Career Passport

CAREER
PASSP ORT
2008
2009
CAREER PASSPORT
A publication of the Career Services Network
C A REER S ERVICES
Kelley Bishop, Executive Director
@ the stadium
Theda Rudd, Associate Director
290 Spartan Way
East Lansing, MI 48824
517.884.1300
careernetwork.msu.edu
@ stude nt service s
Linda Gross, Associate Director
113 Student Services Building
517.355.9510
L E A R CO R P O R AT I O N C A R E E R
SERVICES CENTER
Georey Humphrys, Director
21 Eppley Center
517.432.0830
edito rial te am
Courtney Chapin, Managing Editor
Eric Doerr
Linda Gross
Renee Hall
Tammison Smith
Contents
WELCOME TO CAREER SERVICES
@ MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
The MSU Career Services Network. . . . 10
A map for nding the resources
youre looking for
Get Familiar with MySpartanCareer. . . 12

Its more than just job listings
Career Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Where it happens and how to make an
appointment
Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A menu of oerings to jump-start
your career
Career Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Course listings and instructor contact info
i l lustratio n
Tom Rufey
Career Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Schedule of 200809 career events
l ayout/design
Charlie Sharp, Sharp Des!gns, Inc.
Playing by the Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Your responsibilities for professionalism,
a dve rtising inquir i e s

Please call Career Services
517.355.9510
2008 Michigan State University

All rights reserved.
honesty, and ethics
EXPLORE & EXPERIENCE: FIND YOUR

PASSION AND PUT IT TO WORK
Student employment, research, student

organization, and volunteer ideas
Job Shadowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Spend time on the job with a pro
to see what its all about
Informational Interviewing . . . . . . . . . 27
Meet professionals to get insider information
Learn and Intern! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Internships and co-op experience options
Getting the Most Out of CareerRelated Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Make an impression as an employee,
volunteer, or intern
When Your Major Isnt a Roadmap

to a Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Applying liberal arts knowledge
to the world of work
Careers for the Public Good . . . . . . . . . 32

Finding your niche at a nonprot and what
you need to know about federal employment
Thinking About an Advanced Degree . . 34

Things to consider for students interested in
graduate school or professional degrees
Steps to Explore Your Career Options . . 24

If youre wondering where to start,
look here for ideas
Career Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Not really tests, but they can help you
Michigan State University is an afrmativeaction, equal-opportunity employer.
Gaining Career-Related Experience . . . 26
nd some answers
HOW TO CONNECT WITH AN EMPLOYER

AND MAKE THE RIGHT IMPRESSION
Writing a Good Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Formatting essentials, types of resumes,
and dos and donts
Featured
Employers
3M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Aetna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Alcoa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Aldi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Ameriprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Capitol Area Michigan Works! . . . 23
Caterpillar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Action Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Finding Unadvertised Jobs. . . . . . . . . . 56
A menu of words to help you
Useful techniques for uncovering hidden
demonstrate accomplishment
job opportunities
Resume Makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
An example to help you take your
resume to the next level
Combination Resume Spotlight . . . . . . 46

An alternative resume format that could
be just what youve been lookng for
Thinking Outside the Box:

The Portfolio Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Create professional, creative, and
electronic portfolios
Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Basics for writing a great cover letter
and a sample to get you started
Communication Essentials: Thank-You

Letters, Phone, and E-mails . . . . . . . . . 50
On-Campus Interviews for

Internships & Full-Time Jobs . . . . . . . . 57
Graduate Career & Professional

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Read this section to nd out why
International Students and the

Job Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Special considerations for internatonal students
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr,

& Huber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
What current and prospective PhD
Ford Motor Company . . . . . . . . . . . 8
students need to know about how
LEAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
to succeed in the job market
Dress to Impress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Tips to build your wardrobe
How to Get Results at a Career Fair . . . 62

Who should go, how to prepare,
what to do there and after
Youve Got an Interview! Now What?. . 64
Negotiating Job Oers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Job Search Facts You Need to Know . . . 55
Denso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Ernst & Young. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
and more
and your next . . .
Dart Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Enterprise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
employers
For your rst job after college, your next,
Cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
opportunities right here on campus
Expert advice on behavioral interviewing
Search Strategies Youll Use Forever . . 54
CNA Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Find employer presentations and interview
Make the right impression with
THE JOB SEARCH
City Year Detroit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Congratulations! Tips on evaluating

your oer and salary
Life after MSU: Your Next Big

Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Recent grads give advice on how to
LiquidWeb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Metavante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Michigan Health & Hospital
Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
MSU Administrative Information
Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
MSU Human Resources Dept.. . . . 71
Oshkosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Seagate Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
Sircon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Spartan Motors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Teach for America . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
make a successful move from MSU to
Techsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
the rest of your life
Terex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Union Pacic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
US Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
MSU Career Network

Union
Ave.
igan
h
c
i
M
Linton
Brody
KELLOGG
CENTER
MUSEUM
LIBRARY
Olds
Admin.
CAREER SERVICES @ THE STADIUM

specializes in communication, science,
and technology career elds. They host
interviews with companies in a wide
range of industries and organize 12 different career events annually.
BRESLIN
CENTER
1
2
LEAR CORPORATION CAREER SERVICES

CENTER in the Eli Broad College of Business provides career advising for all
students interested in business-related
careers. They also host interviews with
hundreds of companies seeking interns
or entry-level hires.
Intl. Center
12
Wonders
Case
Wilson
10
Communication
Arts & Sciences
Holden
THE MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION provides career support to Alumni Association members.
Trowbridge Rd.
10
11
Engineering
FIELD CAREER CONSULTANTS are located

in various colleges across campus to provide customized career services for specic
majors and career elds.
Wells
Harrison Rd.
CAREER SERVICES @ STUDENT SERVICES

focuses on early career exploration and
experiential learning connections for students looking to build the foundations of
their career preparation process. The center also provides employment resources
for students and employers in education,
nonprot, government, and creative elds.
A full range of graduate student career services are provided at this center.
SPARTAN
STADIUM
CAREER SERVICES @ THE STADIUM

290 Spartan Way
MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

242 Spartan Way
John Hill, hilljohn@msu.edu
Dave Isbell, isbelld@msu.edu
COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS

200 Linton Hall
Courtney Chapin, chapinco@msu.edu
Paul Jaques, jaques@msu.edu
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
& NATURAL RESOURCES
121 Agriculture Hall
Jill Cords, jcords@msu.edu
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

224 Berkey Hall
Kristi Coleman, colem239@msu.edu
CAREER SERVICES @ STUDENT SERVICES

113 Student Services Building
LEAR CORPORATION CAREER

SERVICES CENTER
Eli Broad College of Business
21 Eppley Center
lear@bus.msu.edu
GRADUATE CAREER SERVICES

113 Student Services
Matt Helm, PhD, helmmatt@msu.edu
COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCE

103 Natural Science Building
Brian Telfor, MSW, telfor@msu.edu
4
Berkey
Gran
Student
Services
Natural
Sciences
Agriculture
5
6
d Ri
ver
Ave
.
10
COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION
ARTS & SCIENCES
Club 181: CAS Center for Jobs & Internships
181 Communication Arts & Sciences
(To be announced)
Paul Jaques, jaques@msu.edu
11
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
The Center for Spartan Engineering
1340 Engineering Building
Jennifer Jennings, jjenning@msu.edu
12
JAMES MADISON COLLEGE

356 South Case Hall
(To be announced)
Mason/Abbot
7
Giltner
Kedzie
Phillips/Snyder
Bessey
AUDITORIUM
Kresge
Van Hoosen
Farm Lane
Bogue St.
Shaw Lane
Holmes
McDonel
Owen
Hagadorn
Shaw
Erickson
Eppley
Center
WHARTON CENTER
Akers
Hubbard
Wilson Rd.
Fee
car eer passpo rt 2 0 0 8
11
MySpartanCareer
Career Services sta will keep you
informed about opportunities based
on your prole information.
Keep your resume(s) updated
and current.
Access current job postings, on- and
o-campus jobs, internships, and
interview signup through personalized
search criteria. Try a mock interview!
Never miss an opportunity create
search agents and nd out fast when
jobs that meet your criteria are posted.
Expand your search by tapping into
the national and international reach
of the NACElink network.
Get information on what employers
are out there!
Keep track of your scheduled
interviews and interview requests
so you never miss a meeting with
an employer.
Stay up-to-date on career fairs, events,
workshops, and employer info sessions to make the most out of every
opportunity.
Browse events in a calendar format by
day, week, month, or year. Mark events
for your personal calendar.
12
Career Resources
CONNECTING INTERESTS, SKILLS & VALUES TO CAREER OPTIONS
BridgesChoices Planner: Assess and examine your interests, work
values, and beliefs about your work skills. Search for information on
careers, compare your assessment results with the career information
provided, create a career goal plan and save it all in your own on-line
portfolio.
RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS, FIELDS OF INTEREST,
AND GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS
CareerSearch: Fast access to almost 10 million key contacts,
including: company descriptions, addresses, names, titles and many
e-mail addresses. Search by industry advertising agencies, health
care providers, manufacturers, museums, nonprots, publishers and
more! Use CareerSearch to nd potential employers in your targeted
geographic areas to start uncovering the hidden opportunities in your
eld of interest.
WetFeet: Famous Insider Guides for industries, top choice employers,
and career management strategies in addition to proles on real
people, careers, industries, and cities. Use WetFeet to learn what
professionals do, how much they earn, what industries and employers
are all about and watch CareerTV videos to put it all in focus!
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES
american firms operating in foreign countries: The authoritative
source of information on American rms with branches, subsidiaries,
or afliates in foreign countries. American companies listed have
a substantial investment in overseas operations wholly or partially
owned subsidiary afliate or branch.
foreign firms operating in the u.s.: The authoritative source
of information on foreign rms (non-American) with branches,
subsidiaries, or afliates in the United States. Foreign companies
listed have a substantial investment in American operations wholly
or partially owned subsidiary afliate or branch.
going global: Resources for those interested in expanding their job
and internship search outside their home country. View country and
USA city career guides, job and internship listings, key employer
directory, and connect with professionals around the globe!
PRACTICING INTERVIEW SKILLS
Perfect Interview: Use Perfect Interview to experience a mock
interview 24/7 in the comfort of your own room! Practice simulated
mock interview questions based on your experience level. This is
great for practicing an interview for the rst time or brushing up on
hard-to-answer questions. Includes tips from an interview coach in
case you get stuck.
13
Were
advising, workshops & courses
Advising
Career advisors can help at every stage
of your planning for life after MSU. We
focus on helping you connect your academic and co-curricular experiences to
life after college, whether your plans
are employment or graduate study.
Just getting started? The Career
Services Network has advisors
skilled in early stages of career
planning and development.
The Lear Corporation Career
Services Center provides career
advising for all students interested
in business-related careers.
2 NEWS FEED
Everything the Career Services
Network has to oer is available to
recent graduates for one year after
graduation. Services, including
MySpartanCareer, are available
to members of the MSU Alumni
Association who are more than
one year past graduation.
14
Your college may also have a Field

Career Consultant who is a specialist
in career options for majors in your
college. Consultants can provide
detailed information about job
search strategies for specic careers.
All advisors work with students
through workshops and individual
advising. To set up an individual advising appointment, go to careernetwork.
msu.edu and click on Career Advising. Because individual appointments
are in high demand, we recommend
attending a workshop before you come
see us to help make the most of your
individual time.
Here to Help!
5 NEW FRIEND REQUEST

Get connected with MySpartanCareer
Create your prole on MySpartanCareer and keep
it up-to-date. Tell us a bit about yourself and how we
can help you meet your career goals.
Workshops
Check for workshops, career events, information and

other services that meet your needs.
Workshops are held frequently on a wide variety of topics.

See Events Workshops in MySpartanCareer for a detailed
schedule. Workshop subjects usually include:
Use MySpartanCareer to research employers. Look for

internships, part-time jobs (on- and o-campus), and
full-time career positions.
Resume writing
Step-by-step career planning
Eective job campaign
Orientation to the Career Services Network and
MySpartanCareer
Dressing for success
Business careers for non-business majors
Interview and communication skills
Networking
Preparing for career fairs
Researching an employer
Internship and summer job search strategies
Applying for graduate/professional school
What can I do with a major in . . . ?
Presentations with featured speakers including alumni,
employer representatives, faculty, and other experts
Courses
job search strategies Looking for a course that focuses
on nding a job, internship, or career-building experience?
If so, you may want to consider a course that can help you
narrow areas of interest, develop strategies for eective
professional communication, research companies, market
your skills and experiences, network with professionals, and
present yourself eectively in interviews and at career fairs.
ssc 490
2 credits
fall & spring
Kristi Coleman
colem239@msu.edu
Some colleges and departments oer other courses for

specic elds. Consult with your academic advisor or
academic departments to nd out more.
3 CAREER SERVICES POST

Through many years of working with students on their
career development and job search, I believe most
do not understand the value of the services available
to them through the Career Services Network. Brian
Krueger, author of College Grad Job Hunter, accurately
captures the value of these services available to you:
The same services available for free . . . from your
Career Development ofce would cost from $500 to
$3,000 at a professional career counseling service.
Make sure you utilize these services as early as possible
in your academic career.ERIC DOERR, COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
career & academic decision-making If you are looking for a

course that can help you connect academics, skills, and real
careers, consider enrolling in one of the following courses
taught by career experts. For more information and specic
section numbers, contact:
anr 101a
nsc 390
2 credits
spring
Dr. Phil Gardner
gardnerp@msu.edu
3 credits
spring
Dr. Phil Gardner
gardnerp@msu.edu
15
Career Events
All events are open to students in ALL majors.

Attend all that t your personal interests.
Fall Semester 08
8/27/08. EARN, LEARN & INTERN
Looking for part-time employment this Fall? Searching for an internship to help you develop your professional skills? Update your resume and attend the Earn, Learn, and Intern Fair. On-campus employers, along
with local businesses will be present to talk with students about part-time job and internship opportunities.
10/1 & 2/08. CAREER GALLERY
The largest fair of the yeara two-day event! Over 250 employers and 4,500 students attend.
COMMSCI-TECH EXCHANGE (Oct. 1) For students interested in the corporate sectors of engineering,
science, R&D, biotechnology, computer science and information technology, advertising, media, retail
and telecommunication.
BUSINESS EXCHANGE (Oct. 2) For students interested in business-related jobs. Employers represent the
automotive, manufacturing, agribusiness, service, consumer products, retail, insurance, transportation,
and nance industries.
10/14/08. AGRICULTURE CAREER FAIR
2 NEWS FEED
Career Fairs give you an opportunity to speak directly with
employers about openings,
learn about career elds, and
gain advice on job and internship searches. Events are open
to all enrolled students check
out what weve got planned for
this academic year!
For students seeking internships or full-time employment in agribusiness, agriculture communications, sales and marketing, research, production agriculture, or the green industries.
Employers represent the agronomy, dairy, equine, fruit, horticulture, livestock, turf grass,
and vegetable industries.
10/15/08. GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL RECRUITMENT FAIR
Over 100 institutions oering graduate programs in law, health, science, business, public
aairs, arts, and humanities. Past participants include Notre Dame Law, Harvard School
of Education, Ohio State School of Optometry, and George Washington School of International Aairs.
11/4/08. HOSPITALITY BUSINESSCAREER EXPO
Dont wait until you really need

a job to go to a Career Fair.
Choose one that interests you
and go to learn more about potential employers and observe
how fairs work. Career Fairs
are a great way to make professional contacts! Plus, there
is usually a lot of free stu.
16
Targeted toward students with a particular interest in pursuing management careers in the
hospitality industry. Employers recruit for permanent management positions and internships. Prior to the evening career fair, industry leaders present professional development
workshops in a variety of topics. This event is coordinated through the department. For
more information on this particular event, call 517.353.9747.
11/7/08. CREATIVE ARTS FORUM
For students considering a more creative career path. Come to meet professionals and
learn more about what it takes to begin a career in elds like writing, editing, curation,
lm, design, arts management, publishing and other creative arts areas. This event is an
information-sharing and networking opportunity, not a recruiting event.
Spring Semester 09
1/22/09. DIVERSITY CAREER FAIR
This inclusive event attracts over 2,200 students and 140
well-known employers representing a variety of industries.
Our largest Spring Semester event, this fair is part of a
year-long series of workshops, networking receptions,
and employer information sessions related to workplace
diversity.
1/29/09. CAREER SUMMIT
Brings together student leaders from all majors and
campus student organizations to network with alumni and
professionals in an interactive format. Workshops at this
conference will help students build upon their leadership
skills, gain ideas for professional development and transitioning into a career. This is an information-sharing and
networking opportunity, not a recruiting event.
2/11/09. GOVERNMENT & NONPROFIT CAREER FAIR
For students interested in public service careers. Employers represent federal, state, and local government as
well as nonprot agencies. Past participants include U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
State Department, and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
2/11/09. ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES
CAREER FAIR
An informational fair for students exploring government
agencies, nonprots, and policy interest groups involved
with environmental and natural resources issues.
2/18/09. SUMMER EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIP FAIR
For students looking for a full- or part-time seasonal job or
internship. Over 80 employers attend past participants
include the Ofce of the Governor, Cedar Point Amusement
Park, Palace Sports and Entertainment (Auburn Hills),
Comerica Park, Target, Kraft Foods, Citadel Broadcasting,
and over 40 summer camps.
2/20/09. SPEED NETWORKING
Youve heard getting a job is about who you know, and
speed networking is your chance to meet professionals
with careers in advertising, media, information technol-
1 LINKS
Not sure what to do at a Career Fair? Go to careernetwork.msu.edu
and read our quick guide to Career Fairs! or go to pages 6263
to read the section Get Results at a Career Fair.
ogy, sales & marketing, public relations/communications,

multimedia, and entertainment. This event modeled
after speed-dating requires attendance at a prep session to participate. Pre-registration is required for both
the prep session and speed networking. This event is
coordinated by Club 181, the CAS Center for Careers &
Internships in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences, 517.355.6500.
3/10/09. SPRING BREAK JOB SHADOW PROGRAM
This one-day program allows you to gain valuable insight
on careers you may want to pursue in the future, network
with professionals in your areas of interest, observe the
workplace, and ask questions about your eld of interest. Students have the opportunity to job shadow professionals from various disciplines at businesses, nonprot
or public sector entities in Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids
and Chicago. Attendance at a prep session prior to the
event is mandatory for participation.
4/3/09. HIREBIG10PLUS SPRING CAREER FAIR
This event is a unique opportunity for students from across
the Big 10 to connect with employers seeking to ll open
internship, full- and part-time positions. Combining the
power of the Big 10 schools helps us connect top employers with some of the most talented and qualied college
students in the eld.
4/24/09. TEACHER/ADMINISTRATOR RECRUITMENT FAIR
This annual MSU event attracts over 125 school districts
nationwide seeking to recruit new teachers. Participating
school systems include Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, New
York, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Tampa, Chapel Hill, Fairbanks, and Baltimore.
1 LINKS
Check to see which employers you want to
meet on MySpartanCareer!
17
Playing by the

Possessing a high level of integrity is critical to happiness and success
throughout your educational pursuits, career, and life. It is the very key to
dening the person you really are.
Take this to heart integrity isnt something about you it is you. We all
have to accept the implications of our decisions and actions whether they
are positive or negative. In some cases, if we act with less integrity, we may
not like the consequences. However, it is the reality; and we have to live with
it as well as deal with it!
On campus, we expect you to follow certain policies and practices, and to
honor your commitments and to do this with a high degree of integrity. Keep
in mind that your actions are not isolated and many constituencies will in
some manner be aected by your decisions.
I believe one of the best descriptions of integrity can be found in our own
MSU Career Services Networks 12 Essentials for Success:
What does it mean to perform with integrity? Some ethical decisions
are pretty straightforward. Other times, you may not even think of
something as an ethical matter, or wont have an easy time knowing
the best thing to do.
Revised Unabridged Dictionary denes integrity as moral
m Websters
soundness; honesty. Performing with integrity means:
Accepting responsibility for your actions, including your mistakes.

Keeping your word and following through.
Making principled decisions based on personal and professional ethics.
Following the golden rule treating others as you would like to be treated.
Acting consistently and transparently in all your dealings.
GEOFF HUMPHREYS, DIRECTOR, LEAR CORPORATION CAREER SERVICES CENTER
18
Rules
your responsibilities for professionalism, honesty & ethics
Policies
FALSIFICATION OF INFORMATION
Students and alumni registering and submitting their resume and data are certifying that the information
is truthful and accurate. Those found providing false information in any way risk becoming ineligible for
on-campus interviewing and Career Network services.
INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT CANCELLATION

You are expected to accept the responsibility for keeping every interview appointment scheduled. Canceling late or not showing up may result in becoming ineligible for on-campus interviewing.
LATE CANCELLATION. MySpartanCareer will only accept cancellations up to 4 days prior to a
scheduled interview including Saturday and Sunday. If you need to cancel an interview after that,
you must contact the appropriate Career Center (at which the interview is to occur).
NO-SHOW. A no-show for an interview is professionally unacceptable and demonstrates a lack of
respect and responsibility. Even in an emergency situation, you should contact and inform the Career
Center.
ACCEPTANCE OF JOB OFFER

If youve accepted a job oer, you should not continue to interview with employers. Notify employers
with whom you may have upcoming interviews and withdraw your application.
RENEGING
1 LINKS
Reneging is accepting a job oer and then changing your mind

Policy details can be found on the Career Network
in order to accept an oer with another employer. Reneging can
website and the MySpartanCareer login page.
damage your reputation forever and may make you ineligibile for on-campus interviewing and Career Network services.
The University does not sanction reneging on your part for any reason. Avoid a reneging
situation by carefully planning and managing your entire job search process.
19
Find Your Passion . . .

Steps to Explore
Your Career Options
SO WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MAJOR IN . . . ?
Keep an eye on workshop oerings and alumni panels
in MySpartanCareer.
Check out careernetwork.msu.edu to get a sense of
what others who graduated in your major are doing
now.
Meet career advisors who can help you lay out a plan
to explore your interests and connect with alumni and
professionals.
IM NOT REALLY SURE WHAT I WANT TO DO . . .

OR I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING!
A career advisor can suggest strategies to help you
uncover your interests, or narrow them down.
The Career Network website oers resources that can
help you browse career options.
A career assessment can help you discover your
strengths and interests.
I HEARD I CAN TAKE A CAREER TEST . . .

Yeah, you can do that, but they arent really tests. The assessments we use help you organize your interests. The
results help you reect on what you already know about
yourself to plan for your future. Talking with a career
advisor about your results can help you see how you can
use what youve learned to make career decisions.
24
and Put It to Work

4 YOUR CAREER INBOX
Ask yourself . . .
Career Assessments
Who am I? Who do I want to be?

What values guide me? What are my most important
life goals?
What ideas excite me? What activities are most
engaging?
How do I learn? What knowledge is important to my
plans for personal and professional development?
How have my experiences helped me grow? What
assets do my experiences bring to new settings?
What skills are my strengths? Are there skills I need to
develop?
What drives me? How do I make things happen and
create new opportunities?
BridgesChoices Planner allows you to assess and examine

your interests, work values, and beliefs about your
work skills. This online assessment also oers a wealth
of information about occupations. You can search for
information on careers, compare your assessment results
with the career information provided, create a career goal
plan and save it all in your own on-line portfolio. Bridges
Choices Planner is available through MySpartanCareer
(see page 13). We recommend you make an appointment with an advisor after
completion to talk about your results.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Strong Interest Inventory are indepth assessments available through your career advisor and require a minimum
of two advising sessions. The MBTI helps you to assess how your personality
preferences might inuence your career choices, and helps you to understand
yourself and your interactions with others (at work or in your personal life). The
Strong Interest Inventory helps you clarify and reect on
NEWS FEED
your interests so you can better understand and expand on
possible career options.
College is about exploration and discovery . . .
Take time to talk with your professors, advisors, and

fellow students about majors, specializations, and other
areas of interest. If youre not sure about what youre
interested in or have too many interests, you may want
to meet with a career advisor to help you focus in on
whats most important to you.
25
Gaining Career-Related Experience

1 LINKS
Job Shadowing
4 YOUR CAREER INBOX

Additional ways to get
career-related experience . . .
Working on- or o-campus is
a great way to gain workplace
skills while earning a paycheck.
Volunteer work and servicelearning are great ways to help
the community and build your
skill base.
If you like research, try setting
up an undergraduate research
experience with a professor or
an employer. (venture.msu.edu)
Being an active member of a
student organization provides
lots of opportunity for developing career related skills that
translate to success when you
graduate.
Be a career event ambassador!
Each year we recruit hundreds
of volunteers to host employers
at career events. Its a great opportunity for 1st- and 2nd-year
students to learn about fairs
from the inside out and for any
student who wants to broaden
their professional network.
26
See MySpartanCareer for MSU

Spring Break Job Shadow Program
information!
During a typical job shadowing visit, you shadow

an employee at work for a couple of hours, or sometimes even a full day. The visit provides an up-close look at workplaces and the real
job from an employees view. You have a chance to observe daily ofce activities,
ask questions, and consider the potential pros and cons of a particular profession or
industry. You will also discover what workplace skills and career-related experiences
are essential to being successful in your chosen eld.
BENEFITS OF JOB SHADOWING
Gain important information and advice to assist you in making informed
academic and career decisions.
Make a valuable new networking contact in the real world.
Link your skill development, courses, and academic planning to your future
success on the job.
PREPARING FOR A JOB SHADOWING VISIT
Research the employer and/or industry you will be observing.

Choose 1015 questions to ask the employee you shadow.
Conrm the time/date
CAREER SERVICES POST
and plan for transportation to the site.
Getting the crucial hands-on work experience you need
AFTER THE VISIT
comes in the form of many opportunities. Cooperative
Send a thank-you note.
education, internships, and summer research are
Take time to assess
great ways to start your introduction into the working
what you learned about
world. Volunteer, service learning, and study abroad
the skills and work
opportunities are also ways to gain experience and
experiences needed
the soft skills that are so important on the job. In
to pursue your career
todays job market employers stress the importance of
interests. Are there skills
work experience. More engineering graduates nd the
you need to gain? What
entry-level position is disappearing and the work
are your next steps?
experiences they gain while still in school can benet
them after college. Not only will you get a chance to
experiment to see what kind of work you like to do,
but three to six months working can open many doors:
expanded network, working knowledge of your industry,
and much more. JENNIFER JENNINGS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Informational Interviewing
Talking to current professionals is a great way to
determine if a career eld is for you. An informational
interview is a 1030 minute conversation with someone
working in a position or eld that interests you.
WHY SHOULD I DO AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW?
TO LEARN. If you want to nd out what a specic
career path has to oer, what the positives and
negatives are within an organizations culture, or
which academic major will best prepare you for a
selected career path, why not ask the people who are
already working within that eld?
TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. In a recent national
survey, 70% of respondents reported they got their
present position because of a personal contact. The
earlier you start building relationships with people in
your eld of interest, the stronger they will be when
you actually begin your job hunt later on.
HOW DO I CONDUCT AN INFORMATIONAL INVERVIEW?
An outline for conducting informational interviews can
be found at careernetwork.msu.edu.
Sample informational interviews are available through
MySpartanCareer in Wetfeet (see page 13).
WHERE DO I FIND PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW?

Career Search in MySpartanCareer a searchable
database of employers, including contact info
(see page 13). You might be surprised how many
professionals are willing to talk with you about their
careers and professional experiences.
Friends, family, and professors. You will be amazed at
how many contacts you may be able to make through
existing relationships.
2 NEWS FEED
Taking risks broadens your vision for the future . . .
Experiment with electives and Study Abroad programs.
Talk with faculty about their research and eld
experiences.
Take a tour of a business, nonprot, or government
organization.
Go on an Alternative Spring Break program.
27
Learn and Intern

Internships
WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP?
Internship has lots of dierent meanings.
For our purposes, lets dene it as work
experience (paid or unpaid) in your chosen
eld of study. Internships can take place
during the summer months or during a
semester, and may be full-time or part-time.
Cooperative education placements (co-ops)
are special internships available through
some academic departments. You can
receive pay and academic credit for such an
experience!
EVERY MAJOR CAN FIND WORK

EXPERIENCE WHILE IN SCHOOL.
Whatever your major or eld of study, there
are opportunities to obtain related work
experience. Check with your college internship coordinator or academic advisor to
discover if its possible to obtain academic
credit.
FINDING EXPERIENCE IS AS EASY AS . . .

Make use of MySpartanCareer, and take
advantage of on-campus interviewing
and other campus resources, like career
events (see pages 1617).
Talk to faculty, advisors, family, and
friends (see the article on Informational
Interviewing, page 27).
Identify employers of interest and
contact them directly!
28
4 YOUR C AREER INBOX
Getting the Most Out of

Career-Related Experience
Find internships right here on campus! Use

MySpartanCareer and choose Internship,
keyword MSU.
Some things to consider to help you become the star hire that all employers hope to nd:
. SET GOALS.
. TAKE THE INITIATIVE.
Before you begin, sit down with your supervisor

and establish several realistic goals for your
learning experience. Ask, What results should
I be working toward? Use these goals to evaluate yourself throughout your experience.
Some experiences are well-dened with specic

outcomes provided, others are not. In either
case, dont sit back and wait! Your employer
will be impressed when you see a problem or
issue and address it. When you take ownership
in your work, youll nd it more rewarding.
. KNOW YOUR PLACE.

You will be working with professionals who
have many more years of experience in the
eld than you. Remember you do not have all
the answers. Communicate respectfully to all
employees . . . those with a college degree, and
those without. At the same time, dont be afraid
to share your ideas. Sometimes a fresh perspective is just what your employer needs.
. HAVE FUN!
Learning about your chosen eld can be an
enjoyable experience. Connect with other students and employees both inside and outside
of the work environment. Take it upon yourself
to organize after-work social activities if they
are not planned for you. Remember to exhibit a
strong work ethic throughout your experience,
and you will be respected by those you work
with.
. FIND A MENTOR.
If your employer does not provide you with
someone who will coach you and answer your
questions, seek out employees who will agree
to serve in that role.
2 NEWS FEED
Students who complete internships while in school are preferred
by employers, graduate, and professional schools. Entry-level
salary oers to students who have internship experience are
higher than to students without internship experience.
29
When Your Major Isnt a Roadmap to

the liberal arts job search

Sometimes nding a job might seem harder
for you than for your friends graduating
with a degree in business or engineering.
Some degrees are more profession-driven
than others, and thats OK. As a liberal arts
grad, youve got a lot to oer an employer
and there are a lot of directions you can go.
You need to know what youre looking for so
you can you can gure out where to nd it.
IT HELPS TO PUT YOUR DEGREE

IN PERSPECTIVE FIRST.
Just because the curriculum hasnt
steered you along a particular career
path, that doesnt mean your degree
is worthless or that no one wants to
hire you. You probably chose your
major not because of the job it was (or
wasnt) going to get you, but because
of your passion for and interest in the
subject matter.
While not having a major that provides

a roadmap to a given career might
make guring out what you want to do
next more challenging, it also gives
you many directions in which to turn.
Your degree isnt automatically predening what you can do you can do
just about anything you want.
Before you start on your job search,
youll need to lay some groundwork for
yourself. Ask yourself questions about
whats important to you when it comes
to work and life in general:
How will your choice of career
complement other aspects of
yourself?
What role will your career play in
your life?
What kinds of things would you like
to have the chance to do?
What strengths do you want to use?
What do you know you dont want
to do?
3 C AREER SERVICES POST

With the extra level of exibility from a liberal arts degree comes an extra responsibility to take initiative to explore career options that would be a good t. Youll likely
need to do lots of in-depth soul-searching regarding your personal goals, interests
and values as they apply to the world of work. If you havent already, spend some time
answering important questions about what you want to get out of work, where you want
to be in ve years, what kind of life you want to live and who you want to be do this
before you start your job search. Take time to put the answers together for yourself and
you might just nd they help you later when employers ask you to articulate answers to
other hard questions like Why do you want to work for us?
COURTNEY CHAPIN COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS
30
DECIDE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO

YOU TO WORK IN AN AREA DIRECTLY
RELATED TO YOUR FIELD.
One of the hard personal choices that
youll need to make is deciding how
important it is to you to work in a
career that is directly related to your
eld. This is a question only you can
answer. For many students, one of the
best things to do is to forget about
your eld and focus instead on your
interests.
What are you passionate about? You
might nd that your interests are very
diverse, or maybe very specic and
limited. Focusing on your interests is a
good way to grow your career opportunities and help ensure that you nd a
career that feels right.
If its really important to you to work
in your eld, and you need help nding
resources for where to look and what
to look for, you should see your Field
Career Consultant for eld-specic
assistance.
WHAT IF EMPLOYERS IM INTERESTED

IN ARENT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE
WITH MY DEGREE?
You may have to explicitly make the
case to an employer that youre a
qualied candidate. The trick here is to
get beyond job titles and preferred majors. Instead, focus on the qualications
a Career . . .
section of the job listing. Look for positions that seem interesting, regardless
of what the title is, or the preferred
degree. You may in fact possess many of
the qualities theyre looking for:
COMMUNICATION SKILLS, both
written and oral (remember the
countless papers and presentations?),
the ABILITY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY (how about all those group
projects and community service
projects?),
and LEADERSHIP SKILLS (ever
held a leadership role in a student
organization or been responsible
for training or supervising others at
work?).
These skills are all often part of the
desired qualications section of entrylevel positions.
If you can demonstrate in your
cover letter and resume that youre
as qualied as someone from the
employers preferred major, you have
just as good a shot at landing the job!
Its all about how you put the whole
package together.
THERE ARE SOME LIBERAL ARTSFRIENDLY CAREER PATHS OUT THERE

YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT.
Nonprot organizations and governmental agencies (both local and fed-
eral) tend to be a little more exible

about what eld your degree is in and
oer opportunities to do work in an
area thats of interest to you. Nonprot
and government employment (also
known as the public sector) can also
give you the opportunity to change
your world.
Read more about conducting a government and nonprot job search on
pages 3233.
WHEN YOU SAY I CAN DO ANYTHING,

WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?

Have you considered federal employment?
If not, perhaps you should start. The
good news for MSU graduates is that the
federal government is hiring! In fact, the
federal government projects that more than
550,000 employees (over one-third of the
permanent, full-time workforce) will leave
the government in the next ve years. Talk
about job openings! Even better news for
liberal arts students is that the federal
government currently employs more than
425,000 individuals from arts, humanities,
and social science backgrounds.
KRISTI COLEMAN COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
You might be wondering what other

liberal arts grads, or more specically,
what other students from your major,
have done with their degrees. The
possibilities are pretty much endless,
but to give you an idea . . . Liberal
arts graduates have become actors,
musicians, CEOs, marketing directors,
Hollywood producers, legislative aides,
advertising copywriters and creative
directors, communications managers,
writers, police ofcers, editors, translators, lmmakers, artists, designers,
counselors, lobbyists, teachers,
professors, elected government
ofcials, social workers, computer programmers, managers,
curators, agents, promoters,
entrepreneurs and yes,
even lawyers, judges, and
doctors!
31
Careers for the Public Good

2 NEWS FEED
Nonprots and government agencies come to campus. The Creative
Arts Forum, Government &
Nonprot Career Fair, and the Environmental & Natural Resources
Fair are all good events to pay attention to. The Diversity Fair often
sees some of these employers, too.
Always check MySpartanCareer to
see which employers are coming
to events. Your employers of interest could be coming!
Finding Your Niche at a Nonprot

Did you know that the vast majority of nonprot organizations have paid,
full-time sta who perform a variety of tasks graphic design, management,
volunteer coordination, writing, accounting, and more? People from all kinds
of academic backgrounds nd nonprots a rewarding and fullling career
path. If youre looking for a chance to use your talents and a sense of social
contribution, a career with a nonprot might be right for you.
Nonprot organizations dier from for-prot companies in that, although
theyre raising and generating revenue, making a prot isnt their bottom line.
Theyre using the money to forward their mission. Nonprot organizations
can be professional associations, religious-afliated groups, political activist
organizations, educational institutions, human service providers, just to name
a few. They cover a wide spectrum of interest areastheres probably one out
there doing work youd like to be a part of!
There are literally tens of thousands of nonprot organizations so many that
when the time comes to research potential employers, its hard to know where
to start with your job search. To get started:
DONT FORGET THE LITTLE GUYS. You may be familiar with large
organizations like the United Way, Red Cross, or Sierra Club; however there
are many smaller nonprot organizations that might not be so well known.
BE SPECIFIC. Which sector and interest area would you like to work in the
environment, public health, business services, research? The more specic
you can be, the more successful you will be in nding organizations that
might be right for you. Use CareerSearch to nd nonprots in your areas of
interest (see page 13).
SHOW YOUR SKILLS. The more you stand out as
somebody who oers a number of valuable skills,
the more competitive you are. Are you a good
writer? Do you have web-development skills?
32
1 LINKS
For more information, visit
www.idealist.org.
What You Need to Know

about Federal Employment
Did you know the federal government employs people in all
elds from art to zoology and is among the leading employers of liberal arts grads? In fact, over 425,000 arts, humanities and social science alums work in federal agencies. And
median salaries for these workers tend to be higher in the
federal government when compared to other employers. High
rates of retirement more than 550,000 individuals are
projected to leave over the next ve years are creating job
openings across the government.
Hiring in the federal government is decentralized, with each
agency hiring independently. By law, all government agencies must post any vacancy open to outside applicants on
the Ofce of Personnel Management (OPM) website (www.
usajobs.opm.gov). The application process (and application)
for government positions can be lengthy . . . be patient! All
applications are considered and positions are lled based
upon merit.
HOW DO I APPLY?
The federal government has its
own application system and what
sometimes seems like its own
language. Once you understand the
procedure of applying and some
special terminology, the application
is fairly straightforward. One of the
most helpful sites on the Web for all
aspects of the federal job search is
the Partnership for Public Service.

Federal, state, county and city goverments
have all kinds of positions everything from
artists to zookeepers. For more on federal empllyment, see the info on this page. For state,
county and city governments, visit the website
for your locations of interest and visit a career
advisor for assistance.
1 LINKS
Visit the Partnership for Public Service at
MakingTheDierence.org to access resources
for college students and recent grads.
33
Thinking about an Advanced Degree

Why do you want to
go to graduate school?
2
NEWS FEED
Admissions requirements will vary

from program to program. Find out
for each program: preferred undergraduate majors or coursework, if
any; GPA; standardized tests (GRE,
GMAT, etc.); academic or work
skills preferred; and application
deadlines.
1 LINKS
You can nd a list of factors to
consider in choosing a graduate
school, information on personal
statements, and more at careernetwork.msu.edu.
YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE and be able to use it to help

people, research, teach, make a great discovery . . . As a
graduate or professional student, you become part of the
process for advancing and creating knowledge in your
eld. Be prepared for changesthe expectations from
faculty members are dierent than for undergrads and are
far more demanding.
THE CAREER YOU WANT REQUIRES AN ADVANCED
DEGREE. Clearly, if you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, or
a faculty researcher, an advanced professional degree
is required. In order to advance in some eldssuch
as social work, public administration, education, and
businessyou may need to complete a professional
masters program.
YOU WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY. Having an advanced
degree does not always translate to more money. Salaries
for someone with an advanced degree vary by profession,
job market, and location. Advanced degrees do not always
mean better chances of nding a job, either. The key here
is to do some solid research on your profession and the
demand for people with advanced degrees.
How can I decide if grad

school is for me?
Talk with current graduate students and faculty or professionals in your eld. Ask them why they chose graduate or
professional school. How has it helped them in their careers
and life goals? What advice would they give to a student
thinking about graduate school?
34
35
Writing a Good Resume

WHATS A RESUME FOR, ANYWAY?
You want your resume to catch the attention of an employer
and make them interested in talking to you. Employers
receive many resumes, and usually spend only seconds skimming them. Make your important information easy for them
to see:
. Use bullets rather than writing in paragraphs.
. Be as specic as possible about your skills and
qualications.
. Use headings to clearly organize your content.
THERES NO SUCH THING AS A

ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL RESUME!
lets
2 NEWS FEED
Intimidated by the prospect of
writing your resume? . . .
Confused about why you even
need one in the rst place? . . .
Youre not alone!
38
If youre considering a variety of career options and applying for many dierent kinds
of positions, youll need to customize each
resume you submit. Its important to tailor
your resume to the particular position
as much as possible. Incorporate
language from the job description
into your headings and action bulwhenever you can.
Formatting Essentials
There are no rules about what a resume ought to look
like, or what it should or shouldnt include. It all
depends on the job youre applying for, the kind of
employer, and the image of yourself that you want to
project. But, there are some general formatting rules
you should always remember . . .
RESUMES ARE NOT A LIST OF EVERYTHING
YOUVE EVER DONE.
Use the job description to guide what you include
on your resume, and what you leave out. Employers
are interested in what youve done recently. Include
only experiences that youve had since youve been in
college dont include your high school education or
activities.
Its not necessary to list all the courses youve ever
taken. If employers really care about your coursework,
theyll ask for transcripts. If you have coursework that is
directly relevant to the position, you could include that
as a bullet point in your Education section.
IDENTIFY YOUR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS.

Even if you think that your work experience isnt related
to the position youre applying for, chances are youve
learned skills that would be useful and applicable in
almost any work setting.
Dont just list the duties that you performed. Be as
specic and results-oriented as possible; using numbers
is particularly eective. Your involvement in extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and work experience
while in college demonstrates that youre able to manage your time eectively and balance multiple tasks at
once.
For a recent college undergrad applying for an entrylevel position, stick to one page. (Exceptions are for
federal or education resumes, which tend to be longer
because of additional material required.)
One-inch margins (all the way around) are standard
for resumes.
Be consistent with your format throughout the
document. Use the same line spacing, font, font size,
etc.
Avoid italics and underlining, since they can be
misread by optical scanners that are used by many
employers for scanning resumes into electronic
database systems. Use ALL CAPS and bold to make
your important words and phrases stand out.
Choose a font that is easy to read. Good fonts include
Arial, Times New Roman, Palatino, Tahoma, and
Verdana. Use no less than 11 points for smaller fonts;
larger fonts can be easily read at 10 points.
Make headers and contact information larger than
body text.
Dont use templates or resume programs to create
your resume. Anyone who spends time looking at a
lot of resumes can spot them a mile away.
Use action verbs to begin bullet points whenever
possible. This way, an employer will easily see your
skills (analyzed, organized, wrote, solved . . .) just by
skimming over the rst part of each line. Check out
the action verbs list (page 42) for more ideas on what
kinds of language to use in your resume.
39
Resume Types
Choose Your Format

After youve identied the position or employer your resume will
target, choose the resume format that best meets your needs.
CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME
Lists your work history in reverse chronological order
(most recent rst).
Is the format preferred by many employers. It is also the
preferred format for undergraduates.
Works best for those who have progressed in titles and
have a good work history.
FUNCTIONAL RESUME
Centers around skill areas that relate to the position for which youre
applying.
Works well for those with limited education, signicant employment gaps,
lack of work experience, or experience in a dierent eld. This format can
be used both by recent grads and career changers.
WARNING! This format isnt well received by many employers for a variety
of reasons. If youd like to use a functional format, seek assistance from a
career advisor for feedback. If you like the idea, but think its just a little
too much, you might consider a combination resume.
4 YOUR CAREER INBOX
40
COMBINATION RESUME
RESUME-ZILLA!
Combines both detailed work history and skills.

Usually includes a skills summary or highlights
section near the top.
TIP: Keep your skills section short, somewhere around
four bullets.
Once youve decided what type of format will work best

for you, its time to start writing! Begin by making a list
of your skills, work experience, honors, awards, activities, internship experience, etc. Include anything you
think an employer would want to know. Once you have
this mega-resume, it will be easier to customize each resume for each employer, and include only relevant info.
Resume Donts
In a recent survey of over 2,500
recruiters in the U.S. and Canada,
ResumeDoctor.com collected
feedback on their 20 biggest pet
peeves when it comes to resumes.
Surveyed recruiters represented
many dierent industries/specialties. Below are the top ten results
from the survey.
1 Spelling errors, typos, and poor
grammar
2 Too duty-oriented; reads like
a job description and fails to
explain what the job seekers
accomplishments are
3 Dates not included, or inaccurate
dates
4 Omitted or incorrect contact
info or unprofessional e-mail
addresses
5 Poor formatting boxes,
templates, tables, use of headers
and footers, etc.
6 Functional resume as opposed to
chronological resume. (Remember, many conservative employers dont like this format!)
1 LINKS
RESUMES IN THE DIGITAL AGE
What if an employer asks me for a scannable resume
or wants me to send a resume electronically?
Nearly 70 percent of all employers have an electronic
resume system, according to the National Association
of Colleges and Employers. This means that the rst
person to see your resume will probably be a computer!
For information on scannable resume formatting and
electronic resumes, check out the resume resources at
careernetwork.msu.edu.
7 Overly long resumes (Dont

forget to keep it to one page!)
8 Long paragraphs
9 Unqualied candidates candidates who apply for positions for
which they are not qualied
0 Including personal info not relative to the job (age, height, etc.)
41
Use Action Verbs!

ANALYSIS
analyzed
ascertained
assessed
compared
computed
conceptualized
concluded
conrmed
critiqued
deciphered
deliberated
determined
devised
diagnosed
estimated
evaluated
examined
forecasted
formulated
integrated
investigated
justied
measured
negotiated
prescribed
prioritized
projected
questioned
rated
recommended
researched
scrutinized
studied
substantiated
synthesized
42
validated
veried
COMMUNICATION
addressed
apprised
arbitrated
attested
authored
claried
communicated
composed
convinced
corresponded
drafted
edited
explained
informed
interpreted
lectured
marketed
persuaded
presented
promoted
publicized
queried
reported
spoke
summarized
translated
wrote
CREATIVITY
brainstormed
constructed
designed
engineered
envisioned
fabricated
illustrated
produced
shaped
visualized
FLEXIBILITY
accommodated
adapted
adjusted
altered
amended
balanced
converted
grew
improvised
tailored
ORGANIZATION
arranged
assembled
budgeted
calculated
catalogued
centralized
charted
classied
collected
compiled
consolidated
correlated
indexed
linked
orchestrated
2 NEWS FEED
organized
oriented
planned
processed
purchased
recorded
regulated
scheduled
systematized
tabulated
INITIATIVE
accelerated
accomplished
achieved
acquired
advanced
bolstered
boosted
built
coordinated
created
dedicated
demonstrated
enriched
established
expanded
expedited
implemented
improved
increased
initiated
innovated
inspired
introduced
launched
minimized
mobilized
modernized
modied
multiplied
overhauled
pioneered
revamped
revised
spearheaded
stimulated
suggested
updated
upgraded
LEADERSHIP
administered
advised
allocated
allowed
appointed
approved
assigned
authorized
chaired
coached
delegated
designated
directed
educated
elicited
employed
empowered
enabled
encouraged
endorsed
enhanced
facilitated
fostered
founded
guided
hired
inuenced
instructed
interviewed
judged
led
moderated
monitored
motivated
ofciated
recruited
sanctioned
supervised
trained
TEAMWORK
assisted
collaborated
contributed
cooperated
mediated
participated
partnered
PROBLEMSOLVING
aided
alleviated
ameliorated
augmented
counseled
Use active language to describe your work experience

and skills!The action verbs listed here are organized
by skill areas to help you think about how your past
experiences can apply to skill sets employers look for. Of
course, many of these verbs apply to multiple skill areas
use all categories to get ideas for how you might
describe your own skills and experience.
customized
debugged
eased
elevated
enlarged
extended
extracted
nalized
fullled
generated
identied
interceded
invented
lightened
polished
procured
reconciled
rectied
reduced
rened
reformed
rehabilitated
reinforced
rejuvenated
relieved
remedied
remodeled
repaired
restored
retrieved
revitalized
revived
settled
solicited
solved
streamlined
strengthened
supplemented
transformed
. . . AND MORE!
acted
activated
added
admitted
apportioned
appraised
approximated
attained
audited
certied
commissioned
committed
consented
contracted
disbursed
dispatched
displayed
enlisted
excelled
executed
exercised
familiarized
gured
guaranteed
indicated
instituted
involved
issued
licensed
maintained
operated
performed
prepared
programmed
realized
related
reserved
reviewed
satised
screened
secured
served
set
smoothed
sought
specied
submitted
surveyed
sustained
traced
transacted
transmitted
valued
43
Resume Makeover
the dos & donts of resumes
Whats wrong?
This is an MS Word template! Using
a template or resume program can
cause an employer to think that
you dont have the computer skills
necessary to create, format, and
organize your resume or that
you dont have the initiative to
gure out how to do one on your
own. Show employers that you can
think for yourself and use word
processing software skillfully.
Employers can spot template
resumes right o the bat.
The contact information here is
too small one of the downfalls
of templates. One of the most
important things on your resume is
how to get in touch with you. Make
sure employers will be able to read
your contact information easily.
Never include personal information
like your Social Security number,
birth date, height, weight, etc.
Dont use an unprofessional e-mail
address! Set the tone for your level
of professionalism from the very
beginning of your interactions with
a potential employer.
If youre including an objective
in your resume, keep it short and
employer-focused. Its great if you
want to advance your skills, but
employers care more about what
youll do for them rather than
what theyll do for you. A better
44
alternative would be something

like, To obtain a manager trainee
position with XYZ Corporation.
This shows that youve done enough
research to know what entry-level
position youd be hired into and
personalizes your resume for that
particular employer in other
words, at least this resume only got
sent to them.
Avoid using rst-person (i.e., I,
my, and me). Employers know
youre talking about yourself. Save
the space for words that really
matter.
There are inconsistencies in the
size of bullets, formatting of lines,
and too many fonts, as well as
grammatical and spelling errors.
This shows lack of attention to
detail and generally sloppy work
habits.
Bullet points for work experience
are very task-oriented. This only
shows the employer what you did,
but not your accomplishments
how you contributed to the
eectiveness of the organization or
applied useful skills.
Dates are listed in the front
(another pitfall of templates!),
which isnt where they belong.
When you worked somewhere is
not as important as your job title
or where you worked. Put the most
important things at the front of the
line.
Dont use abbreviations and

acronyms.
Its nice to have interests, but those
listed here dont apply to the world
of business or relate to the position
for which this student is applying.
Will an employer really care that
you like to listen to music? Will
that help you do your job better?
Probably not.
Dont include references on your
resume. Employers typically dont
need your references until after
youve had an interview. At that
time, they will ask you for your
references, and you should have
them listed on a separate sheet that
matches your resume and cover
letter in both style and appearance.
If an employer wants them sent
with your resume, theyll state that
explicitly in the how to apply
section of the job posting. Even
in that instance, youd send them
as a separate sheet. For help with
writing your reference sheet, see the
resources on establishing references
at careernetwork.msu.edu.
Whats right?
Name and contact information is
large and easy to read. Both current
and permanent addresses are
listed. It can sometimes be months
before an employer follows up on
3130 Green Drive

(517) 555-1234
HappyGirl69@loa.com
DOB: 01/01/1987
SS# 999-00-1111
Paige Turner
CURRENT : 3130 Green Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 555-1234
PERMANENT : 999 Snowy Lane, Escanaba, MI 49829 (906) 555-7890
turner9p@msu.edu
Paige Turner
OBJECTIVE
To get a job working in business where I can advanse and strengthen my

communication, teamwork and leadership skills.
EXPERIENCE
Sept. 2006present
Spartys Deli
East Lansing, MI
Assistant Manager
Manage staff.
Ordered supplies and inventory.
Prepare customers orders and provided customer assistance.
Aug. 2005May 2006, Generic Sports Bar & Grill
Waitress
Took orders and served food.
Cleaned bathrooms and lobby and performed side-work.
Summer 2005
Sports Unlimited
Sales Associate
Assisted customers with purchases.
Stocked merchendise.
Worked cash register and handled transactions.
EDUCATION
20052009
MSU
B.S. in Zoology.
Deans List every semester but one.
Study Abroad, Summer 2006
Okemos, MI
Escanaba, MI
East Lansing, MI
INTERESTS
Swimming, hiking, reading, working with children, listening to music
REFERENCES
Kwame West, Spartys Deli

9807 Evergreen Drive, East Lansing, MI
(517) 555-0987, kwame.west@spartys.net
John Smith, Generic Sports Bar & Grill
1234 Grand River, Okemos, MI
(517) 555-5678, smithjohn@genericbar.com
a resume, especially if they store

resumes in an electronic system,
and its possible you might be back
home when an employer is ready to
contact you.
Degree and awarding institution
are spelled out. Additional areas
of study are highlighted, as well as
more specic information on the
Study Abroad program. For many
employers, foreign language skills
are important. If you dont have
a skills summary in your resume,
including languages studied in your
Education section is appropriate.
Formatting is consistent dates
line up, bold and CAPS make
important information stand out,
font sizes (and styles) are the same
throughout, bullets are uniform.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Zoology
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Additional concentrations in zoo and aquarium science and Japanese
Deans List (5/6 semesters)
EXPERIENCE
Assistant Manager
Spartys Deli, East Lansing, MI
Supervised and trained serving staff of 10
Ordered $7,000 in weekly supplies and inventory
Increased sales by 10% during tenure as assistant manager
May 2009
Sept. 2006present
President
Aug. 2007present
Zoology Club, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Organized and supervised work of 3 sub-committees
Allocated annual budget exceeding $5,000
Interacted with university, city and state officials in service and lobbying projects
Increased membership by 23% during presidency
Study Abroad: Advertising in Asia
Summer 2006
Japan and China
Studied interactive advertising management theory and practice in Tokyo, Beijing, and
Hong Kong
Visited 9 advertising rms and gained insight into creative, sales, and management
practices in major Asian markets
Completed team advertising project using digital media and gaming for cell phone
distribution and presented to panel of advertising and business executives
Sales Associate
Summer 2005
Sports Unlimited, Escanaba, MI
In charge of direct sales of athletic shoes, accessories and apparel
Determined product display placement and arrangement
Selected and ordered products based on understanding of consumer demand
Involved in most aspects of managing a retail store including: scheduling, store security,
customer relations, opening and closing, as well as coaching employees to increase sales
results
COMPUTER SKILLS
Skilled in MS Word and electronic research systems, including Internet
Proficient in MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Photoshop
Working knowledge of MS Access, Macromedia Dreamweaver, and Adobe Illustrator
PORTFOLIO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Overall, the resume looks orderly

and organized without even
reading it.
Experience related to the students
eld of interest (business) is
highlighted in the bullet points
describing work history. Past tense
is used consistently to demonstrate
readiness to move forward and
leave even current experience
behind. Points are specic (note the
use of numbers) and demonstrate
the students success with and
impact on the operations of
previous employers.
Related extracurricular activities
especially leadership roles can
be included and described in your
Experience section.
Employers are increasingly looking
for employees with solid technology

skills. Use descriptors like skilled,
procient, working knowledge
of, competent, etc. to demonstrate your level of prociency with
various programs/applications.
It used to be standard protocol
to include a statement like
References Available Upon
Request at the end of a resume.
Now employers expect that
youll have references to oer, so
including a line to that eect isnt
needed. However, if you have a
portfolio or samples of your work
that an employer would want to see,
including a statement referring an
employer to supplemental materials
is appropriate, since not all
candidates will have those to oer.
45
Combination Resumes & Portfolios

2 NEWS FEED
Combination Resumes
Think a combination resume

sounds like a cool idea, but want
some specics on combining a
detailed work history and your
skills? Read on for how-to combo
resume tips!
Getting rid of the objective at the top of your resume (which

many employers advocate) can leave you feeling like theres
nothing there to grab the employers attention. But a wellcrafted Skills Summary, Summary of Qualications, or
similarly titled section at the top can ll that niche for you.
A brief skills section serves as a short introduction to your
strengths that can keep an employer reading. In fact, many
hiring managers say this is the rst thing they read!
Ling S. Wu
To make this work for you, keep these tips in mind:
1234 Eastside Dr., Okemos, MI 48864 H: 517.555.5678 C: 517.555.0912 wu8ling@msu.edu

OBJECTIVE
To obtain a summer 2009 Colonial National Historic Park Internship through the Student Conservation
Association
SKILLS PROFILE
Presented to groups of up to 100, successfully communicating life and safety skills, and camp
protocol, certified in CPR and basic First Aid
Experienced in researching historical information using electronic, archival and library
resources, and Internet
Completed advanced coursework in Revolutionary and Antebellum history and culture
Studied interpretive services and visitor information systems
Working knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Photoshop, and Internet
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, History
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
GPA, 3.75/4.0
Member, Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key National Honor Society
May 2010
EXPERIENCE
Riding Instructor
Summer 2008
Camp Linden, Girl Scouts of the Huron Valley Council
Instructed campers in barn safety, horse care, and riding
Evaluated campers riding skills and placed them in appropriate groups
Presented to groups of up to thirty about horses, safety, and camp history
Supervised safety and well-being of over 500 children ages 7 to 12
Volunteer
January 2007present
Beekman Therapeutic Riding Center, Lansing, MI
Worked one-on-one with special-needs riders to improve their balance and control
Handled horses calmly and confidently in new and diverse situations
Used shared interest in horseback riding as means of connecting with people of different
abilities
Server
July 2006present
Soups On Caf, Okemos, MI
Quickly learned procedures for preparing food in proficient and safe manner
Improved communication skills through interaction with customers
Monitored register drawer and cash box, and processed daily bank deposits
Trained new employees for opening, middle, and closing shifts
ACTIVITIES
Volunteered for Michigan Womens Historical Centers Annual Picnic on the Lawn fundraiser
Ten (10) years of active involvement as member of Irish dance companies
Eleven (11) years of horseback riding experience, including English Hunter/Jumper, some
Western, and experience as instructor
Experienced in campsite preparation and set-up, outdoor cooking over open fires and using
propane camp stoves, and trail creation and maintenance
46
Your skills section should be short, ideally 35 bullets.

Beware of overstating your level of skill or experience by
using descriptors like excellent, expert, uent, etc. (In
most cases, the typical college grad still has more to learn
on the job.)
Use moderate descriptors like: procient, working
knowledge, skilled, demonstrated strengths, etc. instead.
If youre having trouble thinking of what to include, try this:
Imagine you are in an interview. The employer asks you to
highlight your three greatest strengths. What do you say?
While you want to avoid using vague or general
statements in your resume, your skills summary
is one place where this is more acceptable.
However, if you use general
statements like Proven
ability to work in teams as
both leader and follower for
instance make sure you
provide concrete,
specic examples
under your work
experience to
back it up.
Thinking Outside the Resume Box

Portfolios are great tools for students from all majors. A professional portfolio
is usually taken to an interview. This type of portfolio is a documentation and
demonstration of your accomplishments. It shows growth in your skills and understanding over time. A portfolio not only documents your results but also how you
got there and what you learned in the process.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PORTFOLIOS?

Regardless of how youll use the nished product, all portfolios can help you:
Write or update your resume more quickly, since all the relevant information will
be in one place.
Organize information youve gathered over the years, such as awards,
certicates, and records of other accomplishments.
Showcase your achievements, skills, and abilities for an interview.
See your career as a collection of skills and talents that youve developed, rather
than just a list of job titles.
E-PORTFOLIOS: EFFECTIVE AND EASY

Electronic portfolios are an excellent way to showcase your
skills and your computer abilities. Remember more and
more employers are seeking students with high levels of
technology skills. The most eective portfolios are those
that are targeted towards a specic job or organization.
CREATIVE PORTFOLIOS
A creative portfolio contains only samples of work relevant
to your particular eld. Just like a professional portfolio, your
creative portfolio should be organized and presented in a
quality format. Many creative elds also expect a title page,
essay, or artist statement and biography. Talk with people
working in your eld about the specic expectations for this type
of portfolio.
47
Cover Letters
2 NEWS FEED
Any time you mail a resume or application to
an employer, you should include a cover letter.
Whenever youre not face-to-face with an employer, your cover letter is your introduction.
THE OVERVIEW
Write a separate cover letter for every position. The best
cover letters are customized for the employer receiving
them.
Dont just talk about you. Your resume talks about you.
Demonstrate youve done your employer research and
show them how youre the best candidate for them. This
means talking about them and how youre a t for what
they need/want.
Demonstrate professional, simple and direct writing
style while also expressing personal interest and
excitement.
As with your resume, your cover letter is a writing
sample. Proofreading for grammatical and spelling
errors, typos, and content/style is just as important.
Mistakes can wreck your chances of moving forward.
Think of your cover letter like a response to a personal
48
ad youre conecting your interests and experiences

with the other person being genuine, conveying
interest, and showing that you understand whats
important to them and sharing their values. You dont
have to tell them your life story youre telling them
enough to convince them they want to invite you to an
interview to learn more.
THE DETAILS
Your resume and cover letter should match in both style
and appearance.
Fold them together and mail in a matching envelope or,
because employers are increasingly scanning resumes,
send your cover letter and resume unfolded in a large
envelope.
If youre e-mailing your resume as an attachment,
its not necessary to also attach a cover letter. The
e-mail message itself serves as a cover letter. Write it
accordingly.
Address the letter to a specic individual.
YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER,

AND E-MAIL ADDRESS. Can be formatted
in standard business letter format or as it

appears on your resume.
Ling S. Wu
1234 Eastside Dr., Okemos, MI 48864 H: 517.555.5678 C: 517.555.0912 wuling@msu.edu
DATE.
April 18, 2009
CONTACT AND ADDRESS. Use an individuals
Jeremy Tolliver, Coordinator

SCA Conservation Internships
The Student Conservation Association
689 River Rd., PO Box 550
Charlestown, NH 03603-0550
name, if possible.
SALUTATION.
Dear Mr. Tolliver:

I am interested in the Colonial National Historical Park Internship. As a history major, I am attracted
to a career in interpretation with the National Park Service, preserving historic sites, and educating the
public about these resources. My career advisor at Michigan State University recommended your
organization, and I learned of this position through the SCA website and internship database.
This position in interpretation would be a good fit for me. I enjoy being outdoors, interacting with
others, and educating people about history and its value. I have taken upper-level history classes,
focusing on Revolutionary and Antebellum American history and culture. I am currently taking a
class at MSU through the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Resources program. The class focuses on
park interpretive services and visitor information systems. I am learning about interpretation,
developing education programs, and working with visitors. This class is building my knowledge base
and teaching me skills that I look forward to using in your program.
My experience working at Camp Linden Girl Scout Camp last summer improved my communication
and instructional skills. I am comfortable working with, and educating children and facilitating
educational programs in an outdoors environment. I developed and presented informational programs
to the scouts about safety, horsemanship, and the history of the camp.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to scheduling an interview with your
organization to further discuss the position and my background. I am confident that my experience
working with children and my coursework at MSU will enable me to make a valuable contribution to
your program.
Sincerely,
Ling S. Wu
Ling S. Wu
FIRST PARAGRAPH. State the reason you are

writing, explain the type of work you are interested in, or the specic position you are
applying for, and indicate how you learned
about the employer and/or the opening.
BODY PARAGRAPH(S). Be specic about
why you are interested in the position.
Briey summarize some of your strongest
qualications to do the work. Consider this
from an employers point of view by linking
your skills to specic requirements in the
job description. Show what you have to
oer the employer; dont merely daydream
about what the employer can oer you.
Enclosure
CLOSING PARAGRAPH(S). Refer the reader

to the resume (or application form) you
are enclosing. Declare your interest in
an interview and oer to provide further
documentation upon request.
SIGNATURE.
YOUR NAME (TYPED).
ENCLOSURE.
49
Communication
telephone, mail, and e-mail
Using the Phone

Dont take a cell phone call or page
when with another person its
rude. This is especially true during
an interview, site visit, or other
professional event!
When leaving a voice mail or
message, speak slowly and clearly
so your message is clear. Keep your
message short. Leave your name
and phone number to ensure the
employer can call you back.
Return calls the day theyre received.
If for some reason you cant call
back the same day, call within 24
hours.
Make sure that the greeting for your
answering machine and/or voice
mail is appropriate. Employers
often complain about greetings
that include loud and/or obscene
music, background noise, or are just
generally unprofessional.
50
Essentials
Thank-you Letters
Always send a thank-you letter after an interview or other
personal interaction. Show the people you met that you
appreciate their time and attention. Thank-you letters can
be sent via e-mail, a hand-written note, or formal letter.
Wondering whether or not e-mail is the best way to
send a thank-you note? As with most things, it depends
on the organization. More conservative employers will
likely prefer a formal letter. Employers who have a
high-touch approach to customer service or a high level
of relationship development with clients are more likely
to prefer a hand-written note or card. But any employer
with a quick turn-around time between interview and
oer (you interview on Thursday and they tell you they
plan to make a decision on Monday) should get an e-mail
thank-you letter.
Be sure to send the thank-you promptly its best to send
it within 24 hours of your meeting or exchange.
The bottom line is that you want the letter to reach them
before theyve made their decision. If they havent told you
what their timeline is, thats one of the things you should
ask before leaving the interview!
To avoid burning bridges that might be useful later on, you
should even send a thank-you letter to an employer with
whom youve decided NOT to accept a position.
For more information on thank-you letters, see the
resources available at careernetwork.msu.edu.
Eective E-mailing
Dont use an unprofessional e-mail address (e.g.,
sexykitten@hotmail.com). The recipient could delete
the message thinking its spam or porn.
Always include a meaningful subject line that makes
it clear what will be covered in the message, such as
Jos Vega Conrming Friday Interview Time or
MSU Food Science Junior Seeking Information.
Always include your full name and contact information
in each e-mail.
Remember that there is no guarantee that an e-mail is
private.
When replying to a message, always include the
previous message in your response. Keeping the
thread of the discussion together will help both you
and your contact to follow the course of your e-mail
discussion.
Always re-read and spell-check every e-mail before
you hit send!
2 NEWS FEED
Every time you communicate with an employer,
be as professional as possible. Always use correct grammar when speaking or writing.
Even if e-mail is your preferred way of communicating, check with your contacts to see what
their preferred contact method is so you can
communicate with them most eectively.
51
Search Strategies Youll Use Forever

YOUR JOB SEARCH AFTER COLLEGE IS ONLY THE FIRST
OF MANY IN YOUR LIFE. According to the US Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the average American with a Bachelors
degree has about ten dierent jobs between the ages of
18 and 34. In college youll be expected to learn about
job search processes whether its nding a part-time
job or an internship. To survive and advance youll
have to become skilled at job hunting. Your rst job out
of college is just the beginning of a lifelong process.
SEARCHING FOR A JOB ISNT LIKE TAKING A CLASS.
Although the resume seems like a writing assignment,
its really an advertisement for a meeting. And the
interview, which looks like an exam, is more like a date:
it determines whether there are enough interests in
common to take the relationship a step further.
DEVELOP A JOB SEARCH STRATEGY. The job search is
successful only if you take charge and develop a job
search strategy. So, maybe youll need to rethink your
strategy . . . there is no one job search technique that
will work every time for everyone.
KELLEY BISHOP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAREER SERVICES
54
THREE JOB SEARCH FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

75% of all jobs are never advertised. Its a lot cheaper
and faster for an employer to hire a relative, a friend,
or someone theyve met before. Otherwise, they have
to go to the trouble (and expense) of writing up a job
description, ling paperwork, conducting a search,
and then, nally, hiring someone. For this reason, and
the two others below, most jobs are never advertised.
Who you know is as important as what you know. Most
successful job seekers nd jobs with the help of leads
from friends and acquaintances.
98% of U.S. employers have fewer than 100
employees. These companies often do not recruit
from college campuses. You can nd these hidden
employers with some of the tools available through
MySpartanCareer (see page 13).
WHAT THESE 3 SEARCH FACTS MEAN TO YOU

The Internet should not be your only means of
searching for jobs.
Talking to people and asking questions may be your
best job search strategy.
Take advantage of MSU resources like
MySpartanCareer, career events, employer info
sessions, and other opportunities to meet and
discover potential employers.
HOW NEW JOB SEEKERS FOUND THEIR JOB
Friends or relatives
Alumni or school
placement contacts
Cold contact with
an employer when
no job was posted
Newspaper or web ads
48%
23%
24%
5%
International Students
and the Job Search
We want to help you make your job search as
productive and stress-free as possible. But as
is probably becoming evident, the job search
is rarely, if ever, a quick and easy process. It
can be stressful even for those who have a clear
idea of what they want to do, where they want
to do it, and for whom. And for international
students studying at MSU or at any other university, there are additional issues to overcome.
There are both legal and cultural barriers involved in international students job searches.
Visa and work authorization processes can be
complicated and the cultural dierences in
resumes, interviews and other aspects of the
search can be unsettling. It can also be difcult
to look for a job in your home country from
hundreds or thousands of miles away!
To help meet the particular needs of international students, MSUs Career Services Network
has partnered with MSUs Ofce for International Students and Scholars to provide a centralized online resource. Visit careernetwork.
msu.edu/students/international for access
to information specically for international
students job search needs.
1 LINKS
For more information on services and resources
available to international students at MSU, please
contact the Ofce of International Students and
Scholars, 103 International Center, 517.353.1720,
oiss.msu.edu.
source: U.S. Department of Labor
55
Finding Unadvertised Jobs

IF MOST JOBS ARENT ADVERTISED, HOW CAN I FIND THEM?
2 NEWS FEED
You must look more like a great potential colleague than a desperate job
seeker! There are plenty of desperate
job seekers; it is your job to understand
your top companies needs and
place yourself in situations where
you can demonstrate your abilities.
You start with basic research, using resources

like WetFeet and CareerSearch, both found in
MySpartanCareer (see page 13).
Advanced resources such as eld-specic journals and
websites (e.g., The Wall Street Journal if youre interested in investment banking; Chemistry.org if youre
interested in scientic research) help you discover
the major employers that hire for the jobs you want.
To know if youre on the right track, you should conduct informational interviews with people working in your eld of
interest (see page 27).
Check out industry guides and other resources in WetFeet.
Find specic eld resources at careernetwork.msu.edu.
CareerSearch provides fast, accurate, up-to-date information
on potential employers and contacts in a wide range of
industries and elds nationally and internationally.
HOW CAN I NARROW THE FIELD OF POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS?

If you are open to living anywhere, but have no idea where to
start, here are steps to organize your search:
Determine up to 3 geographic areas of interest.
Create a list of 510 organizations with whom you are
most interested in working. These organizations should get
most of your attention. Actively work to meet people in the
organization and learn more about their goals. Try some or all
of the suggestions for developing relationships with employers
listed here.
Create a second list of organizations you have
some interest in. When you have time, do some basic
research to rene the level of your interest and possible
networking or career openings.
56
for internships & full-time jobs
HOW DO I DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS

WITH EMPLOYERS WHEN THEY WONT
RETURN MY CALLS?
ATTEND PRESENTATIONS AND

EVENTS sponsored by student organizations, the Career Services Network,
or professional organizations.
VOLUNTEER. Whether its for a cause
you believe in or pitching in when a
for-prot company needs some help,
youll have the chance to make a good
impression on others and potentially
get leads for other opportunities. Resist acting phony when you volunteer
engage in the activity to the best
of your ability, rather than badgering
people about your job search.
USE RESEARCH. Look not only at
directories, like CareerSearch,
but also trade publications and
newspapers in your geographic area
of interest. Look for who is doing
work you nd interesting it might
be a new account or outreach with a
local group that you support.
KEEP A LOG OF RESEARCH AND
ACTIVITIES, so you know whom
youve called, when, and next steps.
Its embarrassing to call someone
twice because you forgot that you
already called, or not to call at all
when someone asked.
ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS
GET THE MOST OUT OF
MYSPARTANCAREER.
1 LINKS
More than 500 employers

interview MSU students
throughout the academic year.
Sign up for these interviews in
MySpartanCareer.
If you have questions about making

the most out of on-campus interviewing, schedule an appointment
with a career advisor on-line at
careernetwork.msu.edu/advising.
Search postings to nd upcoming

on-campus interviews for full-time and internship positions,
submit your resume to employers online, check if you were
selected for an interview, and sign up for the interview time
and date.
ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES.

PRE-SELECT INTERVIEWS. A two-step process: First you submit
your resume, then the company decides which people they want to
interview. Individuals chosen to interview will be able to sign up
for an interview time.
OPEN INTERVIEWS. First come, rst served! Once all the interview
slots are lled, the schedule is closed.
2 NEWS FEED
Check interview schedules daily, and look ahead to dates
for the whole semester.
If you submitted a resume for a pre-select interview, note
when you should check to see if you have been chosen.
Make sure you note the date, time, and especially location
of your interview. Some may be held in the centers at
Student Services, Spartan Stadium, and Eppley Center.
57
Graduate

GRADUATE CAREER SERVICES
Michigan State University advanced degree holders have

the opportunity to work in a variety of exciting careers in
academia, business and industry, government, nonprot
organizations, or in their own businesses. In order to
maximize your ability to ourish in graduate school and
beyond, it is essential to be deliberate about your career
and professional development from your rst days on
campus until you graduate. To assist you, the Graduate
School, in partnership with Career Services, created the
PREP program (grad.msu.edu/cpd). PREP will assist you in
your career and professional development planning from
entry to MSU through graduation, and into an exciting,
rewarding career.
PREP focuses on four professional skills that are key to
career and professional development: planning throughout
the graduate career to identify and successfully achieve
career goals; developing resilience and tenacity to thrive
through personal and professional stages; practicing active engagement in making important life decisions and in
acquiring the skills necessary to attain career goals; and
58
One-on-one condential career counseling

Academic and nonacademic career search workshops and resources
Professional development conferences
Mock interview opportunities
More information on resources, programs and
services, including career counseling, is available
at careernetwork.msu.edu and grad.msu.edu.
attaining high standards of professionalism in research

and teaching. Employing these skills at every stage of the
graduate program helps students to maximize their opportunities for professional growth and to discover a fullling
career path. In partnership with graduate and professional
programs across campus, the Graduate School seeks to
introduce students to a range of career activities and
opportunities with the goal of assisting degree completion
and enhancing professional success. Our workshops are
based on current scholarship on graduate student development and are themselves part of an ongoing research
project through evaluation and assessment.
Career & Professional Development

Ph.D. Career Preparation
As a future PhD, there are a variety of
career options available to you both in
and outside academia. While having
an advanced degree sets you apart,
the job market for recent PhDs is
highly competitive. To be successful,
be proactive and learn what you need
to do to develop professionally so you
can position yourself for an eective
job search.
IDENTIFY AND EXPLORE PhD
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. Future
employment opportunities include
positions in academia, industry,
government, and nonprot organizations. Visit grad.msu.edu/cpd for
a complete list of academic and
nonacademic job search resources.
NETWORK. Networking is just
as vital to a PhDs professional
development and future job success
as it is for any other job seeker. If
you havent already, read the article
here on Informational Interviewing, and the section titled The
Job Search for information on
strategies for nding contacts and
developing relationships. In addition, every PhD student should join
and get involved in a professional
society or organization, participate
and present at conferences, publish
in related elds of interest, and participate in appropriate listserves.
SEEK OUT MENTORS. Good mentors
can help you maximize your overall
educational experience, assist with

professional socialization into the
disciplinary culture, and aide in the
employment search process. Continually ask for input and assistance with
your educational and career goals.
Professional mentors may include
your advisor, but can also include
other faculty members or individuals
you have met in industry, agencies or
in non-government organizations.
DEVELOP YOUR WRITTEN CREDENTIALS: CURRICULUM VITAS AND
RESUMES. Written credentials vary
by discipline and the type of position youre seeking. For academic,
administrative and research positions youll need a CV or curriculum
vita a comprehensive statement
of education, teaching and research

experience. For non-academic
positions, youll need a resume or
a hybrid resume/CV format. See the
section on writing resumes for more
information on what this entails,
how to get started and to see
examples. Seek input from faculty
in your department and make an
appointment to see the PhD Career
Consultant at careernetwork.msu.
edu.
GET INVOLVED. Attend career and
professional development activities
sponsored by your department, The
Graduate School, or Career Services.
For a complete list of programs
sponsored by the Graduate School,
visit grad.msu.edu/cpd.
PH.D. PLACEMENT
Unknown
Private sector
Education
Other
Government
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Non-U.S. educational
institutuion
U.S. preschool,
elementary, middle,
secondary school or
school system
U.S. 4-year college or

university
(Other than medical school)
U.S. university-aliated
research institute
U.S. medical school

(Including university-aliated
hospital or medical center)
U.S. community college or

technical institute
59
Dress to Impress!
2 NEWS FEED
You know that thing about never getting a second chance to make
a rst impression? Well, its true. Its just as true about a blind
date as it is about meeting a professional contact for the rst
time. Regardless of the circumstances, you want to make the best
impression you can the rst time around or you might not get a
second chance!
Professional dress matters because it helps you to project an
image that lets the employer see you in the professional role you
are seeking. The whole working world doesnt revolve around
dark conservative suits. What you wear for a professional encounter depends on the career eld youre pursuing.
Dress Essentials for Everyone

Hair should be clean, well groomed, and away from the
eyes. Simple, classic styles are best.
No visible tattoos or body piercings.
Remove extraneous earrings. (Women: one pair. Men:
none.)
Avoid strong mints, perfumes, or aftershaves.
Clothing should work for you, not against you. Fit and
comfort are important considerations in projecting
yourself at your best.
Trendy clothing like short skirts, low necklines, extreme
prints or colors generally do not project an image
appropriate for a professional meeting.
Crisp, clean, well-pressed clothing is a must.
1 LINKS
Find more detailed information about dress dos and donts at
60
Who Wears What?

For TRADITIONAL CAREERS like banking, accounting,
nance, engineering, law, and corporate positions youll
need a conservative look that conveys competence and
authority. Suits should have a classic cut or style and
be dark in color (navy, dark grey, black, etc.). Shirts and
blouses should be a neutral color, like white, ivory, light
grey, etc. Ties and scarves should be subtle with a little
color.
For those pursuing TECHNICAL CAREERS in areas like
engineering, information technology, sciences, etc. a
clean look that conveys knowledge, innovation, and
approachability is important. Suits should be conservative
in subtle dark colors. Blouses and shirts should be a subtle
color.
PEOPLE-FOCUSED CAREERS counseling, teaching, sales,
and social work, for example require an image that
projects expertise but approachability. Suits should be
conservative in subtle dark colors; coordinate separates
can work too. Blouses and shirts should be a subtle color.
The most opportunity for expression of personal style can
be found in CREATIVE CAREERS like advertising, art,
design, and entertainment, to name a few. In these elds
youll need a contemporary image that conveys creativity,
innovation, and competence. Suits can vary in cut, style,
and color; two-piece coordinates are acceptable. Blouses
and shirts should accent your total look.
Less Formal Meetings

WHAT TO WEAR FOR JOB SHADOWING
AND INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS
So, for more formal interactions like career fairs and
interviews, hopefully its clearer now why suits are usually your best option. But if youre going to a fair as an
information seeker instead of a job seeker, or if youre
attending an event like a conference, informational interview, job shadow, etc., a suit may make you overdressed.
For these kinds of interactions, you always want to dress
professionally no ripped jeans, ip-ops, or T-shirts
with obscenities on them. Yes, we (probably) all have
these items in our wardrobe, but save them for
your friends, not a potential employer.
Follow the dress essentials for everyone, and
consider the items below when youre picking out
what to wear.
khakis
dress pants
dress shoes
button-down shirt
sweater
blazer
loafers
And remember, when in doubt, check with an insider

(your employer contact or career advisor, for example)
about what the appropriate dress in a particular
situation might be!
61
How to Get Results at a Career
Before the fair . . .

KNOW WHO WILL BE ATTENDING.
Before the fair begins, know which organizations will attend. Get this information through MySpartanCareer. Make a ranked list of employers that interest
you.
RESEARCH EMPLOYERS OF INTEREST.

If you want to stand apart, be able to talk to the recruiter about what the organization does and how your skill set ts. At a minimum, go to their website,
learn about products, services, or clients, and read the annual report. Check
out more research tips available at careernetwork.msu.edu.
PREPARE YOUR RESUME(S).

Make sure your resume eectively reects your knowledge, skills, and abilities. You can have a general resume to hand out, but if you really want to
make a great impression, make dierent versions of your resume that target
the specic industry or job that interests you. Make sure you give the right
resume to the right organization!
2 NEWS FEED
Depending on time and crowds,
you might want to consider approaching an employer towards the
bottom of your list to start o. This
gives you an opportunity to actually use your prepared introduction
with a real recruiter and work out
any last-minute nervousness before you visit the employers youre
most interested in, where you can
least aord to be nervous.
62
DEVELOP YOUR COMMERCIAL.

You only have about 30 seconds to make an impression with a recruiter, so
you need to be able to quickly introduce yourself and let them know your
interests and qualications. Practice a short 30-second to one-minute advertisement that you can present easily while still sounding natural. Things to
include:
Your name
Your MSU program/major
When youre graduating
What youre looking for (more information, full-time employment, an
internship or co-op, etc.)
Your area of interest with the organization and how your skills (or
personal qualities or experience) relate to that area
Fair

MSUs largest fairs have hundreds of employers and thousands
of students. This may leave you wondering why even bother
wasting my time to be just another face in the crowd?
At the fair . . .
Organizations come to campus to meet prospective new hires,

whether now or down the road. Knowing what to expect and how
to work a fair can ensure that you arent simply just another face
in a sea of job seekers.
GET ORGANIZED.
Pick up a map showing where organization booths are. You
might also want to take a quick walk through the space to get
a feel for the layout of the fair. Then what?
THEYRE WATCHING YOU!

Keep in mind that the moment you enter the fair, recruiters
are watching you. They take note of how you dress, how you
behave, how you interact with your friends and with other
recruiters.
APPROACH AN ORGANIZATION.
It can be intimidating to approach and introduce yourself to
a recruiter. Students often say introductions at career fairs
are weird, unnatural, or forced. It helps if you remember the recruiter is here to meet you, so dont be shy! Oer a
rm handshake, and then give your commercial. Remember,
be direct. If youre interested in a certain position, let them
know.
TALK TO THE RECRUITER.

Dont talk over their shoulder, at the ground, up in the air, or
at the free stu that they are giving away! Make eye contact
and dont be afraid to let your enthusiasm show. Being truly
passionate about the employer and the opportunities they
have to oer can make all the dierence.
GATHER INFORMATION AND BE RESPECTFUL

OF THE RECRUITERS TIME.
The truth is that most people at career fairs use fairs as an
opportunity to gather information. This is perfectly ne and
a great reason to go to a career fair if youre not looking

for a full-time job or internship. Remember, career fairs are
all about networking, and recruiters love to see 1st- and
2nd-year students at fairs asking questions. It shows that
the student is thinking about and making connections for the
future! But if youre at the fair to try to land a job, recruiters
need to know youve done your research and are ready to go.
While speaking with recruiters, be courteous to them and
your fellow students by keeping your conversations short
and purposeful.
FINALLY, MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE NAMES

OF THE RECRUITERS YOU TALK TO, AND IF POSSIBLE,
GET THEIR CARD.
After the fair . . .

FOLLOW UP.
If, during your conversation with a recruiter, you promised
to follow up with more information (website link, portfolio,
writing sample, etc.) then make sure that you get the
information out right away.
SEND THANK-YOU NOTES.

Send a thank-you note within 24 hours to everyone you spoke
with. This is a little thing that really makes a dierence!
Almost everyone has the intention, but very few actually get
around to it. Dont know what to write? See information on
thank-you letters at careernetwork.msu.edu. It doesnt have
to be fancy the point is to remind them of who you are and
let them know youre serious about your job search.
63
Youve Got an Interview! Now What?

Interview Basics
WHATS THE POINT OF AN INTERVIEW?
The purpose of an interview is to exchange information.
The employer evaluates your ability to do the job. You
look for a match between your interests and the work.
WHATS A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW?

Behavioral interviewing assumes that your past
experiences are good indicators of your future abilities.
Youll be asked to tell stories about your past so that the
employer can assess your skills and behavior.
There may not be a right or wrong answer. There is only
your answer that may reveal something about your
qualities to the employer. By thoroughly understanding
the nature of the job and the company, you can more
accurately select examples from your life that have
meaning to the employer.
HOW DO YOU ANSWER BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS?

Being able to talk about your experiences in such a way
that employers can identify your skills is a challenge.
One way to help organize your experiences is to use
the PARK method. The PARK method helps you focus in
on the most relevant aspects of your experience for the
employer in a structured way.
1 LINKS
You can nd a list of
sample interview questions at careernetwork.
msu.edu.
64
Be prepared with information about

the company and the job, as well as
with questions that you have developed. By taking these steps, youre
ready to be an active participant in
this exchange about your future.
P
A
R
K
the PROBLEM or situation (What happened?)

the ACTIONS you took (What did you do?)
the RESULTS or outcomes (What was the result?)
the KNOWLEDGE you gained and applied
(What did you learn? How did you apply it?)
typical behavioral interview question . . .

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with
conict in a group.
your possible response, using the park method . . .

Last semester I was part of a student advisory
board to my academic department. We were developing a set of recommendations to improve facultystudent communication. It was difcult to get the
various members of the board to agree on which recommendations to choose, because everyone wanted theirs.
I focused on helping us look for common elements
between each recommendation. The result was that we
ended up recommending a faculty-student retreat in
which many of the more specic recommendations were
used. Through this experience, I learned how important
it is to really look at things from the perspective of each
team member.
1 LINKS
Use Perfect Interview to experience a mock interview
24/7 in the comfort of your own room! Available through
MySpartanCareer (see page 13). Whether youre practicing for a rst interview or brushing up on hard-to-answer
questions, Perfect Interview can help you polish your
interview skills.
2 NEWS FEED
INTERVIEW DONTS
Be Prepared!
Being prepared for the interview is very important.
The employer has already agreed to meet with you
based on your resume and cover letter youve
made it this far. Now to be condent in your interview, you need to be prepared. The following things
will help you:
Arriving late or appearing rushed or disorganized

Seeming over-eager and desperate
Apologizing for your background or experience
Criticizing your past employers or co-workers in any way
Asking questions that you know the answers to
Overselling your qualities
Asking about salary and job benets before you have a
solid job oer
Elaborating on unnecessary details to ll an awkward
silence
RESEARCH. Find out everything you can about the

organization. The interviewer will be able to tell if
youve done your homework. The more you know, the
more youll be able to connect your experiences and
skills to the needs of the employer. This will also help
you to ask more interesting questions when the time
comes.
LIST OF SKILLS. Before the interview, make a list of
your skills and abilities. These are what will make
you an asset to your future employer; use the list to
put yourself in a positive frame of mind and help you
sell yourself to the interviewer. Your portfolio and
resume are great starting points for this list, since
they both sum up your experience and interests.
PRACTICE. The Career Services Network oers mock
interviews with employers a few times a year. Check
MySpartanCareer for dates and times to sign up.
You can also make arrangements to schedule a mock
interview with your career advisor or another advisor
on sta. Another way to practice is to videotape a
mock interview with a friend. Although this can be
uncomfortable, its a great way to test your ability to
answer common interview questions and get prompt
feedback on your body language and speech patterns.
After all, youre your own best critic. Watch yourself in
action to see how you appear to an interviewer.
65
Negotiating Job Offers
Your Happiness
Is a Balance.
The most important question to ask yourself is: Are
you excited about this job and the salary? If you are not
happy, you will not be a great employee, and you arent
likely to have a good experience with the organization.
But its also important to balance your excitement and
passion for the eld youre entering with a realistic
expectation for nancial rewards.
You dont have to accept the rst salary youre oered.
You have the ability to negotiate for better benets,
training, or pay. Feel free to ask for time to adequately
examine your total oer. Get all of the elements in writing, including benet options, stock options, and wages.
Negotiation Tools
The strongest tools to negotiate with are salary information for your industry and the value of the unique skills
that you bring to the table. The industry economic
climate and the location of your position will both have
a major inuence on your salary oer, even when compared to other candidates
LINKS
within the same company.
New York City is not the
FOR MORE INFORMATION . . .
same as Traverse City in
. . . about salary negotiation, benets, and
cost of living.
dealing with multiple job oers, check
out resources for negotiating job oers at
66

Be exible on location. In some cases, you
might have to start out in a town or position
that you didnt plan on, but you need to start
somewhere. With a few years of experience and
hard work under your belt, you may be able
to transfer to the position or location of your
dreams. If your goal is the top position, you will
gain respect of your co-workers by starting out
in the eld and working your way to the top
and getting your hands dirty in the process!
JILL CORDS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING can include
drug/alcohol, agility, genetic, personality,
honesty, skills, loyalty, and leadership tests.
BACKGROUND SCREENING can include a
credit check, criminal records investigation,
drivers license check, academic credentials
verication, and reference checks.
REFERENCE CHECKING can include academic,
employment, and personal references.
While students and job applicants may think of
these tests and investigations as an invasion
of privacy or oensive, there is nothing
illegal about employers seeking this information. However, there are legal guidelines that
an employer must follow. You can nd them at
67
Your Next
life after m.s.u.
SAY GOODBYE.
Admit it college has been a blast.
For once in your life you have been
accepted for who you are, been in a
relatively safe environment, and had
limited responsibilities. Plus, you have
a great group of friends with whom
youve shared everything over the
past four or ve years. Leaving all this
can be hard, even if your friends will
be working in the same geographical region. Before you break up the
group, make plans for a traditional
get-together that will bring you all
together once every couple years.
WATCH THE FINANCES.
2 NEWS FEED
Everything the Career Services
Network has to oer is available to
recent graduates for one year after
graduation. Services, including
MySpartanCareer, are available
to members of the MSU Alumni
Association who are more than
one year past graduation.
All the money you had for extras in college disappears quickly when starting
in a new place. Youll be responsible
for car payments, insurance (car,
health and home), food, rent or house
payments and then oops! student
loan repayments. Some of you may
already be strapped with credit card
debt. Get rid of it before taking on any
more obligations! Recent grads were
surprised at how fast their salary was
eaten up by daily expenses they didnt
have in college, even with salaries in
the high $30,000 and $40,000s.
NEGOTIATE WITH PARENTS.

If you nd yourself moving back with
your folks (assuming your room has
68
Big Transition
not been converted into the new ofce

or your folks have not already moved
into that one-bedroom condo), talk
with them about their expectations
and your own. Your lifestyle might not
match with their hours, and the habits
you picked up in college dont always
go over well. While going home and
living with the folks can be cool, it can
wear thin if you are not getting along.
Best to maintain a good rapport with
the folks until you are ready to step out
on your own.
REMEMBER GOOD OLD M.S.U.!

For those seniors who are graduating
and still seeking work, Career Services
can still assist you during your rst
year as an alum. Several alumni regretted not taking advantage of these
services. Even if you leave with a job,
you may nd yourself in a situation
that requires quick career assistance
(organization mergers, closings and
budget cuts can lead to layos and
withdrawals of oers it all happens).
You can still nd the resources you
need at Career Services.
BE PREPARED FOR DULL AND BORING.

What made you think work would be
lots of fun? Actually, work can be tedious and repetitive, especially during
the rst year or two. You are going to
be really eager to get started and make

Congratulations! As you prepare to transition into your
new life in the world of work, you might want the advice
of classmates whove made the journey before you. Here
are some recommendations from recent alums in their
early careers . . .
a dierence, only to be assigned a data

entry task or no-brainer assignment.
Engage in the work with enthusiasm
and do it to the best of your ability;
employers notice and your next assignment will be much more rewarding.
LEARN TO FAIL!
For the past 16 years failure was
seldom framed in a positive context.
Remember when failing a course was
tantamount to disaster? Now theres a
real chance for failure not obtaining
a job or being admitted to grad school.
But in the world of work, organizations
operate on failures because failures
open doors to new ideas that can solve
problems. Because of this, risk-taking
is valued by many employers. With
risk comes failure. This is upside down
from college. Get used to it.
(begin work on time and get assignments done ahead of schedule).
COMMUNICATE!
Your rst introduction to most
members of your company may well
be through a written report or memo.
Work as hard as you can to write
clearly and eectively. However, do not
expect those around you to have heard
of good communication skills. Recent
grads report being easily frustrated by
indirect and implicit communication
(written and verbal) that occurs within
their organization. Be aware that poor
communication exists; dont be afraid
to ask questions and have co-workers
clarify communications you do not
understand.
FIND A MENTOR.
JOIN IN ON TEAMWORK.
Competition is erce among students
who are vying for prestigious jobs
and admittance to graduate schools.
While theres competition in the job
interview stage, the work environment
is much more team-oriented. Working
in teams can be motivating and exciting sharing ideas and learning from
co-workers is all part of the day. Be
prepared to share; take the initiative
on tasks by volunteering to assist coworkers; and strive to be dependable
Cultivate a relationship with an

experienced professional who can
provide guidance as you adjust to the
organization. A mentor can provide you
with insights on how the organization
actually operates and how to navigate
the dierent teams and departments;
can oer career advice as you gain
experience; and can promote you to
higher management for assignments
and promotions.
PHILIP GARDNER, PH.D., COLLEGIATE

EMPLOYMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE
69
WELCOME TO CAREER SERVICES @ MSU

The MSU Career Services Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Get Familiar with MySpartanCareer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Career Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Career Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Career Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing by the Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
12
14
15
15
16
18
EXPLORE & EXPERIENCE: FIND YOUR PASSION

AND PUT IT TO WORK
Steps to Explore Your Career Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Career Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gaining Career-Related Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Job Shadowing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Informational Interviewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learn and Intern!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting the Most Out of Career-Related Experience . . . . . .
When Your Major Isnt a Roadmap to a Career . . . . . . . . .
Careers for the Public Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thinking About an Advanced Degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
25
26
26
27
28
29
30
32
34
HOW TO CONNECT WITH AN EMPLOYER

AND MAKE THE RIGHT IMPRESSION
Writing a Good Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action Verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resume Makeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Combination Resume Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thinking Outside the Box: The Portfolio Solution . . . . . . .
Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Communication Essentials: Thank-You Letters,
Phone, and E-mails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
42
44
46
47
48
50
THE JOB SEARCH

Search Strategies Youll Use Forever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Job Search Facts You Need to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
International Students and the Job Search . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding Unadvertised Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
On-Campus Interviews for Internships & Full-Time Jobs . .
Graduate Career & Professional Development . . . . . . . . . .
Dress to Impress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to Get Results at a Career Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Youve Got an Interview! Now What? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Negotiating Job Oers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Life after MSU: Your Next Big Transition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
54
55
55
56
57
58
60
62
64
66
68

Career Passport

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Career Passport

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CAREER

Get Familiar with MySpartanCareer. . . 12

Playing by the Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

a dve rtising inquir i e s

2008 Michigan State University

honesty, and ethics

EXPLORE & EXPERIENCE: FIND YOUR

Student employment, research, student

Learn and Intern! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Getting the Most Out of CareerRelated Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

When Your Major Isnt a Roadmap

Careers for the Public Good . . . . . . . . . 32

Thinking About an Advanced Degree . . 34

Steps to Explore Your Career Options . . 24

Gaining Career-Related Experience . . . 26

HOW TO CONNECT WITH AN EMPLOYER

Finding Unadvertised Jobs. . . . . . . . . . 56

A menu of words to help you

Useful techniques for uncovering hidden

Combination Resume Spotlight . . . . . . 46

Thinking Outside the Box:

Communication Essentials: Thank-You

On-Campus Interviews for

Graduate Career & Professional

Read this section to nd out why

International Students and the

Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr,

What current and prospective PhD

Ford Motor Company . . . . . . . . . . . 8

students need to know about how

to succeed in the job market

How to Get Results at a Career Fair . . . 62

Youve Got an Interview! Now What?. . 64

Negotiating Job Oers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Job Search Facts You Need to Know . . . 55

Ernst & Young. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

and your next . . .

For your rst job after college, your next,

opportunities right here on campus

Expert advice on behavioral interviewing

Search Strategies Youll Use Forever . . 54

Find employer presentations and interview

Make the right impression with

THE JOB SEARCH

City Year Detroit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Congratulations! Tips on evaluating

Life after MSU: Your Next Big

make a successful move from MSU to

the rest of your life

MSU Career Network

CAREER SERVICES @ THE STADIUM

LEAR CORPORATION CAREER SERVICES

FIELD CAREER CONSULTANTS are located

CAREER SERVICES @ STUDENT SERVICES

CAREER SERVICES @ THE STADIUM

MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

COLLEGE OF ARTS & LETTERS

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

CAREER SERVICES @ STUDENT SERVICES

LEAR CORPORATION CAREER

GRADUATE CAREER SERVICES

COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCE

JAMES MADISON COLLEGE

car eer passpo rt 2 0 0 8