Start Planning Your Career. Engineering Career Resources

Transcription

1 Start Planning Your Career Engineering Career Resources

2 Access Programs & Services Engineering Career Resources Assist you in preparing for your search and provide personal attention to your career needs Prepare you for the work assignment once obtained Obtain access to our network of +3,000 employer contacts through ecareer Specifically for engineering students How to use ecareer Provide technical and professional development opportunities Coordinate a variety of recruiting events

3 Important Contacts Career Envoys University Park Engineering Advising Center Engineering Faculty at University Park and Greater Allegheny University-wide Career Services and Greater Allegheny Career Services Penn State Alumni listservs

4 Create a Network All of the groups mentioned earlier can become part of your network Your network is always growing and evolving with every person you meet, but you must work to create a professional network versus a social network Professional networks grow at recruiting events and professional organizations

5 How to Network Go to events and talk to people Meeting new people (especially employers and faculty) can feel awkward, so be prepared Prepare a 30-second introduction that you can use to introduce yourself to recruiters Find out which employers will be at the event and know something about them Make sure you have appropriate attire Prepare questions Approach employers differently at each event

6 Upcoming Events FALL CAREER DAYS 2011 September 21, :00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Bryce Jordan Center ENGINEERING CAREER WEEK January 31 February 2, 2012 Nittany Lion Inn

7 Build Your Résumé To effectively build your network, you need to have a summary of your experiences available a résumé Your first engineering experience is your education make sure your GPA is first priority! A résumé is not only about work experiences! Other things to get involved in: Student organizations Projects Undergraduate research Leadership opportunities Opportunities to learn new practical skills

8 Build Your Résumé Many résumé resources on Engineering Career Resources website General Tips: Do not use a template Use high-quality paper when printing, but bring electronic version to events, too One page in length Quantify, not qualify, by using $, %, and numbers No pictures, graphics, or personal information Start each point with an action verb; no I statements If first-semester student, include your high school GPA

9 Getting an Internship Usually a one-time summer experience doing work in your planned field of study Typically a full-time commitment for 8 to 12 weeks Very competitive Relatively easy to fit into your academic plan

10 Getting a Co-op Experience Credit-bearing, multi-semester experience with one company usually including one fall or spring semester Typically begins after the sophomore year, but there are many exceptions Mostly full-time work (no classes!) Always work with an adviser to plan co-ops

11 What s Special About Work Experience? Can be credit-bearing Includes oversight by faculty/staff Helps you understand what you do and don t want to do Provides opportunity for leadership Improves your marketability for future full-time job search

12 Using ecareer Once registration is complete, you will receive an message to verify that the account you provided is active. You must VERIFY this! You will then receive a second message containing unique login information. Log in to ecareer and set up your personal profile by completing the Personal Information and Academic & Employment Info. Upload your résumé (required) and other job search documents (optional) in the Documents section. Our staff reviews your account and then approves or asks you to make changes.

13 Special Career Help for First-Year & Transitioning Students Career Development Program we are working with Greater Allegheny Career Services to provide you with additional assistance and connections! Building a Career Development Program We need YOU to choose what we do. Complete this survey. Option to obtain a Career Mentor a student who has transitioned to University Park and had job success!

14 Why do all this now? Don t wait to experience events Get comfortable using the services provided by Penn State Building your résumé takes time Employers want to talk with you now

15 Next Steps Complete the survey and let us know if you would like a career mentor (we ll send s with links) Focus on school work Go to events and meet new people Ask for help Read your s Contact us: career@engr.psu.edu