Employer on campus

Kangaroo Express will be on the main campus conducting interviews for full and part-time positions. They need to fill several positions in the tri-county area ranging from sales associates to store managers.  If you would like to interview, please contact the Student Employment office for a scheduled time, or just stop by during their time on campus.

Date:  Thursday, December 4th
Time:  10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location:  Student Employment office - 940 suite D

For more information:  stuemploy@tridenttech.edu or 574-6302

G4S On Campus for Interviews!

G4S is the world's largest private security company.  They have clients around the world and are looking to expand in the Charleston area.  Representatives will be on the TTC main campus to conduct interviews on Thursday, October 30th from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  All interviews will be conducted in building 940 suite D.

To be scheduled for an interview, contact the Student Employment office at 843-574-6302 or stuemploy@tridenttech.edu.  Submitting an on-line application prior to the interview would be helpful, but not required.

Application for available positions:

Custom Protection Security Officer

Upscale Security Officer

5 Big Mistakes For a Resume

This post focuses on five mistakes commonly made on resumes and is taken from an article posted on LinkedIn by Lazlo Bock, SVP, People Operations at Google.

 " Mistake 1: Typos. This one seems obvious, but it happens again and again. A 2013 CareerBuilder survey found that 58% of resumes have typos.  In fact, people who tweak their resumes the most carefully can be especially vulnerable to this kind of error, because they often result from going back again and again to fine tune their resumes just one last time. And in doing so, a subject and verb suddenly don't match up, or a period is left in the wrong place, or a set of dates gets knocked out of alignment. I see this in MBA resumes all the time. Typos are deadly because employers interpret them as a lack of detail-orientation, as a failure to care about quality. The fix?

Read your resume from bottom to top: reversing the normal order helps you focus on each line in isolation. Or have someone else proofread closely for you.

Mistake 2: Length. A good rule of thumb is one page of resume for every ten years of work experience. Hard to fit it all in, right? But a three or four or ten page resume simply won't get read closely. As Blaise Pascal wrote, "I would have written you a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." A crisp, focused resume demonstrates an ability to synthesize, prioritize, and convey the most important information about you. Think about it this way: the *sole* purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. That's it. It's not to convince a hiring manager to say "yes" to you (that's what the interview is for) or to tell your life's story (that's what a patient spouse is for). Your resume is a tool that gets you to that first interview. Once you're in the room, the resume doesn't matter much. So cut back your resume. It's too long.

Mistake 3: Formatting. Unless you're applying for a job such as a designer or artist, your focus should be on making your resume clean and legible. At least ten point font. At least half-inch margins. White paper, black ink. Consistent spacing between lines, columns aligned, your name and contact information on every page. If you can, look at it in both Google Docs and Word, and then attach it to an email and open it as a preview. Formatting can get garbled when moving across platforms. Saving it as a PDF is a good way to go.

Mistake 4: Confidential information. I once received a resume from an applicant working at a top-three consulting firm. This firm had a strict confidentiality policy: client names were never to be shared. On the resume, the candidate wrote: "Consulted to a major software company in Redmond, Washington." Rejected! There's an inherent conflict between your employer's needs (keep business secrets confidential) and your needs (show how awesome I am so I can get a better job). So candidates often find ways to honor the letter of their confidentiality agreements but not the spirit. It's a mistake. While this candidate didn't mention Microsoft specifically, any reviewer knew that's what he meant. In a very rough audit, we found that at least 5-10% of resumes reveal confidential information. Which tells me, as an employer, that I should never hire those candidates ... unless I want my own trade secrets emailed to my competitors.  The New York Times test is helpful here: if you wouldn't want to see it on the home page of the NYT with your name attached (or if your boss wouldn't!), don't put it on your resume.

Mistake 5: Lies. This breaks my heart. Putting a lie on your resume is never, ever, ever, worth it. Everyone, up to and including CEOs, gets fired for this. (Google "CEO fired for lying on resume" and see.) People lie about their degrees (three credits shy of a college degree is not a degree), GPAs (I've seen hundreds of people "accidentally" round their GPAs up, but never have I seen one accidentally rounded down -- never), and where they went to school (sorry, but employers don't view a degree granted online for "life experience" as the same as UCLA or Seton Hall). People lie about how long they were at companies, how big their teams were, and their sales results, always goofing in their favor.

There are three big problems with lying: (1) You can easily get busted. The Internet, reference checks, and people who worked at your company in the past can all reveal your fraud. (2) Lies follow you forever. Fib on your resume and 15 years later get a big promotion and are discovered? Fired. And try explaining that in your next interview. (3) Our Moms taught us better. Seriously. "

Two Employer Visits

We have two employers conducting interviews on campus in October!

1. Spinx Company
Looking for part-time employers for two new stores in the tri-county area.  Interviews will be held on Tuesday, October 14th and Wednesday, October 15th in building 940 suite D.  Please contact our office at 574-6302 or stuemploy@tridenttech.edu if you would like to participate.

2. G4S
The world's largest security company is looking for full-time security officers in two different capacities.  To be considered, fill out the application for the appropriate position and then contact our office with your contact information. 574-6302 or studemploy@tridenttech.edu.  Both positions are posted on the Career Connection website. Custom Protection Security Officer and Upscale Security Officer.

Make Career Connection part of your job search

As a current student or graduate of TTC, you have access to our Career Connection system.  This on-line job posting system allows employers the opportunity to advertise open positions directly to you.  The majority of employers are local and are looking for employees with the qualifications obtained in our degree programs.  Registration is free and you can upload multiple versions of your resume, cover letters and other documents.

Welcome to Fall Semester 2014!

Next week begins a new academic year and with it, new opportunities.  Whether you are a new student or returning, you should be looking for ways to build your resume.  A full resume makes it easier to get interviews once you begin looking for employment.

Suggestions to help

• Get involved in student organizations
• Volunteer - many agencies in the community need help from volunteers and the work you do can be listed on your resume
• Work-study:  talk with someone in Student Employment about getting a position in this financial aid program.  Find more information here.
• Of course you can always get a part-time position with a local employer if your schedule allows.  Use Career Connection to assist your search.

Contact our office if you need assistance with anything job related (843-574-6302).  We will be happy to assist you.

The Job Search

Job openings will not find you.  It is up to you to locate the job openings.  The days of passively posting your resume on a job board and waiting for an employer to call are long gone.  You must be proactive in your search and use every resource you can find.

Internet searches
This must be a "part" of your plan, but not the entire plan.  The internet can be very useful in finding openings, but do not rely on job boards like monster.com or career builder.  You will only find postings that were sent to them and there are some dubious postings on these sites as well.  The same goes for craigslist.  Though much more time consuming, visit the websites of companies you would like to work for or that you think may have positions in your job field.  Many times this is the only place you will find these postings. A good place to start is with our web links.

Networking
You may hear this all the time, but what does it mean? Meeting people and establishing connections. The more professional people you know, the better chance of finding those "hidden" jobs.  Get involved with community organizations, professional groups, social groups, volunteering, etc.  Let the people in these groups know you are looking for employment and what your qualifications are.  A referral generally goes a lot farther than an application from an unknown source.

Personal Visits
Instead of mailing, or emailing your resume, put on your interview attire and deliver it in person.  Many managers are impressed with someone who shows up early in the morning with their resume and is ready to interview.  Even if you don't get an interview on the spot you have the chance to make a good first impression, get a feel for the business, and put names to faces.  This will help when they do call you.

Finding that next job is not easy.  You will be faced with many challenges and setbacks, but a dedicated and diverse approach will greatly improve your chances.

Jobs are available!

As of this morning, we have 284 job postings on the Career Connection site!  If you are looking for work (part-time, full-time or seasonal) there is probably a position for you! Stay active with your account and make sure you have a good resume to send to employers. 

Tips to help

Create a Search Agent - go to the 'Job Search' tab and use the advanced search option, then follow the directions at the top of the page to create the agent. This feature can be setup to run your saved search and email you the results on a regular basis so you do not have to remember to check in. 

Login regularly - we post news of employer visits and other hiring events in the local area that might be of interest to you.  You may also want to conduct a job search even if you have a Search Agent. Employers sometimes list jobs in categories you may not have thought of and didn't come up in your agent search.

Have multiple resumes - if you are looking for work in multiple industries, you should have a resume tailored to each area.  One generic resume is not effective.  Contact our office if you need assistance.

stuemploy@tridenttech.edu

843.574.6302

Post Career Fair Notes

The Career Fair was a big success yesterday! We ended up with 121 employers in attendance. I hope everyone found the event to be helpful in their career planning.  The employers were very satisfied and the attendees I spoke with seemed to be very hopeful in the conversations they had with employers.

Overall, I felt the attendees were more prepared than in past years.  There seemed to be a lot of resumes in hands and dress was more appropriate (for the most part). Always keep in mind that when you meet with an employer, you are making a first impression - good OR bad.  A good impression will make them want to follow up with you later.

We are working on future events, so be sure to follow the blog for updates!

Career Fair Update

The annual Career Fair is only one week away and we are busy finalizing the employer list.  As always, there will be some last minute changes. Some employers not currently listed will be added and a couple scheduled to attend will drop out.  We will try to keep the on-line listing updated as much as possible.

We have a maximum of 121 tables in the College Center and all are spoken for!  We additionally have a few employers on a waiting list that we will try to accomodate.  There will definitely be a full house.

Please be sure to read the previous post from March 5th that discusses how to prepare for the Career Fair.  First impressions are lasting and can make the difference in an employer wanting to pursue hiring you or passing.

The Career Fair is primarily for our students and alumni, but it is also open to the public if you have friends/family who may be looking for work.

Opportunities are out there

We have had a lot of interest from employers in hiring TTC students/graduates lately!  Several companies have met with us to try to fill their open positions. We encourage them to use the Career Connection system and to be sure and attend the career fair.

Career Connection currently has over 200 advertised positions posted and we have almost maxed out our space for the career fair at 120 tables.  Use both of these tools to help in finding a career.  If you need assistance with a resume, please contact our office at 843.574.6302 or stuemploy@tridenttech.edu.  We will be happy to assist you!

Career Fair 2014!

The annual TTC Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, April 9th from 10:00 - 1:00 in the College Center, building 920 on the main campus.  We currently have over 100 employers registered and should easily reach our cap of 120.  This is always a great event to meet employers to discuss open positions or ask about future openings.

Suggestions for being successful at any career fair:

Dress appropriately!  This is the first impression you make with an employer so you should dress appropriately.  We hear many comments each year that students were not dressed appropriately. You do not need to wear a suit, but nice a nice pants and shirt combination would be fine.  What not to wear:

• Shorts
• Tank tops/t-shirts
• Flip flops (probably #1 complaint)
• Low cut tops
• Dirty clothes

Come alone.  Do not bring family/children with you.  This is a business forum to discuss potential hiring.  You should demonstrate that you do not have child/family care issues that might keep you from being reliable.

Bring resumes.  Not all companies will accept them at a career fair, but you want to be prepared for those that do.  Make sure it looks professional (our office can help!).

Speak and act in a professional manner.  You are being evaluated for a potential hire so show that you are the kind of employee a company would like to hire.

Lastly, we get a few complaints each year that "X" company was not there, or there were not enough employers from "X" industry.  We send out over 2000 invitations to every industry in the area.  We cannot force an employer to attend though.  If you do not see a company that is in your industry, rest assured it was not because we did not invite any.  Sometimes they are just not hiring at that time or do not have personnel they can send. 

Hiring!

If you are looking for employment, be sure to check in with the Career Connection site!  We currently have over 200 jobs listed with 40 added in the last couple of days.  Several employers have visited with our staff this week looking for quality employees.  Some will schedule campus visits in the near future and most of them have already posted positions on Career Connection.

The Importance of Interviewing Well

I've recently completed interviews for an open position and thought I would share some important tips that may help you in the future.  It takes a lot of work just to get an interview, why would you not want to do your best? 

When an employer calls you for an interview, they are trying to see if you are a good fit for the position.  This screening begins with that initial phone conversation and continues until the hire is complete.  Convince them you are the best fit for the job.  Here is how:

• Be professional and polite in all communications
• Research the company and the position
• Smile - who wants to work with someone who is not enthused about the job?
• Know what skills/traits/abilities you have that are directly related to the position
• Listen closely and be sure to answer the question
• Match your skills to the job description

Here are some interview killers to avoid:

• Be sure you want this job, not just a job - it is easy for the interviewer to tell and a bad signal to send; if you are just looking for a job, an employer will assume you will only be in the position long enough to find something better
• Don't show up unprepared; if you were given directions/assignments for the interview, follow the instructions
• Short, non-descriptive answers do not help the interviewer
• Not understanding the requirements of the position, or knowledge of the employer, indicates you have not done your research and are probably not a strong candidate
• Do not be rude or dismissive on the phone

Welcome to Spring 2014!

The holdays are behind us and we are beginning a new semester.  The spring semester is always a very busy time for the Student Employment office.  This is the time that employers start hiring for summer jobs and it is time for our Career Fair.

The annual Career Fair will be held on April 9th from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the 920 building.  Employers have already started registering and we anticipate 100+ once again.  Block off some time on your calendar so you have a chance to meet with hiring managers and recruiters.

Be sure to create an account on Career Connection, or update your account, so that you can add resumes and apply for open positions with some great companies.  Keeping your account updated is important so that you will receive any important information on jobs in your area of study.

As always, if you need assistance in the job search process, please contact our office!

Building 940 Suite D (main campus)
843-574-6302
stuemploy@tridenttech.edu