Career Services Update - week of April 28!

 

* Congratulations – You'll notice 2 new boats on our job board this week!  Congratulations to Erica Gallant and Amanda Guiggey!  Erica has accepted a position with the Holiday Inn in Bangor.  Amanda will also be working in Bangor, for The Bangor Federal Credit Union.  Congratulations, ladies!  Anxious to find YOUR job?  Each Monday, the Career Services office provides the weekend classified sections of the Morning Sentinel, the Maine Sunday Telegram, and The Bangor Daily News.  Please feel free to come in to see if there are any opportunities that interest you!

 

* Mark your calendar – The UMF Education Fair is taking place this week!  The fair is Wednesday, April 30, from 1-4 in the Dearborn Gymnasium.  Students - please REGISTER for this fair.  It is an easy on-line process.  Over 50 employers are participating!

 

* Hot off the press!  - The NACE salary survey has just arrived.  If you are curious about how graduates in your field are faring, stop by the office!

 

* Contest News - This is your last chance to enter - the drawing will be held Friday, May 2.  Click to learn more about our April contest. 

 

*  Employers understand their target audience - Just how well do employers understand the students they are recruiting?  Pretty well, apparently.  When asked to list the criteria by which students judge potential employers, respondents listed opportunity for advancement, job duties, and salary at the top.  That's fairly close to how students ranked the criteria they use to evaluate employers in NACE's 2002 Graduating Student & Alumni Survey.  In that survey, responding students ranked opportunity for advancement at the top, followed by good benefits and continuing education, then job duties and salary.  (See table below.)

As has been the case in the past, employers and students don't agree on the importance students place on benefits.  Although benefits ranked second on students' list, employers rated it at number eight, behind integrity and stability of the organization.  In fact, just 16% of employers said good benefits were among the top three criteria students use to evaluate employers.

Employer View	Student View*
Opportunity for advancement	Opportunity for advancement
Job duties	Good benefits
Salary offer	Continuing education
Continuing education	Job duties
Geographic location	Salary offer
Integrity of organization	Geographic location
Stability of organization	Integrity of organization
Good benefits	Stability of organization
Personnel they’ll work with	Ethical business practices
Ethical business practices	Personnel they’ll work with
Casual atmosphere	Embraces diversity
Recognized name	Casual atmosphere
Embraces diversity	Social conscience
Signing bonus	Recognized name
Social conscience	Size of organization
Large corporation	Signing bonus

 

* Source:  NACE 2002 Graduating Student & Alumni Survey

 

 

* Interview tips - The THANK YOU LETTER!  This is one of the most important yet least used tools in a job search.  It is used to establish goodwill, to express appreciation, and/or to strengthen your candidacy.  The basic rule of thumb is that everyone who helps you in any way gets a thank-you letter.  When used to follow up on employment interviews, thank-you letters should be sent within 24 hours to everyone who interviewed you.  If it is not possible or appropriate to send a thank-you letter to everyone you met during the interview, then send a thank-you letter to your host or to the highest ranking manager you met with a request to extend your appreciation to the entire group.  Also, be sure to send thank-you letters to each of your contacts who granted you information interviews and to people who provided references for you. (NACE 2003, Planning Job Choices)

 

* Weekly humor -

 

A man asked his wife what she'd like for her 40th birthday.

"I'd love to be six again," she replied.

On the morning of her birthday, he got her up bright and early and off they went to a local theme park. What a day! He put her on every ride in the park: the Death Slide, the Screaming Loop, the Wall of Fear, everything there was!

Wow!

Five hours later she staggered out of the theme park, her head reeling and her stomach upside down. Right to a McDonald's they went, where her husband ordered her a Happy Meal along with extra fries and a refreshing chocolate shake. Then, it was off to a movie - the latest Disney and what a fabulous adventure!

Finally, she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed. He leaned over and lovingly asked, "Well, dear, what was it like being six again?"

One eye opened. "You idiot, I meant my dress size."

 

Have a great week!

 

Career Services

Thomas College

Waterville, ME

(207) 859-1106 - phone

(207) 859-1114 - fax