Finding Your Path

Many of my student appointments start out with the same simple question, "what can I do to help you out today?" The answers I've heard, and continue to hear, vary greatly! Here's why, every student/person is different. You may be a freshman coming in to get a general sense of the Career Services Center and how we can aid you in your career development, or a Senior three months from graduation seeking trendy job search strategies.

As a mission to MU students and alumni, "The Marquette University Career Services Center strives to assist all students in discerning, developing, and pursuing meaningful traditional and non-traditional career paths."

So whether your walking the path of: Career Goals, Internship, Graduate/Professional School, Post-Graduate Volunteer Service, or First Job, we've got a compass for you. Don't ever feel as if your behind, to far ahead, or just plan lost, your path is individually your own.

To set up an appointment with a career counselor, call the Career Services Center at (414) 288-7423 or email us at: career.services@marquette.edu

Hope to see you soon!

What Is That?!?

Do you have a smart phone? If yes, get it out. Now, download a barcode scanner app and scan the image at the left. Open the link in a browser and - Voila! - you are on the CSC webpage. Amazing.

This little doodad is called a QR Code. Some of you have heard of this already, seen them in magazines, or possibly even made your own. Who cares? Well, you might... read on.

QR Codes are the next big thing for job seekers - at least that is what I would say if I were a betting girl. Sure, they have been around for a while to do mostly boring things, but now they are also a handy little addition to a job seeker's resume. Why, you ask? Well, because if you use one you will stand out as the tech-savvy, forward-thinking applicant that you truly are!

Still have no idea what I am talking about, but maybe a little curious? Check out this blog by Lindsey Pollak and this blog by Ed Potter for the nitty-gritty!

The Long-Term Internship

As a graduate student in the office, I was offered the opportunity to go to the Trends in Recruiting conference in Chicago for the Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers. The conference was two days long, but I just went down on Friday to hear the keynote speaker, Dr. Phil Gardner, talk on recruiting trends.

Other than going on my first train ride, I experienced some great opportunities including the ability to network with professionals from around the Midwest, attend informative seminars, as well as hear the hiring trends in the past and future projections.

One idea I’d like to share from my experience is how Dr. Gardner spoke about the importance of having a longer-term internship. He stressed how short-term internships are often not a sufficient amount of time for developing an individual professionally, and not always allowing them to become acclimated to the company’s culture and inner workings. Many students participate in internships that only last a semester or over the summer, but after hearing Dr. Gardner speak, I definitely recommend trying to extend that internship for at least an 8-month period. This will give you the proper time for boundary crossing and being able to truly connect with a business. Definitely take time during your internship to communicate across units, and network with professionals in other departments.

Dr. Gardner suggests that a long term internship is essential for transitioning into the workplace upon graduation. This type of internship proves most beneficial before you finish your senior year, so you can engage and figure out who you are as a learner as well as understand your professional values.

If you have yet to find an internship, now is the time to start looking. Not sure where to start? We’d be glad to help! Make an appointment with a career counselor today.

Guest Post: MU Senior with great internship

Allow me a moment for me to introduce myself. My name is Thomas McGlennen and I am currently a senior at Marquette University and will complete my double Mathematics and History majors in the spring. Now to the real reason everyone here is looking at this! Over this past summer I interned with Target for their Executive Team Lead Internship and I loved it! Interning at Target over the summer was a lot of fun as every day was completely different. I won't get into all the small details about the internship, but I thought as a fellow student it would be nice to have a first-hand account of my experiences there.

First off, the internship was not what I expected it to be at all. I was not given any busy work, didn't have to sort files, or go on coffee runs for the rest of the Team. Instead I was given keys to the store and real responsibility. The first few weeks there I spent learning the different work centers of the store, but right from the beginning I was on my feet and constantly being presented with new information. I worked with all the other ETLs (Executive Team Leads) in the building and they were continuously offering new ways to lead the team of about one hundred and fifty people and how to handle whatever may come throughout the day. What I found to be especially unique about my time as an intern was the constant feedback I was given. Every Friday I would meet with the STL (Store Team Lead or store manager) and he would give me feedback on what was going well as a strength and what were some opportunities I could work on the next week to improve upon. Target is all about developing its people and helping them grow to be better leaders, which to me was fantastic. I really learned that being a leader requires you to set the example as you are constantly in front of the rest of the Team. The fact that I was with the rest of Team and constantly interacting with people kept each day fun and interesting—no cubicle work here!

Now, it may seem fairly easy to set a daily agenda with a list of priorities for the Team to focus on, but as the day develops different situations and obstacles come up all the time. Trust me, if it can happen it will happen, which really adds an extra element of fun as each day is different from the next. One of the more eventful days during the summer happened when the city construction crews outside of the store managed to break a water main to the store. I spent a good part of the day driving around to the various construction crews around the area trying to figure out what had happened and why all the water to the store had been shut off. Occurrences like this really require one to be on their toes and able to use their critical thinking skills in order to approach and handle the random events of everyday.

My favorite aspect of my internship was the relationships I made with the other interns in the area and the friendships I made with the store Team. The people working at Target put a lot of effort into their jobs, but at the same time are great people to work with and the amount of respect I have for them is immense. They are a fantastic group of people which permeates throughout the entire company as everyone is more than willing to lend a hand. I hope this gives a little insight into my experience over this past summer. If any of you have any questions about my experience, or would like to learn more about the internships—or even ETL positions if you’re a graduating senior this December or next spring—available for this next summer do not hesitate to email me at: https://mail.target.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=28b1d35b857f4c1b841cb60dfd089348&URL=mailto%3Athomas.mcglennen%40target.com. I am currently a Campus Liaison to Marquette for Target during this school year and will be taking an ETL position this summer after graduation. I hope to hear from some of you soon!

Thomas McGlennenMarquette Campus Liaison G196 ¤Target

Target Careers. See Yourself Here. Learn more<http://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-000483>

• Target scores top ranking of 100 on Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index – 2009


• Target ranks 8th on Business Week’s “Best Places to Launch a Career” – 2009


• Named “Top Socially Responsible Brand in Retail” – Alloy Media 2008


• Target 11th, "America's Most Admired Companies" - Fortune Magazine 2008
  

No Internship? No Problem!

Now that all of you are done with classes for another academic year, most of you are set to work in one manner or another over the summer. While those of us in the "real world" work year-round, and therefore basically always know what we're going to be doing during the summer, the average college student spends a good portion of their spring semester seeking out a summer position.

Usually what many students, and especially sophomores and juniors, are searching for in the summer is an internship. These positions are desirable because they give students a chance to work with a company and gain experience in their field of choice. They also are increasingly becoming a primary method for companies to acquire full-time talent.

But what if you don't have an "internship"? Are you doomed to a life in your parent's basement?

Well, maybe, but it wouldn't be because of that. It's not just about having the intern title on your resume. Look at what skills your desired field requires. Once you identify those, you can find any sort of summer position that will help you hone those skills. BusinessWeek has a great article on this with examples of students that have turned "regular" summer jobs into a valuable piece.

Sure, the intern title is great, but remember what the ultimate goal is. As long as you can put yourself in position to get that job after graduation, you'll be on the right path, fancy title or not.