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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2018)
2c • March 7, 2018 • Siuslaw News Careers & Employment Guide Right aft er graduating from college can be a time like no other in the lives of new graduates. It can be easy to grow dejected as weeks or months go by without receiving a job off er. But spending time aft er graduation as productively as possible can help gradu- ates overcome any dejection they might feel and increase their chances of landing a job. • Contact career services offi ces at your alma mater. Career services offi ces can help recent graduates as they look for their fi rst jobs out of college. Such offi ces may have ac- cess to job and internship opportunities that grads do not. In addition, they may coach grads on interviewing techniques and on ways to stand out in crowded job markets. • Seek internships. If part- or full-time employment is proving elusive, don’t be afraid to seek and ultimately accept intern- ships, which can provide a way for grads to get their foot in the doors in certain indus- tries. • Start networking. Students who interned can get in touch with their past supervisors or mentors and fi nd out if the company is hiring. Such people may be more inclined to bring someone with direct experience onboard — even if that experience was brief and unpaid. In addition, grads can connect with adjunct professors who work in their desired fi elds. • When job hunting, don’t get pigeon-holed by your major. Just because a student graduates with a particular degree does not mean he or she needs to look for work in that fi eld. In fact, many companies may prefer entry-level applicants with degrees that are not specifi c to their industries so their new hires are blank slates who can be easily trained. • Attend job fairs. Enterprising people looking for work should at- tend as many job fairs as possible. Graduates likely won’t leave job fairs with employment off ers in hand, but job fairs are a great way for grads to meet hiring managers and submit their résumés to poten- tial employers. • Customize a résumé for every job. Be sure the curriculum vitae is not static. Write and refi ne ré- sumés for each job you apply for, Using contacts at previous schools may help people with mildly tweaking the wording or ac- current job searches, especially right after graduation. complishments to address the key laxing, but those who spend that time pro- phrases used in each job listing. It can be tempting for recent college grads ductively may lands jobs more quickly than to spend the months aft er graduation re- those who do not. Land the right internship opportunity Internships provide great op- portunities for people to get their professional feet wet. While class- room lessons provide theoretical senses of what a profession might be like, an internship gives an ac- tual sense, shedding light on how a particular business or industry operates. In its Class of 2015 Student Survey, the National Associa- tion of Colleges and Employers found that women (65.8 percent) were slightly more likely to have had an internship than men (64.6 percent). Competition for intern- ships can be steep, and people who want to set themselves apart from the fi eld can employ vari- ous strategies as they search for internships. • Learn the recruiting sched- ule. Some professions may recruit interns year-round, while others may only look for interns dur- ing particular times of the year. Speak with an academic advisor, someone in your college or uni- versity’s career placement depart- ment or look online to determine when opportunities in your fi eld are most likely to be available, and make sure your materials (i.e., résumé and portfolio) are ready when that recruiting season be- gins. • Don’t limit yourself. Cast a wide net when searching for an internship. If you want to be an investment banker, landing an in- ternship that allows you to work alongside investment bankers may be ideal. However, limiting yourself to only those opportuni- ties may be prohibitive, and you may end up with nothing. Main- tain an open mind when pursu- ing internships. Even if you don’t land your dream internship, an- other opportunity may provide lots of hands-on experience while also allowing you to get your foot in the door. • Tell the truth. Embellish- ing your résumé might help you get an interview, but chances are the interviewer will learn pretty quickly if your purported skills are authentic. Internship pro- grams are designed for students, recent graduates and people new to their fi elds with little or no ex- perience who might one day turn into valued employees. If a com- pany suspects an internship can- didate of embellishing their skills and experience now, that candi- date might never get their foot back in the door. Tell the truth and express your excitement at any opportunity that allows you to apply classroom lessons in real world settings. • Don’t accept just any intern- ship. Not every internship is worth the eff ort. While interns may be asked to perform some menial tasks during their intern- ships, the right opportunities af- ford interns the chance to get pro- fessional experience and interact with working professionals. If an opportunity is largely or exclu- sively clerical, you might be bet- ter off continuing your search or volunteering with a fi rm. People looking for internships can take various steps to ensure they land the most benefi cial op- portunities available to them. How to ask for a letter of recommendation Knowledge, skills and per- sonality can get students far, but having the right people in their corners can open doors for new opportunities that people might otherwise never have considered. Perhaps this is why recommenda- tions are so coveted when apply- ing to new jobs or even schools. Asking for a letter of recom- mendation is something that should be done with forethought. Th e correct approach and proper timing can mean the diff erence between receiving a recommen- dation or not. Who to ask Th e fi rst step is to decide who to ask for a recommendation. Se- lect teachers, colleagues or bosses who know you well or can vali- date how you performed or im- deadlines and at the end of se- Make the process mesters. It’s better to leave plenty easier of time than to put teachers un- Provide all of the necessary der pressure. Th e same rule ap- items to help the person along. plies to anyone else you’re asking Th is can include a brief résumé, to write you a recommendation. academic progress report, re- quired forms and so on. Also of- Request in person fer any college- or employer-di- Underscore the importance of rected requests. As the deadline the recommendation by making looms, off er concise reminders it a personal request. Schedule that you will need the recom- an appointment with the in- mendation. Off er to pick it up dividual and discuss why you personally. Make copies or scan believe he or she would be the and save the original just in case right person to provide the rec- a mix-up in the admissions offi ce ommendation. Remind the per- occurs. son of your attributes and point Recommendations are a key out something that exemplifi es part of landing a job or being of- your skills. Speaking face-to-face fered acceptance into a college Ask early shows respect and gives you the or university. Asking the right Teachers may be inundated advantage to make your points people early will translate into with college letter recommenda- personally, rather than through recommendations that paint an tion requests around application email. accurate picture of applicants. proved. Opt for a recent adviser so the recommendation refl ects who you are today. It can also help to ask for a rec- ommendation from people who have suffi cient experience. Th eir input may carry more weight than someone whose career is less accomplished. A well-established teacher who leads a class that per- tains to your academic goals is a good fi t. Remember to consider the re- quirements of the job posting as well. Applications frequently ask for recommendations from spe- cifi c people, such as a teacher in a certain subject. i Police Officer i GIS Analyst I Visit the City’s website at www.ci.florence.or.us/ jobs to view our current open posions, as well as instrucons on how to apply. The City includes a generous benefits package for full-me posions, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as employer contribuons to a health savings account. Math is an important subject — and profi ciency in arithmetic serves people well when it comes time to leave the classroom and enter the workforce. As demand for workers profi cient in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) continues to grow, students can benefi t by working as hard as possible when studying such subjects. People with strong math skills who thrive on data and crunch- ing numbers may fi nd a diverse array of jobs available to them when they are ready to enter the workforce. Th e following are just some of the positions that require math skills, courtesy of the Occupational Information Network, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and CareerCast. • Economist: Economists study and analyze the eff ects of resources on costs and their rela- tion to industry and government. • Accountant: Accountants are responsible for keeping ac- counting records and preparing fi nancial statements for busi- nesses or individuals. • Game designer: Mathemat- ics is involved in game theory, and programmers regularly uti- lize trigonometry, physics and calculus. Th e same can be said for movie or television anima- tors. • Stockbroker: Stockbrokers purchase and sell stocks, bonds and other securities. Exchanging large sums of money involves a strong command of math. • Chemist: Chemists conduct analyses and experiments in lab- oratories that require qualitative and quantitative computation. • Engineer: Mechanical engi- neering, aerospace engineering and civil engineer go hand-in- hand with math. Engineers in various fi elds perform a host of tasks, including designing equipment and evaluating the adaptability of materials. • Pilot: Navigating, calculat- ing wind speeds and fuel ration and much more are involved in piloting an aircraft . Math skills can be life-saving when pilots have to make adjustments and calculations thousands of feet in the air. • Sports broadcaster: Math is involved in many aspects of sports. Sports broadcasters oft en must add up statistics on the fl y and profi ciency in math makes that easier. • Astronomer: Observing, researching and interpreting as- tronomical phenomena requires a strong understanding of math- ematics. • Insurance underwriter: Un- derwriters rely on math to assess risk as they make recommenda- tions to insurance companies before such companies will issue policies. • Financial planner: Finan- cial planners help businesses and individuals map out the ways to grow their money so they can se- cure their fi nancial futures. • Actuary: Actuaries mea- sure risk and uncertainty as they evaluate the likelihood of future events occurring as they apply to certain areas, including insur- ance and pension programs. Strong math skills can provide an entryway into a lucrative and stable career. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only about one- quarter of those working in the fi elds of science, technol- ogy, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are women. Th e percentages of women working in STEM are even lower in Canada, where Statistics Canada notes the percentage of women working in STEM has increased from just 20 per- cent in 1987 to 22 percent in 2015. Perhaps in recognition of those statistics, numerous organizations are working to promote women in STEM. One such organization is the Na- tional Girls Collaborative Project (ngcproject.org), which works to bring together organizations throughout the Unit- ed States that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. Another organization with similar goals is the Women in Engineering Proactive Net- work (wepan.org), which works to promote the inclusion of women in the fi eld of engineering. Female students in high school or college who are interested in STEM fi elds should make their interest known to teachers or advisors; they can even contact certain organizations to learn about the op- portunities and resources available to them. Portland/Redmond 1-503-657-8225 1-888-438-2235 CLASSES STARTIN G EVERY 4 WEEKS Albany/Eugene/Medford 1-541-895-5525 1-800-976-7612 TopHydraulics City of Florence Employment Opportunies The City of Florence is currently hiring for the following posions: Jobs for people profi cient in math – Did You Know? – Be productive with time Making the best better /*+4-0'$.2 /#-$1 *) 3 '' ) )/ (.+$-$/# / ($.'$& !($'4)2 # '+ #*/# -*0/ 2# - 1 -2 )0./*( -./$.!/$*)$.*0-!$-./"*'0/$!*0-/ (( ( -.- )*/#++42$/#/# $-%*./# ) 2 #1 ($.. *0'4*0'$& /*2*-&$)/ ( )1$-*)( )/2# - 1 -4*) '*1 ./# $-%**4*0#1 ./-*)" ( #)$'+/$/0 *4*0! 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