The Powerful You

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By: Janna Parke

A lot of controversial topics have been brought up in my life lately. In my women’s health class, we have been talking about abortion. All over Facebook there is are red equal signs and also pictures of the traditional marriage. Clearly people have different values, opinions, and beliefs, but does this have an effect in the workplace? After a small investigation, I learned to think about this topic in a different way. Hopefully after reading this post, you will feel encouraged and excited to go out into the world and be different!

My values and beliefs are very important to me, which could be very different from someone who I am working with now, or in the future. I think it is essential to be able to work with people who have similar viewpoints, and diverse. I looked up different articles about how values and beliefs can affect the workplace, and a majority of the websites show this to be a minimal problem.  Yes, it may be a minimal problem across the workplace, but it is always good to remind yourself that you are distinctive and unique and that many values differ from person to person.

Beliefs are potent because they drive behavior.  Your beliefs, or habits of mind, are sometimes based on ideas that support you. Because of this, keeping strong to your beliefs in the workplace, or in general, will help to make a more diverse team. I find it encouraging knowing that because of who I am and what I believe, I can bring something unique to the table in my internship. I may have ideas or thoughts that are different from someone else; therefore I will bring a new perspective.  As Coco Chanel once said, “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”

I chose this picture to be added because there are five slices of fruit put together to make one piece of fruit. I look at this picture and see myself as one piece of the fruit, and my fellow teammates, interns, and friends to be different from me, but work together to be one!

So go out there into the world today and don't be vanilla ice cream if you are strawberry ice cream… be a colorful zebra if those are your true stripes… swim against the current if that is what you have been taught…. But most of all, be yourself, because you are the best at being you!

So What Are You Going to do With THAT Major?

By: Maureen Corbett

If someone would give me a nickel for every time I've heard the questions, "You're studying Public Relations? Why are you at Purdue then, only engineers go there. What kind of job will you even get with a degree like that?" then I could probably quit school and retire right now. The fact of the matter is that if you are a Liberal Arts student, you are going to have to battle typical stereotypes such as:
     1. No one hires Liberal Arts Students.
     2. Liberal Arts students don't make money.
     3. Liberal Arts students don't have any useful skills.

I am here today to tell you that everyone single one of these stereotypes in a complete myth. So relax, and read on. I promise that anyone, whether they are an art, education, theater, english, or philosophy major, as long as you market your skills correctly and play the game right, the sky is the limit when it comes to success.

Liberal Arts Students Get More Promotions
It's true, according to a New York Times article written by Edwin Koc:

"A longitudinal study conducted several years ago by the National Center for Educational Statistics found that the wage differentials that existed between career-oriented majors and academically oriented majors were all but eliminated within 10 years after graduation. Liberal arts graduates frequently catch or surpass graduates with career-oriented majors in both job quality and compensation."

This should be reassuring to every Liberal Arts student out there. If money is an important factor in your decision to pursue a specific major, this statistic shows that Liberal Arts degrees provide students with the opportunity to surpass their counterparts in science and engineering. "How?" you might ask. The following section will explain why.

Liberal Arts Students Have Better Skills
Here is an infograph with data taken from a University of Phoenix study that shows the top most marketable traits that employers today are looking for in new graduates.

All these skills are easily obtained by any Liberal Arts student because these are the skills your professors are instilling in you in the classroom. When a company is looking to hire a new leader, they want a well-rounded, determined individual who can work well in teams and has the capacity to think critically and solve problems. Skills such as these are incredibly marketable in today's society because more and more employers are recognizing all the capabilities Liberal Arts students have to offer. The more diverse and adaptable you can be, the more opportunities will be available to you with a major everyone else thought was a waste of time. 

Take all this information to heart and think how you can use it to land your dream job. With evidence and statistics like these, you won't even bat your eye the next time someone tells you that your major won't allow you to be successful. With the tools to market your strongly-desired skills, the possibilities for your future career is endless!

Home Stretch

By Corinne Feight

One week from today will mark the beginning of my last month as a senior at Purdue University. I still don’t think that I have fully wrapped my head around the fact that I will no longer be going to school. Don’t get me wrong. I cannot wait to get out there, move into an apartment, live in New York City, and kick off working at a new job; however, I think I’ll really miss this time in my life and the constant I’ve had here of being around thousands of people the exact same age as me. Still, my musings aren’t making the days go by any slower and it really is time to start the countdown to my graduation on May 12. So what should all of the other seniors like me be doing during our last month? Here are a couple of things I plan to accomplish…maybe some will work for you.

1.     Soak up the resources. As many of us know (or should!), Purdue is a huge resource to students. Well in just a few short weeks all of those resources will no longer be at our fingertips. Now is the time to capitalize on all that this university has to offer. Stop by the CCO or the Writing Lab. Make an appointment with your Career Development Director. Talk with your advisors about people to be in contact with after graduation. All of these people are at your disposal to help you finalize your cover letters and resumes, provide the guidance toward career paths, and put you in touch with mentors or advocates. Use them while you still can!

2.     No regrets. Many of you probably know about the Purdue Bucket List, but for those who don’t you had better read up and get started! Start here, but don’t stop at just 12: https://foursquare.com/user/12677181/list/purdue-graduate-bucket-list. What about climbing the new rock wall in the Dova? Or sledding on Slayter Hill? After the snow we had last night and today, this week could just be the one you have been waiting for. It’s easy to forget about all these traditions when your stuck in classrooms and study rooms all day, but don’t leave regretting anything!

3.     Don’t burn bridges. Our campus holds over 40,000 students alone. This doesn’t even include all of the professors and other professionals on campus too! Don’t think that once you graduate you should never talk to these people again. Everyone you meet is going somewhere, many places that they don’t even know yet. You never know when you might run into someone in the future who could help you out. What if they are working at the company you applied to? Or if they are in the same field? Burning bridges never gets you anywhere. Keep up healthy contacts and make an effort to help others even if it doesn’t immediately benefit you in any way. These deeds and connections will eventually come back and repay you.

Use Purdue for all it’s worth before you leave…I plan to! These are just my goals and plans, but they could really make the difference in the long run to anyone willing to participate. So get out there and abuse these privileges! Let’s make this last month count.

Cultural Awareness

In just under two hours, our LACD team will be meeting the delegation from Cartegena, Colombia and I am so excited to finally meet all of them. This has been a long process, but I know in the end it will be worth the time put in. One thing to realize though is that their different culture has major effect on lifestyle and communication, something our team will have to keep in mind when entertaining the visitors. As a human relations communication major, I have learned a thing or two about communication style with various cultures and here are some tips to pay attention to.

Geert Hofstede is a leading researcher in cultures and has developed tools to help understand different cultures in a better light. Using his dimensions, I will explain how to assess cultures and use this knowledge to  provide tools for effective communication.


Collectivism vs Individualism
Colombia has more of a collectivistic nature, meaning more group identity rather than individual identity. Usually cultures with this nature prefer to work together and also achieve success that is shared. Knowing this quality will help when trying to see members may want to spend time in another country. Engaging in a very personal way may make them uncomfortable, so aim for more group activities and settings.

Power Distance
Power distance refers to the possibility of movement to higher positions and how accessible this movement is to lower ranks. Given Colombia's high power distance, the positions of members are earned and respected in society more than they are in America. When interacting with the members who have earned these positions, formality is key. Use titles whenever and avoid just saying their names unless a prior relationship was formed over time and permission is given.

Masculinity vs Femininity
High success orientation and drive is characteristic of the masculine Colombia. Their mindset is focused on success and achieving goals rather than focused on emotional balance and expression. Being collectivistic means focusing on success of groups they belong to instead of individual success. Sometimes cultures with masculine features will sacrifice leisure time as well as it fits the group dynamic and decision


Understanding different facets of another culture will help with effectively communicating with members of that society. I will definitely be using the knowledge about Colombian culture and society when interacting with the students and faculty while they are here visiting.

What do employers want?

By Sarah-Jean Murray

Many times when searching for jobs, we may get discouraged by the job postings we see. Sometimes job postings have requirements such as a certain number of years experience in a specific field or a need for a special set of skills. Reading through these job postings may be intimidating and a lot of us don't apply for certain jobs because they seem to be out of reach for our skill level. However, this is untrue. Many of the jobs posted by companies list the skills they are looking for but don't necessarily believe are the most important thing. A lot of technical skills such as working with certain software and programs can be taught later but aren't required for starting the job. So you may be wondering, what is the most important thing companies are looking for? Well, I'm here today to share some of the top things employers are interested in a potential employee.

Internships - Having had an internship and having that experience under your belt is a huge benefit when applying to jobs. Employers can look at that on your resume and see that you've worked in real life situations before and you're eager to keep working. This is one of the top things to set you apart from other applicants and one of the most important things employers want.

"Soft" skills - When an employee has those soft skills such as communication, creative thinking and ability to work on a team, it makes them more valuable to an employer. You may not have those technical skills, however you can learn. You can use those skills you've gained through college and apply them to every aspect of your job. Creative thinking is especially important to employers because they want to see how you arrive at decisions and how you turn those ideas into reality. Working on a team is also essential as you will have to work with co-workers and may even have to lead team projects. Knowing how to delegate and communicate effectively within a team will help you tremendously in the real world.

Being prepared - Interviews have seen multiple potential candidates for positions and they know when you're not prepared. So avoid the pitfall that many college grads fall into and do your research before your interview. Know what you want to say to the interview questions and have some questions of your own prepared. You want the interviewer to see that you're sharp and on top of things, ready to go.

Well rounded - Employers are not looking for monotone people, they want well rounded individuals who can adapt to and work through any situation. So the most important thing you can do is be yourself. Show that you have personality and you have determination to succeed. You're interesting, you have ideas and you're excited to have the opportunity to show these things to your employer. Taking electives through Liberal Arts opens you up to a world of possibility and gives you those experiences that mold you as an individual.

So next time you see a job posting that you're interested in, don't be intimidated! Take that chance and apply. You just might land that dream job because you were determined and passionate about what you wanted to do.

The April edition of 'Professional Pathways' will be exploring the topic of what employers want and how internships can benefit you so keep an eye out for that!

Source: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/wealth-poverty/education/what-do-employers-really-want-college-grads

Breaking Down the Resume

by Katy Claucherty

Resumes are one of the most important aspects of getting a job today, but they’re tricky. Employers spend about 5-7 seconds looking at your resume and either decide to keep reading or move onto the next one. The possibilities of how to create a resume are endless. There are traditional, more conservative resumes, creative resumes, graphic resumes, even infograph resumes. For this blog, I want to show you my resume and explain how I created it and why I included the information that I did.

First, let's take a peek at my resume:

 

Now let’s start with the overall design. I went with a creative resume, because that’s my personal brand. I’m not going to be happy working in a law office behind a desk every day, so my resume reflects that I want to work for a creative company, or at least in a creative environment. I created this resume using…wait for it…Power Point. That’s right, you don’t have to use Adobe In Design to draft creative resumes, you can use our trusty friend Power Point.

Personal Brand

My personal brand is using that specific font for my name (Jenna Sue, downloaded off of www.dafont.com), as well as using the color purple. My contact information continues my personal brand through the unique font, as well as including the social media icons. I found the icons on www.google.com after searching for “purple Twitter icons,” “purple Gmail icons,” etc. I separated my name and contact information away from my experience with a simple purple line.

My whole resume revolves around my personal brand, by using purple headings with a similar font (Throw My Hands Up in the Air, also found on www.dafont.com). 

Education

It’s very important for college students to include education on their resumes. Here’s the format I used:

Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN
Graduation Date: May 2013
Bachelor of Arts,
Brian Lamb School of Communication

Make sure to include that you’re on the main campus of Purdue and your expected graduation date. Also include what type of degree you’ll be receiving and your college/school. Communication students, remember that we’re part of the Brian Lamb School of Communication now, so don’t put College of Liberal Arts.

Work Experience

This is an incredibly important part of your resume! You want to make sure you highlight the work experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for and that show off your best work and skills.

Let’s specifically take a look at the section where I detail my internship with LACD:

 

Formatting

I underlined “Liberal Arts Career Development” (size 13 font) so that it would be easy to identify as the company I work for. Next, I specified my job title, “Intern” and the dates where I worked there (size 12 font). The bullet point text (size 11 font) is aligned together, which I had to do manually for a clean look. Click “View,” “Rulers,” and then select the text you want to change and drag over half a mark.

Content

Make sure you are informing the reader of the skills you have because of this job, as well as the tasks you performed. For example, “Working with my co-interns to plan, market, & execute a week-long career event for students involving speakers, activities, & a career fair” says that I can work with a team and organize, market, and host an event.

Always try to include numbers! If there are any kind of numbers involved with your job, include them. For example, as the social media intern, I've complied all the data on followers, likes, and views from our profiles.

Volunteer Experience

It’s important to include volunteer experience in your resume. It shows that you care about your community and that you take the time out of your busy schedules to help others. I always include the servant event I’m most involved with, Mission Possible, because I’m passionate about the work my church does in our community and I can easily elaborate on it in an interview. 

Professional Portfolio

 

The strip at the bottom of my resume is a simple shape, filled in with the same shade of purple as my name and headings. I added a text box on top of that shape with the website address of my professional portfolio. So the question you’re probably asking is – “What goes into a portfolio?”

• About Me
• Volunteer Work
• Design Samples
• Resume
• Reference Names
• Sample Writings
• Sample Presentations
• Contact Information

Now that I have a portfolio online, I ALWAYS make sure to include that on my resume, cover letter, social media profiles, business cards – everything. That way, when I’m networking, I can whip out a business card or resume and let them know they can check it out online. The beauty of a portfolio is that all of your designs, references, work experiences – everything is on there.

So now you have the basics of how I created my newest resume and how I decided what experience to include. Just remember, the most important part of your resume is your personal brand! Let that guide what design you use and what experience you choose to highlight. Have any more resume tips? Let me know in the comments below!

Wait! Don’t send in that resume yet – not without a stellar cover letter! My next blog (April 3^rd) will focus on what exactly goes into a cover letter. See you then! 

Websites for Graphic Design Jobs

By: Samantha Werry

Like many, since I am graduating this spring, I am searching for jobs and oh how that’s been a good one… (not really) I have been searching through the typical career websites like Monster, LinkedIn, Indeed.com, and many more, but I have been having a hard time finding jobs I am interested in or even available for that matter. So one day, I decided to simply Google “websites to help find graphic design jobs,” and guess what came up. More information than I realized! Since I found this information, I thought it would be useful to share for my fellow graphic designers. These all can help you find that dream job you are searching for.

1. Coroflot 

Coroflot hosts over 80,000 graphic design portfolios and currently has over 700 job listings! I don’t know about you, but that sounds great to a designer! The jobs are even organized into a variety of design related categories! So if you want something in web development, all you have to do is search for it! One cool factor about this is that you can even sign up for job alerts when something is in your category!

2. Behance 

The Behance job board is growing fast! It is simple to navigate and has so many options. Make sure you check this one out soon before the competition gets even rougher! They have listings from everywhere and you can even search specific cities if you know where you want to go.

3. Authentic jobs

This lists all the new jobs, both full-time and part-time! So if you want to only work part-time due to an issue, here can help you find just what you are looking for.

4. AIGA Design Jobs

I know most graphic design students here at Purdue have heard of AIGA since we have a group apart of it here on campus. This company’s reputation is huge and has a great job selection to choose from. Many large and well-respected companies look for new and/or experienced designers here.

5. Krop

Krop is apparently one of the largest and most well known websites to find graphic design jobs. This is news to me! As soon as I found this out, I made sure to check it out! This has been around for a long time and new jobs are listed often by top agencies and design studios! So this is helpful for the designers that want to go anywhere their hearts desire and for the one’s who want to work for the “best.”

6. design:related

This is a great tool for all designers. They have a section for viewing portfolios if you need help or inspiration for your own! This showcases many great listings, including design management jobs, interactive jobs and many others requiring varying experiences. So this one can help the straight out of school designers.

7. Freelance Switch

Freelance Switch speaks for itself. Many students who don’t have a job yet want to stay fresh with their design. Freelance design is something people can do even if they want to do it on the side of their main job. This board is another job listing site that has a variety of design, development, illustration and flash jobs.

8. Smashing Magazine

This is a large design related blog that also has a job board with design and development jobs. The listings are organized into full-time and freelance positions for easier navigation. This tool is another helper for those freelance designers out there.

9. Fresh Web Jobs

Many designers love web design more than anything. This site helps those designers find a more specific job in the listings. But do not be discouraged! This site also has many graphic design jobs as well!

10. Simply Hired

Simply Hired is a great site to check out because it shows design job listings from many different websites! It also has filter options so you can easily weed out listings that do not appeal to you! You can search for all sorts of design jobs!

I hope my new-found knowledge helps all those designers out there! Keep reading my postings because I am going to continually write about graphic design ideas! The more you read, the better off you will be!

http://www.youthedesigner.com/2008/04/21/10-great-places-to-find-graphic-design-jobs/

Pursuit of Happiness

By: Janna Parke

 

  If you have been keeping up with the intern blogs and what is going on here at LACD, you probably know that Career Week was last week! If not, let me be the first to tell you that it was a long, successful week that I will never forget! The week before, I had a summer internship interview in Chicago. I wish I could’ve gone to Career Week before the interview to help learn about how to build myself professionally in a variety of different ways. Although I didn’t get to go to Career week prior to my interview, I now am equipped with Career Week knowledge for the future! On Wednesday, Cory Bultema gave a talk on how he got his job and also gave a lot of advice on subjects such as resumes, elevator pitches, and interviews. Some of the advice Cory gave is timeless and can be applied to more than careers, which is why I am going to share one piece of valuable information from the talk.

First, Cory talked about finding what motivates you. If you are looking for a future job, you aren’t only looking for a career, but also a career you will thrive in and be the best you can be. It is so important that you love what you are doing and that you feel motivated to get up and go to work, school, or whatever you may be doing day-to-day. When Cory was talking about this subject, I kept thinking back to how excited I am for my summer internship in Chicago! My desire to serve others while working in a professional workplace is something that motivates me and excites me. I am looking forward to working on building myself professionally and also trying to figure out what I want to do in the future.These things motivate me, but what motivates you?

I am all about passion. When I get involved in something, whether it is school, work, or clubs, I make sure that it is something I want to do and love to do. I want to be in this position and I love to be in this position. With passion and motivation, thriving in any position should come naturally.

Take Cory’s advice and find what you absolutely love and then pursue it, you won’t be sorry! 

Want to hear more quotes from Cory's talk? Check out the LACD Twitter page and scroll to February 28th for quotes!

Career Expo Success

By: Maureen Corbett

The Purdue LA Career Expo that took place last Thursday was a career and internship fair that I have been working on planning for the past several months. It is an exciting feeling to see all your hard work and effort come together and turn a project into a success. Not only did I have a fantastic time working on this project, but I was also able to watch myself grow and learn an assortment of new skills that will eventually help me down the road in my future career. Here are the highlights of what I learned as the project manager of this event:

1. Recruiters Love Food
And I mean, lots of food. We tired something different this year and instead of giving each recruiter a meal card so they could use to eat in the Union, we ordered a fantastic spread and kept it right in the ballroom where the event was taking place. The idea behind this was that the recruiters didn't have to leave their booths for extended periods of time. An added bonus was that they were allowed to invite students to come eat with them, which allowed them to network with and even interview potential new candidates for positions within their company. The main point behind this story is that my team tried to think outside the box, and this turned into a successful idea which led to the overall achievement of this event. 

2. Teamwork is Everything
While I was the project manager for this event, it would have been impossible for the Expo to be successful without the astounding assistance of every other intern that participated. I was so grateful and proud of how each team member stepped up to the plate and helped out in any way that they could. Everyone attended the event for as long as they possibly could, the overall attitude that was displayed was friendly and encouraging. This reminded me of how important it is to surround yourself with people you can count on, and I was very happy with the work that everyone put in. I learned that you can't do everything on your own, but with the help of some amazing people, you can accomplish a lot more.

3. Plan for Disaster, But Hope For the Best
 I had to remind myself that even though I had been preparing for this event for several months, there was always the possibility that things would not go the way I had planned. What if the food didn't arrive, or we were missing the required number of tables for the companies? Because I knew this ahead of time, it allowed me to think of back-up plans in order to solve problems that might arise. Luckily nothing disastrous occurred, and because I went into it with this attitude I know I would have been able to remain cool and collected if something had gone wrong.  

4. Smiling Goes a Long Way
An overall positive attitude can change the whole environment of an event. Everyone who participated in the Expo that day was extremely friendly and hospitable, and I believe this was a strong reason why the Expo and Career Week were so successful. Having a positive outlook on life and the willingness to be friendly and personable will help you achieve things you never thought you could.

Building a Personal Mission Statement

By: Kathryn Travis

I have been working in the Liberal Arts Career Development office here at Purdue for 5 months.  I started this job thinking that it was a secretary position where I would spend my days answering the phone, typing correspondences and interacting occasionally with students. However I have spent the past five months learning more about career development, internships, relationships and most importantly myself.

In college I struggled to decide what major to study, what clubs to be involved in and what I wanted to do after graduation. I changed majors three times and floated around to different clubs and organizations. It wasn't until my Senior year that I had figured out what I was going to make a career out of. During a community meeting in the town where my college was located I realized that my passions and skills could align.

Throughout my college career I studied the importance of mission statements for business and organizations. During the first few weeks in the workplace I learned the importance of sticking to those mission statements as a guide for success. It wasn't until much later in life that I realized the importance of a mission statement in our own personal lives.

Mission statements provide clarity and direction for our daily lives. They make us more effective and spur us to truly take the lead in our lives.

Creating a mission statement is not something you do overnight. It takes deep thinking, careful analysis and often a few drafts. However it is something that once created will change the way you think and work. I encourage each of you to spend some time during your college careers to write a personal mission statement.

To get started you can follow these simple steps to creating a Mission Statement:

1. Ask Questions: Use Tina Shu's, 15 questions to discover your personal mission, as a guide.
   
   15 Questions to Discover Your Personal Mission
   15 Questions to Discover Your Personal Mission
2. Narrow it down
3. Write your statement 
4. Make action statements:Think about specific actions, behaviors, habits and qualities that would have a significant positive impact in this part of your life over the next one to three years.
5. Set a plan for review and evaluation in a few weeks time

If you need further assistance writing a mission statement consider using FranklinCovey's Mission Statement Builder which can be found here - http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/

Have fun with this and let your statement be reflective of who you are.  Most of all, let your statement be one that guides you as you make future decisions

“Every decision we make is ultimately governed by some kind of interest or goal or objective or value or principle, whether we know it or not.” – Stephen Covey