College of Communications

1. What is Fall Career Days 2009?
2. What employment categories correspond with my major?
3. Which date should College of Communications students attend if they are looking for internships?
4. How does a College of Communications student seek specific instructions on how to obtain an internship in communications or a related field?
5. Which date should College of Communication seniors attend if they are looking for full-time jobs?
6. How does a College of Communications student seek specific instructions on how to obtain a full-time position in communications or a related field?
7. How can I contact the Internship and Career Placement Office for the College of Communications?
8. What if recruiters at Fall Career Days are not looking for my major?
9. How can I target my resume to my career interest areas?
10. How can I make a great impression in the first 60 seconds?

Q: What is Fall Career Days 2009?
A: Fall Career Days 2009 is Penn State's university-wide job fair. In fact, it is the largest university-run career fair in the country. Not only will you find companies recruiting to fill full-time positions, but internships can also be pursued at this event.

This event was designed as a job fair for ALL Penn State University students including students at all commonwealth campuses. Many of the companies will be promoting corporate job opportunities as opposed to jobs specifically related to the communications field. Do not let this deter you from pursuing opportunities with companies that interest you!

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Q: What employment categories correspond with my major?
A: Employment categories are the way that most employers at Fall Career Days determine who they want to meet with. Please see the list below of employment categories and the majors in the College of Communications that correspond to each particular category. Look for companies that have an interest in communications majors but also companies that interest you, regardless of whether they are hiring for a particular communications position.

Q: Which date should College of Communications students attend if they are looking for internships?
A: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 from 1 PM to 6 PM- Companies hiring for internships and co-ops will be in attendance.

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Q: How does a College of Communications student seek specific instructions on how to obtain an internship in communications or a related field?
A: We strongly urge you to go directly through the College of Communications to find your internship unless you are extremely interested in one of the companies attending Fall Career Days on the internship day, Wednesday, September 16, 2009. Internships offered at Fall Career Days 2009 will not necessarily focus on the communications industry, but that does not mean that you won't find communications internships at Fall Career Days.

We recommend you begin your search for an internship by attending one of our internship informational sessions provided directly through the College of Communications throughout the year. Please keep an eye on your CareerADVISOR e-mail messages for upcoming internship informational meetings.

We then recommend that you contact Stephanie Girouard at 814-865-4349 to schedule an individual appointment to meet with either Colette Rodger, manager of internships, or Bob Martin, assistant dean for internships and career placement, to develop an effective internship search strategy. We also welcome you to conduct your search on your own if you feel comfortable enough to do so after attending one of our informational sessions.

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Q: Which date should College of Communication seniors attend if they are looking for full-time jobs?
A: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 from 1 PM to 6 PM- Companies hiring for full-time non-technical career positions will be in attendance.

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Q: How does a College of Communications student seek specific instructions on how to obtain a full-time position in communications or a related field?
A: The College of Communications recommends that any seventh semester or above student in the College make an appointment with Bob Martin, assistant dean for internships and career placement for a one-on-one career consultation. You can do this by contacting Stephanie Girouard at 814-865-4349. When we meet, we will define your career goals and develop a search strategy specifically tailored towards your objectives.

In addition to Fall Career Days, the College of Communications provides two communications-specific job fairs in the spring semester of each year:

• JobExpo.Comm on March 26, 2010 at the HUB.
• "Success in the City" in New York City on April 16, 2010.

The College of Communications also provides for its soon-to-be graduates several networking opportunities to connect with alumni and professionals within the communications industry.

A comprehensive job search strategy starts with you, the student, and we can help you design a comprehensive plan to get you on the right path.

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Q: How can I contact the Internship and Career Placement Office for the College of Communications?
A:

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Q: What if recruiters at Fall Career Days are not looking for my major?
A: Making Fall Career Days a success for you, the communications professional, depends a lot on how you approach each of the companies that interest you. Here is a list of things you can do to prepare for the Fair.

• Prior to attending Fall Career Days 2009, you should go to the Fall Career Days directory of employers attending. This directory provides a listing all of the recruiters, their booth locations, and what employment categories they are looking for. Many of the companies in attendance are some of the biggest corporations in the world. *Note: Just because the directory may state that a particular company is looking for engineering majors and not communications majors, it does not mean you should not pursue this company. We recommend that you first go online to find the names of companies recruiting.
• Make a list of no more than 5-10 companies that you are interested in meeting. Look for companies that have an interest in communications majors but also companies that interest you, regardless of whether they are hiring for a particular communications position.
• Research each company of interest before you attend Fall Career Days 2009.
• Plot your course of action for when you attend Fall Career Days 2009. You will want to make the most of your day by being efficient with your time. This means knowing where each company's booth is located and making sure that you are not running from one side of the arena to the other. A map of the Bryce Jordan Center with concurrent booth locations is located on the Fall Career Days Web site.

You may not think you can find companies that are offering jobs that directly relate to your major, but if you position yourself correctly with these recruiters, you can get the right contact that can lead to job or internship opportunities. The way you position yourself with the recruiting companies will quite often determine if you are successful at getting strong leads. It is important that you are ready to explain crossover skills that you have acquired and how they can benefit the employer.

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Q: How can I target my resume to my career interest areas?
A: Cater your resume towards a specific career area. Have a different resume for each specific field that interests you so that you can sell yourself and your skills to each particular job opportunity. In other words, do not use one “homogenized” resume for different job opportunities in different fields. You will not sell yourself well towards any potential jobs by having a one-size-fits-all resume.

A good way to begin writing an effective resume is by using your career objective to give the recruiter an idea of what you are looking for, and then use key words of the industry to attract the recruiter to your skills and expertise. Remember, your resume will get you considered for the job, it will never get you the job. How you sell your skills and experiences in interviews is what will be the determining factors as to whether you get the job offer!

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Q: How can I make a great impression in the first 60 seconds?
A:

• Dress appropriately- Business professional
• Show enthusiasm and smile
• State your name with a good firm handshake while making eye contact
• Indicate your career interests and the skills you have to meet those career interests; then and only then should you hand them your resume
• Have your 45 second elevator pitch prepared as to why you are a qualified candidate worth considering
• If recruiter is not familiar with your major, provide them with a set of your skills including key phrases and words that relate to your field of interest
• Ask for a business card of the recruiter and literature- you want to appear interested in the company; get contact information of others if the recruiter is not the right contact
• Thank them for their time

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