V V V V i _ # i 0 w w w Th Micign Dil -.- nsdy Oc e 3,- 2S7 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.