Upcoming Workshops & Events: November 12

Please make sure to RSVP on STARR Search to guarantee a seat!

 

1) Diversity Pipeline Programs Panel Networking Event

November 13, 2014, 12:45 pm – 2:15 pm

3-150 NVC

STARR CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER PRESENTS
Diversity Pipeline Programs Panel Networking Event
(In Collaboration with Baruch SEEK Program and the Urban Male Leadership Academy)

Learn about prestigious internship, fellowship, leadership, & professional development
programs for underserved/underrepresented students.

Guest Speakers include representatives from:
– America Needs You (formetly New York Needs You)
– HACU
– INROADS
– Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
– The 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP)
– Sponsors for Educational Opportunities (SEO)
– T. Howard Foundation

Co-sponsors: USG, ADS, ALPFA, Alpha Kappa Psi, ASCEND, BSA, BSU, FLP, G.L.A.S.S., Golden Key, MBC, NABA, Peers for Careers, RSSP/P2P, WIB, Women Empowered for Success, and others

 

2) Mastering the Job Interview-Basic

November 13, 2014, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

2-190 NVC

How do you prepare a personal pitch? How do you respond to challenging interview questions? What questions should you ask and avoid asking? How do you close the interview? Attend this workshop and learn the steps to follow before, during and after the interview to increase your chances of landing the job you want.

 

3) Building Your Brand: The Personal Pitch

November 17, 2014, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

2-190 NVC

Learn and practice how to give a short verbal “advertisement” for yourself to help with networking and job interviewing. This personal pitch can be used to introduce yourself to an employer at a Job or Internship Fair, to introduce yourself at a networking event or networking telephone call, to answer the typical interview question “Tell me about yourself,” and in many other circumstances.

 

4) Finance 201

November 18, 2014, 3:00 pm – 2:30pm

2-190 NVC

Are you interested in a Career in Financial Services? Do you want to understand what the difference between Sales, Trading and Investment Banking is? Finance 201 will take a deeper look at Careers in the Financial Services Industry and will give you some tips on what to expect when conducting a job search for these careers.

 

5) Finding Your FOCUS

November 18, 2014, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

This workshop will be held in NVC 8-160.

Are you concerned about choosing a major and or career? This workshop will help you Find your FOCUS. This hands on session will walk you through FOCUS 2 Online Career and Education Planning System. Come discover how the career assessments, up to date industry information and “what can I do with a Major in X” tools on FOCUS 2 will help you successfully navigate your college and career journey.

 

6) RESUME WEBINAR: FIXING UP YOUR JOB SEARCH TOOLKIT

November 19, 2014, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

2-190 NVC

REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/903978122

Get ideas about how to give your resume a face lift and fix up your job search toolkit. Discover how to write a results-oriented resume and cover letter that reflect your relevant experience, abilities, and accomplishments. Find out how to present yourself on paper when filling out online applications, sending thank you notes, and more.

 

7) Build Confidence! Improving Your Interpersonal Skills II

November 19, 2014, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

2-190 NVC

Part 2 of 2 Build Confidence Workshops: This workshop focuses on the “what to” say and the “verbal content” in interpersonal skills. Wonder how others get ahead or appear to be confident when it is so hard for you? Learn the importance of interpersonal and communication skills. Learn effective strategies to build confidence. Being more assertive helps you in your interviews and job search as well as in school and in your social life.

 

Finance Recruiting Step 3: Developing Soft Skills – The Personal Pitch

By Michael Jimney, Financial Leadership Program (FLP) Correspondent

Networking is an important component of obtaining an internship or job.  Considering any professional you meet will probably be speaking to several students in addition to having a full time job, truly standing out is a challenge.  One good way to do this, which we have already touched upon, is asking good questions.  Here, I will focus on another skill you need to master to differentiate yourself: the personal pitch.

A personal pitch is how you describe yourself to someone you meet.  Commonly referred to as an “elevator speech,” it is a short summary of who you are and a bit of insight into what makes you unique.  It is called a pitch, just as a marketer uses the word, because you are selling something: yourself.  People will quickly get a first impression of you, so a strong pitch is a way to guide the impression.  As a result, crafting your pitch takes a bit of practice and preparation.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when giving a personal pitch is listing everything on their resume.  In a conversation, you only have a little bit of time to convey who you are; listing everything on your resume can be tedious and boring.  If you meet someone on an elevator, as the name implies, you will have about 30-60 seconds to speak.  If you meet someone at a networking event or for coffee, you can have 1-2 minutes.  Practice allows you to know ahead of time what you want to say so you can maximize the use of your time.  So, let’s dive into the actual preparation.

The best way to determine what topics to feature in your pitch is to start with a list.  Start by listing all of your past jobs, clubs, and activities on a piece of paper.  Many of these will already be on your resume, but include those that aren’t.  Next, for each of these experiences, write down every project or task you worked on while you were there.  There will be plenty of obvious ones, like the major analysis you worked on for weeks as an intern, but this list should also include the little things.  Tasks that you might have only worked on for an hour or for a day are important to include.  A week into my first internship, I built an Ikea shoe rack for one of the traders –  include little things like that on your list.  While it may seem silly, I frequently talk about it in my pitch.

Next, think about what skill(s) each of these tasks boil down to.  Made cold calls?  The underlying skills being developed are sales and public speaking.  Prepared news summaries for your boss?  That teaches you how to follow the markets and improves your written communication skills.  Do this for all your jobs. Keep an eye out for themes like teamwork, problem solving, analysis, and technology skills.  While projects are likely to involve a component of each, the goal here is to identify the primary skill.  No task is too small or insignificant.  My shoe rack example is about bonding with the team and having an attitude that no job is too small.

Now that you have all your experiences and skills listed out, it is time to create your pitch.  As I discussed in Step 1 (here), you should already have some understanding about which roles you are interested in and which skills are the most relevant.  Therefore, try to feature projects that best showcase your relevant skills.  For Asset Management, one of the skills I really wanted to promote was my ability to follow the markets.  When I give my pitch, I describe why I transferred to Baruch (to study Finance because I like following the markets), how I was able to get into my first internship (I demonstrated an ability to follow the news), and the work I did to develop my market and economic analysis skills (projects that involved staying plugged into the markets).  Another important point to see from my example is how there is a story to my pitch.  I show a progression of events, moving from point A to point B.  As you go, show which skills you were able to develop.  If you just tell someone what you did, it does not differentiate you from anyone else in that role.  If you tell them about how you were able to develop skill X and Y, it shows them a little more about who you are.  When I want to convey to someone that I can take on any task given to me, no matter what the challenge, I dust off my Ikea shoe rack example.

Once you have the basic outline of your pitch, you need to practice (a lot) with friends or colleagues.  The goal when delivering a personal pitch is to get the other person interested in your story.  You can tell if your pitch is good because the listener will be engaged and attentive.  Don’t worry about including everything; if you do it right, you will have the rest of the conversation to share the details.  When it comes to networking, a good pitch will help the conversation get off to a good start or make the new contact want to stay in touch with you.

Keep developing your pitch as the school year goes on because you will use it for job applications and for interviews (where “Tell me about yourself” is a common interview question).  By taking the time to list out all of your experiences, you can adapt your pitch to any occasion or build on it as you become more comfortable.  Once you have your personal pitch down, it is time to cultivate skills specific to your target position. Stay tuned for more about this in Step 4:  The Technical Skills.

Make the Most of Attending the Career Fairs (CPA – 9/27, Fall Career Day – 10/4)

By: Alina Nesterenko

 

The fall career fairs are around the corner! The CPA fair will take on place September 27th on the fourteenth floor. Career Day will take place October 4th at the VC gymnasium. What’s the best way to stay calm in what can appear to be an overwhelming environment? Be prepared and be confident! Knowing what to do before, during, and after these events will help you succeed.

 

Employers at the CPA Fair are seeking out accounting majors, while the Fall Career Day is geared towards all professions and majors. Visit StarrSearch and look under the Events tab to find out which employers will be coming to these fairs. With the information at your disposal ahead of time, you can plan which employers with whom you would like to speak. Not only that, but you can demonstrate your enthusiasm, passion, or curiosity about the company to the recruiter if you have done proper research. Some companies have released information about the positions they are looking to fill. Applying online before the fair is a good idea. You can ask thoughtful questions about the position to show your interest. Remember to bring with you a list of the employers and their summaries because you will not be given a packet when you arrive.

 

Aside from being knowledgeable, you must look presentable. Your appearance is one of the most important steps in preparing for the fairs because it will be the first impression you will give a recruiter. You should not aim to stand out for your unique choice of attire. The dress code is business professional. In short, wear a dark suit. For some, the term “professional” may include removing eye-catching piercings, cutting long nails, and straying away from flashy jewelry. You should bring at least 20 copies of your most up-to-date resume in a nice business portfolio or a neat folder. Plan according what you will bring with you, so you do not leave your stuff unattended.

 

Now that your company research and appearance are taken care of, think about your behavior. The first thing you will have to do when it is your turn to speak to the recruiter is shake his or her hand. This means you must practice giving a firm handshake. After, you will likely give your personal pitch. A personal pitch is a short (1-2 minute) summary of yourself, which may include your current major, year, school involvement, and your reasons why you are interested in the company. A good pitch is more thoughtful than just a list of facts the recruiters can read on your resume. It is should be a good segue to mention what you are looking for in a company or a job function. More times than not, this personal pitch will spark a brief conversation between you and the recruiter. The recruiter will give you a better feel for the company’s culture and will answer questions you may have.

 

Be mindful of the recruiter’s time. If the line behind you is long or you are running out of things to say, you can always reiterate your interest in the company, thank the recruiter, and see whether the recruiter is collecting resumes. For more tips, visit SCDC’s website to view media videos such as How To Tie a Tie, Career Fair Tips, and Don’t Fabricate Your Resume.

 

It is crucial that you thank the recruiter not only at the conclusion of the dialogue, but also in an email after the event is over. Therefore, do not forget to politely ask for a business card or e-mail and follow up. It will be easier to write the e-mail if you have taken notes throughout the fair on the people with whom you’ve spoke and the things you have discussed. A personalized email, where you refer to something mentioned in a conversation, is always better than a generic thank you.

 

Whether this is your first or fifth go at the career fair, walk in with an open mind. Visit employers that have shorter lines than some of the bigger names. Not only can you make a new connection and be exposed to a new role, but you can also practice saying personal pitch and thinking on your feet. This can be your warm-up before you speak to your top choices.

 

The career fairs give students access to new opportunities within many successful firms. It is a chance for them to show recruiters why they are ideal candidates for positions looking to be filled and have meaningful conversations that discuss their future career paths, display interest in the company, and demonstrate their strengths. Be prepared as best as you can be and have fun with it! Be genuine. If you have any questions, the Starr Career Development is here to help. Be sure to check out our workshops such as Job Fair Prep, Resume Rush, and Building Your Brand: The Personal Pitch.