Created by Ashley Pinney, Career Counseling Fellow 2011-2012
CNNMoney recently released their list of the 100 best companies to work for. Think you know what companies rank highest? Check it out!
100 Best Companies to Work For
Created by Ashley Pinney, 2011-2012 Career Counseling Fellow
I always knew Starbucks did coffee. I didn’t know that they also provided free career tips.
When I visited Starbucks last week for a hot cup of Joe and free wi-fi, I discovered a link on their log-in page that included a plethora of free, short videos on career related topics. Videos include How to Write a Resume, How to Interview for a Job, How to Build an Online Portfolio, Branding Yourself, etc. Check it out!
By Marianne Brigola, Career Counseling Fellow 2011-2012
This week marked the beginning of our first Transition Strategies (TS) course. The TS class only runs for half the semester and is designed to build job search skills for sophomores, juniors and seniors. The course covers everything from cover letters and resume writing to self-assessments to informational interviewing. By the end of the class, the students should have the skills they need to be successful as they embark on their job search/internship search processes.
The class is being taught by our colleague Michelle Jones, with Ashley and I chiming in where ever we can. We have six students enrolled in the class. The first class was a little quiet but the students seem to be genuinely invested in the curriculum. I’m sure once everyone gets to know each other over the next few classes, there will be a lot of energy and collaboration in the room.
The first class opened with a fun ice-breaker which encouraged the students to discuss their role models (people not within their family… more like politicians, actors/actresses, etc) and their favorite quote. We all shared ours as well–I chose Punky Brewster for her friendliness and positivity and “Feel the Fear and then do it anyways” as my quote. The students chose a variety of different role models, including Oprah, Jennifer Aniston and Eleanore Roosevelt.
Then we reviewed what they hoped to get out of the class and what they wanted to learn; as well as their motivations for taking the class. I think the opportunity to collaborate with the instructor on the content for the class really helped encourage the students to take ownership for the class itself.
It’s very exciting to be in the classroom. It’s my first time in an instructor role so it’s great to see how the class is going to develop throughout the next few weeks, especially considering I’ll be co-teaching another two transition strategy classes later on in the semester. I’ll be assisting with an TS class for Engineering majors and another for Psychology majors.
Created by: Ashley Pinney, 2011-2012 Career Fellow
My colleague, Richard Jordan, recently contributed to a Wall Street Journal article. The article entitled “No Market for Lazy Job Seekers” addresses five mistakes job seekers make. Check it out!
No Market for Lazy Job Seekers
Created by: Ashley Pinney, Career Fellow 2011-2012
Yesterday I sat in on my first resume 1 on 1 appointment with Pam Brumbaugh and a senior student. The student (a Music Technology major) brought in the first draft of his resume. While the resume was formatted nicely and had all the essential information, it was lacking real substance and detail. I listened to Pam ask him questions about his previous work and internship experience in ways that helped him see all he really did in these positions. For example, he had written down that he worked at a furniture store but failed to provide more details about exactly what he did. After Pam asked him a series of questions, we found out that he dealt with hundreds of thousands dollars worth of high-end inventory and handled customer complaints and assisted with customer inquiries daily. An employer is going to be impressed by a person who was trusted with handling expensive merchandise and dealing with customers. I could see the lightbulb go off in his head when he realized that he could (and should) say a lot more about the experiences he had listed.
This student was wise to use Career Services now before the year began because he noticed that his resume was really lacking in campus activities. Pam and I both gave him suggestions of ways to get more involved on campus (clubs, organizations, volunteering, etc.).
Created by: Ashley Pinney, 2011-2012 Career Counseling Fellow
It’s interview day. You’re looking polished in your suit or dress. Your socks match, your clothes are ironed, and your portfolio is in hand. After you amaze your potential employer with your stellar answers, she or he wants to continue the interview over lunch. Suddenly, fear grips you. The thought of bread plates, forks with different sized tongs, and what to order so nothing gets stuck in your teeth overwhelms you.
But wait!
You begin to breathe normally again as you start to remember all the etiquette pointers Pam Brumbaugh of Elon Career Services taught you. Pam has been helping quell the etiquette fears of Elon students for decades.
On August 16th, I observed an etiquette dinner Pam conducted for the lead orientation staff. There were sixteen students in attendance (mostly juniors and seniors). Throughout the dinner, Pam addressed the most commonly asked questions when it comes to formal meals. They are:
Students were really engaged and came up with a myriad of great questions themselves like, where should I place my napkin when I get up to use the restroom? How does Southern culture affect table etiquette?
Etiquette dinners are a popular request among student groups on campus. They are not only informative, but fun and serve as a great way to help students prepare for possible interview situations.
by Marianne Brigola, Career Fellow 2011-2012
Every year Beloit College releases a College Mindset List, which provides a snap shot of the cultural milestones of the incoming freshman class. Originally started in 1998, it was designed to serve as “reminder to faculty to be aware of dated references.” Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s list, as well a link to the complete list at the bottom.
The complete list is available here: The Mindset List.
Great things to keep in mind as I develop my presentations this year! I suppose they won’t know who Punky Brewster is…
by Marianne Brigola, Career Fellow 2011-2012
This is the first year of the Career Fellows Program here at the Student Professional Development Center at Elon and the first few weeks have been a great learning experience for Ashley and I! We jumped right into training, a boot camp in career counseling and development. We’ve covered everything from assessments (MBTI, SII, and StrengthsQuest, which is one of my new favorites!) to choosing a major and of course job search skills such as creating a resume and interviewing. It wasn’t too long ago that I was using those critical job search skills myself, going through the whole process!
In addition to the training, Ashley and I have been meeting with various student life departments to learn more about their role on campus and how we can collaborate together. We were even invited to attend the student life retreat, where we met everyone in student life, learned more about their goals for the upcoming school year and toured the International Civil Rights museum. Everyone been so friendly and really excited to collaborate with us. So far, we’ve come up with drop-in hours in the Multicultural Center, a multi-part career programming series for Residence Life, and resume workshops for Lead Team applicants.
Now that the school year is about to start and students are beginning to come back to campus, I’m excited to jump right into meeting with students! We’ve heard such great things about how engaging and motivated Elon students are. The next few weeks are already filled with meetings, presentations, and transition strategy classes. As we start this new school year, I keep in the back of my mind that this is the “pioneer” year for the fellows, Lewis & Clark if you will. It’ll be an amazing learning experience. I plan to soak it all in, taking advantage of as many opportunities to teach, collaborate with staff, and interact with students–in the words of the Athletic Department, “Live the Maroon Life.”
Career Services welcomes Ashley Pinney & Marianne Brigola, who will serve as Career Fellows for the Academic Year 2011-2012. This will be the inaugural year of the Career Fellows, which are 10 month contracted positions, starting on July 18. The fellowships will assist with student professional development by teaching Transitions Strategies courses, collaborating with Residence Life to spearhead career programming initiatives, doing one-on-one counseling, holding drop-in hours and various programming.
Ashley brings strong international experience as well as teaching experience. After graduating from The College of William & Mary with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, she served as a Resident Advisor/American Scholar at the Royal Hospital Boarding School in Ipswich, England. Following her year in England, Ashley served as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant at Seogwipo Girls’ High School in Jejudo, South Korea. She recently graduated from The University of Virginia with a Master of Education in Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education.
Marianne has a strong counseling background and varied experiences within higher education. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Marianne went on to study College Counseling and Student Development at UNC Greensboro, where she held several assistantships and internships within Career Services, Vacc Counseling & Consulting Clinic and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. She went on to work with Youth Villages and The Bruson Group doing mental health counseling but is transitioning back to the world of higher education and career counseling.
(the above text was taken from an E-Net article written by Michelle Jones)
Elon University Careers Blog 