The "Cold" Email That Will Land You a Job

Written by Sarah Hornsby

Networking is extremely important nowadays because a lot of the time knowing the right people can help you get that job.  Well, what do you don't have any connections with the business or company you want to work for?  According to this article written by the Prepary, you should send a "cold" email to someone with the business or company of your choosing.

Before learning about how to write a good cold email, it's important to know what a cold email is exactly.  The Prepary explains that a cold email is simply "reaching out by email to someone you do not know."  Cold emails serve a variety of purposes, including reaching out to network with one another or to just simply meet up with each other.  However, the primary purpose of a cold email is to "express interest in a job that you are both passionate about and qualified for," according to the article.  

Here are the components to an effective cold email, according to the Prepary:

1. You are offering something to the recipient versus asking for something.

If you are qualified for that public relations assistant job, know a ton about the company, and are dying to work there, you reaching out is helping them solve the problem of needing to fill that job.

2. It's personalized and thoughtful.

With today's resources, even if someone is a complete stranger, they will likely still have an online presence.  Understanding their work history via LinkedIn, reading a blog post they wrote, or finding some other way to relate to them will help your outreach.

3. It's respectful and not entitled.

There is nothing worse than someone demanding to meet with you or coming across as arrogant.  I don't even know you, remember?  So that's the first way to get me to the delete button.

To read in more detail about how to write a good cold email, click on the link below:

http://www.levo.com/articles/career-advice/how-to-write-a-cold-interview-that-will-you-land-you-a-job

At the Intersection of Liberal Arts & STEM

Written by Sarah Hornsby

Two heads are better than one.

With the collaboration of two or more different minded people something amazing can be happen.  If this is the case, what could come about if you get someone with a liberal arts degree, someone with a science degree, someone with a technology degree, someone with an engineering degree, and someone with a math degree to all work together?  The possibilities are endless.

To explore this topic further, you can attend At the Intersection of Liberal Arts & STEM at Purdue University.

• When: Thursday, April 10
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center

This free event is among a daylong series of events that will explore what can happen when liberal arts and science, technology, engineering, and math fields intersect.

The panelists of the discussion include:

• Bracken Darrell
• Leah Jamieson
• Charles L. Jones
• Jacqueline Jones Royster

The complete list of events can be found on their website.

What Should You Be Doing Over Spring Break?

Written by Sarah Hornsby

As spring break quickly approaches so does the half way mark for the semester.  This can be a scary time for current seniors who will be graduating soon because there is so much to do to prepare yourself professionally.  This applies to non-seniors as well.  Just because you will not be graduating in May or December does not mean that you shouldn't be doing anything to further your professional self.  College doesn't last forever, and before you know it you will be out in the "real" world.

Spring break is a great time to really focus on your professional self. 

Here is a list of things provided by NerdScholar that you should be doing over spring break:

1. Talk with family members
They are typically your biggest advocates in the job search. Students should also seek out family friends and acquaintances that are recent college graduates, Dawn Edmiston, a professor at Saint Vincent College, says. These people “can provide the best insight on what to expect in an entry-level position on a daily basis.”

2. Travel to cities you might want to work in after college
Networking over spring break doesn’t necessarily mean you have to miss out on spending time in new and exciting places. For those interested in moving to a new city, spring break is the perfect opportunity to meet people who work in your preferred industry there.

3. Don't discount volunteering
Volunteering is “one of the most effective ways to build connections,” Pickens says. Spring break provides the perfect time to devote yourself to such projects in your community or abroad. For instance, many universities and student-run organizations offer opportunities to spend spring break volunteering elsewhere, typically referred to as “alternative spring breaks.”

4. Take advantage of career center services
Since spring break is a time when most people are away on vacation, students who stick around should make use of career center resources then. It’s a time when, “guaranteed, you will be able to get an appointment for one-on-one career counseling, resume advice, mock interviews, or other services the center may provide,” says Susan Ramlo, a professor at the University of Akron.

5. Stand out from the crowd
Networking over spring break not only gives undergraduates a head start in the job and internship search, but according to Ron Culp, it separates you as a more serious job candidate to potential employers. “Most college students focus on relaxation during spring break, so it is to your advantage to request informational interviews and to network at this time,” he says. “Professionals will be sympathetic and try to meet with you, especially when they hear that you opted to see them rather than go to Cancun.”

6. Rebrand your online presence
It is crucial to make sure that your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and any other social media profiles are in check when beginning the networking process. An off-color profile picture can be the reason an employer doesn’t hire you, says Ramlo, so taking the initiative early on—like over spring break—will benefit your career choices down the road.

To read the entire NerdScholar article, follow this link provided below:

http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/nerdscholar/2014/expert-advice-network-spring-break/

Is a Degree in Liberal Arts More Lucrative Than a Degree in Engineering?

Written by: Sarah Hornsby

A degree in the liberal arts is often said to hold little value; however, there has been a recent report published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities that offers a new way of thinking about how much value a liberal arts degree really holds.

The report states that people with a degree in the liberal arts earn more money over time than those with other various degrees.

The report can be found here:  http://www.aacu.org/leap/nchems/index.cfm

The Chronicle of Higher Education breaks down and discusses the report in a much shorter article that is easy to understand.

The article can be found here:  http://chronicle.com/article/How-Liberal-Arts-Majors-Fare/144133/

The report is based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which examines the payoff of a liberal arts degree over the course of a career, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The report showed that people with liberal arts degrees earn a lower amount of money right out of college than those with engineering and other various degrees.  However, the same report shows that during the time of their peak earning ages, 56-60, people with liberal arts degrees earn about the same amount of money, if not more, than those with engineering and pre/professional degrees.

Photo Credit: The Chronicle of Higher Education website

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, "one big reason that older humanities and social-science majors out-earn professional majors is that about 40 percent of people in the former group also hold a graduate degree."  Therefore, the wage growth in the careers of liberal arts degrees is largely due to the graduate degrees earned on top of the bachelors.

The report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities has caused a heated debate, which can be seen in the comments of the article.  Some people agree and many do not.

What do you think?

Choosing a Color to Represent Your Brand

Written by Sarah Hornsby


Now that Career Week is over and you all have a better understanding on how to succeed professionally it’s time gather everything you have learned and put it into practice.  The first thing to do is to develop your professional brand.  Your brand should be a representation of who you are professionally.  Your brand will speak for you.  This is how future employers will see you, which is why it’s so imperative to spend some time carefully developing your brand.  

A lot of work goes into developing your professional brand.  Afterall, your brand will affect everything you do professionally, including the design of your resume, networking card, etc.  When constructing your brand, it’s important to educate yourself on color psychology.  The colors displayed in resumes, cover letters, networking cards, etc should be chosen for a reason.  The colors you use to represent your brand can either hinder your brand or complement your brand.  For example, if your professional brand is someone who is loyal and trustworthy and you choose the color red to be displayed in your professional documents, then you will probably not be seen as loyal or trustworthy because the color red represents power and ambition.  

The key thing is to develop your brand and choose a color that represents your brand well.  Below is a short list of colors and their meanings:

Red: A warm and positive color associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive.  It exudes a strong and powerful masculine energy.

Orange: The color of social communication and optimism.

Yellow: Considered the happiest color.  It is optimistic and cheerful.

Green: The color of balance and growth.

Blue: The color of trust and peace.

To read in further detail about the colors listed above and color psychology, clink on the link below:

http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html

The Power of LinkedIn

Written by Sarah Hornsby

With it only being January 24th, their is still time to make a new year’s resolution in both your personal and professional life.  One resolution you should consider for your professional life is to begin marketing yourself via social media.  Yes, there are social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook that can be a great tool in creating an online presence (hopefully a good one), but LinkedIn is a social media network that not enough college students are taking advantage of to market themselves professionally.  For those of you that do not know, LinkedIn is similar to Facebook, but is for professionals to showcase their skills in the workplace and connect with other professionals.  

Some of you may be thinking, “Why would I need to do this if I’m not even in my career yet?”  So many young professionals (college students) often overlook the steps they need to be taking to advance themselves professionally.  LinkedIn is a great resource that allows you to market yourself in the professional world and is a place where you can connect and follow other professionals and articles of your interest.  You have to start somewhere. 

If you don’t have an account you should consider creating one, and if you already have a LinkedIn account and are unsure of how to effectively use the social network this post will be extremely beneficial.  An article written by Lisa Williams lists 10 ways to improve your LinkedIn profile:

1. Upload a decent photo

Your LinkedIn profile photo sets the tone for everything else a viewer will experience on your page — just like match.com or Instagram. Except LinkedIn isn’t match.com or Instagram. It’s the world’s largest professional network.

2. Your headline = you, not your job

The headline of your LinkedIn profile is highly searchable. I know that no one on LinkedIn (or Google for that matter) is looking for “founder of Sierra Tierra Marketing.” So I list something more search-friendly that speaks of what I do on a daily basis — and for which people may want to hire me. “Social media consultant specializing in analysis, strategy, and instruction. Author | Speaker | Educator” paints a much better picture of who I am and how I can help potential clients and agencies with social media marketing.

3. Make your summary shine

Don’t let the positions in the “Experience” section do all the talking about your professional abilities. Many recruiters and potential clients won’t take the time to scroll that far without incentive.

4. Update your most recent job

Even if you’re not actively looking for employment, review what your most recent entry is under “Experience.” Do you have a new title? New responsibilities? A recent accomplishment that speaks of your professional prowess? Be sure to list those here.

5. Add visuals to your experience

LinkedIn allows you to upload images, documents, and videos to each job you list under “Experience.” Why not liven up that section with visuals that show the greatness of which you’re capable?  If you’re a graphic designer, professional organizer, or landscape artist, show off your most stunning accomplishments. If you’re a storyteller, community activist, or professional athlete, use video to show your work in action.

6. Join more groups

At times LinkedIn might not seem like it, but it is considered by many to be a social network. Demonstrate your ability to network with like-minded professionals by joining LinkedIn groups. Look at your coworkers’ and competitors’ profiles to see which groups they’ve joined — pick the best of the bunch you find there.

7. Follow some influencers

By following LinkedIn “influencers,” you give viewers a sense of which thought leaders you respect — whether it be President of the World Bank Jim Kim, industrial psychologist Dr. Marla Gottschalk, or Nancy Lublin of DoSomething.org (or all three). Influencers regularly post to LinkedIn, so you’ll also be able to comment on and share articles that are meaningful to you.

8. Follow your own company

It’s surprising how many employees do not follow their own company’s page on LinkedIn. Where’s the company pride, people? Seriously, show that you’re a proud team player and affiliate yourself with your current employer’s page.

9. Select skills and expertise that you want to be endorsed for

There is a ton of controversy over the value of LinkedIn endorsements. But you know what? They’re here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. So use them to your advantage.

Did you sign up for LinkedIn with your work email address? Is that address still valid? It would be a shame for you to do the nine previous steps and then have a potential client or recruiter write to an outdated address.

Liberal arts Career Week is coming up, and the employers you meet at the Career Expo during that week may want to connect with you on LinkedIn.  So before Career Week is upon us, take some time to create an account and follow the advice given above.  This is an opportunity for you to develop professionally, and there is no better time to start than now.  

To read the entire article by Lisa Williams and more of her articles about social media follow the link below,

http://socialmediatoday.com/kalnerwilliams/1700131/10-simple-ways-improve-your-linkedin-profile