April showers bring interview hours. It’s officially job and internship interview season, which is almost always characterized by stress, Glassdoor research, and lots of advanced preparation. Your interview process will vary depending on your major and desired field, but one fact remains for everyone: you need to arrive at your interview prepared and ready to go. That way at the end of the interview you will experience that “I totally nailed it” feeling.
Job interviews nowadays are more complex than they were generations ago. Our parents typically had one face-to-face interview and were notified whether or not they received an offer soon after. Thanks to technology, recruiters and companies can interview you from the comfort of their workplaces and the interviewees' own homes or offices. Moreover, you may be subject to multiple interviews in different formats and settings before a final decision on your status is made. My sister, for example, had five rounds of interviews that ranged from face-to-face to video before receiving her internship at Bloomberg. Here are the types of interviews to look out for and how to prepare for them. Face to Face Face to face interviews still exist. Most of us know the drill by now: do your research on the company and the position, ask the interviewer questions, dress in business professional attire, and be polite, sincere, and enthusiastic in your responses. Some companies even require the interviewee to complete an activity or task testing their knowledge of the industry, company practices, and their ability to adapt to and remain calm in high pressure situations. Interviewers can read your non-verbal body communication as well. Slouching will make you appear uninterested. Eye contact and a firm handshake go a long way. Make an appointment with a career coach for a mock interview for more information on how to nail face to face interviews. During the appointment a career coach will ask you general interview questions and then provide you with feedback on your responses and overall performance. Video Interview Even if you’re not sitting directly in front of the interviewer, it’s important to remain as professional as possible. For example, you shouldn’t conduct a video interview in your dorm room with a band poster hanging in the background. Your best bet is to go to a quiet place by yourself for privacy. The Center for Career Services has a room in Cannavino Library that you can reserve to ensure a distraction-free conversation. Stop by Library 332 to learn more about this interview room for students or to make a reservation ahead of time. Also, figure out how to use the video conferencing technology BEFORE the scheduled interview. Google Hangouts and Skype are two popular platforms, but companies may use their own platforms as well. Study them to avoid complications that will make you look unprofessional and become more nervous. You’ll thank me later. Phone Interview For me this type of interview is a nightmare considering I hate talking to anyone on the phone. The majority of my friends, in fact, abhor phone calls. Nonetheless, a phone call is practically inevitable in the early stages of the interview process. Do your best to communicate clearly and effectively. Remember that you’re not face-to-face, so it’s crucial to enunciate properly and ensure your room is signal-friendly. Days before a phone interview I complete research and take notes. Hours and minutes before a phone interview I try to meditate or go on a walk to calm my nerves. I even have a stuffed animal on my bedside just in case I need something to calm me down while I’m on the phone. These seemingly benign tactics help tremendously, but find what works for you. Interviews are evolving. You may have to prepare for multiple types of interviews or interview for the same position more than once. Interviewing is a process and you need to be on top of your game at all times in order to get the outcome you want. With enough preparation, practice, and research you should be able to thrive in all types of interviews.
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Have you spent hours, days, or even weeks scrolling through hundreds of job listings trying to identify the "perfect job title" that fits your interests? You're not alone. One of the biggest challenges job seekers have is knowing what types of jobs to search for in their job search, or even which jobs exist. LinkedIn heard you, and as a result launched new job pages designed with the job seeker in mind. Now, job seekers and students who are unfamiliar with the professional landscape can browse job titles within various job functions (e.g. education jobs, human resources jobs, legal jobs, marketing jobs, or entry level accounting jobs). LinkedIn surfaces popular job titles and listings, as well as top cities and companies for a particular job, making it easier for job seekers and exploring students to learn more about opportunities in various fields. Before taking Communications Capping during the Fall 2017 semester I was anxious for and dreading the entire experience. Capping courses within the Marist curriculum are taken during a student’s senior year. Each capping course requires its students to complete a project encompassing their education. As a public relations major with a concentration in advertising I had heard horror stories of sleepless nights, brutal research and group members that didn’t get along with one another associated with capping. So my goal from the beginning was to get out of capping in one piece. Well, not only did I thankfully get through the course, but I also ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the 2018 Broadcast Education Association Conference from April 7-10. BEA is a premiere international academic organization with a mission to “educate for tomorrow’s media.” I had never heard of this organization nor the conference until I completed my capping course. Myself and my two group members, Samantha Ketelsen and Nicolette Muro, conducted our capping research on a topic we were passionate about: Instagram Influencers. From there, we refined our capping project to cover how these niche influencers rise to power and gain credibility on the popular social media outlet. Our final project tapped into audience perception, how Instagram can serve as a platform for these influencers to establish their careers, and how brands leverage these same influencers for their credibility. We worked on each part of the process together every week to ensure our results, work, and presentation were credible and properly formatted by scholarly standards. The semester-long effort was difficult, but proved to be well worth our time. At the end of the semester, our professor, Dr. Wenjing Xie, noticed our hard work and recommended we submit our final project to the annual BEA Conference. After reading up on BEA we were star struck and flattered. We didn’t think all of us attending and presenting at the conference would be a reality until this spring semester when we were accepted. Our iPhone group chat blew up with messages of excitement the day we were accepted as we realized we had received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present for hundreds of academics. We knew we had to make the trip to Las Vegas regardless of the cost and stress associated with missing two days of classes. The three of us went through a step-by-step process to acquire grant money for our trip. We had to complete an application provided by the School of Communication & Arts, which was then reviewed by the Dean, Dr. Lyn Lepre. Once Dr. Lepre accepted our application we brought it to other Marist administrators for final review. We received the grant and used it to cover our flight expenses. We soon found ourselves at JFK International Airport at 6 a.m. boarding a direct flight to Las Vegas. Before we knew it we were unpacking our luggage at The Mirage, roaming the Strip and eating at In-N-Out Burger. We saw all the touristy sites in Las Vegas like Caesars Palace and also sat in on conference seminars at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort. We were fortunate enough to see Dr. Lepre present her research on the prevalence of and exposure to diversity in Netflix original programming and other shows on streaming services. On the final day of the conference we presented our findings on Instagram Influencers during a breakout session. The presentation was capping style; a poster session where students discussed their research with professors, graduate students, and other conference attendees as they stopped by our table. My group and I came prepared and were able to dive into our research and answer complex questions. Capping turned into a rewarding experience because of this opportunity to travel, learn more about my field of study, and present my research. The trip was a perfect balance of leisure and academically enriching experiences. I realized how work that I do in the classroom can open doors that internships and jobs may not necessarily unlock. I made best friends along the way and developed a newfound appreciation for my academic track. Overall, the only thing I would change is the return date on my plane ticket. Las Vegas still has my heart, and I still haven’t quite returned to New York yet. Note: Our school liaisons and industry clusters have changed since this post was first published. Contact [email protected] for more information. Congratulations! You have been accepted into Marist College. You’re a high school senior researching and compiling information to figure out if Marist is the right fit for you. You’re probably captivated by the iconic Hudson River view on campus as you weigh your options. We hope Marist is where you choose to spend the next four years and, at the Center for Career Services, we’ll make sure to make that time in your life count. It may seem like career preparation is emphasized more for juniors, seniors, and other students who are concluding their time at Marist. Still, the way we see it, it’s never too early to begin the process of learning how your interests and passions turn into long-term career aspirations. We offer services and advice for Marist students every step of the way. All prospective, new, and transfer students should take a look at this overview of the Marist College Center for Career Services. Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviewing This trio is crucial to practice and perfect during your four years at Marist. Crafting impeccable resumes and cover letters that tell your story and conducting interviews that showcase your personality and character will help set you up for success after Marist. In addition to one-on-one appointments with career coaches, we offer weekly Career Services 101 workshops on resumes, cover letters, interviewing, building an online personal brand, and other career related topics to prepare you for the job and internship application process. You can also find tips and tricks for landing your dream position and guidance for workplace etiquette in our Career Planning Guide which has new and updated editions published annually. Major and Career Planning Most students come to Marist undecided regarding their major and career plans. This is common among students who seek out Career Services early in their time at Marist, and we try to alleviate the stress that comes with uncertainty. Our career coaches can help you pinpoint and develop your interests, goals, and aspirations, all of which provide insight into your possible career path. As part of career management, we help identify your marketable skills, strengths, and weaknesses at each stage of your Marist education and offer many opportunities to evolve professionally. Walk-In Hours and Career Coaching Appointments If you need a quick review of your resume or cover letter, one of our career coaches can assist you during our Walk-In Hours. No appointment is necessary during these weekdays and hours for the current semester: For inquiries other than resume and cover letter reviews, you will be required to make your own appointments through your FoxQuest account, which will be automatically created for all new and incoming Marist students. Appointments can be made for alternative career options/gap years, making connections with employers and alumni, internship search, job search assistance, LinkedIn profile review, a mock interview, graduate school advising, and pre-med, health, and science graduate careers. We also have a career coach on call at all times during our office hours. Fellowships and Scholarships Are you interested in continuing your education after Marist? If so, you should make appointments with Graduate School & Fellowship Advisor Pat Taylor. She provides insights into finding graduate programs for students, guiding them through the application process, and helping them to secure financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, and other programs. Alumni Career Network Our online Alumni Career Network is available for current Marist students to search for and touch base with Marist alumni who are working across multiple industries. The alum’s job or workplace may or may not be directly related to their original major, but they will be able to provide you with aspects of career assistance that include giving advice via phone or email, workplace shadowing, mentoring, referrals, and interview preparation. Networking with alumni will not only help you learn about certain career paths and companies, but it will also ultimately establish the relationships that help you get a foot in the door both during and after your time as a Marist student. Sometimes our alumni even host students during Career Trips to work sites. This past semester, some students had the opportunity to visit and tour workplaces such as Penguin Random House and CBS Radio. Other employers come to campus occasionally to recruit Marist students for open positions or host information sessions about the organization’s mission and culture. Industry Clusters
Recently, the Center for Career Services at Marist College has implemented industry clusters for each of its staff members. Each career coach and advisor now specializes in certain fields so students can meet with the same Career Services staff member throughout their time at Marist. The clusters were set up so that you can get customized appointments and advice tailored to your individual interests and goals. Further, staff members build rapport with individual students throughout their four or more years on campus. Here are the current Career Services staff members listed along with their titles, industry clusters and schools: Mary Jones, Executive Director Finance, Communications & Media Arts, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Health and Science School of Communications, School of Science Laura Grevi, Associate Director for Career Coaching Government, Environmental, Publishing, Medical Technology, Non Profits School of Liberal Arts, School of Professional Programs Desmond Murray, Associate Director for the Employer Experience Computer Science, Information Systems and Technology, Insurance, Mathematics, Sports Industry School of Computer Science and Mathematics Rosa Emory, Assistant Director for Career Coaching Fine Arts, Education, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Marketing and Sales School of Management, Teacher Education Department Pat Taylor, Graduate School and Fellowship Advisor Law, Public Administration (Higher Education and Administration), International Development School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Contact Us If you need any more information on the Marist College Center for Career Services you can reach us via email at [email protected] or by phone at 845-575-3547. We also have more information and the digital resources available for Marist students on our website: www.marist.edu/careerservices. We’re looking forward to seeing you at Open House this weekend and in our office in the years to come. Make sure to stop by our table at the Academic and Student Resources Fair on April 7 and 8. |
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