Lethbridge College's Career Conference and Open House

by Pam Crawshaw-Prangnell, Supervisor, The Works-Job & Career Services
and
Derek Bly, Communications Coordinator
Lethbridge College

The snow is falling here in Lethbridge, so perhaps we should be thinking about Christmas, New Years, or even planning that ski trip for Reading Week, but for college students it is not too soon to be thinking about summer. April will be here sooner than you think, bringing with it graduation or summer employment. Tomorrow, Thursday, November 6, more than 115 employers will be at Lethbridge College's Career Conference and Open House to meet with our students, potential students and the public. Its a great opportunity to meet someone you can trust, gather some career information and perhaps get to know the boss you'll work for starting this summer.

With more than 130 exhibits in total, the annual Career Conference and Open House at Lethbridge College is the ‘one-stop shop’ for anyone considering future education and career opportunities.

Our annual event is one of Western Canada’s largest career conferences and I am thrilled that I have been a part of every one since 1990. The event brings together a mix of businesses, seeking to connect with potential employees, and college program areas that can get individuals on the right path to the career of their choice. More than 115 employers will be represented.

Career Conference and Open House is open to the entire community and runs Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Displays will be set up in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium, in the Centre Core, and along the corridor that connects the two.

The theme for this year’s conference is "Meet Someone You Can Trust". With many business exhibitors being regular participants over the years, it really is an opportunity to connect with respected organizations.

Anyone looking to connect with prospective employers can really benefit by attending the Career Conference and Open House. We have many trusted partners who return each year to foster a positive relationship with students and others seeking to move ahead in a career.

Terri Ann Fitz-Gibson, Educational Campus Events Coordinator, says a popular feature of the college open house returns this year – waiving of application fees for prospective students. This year 100 individuals can see the $55 fee waived. The total will be split with the first 50 applicants from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and the first 50 from 5-8 p.m. benefiting from the offer.

“We wanted to spread the opportunity out over the day because we have both high school and mature students who can benefit from having the application fee waived,” Fitz-Gibson says. “Offering it at two different times creates openings for those who may not be able to attend at one particular time.”

There is another incentive available to prospective students who attend Career Conference and Open House, she says.

“We’re offering on-the-spot conditional acceptance to most credit programs with a start date in the winter or fall 2009 semesters.”

Tours and Activities:

Cousins Building Tour
10 & 11 a.m.; 1 & 2 p.m.
Meet at the brown bear in the Phys. Ed. Building foyer

Fashion Design Area
All day
Room AN1530

Massages
All day
Massage Therapy Exhibit, Row N

Self-Guided Tours
All day
Tour package available in Centre Core

Event web site, which includes a list of exhibitors:

careerconference.ca


KISS (KEEPING IT SIMPLE FOR SEEKERS):

The location of each exhibitor will be mapped out in the Career Conference and Open House booklet. Check out a presentation or information session, walk around the gym, get a feel for the set up, and chart your own course.


Budget your time carefully so you can visit as many exhibits as possible. Allow yourself at least one hour. Remember, lunch hour will be the busiest time - if possible, come before or after lunch.


Go alone. Friends may keep you from visiting exhibits that are of primary interest to you.


Don't be shy. Indicate to the employers your course of study. If you have chosen the wrong company, thank them and move on.


Have a list of prepared questions. Be prepared to answer to inquiries about your education and career plans.


Avoid questions about salary. Research starting salary statistics.


Pickup a business card at each table. Make a brief note on the back of each to help you recall your conversation with the company's representative. Feel free to make notes during your discussion if the company representative provides a lot of detail. Help yourself to the free company brochures.


Review your notes and return to exhibits of particular interest. You may be able to explore your career plans in more depth.


Remember, these visits are not interviews, but they are your opportunity to make a crucial first impression.

Meet the recruiters and do some networking. It's a great opportunity to start planning your career.

Here are some questions you can ask:

- Is your firm hiring this year? If so, from what programs?
- What types of positions will you have open?
- Where are the jobs located?
- What is a typical career path for graduates in my field?
- What further education or training might I need to achieve my goals with your company?
- What is your deadline for applications and what do you require?
- What are the major trends in the industry today?
- What is the growth potential for your firm?
- Will you be conducting on-campus interviews at the college? When?
- Is your organization a work-experience host? Do you offer practicums or internships?

Free Expert Advice

For the last few years I have studied and shared with others about mentorship in my role as the manager of a career centre at a college. Last summer I was invited to speak about mentorship at a national conference of college and university career centre staff, managers and the corporate human resources professionals that recruit our graduates. My focus, however, has been on “self-directed mentorships” that exist outside of a formal program. I believe we can achieve more for ourselves by finding and managing our own mentorships than we can when we are matched by someone else for the organization's benefit.

One Definition of Mentorship
• a deliberate, conscious, voluntary relationship:
• that may or may not have a specific time limit;
• that occurs between an experienced person (the mentor) and one or more other persons (the partners);
• who are generally not in a direct, hierarchical or supervisory chain-of-command;
• where the outcome of the relationship is expected to benefit all parties in the relationship (albeit at different times) for personal growth, career development, lifestyle enhancement, spiritual fulfillment, goal achievement, and other areas mutually designated by the mentor and partner;
• with benefit to the community within which the mentoring takes place;
• and such activities taking place on a one-to-one, small group, or by electronic or telecommunication means; and
• typically focused on interpersonal support, guidance, mutual exchange, sharing of wisdom, coaching, and role modeling.

KISS (Keeping it Simple for Seekers):

If you want a mentor, you need to determine two things, first:
1-ONE THING-- What is your goal? 2--at least ONE PERSON. What kind of person will get you there? You need to approach someone who is concerned for people and concerned for results. They should have no ulterior motive other than giving back to their community or field of expertise and/or developing their skills as an advisor. After you figure out what your goal really is, look around you. Who has achieved some of their goals and is active in answering questions for others who have similar challenges? Who models success to you?

Identifying a good mentor can be difficult. Asking someone to mentor you can feel even harder.

If your mentor isn’t aware of your goals or expectations of the relationship, you do not have an intentional mentorship.

So the first step in an intentional mentoring relationship is to ask them to help you. Tell them "I would really value your opinion.” Don’t ask for a big time commitment in the beginning. Answering your email, commenting on your blog or your tracker or a single phone conversation is lots to ask for to start with. Get to the point. Ask for what you want. This involves what I call "The Coffee Speech," because, in person, it can be done over coffee, or in an online community it would be sent by private message:
• outline your goal
• ask one or two quick questions
• ask if they would they consider being your mentor or helping you to achieve a goal or solve a problem
• tell them why you selected them
• tell them what you hope to learn
• outline the amount of time to be committed by each of you
• suggest what you will contribute (“I’m really very good at _____. If you ever need _____ give me a call, I’ll be more than happy to help out any way I can.”)

This is what is involved in that if you agree:

• contact frequently, set a schedule and method
• talk about current issues, short and long-term goals
• record the discussions, take notes to each meeting, start a file
• take interest in your mentor as a person
• don’t share your whole life story
• make yourself real and make it light and fun
• at each meeting, agree to an action step
• update your mentor when you’ve completed a step
• say thank you; ask how they’d like to be thanked or how you may contribute

I challenge you to identify a goal and identify at least one person who can help you to achieve it. Manage your own intentional mentorship! While you are at it, be open to mentoring others. Perhaps you can offer help to someone who is too afraid to ask. So while you are asking to have your needs met, why not offer to meet someone else's too. There is free, expert assistance out there for the taking. If we all give and receive, everyone benefits!


...Pam

Keep Your Eyes on Your Goals

I spent five and a half hours at my office at the college on the weekend. I would have been resentful about spending a Saturday cooped up with no window to the world, but it was raining outside and I've been stressed about work. Among other challenges, we have been under renovations in our career centre since June. This week I returned from a leadership retreat all mentally "pumped" to do great things in my *brand new private office* (woo hoo!)... but I quickly realized I couldn't do much because I couldn't find anything and my computer didn't work the way it should.

In a previous blog I wrote about the importance of being organized if you want to be successful. As a dieter who's making lifestyle changes, hopefully for good this time, I believe that its important to set up your environment for success with that, too, by having having the right food available and equipment available and also by and eliminating temptations. De-cluttering, organizing, being comfortable, having the right tools and avoiding distraction are important to tackling big jobs of any sort, loosing weight and looking for work are just two examples.

After returning home Saturday evening I searched the net for ideas about Feng Shui as it applies to office decor. One big message in the articles I read is that its important to surround yourself with symbols of success. Always keep your eye on the goal or something that represents it.

Health-wise, I do need a constant reminder of what I'm trying to achieve and so, on my laptop at home, I have just created a screensaver of photos of people with the shape I think is attainable by me if I work hard enough at it. I've also got pics on there of vacation locations, one of which will be my reward if I go all the way and achieve my goal.

Today I'm be back at the office and contemplating the images of motivation that will be appropriate my work. I may frame the college's mission statement, oost a "to do" list to a cork board above my desk or have an inspirational quote painted on a wall. Or maybe something more subtle or symbolic will do for me, but I'd like to have something here that might just motivate others, too.

Keeping career/life balance in mind, I think I'll have to add some things to my personal space at work that keep at least some of my thoughts on health. Sneakers under my desk are a good start, even if they aren't particularly attractive.

KISS (Keeping It Simple for Seekers)

What is your job search goal? Have you clarified it in such a way that you can communicate it clearly to others? What is your dream job description? What does your work environment look like? What can you contribute to the organization or to that field of work? What other goals might you achieve if you get that job? Are there pictures, words or symbols that could motivate you to keep searching for it? Have you got your eyes on your goals? What distractions can you eliminate from your world now that may help you to achieve your career goals tomorrow? How do you stay motivated?


...Pam

I have a new office!

I've finally moved into the new office that was built for me in a formerly open piece of the Centre for Teaching Learning and Innovation at Lethbridge College. Its fairly square, a decent size, and has three pale grey walls, one wall of brick that is painted dark purple, and darker grey office carpeting. The desk has lovely swirls of blue, grey, purple and too much pink. There isn't too much more in here but a lot of boxes and office furniture catalogs I have to go through. I really have very few ideas about how to decorate this place, but I want to.

The only brainstorm I've had, so far, is to use wall decals to spell out something inspirational and motivational. The college vision? Our department's mission? A moving quote?

I'm open to ideas. And visitors.


...Pam

Landing THE Job

Sorry I've been absent. A critical person on our team went on to bigger and better things and I have been doing two jobs. Over the last two weeks I have participated in the recruitment and selection of a new employment specialist for the career centre that I manage, “The Works” - Job and Career Services at Lethbridge College. The selection committee saw some interesting applications.

Half of the applicants didn’t bother to revise their resumes for this work and it was obvious that their objective was really something different, even if they told us they wanted this job. The four candidates we did interview were all very different, each one with the potential to do the job and to bring different gifts to our department, but the one we did hire was the only one who followed all of the job search steps outlined below.

Really it was surprising that, with so much information readily available on the web and elsewhere on how to land a job, that only one of the applicants for the role of employment specialist really demonstrated that they knew how to do it. No, we didn’t “settle” when we hired this person simply because they know how to do a job search. Like I said, all of the people we met in person were capable and had terrific potential, but I’m thrilled to say that we’re bringing to our office someone who really walks the talk. I'm hoping to have the person as a guest blogger here soon.

KISS (Keeping it Simple for Seekers)

There is a basic outline that I – and most other “experts” -- recommend that work seekers follow.

• Have a clearly defined career path and communicate it clearly in all the other steps you do.
• Be aware of your skills and how they may benefit the workplace.
• Research organizations to gain an understanding of their needs.
• Align your background with their needs; in your resume and letter, show and tell them specifically how you are a good fit; provide examples that prove you can do what they need.
• Remove from your resume details that may distract from demonstrating that you are a best match for the role you are applying for.
• Be prepared to tell stories during the interview that prove you have what the organization needs; offer examples if they are not requested.
• Have a portfolio ready that shows off examples of your best work; ideally, have it ready online or on a disk that you may provide at the time of application because you may not have the chance to show one off in an interview; a good portfolio may get you an interview.
• Have a list of references ready that will support your claims to fame. Work with your references in advance so they are not caught off-guard and so they know which of your demonstrated skills to support and highlight for each job you are interviewed for.
• Thank the interviewers for their time with a note sent the same day the interviews are held.

There are many strategies you could apply to address each of these points effectively, but that’s the list. Yes, you can find lists like this one all over the web and in lots of books. It isn’t rocket science. And yet, very few people follow the steps. Prove your genuine interest in the position offered by the employer and jump through the hoops. It can make a difference between landing “a job” and “the job”.


...Pam

Women's Office Fashion for Fall 2008

The summer is coming to an end, I'm back to work at the college and I'm wondering what should I wear?

I am a fashion “dummy”. My recent weight loss made it necessary to shop for a whole new wardrobe. It has me thinking about what’s hot and what’s not. I’d like to look at least luke warm at the office, if you know what I mean. Not unlike many students and recent college graduates, I am on restricted budget right now. For that reason, I have been frequenting the local thrift shops for fashion bargains and hoping – praying – that what I choose does not make me look too dated, since most of what I find is second hand. That said, Lethbridge is not exactly a thriving fashion metropolis. In and of itself, that fact gives everyone who works in an office here some latitude. What is the fashion world suggesting for office looks this fall?

According to the Pantone web site, the “hot colours” will be:

- jewel tones, especially purple
- natural fall colours like chocolate, burnt orange, ochre and greens
- the surprise return of “dusty rose”, a staple from the 80s, but with a new name

In fact, as an 80s girl myself, I am surprised to recognize the return of some of these fashions (and I wish I hadn’t given some of these things away):

- polo shirts and dresses
- mid-thigh and tunic-length blazers, blouses and sweaters
- cowel-neck sweaters
- sweater dresses
- houndstooth, herringbone and plaid suits, blazers and skirts
- double-breasted coats and blazers
- high-waisted pants
- pumps and flats
- big, colourful beads, earrings and wrist bangles

The satin blouses that were in style last year seem to be here to stay for another season and are updated for fall by wearing them with a belted sweater vest or cardigan.

KISS

Need to create a simple wardrobe plan? An article found here at NZ Girl provides a simple outline of the staple items required by a woman who works in a casual office environment:

The essentials:
1) X2 pairs of trousers
2) X2 shirts
3) X1 blazer
4) X1 shirt dress
5) X1 pinstripe suit
6) X1 vest
7) X1 double breasted coat
8) X1 pair of dark denim jeans

Extra essentials include a pair of black knee high boots, a pair of black round-toe pumps, some coloured pointy flats, a scarf, a tote bag and a clutch purse.

Have a look at the article for examples of how these essential pieces are mixed and matched for a flexible office wardrobe.

This video blog has some good tips re: office wear dos and don’ts:

Video Jug

Happy shopping!


...Pam

Your Job Search Office

Organizing is one of my passions. Why? Because I am not particularly good at it… but I want to be. Practice makes perfect, though, right? When it comes to my home office and my home, in general, there is no secretary -- or maid -- to help me out. Hubby is a student and we have a small home, so I know that keeping organized in small spaces, when your budget is tight, and when you have a lot of balls up in the air is critical to saving time, energy and sanity.

I subscribe to a few blogs and message boards that focus on organizing and de-cluttering.

I like Unclutterer – http://unclutterer.com – especially the featured “Uncluttered Workspace of the Week” http://unclutterer.com/category/workspace-of-the-week

and its accompanying flickr photo pool:
http://flickr.com/groups/unclutterer/pool

Tell me, though, can people actually do any work at such handsome desks? Mine look nothing like that, but I’d love them to and I steal ideas constantly.

KISS (Keeping It Simple for Seekers):

These are the basics for a home, closet, locker or laptop-bag based job search “office”. You need:

1. A designated space. Whether it be at home, the library, the career centre or the park, you need a place to do your job – finding a job is a job, after all – that works for you and minimizes distractions.

2. Desk – looking at some of the photos in the Unclutterer Flickr pool, the definition of desk can be quite flexible, but the fact is that you need space to spread your materials out on.

3. Chair – make it a comfy one, but not too comfy.

4. Access to a compute and the internet, your own, the library’s, a friend’s or at the employment centre

5. Have a supply of good quality resume/letter paper, envelopes and stamps. Yes, in most cases you may email your resume, but remember that face-to-face connections with potential employers are best. If you can drop-off your resume in person, do so, and remember to take hard-copies with you to any interviews you have. Reviewers often read copies sent from another department. Choose a color of paper that copies well: white, cream, light gray or light blue-gray. Use full-sized envelopes and don’t fold your resume.

6. A few file folders. Keep good records of contacts, job leads, positions applied for. Most of your folders will be on your computer, but you’ll need hard copy files, too. Create a filing system that works for you and use it. Search the net for ideas on personal and small-business filing systems.

7. A phone and a quiet spot for conversations with employers. Don’t answer calls from recruiters when the background noise is inappropriate. If you don’t know who’s calling, let it go to voice mail rather than wrecking your professional image with an employer.

8. An answering machine or voicemail subscription means that no employer's calls go unanswered. Include a reliable friend's phone number for messages on all correspondence if you do not have an answering machine. With so many people subscribing to voice mail, you may be able to save a few dollars per month by getting a free answering machine for your home phone from Freecyle.org . Ensure your outgoing message is professional.

10. A printer that does good-quality documents, whether it be your own machine or you go to a print shop. Spots, streaks, lines are unacceptable.

11. Subscriptions to newspapers, trade magazines, newsletters, etc. Online subscriptions make your office portable. Many newspapers have their classified ads and career sections online and accessible for free. Check libraries for editions in hard-copy and online journal subscriptions, too.

12. Current yellow pages are a good source of company names and contact info. Check your library for local and out-of-town editions and business directories. Superpages is one online alternative or just search the net for the kind of organization you are looking for in specific, named communities

13. A good pen for signing your cover letters, writing thank you notes and offer letters. Don’t forget to sign your cover letters before you mail them! Emailing your letters? Insert a scanned image of your signature in the right spot.

14. A box of simple, professional “thank you” notes should be in your desk drawer for after interviews or to thank anyone who helps you in your search.

Your job search office doesn’t have to big or pretty, but it does need to be comfortable and organized to be efficient.


...Pam

Customizing Your Resume With Fonts

I am somewhat of a CBC radio geek. My new favourite show is “Spark”, its all about technology and culture, and I’ve been catching up with past broadcasts by listening to podcasts on my laptop while doing housework. (How’s that for multi-tasking? Not bad for an old chick, eh?)

http://www.cbc.ca/spark/index.html

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?41#ref41

During the podcast for April 23 (Episode 34) a font designer was interviewed and a sociologist of pop culture explained the cultural currency of type. I love it! Allow me to comment on the idea of special fonts and their use in job search documents, i.e. a resume and cover letter.

We live in a world of mass-customization. That means that employers -- Gen-Xers like me, anyhow -- expect to see a custom-made resume. The older Boomers might think about computer technology and how a job seeker should be using it to customize an application for every single job they apply for (and the Gen-Yers may think you need to get a life instead of investing so much energy into your resume), but they do know when someone has made an effort to communicate to specifically to them who they are and how they can contribute to their organization. So the fact is that you can't just tweak a few lines of your resume or cover letter and expect it to be good to go. That is so 90s!

Yes, the accessibility of the internet, word processing software and even special fonts complicates the job search in many ways. However, the effort you put into researching the needs of an employer and writing your resume and cover letter in a way that tells them that you can meet those needs will pay off… if you really are a good match for the job.

As far as fonts go, we are all experts in what we like and don't. There are so many to choose from that it can be overwhelming. Generally speaking, though, if you have done your homework you will have an idea of the brand or image the organization you are applying to is promoting for themselves. You want to choose a visual image for yourself -- from your application documents to the outfit you wear to an interview -- that coordinates with theirs. You do need look like you belong.

Taking your research one step further, be aware of who else is using “your font” in the media. If a well-known and controversial group uses the “Quiggly Wiggly” font, for example, you may want to avoid it. Avoid anything that hints of anything controversial, unless that is the look you really think the employer would appreciate.

KISS (Keeping It Simple for Seekers)

Use a serif font for the body of your resume and letter. The “do-hickeys” that hang off the edges of a serif font help the eyes to flow through a document; they are easier to read. If you’d like to do something a little bit different for headings, use a complimentary sans-serif font. They are crisper and lack do-hickeys. (If you still don’t understand the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts, Google it.) . Have someone else look at your resume. Is it easy on the eyes? What image does it suggest? You don’t need to use the same fonts the employer does, although that certainly simplifies things to the extreme.


...Pam

Simple Blog Feeds Via Facebook Notes

I'm on Facebook and now I have this blog, too. Both could be called innovative ways for this Gen-X manager of a college career centre to connect with her Gen-Y students, but the simple fact is that I am playing catch up on the net. Our students are already on Facebook and I am joining them. In the vein of keeping things simple, however, I'm going to attempt to import this blog as Notes on Facebook. If all goes well, anyone who prefers Facebook to RSS feeds can keep track of what I write here via Facebook.

Unfortunately, the pictures I upload for each blog post will not transfer over to Facebook, so if the picture is important or if I want the post to really stand out, I should post it as a Note, rather than an Imported Note on Facebook. That may mean posting the same info in two places.

I must be careful with punctuation in the title of my blogs. Quotation marks, commas and appostrophes in a blog title may come across as coded gobbly-gook in Facebook.

That said, importing notes from a blog into Facebook means that, most of the time, I really only have to post in one place. Facebook does the rest. Its that simple!

Job seekers who are blogging and using Facebook are reminded that employers are checking out candidates online, whether or not they "should", ethically. (That's a whole other blog post.) Don't post anything to the net that you don't want everyone -- employers, included -- to see. Check your privacy settings on your Facebook account on a regular basis (they change without warning) and Google yourself once in a while. Use Facebook to network. Let all your friends know that you are looking for work, what it is that you seek and what you do well. You never know where a lead will come from.

KISS (Keeping It Simple for Seekers)

How I uploaded my blog to my Facebook Profile:

1. From my Facebook profile, I selected "Notes"
2. Under "Notes Settings", I selected "Import a blog" and added the URL for my blog
3. My 10 most recent blog posts appear as "Imported Notes" on my Facebook profile

Speaking of Facebook, check out my group:
The Works - Job & Career Services, Lethbridge College


...Pam