Career Center Pathways Fall 2011

1. Career Pathways
www.utdallas.edu/career
Volume 10 | Issue 1 Fall | 2011
Ready for a Webcam Interview?
Six Tips to Help You Prepare
by Matt Berndt
1. Know your technology: up and move around during your
Whether you are using Skype, webcam interview. They can see
ooVoo, Google WebChat, or you and everything you do.
one of the other webcam chat
4. Manage your image:
apps avilable for your computer
Dress the part! This means you
or smartphone, make sure you
and everything in view of your
know how to use the app and
webcam. The image you project
its features. The day of your
on your webcam is a combination
interview is the wrong time to
of you and your surroundings,
learn how to use the application!
and you control ALL of this.
Don’t wait until the last minute.
Take a look at yourself in your webcam communication.
Download the app now and start
webcam. What you see is what
getting comfortable using it. 6. Have a “Plan B”: You can
the employer will see. Make sure
2. Control your light from a nearby window is do everything right and be
environment: Eliminate all not washing out your picture. as prepared as possible and
distractions! Rommates, pets, Remember, you control the sometimes technology just fails
boyfriends and girlfriends, parents camera, how it is positioned and to do what it is supposed to
- ask them to leave you alone. the image it captures. Manage do. Make sure you know your
Twitter and Facebook accounts, that image. interviewer’s phone number and
your Pandora account and your email address. Have both ready
5. Double-check your in case you need to use them. At
iPod - turn them off.
connection: Wireless the first sign of trouble, alert your
3. Allow yourself to focus on communication is great, until it interviewer and see if you can get
the interview: Make sure you are doesn’t work or until the signal the technology issues resolved. If
budgeting enough time for the strength is weak. Signal strength you can’t, suggest the telephone
interview. Be ready to go 10 to 15 is particularly important when as an alternative.
minutes beforehand and budget you are transmitting video, so
extra time in case the interview make sure you have a fast and Reprinted from Job Choices 2012
goes long. Have a glass of water reliable connection (wired or For Business and Liberal Arts
nearby and have all of your notes wireless). Test your connections Students, with permission of the
ready to reference. As with an speed and/or signal strength to National Association of Colleges
and Employers, copyright holder.
in-person interview, you can’t get be certain it can effectively handle 1

2. A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR 2
Welcome to a New School Year
by Michael Doty
Welcome to a new school
year…the Career Center staff
has been busy planning a great
year of programming for you.
All career seminars have been
completely revamped and
the Fall Career Expo looks to
be one of the best attended
ever. There are several new
networking/preparation events.
Plan to attend Resumania,
View inside Student Services Building
Career Advice and a Slice,
Evening with Industry, the FYE the Career Center homepage. or Twitter, get connected while
and SRYE Workshop series, Speaking of the homepage, checking out the new website.
Build Your Network! panels, check out the brand new Career The Career Center is really
and more. You can find dates, Center website; we hope you excited about all that is new
times, and locations on the find it to be both informative and we hope that you will take
Comet Calendar, through your and more interactive. If you’re advantage of all we offer. Have
CareerWorks account, or from not following us on Facebook a really great school year!
Career Center shots

3. PLAYING FAIR
What’s Your Part? 3
Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Job Seeker
1. Provide accurate information
about your academic work
and records, including courses
taken, grades, positions held,
and duties performed.
You can, however, refuse to
provide an employer with
specific information about any
job offers you may have received
from other employers. You do not 4. Adhere to schedules. recruiting process immediately.
have to name the organizations Appear for all interviews, on And, let employers that are
that have made you offers, nor campus and elsewhere, unless actively considering you for a
do you have to provide specific unforeseeable events prevent you job know that you are now out
information about what salaries from doing so. And, if you can’t of the running. By informing
you’ve discussed with those make the interview because of an everyone that you’ve got a job or
organizations. Instead, you can unforeseeable event, notify your are headed to graduate school,
give broad responses to such career center or the employer at you not only get the chance
questions, naming types of the earliest possible moment. to brag but also to help your
employers—”I’ve interviewed friends who are trying to get on
with employers in the retail 5. Don’t keep employers interview schedules or who are
industry”—and offering salary hanging. being considered for positions.
ranges rather than specific Communicate your acceptance or
dollar amounts—”The salary refusal of a job offer to employers 8. Claim fair reimbursement.
offers I’ve received have been in as promptly as possible, so they If an employer has agreed to
the $25,000 to $30,000 range.” can notify other candidates that reimburse you for expenses you
Incidentally, it’s in your best they are still being considered or incur in its recruitment process,
interest to research salaries and that the position is filled. your request should be only
to let employers know that you for reasonable and legitimate
have done so. 6. Accept a job offer in good expenses.
faith.
2. Be honest. When you an accept an offer, 9. Obtain the career
Conduct your job search with you should have every intention information you need to make
honesty and integrity. Do not of honoring that commitment. an informed choice about your
lie or stretch the truth on your Accepting an offer only as future.
resume, applications, or during a precautionary measure is It’s up to you to acquire the
any part of the interview process. misleading to the employer information about career
and may restrict opportunities opportunities, organizations, and
3. Interview genuinely. for others who are genuinely any other information that might
Interview only with employers interested in that employer. influence your decisions about
you’re sincerely interested an employing organization.
in working for and whose 7. Withdraw from recruiting
eligibility requirements you when your job search is
completed. Reprinted from Job Choices 2012
meet. “Practice” interviewing
is misleading to employers— If you accept an offer or decide For Business and Liberal Arts
wasting both their time and that full-time graduate or Students, with permission of the
money—and prevents sincerely professional studies are for you, National Association of Colleges
interested candidates from using notify your career center and and Employers, copyright holder.
those interview slots. withdraw from the on-campus

4. SOCIAL MEDIA KNOW HOW
4
10 TIPS for Using Social Media in Your Job Search
by Lindsey Pollak
professors, neighbors, and other blog, comment on the posts of
close contacts are the best people industry bloggers you admire. You
to provide you with “warm” referrals might just catch the eye of a reader
to the contacts in their networks. who is hiring.
The bigger and more authentically
your network grows, the more 8. Share. One of the best ways
access to opportunities you’ll have. to maintain a strong professional
1. Develop a professional presence. network is to support other people
What do people find when they 5. Be a joiner. Another way to by sharing helpful information like
Google you? If the results aren’t form valuable relationships is to articles, blog posts, and YouTube
professional, take down those join online communities with which videos. A small, helpful gesture like
party pics and create a professional you already have an affiliation. This forwarding a link is a great form of
persona. Set up a profile on LinkedIn, might include your university’s networking (and the recipient will
which is a 100 percent professional LinkedIn group, the Facebook fan likely help you in return).
network, and add professional details page of a nonprofit you support,
to your Google, Facebook, and or an industry association listserv. 9. Keep people up to date. Status
Twitter profiles. Once you’re a member of a group, updates are another smart form of
you can comment on discussions, networking. Update your LinkedIn,
2. Fill your profiles with keywords. meet people who share common Facebook, and Twitter status with
All of your social media profiles interests and find exclusive job information about events you’re
should include key words and listings. attending, books you’re reading,
phrases that a recruiter or hiring or other career news. To remind
manager might type into a search 6. Tweet. Twitter is an amazing people that you’re job hunting,
engine to find a person like you. The tool to research and connect post updates such as, “I had a great
best place to find relevant words with recruiters, industry experts, second interview this morning -
is in the job listings that appeal to and potential employers. Even cross your fingers for me!”
you and the social media profiles of if you set up a Twitter profile to
people who have the positions you “listen” more than you tweet, 10. Use social media to ace
want. you’ll get enormous value out of interviews. Before a job interview,
the information you’ll discover. study the LinkedIn profiles, Twitter
3. Use LinkedIn to find your path. Plus, many organizations are now feeds, and blogs of the people and
Not yet sure what career is right tweeting out their job postings organizations you’ll be meeting.
for you? Take a browse through - don’t miss this new source of The more preparation you do, the
LinkedIn. Comprised of more than 65 opportunities. more confident you’ll feel - and
million professionals, LinkedIn offers the more likely you’ll be to make a
a huge database of other people’s 7. Blog. Consider staking your great impression and land the job!
career paths from which you can own ground in the social media
gather ideas about companies, job world. You can blog in writing or
titles, or professions that might be a video about your career interests, Reprinted from Job Choices 2012
good fit for you. campus life, travel, sports, activities, For Business and Liberal Arts
or anything else. Blogging (as Students, with permission of the
4. Get personal. When you’re long as you keep it clean) can National Association of Colleges and
looking for a job, your online network demonstrate your knowledge and Employers, copyright holder.
can and should include friends passion to a potential employer. If
and family. Parents, classmates, you’re not interested in your own

5. READY, SET, GO! for an Internship 5
by Kortney House
Looking to get some exposure to Ready to get started? Just follow these
your possible future career, build your simple steps:
resume, and connect with professionals 1. Create a CareerWorks account and
Important Contact
in your industry of choice? Go for an upload your resume.
Information
internship!
2. Attend an Internship Information
Internships are a fantastic way to gain Session either in person or online. See
hands-on experience in the working utdallas.edu/career for a schedule.
world. They allow you to see what it Access the online session at:
could really be like to work in your Students/Alumni – Internships – Online
area of interest and to hone skills Internship Information Session.
that will help you succeed in your (International students on F-1 visa must
career. They can affirm that you are attend a CPT Information session in
heading in the right career direction, person and complete work authorization
as well as demonstrate aspects of an paperwork before beginning an internship.)
industry that are not your preference.
Internships even help you make 3. The Internship Coordinator will
connections between the theories contact you to confirm eligibility.
and practices you learn about in the
classroom and the ways in which they 4. Search for internships!
play out in the professional arena. They
give you a golden opportunity to meet 5. Complete the “Report an Internship”
professionals in your field to ask them section in CareerWorks. The Internship
questions about the industry and make Coordinator will assist you with academic
connections for the future. credit or transcript notation options and
other required paperwork.
The internship program at the Career
Center is designed to empower you
to seek out and obtain internship
opportunities, and to be successful in
the experience. As an added bonus,
you can choose to get academic
credit or transcript notation for
your internship. The Career Center
Internship Coordinators are here to
help you!

6. CAREER EVENTS
6
resumania graduate sChool exPo
Thursday, Sept. 8 Wednesday, October 12
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Clark Center Galaxy Rooms,
Student Union
Get ready for Fall Career Expo by
having your resume critiqued by an Meet Representatives from law
industry professional. schools, medical schools, business,
Fall Career exPo engineering & computer science,
Wednesday, Sept. 14 and other programs, including
evening with industry 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. UT Dallas.
exPo edition Main Gym, Activity Center
Tuesday, Sept. 13
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Meet employers with internship, reverse Career exPo
Faculty Dining Room, full- and part-time opportunities! Friday, October 21
Dining Hall 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
All Majors! All Career Fields!
Network with employers For UT Dallas students and alumni! Galaxy Rooms,
from various industries. Great Student Union
opportunity to practice your Professional business attire
networking skills. and Comet Card or Alumni ID Employers will visit Student
REQUIRED Organization booths and meet UT
Dallas student leaders
Career adviCe & a sliCe evening with industry
Friday, October 14
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 15
Galaxy Rooms, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Student Union Faculty Dining Room,
Dining Hall
Participate in round table sessions
Network with employers from
to learn about various industries. various industries.
Contact Us? Hours of Operation
Student Services Building Phone: 972-883-2943 Office Hours:
SSB 3.300 Fax: 972-883-2431 Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
careercenter@utdallas.edu Fri. 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
utdallas.edu/career
Thank you to the following contributors of articles to this publication:
Michael Doty • Kortney House
Editor: Kimshi Hickman