CAREER TIPS & SERVICES

Career Tips from Career Services

Take note of the seasons and the resources available.

College campus recruiting typically runs in seasons, with fall being the busiest. That's when a large percentage of May graduates receive job interviews and offers. But there's a catch for seniors who wait until spring: that's exactly when the competition for positions typically gets stiffer and the number of recruiters coming to campus generally gets lower. For example, in the spring, many banks-such as Bank of America, SunTrust, and Wachovia-do not participate in recruiting for full-time positions. However, the same companies do have a large presence on campus via presentations, job postings, attendance at the Career Fair, and other on-campus recruiting events. Use all the resources that the Career Services center has to offer by keeping in mind the timing of the recruiting seasons-fall semester: September to mid-November; spring semester: late January to early April.

Heed the variables for success, and how to approach them.

Here are four key areas at which employers look when prospecting candidates and some strategies for showing yourself to best advantage.

• Resumes
  Recruiters zero in on the importance of having a solid resume, so take the time to get yours evaluated. Resumes are different for each type of career. It's important to use some of the pre-made formats that Career Services has to offer, but it is also important to get your resume critiqued to make sure it is tailored to the type of career you are beginning. You can get your resume critiqued by appointment or on a "walk-in basis" any time on Wednesdays. Call 305-348-6752 for more details.

• Type and Duration of Work or Internship Experience
  The more experience you have in your field, the better. In any field of business, your degree is just as important as your experience, and sometimes your experience may be more important than your degree. Here are some types of work experience at which employers look:

• Related work experience-internships at CPA firms for accounting majors, for example
• Quasi-related experience-a part-time position as a receptionist in an accounting firm for accounting majors, for instance
• Unrelated experience

Internship recruiting begins in the latter portion of your sophomore year and early junior year. Seniors have greater difficulty obtaining internships in major corporations because the companies usually are beginning to make full-time offers to seniors. To begin the process of obtaining an internship, plan to attend the Internships 101 workshop. Visit www.fiu.edu/~career and click on "Calendar of Events" for upcoming workshop dates.

• Grade Point Average (GPA)
  While students with a GPA under 3.0 typically are able to secure a job, many companies and government agencies have a 3.0 GPA as a cut-off. If it looks like you'll have a GPA below 3.0, visit the CBA Undergraduate Advising Office to discuss what steps you can take to boost your GPA. If you need to acquire better time-management techniques or ways to cope with stress, make an appointment with the Counseling and Psychological Services Center to get helpful tips.

• Language Ability
  Because Miami is a hub for Latin American trade, employees need to be able to speak to colleagues in Latin America. Though many area firms will accept someone who speaks only English, a majority of companies in South Florida desire applicants who are fluent in both Spanish and English. If you are monolingual, it is important to remain flexible and be willing to apply inside and outside the region for full-time positions.