Eberlog

Networking

2010-11-11T21:17:16Z

Networking is a way to land the internship or job of your dream. One never knows whether the person you are speaking to will be in a position to assist you in this endeavor. Who should you network with? The first line would be parents who are working for a company and who can pass along your resume. Uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends of the family are all potential networking contacts who may be of help. Today, I attended a Business Advisory Council luncheon along with one of our finance majors. He introduced himself and started a conversation with several of the members at our table. By the end of the luncheon, he had the names and addresses of three individuals who would be willing to pass along his resume. I am convinced that he will land an internship for Summer 2011.

11 Hot Job Skills for 2011

2010-10-27T13:55:56Z

This is one of those top things lists that get published each year in the Computerworld magazine. While not be treated as a gospel truth, the list does give some indication as to where the market is heading and students can match their interests with skills to better align themselves to the job market. Needless to say in the MIS discipline one needs to be ready to engage in a lifetime of continuous learning. Here are the top skills (you can read more details at http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/351231/11_hot_skills_for_2011):

Programming and application development
Project Management
Help Desk/Technical Support
Networking
Security
Data Center
Web 2.0
Telecommunications
Business Intelligence
Collaboration Architecture
Business Acumen and Communication Skills

Please note that the MIS curriculum typically imparts you with skills in at least 4 to 5 of these areas. So, try to take as many programming classes as possible.

Attend an internship or job fair

2010-10-24T22:09:39Z

Hello students,

Internship and career fairs are still an effective way of making an initial contact with a prospective employer. For a nation-wide listing of job fairs, please click on the following link:

http://jobfairs.ineedajob.com/

For another source of job fairs, click on the following link.

http://www.employmentguide.com/browse_jobfairs.html

Perhaps, there is a job fair that you can attend while you are on your Thanksgiving break, winter break or spring break.

Good luck, Madan Batra

Online Internship/Job Search Strategies

2010-10-14T19:16:18Z

Tips on "Online Internship & Job Search Strategies"

Summary from a recent workshop

For more information email me

Dr. Krish Krishnan (krishnan@iup.edu)

1) Use Google Search to locate new and useful resources

a) Example Search -> "Top Internship Websites"
Let us take a look at what Columbia.Edu has to offer us...
It is an exploratory and sequential process of search

2) World of "Job Search Engines" some samples

a) www.careerjet.com

b) JuJu www.job-search-engine.com

c) www.jobcentral.com

d) www.simplyhired.com

e) And there are many more out there if you look for them....

3) You can search for Sample Resumes and Sample Cover letters in your field

a) Or go to sites that give you advice on how to... www.jobweb.com

b) Info on starting salaries, interview techniques, researching employers

4) Using Employer Databases to look for internships and jobs in selected geographical areas.

a) Reference USA (from inside IUP or through VPN connection through IUP)
www.refernceusa.com
Demo of sample search for marketing internship in Philadelphia

5) You can also visit company websites of companies where you would like to start

a) Let us look for a job at Frito Lay

b) Look for "Careers" link (about us, company info sections)

c) Research the job

d) Apply online.

6) Summary

a) Search for sample resumes and cover letters and create a basic resume

b) Search for internships and jobs using job search engines, databases etc.

c) Research the employer by visiting website and finding exactly what they will be looking for.

d) Tailor your resume for each job/internship; never send the same resume to two different employers; always customize.

e) Law of large numbers; send a 100 resume your chances are better, send 500 resumes - you are bound to hit the jackpot.

Visit: www.iup.edu/business/internships

How to Access Eberly Internship Employer Database

2010-10-10T22:56:53Z

Hello students,

The Internship Office in Room 302 Eberly maintains an internship employer database that is made available to eligible business students. The database contains those employers that have requested an internship or hired an Eberly intern in the past. To access the database, the following steps are followed.

·        Eligible students, usually juniors, seniors or MBA students go to www.iup.edu/business/internships, click on Information for Students, Preparing to Find an Internship, and then, Inquiry Form.

·        Maureen Bash at the Internship Office receives the form by way of email, forwards it to the student's department coordinator, sends an email to the student suggesting to contact the department coordinator along with his/her resume and letter

·        The department coordinator reviews the student's internship pre-requisites and resume/letter, and suggests Maureen Bash to release the internship database

·        Maureen Bash sends the username and password to the student along with login instructions.

·        The student goes to www.iup.edu/business/internships , clicks on Information for Students, Finding an Internship, Employer Database, Internship Database Login, enters username and database, and reviews the prospective employers. The student contacts the employers directly, and checks the internship opportunities are still available.

·        There are numerous other ways of identifying prospective employers that will be posted in future articles. Stay tuned. Good luck!

Dr. Batra

Welcome MIS Majors - Practical Tips

2010-09-30T17:51:49Z

Welcome to the Eberly Internship blog. I will start by sharing some of my thoughts on what you need to do in College to secure a job of your dreams when you graduate.

MIS as a discipline is inter-disciplinary in nature, and our objective here is to provide you with training that enables you to act as a bridge between IT and business. Your primary aim is to solve business problems using the capabilities offered by IT. That means that you have to be adept at both the technical aspects of IT and business concepts like finance, accounting, human resources, etc. If you do not understand the business, you will not be able to understand the concerns of businesses and solve their problems. At the same time if you do not understand technology, it s difficult for you to understand the capabilities offered by it. In the same vein your liberal studies courses expose you to certain aspects of culture, art, etc. which makes interfacing with different sorts of people, a pleasant and more relevant experience. For example if you know about world religions you may be more sensitive to let us say people from India who hold a certain value system. And most of you must be aware that there are a lot of folks from India in the IT area.

So in summary while in college:

Be serious and diligent in all your courses whether business or liberal arts, since they are all relevant.
IT changes very fast and we teach you the fundamentals in class. Keep building on your knowledge. Do things outside the class. Get a campus job or a off campus job dealing with IT. Read new things and experiment with them. Do not just rely on class content.
Learn the concepts in your business courses. These concepts will usually be an integral part of your job description and a good understanding will give you an edge in your job.
Your liberal studies courses are important. They give you a platform to diversify your knowledge in areas like culture, geography, etc. They are useful in dealing with a diverse international workplace and at times give you topics for a good conversation.
Do an internship. An internship gives you an opportunity to apply your knowledge to a real life situation. It will also increase your chances of landing up with a job of your choice. Internships have been consistently stressed by executives who have visited IUP and talked to MIS majors.
Maintain your GPA. If nothing else your GPA demonstrates your capability for high and consistent performance at the task at hand which in this case happens to be learning a given course content.
Widen your horizons and do not shy away from going away from your home and your comfort zone. IT is a global phenomena with a global reach. I know a lot of you want to stay around here but go out of the comfort zone and see the world. You can always come back when you just cannot stay away.

Please free to come and talk to me further about your questions/concerns. You can email me at pankaj@iup.edu or visit me at my office - ECB 207F.

Starting your Job-Search

2010-09-24T17:28:58Z

Many students ask me the question: "How do I get started with my job search?" Here is some advice for those who have the same question.

First of all, searching for a job is a full-time job, unless you are that SUPER student with lots of luck! You need to start by introspecting your best case scenario as well as what would be acceptable to you--the type of work, the kind of organization, and the location. Be a little flexible while setting this agenda since the best case scenario may not work out all the time. More importantly, be realistic!

Once you get your resume and cover letter formats in order, launch a multi-pronged attack...there are a number of avenues that you should be exploring. A) Start with your network--family members, neighbors, contacts that you might have established through student organizations, recent alumni with whom you were friends with, etc. Don't discount the possibility of getting help from any corner. B) Identify about 25 organizations that are on your "A" list. Visit their web sites, learn about these organizations, and most importantly, monitor the job opportunities for recent College graduates on their sites. C) Post your resume on all the reputed job-search portals and keep updating it. I have known many students, especially with some special skills or experience, getting interview calls after their resumes were picked up on Monster. com and similar sites. It may not work for all but certainly there is no harm in trying. D) Check the resources at IUP and Eberly. Pay regular visits to the Eberly Internship & Corporate Relations suite at Eberly (www.iup.edu/business) and the IUP Career Development Center (www.iup.edu/career/) in Pratt Hall. E) Keep your eyes and ears open for job fairs. There are some job fairs in other universities that you can attend for a nominal cost. F) Be in touch with your professors. From time to time, they get calls from employers asking for help in filling entry-level positions.

I think it was one of Dale Carnegie's quotes, and I paraphrase: "luck (or success) is the meeting place of opportunities passing by AND your alertness." So, be alert and be at the right place at the right time. Best wishes!

Prashanth

Visit Career Centers Across the Nation and Beyond

2010-09-19T23:21:15Z

As you approach graduation, or get ready for seeking an internship, it is a good idea to visit the Career Center of your University, and explore the help that is available to you. IUP's Career Development Center is situated in Pratt Hall. Their website URL is www.iup.edu/career.

Now, suppose, you are looking for an internship in New York City. You should also make an online visit to the career centers of all the universities situated in New York City. In this regard, the website of National Association of Colleges and Employers is very helpful. For this, you go to their website www.jobweb.com. Click on Students, Career & Job Search Information, and Career Center Websites. Here, you will find the URLs of Career Centers of all the universities throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, UK and Europe. Of course, you will also find the listing of all of the universities in New York City.

Good luck in job hunting and internship endeavors!

Graduating Finance Majors

2010-09-16T01:10:33Z

If you are planning to graduate in December or May 2011, you need to get started on preparing
your resume if you haven't already done so. The CR-I team is ready to help. Dr. Bradwick and I will be presenting an hour long session on resume building and letter writing on September 22 starting at 12:20 in room 109. This session will be videotaped so you will be able to view it at your leisure. Because the job market has not yet rebounded, it is essential that you spend a good
deal of time on building a solid resume which reflects your strengths. Let us know if we can help.

An Excellent Website on Resumes, Letters, Interviews and More

2010-08-26T23:04:27Z

If you are a junior or senior or MBA student, and getting ready for an internship experience or entry-level job, you need assistance in developing an effective resume and cover letter, and in mastering your interviewing skills, etc. www.jobweb.com is an excellent website. Click on "Students" and you will find numerous samples of entry-level resumes for accounting, management, finance, international business majors, etc. You will notice some good examples of job correspondence, some effective tips on interviewing, and some highly relevant additional information.

A highly recommended website!

Good luck.

Welcome Back!

2010-08-26T20:03:38Z

To All Finance Majors:

I hope your summer was enjoyable and at the same time productive. I will be serving as chair of the Department of Finance and Legal Studies since Dr. Affaneh is on sabbatical leave. Should you have questions, stop by my office at 322A. Have a great semester!

Dr. Boldin

Marketing and MBA Internships

2010-08-24T17:23:15Z

Greetings! This is Dr. Krish Krishnan. I will be advising and assisting Marketing Majors and MBA students find internships this academic year. I will be holding a couple of mini workshops to get students aquainted with the process of an internship search. I will also do a specialized workshop for international MBA students about the process involved for them to get internships. In the meanhwile, please feel free to call my office and setup a meeting with me 724-357-2522 if you have any internship related questions. Look forward to working with you.

Dr. K

Welcome all!

2010-08-03T18:19:32Z

Hello students. This is Madan Batra, College-wide Internship Coordinator at Eberly College of Business and Information Technology. I am excited about introducing this new blog service from the Eberly Internship Office. We have a team of 6 departmental internship coordintators who will periodically post articles to assist Eberly business students in their internship and career needs. Please stay tuned for more information...