Things happen.

By Yameng Zhang

When we prepare for interviews, we always follow some certain types of protocols because we assume everything would just go as we planed. But the truth is, things happen.

w  You are late to the interview.

A flood swept your apartment, the elevator crashed with you in it and your pregnant sister was not feeling well are acceptable excuses, while traffic jam on I-65, alarm didn’t work are not. Tardy not only makes you an annoying candidate, but also makes recruiters question about your responsibility.

If you have a legitimate excuse, call to inform the recruiters immediately, don’t wait till they call you or hours later. If you do wake up late or have no acceptable reasons, get yourself together, tell the truth and hope for the best. 

w  They call you by the wrong name.

“Dan, you went to a great university, that’s nice,” says the interviewer. Well, it is a good university I went to, but, I am John.

Everything goes well and you feel you are in good chance getting the position, so you keep the conversation flowing. Wrong choice. Recruiters see many applicants everyday, if you don’t make a solid impression, even though they intend to call you for good news, they may not be able to find your information because you are called by the wrong name. In addition, that can be just a trick the recruiters played to test your personality. Because the thing is, not correcting when people call you by the wrong name, it shows something about you.

When you know you are right, it is never shame to say it. Just interrupt saying “I know you see a lot of people everyday, it is hard to keep track with everyone. But I am John and it is nice to meet you.”

w  Your phone rings.

Your cell phone is the least thing you can take control of. It is a basic knowledge to shut your phone or switch to silent mode during interviews. You may never realize how much damage a phone can make until it rings in the middle of your interview. It may destroy all your fantasy with the outcome of the interview. What makes it worse is that you check it to see who is calling. Don’t look down the phone, don’t even glance who is calling, because the key is to let the recruiters know there is nothing more important than the interview. Apology, it is the only thing you can do in this case. Moreover, you’d better say you thought you shut it off, and never let it happen again.

Maybe you have a better way to deal with those things, since there is never a best solution when those things happen in interviews. There is no protocol to follow when it comes to interviews, because why the recruiters make interviews is to see who you are in person, and that is not something you can learn by going through protocols. When the bad things happen, react like you always do, it works or not, you did your best, that is the only thing that counts. 

Must Take Courses for Liberal Arts Majors

There are two classes that I believe every single liberal arts student should take. I would even go as far to say that most other majors should take them as well, but I will stick with liberal arts for the purpose of this blog post.

The first class is CNIT 136. This online class is a basic computer science class. In short, it teaches you everything you need to know about Microsoft Office. The course spends a few weeks covering Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access.  I have been using these software programs for years, so I thought I had a good understanding of them. After taking that course though, I realized how much more these programs had to offer.  As I have been applying for jobs, I have noticed a consistency in criteria for most of the open jobs. Almost all of the jobs I go to apply for require a candidate who is proficient in Microsoft Office. It is so nice to be able to put this on my cover letter, resume and even talk about it in interviews. It has also made some of my school assignments a lot easier. In short, I would recommend this course to anyone and everyone!

The second class, while more focused towards liberal arts and communications, is still a great class to take. This course is COM 252. The title of this course is “Writing for Mass Media.” Basically, you learn all the essentials for many different types of professional writing. You learn how to write a press release, news release, media release, radio commercial, memo and so much more!  Perhaps one of the most important aspects of this class though, is that it is intensive in teaching AP style writing. If you are like me, you grew up writing with MLA style, so the switch to AP has been sudden and sometimes frustrating. I was so happy that I took this course and really learned the ropes with AP style. Now I know it like the back of my hand, which has come in handy on numerous occasions, one of those being writing tests for my potential public relations jobs.

So I will leave you with this senior insight and hope that if you still have more time at Purdue that you will consider enrolling in these courses. I promise you will thank me later!

Punxsutawney Phil, I Do Not Need Your Setbacks

By: Maureen Corbett

Our beloved groundhog that we rely on heavily to predict future weather events saw his shadow last week. For all the winter-lovers out there this may be a good thing, but for the rest of us who don’t appreciate the cold this came as bad news. I know we have been experiencing some beautiful “winter” weather the past couple of weeks (if you can even call 50 degrees winter), but now that it has cooled back down it is somewhat of a disappointment to hear that there are still six more weeks of winter left.

This got me to thinking: How do we experience similar situations in school or the workplace? In every job you well ever experience, it is guaranteed that you will encounter setbacks and disappointments. However, the way in which you deal with these setbacks is an outward demonstration of your character and quality as an employee. Since we all get frustrated at some point when life throws us a curve ball, here are three simple ideas to help assist you though the rough patch:

1. Learn Your Lesson

Instead of getting angry at the world and victimizing yourself, take the time to assess the situation. Ask yourself what went wrong, and figure out what you can do in the future to make sure similar setbacks don’t occur.

2. Budget For Setbacks

When you initially start a new project at work, make sure you give yourself a little “wiggle room.” When you understand that unforeseeable problems may arise in the future, then you can budget this into your schedule. Calculate how long it would reasonably take to complete your assignment, and then give yourself some additional time in case of errors. That way, in case setbacks do occur, your project can still be completed in a timely fashion.

 3.  Move On

React as quickly as possible to your setbacks and move to make changes. Don’t dwell on the fact that the setback occurred, focus on how to fix it. If you keep your goal in mind and stay focused, I promise that you can overcome any challenge your job might throw at you. 

Teamwork: A Superbowl Working Experience

By Lauren Farmer

Hi all! This week I would like to share my work experience from this past weekend during the Superbowl.  This extra job that I picked up just for the weekend really opened my eyes to how a business works and how many great people it takes to make it all run smoothly.

Over the weekend I worked as a VIP hostess for St. Elmo Steakhouse in Indianapolis as extra help for the Superbowl since the restaurant was booked with reservations and celebrity private events.  It was such a great experience, one for the atmosphere of excitement for the Superbowl and two for the great work experience I gained from it.  So many people are needed for something as big as this world wide event and St. Elmo did a great job in making it very successful. Chefs, servers, bartenders, bussers, food runners, hostesses, managers, coordinators, owner, and even answering the phone are all a part of what made this business successful over the busy weekend. Without one of them, the whole operation would have fallen apart.

It was great to be a part of this establishment and see how a big business runs. I would highly recommend doing internships before getting out into the business world so you can see how things work and gain experience.  I am very glad I had this opportunity and I hope you all have one as well! And remember, it takes more than one person to make a business of any kind be what it is. So any job you may be aspiring to just remember that even if you have a small job and wish that you were something more important, your job is just as important to help the whole business run.

Be Healthy. Be Successful.

By Michael Mustradi

Too many people are more focused on their work and less focused on their health.  Most are either unaware or ignore the fact that making unhealthy decisions can sacrifice not only health, but performance in the workplace.  Obviously not everyone has the time to grapple a six-day-a-week workout program and maintain a perfect diet.  However, there are many enjoyable habits that one can get used to in order to improve their overall health.

Eat more often

Most would not associate eating more with being healthy, but eating smaller meals four or five times a day will keep your metabolism up and help keep you focused.  No matter how busy you are at work, always find time to fuel up your body.

Eat more protein

Consuming protein helps with hunger cravings since proteins take longer to digest.  Having a high protein breakfast, such as egg whites or a protein shake, will help you feel full longer and prevent overindulging.

Find an exercise that you love

Let’s face it.  If you try a workout program that you simply do not enjoy, you are not going to stick with it.  Instead, find something that brings you joy and that you look forward to doing.  Doing something is better than doing nothing!

Workout with a buddy

Find or convince a friend to workout with you.  This may not be as difficult as it sounds as many people may have the same goals as you.  Not only does exercising with a friend make the workouts more enjoyable, it helps build solid relationships.

Not only will you feel and look better, you will have more energy and be more focused when it matters the most.  These are only a few basic tips to get started, but they are essential to success.  So, do yourself and your career a favor and live a healthy lifestyle!

A career fair is a big party.

By: Yameng Zhang


As a new year begins, companies start searching for promising college students. Career fairs usually include company or organization tables or booths where resumes can be collected and business card can be exchanged. Job fairs are good places to meet many company representatives from corporations of all industries and sizes during a short period of time, also, to perform first interviews.

Too serious? Let me put it in this way, a career fair is a big party. Everyone dresses up, tidy suits and leather shoes. We show up at the party, mingle with different groups of people. You see a cute girl, you make your move to ask for her number. Well, it works the same in career fairs.


The only difference is, instead of a new date, you may get yourself a new opportunity at a career fair. And all you need is to get prepared.


Do research
Be aware of who is coming to the career fair in advance. 
View websites or ask the host(s) of the career fair to see the list of attending employers. 
Determine if any matches your career interests and you meet their requirements. 
If you find any attending employers fit you, research them individually.
For college students, check your schedule before the career fair day, figure out which company or organization you want to meet with and which one you really can.


Know yourself
Find out your strengths and have them stand out on your resume. 
Ensure there is no elementary error in your resume. 
Print multiple copies of your resume. 
Knowing which company you are interested in, make a cover letter for each of them. 
If you have any project you are proud of, put them all in your portfolio. 
If you are not a leader in any well-known organizations, you may not need a business card.


Get a professional look
You don’t need to dress fancy, colorful or sparkling. 
No last minute outfits. 
If you need to buy new professional outfits, black or grey is the safest color. 
Don’t go with a superman tie, don’t go with your mini skirt, don’t make yourself sexy, don’t let your clothes out shine you.


I know it may be hard since you are getting ready for the career fair while your roommates prepare for a Friday’s party. But you know what? After the party is over, while they are having a headache, you can be proud of yourself because you just made your first step for your career. 

Networking: The Do's and Don'ts

Networking: The Do’s and Don’ts

Do: Contact any and all connections you have

Don’t: Wait months to get in touch with a contact someone gives you

Do: Be forward in arranging a meeting/informational interview

Don’t: Ask for a job or position interview right away

Do: Dress up for your meeting

Don’t: Show up in jeans because it is just a coffee house- first impressions are everything!

Do: Make a little bit of small talk about things unrelated to the job you are seeking

Don’t: Get right down to business and expect them to have all the answers

Do: Ask what they look for in a potential candidate and what an average day is like at their office

Don’t: Whip out your resume and say, “I am qualified, hire me”

Do: Talk about things you are interested in doing in a potential job

Don’t: Rule anything out or say something like, “I’m only interested in…”

Do: Ask if they have an intern or entry-level program and how one would go about applying for it

Don’t:  Ask when you can interview

Do: Send them with a hard copy of your resume and a business card

Don’t: Rely on the fact that they saved the previous email copy of your resume you sent

Do: Thank them profusely. Mention the insight and advice they gave and how beneficial it was. Follow up with a written thank you note. Their address will be on the business card they gave you.

Don’t: not write a thank you note.

Do: Follow-up periodically. Even if you know they are not hiring until the summer, get in touch every month or so to keep your name fresh in their minds

Don’t: Wait months to re-connect and then expect them to help you out with a job

This is what has worked for me so far, and most of the networking that I have done has produced very positive results. Sometimes it isn’t what you know, but whom you know!