Is this professional dress?

I heard this question over and over again during the Fall Career and Internship Fair held on November 4^th.  Unfortunately the answer was far too often, “No. Not really.”  Don’t get me wrong, many of the 600+ students and alumni present were dressed up, but there is a huge difference between ripping the runway and meeting a potential employer for the first time. 

 Professional dress for a job fair and an interview are one in the same: a full suit.  For ladies this can be a matching skirt or pants suit with understated make-up and jewelry.  For men, a full suit, pressed shirt, tie, well groomed facial hair, and shined shoes.

 Professional dress does not have to cost a fortune if you start looking well before the event.   Visit the sale section of discount clothing retailers (Marshall’s, K&G, and T J Maxx) for deals on classic suits.  You may be able to snag a professional look for less than $100.

 So what doesn’t make the cut?  Polo shirts; open toe shoes; missing suit jackets; men with no ties; ladies with trendy, tight-fitting dresses; untamed hair; excessive accessories, make-up and perfume/cologne.  For the next career fair, dress to impress.  And when in doubt, contact the Career Center for more information.

Remarkable Resumes: Developing Your Leadership Skills!

Leadership skills and experiences are becoming increasingly popular with employers and internship supervisors. Job and Internship candidates who have a “Leadership Experience” section on their resume can impress an employer…this is the time for Towson University students to become detectives and conduct a thorough investigation and leadership search on past experiences and current activities, skills, and talents.

Leadership skills are very broadly defined and often reflect what you, as a student, have gained from any meaningful experience (i.e. volunteer work, coaching, participation in sports, clubs, community activities, projects).

Involvement with others, within teams, groups, etc., can be very good examples of leadership experience. Even if you don’t hold an officer position in your club or group, you ARE a member and you ARE learning valuable interpersonal, team work and problem-solving skills that you can present on your resume. Don’t sell yourself short by neglecting to examine everything you have to offer…use your resume to ENLIGHTEN your future employer:

Express your interest in a specific position

Note previous activities and experiences relevant to the job description

Lift up your qualifications with leadership experience

Incorporate numerical data to quantify your accomplishments

Generate action verbs to describe your previous and current experience

Highlight your strengths, qualifications and skills

Transform your resume into a visually pleasing document

Emphasize strong grammatical and writing skills

Navigate your way to the Career Center at Towson University for a RESUME REVIEW!

Ever wondered what a day in the life of an astrophysicist is like?

Now is your chance to find out what life is like in any profession of interest from choreographer to chef, from pediatrician to prosecuting attorney, from mathematician to make-up artist.  Try our job shadowing opportunity for Towson University students!   

DESCRIPTION: Job shadowing is a two-to-five-day program that allows undergraduate Towson University students to observe and network with professionals in a selected field of interest.

Gain an overview of day-to-day activities in a professional environment that will help you make career decisions.

Explore career interests and gain an understanding of a profession by participating in some of the following activities:

* Tour the facility
* Gain an understanding of office policies/procedures
* Review organization mission/vision statement
* Attend/observe staff or client meetings
* Complete an office task or assist with a project
* Observe client interactions
* Conduct informational interviews with staff
* Explore possible career paths within the organization and the profession
* Discuss current trends in the profession

DATES: The job shadowing program will take place during 2-5 days of Winter Break 2010. Students will arrange specific days with the host organization. Interested students must complete and submit the Job Shadowing Program Application by NOVEMBER 6, 2009.

HOW TO REGISTER:

1. Complete the Job Shadowing Program Application, please copy and paste the following link in the web browser to gain access to the application:

https://www.myinterfase.com/towson/resources/resource_view.aspx?token=yycbHloiKxeH%2fLDZaTiTuw%3d%3d

2. Save the application as a Word document and upload it to your Hire@TU account.

3. Upload your resume into your Hire@TU account.

4. Select “job shadowing” as an applicant type in your Hire@TU profile.

5. View job #20859 and submit your application online.

Meet with a Career Center staff member to prepare your resume and discuss job shadowing interests. Call the Career Center at 401-704-2233 to schedule an appointment or gain further information about the program.