Student Success Center

Did you know that every Tuesday, you can do tai chi for an hour at the University of Michigan-Flint’s Women’s Educational Center (WEC)?

Tai chi is an excellent way to reduce stress and anxiety, according to the Mayo Clinic.

If you are less stressed, you may perform better in work and school.

Tai chi is from 11:15 A.M. to 12:15 P.M. in 213 University Center. Click here to find out more.

The University of Michigan-Flint’s Student Success Center (Career Services) has earned an Out for Work Gold Medal!

Watch updates on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for upcoming Out for Work events, including next week’s career panel.

First off, what is Optimal Resume? Optimal Resume is a great tool to get MORE out of your job search experience. With easy to use resume builders and online interviewing practice tools, this site will help you to develop your marketability and make you more competitive in the job market. Especially with the Winter 2014 Career Fair right around the corner! Learn how to use Optimal Resume to your advantage! This workshop will show you the ins and outs of the software and all the amazing things it can do!

The Optimal Resume workshop will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2014

You have two chances to attend, don’t miss out!

11-12 p.m.  French Hall 329

6-7 p.m. French Hall 110

RSVP now in Career Connection.  Hope to see you there!

The Winter Career Fair has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 16!

Follow umflintadvising social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to learn MORE about the career fair and for continued updates.

It’s never too early to plan to attend the Winter 2014 Career Fair, use Optimal Resume to build dynamic resumes, portfolios, interviews, and websites. Watch a variety of videos that will help you interact with employers. Research the employers so that you can be informed and impress them that you took the time to learn about their organization.

Hope to see you Wednesday, April 16 in Rec Center from Noon – 3 pm!

Since it’s the week of spring break, let’s talk about favorite vacation spots.

Today’s favorite vacation spot story comes from Barb Griffin, Secretary Senior at the Student Success Center.

Barb says her favorite vacation spot is Sedona, Arizona (which was recommended to her by a former student employee):

After vacationing a few days in the Grand Canyon area, we drove to Sedona, Arizona.  The road you travel from the Grand Canyon to Sedona has hairpin curves, winding down and through magnificent and beautiful red rocks.  The best description I could give of Sedona compared to the Grand Canyon would be that you look down  into the Grand Canyon to see the beautiful colors of the mountains.  In Sedona, you are looking up at the gorgeous red rocks that tower high above.  This picturesque city is surrounded by the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen.  Of course spending time with my husband in Sedona and the Grand Canyon made it all the more beautiful.  We are going again this year.

Where was your favorite vacation?

This article, “5 common interview questions –and how to answer them” has some great advice for job seekers. Here are the five questions and one suggestion for each, but you can click on the article link to read more!

1) Tell me about yourself.

Focus on three or four areas within your resume that are relevant to the job posting, but avoid repeating your resume; instead, highlight accomplishments or ways in which the experience will transfer. This is not a question about your personal life.

2) What do you know about the company?

Talk about why you are interested in the company, focusing on background and structure.

3) What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Talk about strengths relevant to the job and only mention one weakness, as well as how you are overcoming it.

4) Why are you leaving your current position/ why do you want this job?

Focus on the positive and what you can do for the employer!

5) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Make sure the recruiter knows you plan to stick with the company.

Comment to share creative answers to these questions, or answers that landed you a job!

When you are ready to apply to grad school, what should you do?

Apply to various schools (most current graduate school applicants agree that 10-12 is a good idea). If at all possible, make sure you research schools well and apply to the ones where your work will fit, not just those that are nearby or obvious for other reasons.

Remember to take the GRE (if your schools required it)! You will want to do this AT LEAST a month before applications are due, preferably two months, and remember to send your scores!

Apply to outside scholarships and fellowships, such as the Fulbright. This, like the first, helps in more than one way. It might help you to be a more competitive applicant, but it will also teach you how to manage multiple fronts and write in a more clear and concise manner.

Contact professors. This is iffy, but if there is a good reason to do it .. like you have read the professor’s work and want to know more or have a (reasonable) request, it might help. I was really nervous and uncertain, but contacting professors helped me to gain confidence and communicate my work.

Here, here, here, and here are some great resources for applying to grad school.

Comment if you have questions about how to find out where your work will fit, or what to do when contacting professors. Or, share what worked for you!

Do you want to get a job?!! Do you want to be prepared the next time you go to an interview? Then attend the University of Michigan-Flint’s Winter 2014 Career Fair with a spotlight on teaching: Wednesday, March 12 at 12 PM! There are a variety of employers looking for employees, from Genesee Stem Academy to Quicken Loans– see the full list here! Also, past attendees have obtained jobs at companies such as Plante Moran, Compuware, and General Motors. Plus, guided tours are available!

So, how DO you stand out at a career fair? Lots of other people are there, probably for the same reason you are – to get a job. Here are some tips for making the most of your Career Fair experience:

1) See it as a networking opportunity. Whether you are new to career fairs or you are an experienced job hunter, you can meet people from various organizations.

2) Dress for the job you want! Don’t wear the same clothes you wear to school, unless what you wear to school is business casual or business professional.

3) Have business cards on hand, just in case the recruiter says they are not taking resumes or to apply online, but you still want to leave your mark.

4) Research the companies and be prepared to talk about how your experience will fit the job.

5) Ask the recruiter for an email address to which you can send your cover letter and resume.

Comment and share what’s made you successful at Career Fairs!

To get MORE great information on applying to jobs, attend the Resumes, Etc. workshops that are going on today from 2:30 – 3:30 in WSW 3203 and 5:30-6:30 in WSW 3145. For the full week’s schedule, visit umflintadvising on Facebook or check your university email.

Intern with the Government event TOMORROW! UCEN, Michigan Rooms, 2 -4 P.M. Click here to learn more.