May « 2013 « The Career Development Center Blog

Salary negotiation is an important step of the job hunt, especially for recent college graduates – your very first salary sets the bar for your salary for the rest of your career. It’s important to know how to successfully navigate salary negotiation so that you can set your bar at a reasonable level.

The whole process might feel uncomfortable, especially since negotiation isn’t really a big part of our culture like it is in other countries, but just keep in mind that salary negotiation is a normal part of the process. Just be confident and prepare beforehand, realizing that the employer is probably going to start low and expect you to negotiate.

The first thing you should do is figure out the minimum amount you need for living costs: food, rent, transportation, etc. This should be your baseline and while it typically doesn’t directly factor into your negotiations, it’s good to know just for the sake of awareness. Then, do some research on your job and what a typical salary range for your position would be. A good resource for this is the NACE Salary Calculator. This salary range is what you’ll base your salary negotiations on, to make sure you’re receiving at least the market rate based on your position and experience. Come up with your “magic number”, aka your ideal salary that you aim to negotiate towards. It might even be a good idea to bring a hard copy of your research and your salary request to the meeting with the employer.

You should avoid mentioning salary and compensation before receiving an actual job offer, that’s jumping the gun a bit. If the recruiter brings it up prematurely, try to smoothly change the subject to further discussing your qualifications. Once you receive a job offer with an initial salary offer, present your salary research and request. If the employer can’t or won’t meet your magic number, explore the possibility of non-cash compensation to bridge the gap, such as vacation time or benefits. Give them time to think about your counteroffer, they might have to consult with their higher-ups or decide if they even have the budget for your counteroffer. If your counteroffer gets rejected, don’t be disappointed; talk with the employer about what you can do in terms of performance to assure an increase later, or if it’s really a problem then it might be best to politely reject the offer and try again elsewhere.

Lastly, you can always make an appointment with a career counselor to discuss salary negotiation and get deeper into the etiquette and details of the process. Good luck!

References:

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/06/05/8-etiquette-tips-for-salary-negotiation

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeromeyoung/2011/05/11/5-salary-negotiation-tips-that-work/

Posted by Deirdre Newton, Career Services Assistant

Ready to get inspired for your job, internship, or career search? Each month we will spotlight an OSU student that has inspired us when it comes to their career development. Check out their success stories—besides inspiration, they also show that academic major does not have to restrict your goals and that there are many ways to define success.

Want to nominate an OSU student or alum for the Student/Alum Spotlight series? Or do you want to share your own success? Then please fill out this quick form and Career Services will contact the person nominated.

Name: Maria Garcia
Major: Human Development and Family Sciences
Year in school: Senior
Graduate Program: College Student Services Administration (CSSA)

1. Tell us about yourself (include your background, career goals/aspirations, etc.).

I am a first generation student who comes from an agricultural family. I was introduced to the idea of Student Affairs as a career from one of my mentors during my first year as an undergraduate. I loved the idea of working with students who come from marginalized groups and providing the support that they need to succeed in college/higher education. I hope to one day work within student recruitment, orientation and retention and provide students the resources they need.

2. How did you decide to apply to grad school and what did you do in your undergrad to make you a strong applicant?

I applied to graduate school because the thought of having to look for a job after I finished my undergraduate scared me. I feel like I need the specific information that only a program, such as CSSA, can provide. I also really liked the cohort model and ability to have assistantships and internships as I completed my master’s.

I can definitely say that I took the extra time to put myself in different experiences that would shape my ability to work with others as a whole. I volunteered my time at the local elementary and high school and ensured that I was involved on campus. My two main jobs as an undergraduate also shaped my opportunity to learn as I engaged with others at the OSU Writing Center and the Campus Visitor Center. Two of my internships at the Dean of Student Life at OSU, and the Independent Living Program at the Corvallis Community Consortium, influenced me to help others who might need extra help.

3. What advice do you have for others when it comes to their career search and ways to find out their passion?

Explore! Go out and try new things. Sounds easy, but you will only know what you like and don’t like if you give it a shot. You also have to prioritize stuff when it becomes too much or have additional responsibilities.

4. Did Career Services assist you anyway? If so, how?

Career Services was part of my success in the process of filling out my application! Initially I worked with Jessica Baron on my resume, and later on established a partnership with Jen Busick to work on my essays. I found it amazing to work with Career Services because they were flexible and willing to help. My appointments were also very personalized to my needs and was able to be very productive.

Thanks Maria for being our Student Spotlight! If you are interested in graduate school there are many resources available to you on the OSU Career Services website, including a specific section on graduate and professional school. Be sure to check it out!

To view this job/internship listing, you must be a currently registered OSU student and have an existing Beaver JobNet account. If you are eligible and do not have an account, register now. Beaver JobNet is a great way to get your job or internship search started. Meet employers from a variety of organizations.

Job/Internship of the Week
Walt Disney World College Program
Agriculture Sciences Walt Disney World

Description:

The Agricultural Sciences Professional Internship Program is designed to provide qualified college students with the opportunity for hands-on work experience in the unique growing areas that are part of Living with The Land, an agricultural attraction at Epcot®.

Responsibilities:
In addition to maintaining the show quality of our growing areas, aquaculture systems and biotechnology lab, interns will spend a significant amount of time leading informative and interactive Guest tours through our facilities, along with promoting and selling these tours. Additional training sessions, classes and meetings will be scheduled throughout the semester. Other duties vary by discipline:

Aquaculture
Operate a recirculating freshwater aquaculture facility. Monitor filtration systems and water quality, assist in diagnosis and control of disease, and raise fish to marketable size for Walt Disney World® restaurants.

Biotechnology
Maintain a tissue culture production facility. Prepare media and culture a wide variety of plants. Then, collect, package and deliver the tissue-cultured plants to Epcot® merchandise locations.

Entomology
Become an integral part of The Land’s Integrated Pest Management program. Rear and maintain insect colonies, release beneficial insects into greenhouse crops, and maintain entomology-related shows.

Plant Science
Maintain a high-quality show of hydroponically-grown food crops from around the globe. Seed, transplant, irrigate and prune plants; harvest produce for Epcot® restaurants; rake, sweep, and provide general cleanup of greenhouses.

For more information check out the posting in Beaver JobNet.

May 23^rd is National Lucky Penny Day. We are sure you have heard the phrase “see a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.” Well, that is the theme of National Lucky Penny Day! Common activities include walking and looking for pennies, and researching the history of the Penny. Fundraising has a lot to do with luck –speaking to the right people at the right time –but there is a good deal of strategy involved, as well. Here are some things to think about when you are fundraising for your group, event, or start up business.

A great source of funding is securing a sponsor or an investor. Ask for money –it seems so simple. The important things to remember when asking someone to fund your mission are to be knowledgeable, flexible, and creative. Know your goals and be confident in them. You need to sound like you are operating a well-oiled machine and instill confidence in whoever you are pitching to. Your pitch needs to be creative and engaging but not harsh. You should of course be tough and determined, but be adaptable and respectful too. You want to show them you value their time, but you want to show them you value your own time as well.

It’s important to be ready for any questions, but you do not need to come up with an answer for everything –be realistic. According to consultant Paul Graham, one question you do not have to answer is “how much money are you trying to raise?” You do not need to have a fixed number. You should tell them there are different options depending on how much they are willing to give or different routes the venture could take depending on how much money you obtain. The message should be, “we will succeed no matter what, but we will do it faster or better if we have more money.”

In fundraising it is important to keep learning what works and what does not. In working with sponsors or investors, get over rejection quickly, learn from it, and go in again stronger. With other projects, take note of things that seem to be a better fit for your donors and your company. Keep the ideas flowing. It’s important not to put all your trust into one funding project, but there is a point at which you can have too many. You need to be in complete control of your funding plans, and not being able to contribute a significant amount of time to them will cause them to fail.

For the smaller groups, there are many exciting fundraisers you can do through a simple Google search which will produce infinite results and ideas. It is great to try things that are unique –the car wash and the bake sale do not promote excitement like they used to. Creating funny fundraisers will encourage people to invest in your group or mission just because they trust you are innovative and organized. Some of my favorite new ideas I found within a moment of my search were “capturing” an individual who has to raise “bail” to be released, or planting plastic flamingo’s in a company’s or a family’s yard with a note saying you will remove them for a fee, and put them in another yard of their choosing. The possibilities are endless.

It is important to make appropriate sacrifices when you are fundraising. You are expecting others to give up their funds to you, so it is fitting that you will give some things up, as well. Do not hesitate to put a little of yourself into your own project or group –be willing to give up your cup of Starbucks for a while and put that money to your mission. Or be willing to put your time into a rent-me-as-your worker fundraiser. Do what you can to connect yourself to your goal. In doing this, you are building trust with others and inspiring them to contribute. Donors are essentially giving to YOU.

Hopefully you had a little luck this Penny Day and picked up a few. But for the rest of your funding needs, consider what options are out there, and remember the tips we shared.

Resources:

http://www.paulgraham.com/fundraising.html

http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/national_lucky_penny_day.html

http://www.signupgenius.com/nonprofit/50-creative-and-easy-fundraising-ideas.cfm

http://www.franklycurious.com/index.php?itemid=1043

Posted by Casey Anderson, Career Services Assistant

Graduation is fast approaching for many at Oregon State, and with friends here and elsewhere attaining jobs, you may find yourself worrying and stressing over your lack of opportunities, or perhaps over your lack of a life goal in general. To you, the directionless majority, I am here to say, “Don’t worry. Stop stressing. Enjoy the ride.”

You have spent the last 4 years of your life attending class, studying for exams, and writing papers, and yet there is a good chance that what you majored in is now vastly different from your life aspirations. This is normal. This is ok.

I graduate next month with a Master’s in History, and yet now, after 4 years spent working towards a Bachelor’s and an additional 2 to get my Master’s, I know categorically that a career centered on History is not for me. This, too, is ok.

While many of us, including myself, are stressing over what our first post-college job will be, know that that job does not need to be the job you have for the remainder of your professional career. It is ok to try jobs outside of your comfort zone or away from your academic discipline. What we have learned in college is important and will continue to shape our personal and professional lives, and yet too often we allow our college education to shape and dictate everything about ourselves, sacrificing our creativity and personality along the way simply in order to obtain that first job that society approves of.

Don’t leave college thinking that your time here at Oregon State was a waste simply because you were unable to relay that newfound diploma into a high paying job. Look back on your time here as an experience in which what you learned outside of the classroom – living on your own, adjusting to a new city, meeting new friends – was just as important in shaping who you are and what you will do, as the courses you took and the pedagogical understanding you gained from them.

And to you, the few and proud who have a post-graduation job lined up, well you shouldn’t be reading this anyway. Get back to work.

Posted by Peter Rumbles, Career Services Assitant

Job/Internship of the Week
Summer Internship Quality Control Lab
CalPortland

Description

Job summary:
Engineering Intern Program: These summer internship assignments are open to students currently enrolled in a college-level Engineering, Concrete Industry Management or Construction Management program and working toward a degree in of these areas.

Duties:
• Assist in routine and non-routine analyses of in-process materials, raw materials, environmental samples, finish good and stability samples.
• Calibrate , validate or maintain laboratory equipment.
• Compile laboratory test data and peform appropriate analyses under supervision.
• Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures including data capture forms, equipment logbooks or inventory forms.
• Perform validations and transfers of analytical methods in accordance with policies and guidelines.
• Contribute to process-improvement studies.
• Assist with field testing and customer interface.
• Complete other project management assignments as needed at the ready mix plants and shops regarding productivity, maintenance, inventory and process-improvements

Education:
Junior level student in Engineering, Concrete Industry Management or Construction Management discipline.

Requirements/Qualifications:
• Academic success
• A passion for the Industry
• Geographic flexibility
• Demonstrated Leadership

Preferred:
• Any experience with SAP ERP System.
• Any industry specific certifications and training, i.e., ACI Concrete Field Testing

For more information on how to apply, check out the posting in Beaver JobNet.

Greetings from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!

Just a few short months ago, I applied for an internship here at Disney World at the Disney College Program. I completed a web-based application and was then scheduled a phone interview. My head was spinning with confusion after the phone interview was scheduled, because I had never done an interview over the phone before. I have a very outgoing, cheerful personality, and I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to relay those characteristics over the phone.

I sat down with my roommates here at Disney World and talked to them about their own phone interviews and some tips they would give to those preparing for an interview over the phone.

If you already have a phone interview set-up, or are in search of a job where you could potentially have an interview over the phone, here are some tips from our Disney College Program experiences to ensure that you are successful:

Make notes ahead of time & take notes during: My roommates, Maddie and Amanda, say writing down potential questions and answers before the interview proved to be most beneficial to them. They both wrote down short bullet points in regards to common interview questions such as “Why are you applying for this internship?” and “What would you say your number one skill is?” This can be helpful in all interviews, however, over the phone you have an advantage and are able to have the notes in front of you, so making sure they are well written and thought out can be helpful. Dana Schwartz, of Come Recommended Blog, also suggests using a hands-free device in order to take notes on important key points during the interview.
Call a friend ahead of time to practice your interview on the phone: Being on the phone forces a barrier between you and the person on the other line. Something that my roommates and I all did was call a friend and have them ask us potential questions, not only to practice responding to the questions, but also to see how our voices sounded and were coming off over the phone. This can also be beneficial if you have a phone interview scheduled early in the morning, like I did. If your voice tends to be fairly scratchy when you wake up, waking up an hour or two before the scheduled interview time to call a friend and practice can relieve that scratchiness in your voice. (I called a friend the night before to practice, but didn’t call anyone the morning of my interview, so I hadn’t talked to anyone yet and my voice was still a little scratchy. It was frustrating to me throughout the interview, as I’m sure it was for my interviewer as well.)
Treat it like an in-person interview: Without the interviewer physically with you, it can be easy to lose that sense of professionalism. Dressing up as you would for an in-person interview can boost your confidence and ensure you are not losing that professionalism. The Come Recommended Blog also states that using a hands-free device can additionally allow you to use gestures that you normally would, helping you feel more natural and comfortable while on the phone.

In addition to phone interviews, our modern advances in technology have also caused a rise in interviews conducted over Skype. Skype interviews allow you to showcase a little more than phone interviews, but there are still some key tips to keep in mind:

Being familiar with proper webcam etiquette, such as looking at the camera rather than the screen and sitting up straight
Speaking slowly and clearly because of freezes and stalls that webcams sometimes endure
Being in a location with few visual distractions for the interviewer, such as a room with a solid background behind you

Whether you have a phone or Skype interview scheduled, or may have one in the future, the most important thing, like during in-person interviews, is to relax and be yourself! You want the interviewer to get a sense of who you are and how you will fit in with their company. On the phone and over Skype it may be a little more difficult, but with these tips and the right preparation, you will be just as successful as if you were in-person!

OSU Career Services offers a convenient room and webcam set-up if you need a place for your phone or Skype interview!

Reference:
Come Recommended Blog

Posted by Erica Evans, Career Services Assistant and currently interning at Walt Disney World in the Disney College Program

Job/Internship of the Week
KIND University Ambassador
KIND Snacks

Description:

KIND Healthy Snacks is seeking outgoing, charismatic people to join our team of KIND University Brand Ambassadors!

About Us: KIND Healthy Snacks is the company behind KIND Fruit & Nut, KIND PLUS and KIND Healthy Grains. KIND was founded on the principle of holistic kindness, and is proud to create new paths that avoid false compromises. Instead of “Or” KIND says “And”: healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome, economically sustainable and socially impactful. KIND’s award-winning products and civic initiatives all stem from its desire to make this world a little kinder. In this spirit, the aspiration is for KIND to be not just a great brand of healthy snacks and foods, but a community and state of mind. (To learn more, please visit www.kindsnacks.com).

Roles and Responsibilities:
• Research, coordinate and host marketing events relevant to the brand and to the campus, partnering with like minded student organizations & local companies
• Seed and develop relationships with market/student influencers, ultimately leading to increased brand visibility
• Strategic coordination and execution of sampling initiatives, reaching students where they live, work, play and shop
• Development of strategic programming, resulting in increased brand trial and visibility
• Collaboration with Field Marketing Manager to determine market level goals on and off campus
• Assess and negotiate local media opportunities
• Communication of success stories, key learnings and other activities to marketing and sales management
• Timely planning and reporting
• Do unexpected acts of kindness for others

For more information on how to apply, check out the posting in Beaver JobNet.

Is there a specific company within your area of interest you have always dreamed about working for? Are you ready to start taking the necessary steps to get your foot in the door?

Than follow these tips of advice and you will be heading in the right direction to land that dream job!

Confidence is key! Whenever you are looking for a job and even more so when it is a job that you are very interested in it can be scary, but don’t take yourself out of the mix before it’s even started. Believing in yourself and your abilities and actually take the steps to apply. Of course it can be intimidating applying to a large company or an organization you have dreamed about, but take the chance!

Networking: Most jobs that are available are not posted anywhere; individuals refer those they know to contact the individual in charge of the open position. That is why it is incredibly important to build professional relationships and connections with those within your field and at the company you hope to work at.

This is the first step and one of the most important! Start setting up Informational Interviews and connect with those already in the field.

A Good Fit: Make sure that you research the company you are hoping to gain a job at; you may think that the job is perfect for you but the environment also has to be a good fit. If you get an interview ask the current employees what they like the most about working there and what their favorite part of the job is, this will give you insight into the environment and nature of the company.

Meet the Necessary Qualifications: In order to be suited for the job you have to have necessary experience and qualification or at least be able to speak to how your skills can transfer to the job responsibilities. Do your research on the background of current employees at the company; if their experience matches yours, you are likely to be more qualified for the job. Looking at the minimum qualifications will tell you right away whether you will be given an opportunity or if you need to gain more experience or different credentials.

Check out these References for additional tips:

http://www.lindseypollak.com/archives/how-to-get-a-job-with-your-dream-employer

http://blog.linkedin.com/2012/10/17/how-to-get-a-job-with-your-dream-employer/

https://sumigni.com/how-to-land-a-job-with-your-dream-employer/

Posted by Ciara Lynn, Career Services Intern

Job/Internship of the Week
Norm Thompson Outfitters
Design and Product Development Intern-Apparel

Description:

Design & Product Development Intern- Apparel

Position Summary:
Intern will participate in design projects, attend fit sessions and assist with general product development and quality assurance tasks.

Responsibilities:
• Observe and shadow apparel and tech designers and product developers in all aspects of product design, development and quality assurance
• Attend design review meetings with various departments
• Assist with design conceptualization and follow through
• Assist with garment measuring and construction review
• Assist with lab dip process
• Attend and participate in fit sessions
• Some administrative duties as assigned
• Exhibit professional conduct in all business relationships, actions and communications

Education, Training and Skills Required:
• Preferred academic major in apparel design, product development, apparel production or merchandising
• Experience in fashion or apparel environment
• Ability to work well in a collaborative environment
• Proficient in PC use and applications, including the use of Excel and Adobe
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills

For more information on how to apply, check out the posting in Beaver JobNet.

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The Career Development Center Blog

Explore. Educate. Empower. Engage.

Monthly Archives: May 2013

Tips for Salary Negotiation

Student/Alum Spotlight – Maria Garcia

Job/Internship of the Week-Agriculture Sciences Walt Disney World

Lucky Penny Day – Fundraising Tips for Your Venture

Stop and Smell the Flowers

Job/Internship of the Week-CalPortland

Preparing for the Phone or Skype Interview

Job/Internship of the Week- KIND Snacks

How to land a job with your dream employer!

Job/Internship of the Week-Design and Product Development Intern-Apparel

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