Our staff preaches this message to students all the time. People should not settle for a job/career that does not make them happy. Do what you love, and love what you do.
After a long semester, the thought of spending winter break sleeping in, watching television, and playing video games sounds pretty enticing. While it is certainly important to make time to relax and recharge, this can also be the perfect opportunity to get your career in gear. Think about what you can do over the holidays to give yourself a leg up in this tough economy.
Here are some suggestions:
Don’t wait until the last minute to start thinking about your future plans.
Start the spring semester off on a positive note by scheduling an appointment with Career Services to develop an action plan to get your career on-track.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
Career Services
A Series About Answering Interview Questions
It is almost a given that when going on a job interview, the employer will ask you about your biggest weakness. It is a good way for the employer to gauge how you respond to see what type of worker you will be in their company. Practice your answer so that you are better prepared to show your employer you have what it takes to be a capable employee.
Don’t fall into the trap of saying that you don’t think you have any flaws, or worse, that you “work too hard.” Employers have heard it all before and want to see that you are human. They are more interested in seeing how you overcome your natural flaws and what you do to make sure that you can still produce solid work.
If there was a time on the job where you struggled, talk about that time and then explain how you overcame the obstacle. Detail what you did to learn from your mistake or weakness and share how you plan to avoid repeating the same mistake.
When forming your answer, it can be helpful to re-frame the question to make your weakness sound better. Instead of saying “I’m bad at…” or “I can’t…” say something like, “Something I’m working on is…” That way the employer can see you are aware of your weakness and are actively working on it to better yourself. Keep your examples work related and let them know what you are doing to improve yourself in the workplace.
Prepare some responses before the interview so you are ready to go when they ask this inevitable question! Contact Career Services for more help or to set up a mock interview.
A Series About Answering Interview Questions
Going on interviews can certainly be stressful. In order to lessen the anxiety that comes with preparing for an interview, do your homework beforehand. You will be better able to go into the interview confident and ready to answer any question that is presented to you.
Before practicing your answers, try to put yourself in the mindset of the employer. Think about the motivation behind them asking the questions that they do. The employers want to see that you know about what they do, are sincere in wanting to work for them, and that you are aware of your talents and how you can apply those talents to benefit the company.
One of the most common interview questions that an employer will ask is “Why do you want to work for us?” To answer this, do your research on the company before you go into the interview. Check out their website, review news articles and press releases, and read their mission statement. In addition, Google the company to learn as much as you can. Match your talents, goals and abilities with their mission statement or job description. Use the same terminology that the company uses so they can see you are on the same page as them. Let the employer know that you value the same things that their company does.
If you need any additional help preparing for an interview, visit Career Services in Campbell Hall.
