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What employers want from you
By EMILY BARTON themselves well both on paper and young job seekers need to evaluate activities outside the classroom for
Daily StaffReporter in person are the first to be hired. how their interests and passions signs that he or she can be relied
Having a well-organized resume will benefit them in the corporate on.
In a sea of applicants with good and introducing yourself in a pol- world. A high GPA shows personal
grade point averages, why would an ished, personalized way turns the The demonstration of dedication dedication but commitment to stu-
employer want you over the others? tide in your favor with an employ- and leadership skills in extracurric- dent groups or team projects dem-
If you want to get your foot in the er before you even sit down for an ular settings are more important to onstrates responsibility to a group,
door at any job, you need to be able interview. most employers than an applicant's Hoag said.
to answer that question. Applicants should to be familiar major, so pursuing these interests Describing your role in an elabo-
Lynne Sebille-White, assistant with what skills they have to offer outside the classroom is key, she rate team project for a class also
director of the University's Career before applying for a job, said Amy said. stresses that point.
Center,.said employers consistently Hoag, assistant director of career "Any experience is good experi- Leadership skills are a valued
look for people with good written counseling at the Career Center. ence," she said. asset that employers want to
and oral communication skills. She said job searching is like When employers first look at a see in internship experiences or
She said students who present self-exploration in the sense that resume, they look to an applicant's See EMPLOYERS, Page 7C
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 - The Michigan Daily
THE MODEL EMPLOYEE
The top qualities hiring managers
look for in prospective employees
1. Communication 11. Leadership skills
skills 12. Organizational
2. Honesty skills
3. Interpersonal 13. Self-confidence
skills 14. Friendliness
4. Initiative 15. Tactfulness
5. Strong work ethic 16.Good manners
6. Teamwork skills 17. Creativity
7. Analytical skills 18. Grade point
8. Adaptability average
9. Computer skills 19. Risk-taking
10. Detail-oriented 20. Sense of humor
SOURE: cATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF COLLEGOS AND EMPLOYERS
Liberal arts majors explore job options by interning
By EMILY ANGELL company's central office in Pitts- Internships are often a way for Center. ate with employers, she said.
Daily StaffReporter burgh. students like Muslin to answer that Even nightmare internships ben- Some organizations, including
At the end of the summer, Mus- tricky question of what to do with efit students by making them wiser government agencies like the Fed-
When LSA senior Melissa Mus- lin received an offer for an assis- a liberal arts degree. While certain about the working world, she said. eral Bureau of Investigation and
lin attended the University's job tant buyer position, which she said high-profile internships are near Harclerode said students should the Central Intelligence Agency,
fair in October of 2006, she never she plans to take after graduating unattainable, intern positions in be aware that many internships pay interns as well as the average
expected an internship would lead in April. every job field offer a chance to try aren't formatted as a traditional summer job.
to a career with clothing company "Personally, I thought it was a out a career before graduation. Monday through Friday commit- Harclerode said employers are
American Eagle Outfitters. great experience," Muslin said. Gaining work experience allows ment. putting increasing emphasis on
Muslin is a biological psychology "If you have a more liberal major, students to figure out what they do "It's important tobe creative in internships, both in creating new
concentrator, but she was curious internships are a great way to and don't want out of a job before how you define an internship," she opportunities and looking for
about business merchandising, and narrow down your career field. entering the work force, said Geni said. interning experience in applicants.
so she interviewed with an Ameri- Plus, my senior year is a little less Harclerode, the internships and Students who can't afford to "In recent years, companies
can Eagle recruiter and landed a stressful now that I have a job experiential learning services coor- forgo work all summer in place of have placed importance on recruit-
10-week summer internship at the waiting for me." dinator at the University's Career an internship maybe able to negoti- See INTERNSHIPS, Page 7C
EMPLOYERS
From page 2C
leadership positions in student
groups or organized events, said
Andrea Smith, a senior manager at
Borders Group.
Smith said when she meetsi
applicants she evaluates how they
would benefit Borders initially as
well as down the road. Impressive
interviewees can make a connec-
tion between a past experience of
taking charge and what they could
do for the company in the future.
Smith said the employees who
do well at Borders are those who
are hard-working and motivate
others. She said a valuable employ-
ee helps to establish a fun, produc-
INTERNSHIPS
From page 2C
ing students because it's a way to
find possible future employees,"
she said. "I've seen an increasing
importance placed on internships
and marketing that experience to
students."
Paul Smith, a senior staffing asso-
ciate for Ohio and Michigan with Eli
Lilly and Company,a pharmaceutical
corporation, said internship experi-
ence is crucial for job seekers.
"Internships show initiative to
get out of the classroom and use
transferable skills in the real world,"
he said. "I look at resumes all day
long, and when I see an intern-
ship, I know that person went
above and beyond to get a better
slice of life"
He said that he always con-
siders interns as potential future
employes.
"I am definitely looking at
them for a position because it's
a challenge to get an internship
with us," he said.
Harclerode said the impor-
tance of academic grades varies
between fields.
"Some fields require appli-
cants to meet a certain mini-
mum grade point average
requirement and some don't,"
she said "But transcripts can
be a way to demonstrate an
improvement in academics."
As application deadlines
creep up, Harclerode said stu-
dents feel pressured to secure an
internship at a top company.
"It's easy to get hung up on a
name. Like with colleges, people
want the best," she said. "But
the name is only as good as the
program they offer. The Univer-
sity of Michigan is a prestigious
name and a lot of opportunities
come with that. We have an
enormous variety of different
industries come here."
Harclerode said the Universi-
ty offers several programs, such
as the Public Service Intern-
ship Program and the New York
tive environment.
To sellyourself as an assetto the
company, it's important to know
what that company is looking
for. Sebille-White said applicants
should research the job and com-
pany before walking into an inter-
view. Being able to talk about your
approach to job specifics makes
it easier for an employer to envi-
sion you in the position. Students
should start to prepare for inter-
viewing six to nine months before
applying for an internship or job, in
Sebille-White said. tl
John Kelley, a spokesman for ti
Google, said job fairs are oppor- o.
tune for students to make a debut t,
in the job market because they w
offer the chance to have a one-on- o
one conversation with a potential p
employer. s
Arts Internship program, which
help prepare students for applying
to internship programs by offering
resume and cover letter tutorials.
LSA senior Whitney Smith has
had three internships in Washing-
ton D.C. since she joined PSIP her
sophomore year.
Smith, who is now the PSIP
coordinator for the Career Cen-
ter, first worked on Capitol Hill in
a Senator's press office for three
months. She said she returned to
work for the same Senator again
the following January in a position
with more responsibility.
She also worked in D.C. for the
political unit of CBSwhich informs
the news division about the capital's
It's important to
know what the
company is
looking for.
He said that when he talks with
nterested students he notices
hose with strong, fun personali-
es that exemplify ambition and
riginality. Students who have
aken initiative to do interesting
'ork like starting a small business
r spurring a volunteer project are
rime candidates for hire, Kelley
aid.
latest political stories.
"It's a great way to test out
your personal interests in a real-
world setting," she said. "The
skills that I had from the first
internship were helpful in land-
ing my second internship."
Harclerode said the key to
landing a good internship is
understanding the industry or
company, presenting yourself
well in interviews and coming
off as confident.
"I'm hesitant to say anything
is required," Harclerode said.
"I think you should ask, 'When
have I utilized these skills in the
past? What are my transferable
skills?'
NON-PROFIT
From page 3C
High average salaries reported
in studies are often only given to
workers with several years' expe-
rience, and students usually start
out at lower salaries.
Niggemeier notes that non-prof-
it jobs reward students in ways
other than their pay stubs.
"Is it better to take a $35,000
Work for the Daily's online staff
E-mail cesere@michigandaily.com
job at a non-profit, or a $50,000
job where you're working 10 to 12
hours per day?" Niggemeier said.
Public policy jobs can pay simi-
lar starting salaries and are more
rewarding personally. Working for
a corporation means working to
increase profits and revenue, Nigge-
meier said, while non-profits serve
to make a change in the world.
"Whether that mission is inter-
national rescue or education or
water safety, that's the focus," she
said
The s aeer nCenter
Upcoming Events
Fall 2007 Events
Law Day, September 26th
Job Fair 2007, October 3rd & 4th
Graduate School Information Fair, October 10th
International Opportunities Fair, October 18th
Winter 2008 Events
Internship Fair, January 22nd
Multicultural Career Fair, January 23rd
Engineering Co-op and Internship Fair, January 31st
Not-for-Profit Career Expo, February 12th
Education Job Fair, April 17th
For more information contact us at:
3200 SAB
(734) 764-7460 The Career Center
ww.careercenter.umich.edu M3Division of Student Affairs
Find your future at
Morningstar.
We're seeking successful, enthusiastic individuals
who want to launch their careers at an innovative
company. As a leading provider of independent
investment research, our mission is to create great
products that help investors reach their financial
goals. We provide a unique work environment for our
employees through our dynamic culture, competitive
salaries, and comprehensive benefits. Morningstar
encourages employees to explore, create, and inno-
vate to achieve personal and professional growth.
We will be conducting interviews on your campus
this fall. For more information, please check with your
career services office or visit corporate.morningstar.
com/careers.
MCr NINnsn A r
Morningstar isan eqaal opportunity employer.
Aw
Oliver Wyman Resume Submission
Deadline October 5, 2007
S here.