Part 2 of 3: The Student Perspective
The Rules for Landing that First Job
Six Young CAU Alumni Tell All
Six Clark Atlanta
University alums recently spoke openly and candidly about the challenges new
graduates will face in finding employment in a job market that is more
competitive than ever and only just beginning to show early signs of
rebounding.
Each of the young
professionals had sage advice to offer students who will be graduating in a few
short months, as well as those who will be navigating the job market in the
next year. Each of them cautioned impending job seekers to avoid the mistakes
that could sink their chances to secure a job before they even get through the
interview possess.
The five young ladies and
one gentleman decided to forego soft-peddling the dos and don’ts and doled out
no-holds-barred advice to CAU student job seekers – and they said that they’re
being candid “out of love” for young hopefuls looking to be where they are
today: employed in promising positions with Fortune 500 companies.
The six alums took part in
CAU’s Career Development Center’s 2012 Career Fair recently. They provided the
advice and recommendations below based on five hours of interacting with CAU
students, and based on their experiences representing their employers at
college job fairs around the nation.
The CAU alumni offering the
advice and observations below are: Jenise Durham (2005), employed with Nestle
USA; Chelsie Daniels (2011), employed with Nestle USA; Christyna J. Harris
(2008), employed with Edward Jones; Jennifer Montgomery (2010), employed with
MetLife; Chanel Starks (2008), employed with Nestle USA; and John White (2008),
employed with Nestle USA.
Do:
- Learn how to have appropriate
conversations with potential employers and recruiters because falling
short in this area can certainly short circuit the interview process. “Giving
an employer information about needing a job to pay your school loans, your
bills and meet other financial obligations is not appropriate information
to be shared during the interview,” said Daniels, a Nestle sales
representative based in Fort Worth, Texas. “Employers will get the
impression that a job seeker just wants a job to pay bills and is not
generally interested in joining the company.”
- Have your elevator speech ready. Clearly communicate your objectives
and show that you are focused. “It doesn’t matter if you are in a formal
interview, talking to reps at a job fair or whether you happen to meet
someone in a social setting, you should always be prepared to communicate
your experience, objectives and what you can offer a company,” said Starks,
a Nestle sales representative based in Atlanta. “Articulate confidently
and intelligently.”
- Research the company. “Before you send out resumes and
certainly before the interview or even before approaching a company
representative in settings such as job fairs, take time to learn about the
company,” said White, Nestle’s sales representative based in New York. “I
actually had several students ask me to explain what Nestle does to them
during the career fair.”
- Take advantage of CAU’s Career
Development Center.
“I lived in the Career Development Center when I was a student,” said
Durham, a sales representative based in Atlanta. “I took advantage of
workshops, mock interviews and networking opportunities, and what I
learned really made a difference when I started looking for a job and has
even helped me in my career.”
- Dress appropriately. Even if you know that the company
has a business casual dress code, always dress in business attire for
interviews and during other times you are meeting with potential employers
and co-workers. This includes lunches where you will be meeting potential
co-workers. “Short skirts, cleavage-revealing blouses, sagging pants, flashy
neckties and inappropriate footwear and makeup all can cause people to
decide not to promote you to the next round of interviews,” said Durham,
who cited the Career Development Center as helping students learn proper
attire for interviews.
- Prepare for interviews and onsite
meetings with employers at career fairs and job fairs. Treat the job interview as that
one opportunity to sell yourself to an employer. “One of the best ways to
make an impression is to prepare – over prepare – for your job interview,”
said Montgomery, a leadership development associate based in Hartford,
Conn. “Never go to a job interview or a job fair unprepared. Have
questions already prepared to ask the interviewer about the role and the
company. Think about it. If you are prepared, chances are good that you
will stand out.”
- Seek out and take advantage of
internships. Internships
are more than a way to fulfill a degree program requirement; internships
are opportunities to gain valuable work experience, network, make contacts
and can even springboard a student into a full-time position after
graduation. “I can’t emphasize enough to students how important it is to
work in an internship,” said Harris, a Nestle sales representative based
in St. Louis. “Students get to work in a real company and gain experience
that they can put on a resume and talk about in job interviews. Don’t
graduate without doing at least two internships.”
Don’t:
- Post
inappropriate photos, images or comments on Facebook, Twitter and other
social media sites. Many companies now include reviewing an applicants’ social
media accounts as part of the background checks on prospective employees.
- Send
or respond to text messages during interviews or during conversations with
people who have the power or means to refer you for a job.
- Be
inattentive and don’t allow your attention to drift off or be diverted
during exchanges. Stay alert, engaged and focused.
- Pass
on the opportunity to participate in mock interviews.
- Pass
on offers of help with your resume and cover letters.
- Ask
how much a job pays during your first interview with a company. In fact,
in most cases, the job seeker should wait for the interviewer to raise the
subject.
- Walk
into an interview unprepared to both ask and answer questions. Sit down
and think about what questions an interviewer may ask and be prepared to
answer them with clear, focused responses.
Among the many points all
six alumni agreed on in terms of advice to students, they all agreed on a
parting note from Durham regarding every CAU student’s responsibility to best
on their face.
“Remember that you are not
only representing you but you are also representing Clark Atlanta and the Atlanta
University Center,” said Durham. “Many companies are being very selective about
which colleges and universities they send representatives to during job fairs.
The fact that so many companies still send recruiters to CAU’s job fairs speaks
to the caliber of students here. This is another reason why you should represent
yourself and CAU to the highest degree at all times.”
# # #
Clark Atlanta University Graduates
Profiles of Inspiration:
Pursuing and Fulfilling Dreams
How long it takes a recent
college graduate to find work can depend on a great many things. Some Clark
Atlanta students are fortunate to have secured a job during their senior year.
Others must look for work months after graduation before receiving that first
job offer.
Four CAU students, one CAU
alumnus and one bright high school student who was selected to study at CAU,
share their unique stories of strategy, planning, making the right decisions and
taking advantages of opportunities, while pressing forward against challenges
and obstacles. Each of them has found success in their own way and each appears
to have a bright future ahead. Meet six young people who are pursuing their
dreams against the odds and in a marketplace where new job creation continues
to be slow. They are an inspiration.
Caroline Adams Goes to Washington
Caroline
Gabrielle Adams describes herself as growing up “all over” and with good
reason: born in Detroit, she grew up in Maryland, Connecticut, Louisiana,
Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
“I
graduated from high school in Milwaukee and that is the place I call home,”
Adams said.
The
self-described Milwaukee native’s upbringing involved a great deal of change
and adapting to new circumstances, and was good preparation for what she is
doing now as an aide to a Georgia senator.
She also sees her upbringing as helpful to what she plans to do upon
graduation in May 2012 with a master’s degree in educational leadership.
Adams
is currently working as an aide to Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Ga.), where she wears
many hats and manages multiple tasks that often change from day to day or even
hour to hour. Her position demands that she be flexible and adaptable as she handles
constituent correspondence and briefs Tate on issues and legislation. Adams
attends committee and caucus meetings and works with Tate on production of the
senator’s district newsletter.
How does a new professional make enough of an
impression on a state senator to secure a job offer?
“One
word: initiative,” said Adams. “I knew what I wanted to do and I went for
it. I was always mentally focused on my goals,
while simultaneously going after them.”
Adams’ decision to seek work with a politician
was more than her desire to land a job when she graduated from CAU with a
bachelor’s degree in political science in 2007.
It was also part of her career strategy as she plans to move to Washington,
D.C. after obtaining her master’s degree to continue working in her field of educational
policy advocacy. One of the areas in
Tate has done legislative work is protecting Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, which
provides support to college students. This work gave Adams first-hand
experience in education advocacy and public policy that will no doubt make her
very appealing to employers in Washington.
Heading off to the nation’s capitol will place her
in the bedrock of an environment in there are great opportunities for jobs in
education public policy formation and working closely with a legislator that is
focused on education policy was excellent experience for Adams.
“I
am always looking for opportunities because the way the job market is today,
hardly anything just falls into your lap without you having to put forth a real
effort to pursue your goals,” she said. “If you don’t adopt a go-getter approach, you
will miss amazing opportunities!” ∆
It’s Never Too Early! High School Junior Studies at CAU
and Gets a Jump on Career Preparedness
What can college students learn from a 16-year-old about
positioning one’s self for a successful career well before entering college?
What lessons about career preparedness can college students learn from a high
school junior? Meet Clarisa Hernandez and the answers to these questions as
well as a dose of inspiration can be gleaned by hearing her enlightening story.
The 16-year-old Tri-Cities High School junior was a
participant in the Project SEED Program of the Center for Functional Nanoscale
Materials (CFNM) at CAU. The program is an eight-week research and education
project sponsored by the American Chemistry Society for students who are gifted
but come from economically disadvantaged households. With a strong background
in chemistry, the selected students conduct research and make presentations
that explore various scientific problems.
CFNM is preparing future nanotechnology scientists.
Nanoscale materials are fibers, thin films or nano particles that have a high
surface-to-volume ratio.
Hernandez was involved in a research studies currently being
conducted by CFNM faculty and graduate students using nanomaterial to improve a
drug delivery system for diseases, including cancer. Under the supervision CFNM doctoral student
Janet Cowins, Hernandez’s focus was on a research project involving drug
delivery system for prostate cancer cells.
"The opportunity to work on
this kind of research at a university has been one of the most enriching
experiences of my life,” said Hernandez, who culminated her eight-week stint
with a major presentation to CFNM faculty, staff and students last August but
stays in close contact with people at the center. “It was such an enriching
experience not only because of the professors, faculty and students but also
because of all the knowledge that students like me can gain as well as the
broad perspective that students are exposed to in the program.”
Clarisa Hernandez in the CFNM Laboratory
Hernandez, whose first language is Spanish, is planning a
career as a pediatric surgeon. She will be the first in her family to attend
college and said that the $2,500 stipend she received as a participant in
Project SEED will be a big help as she prepares to head off to college.
“Clarisa has
set high goals for herself and is committed to doing the work to achieve those
goals,” said Ishrat M. Khan, Ph.D.,
director of CFMN. “The fact that she is getting work experience in her field at age 16
speaks to her recognition that starting early will help her tremendously as she
pursues her goal of becoming a doctor.”
According to Cowins, who serves as the
teen’s mentor, Hernandez
is a person who appreciates the field chemistry and was never afraid to take on
challenges placed before her. “She always willing to learn new techniques and
constantly went above and beyond what was needed of her in order to complete a
task.”
Hernandez,
who was one of the inaugural group of students selected for PROJECT Seed, stays
connected with many CFNM faculty and continues to be mentored by Cowins.
Hernandez
added, “Like I always say, ‘Follow your dreams until the end and never give
up.’” ∆
CAU Student Prescella Monger: Interning Her Way to a Career
Prescella
Monger has taken the advice regarding the importance of internships very
seriously. In fact, she has completed no less than four internships in less
than 18 months. Monger has interned with Earth Aid Enterprise in Washington,
D.C., (Spring 2010); the Literacy Youth Foundation (Fall 2010); the Black
Retail Action Group (Summer 2010); and a buying/planning internship with Macy’s
Inc. (Summer 2010 and Summer 2011).
Monger
believes these experiences have elevated her networking and computer skills
tremendously, and she is reaping one other incredibly important benefit from
the internships: she began senior year
in fall 2011 with a job offer from a company that she describes “a great one
for which to work.”
The
business administration major says that she loves a challenge and rarely takes
“No” for an answer.
“I
am a very positive, energetic, open-minded, and intellectual being with the
tenacity to overcome any obstacle or objection, which is why I never took ‘No’
for an answer (during interviews),” said Monger. “If I have to retreat back to
the drawing board, I am always hopeful that the next time around I will receive
a ‘Yes’.”
During
her most recent internship with Macy’s Inc. in New York City in summer 2011, she
was a planning intern in the Home Department under Gourmet Cookware. She ran the
Monday sales reports from the previous week, analyzed department performance by
region, vendor, and style, and organized last year’s data compared to the
present season in order to determine trends or forecast future drivers in the
product assortment, based on profit margin and turnover.
Recognizing
that she has a real passion for fashion and the arts, Monger began preparing
for internships early in her sophomore year. She sought help CAU’s Career Development
Center, which helped her to develop a resume and gave her other valuable advice
and instruction. Monger also participated in the Center’s mock interviews.
“I
was determined to gain work experience and further knowledge in my field,” said
Monger. “I also prepared myself for internships and my first job after college
by developing networking skills and leadership skills, joining various
organizations on campus and partaking in beneficial events and seminars. My
goal was to be successful in every interview I sought out.” ∆
Disaster Brings Change and Opportunity to Future
Social Work Professional
Joseph Smith was hard at work pursuing his dream
of becoming of a social worker in the summer of 2005. As a graduate student at
Southern University in New Orleans, his long-range plan of opening his own
non-profit organization seemed to be on the horizon. He had left his small
hometown of Westwego, La., to attend graduate school and just settling into his
first semester at Southern University. Everything seemed to be going Smith’s
way – and then, an unexpected tragedy struck.
On August 30, 2005, one of worst natural
disasters in U.S. history struck New Orleans.
Hurricane Katrina’s massive assault on the Gulf Coast region not only
changed the city of New Orleans but also altered the lives and futures of
thousands of people. When Southern University at New Orleans sustained damage as
a result of the hurricane, Smith headed east to Atlanta. He enrolled in Clark
Atlanta University in September to pursue his graduate studies at the Whitney
M. Young Jr. School of Social Work. In 2007, he graduated with a master’s in
social work.
Today, he is one year away from earning a doctorate
in social work with a concentration in public health and employed as a mental
health clinician at the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (suicide hotline).
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Joseph Smith
“I
provide contact
to individuals, providers and families for triage, assessment, screening and the
referral of all calls that are urgent or emergent in nature,” said Smith. “I
also provide consultation, authorization or intervention as needed for backup
of first responder staff and serve as backup and support for other professional
staff needing assistance with rescue.”
Smith,
who is also an adjunct research professor for CAU’s School of Social Work,
believes that a combination of strategy and searching out opportunities helped
him to secure his current position.
First,
when he was interested in working for a company and learned that it was not
hiring, he did not allow that to deter him. Smith sought and secured an
informational interview with a manager, thereby gaining valuable information
about the organization, what officials look for in a candidate and how to
prepare for a formal interview with them. Next, he took full advantage of CAU’s
career services help offered by the Career Development Center to get help with
his resume, networking and interviewing skills.
“The
career services that the university offered gave me confidence and a
competitive edge as I looked for work,” said Smith. “I also volunteered for
various agencies where I could get experience in my field. I valued gaining
experience over getting paid at that time, and I believe making that decision
helped me to get a job offer.”
Smith plans to fulfill the career dream
that he visualized when he was a student in New Orleans by establishing a
non-profit organization that will serve at-risk youth in the Atlanta
metropolitan.
“I believe in the CAU motto, ‘Find a way,
or make a one,’” he said. “There is no doubt that when I graduate, I will be
prepared for anything I set my mind to achieve.” ∆
Planning, Strategy and
Drive Lead to Great Success in a Tough Job Market
Nhoj-Trebor
Steede will graduate in May 2012 with a master’s degree in accounting from
CAU’s School of Business Administration and months before he will be awarded
his degree, Steede had already landed his first job at a one of the nation’s
leading management consultant firms.
Steede
spent the summers of 2010 and 2011 working as an intern for Deloitte Financial
Advisory Services LLP, and the company was so impressed with his performance
that he was recently asked to come aboard full time after graduation. Steede
will join the Forensic and Disputes Division as an associate in the company this
summer.
If
one were to examine how Steede was in the position to receive such a great job
offer in an economy that still challenges many of his peers to secure
employment, one would find his success is the result of a combination of the
all right moves: academic performance, hard work, many late nights spent in the
library, networking, and managing his personal brand as a conscientious
professional.
Steede
also made another smart move: he decided to seek and secure as many internship
positions as possible. He was a summer intern for three consecutive years for
the Department of Statistics in his native Bermuda before interning with ACE
Bermuda Insurance Ltd., from 2009-2011.
In
the summers of 2010 and 2011, Steede worked as an intern for Deloitte Financial
Advisory Services, where he performed such responsibilities as analyzing transactions,
compiling data, conducting research on trademark infringement and organizing
documents for litigation.
“I
think the keys to my success are a strong family support system, and an
internal desire to always give my best,” said Steede. “I believe that whether I
am in the classroom, competitions or in business engagement settings, I have to
do my very best in order for me to take advantage of opportunities and be
considered for those opportunities.”
Steede
also took advantage of other opportunities to position himself as a strong
candidate for prospective employers long before his scheduled May 2012
graduation. He sought out professors, industry professionals, and the resources
provided through CAU’s Career Development Center to ask for support in developing
a resume and gaining job interview techniques. He also took classes and
seminars that would sharpen his job search skills.
“I
am always working on the art of marketing myself as a product,” he said. “I
have not perfected the art as of yet because I believe in continuous
improvement. However, I still take advantage of opportunities to ‘sharpen the
saw,” as we say in Bermuda. Accepting that I must continue to learn and take
advantage of opportunities is the key to how I landed my first job after college.”
Steede
aggressively sought the opportunity to participate in the Deloitte Case
Competition approximately two years ago and caught the attention of company
managers, who offered him an internship for summer 2010. His outstanding
performance led to a second internship during the summer of 2011.
“These
opportunities were essential to me landing a job with Deloitte Financial
Advisory Services LLP,” said Steede. “You
can never rest on your laurels; you must continuously develop and nurture your
skills and the brand of YOU.” ∆
Alumnus Jihad Ziyad Parlayed Mentors and
Internships to Achieve His Dream of Working in Entertainment
Jihad
“JZ” Ziyad (CAU ’09) graduated from Clark Atlanta University less than three years
ago with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media Arts with a film production
concentration and has already worked on television popular programs such as
“The Mo’Nique Show” and “Single Ladies.”
The May 2009 graduate credits an aggressive strategy of relationship
building, preparation and a conscientious work ethic coupled with his education
as keys to his early success in the fiercely competitive entertainment
industry.
The
Cleveland native’s preparation for a career in entertainment actually began
while he was still a student. Through his work-study position in the Office of
Strategic Communications, Ziyad took every opportunity to network with people
inside and outside the entertainment industry, learn the business and leverage
his studies in film production to position himself as an attractive candidate
to those in a position to hire him. His
strategy is working.
His
first professional job after graduating was working as on-set production assistant
within the assistant director’s (AD) department on an R&B music video. Next,
he worked as a 1st assistant director on the VH1 series, “Single
Ladies.”
“While
working on ‘Single
Ladies,’ I made sure I stayed attentive, exercised a good sense
of proactive thinking, and became knowledgeable of the 1st AD’s
responsibilities,” said Ziyad. “That way, I could assist her in all types of
situations, when needed.”
Based
on the strong work ethic Ziyad displayed on that particular show, the assistant
director was interested in hiring him as her key set production assistant for
the duration of the series. From there, he landed a job with BET Networks’ “The
Mo’Nique Show.”
“When
working in the entertainment industry, your work ethic and attitude toward your
responsibilities, among other attributes, make a huge impact on being referred
to another opportunity, because getting a job in this field is highly dependent
upon your reputation and referrals,” said Ziyad.
He
is currently working as a key set production assistant on the hit television
series comedy “Reed
Between the Lines,” which premiered under BET Networks in October
2011. His responsibilities include managing all other production assistants, daily
distribution of important documents to all crew members, mapping out all scenes
in which background actors work and relaying them to the 2nd AD and assisting with
actors’ cues.
Ziyad offers this advice to impending graduates, “For
graduates looking to acquire their first professional job after college, the
best advice I can give is to make sure to network as much as possible and build
strong relationships and strong working relationships with individuals in the
industry. Building relationships with individuals prior to graduating can
potentially become an opportunity for employment later down the line, even if
it’s not directly after college.”
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