Weekly Internship Posting

Finance Internship
Burger King Brands, Inc. - Miami, FL

Wildlife Management Internship and Naturalist Internship
Kellogg Biological Station - Augusta, MI

Fitness Internship
CHD Meridian Healthcare, LLC - USA

Finance Internship
Scottrade - Blaine, MN

Management Internship - Culinary
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts - Lake Buena Vista, FL

Student Blogger Roundup

Another great week of posts from Student Bloggers:

Need a guide for student cooking on a budget?
Student Cooking - The Guide [via The Student Finance Blog]

Don't ever cheat!
Cheater's Make me Sad [via Undead Journal]

You think your tuition is high? Check out this list.
Top 100 Colleges By Highest Total Cost [via Campus Grotto]

Why you should probably do more than just smoke pot!
Potheads Go Boom In the Night [via Tales From Your Favorite Resident Assistant]

Everyone should try something new.
I'm Tired of Going to Basement Parties [via Coffee_girl]

Networking 101

Everyone has heard this buzz phrase, "It's not what you know, its who you know" and it is a very true statement indeed. Your grades and major can only get you so far but networking with people can get you a step closer to the job and career you desire.

Why Network?

When you're finally in the work place you'll soon realize that you don't go walking around with your major and GPA tattooed on your forehead. Interacting with people at your company is an often over looked aspect of your job and it can either make or break your career. Same goes in college. The more people you get to know and get along with in the job industry the easier it will be to find a job. A recommendation from someone working in the company will go a long way.

Where do you Network?

As a college student, there are many opportunities to speak with professionals. Heck, most professionals come to you and actually are looking for the opportunity to talk to college students to get a sense of the next generation of their work force. Many academic student groups organize either career nights or an informational session where a professional comes in and talk about their careers. Look to your university's career services to put these events together as well. Career fairs are also a great place to speak with recruiters and if you start early, you'll get to know them real well by the time you're actually looking for an internship or a job.

How do you Network?

So you've finally gotten the chance to walk up to someone and start networking but you're thinking, what do I say without looking stupid? First and foremost, don't forget to introduce yourself. It's a simple way of getting the conversation going. Find out more about their job and talk about some the class projects you've worked on or what would interest you in a career. What you're going for is finding the right chemistry and hoping that they sense it too. If they offer you a business card and opens up the opportunity to email him or her in the future for career advice then you're in the prefect position to develop a relationship.

Granted not all networking situations work out and don't expect to get business cards from everyone you meet but stay determined and network as much as possible. You'll gain good experience learning to interact with people out of college and hopefully a leg up on everyone else.

Interviewing with a Low GPA

Getting an interview spot with a low GPA is no easy task but getting through the interviews requires a bit more preparation. Not only do you have to prepare for the typical interview questions, you have to prepare yourself for this:

We've noticed you have a low GPA, would you like to explain it?

No Excuses

There is no real good excuse to have a low GPA, so don't think that pitching an excuse will do you any good. Death in the family? Should have talked to an academic advisor to hold your grades and drop out of school if needed as not to damage your GPA. What can work is honesty. If its due to bad study skills or unexpected standards of a college curriculum then you should be open and up front about it.

Weakness into Strength

Now that you and your recruiter have realized you have some not so great qualities on your resume, its time to turn a weakness into a strength. Think of this as an opportunity to explain how you've improved since hitting your low point in college and how it will help you become a professional in the future. If you've improved your study skills and have accelerated in certain key classes important in your major, make sure to point that out. You want the recruiter to feel comfortable that you've learned your lesson and are working to get your GPA back up. What a recruiter doesn't want to see is someone who is failing and hasn't made the choice to change and continue to fail.

Prove It

A recruiter can not deny your improvement if you bring them some solid proof such as a college transcript. Some recruiters will ask for this up front but only concentrate on the overall GPA. Be sure to bring a copy and really point out that you are improving in core classes and that your low GPA does not handicap you in any way. If you really want to wow the recruiter, you can always request a letter of recommendation from a professor in your major to vouch your academic improvement and your success as a professional.

Getting to Sleep Faster

Getting rest is an important part of being productive the next day but sometimes when you're up late and know you have to get to sleep soon for an early morning exam you realize that trying to get to sleep early is easily said than done. Here are some tips to getting to sleep quickly.

Tips For Getting to Sleep Faster & Sleep Better [via To-Done]

Weekly Internship Posting

Internship
HEICO Aerospace Corporation - Hollywood, FL

Internship
United Health Group - Duluth, GA

Financial Services Internship
UBS - Newport Beach, CA

Internship
CBS Corporation - New York, NY

Internet Advertising Internship
LogicalSolutions.net - Rochester, NY

Student Bloggers Roundup

Another great week of posts from Student Bloggers:

Not sure what you're going to do for a living with your major? Sometimes your career can be just a conversation away.
Awesome! [via We Don't Eat Lint Here]

Thinking of starting a business venture and needs some tips on online marketing?
Online Marketing for Dummies [via Teresa Wu]

Having a great community near your college is a plus but do you think yours is great?
Community: Love it or Hate it? [via F1lm School]

This for you hard core computer science people out there!
Coder's Block [via The ByteBaker]

And I have to agree, never stop blogging.
Shutting Down My Blog [via Paul Stamatiou]

The Reality of Career Fairs

Many schools typically put on multiple career fairs a year providing the opportunity to students to apply for internships and jobs. However, the success rate most students have with finding a position through a career fair is quite low. For example a university will have on average 50 companies show up to their career fair each trying to fill on average one or two positions. Now if we assume that they are planning to hire someone out of that particular university that’s 50 to 100 positions available to any students attending the career fair. Typically 2,000 students will attend a career fair and submit their resume to recruiters. Assuming 100 positions are available to students, only 5% of those students will end up with a position. Though this is a rough estimate, the reality is that many students will not be able to solely use career fairs to find a job or internship.

What then is the point of attending a career fair? Networking. Career fairs will give you an opportunity to meet face to face with recruiters and learn more about the company. Even though you may not be able to get a position with a certain company, that doesn’t mean other positions won’t open at the same company. By using the career fair success strategies, you will be able to turn the recruiter into a contact for the future. Being able to provide contact information during an interview process will further enhance your prospects.

Though there is no guarantee towards getting a job or internship, you can still make the career fair experience a productive one.

High Unemployment Rate Impacts Students

As the national economy is slowing, it is only natural for the job market to slow down as well. For those of you who are planning on graduating soon, prepare for a competitive job market and be flexible. Here are a few good points from a recent university article:

• Graduating students will be competing with those who have been recently laid off increasing the stakes
• Students will need to look outside their comfort zone and need to be willing to relocate
• Be as proactive as possible during your job search
• Undergrads may be in a better position as companies are always looking too keeping their pipeline young
• Your first job may not be your ultimate job

High Unemployment Rate Impacts Students [via The California Aggie]

Finance Tips for College Students

With how volatile the economy has been lately, everyone should be looking at their finances to make sure to stay out of debt and managing their cash efficiently. Get Rich Slowly has some great tips for college students in regards to managing their money for college and personal life.

27 Money Tips for College Students [via Lifehacker]

Weekly Internship Posting

Disney Interactive Media Group Summer Internship
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts - North Hollywood, CA

Marketing Internship
Pageflakes - San Francisco, CA

Film Research Internship
Sony Pictures - New York, NY

College Financial Representative Internship
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network - Englewood, CO

Graduate Student Internship
Monsanto - Woodland, CA

Student Blogger Roundup

Another great week of posts at Student Bloggers:

Attending office hours is always a productive way to get ahead in class but these are 4 ways to make them unproductive.
Four Ways to Annoy a Professor When Asking for Help (And Four Things You Should Do Instead) [via Study Hacks]

For anyone that is studying abroad this year, this is a good post on getting over home sickness.
What a Feeling... [via Living the Life... of a College Student]

I know that actually looking for internships can be hard but it looks like there's a site being developed that could solve our problems.
World, meet my startup-to-be [via Jessica Mah Meets World]

There is nothing worse than bad student leaders!
How to Deal with (Incompetent) Student Leader [via Hack College]

You're going to have plenty of decisions to make between now and graduation. Learn how to decide.
Deciding How to Decide [via The Student Leader Think Tank]

Why the Interview and What to Expect

So you made the resume cut and you've been offered the interview, but really why have one at all? Let's put it this way, a resume can only tell them so much about you and a hiring manager already know you made the technical cut based on your resume. What they don't know is what your personality is like and how it would fit in their company culture. So walk into the interview with self confidence knowing you made the cut. Now what can you expect at an interview?

Your Resume in Depth

Even though a recruiter can read your resume, there's just something about hearing it from the horse's mouth. This is not too test you to see if you lied on your resume, which RedSprouts never supports, but to provide the chance to ask more questions about what is listed on your resume. I would advise reading your resume over before the interview to make sure you remember what is listed so you don't get caught off guard with any questions.

Behavioral/Technical Questions

I would consider this the real meat of the interview where the interviewer wants to know more about how you tick. Expect questions on teamwork, strenghts/weaknesses, leadership, and confrontation. For those of us with a low GPA, expect a question about why your GPA is low. For certain job positions, especially in the technical field, expect technical questions such as solving certain problems or explaining your position on current events. Even if the questions seem impossible, make the best attempt you can because sometimes the questions aren't designed too be solved but rather to see how you solve the problem.

Company Information

This is your chance to get more information about the company and the position you're applying for. Additionally it provides the oppurtunity to ask the interviewer questions. Don't forget to have a list of questions before entering the interview!

Interview Series - A Recent Graduate's Job Searching Experience

A new addition to RedSprouts this week is an interview with a recent graduate who is hoping to start a new career. RedSprouts will be posting interviews on other topics in the coming future.

Max is a recent graduate with a dual degree in chemical engineering and material sciences. He recently shared his job searching experiences with RedSprouts.

Red Sprouts (RS): Did you start job searching before graduating ?

Max: Yes i did. In fact, I started pretty much at the start of senior year because all of the [chemical engineering] companies were recruiting then. I used school resources for my job search and landed some on-campus interviews and even a couple of second on-site interviews. But I ended up either not having much luck on them or I messed up during my interviews.

RS: Did you adjust your job searching strategy once you graduated?

Max: As the school year wore on, one of my coworkers mentioned another site I should also look at in addition to [school resources], and that was for government jobs. It was usajobs.com and they have a lot of listings, even more so than [the school resources]. I probably should have realized it before, but I should not have been very dependent on [school resources] and instead add my search on other job sites like Craigslist, Monster, and CareerBuilder.

RS: Did you find the job listings on these sites to be genuine?

Max: Most of them, yes, even though over half of the positions listed required 5+ years of experience.

RS: Were there any entry level job postings?

Max: A few. You have to search for it in the search criteria, or else they won't show up and all you get is "process engineer, needs 15+ years experience, [Professional Engineers License] preferred" or other things like that.

RS: Out of the job positions you applied for how many did you get responses for?

Max: Not very many. Probably around 1%. I think I actually did apply to at least 100 jobs and I got maybe 2 responses for further action, like an interview.

RS: What have you found to the be the most frustrating process of job searching?

Max: I think the number one thing is my lack of training. For example, I've seen so many companies ask for [chemical engineers] that know autoCAD and even computer programming but that's in rare cases.

RS: What have you done differently as part of your job search?

Max: I've expanded my horizons a little and looking into possible backup plans.

RS: Please elaborate.

Max: I'm pretty much looking for almost anything. A couple weeks ago, I applied to [the San Francisco Municipal Railway] and the [San Francisco] unified school district. One of my backup plans was to be a teacher, so I was looking into that and the programs available in my area for a credential. I also wanted to end my lack of employment, so one of my friends suggested working at a part-time job. Since my job search has slowed down, I might as well keep myself sharp by working.

RS: Where are you currently employed?

Max: I actually start next Tuesday at Starbucks!

RS: What advice would you give to any potential new job seekers?

Max: Make sure you know what you want to do, and go do it. Say you want to work in a particular field; look up all the companies that have to do with that field and apply to all the positions you think you would like to do. All companies have a lot of opportunities available, but it's also important to show them why you are the best candidate, and that's where career counselors and career literature come in.

RS: Who have you used as a career counselor?

Max: That's a tough one, because I didn't actually use one, but I did go to an interview workshop and that helped tremendously. Just working on body language, appearance, enthusiasm, and all the other important things in an interview helped a lot. Bookstores like Borders or Barnes & Noble usually sell books on career and interview improvement.

RedSprouts would like to thank Max for his time and wishes him good luck in his job search.

Surviving a Pop Quiz

The dreaded words of any classroom, Pop Quiz! Everyone's been caught off guard before but how can you get through one without failing? StudentHacks has a great guide on surviving a pop quiz even if you have no idea what's going on.

How to Survive a Pop Quiz (When you Don't Have a Clue) [via StudentHacks]

Weekly Internship Posting

Marketing Internship
Philadelphia Insurance Companies - Tigard, OR

Internship
PLUS Entertainment - New York, NY

Student Internship
Amerisure - US

Spring Internship 2009 - Finance
Liz Claiborne - New York, NY

Research Internship
Climate Lab - Washington, DC

Student Blogger Roundup

Another great week of posts from Student Blogger.

It's always nice to learn more about another major and what it takes to get a degree.
Tales of a Student Producer [via IWriteWithPictures]

One method of completing to do's called Getting Things Done or GTD is a very effective way to organize your tasks. I have used this method before and it really does help organize your life. This is a highly recommended method.
Getting Things Done for College Students...Made Easy [via StudyHacks]

Racism is played out in this country on an every day basis and it is interesting to understand ones ethnicity take on working in the professional world.
Black at VT [via BlackTieLounge]

I admit that I am procrastinator at times and well if you're going to do it, you might as well get some entertainment.
8 Sites To Help Every College Student Procrastinate [via Broke Grad Student]

Who hasn't sent out an email in anger before? This is a great way to avoid that.
Stop Sending Mail You Later Regret [via Gmail Blog]

Job Search Engine Review - The Job Source

I ran into a job searching website that concentrates primarily on entry level positions and internships. The site differentiates itself from Monster and Career Builder by gearing towards recent graduates who are just starting their career. This is a great idea but the the site is still filled with many non entry level positions and old job postings that should be filtered out. This site is still worth using though use with caution.

The Job Source

The Resume - Format

Understanding the basics of a resume is important, but putting it all together on a piece of paper is a whole other story. Below is a guide towards the formatting basics:

Font Type and Size

If you want a recruiter to take you seriously, use proper font on your resume. Using cute font will make you look immature and not ready to enter the professional world. Stick with Times New Roman, Arial, or Tahoma and you'll be just fine. Font sizes will always be dependent on how much content you have in your resume. The more content you start putting on the smaller the font should be but keep in mind that it still needs to be readable. If you find that your resume is lacking and looking sparse; playing with the font sizes can create some more volume. Stick with a font size between 10 and 14. Anything smaller than 10 can be very hard to read and anything over 14 can create more void than you want.

Using Bolds

Bolding should be used as a way to separate sections in your resume. Every new section such as Objective, Education, Experience, and so forth should be bold as to help organize the flow of information. What you don't want to do is over bold items which will take away from the organization. The section worth bolding sub sections is the Experience section. Bolding each item in your Experience section will draw attention to those items of importance.

Bullets

I recommend starting your first resume by using bullets as a way for organizing information under the Experience section. Each item you list, either an internship or club activity should have at least 3 bullet items underneath. The more information you can list under each section the more information the recruiter will have to make a decision.

Spell Check!

Last by not least, avoid simple mistakes by spell checking and proof reading your resume over and over again.

As your resume changes over time so will your format, so make sure to update your resume and stay flexible with formatting. You can also use a resume template to start out as well and adjust it based on your needs.

Online Medical Advice

Let's face it, when you're busy with school sometimes you don't even have time to go to the doctor's office. I had a very good phone relationship with my doctor for the better part of my college life. Visiting sites like Web MD for medical advice helped but browsing through the site and trying to understand all the medical terms didn't help the headache you were already having. If you're looking for a medical advice site that won't confuse you, then take a visit at Go Ask Alice! This is a great site to ask Alice, aka Columbia staff, questions anonymously and get a great answer that won't have you running to Wikipedia.

Go Ask Alice! [via LifeHacker]

Weekly Internship Posting

Finance Internship
Assurant - Milwaukee, WI

Internship
Saint Mary's Health Care - Grand Rapids, MI

Engineering Internship
Terracon - Kansas

Marketing Communications Specialist Internship
IBM - Somers, IA

Marketing Internship
Kaplan - Chicago, IL

Student Blogger Roundup

Another great week of posts from Student Bloggers:

I've always felt that the internet takes away from a student's productivity with so many distractions on the web.
Whatever it Takes [via Erik Smetana]

I'm all about saving money on textbooks but this is just too funny!
Textbook Underworld and stalking girl [via Philosophiae Agonistes]

I know school just started not too long ago but if you're already behind on your work, these are some good tips:
Oh No! I'm Behind - 5 Steps to Getting Back on Track [via Univeristy Scholar]

I'm an engineer, and I'm glad we know how to have fun.
Engineers have more Fun [via Coffee_Girl]

Finally, with the debates tonight, I felt it was appropriate to learn some lessons from the politicians.
Things Politicians Do In Debates That You Should Avoid When Writing [via School is Hard]

We Compare Books Review

Following an earlier post on textbook search engines, is a review of a site called We Compare Books. The home page is very simple with a search bar that gets straight to the point. A simple search under "Chemistry" brings me to a list of books though of course using the advanced search function would probably help narrow things down. Once you found the book you want, the site kicks into gear and gives you the best price available. Now if you're curious about the other vendor's prices, that information is also available. The priced link takes you directly to the seller making the purchasing experience fast. What is also neat about this site is that it provides a blog that posts articles such as how to not buy books but still have access to them or what an ISBN really is. This makes We Compare Books a unique site by combining a textbook search engine and an informative blog.