The birds outside your window aren’t the only ones tweeting and getting excited about May! On Friday, April 30th, we will be launching our MUCSCJobs Twitter account!
The goal of MUCSCJobs is to post multiple positions throughout each weekday! These positions will be from employers looking for both students and alumni from ALL MAJORS! Each job tweet will include a link to the job posting in MU Career Manager. If you’re looking for a new position, be sure to follow MUCSCJobs!
Don’t be fooled, Career Services isn’t new to twitter. In fact, our office account MU_CSC has been tweeting for a year now. If you aren’t already following MU_CSC, follow for great career advice, to hear about our exciting events and to discover links to career articles. We had also been utilizing the MU_CSC account to post hot jobs. However, we recently decided to launch MUCSCJobs to tweet about these positions posted in MU Career Manager. For those of you who are searching for positions, this is a great resource as we can give you more volume for tweets. For those of you who are happily employed (Congratulations!) you can pay more attention to MU_CSC than MUCSCJobs to focus on the career advice.
Recently we sent out our monthly enews on what to wear to an interview. We stated that it is ALWAYS appropriate to wear a suit. I stand by that assertion. Perhaps we should have clarified that the type of suit, the color of suit, the style of suit, the fashion of the suit; that all of those choices are dependent upon the industry. Of course what one candidate wears to an interview for a creative position will differ greatly from what another candidate wears to an accounting interview at a bank. Depending on the organization culture, styles may differ within the same industry. Ultimately, the goal is for you as a job seeker or graduate school candidate to feel comfortable and confident; looking your best. Choose attire that allows you to forget about how you look (knowing you look great) and focus on selling yourself and your skills to potential employers.
You cannot go wrong in a suit.
Because I have been advising students for over 17 years I wondered if my advice was out-of-date. So I contacted Lindsey Pollak, Gen Y Career and Workplace Expert, and here is what she had to say:
"In the vast majority of interview situations, a suit is the appropriate option. In conservative industries (e.g., law, finance, accounting), it is the only option. If you think you are interviewing at an organization where a suit might not be required (e.g., a surfwear start-up or a hip hop record label), you must find out for sure. This means reaching out to anyone you can find in that company or industry and asking what you should wear (ask friends and family, reach out on LinkedIn, anonymously call the HR department where you’re interviewing, etc.). If the clear advice is to wear something other than a suit, then you can safely wear something else. The bottom line: Never wing it. Find out for sure what’s appropriate. Never lose an opportunity because of your outfit."
We also contacted one of our employer advisory board members, Wade Krogwold of Direct Supply, who shared this:
"As a recruiter at a company that does not have a dress code, we have people that wear everything from shorts and a t-shirt to a suit and tie. But for interviews, I recommend that students dress professionally. Wearing professional attire reflects two things – you are serious about making the transition from college to your career, and you realize you will be making an important decision. Thus, appropriate attire for most interviews will entail suiting up. There are exceptions to that based on the profession you are going into; for example, creative talent roles like graphic, fashion or interior design, and retail roles (corporate and consumer) will look at your attire as an indication of your skills and ‘fit’ for the role.
However, it is better to err on the side of wearing conservative, professional attire. And instead of spending an exorbitant amount of time on what you are going to wear, spend it on preparing examples that illustrate when you have completed similar tasks and successfully used the skills they are seeking. I am impressed by a candidate that can articulate why they are a match for the role and can share examples that reinforce that match. At the end of the interview you want people to remember you for your skills, talents and passion – not the awesome red shoes you paired with your outfit."
Here are some examples of traditional and less-formal interviewing attire:
April in our office is all about Celebrating YOUR Career. There is no better way for us to celebrate careers in our office than bring in the professionals who are working in those careers every day. Therefore, throughout April, we have developed six panels to bring you the true, uncut and uncensored stories about careers and life after Marquette from those in the field. During these hour long panels we will provide one or two questions to start the conversation, but the rest of the questions are up to you, the audience. If you can’t stay for the entire hour, stop by and absorb the advice that your schedule allows.
Not convinced that a panel is going to be beneficial for you? I’ll admit it. As a senior graduating in May with a full-time position lined up, I had my doubts about attending a panel as well. However, when I attended my first panel, the African-American Career Professionals Power Lunch, in February I was astounded at how relevant all of the material was to my career development. I found myself fully engaged as a listener, absorbing the advice of these professionals. Not only did I learn things to apply to my career, but during the panel there was also direct mention from every panelist of internships they had available. Listening to the panel, I couldn’t help by imagine how things would have been different during my college career if I had attended one of these panels earlier in my college career.
It was not a fluke that my first experience was so beneficial. During the second panel I attended, the Diverse Women Leaders Power Lunch, I gained advice on how to maintain a work-life balance. These tips have been extremely helpful for me this semester with my work-life-school balance. I can’t imagine how they will be helpful in the future with whatever life throws my direction.
Bottom line:
Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, alums and faculty: THESE PANELS HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE FOR Y-O-U!
April Panels
Communication Panel Monday, April 12; 12:00-1:00pm
Career Services Center Seminar Room, Holthusen Hall, 1st Floor
Life After Marquette Panel Monday, April 12; 4:00-6:00pm
Career Services Center Seminar Room, Holthusen Hall, 1st Floor
Technical Panel Tuesday, April 13; 12:00-1:00pm
Career Services Center Seminar Room, Holthusen Hall, 1st Floor
Health Sciences Panel Wednesday, April 14; 12:00-1:00pm
Career Services Center Seminar Room, Holthusen Hall, 1st Floor
Government Panel Thursday, April 15; 12:00-1:00pm
Career Services Center Seminar Room, Holthusen Hall, 1st Floor
Power Lunch: Asian/Pacific Islander Professionals
Tuesday, April 28; 12:00-1:00pm
AMU 163
The birds outside your window aren’t the only ones tweeting and getting excited about May! On Friday, April 30th, we will be launching our MUCSCJobs Twitter account! 
