The Career Development Center Blog « Explore. Educate. Empower. Engage.

Posted by Ali Casqueiro, Career Services Intern

For some of us, the prospect of spending 40 hours a week in one of many cubicles at an office doesn’t seem ideal. While many individuals enjoy the fact that an office job means no throbbing feet at the end of the day and little need to battle brutal weather throughout the changing seasons, others in the market for employment can’t stand to imagine five days a week in a muted-color cubical. So, for those of you whose ideal workspace doesn’t include spending 2,400 minutes sitting in a cubical all week, have you considered what jobs are out there that are cubical-free?

According to Anthony Balderrama of CareerBuilder.com, many people know their ideal work environment is one that’s not confined to an office or, “the prospect of sitting at a desk (probably in front of a computer), with only a thin partition separating you from a sea of colleagues.” If you’re one of those people, there are plenty of non-cubical careers to explore. Check out this article to read CareerBuilders.com top ten cubicle-free jobs!

angelo cammarata

Posted by Ali Casqueiro, Career Services Intern

Angelo Cammarata is about to have his last call at the West View, Pennsylvania bar, Cammarata’s Café. That’s because at 95 years old, Cammarata is finally retiring. Tending bar from the end of prohibition in 1933, Cammarata is calling it quits after 70 years of doing a job that he loves. As a member of Jim Beam’s Bartender Hall of Fame and Guinness World Records longest-serving bartender, Cammarata’s career has been one filled with friendship, family, and fun. Cammarata states, “”This is a good bar. All my customers here are family. We call them our family, our friends. We know them all. And they’re all good.”

Wouldn’t it be great to work for 70 years loving everything about your job? Waking up in the morning and being nothing but excited to work? How neat would it be to feel that your job isn’t a job, but a way of life? For Cammarata and others, careers like this do exist. The thrill of loving what you do and doing what you love is all part of the job search process. Inspiring stories like Angelo Cammarata’s puts into perspective how critical the job search process it. Yes, it might be long and sometimes discouraging, but finding that needle in the haystack, the diamond in the rough, and hitting the jackpot on the ultimate job—well then, it’s all worth it.

Let Career Services support you in your pursuit for your ideal career. Come check out all we have to offer you, and together, let’s help you one day become Guinness World Records happiest employee!

Posted by Bryon Burleigh, Career Services Graduate Assistant

You’ve probably heard about the Career Fair that OSU Career Services puts on every term, but you might be on the fence about whether you are going to actually attend. “I don’t know what companies will be there,” you might be thinking, “so why should I bother going?” This is a valid question because anyone going to the Career Fair should do some research on the companies they are interested in. This term there will be representatives from companies ranging from Abercrombie & Fitch and Target, to Microsoft and Intel, and a multitude in between! For a full listing of employers, click here.

Posted by Anne, Career Counselor

Are you interested in working for social justice as part of your career, or maybe as part of an internship experience? Non-profit organizations provide wonderful opportunities to gain professional skills, and engage in work that satisfies that social advocate in you! Idealist.org, a great website for non-profit job/internship opportunities, is hosting two upcoming events in the Portland area. Don’t miss them!

1. The Portland Nonprofit Career Fair, on Wednesday, October 14, from 11:00 to 3:00

http://bit.ly/3UhEB3

2. The Portland Graduate School Fair, on Thursday, October 22, from 5:00 to 8:00

http://bit.ly/tIDNJ

Posted by Anne, Career Counselor

Let’s say you have a really important interview coming up. (This is no doubt because you attended our fall Career Fair and you scored an on-campus interview opportunity!) Anyway, you’ve done your prep work. You’ve prepared a list of strengths and weaknesses, generated your top 5 “success stories” from college, and practiced in front of the mirror til you’re tired of looking at yourself. You waltz into that interview room, and nail those questions. And then the interviewer asks…

“So, where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Yikes. The one question you didn’t prepare for. You were so focused on what you’ve done that you forgot to explore where you’re going. You’re so focused on this job, that you forgot to plan ahead. This is common, and this particular question can be a tough one. The best answer will differ depending on your industry, but here are some great pointers and some responses you want to avoid when elaborating on your future goals.

Now back to the mirror…more practice!

Posted by Anne Lapour, Career Counselor and Career Development Coordinator

Hello to all you Beavers out there. It’s the first day of school! Maybe you’re excited to be back in Corvallis–seeing friends, starting new classes, and meeting new people. Or maybe you’re already missing those lazy summer afternoons. No matter which is true for you, Career Services wants to wish you a sincere “Welcome Back”, and we hope you’ll come see us soon. We have an exciting year planned, and we hope you’ll join us for our annual events, as well as some new ways to connect with employers, alumni, and opportunities. Don’t miss the following…

Career Fairs: The All-Majors Fair is on October 20th, and the Engineering Fair is October 21st. Dress spiffy, dust off that resume, and come meet some wonderful employers. Check out the lineup by visiting BeaverJobNet.

Speed Mock Interviewing: Every heard of Speed Dating? Well, now’s your chance to do the professional version while brushing up on those interviewing and networking skills. The event will take place on Monday, October 19th. Contact Career Services for more info (737-4085)!

Career Exploration Group: Feeling lost when it comes to your direction in life? Want to connect with other students in a small group format? Our fall career exploration group begins on October 28th. Contact Anne Lapour at Career Services for details (737-4085). Space is limited!

Posted by Anne Lapour, Career Counselor Interview_1(1)

Have you ever found yourself wondering, I know there are jobs out there that may be perfect that I’ve never heard of. How do I find them? Most people ask this at one time or another. There are many ways to research occupations, but one of the most effective is: Informational Interviewing.

What is “informational interviewing”, you ask? An informational interview is an interview that you initiate with someone in a field that interests you. You ask the questions, because the purpose is to obtain information. This is one of the best sources for gathering information about what’s happening in an occupation or an industry, because you’re talking to people actually working in the field. You get to interact with someone and have a dialogue—something you can’t do with a computer screen. Informational Interviews allow you to:

explore careers and clarify your career goal
discover employment opportunities that are not advertised
expand your professional network
build confidence for your job interviews
access the most up-to-date career information
identify your professional strengths and weaknesses

Informational interviews can teach you about those mysterious job descriptions you’ve never heard of, and give you insider information about your field of interest. And best of all, they can teach you what kinds of experiences you’ll need to give yourself a leg-up in the job market during these tough economic times!

To conduct an informational interview, follow these steps: 1) Identify the occupation or industry you wish to learn about, 2) Identify People to Interview 3) Prepare for the interview, 4) Arrange the Interview, 5) Follow Up.

More questions? Come to the Career Center and meet with one of our career counselors.

By Linsey Stripling, Career Assistant and OSU Junior

Even if you're a first-year, come and have your resume critiqued!

Career Services is a great resource for every student on campus—from the anxious first year to the exhausted fifth year. There’s just one problem…all the time, I talk to students who DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US!

As a Career Assistant who spends lots of time at Career Services, I have compiled a list of many of our “Hidden Secrets” that every student should know.

Our Location: We are located in B008 in the Basement of the Kerr Administration Building; once you get off the elevator turn right and you can’t miss us.

Drop Ins: We offer drop in hours Monday through Thursday 1pm-4pm. This is the time you can stop by and get advice and tips on how to create your resume and cover letter.

Beaver Job Net: This is our online database for student jobs, internships, and careers.

Mock Interviews: Do you have a job interview coming up? Schedule a practice interview with one of our career counselors and receive feedback on how you presented yourself as a professional, and receive tips on how to improve.

If you are looking for more information on the services that we offer, feel free to visit our website at http://oregonstate.edu/career or you could even stop by our office…now where is that located again?

By: Silver Trujillo, Career Assistant & OSU Junior

Resumes are a crucial piece to finding the job you’re looking for, whether it’s a part time position, or the dream job you’ve always wanted. When asked how their resume is looking, many people reply with, “My resume is great, it doesn’t need any work.” But is any resume ever perfect? There is always room for improvement.

Often times people confuse that question with how much experience they have listed, as opposed to the resume layout and format. A person may have tons of experience, but they may not correctly show it on their resume. A great example is shown below.

Great experience, but not-so-great layout or content:

November-September Sales Associate Prestigious company inc. Corvallis, OR.

Talk to people
Write reports
Check if items are in stock
Show new sales associates how things are done

Great experience, great layout and content:

11/1/05-Present Prestigious Company Inc. Corvallis, OR

Sales Associate

Assist in processing and replenishing merchandise and monitoring floor stock
Participate and contribute to the development of customer relation programs offered to clients, prospects and company employees
Maintain contact with all customers in the market area to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction
Responsible for training new employees by showing them work policies and excellent customer service

Keep in mind that this is one of the many aspects of a resume that can be improved. For more resume tips, follow the link to our career guide.

By: Rachel Erickson, “Career Assistant” and OSU Senior

School is about to start. We all have a lot to do. It’s back to a full load of classes for many of us, finding or returning to

campus jobs, and adjusting to new living arrangements. Starting the job or internship search is usually low on the summer priority list. But if you’re serious about getting an internship or landing an ideal job next summer, it’s important to start now. Many employers actually begin recruiting for their summer positions during the previous fall term. By the end of winter term, many internships are filled.

The good news is that you can start your job or internship search with easy steps. Research the companies in your field to get an idea of the careers they employ, job titles and their descriptions. Examine the desired qualifications in those careers and how they match your own. Find out what careers you are interested in. Find job titles to entry level positions in those careers. Think about the primary geographic areas you plan to live when doing your job or internship, and what options in your field are offered there.

Come down to Career Services and take advantage of opportunities that will help strengthen your job search. Consider doing informational interviews with employers in your field. Attend the workshops in Career Services before the Career Fair to get help on resume writing, effective job search, and interviewing skills. Research the companies you are interested in that will be attending the Career Fair and come up with information about each you can express interest in when speaking to the companies representative at the fair. Sign up for MOCK Interviews to help perfect your interviewing skills before the real deal.

As you can see there is much preparation and not much time to spare. Start your search early. You can also find more tips on preparing for the job/internship process at this website.

And come down to Career Services to make your job or internship search a success!

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The Career Development Center Blog

Explore. Educate. Empower. Engage.

You Want Me to Sit in a Cube? No Thanks.

Last Call!

Career Fair Employers

Are you Interested in Social Justice?

Where do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

Welcome Back!

Informational Interviewing

We do What?!

Resumes: It’s Not Just About Experience

It’s Never too Early

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