UMW Career Services- Graduate and adult students

Greetings from the Office of Career Services, I would like to welcome all new students as well as returning students to the University of Mary Washington. The Career Services office can assist you in realizing, developing, and implementing a career direction. If you already have a solid career direction, we ask that you consider giving back by serving as a “mentor” (see LinkedIn below) for students seeking information about your field of expertise. Please review the list of resources and services below and contact the office of Career Services at 540-654-1022 if you have questions.

CAREER SERVICES RESOURCES HIGHLIGHTED:
Career Counseling Hours (Stafford Campus)
Tuesdays, 4-6 p.m. starting Aug. 31, 2010 for the Fall Semester. Students may schedule an appointment on either campus by calling 540-654-1022 or by emailing a request to Crystal Sehlke. Location: Stafford campus Library, South Building.

eRecruiting/Experience
Job and internship database that specifically targets Mary Washington students.

Workshops/Event
The Office of Career Services leads and organizes over 20 events each semester. Please review our Calendar of Events to review upcoming events. Please note the location of the event.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking site that allows users to connect for a mutually beneficial networking relationship. Set up an account and join the Eagle Connections group to locate posted job or internship opportunities or to ask career related questions of alumni or a friend of UMW.

Career Insider- ONLINE CAREER LIBRARY
Download over 90 books in adobe format, conduct company or industry research, review career advice, watch career videos, and participate in message boards.

Crystal Sehlke, Assistant Director of Career Services

Workforce Management recently reported that 21 percent of job seekers are deselected from the interview candidate pool after their professional references were contacted. More than 1,000 senior managers at small to medium sized companies confessed that during a reference call, they are most interested in…
• a description of past job duties and experiences (36%).
• the candidates work-related strengths and weaknesses (31%).

Make sure you pass the reference test by:
• Staying truthful when discussing your past experiences on your resume, cover letter, and during the interview.

• Giving your references a copy of your resume and an outline of the skills, strengths, and experiences that you will be speaking about during the interview.

• Staying in touch with your references and alerting them after you have had an interview so that they can prepare for the call.

Crystal Sehlke, UMW Career Services, Assistant Director

By Lori Montgomery and Jenna Johnson – Washington Post Staff Writers – Thursday, August 5, 2010; 1:05 PM

A $26 billion plan to save the jobs of thousands of teachers and other public employees cleared the Senate on Thursday and was headed back to the House, where Democratic leaders have scheduled a Tuesday vote to approve it and sent it on to the White House.

After beating back Republican attempts to extend expiring tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration, the Senate voted 61 to 39 to approve the package.

Two Republicans crossed party lines to advance the $26 billion package, handing President Obama a victory in his campaign to bolster the shaky economy. With many governors struggling to close gaping budget deficits, administration officials feared a fresh round of state layoffs or tax increases could knock the nation’s wobbly recovery off-course.

The aid package would not entirely close those budget gaps. Hampered by election-year anxiety over the mounting national debt, congressional Democrats were forced to slash Obama’s original request for state aid nearly in half and come up with a plan to pay for it. Meanwhile, lawmakers in both parties signaled that the measure probably marks the end for spending bills aimed at boosting economic activity.

“I think that this should be sort of the final down payment,” said Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), a key swing vote who helped break the impasse Wednesday and overcome a Republican filibuster. Sen. Susan Collins, also of Maine, provided the second Republican vote, allowing the package to clear its last major hurdle on a vote of 61 to 38.

Obama hailed the vote as “an important step towards ensuring that teachers across the country can stay in the classroom and cash-strapped states can get the relief they need.”

Read more here!

nbsp;Newsweek.com reports that the “recession is accelerating a cultural shift in the corporate world toward more flexible workdays”. Read this entire article to assess whether you can use a flexible work schedule as a bargaining chip in your next salary negotiation.

Fredericksburg.com – State’s jobless rate down a bit in May.

Between electronic application systems to online social networking sites, it appears that job searching is going “online” exclusively. While face-to-face networking will never lose its effectiveness (at least I hope), job searchers should be aware of alternatives and tips for using technology in their job search. Check out the links below and schedule an appointment with a career counselor for an electronic resume review or for tips on creating an online presence.

Creating an electronic resume: Advertising Resumes Online- UMW
Prepare Your Resume for Email- Riley Guide