Monday, March 26, 2012

Let Your Resume Speak for You

By Haley Way, Career Counselor

Even though it may feel like it at times, your resume is not just about putting your life on paper. Your ultimate goal is to impress the reader enough to convince them to have you in for an official interview. Your resume needs to speak on your behalf, to say all the things that you may not have the opportunity to say---at least until you get that interview! So this begs the question: How do I impress my audience (aka, the reader… aka, your potential employer)? Keep these tips in mind:

Tip #1 – Try viewing your resume from an employer’s point of view. Take a step away from the document for a few hours. Come back to it and read it from an employer’s perspective. Look at it through the lens of what is relevant to that employer and what is not. If you are a having a hard time distinguishing what is relevant, ask a mentor in the field or a professor to look at it, but with an insider’s perspective.

Tip #2 – Don’t be generic. Unless you are at a job fair or networking event, don’t include clichéd phrases like “entry level job” in the “blank” field. Employers get tons of resumes every day for varying positions, and it is not their job to figure out where you fit in. Instead, tailor your resume to the position or positions and company you are applying for. This extra specific step really shows the employer that you are interested in them!

Tip #3 – It’s not about you. It’s about the company’s needs. So, in your resume you need to convey how you fulfill an employer’s needs. The secret tool that most job applicants never use correctly is the job posting itself. Print out the job description or posting and highlight all action verbs. For example: Communicated, collaborated, revised, managed, etc. Use this as a measuring stick: Does your resume measure up? Can you begin to see areas that you might have better addressed? For instance, did you forget to mention that important project that you led? This tip will make your resume relevant to the employer’s needs and will put you at the top of the stack!

Spring Job and Internship Fair

This Wednesday March 28, 2:00PM-5:30PM
Strahan Coliseum

The Spring Job & Internship Fair is the largest fair of the semester. All job seekers are welcome. Employers will be recruiting to fill summer, internship and full-time opportunities



Spring 2012 Job & Internship Fair
Organization Name City ST
Aaron's Sales and Lease Houston TX
Academy Sports & Outdoors Katy TX
Accruent Austin TX
ACT AUSTIN Dallas TX
Advanced Acquisition Solutions San Marcos TX
Aerotek, Inc. Hanover MD
Altra Industrial Motion - TB Woods/Ameridrives San Marcos TX
Apple, Inc. Austin TX
ARGO Richardson TX
Association Member Benefits Advisors Austin TX
Atchley & Associates, LLP. Austin TX
Austin CC Austin TX
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL Austin TX
Austin Fire Department - Recruiting Austin TX
AXA Advisors, LLC Dallas TX
Baker Oil Tools Alice TX
BMW & MINI of San Antonio San Antonio TX
Buckeye International Inc. Maryland Heights MO
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. Eden Prairie MN
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Indianapolis IN
Cintas Corporation San Antonio TX
Citizen Schools Redwood City CA
Cloud 8 Sixteen, Inc. Austin TX
Consolidated Electrical Distributors Irving TX
Consolidated Graphics Houston TX
Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center Austin TX
Dillard's, Inc. Arlington TX
Direct Energy Houston TX
DPR Construction Austin TX
Echo Global Logistics Chicago IL
Emergent Professional Resources LP Houston TX
Energy One Austin TX
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Austin TX
ExxonMobil Exploration Company Houston TX
Fastenal San Antonio TX
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Antonio TX
Ferguson, a Wolseley Company Hendersonville TN
FINISH LINE Austin TX
First Command Financial Planning San Antonio TX
First Investors Corporation- San Antonio San Antonio TX
Frost & Sullivan San Antonio TX
Futurex Bulverde TX
Gary Job Corps San Marcos TX
Graduate College, Texas State University San Marcos TX
Grande Communications, LLC® San Marcos TX
Green Tree Servicing St. Paul MN
H-E-B San Antonio TX
Hertz Corporation Orlando FL
Houston Wire & Cable Houston TX
IMG Financial Group Houston TX
Insight Global, Inc. Houston TX
Jones Energy, Ltd Austin TX
Kohl's Department Stores Menomonee Falls WI
Kroger Frisco TX
Labatt Food Service San Antonio TX
Laser Shot, Inc. Stafford TX
Liberty Mutual Group Boston MA
Mattress Firm Houston TX
MCCOY'S BUILDING SUPPLY San Marcos TX
Medtronic Diabetes San Antonio TX
Merion Realty Management, LLC Houston TX
Mitratech Austin TX
Modern Woodmen of America Austin TX
Neff Rental, LLC Miami FL
New England Financial Austin TX
Northwestern Mutual Austin TX
Novogradac & Company LLP Austin TX
Oracle Corporation Austin TX
Parallon Business Solutions San Antonio TX
Paycom Oklahoma City OK
Pegasus Schools, Inc. Lockhart TX
Penske Truck Leasing Austin TX
Planto Roe Financial Services San Antonio TX
Rogers-O'Brien Construction Austin TX
Ross Stores, Inc Pleasanton CA
Ryder Logistics & Transportation Fort Worth TX
San Antonio Fire Dept San Antonio TX
San Marcos Treatment Center San Marcos TX
Service Steel Warehouse Houston TX
Sherwin-Williams PSG Richardson TX
SHI International Corporation Austin TX
Stage Stores, Inc. Houston TX
Student Affairs in Higher Education, Texas State University San Marcos TX
Target Corporation Brooklyn Park MN
Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. (TTI) Anderson SC
TEKsystems Hanover MD
Tesoro Companies, Inc. San Antonio TX
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Austin TX
TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS Austin TX
Texas Department of Banking Austin TX
Texas Department of Public Safety San Antonio TX
The Hertz Corporation Austin TX
The Princeton Review Austin TX
The Reynolds and Reynolds Company Houston TX
THE SCOOTER STORE New Braunfels TX
The TJX Companies, Inc. Framingham MA
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio TX
U.S. Army Recruiting Station San Marcos San Marcos TX
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Waco TX
U.S. Marine Corps Austin TX
USAA San Antonio TX
USDA, FSIS Catano Puerto Rico
VAuto Inc. Atlanta GA
Walgreens Austin TX
White Lodging Services Austin TX
Wilson Houston TX
Wisenbaker Builder Services San Marcos TX
Worldwide Express AUSTIN TX

Friday, March 23, 2012

Understanding soft skills and what they can do for you

by Catarina E. Dominguez
Texas State Career Services Counselor 

In the job market today, many employers are looking for applicants with a diverse set of skills that can demonstrate your ability to be successful.   It is no longer as feasible to just be a functional expert within a single occupational field.   A marketable applicant must also possess “soft skills,” which complement the core competencies needed within a career.  

Soft skills—optimism, integrity, social grace, to name a few—are personal attributes that assist in the ability to work effectively within an organization.  According to research, in addition to standard qualifications, many employers value and seek out these skills when selecting the best candidates to hire.  

It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview, but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job.

Implementing soft skills within a career is vital to becoming successful; however identifying and perfecting these skills may take some work.  To get started on discovering your soft skills, first think about your previous jobs, volunteer positions, hobbies, clubs and school projects.  Beside each area write down every functional skill you gained from that experience.  Next, list personality traits you believe you exhibited when you were engaged in those activities.  Please see example below:

Functional skill:                                        Soft skill:
Listen to customers and place food  à    Communication skills, Teamwork
orders correctly                                                          and Interpersonal skills

This is a fantastic way to begin understanding the soft skills you bring to the table.  To have a competitive edge it is imperative to know your skills and market them to an employer.  To begin exploring the necessary soft skills to implement in the workplace, read below. 

According to NACE’s (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Job Outlook 2012 survey the following were the top 5 soft skills employers seek in new hires:

1.      Communication skills
Effective communication is the foundation for success in a job.  It allows one to build strong connections with co-workers, customers and clients, as well as persuade others to adopt ideas.

2.      Decision making / Problem solving skills
Seek out solutions to potential problems using creativity, reasoning and past experiences.  Utilize resources and information that is available.

3.      Ability to obtain and process information
Utilize available resources to find solutions / answers to problems and review information in an intellectual manner.

4.      Ability to plan and organize
Involves the ability to set goals, design, plan, organize and implement projects and tasks within a specific time frame.
5.      Effective prioritization of work
Evaluate work load and have capabilities to rank tasks appropriately.  Also have the ability to adapt to changing conditions and work assignments. 

KTSW 89.9 FM is NOW HIRING for Summer and Fall 2012

KTSW is hiring students from all majors, experience levels and backgrounds for a wide variety of volunteer and paid positions including DJs, Music Reviewers, Sports Announcers, News Reporters, Promotional Event Planners, Social Media Contributors and more!  KTSW is an excellent way to get involved both on and off campus while gaining real world experience.  Past KTSW employees have gone on to work for a wide variety of professional media outlets and have won state, regional and national recognition for their work.

KTSW is Texas State University’s official radio station broadcasting live, 24-7, all the way from central San Antonio to south Austin and surrounding areas, all from historic Old Main.  This year marks KTSW’s 20th anniversary, and it has been one of the busiest semesters yet for the station.  As such, we’ve decided to add a slew of new positions and we’ve reorganized some of the departments to better serve the students, the community and the radio station. Read on to find out how you can become a part of this passionate, dedicated, hard-working, award-winning team!

KTSW 89.9 is now hiring for the following types of positions:
DJ’s / On-Air Personalities
Show Producers / Sound Techs
Audio Production (create promos, PSAs, radio dramas, etc. for on-air use)
News Writers / Reporters / Anchors
Music Reviewers
Sports Announcers / Sports Show Hosts
Event Planning and Promotions
MR Fest Sponsorship Development Team
Social Media / Blogging / Web Content Contributors
And much more….
*For a complete list of jobs and position descriptions, visit KTSW.net.

All applicants must be enrolled at Texas State University and must have a minimum GPA of 2.3.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for as many positions as they intend to pursue seriously.

How to Apply:
All applicants must submit the online Application Form and upload a current resume on KTSW.net.  In addition to the online form, applicants must submit a Catsweb Transcript and any additional requirements in person to the KTSW offices located in Old Main room 106 by the application deadline.

Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.

More Information:
Website:  KTSW.net
Phone:  512-245-3485

Good Luck!
Jenn Kelly
Station Manager
KTSW-FM 89.9
office: 512.245.8248
fax: 512.736.4713
601 University Dr.
Old Main Rm. 106
San Marcos, TX 78666

Monday, March 19, 2012

Spring Mass Communication Fair

by Allison Birk

When: March 21st 2012
Where: LBJ Student Center Ballroom
Time: 12:30-3:30
Dress: Business Casual
  
The Mass Comm Fair is the link to your future. Polish those resumes and meet with prospective employers seeking interns or full-time staff members. Don't miss the Mass Comm Fair. A complete list of employers attending can be found below:

Employer List:
BobcatFans
Border Media
Brazos Valley Communications – Bryan/College Station
Camp Ozark
Clear Channel – San Antonio
Cloud 8 Sixteen, Inc.
Cohn & Wolfe Austin
Consolidated Graphics
CTMC Hospice Care
Dahill- A Xerox Company
Emmis Austin Radio
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
First Investors Corporation- San Antonio
Graduate College - Texas State University
Greystar
KCEN-TV, Waco 
KFMK, Austin
KIAH-TV, Houston
KLUP, San Antonio
KRGV-TV, Weslaco
KSAT/TV 12
KSLR, San Antonio
KTBC TV/Fox 7
KVUE-TV
KXAN/KNVA/KBVO
Laser Shot Inc
Liquidation Channel
Lois Paul and Partners
Make a Wish Foundation of Central and South Texas
Medix Staffing Solutions
Multiview Inc.
New York Life Austin
Office of University Marketing – Texas State University
RGV Educational Broadcasting, Inc./ KMBH TV
Salem Communications
SicolaMartin
Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. (TTI)
Telemundo 40
The Grove at San Marcos
Texas Association of Broadcasters
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Victoria Television Group
Zilker Ventures

Hosted by Career Services and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.