Part-Time Job: Big Time Gain

College is expensive. 

This concept is not a new one; we all know, little things add up quickly. We like to indulge on late night snacks, the daily Starbucks coffee, and the occasional concert or two, in addition to the cost of tuition, fees, books, living expenses, and maybe even the occasional parking ticket.  The university experience may seem priceless, but when you add it up, the average student has to look for ways to offset these expenses.  This reality often results in the practical consideration of part-time employment. 

 According to the U.S. Census of 2011, nationwide there are 19.7 million undergraduate students, and 72 percent of these scholars are employed.  On the Auburn University campus, more than 5,000 students are employed on-campus, and many more off-campus in our local Auburn and Opelika community.  These students have embraced the challenge of working while enrolled, and while it does offset their surmounting expenses, there are other reasons to pursue part-time work.

So, other than money, why work?

Build Transferable Skills

Employers look to hire recent college graduates with demonstrated competency.  Employers want graduates with experience – “2 to 3 years” is often the way it is cited in the endless entry-level job descriptions sorted through during the full-time job search.  The question often considered for recent graduates is, “How do we gain experience if they will not hire us?”  This answer has been knocking on your door the entire time; the experience does not necessarily have to be directly in line with the position you are seeking, rather you need to translate the skills gained from part-time employment, internships, and other valuable experiences into ways you are prepared to take on this new challenge.  Part-time employment (regardless of the industry) demonstrates your ability to verbally communicate, work in a team structure, solve problems, and prioritize (to name a few).   It is important that you sell yourself accurately when the time comes to apply for your full-time position by demonstrating these skills on your resume and cover letter.

Create Balance

When considering whether or not a college job is for you, the big decision should not necessarily be where you work, rather how often; balancing your schedule and becoming an expert time manager is not always an easy task.  With academic demands alongside co-curricular activities, initially it may appear that part-time employment may only add to those stressors rather than alleviate your burdens.  However, part-time employment can assist you with balancing your time and help you find moderation in the midst of an otherwise hectic schedule. Auburn University encourages student employees to work no more than a total of 20 hours per week in an effort to maintain a solid focus on academic programs and to promote academic success.

Create a Social Network

When we think of social networking, our first thoughts may go to the unreasonable amount of social media apps we continuously glance at throughout the day.  However, think outside the realm of your phone or laptop when considering the creation of your social network.  There is some truth in the old adage, “It is not always about what you know -- it is who you know.”  Through part-time employment and other skill building opportunities, you can start to shape a network of connections that will be great references and mentors throughout your career. 

Now that you have considered reasons to pursue part-time employment, you are most likely anxiously trying to figure out the next steps to finding your ideal job.  The Career Center provides a unique service called the Tiger Recruiting Link which assists students with locating on and off-campus part-time employment.  Check out the Tiger Recruiting Link at www.jobs.auburn.edu; sign in with Auburn user ID and password and boom! Jobs are at your fingertips, waiting for you to apply. 

The extra money you will earn as a part-time employee will certainly be nice, but the other benefits you will gain will greatly enhance your college experience and better prepare you for what is next beyond Auburn University.  So, stop sitting here reading this – get on the Tiger Recruiting Link and find a job!

By: Lauren Hobbs

Student Employment Coordinator

The Importance of Gaining Experience: Get Started Now!

You may think, how can I make myself more marketable post-graduation? If you guessed a good academic record, you are partially correct. Strong school performance is no longer the main quality that employers look for in potential employees. Yep, you guessed it, gaining experience has become the key to making you a competitive candidate for your desired positions. Gaining experience allows you develop the skills that are necessary for success within your future career. As you are building up your resume, employers will be able to see what you have completed and how your experience makes you the perfect candidate. Many of your experiences will also allow you to meet other professionals or coworkers that will create a good network to help you pursue your desired career. A managing director with High Fliers Research reported that experience is just as important as gaining a college degree at this day in age. Now you are thinking, where do I start? This will depend on your interests and what will be most beneficial toward your career goals. Here are various ways you can gain experience.

Internships

Internships allow you to experience typical responsibilities and gain a better understanding of your desired career field. Internships are typically outside of the classroom and an intern is supervised within their work environment. A good time to complete an internship is during summer break as this allows you to work with a company or organization for an appropriate amount of time. With this professional development opportunity, employers are more likely to pick a potential candidate with an internship experience than a candidate without one. Selected majors and graduate programs require internships for course credit, which you would need to consult the university in order to complete. Visit jobs.auburn.edu to connect with employers and apply for internships.

Campus Involvement

Being involved on campus will help you develop the transferable skills that you can bring into your future career. Examples of these skills can include good communication, motivating leader, team-oriented, organized, dependable, problem-solving, and many, many, more. Whether it’s being a Morale Captain for Dance Marathon or being a committee member with University Program Council (UPC), any type of campus involvement can give you the opportunity to gain these universal skills that employers want to see. Visit auburn.edu/involvement for a list of organizations you can join, and more details on how to get involved.

Job Shadowing

Job shadowing includes observing a professional in your desired career field. You are able to walk through a “typical day on the job” with this competent worker who will guide you through their workday and give you any advice about their profession. This also gives you the opportunity to see your desired position in a realistic setting. Not only does it give you the opportunity to gain experience, but it may serve as a deciding factor in terms of continuing to pursue this career, or potentially choosing a new one. Make sure to do your research before your shadowing and come up with a few questions to ask the professional at the end of the day.  

These are just a few different opportunities, so make sure to visit auburn.edu/career/experience to get more information on different ways you can gain experience and become a successful professional in the work field. If you would like to talk more about gaining experience, please feel free to come into our office and meet with a Career Counselor during our office hours. Remember, get started now so you can create a successful future! 

Post by: Kaela Jimenez

Career Center Graduate Assistant

Graduate Student in Counseling

5 Uses for LinkedIn You Need to Know

LinkedIn has quickly become an staple in for the job search and you will find countless resources explaining how to create a professional profile. Having a solid profile is a greatstart and all, but that is just the beginning. Here are my top 5 favorite uses for LinkedIn for those seeking jobs or exploring career options:

5. Resume development: who better to tell you what to talk about than people who are currently doing the job? 

You need to adapt your resume to the specific position to which you are applying. If the job posting does not give enough information to do this, try using the Advance Search feature to find the profile of someone who has a similar job title in the same/competing company. If their profile is complete, you will be able to see how they describe the position and any specific skills or contributions may be detailed. These are things you may wish to address on your own document. Or, you may learn about certifications or additional trainings that may prove useful to you in your own professional development.

4. The Alumni page: even the people who slept through class may be able to teach you something now

There are a lot of things you can do on this page, but one of my favorites is to search for fellow AU graduates with your major to identify possible career options and/or companies to pursue. Especially for majors that offer a variety of career options, this may be a way to narrow down your focus or identify specific companies to research and target in your search for internships or full-time positions. It is also a great way to connect with fellow alumni and begin networking into positions. 

3. Research your interviewer: you wouldn’t show up to a blind date without Googling the person would you?

If you receive a request for an interview be sure to find out with whom you will be interviewing. This is your chance to do a little research into this person/persons to learn more about areas of similarity or topics you may want to bring up during the interview. For instance, if she has a lot of information about her volunteer efforts with the American Cancer Society and you have taken part in a fundraiser to race for the ACS than you definitely want to bring that up during the interview to find a common area of interest that will catch his/her attention. Now there is a fine line between research and sounding like a stalker, so try not to mention anything too personal that may make them uncomfortable. 

2. Groups: your free access to experts and professional development…what more could you want?

No matter where you are in your career…haven’t even begun or a seasoned professional, group membership in LinkedIn can be very valuable in your professional development. Don’t be afraid to join groups of interest or part of your professional associations and contribute to the conversation. Please do not be “that person” who goes into a group and has your first interaction consist of you asking for a job. No one likes that person and rarely is that effective. Instead, lend your opinion to the questions of others or pose questions concerning your own career interests or class projects. Asking for advice and information is always appreciated. Also, there are always posts linking to new research and articles of interest which could be very beneficial to you as well, so be sure to stay involved.

1.NETWORK…strategically: seriously, you had to see this coming people

It is not enough to just be on LinkedIn, you must use it effectively. Once you have built your profile and started connecting to people, start your networking by sending a message to someone who either works in a company or position of interest. Again, NO NOT ASK FOR A JOB! Instead ask for information and advice. Everyone’s favorite topic is themselves, so don’t be afraid to stroke their ego a little. If possible, ask to meet face-to-face or over the phone to engage in an informational interview. After your discussion ask to stay in contact or if there is someone else they know that may be willing to meet. This technique can often land in a position or at the very least be a valuable learning experience. Contacting alumni or people in higher positions in the company are typically your best option since they are more likely to want to help and less likely to view you as a threat.

This is just a sampling of what you can do with this valuable tool, what additional uses have you found that you would like to share?

Written by Addye Buckley-Burnell

Assistant Director of Career Development

Let's Talk Salary...

Very often, it seems, conversations with students about any potential career path seem to follow a specific pattern.  The student finds that over the course of their education here at Auburn their interests have changed, or perhaps they have found a new potential career path about which they are excited.  We will discuss what type of work someone in the particular field might do, what types of degrees might be necessary for advancement in the field, and even potential opportunities for the student to gain more information by job shadowing or informational interviewing.  At some point in the conversation, however,  the student will ask the same question, sometimes in hushed tones as though to broach such a subject was somehow considered taboo: “How much money can I make?”  While this is both a relevant and necessary question for anyone doing research on a potential career, it is one that is easily answered by utilizing the resources made available for all of us on the Career Center website, as well as a few other sites easily accessed on the internet.  

 For your convenience, I have summarized what some of the more popular resources have to offer:

 Auburn University Graduate Salary Information

Accessed via a link on the Web Resources tab of the Career Center webpage, this resource provides salary information for recent graduates of Auburn University divided by major.  The most recent data is for graduates from the summer of 2012-spring of 2013.  Some of the information is provided for department rather than specific major, but Auburn students should utilize this resource as a great tool for setting reasonable entry level salary expectations for their chosen career field

The National Association of Colleges and Employers Salary Calculator

 This handy tool provided via a link on the Career Center website allows one to search for salary date by location, occupation type, and education level.  Upon entry of the relevant information, the tool will provide one with salary data for entry level positions, the median for the area specified, and the top ten percent of earners for the desired occupational field.  Perhaps most useful, the tool also provides one with the salary one can expect in the market specified, which should equip a student with the information necessary for negotiating that first salary with a potential employer.         

Occupational Outlook Handbook (bls.gov/ooh/)

A website maintained by the U.S. Government, the Occupational Outlook Handbook provides information on a wide variety of careers, including degree requirements, expected growth, and, you guessed it, the median salary for a field.  One need simply choose an occupation from an extensive list to access this information.

Having a realistic understanding of salary expectations is important, but remember that the your experience level will impact your earning potential. Do yourself a favor and take advantage of opportunities to gain relevant experience while in college to help boost your starting salary.

Written by Christopher Burkhalter

Practicum Student in the Career Center