriptions and data, and many more guides and handouts.  Also, once you login to your HireACane.com account, you can;  utilize Vault Career Intelligence to get insider access to industry information and job search advice, discover information about jobs and internships abroad with GoingGlobal, and view the hundreds of jobs and internships available in the system.  Simple online searches can also be useful as you try and find the major organizations in your industry or look at the prominent players in your region.  

3. Network: 

Networking may seem daunting or confusing, but it can be done in many different ways and is completely necessary to find a job or internship these days.  We all know that most people get a job or internship through a personal relationship (“because they knew somebody”) so now is the time to put yourself out there and get to know somebody. Start with friends, family, and your professors.  They should all know your career plans and are the most likely to help you with tips, advice, and job connections.  Your next step is to get involved with student groups and organizations that give you much needed exposure to the professional world.  Many student organizations bring in guest speakers, Greek organizations have professional development events, and Toppel hosts Career Expo’s, Meet-Up’s, and many other career fairs and events that are specifically designed for students and alumni to meet with employers.  And if you are not ready to get out of the house, start connecting on LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and you just need a professional picture and information from your resume to get started.  Once on, you can connect with friends and family to start your network and can explore the group of over 60,000 ‘Canes who work at thousands of organizations worldwide and instantly have something in common with you. 

4. Apply and follow-up: Now that you have an updated resume, did a little research, and started networking, it’s time to start applying!  HireACane.com should be your first stop because you will be competing against a much smaller applicant pool and employers are specifically seeking UM interns and full-time employees.  Pay particular attention to on-campus recruiting because employers making the effort to come to campus want to maximize their time by seeing as many qualified applicants as possible.  Applying directly on company websites and via LinkedIn may be your next step, along with the many online employment websites.  

Don’t forget that the most critical part of the application process is following-up and setting yourself apart from the crowd.  Employers are inundated with hundreds of resumes, many of which come from across the U.S. and even globally, and you need them to take a second look at yours.  There are a variety of ways to get their attention.  If you can find out who the recruiter or hiring manager is, reach out via email or LinkedIn and say who you are, why you would be a good fit for their organization, and provide a copy of your resume (all in 3 to 4 sentences).  Don’t forget about your network, including the career center, and ask anybody you know that has a connection to the organization to put in a good word for you.  You can also reach out to ‘Canes via LinkedIn who work for the organization and ask to chat with them; depending how it goes they may give you some good advice or even pass your resume along.  You never know what will get your foot in the door so try as many angles as possible when you are pursuing your dream internship or full-time position.  

5. Meet employers on campus: Take every opportunity you can to meet employers when they are on campus.  They are making a special trip to UM just to meet you so it is absolutely worth it to see what they have to say.  Many student organizations and Departments across campus host professional speakers and Toppel has multiple events each semester introducing employers to ‘Canes.  Major events include; Career Expo each Fall and Spring, Practice interviews with real employers, specialized career fairs, and Meet-Ups for industries such as Communications, STEM, and Healthcare.  Toppel also hosts a number of company sessions and on-campus interviews that can be found on a continually updated online calendar.  Make sure to RSVP for company sessions and apply to on-campus interview positions before each deadline so that you guarantee yourself the best chance at securing a job or internship.  

You never know when you will get your break so every one of these items may be the key to your success.  Additionally, feel free to stop by Toppel during walk-in advising Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 4:30pm or give us a call at 305-284-5451 to discuss any of these points.  Our job is to empower and connect so don’t hesitate to reach out! 

The Right Way to Reject an Internship

By: Marissa Bell

Summer internships. The bane of your existence until you get one. Once you have an internship, you're golden. When people ask you what you're doing for the summer, you've got a perfect, and insanely impressive, answer to give them. However, in the search for an internship in this job market, presumably, you're casting your net as wide as it can go: applying to internship after internship, and having multiple interviews. And, as University of Miami students, you'll probably get multiple offers. But just like The Hunger Games, there can only be one winner. So what do you do about the other ones? It's like having to break up with a significant other. Rejecting an offer for an internship (or even a regular job) is stressful and uncomfortable, but something that needs to be done. Are you in the position where you have more offers than time? Read on to find some basic tips on how to appropriately reject an offer for an internship.

Tip 1: Don't Leave Them Hanging
The second you know that you aren't going to accept an offer from a company, you need to let them know. It's not fair for you to keep them waiting thinking that they've got an intern and then two weeks before you start, tell them you're going with something else. They need time to send offers to other people, to interview others, and it's in bad form for you to leave them in a lurch. Even if you don't plan on working with them, you still owe that employer the benefit of professional courtesy. The simple fact of the matter is this: they can always get a new intern, you are only hurting yourself by not calling them and appearing unprofessional.

Tip 2: Call 'Em Up
Maybe I'm the only one, but the thought of having someone on the phone and telling them that you can't accept their offer fills me with ill-disguised anxiety. All I can think about is what their reaction is going to be, are they going to yell? Cry? Okay probably not cry, but still, rejecting an offer over the phone can be awkward. But the fact of the matter is, you need to call them, its the polite thing to do. Imagine how you would feel if they didn't call you to offer you the job or tell you they weren't going to hire you, it wouldn't be fair to you, just as it wouldn't be fair to them to not call and let them know you're going with someone else. It's the same thing with breaking up with a significant other. You can't just text them and be like, "Sorry, it's not you, its me, lets break up." E-mail them a follow up if they need it in writing, but still, call them first to let them know. They took the time to read your resume and interview you, so you can take the time to give them a call. So suck it up and give them a call, rip off the band-aid. It'll be over before you know it.

                                                                                    Tip 3: Be courteous
This seems obvious to mostly everyone, but you'd be surprised by the things people do when they think they'll never have to talk to someone again. The one thing that's certain is that the future is not written in stone. You have no idea where your life is going to take you and even if you don't want one internship one summer, it might be the perfect internship for you next summer, or even for a full-time position. If you sacrifice your professionalism, you can burn bridges for the future. Just because it isn't right in that moment doesn't mean you won't see that employer again, so make sure you treat them with the same sense of respect and professionalism that you did during the interview process.

The moral of the story is simple: Do it quickly, do it over the phone, and do it nicely. If you follow these simple tips, what has the potential to turn into a horribly awkward situation can go easily and painlessly. By following these tips, you not only get out of an internship, but still manage to maintain the networking connection that has the opportunity to benefit you in the future.  

Quick Start the Spring Semester

By Oleg Ignatenko

The spring semester is in full swing and what better way to fully maximize your time and make something out of it than by getting involved and attending the many Toppel Career Center events that will occur throughout the upcoming months.

Many of you may have attended the Spring Kick Off at The Rock and got a chance to be introduced to Toppel, win a prize or get a slice of pizza.  For those of you who didn't, don't stress out because there will be plenty of other events where you will be able to get involved.

Lets focus on the next big event not to miss on February 6th - the EPIC Program (Employer Practice Interview & Critique).  During this event students will get an opportunity to receive a mock interview as well as get their resumes critiqued by various employers and it is a great way to prepare for the upcoming Career Expo.  Students will get the experience of being able to talk to the employer about their resume and find out what the employer will be looking for on certain resumes. During the mock interview appointment, the employer will conduct the interview and afterwards critique the student and allow them to ask any questions they might have on what they can do to improve.

Is your resume up to date, do you want to improve it or just create a brand new one and you don't know what to do?  Then make sure you come to RESUMANIA!  This is the biggest resume event we have all semester.  Students will have the opportunity to meet with peer advisers, members of the staff or the graduate assistants on a walk-in basis who will be ready to help in an instant with any questions about resumes.  

Moving on to the next event and it is the one you absolutely do not want to miss.  Get ready for the Career Expo!  This is the single biggest event that is sponsored through the Toppel Career Center.  This year there will be over 100 various employers looking to speak to bright and ambitious students with various aspirations in hopes of finding a good candidate for their company.  This event is specifically designed to expose University of Miami students to different career paths and allow them to network with professionals. Students will have a chance to meet with representatives from various companies and ask questions about the company and inquire what type of students they are looking for as well as internship, development, and other opportunities.  Don't forget to dress in business professional attire and bring plenty of resumes.  Career Expo is Wednesday, February 13 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in the Herbert Wellness Center.

If you are not sure what to wear to the Career Expo, you can check out the How to Dress for A Career Expo blog by our star peer adviser Robert Vanisko.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the events and visit us at the Toppel Career Center! 
You can our calendar here.

How to Make Your Resume a Masterpiece!

 By: Bree Blair

Want to make your resume a success? We can help! The Toppel Career Center is an excellent resource for that, but if you are like most college students with a crazy schedule, it gets a little difficult to find time to even leave the library! Since we're always here to help you out, here are some helpful hints to make sure your resume is ready to hit the stage (aka the employers).

Some things you never want to forget:

• Your contact information! Along with that, try to make sure that your email is appropriate for an employer to contact you.  For example, you might want to avoid something like crazybird@loopytown.com (just saying). It may not leave the best impression.

• Use spell check! I know this sounds a little strange, but spelling mistakes on a resume are typically a thumbs down. If you're applying for a job, you want to make sure the employers are aware of how intelligent you are! Usually they are silly typos, but just keep an extra eye out for that.

• Skills section! Employers really want to see what you are able to do, whether it's technical or a certification that you have. A lot of people don't think to list Microsoft Office applications, but please do! It may seem like a common computer program, but not everyone knows how to utilize them. So if you do, don't hesitate to list each one.

• Use key words! Employers will most likely not read every single word on your resume, so it's very important to use key terms when describing an experience. For example, if you were a manager, try to use action verbs that best demonstrate your responsibilities, such as organize, supervise, maintain, etc. Employers will catch these words and be able to get a glimpse of your daily routines or projects.

• Elaborate on an experience! Whether it is a job, internship, volunteer activity, or anything in between, don't forget to give enough information about what your experience was like. This is where the key words come in. Each experience should have at least 2-3 bullet points or statements, but try not to have more than 5-6. Resumes should be as concise as possible, which is why strong key words are so important!

• Eye Appeal! The information on your resume is extremely important, but the way it looks is important too. Making your resume reader-friendly helps the employer pick out the most important things, which will in turn help them remember you more. If your resume is all cluttered and inconsistent with formatting, the employer may get lost in the craziness and not remember you as well. 

With all these tips and your own personal touch, your resume is bound to be a masterpiece! Don't be afraid to add your own little flare- just make sure you would feel comfortable and confident handing it to an employer! For more information on resumes, view Toppel's Resume Writing Webinar and the Resume Development Guide. The Toppel Career Center is always here to help and you can come in Monday through Thursday from 10:00-4:30 for a resume critique- no appointment necessary!

Career Toolbox: UCAN Internship Exchange

By: Bree Blair
Part of the Career Toolbox Series

Looking for an easy and efficient way to find internships? UCAN is perfect for you! UCAN stands for University Career Action Network, which means that it is not just affiliated with the University of Miami. UCAN is connected with Boston College, Harvard University, University of Notre Dame, and 18 other colleges across the United States. To get started, just log into your HireACane account, and click the link on the left, which will take you directly to the UCAN website. If you haven't set up a UCAN account yet, use your collegiate email address to get yourself started. Once you have been an approved user, you're free to roam the site and find the perfect internship for you.

After creating an account, it will prompt you to set up your profile just like HireACane. Actually, they're both set up very similarly, so if you are familiar with HireACane, then you might just already be a professional on UCAN! There is even a documents tab if you want to upload your resume. On the home tab, there are always announcements and notifications available. For example, one announcement on the home page right now is the chance to win an iTunes gift card by taking a UCAN survey! How cool is that- a nifty site that helps you find internships and even win some prizes here and there. Speaking of internships, UCAN has more to offer
than what meets the eye.

Once you figure out the website and all its wonders, you will discover a really handy search agent that makes finding internships a piece of cake. Just click the internships tab, and follow that to the search agents tab (tricky, I know). Anyway, UCAN lets you set up a scheduled search for internships! It doesn't get any easier than that; all you have to do is read your emails! It allows you to set it up how many times a week or month that you want to receive emails about internships pertaining to the keyword or phrase you chose.

UCAN even helps you if you are just looking for a specific company. Just click on the employers tab and search away! If you are mainly interested in finding an internship with a certain person or company, UCAN can help you there too. It even provides a contact directory so you can get in touch with the companies via telephone or email. What's really awesome is that the person's title is listed with their contact information, and we all know how important that is, especially when writing a cover letter! As you can see, UCAN has a ton of ways to help you find the perfect internship; it even does the work for you! So if you are even considering an internship, you should create an account on UCAN because it CAN help you find the perfect match! It's almost like an online dating site, except not really, and it's free.

Freshman Year Tip 2: Professional Voicemail

by Marissa Bell


Today’s tip requires an anecdote to start it off, otherwise the tip itself will make no sense.

There I was, a naïve 18 year old, innocent to the cruelties of the real world (who am I kidding, I still am), and applying for summer jobs. I had sent out many an application, and when people called me and followed up, I was available and picked up my phone. However, there was one time when I was in class, saw an unknown number calling me, and sent it straight to voicemail, without another thought. An hour later, I listened to the voicemail that had been left and this is what I heard:

“Oh, Hi. This is *Carly* from *Insert Company Name of Choice Here*… Uh. Just wanted to let you know that the position has been filled. Thank you for your application.”

*Names have been changed

But something wasn’t right. The person on the phone sounded bizarre, like telling me I wasn’t going to be receiving an interview wasn’t the original plan. I was left confused, but later forgot about it. Until the exact same thing happened again 2 days later. A prospective job called, I was in class, let it roll to voicemail, and then when I listened to the voicemail, the same confused voice telling me that a position had been filled. I was perplexed. I mean, not to toot my own horn, but they were simple retail positions that I had been being denied for; I didn’t understand why I wasn’t a good candidate?

And then it hit me. I remembered a Friday night 2 months ago that I thought it would be hilarious if I made my voicemail a 2 minute long pseudo-Public Service Announcement about a fabled war going on in Alaska between Narwhals and Unicorns, urging anyone who listened to donate millions of dollars to the cause. Yeah, your reaction is probably about the same as mine when I realized what was chasing those potential employers away.

And so, the clear moral of the story is: Professional Voicemails are your FRIENDS. It’s something no one ever thinks about when they’re applying for jobs. They change their names on Facebook to make sure employers can’t find them, erase their 4th grade embarrassing email address and replace it with a new one, and yet the voicemail is something that just slips people’s mind because it seems so unimportant. A professional voicemail can be as simple as, “Hi, this is *insert your name here*, sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, but leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!”

Yes. It’s not as fun as you and your friends’ rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” sung in falsetto, but the second you start applying for jobs, just know that even if you look like the perfect candidate on paper, even the slightest things that make you look unprofessional could make the difference between getting that interview, and having to hear those dreaded words, “The position has been filled”.