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c o m p l e t e g u i d e f o r s t u d e n t s :
CEU CAREER FAIR 2008
C e n t r a l E u r o p e a n U n i v e r s i t y
Friday, May 16
www.ceu.hu/careerfair
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CEU CAREER FAIR 2008
Dear Students,
One of CEU’s primary ambitions is to help equip you with all that is needed in order for you to make a difference. What better moment to prove this then when it comes to deciding about your career?
We hope that the time spent here provided you with an excellent foundation. Even if you may not realize the true value of this experience until years after graduation, you already have what it takes: the knowledge prerequisites and curiosity to find your own answers, the drive to question the opinions of others, the desire to make the world around you better, the ability to learn. Now it is time to join CEU’s other graduates: policy makers and analysts, ministers and ambassadors, scholars and researchers, lawyers and human rights activists, CEOs and managers.
The international organizations and companies present on campus for the seventh CEU Career Fair are here to help you open new doors to your career.
On behalf of the university, I wish you success in all of your endeavors and encourage you to dream and to aim high!
President and Rector, CEU
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CEU CAREER FAIR 2008
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CEU CAREER FAIR 2008
Career tips - job search
Job portals, job search agentsThere are numerous places online to search for work, as you know. Lately, all the good job portals contain, besides a listing of opportunities, career advice, CV check services, salary surveys, CV upload for searchable databases. Searching for a job on the Internet might be a time consuming activity, but you can use “search agents” and have the selected jobs in your e-mails periodically.
Graduate career portalsDedicated to students and fresh graduates, the graduate career portals will create a world of opportunities one mouse click away. Listings of employers that offer special programs for students, sources of skill development training, assessment tests and advice, internship and volunteering opportunities are all customized for you, in order to guide you along your early career.
Recruitment agenciesWorking with recruitment agencies (executive recruiters, human resources agencies, head-hunters) often saves you a lot of time and effort. They advertise vacancies on behalf of their clients, the employers. Some agencies deal with vacancies covering a variety of different occupations, others specialize in vacancies of a particular type e.g. office or IT. The service is free to job seekers, because recruitment companies are paid by employers when a position is filled.
Considering that, due to lack of time, some positions are filled with candidates already in existing databases, working with a recruitment agency can be an effective way to access jobs that are not publicly advertised.
Job fairs and career eventsJob fairs organized by universities or other institutions provide a good opportunity to meet with multiple employers on the same day. Even if you are not planning to apply for a job soon, you can always find valuable information about employment trends, new companies and organizations and you can get used to recruitment procedures, a must-have experience for the moment when you decide to actually dive into the job-market.
Career sections of organizations’ websitesMost large organizations use their websites to advertise the jobs they have available. Start from this section when you want to learn about their vacancies and traineeship programs, organizational values and culture, traits they seek in applicants, details about their recruitment procedure and duration and last, but not least importantly, read testimonials from already employed people talking about their own experience.
Career services officeAs a CEU student or alumn, your university career office (Alumni Relations and Career Services Office at CEU / Career Services Office at the CEU Business School) can help you with personal career counseling, CV and cover letter writing assistance, job searching and planning your next steps after graduation.
NetworkingNetworking is a critical survival skill. For some of us, it comes easily, but for others it is not a comfortable process from the very beginning. You can network with absolutely anyone: family, friends, professors, neighbors, colleagues, alumni, former employers, etc. It will seem difficult at first, but like anything else, it will get easier. Especially now when networking has moved online, on Facebook, LinkedIn and other similar communities.
Where to look for jobs:
• Job portals• Graduate career portals• Recruitment agencies• Job fairs and career events• Career sections of organizations’ websites• Career services office• Networking• Alumni network
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CEU CAREER FAIR 2008
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CEU CAREER FAIR 2008
Career tips - CV and cover letter
Like the packaging for any product you buy, your CV can make an employer interested in opening the “package” to see if the inside product satisfies his (organizational) needs. Don’t let the employer move to the next “package”. Make your document as attractive, as relevant, as easy to read as possible. Take some time to learn how to write effective applications (from the Internet, Career Office resources, personal advice).
When you apply for a particular job….
…make sure you always send a cover letter. Explain why you decided to apply for this particular job or internship position, why you will be good at it and the reason you want to work for them and not their competitors. More than that, show them how they can benefit from including you in their team.
… present yourself like an achiever.Only inserting in your CVs the duties that you perform as listed in your job description cannot tell someone how good you really are. Everyone in that same job will have those tasks. Achievements are the results that you personally bring about while fulfilling your role. You want to identify how some extra activity/task you performed benefited the organization. Describe your past experiences as measurable, quantifiable results or benefits.
Example: conducted surveys with 400 people to determine awareness of product, coordinated communications for teams from five countries, raised funds of 34,000 USD, optimized the NGO’s reporting system for local authorities, wrote articles for a publication with 10,000 readers, developed extensive networking skills while contacting over 100 international organizations, etc.
Cover letter - what’s in it for them, not just for you.Cover letter - what’s in it for them, not just for you.
When you participate in the Career Fair…
… it could happen that you don’t know beforehand which employer will be present, or information about openings is available too late for you to prepare a targeted CV, not to mention a motivation letter. What to do in this case? Prepare a career profile, a very short (4 line) summary, placed at the top of the front page of your CV below your name, that states three main points:
1. Who you are.2. Your experience and what you have accomplished.3. What you are now looking for.
Example: A young graduate in International Relations and European Studies, detail-orientated, able to multi-task effectively, good organizer and problem solver. Three years volunteer and project management experience in East European countries. Interested in working with international organizations on European Security and Defense Policy.
Don’t forget to make copies of your CV and bring them to Career Fair 2008!
A Career profile helps an employer better understand your strengths at a glance
�8 % of CVs go in the bin because they fail to show achievements!
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Career tips - interview
The specialists say that the job interview is one of the most stressful situations one can have. So are exams, you would say. Understand that the employer is looking for information just the same as you are, and wants the interview to be successful as much as you do. Remember, the interviewer invited you because he already liked your CV and already has enough positive reasons to spend one hour of his time to meet or to talk with you.
A few tips for different types of interviews:
Telephone interviewThe telephone interview is becoming increasingly popular among organizations, as a method to preliminary screening of candidates, especially from abroad. It is as equally important to make a good impression during a phone interview as it is in a face-to-face interview.
• Make sure you are in a quiet place where you can concentrate, as well as take notes.• Ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard.• Don't chew gum or food, or drink anything noisily.• Have your CV in front of you so you can remember the highlights of your experience and accomplishments.
Face-to-face interview• Dress code: It does make sense to dress your best for an interview, regardless of the dress code at the organization.
Let your knowledge and skills speak for you and not your revolutionary outfit. • Make eye contact, have a firm handshake and, most of all, smile! It will help you to relax, too. • Speak calmly and confidently, as communication is one of the key skills that employers look for—avoid speaking
quickly or mumbling. • Listen to the interviewer and the questions being asked. Make sure you understand the questions so you can
answer them accurately.• Show you know the organization, that you are motivated and you fit into their team. Practise answers to typical
questions like:
• What interests you about this job?• In what ways do you think your coursework has prepared you for succeeding in our program?• Describe a group project you’ve worked on and what role you had.• Describe one or two accomplishments. • How will you manage your time if you are accepted for the part-time job? • Tell me about your last experience (internship, job, volunteer, etc.) What was a challenge? What was
a contribution you made?
• Use the interview to assess your compatibility with the organization, to determine if you like the people, and how you are likely to get along with them. Prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer. For example:
• How would you describe a typical week/day in this position? • How much travel is expected? • What makes a graduate successful in your organization? • What future changes do you see in this profession?
Assessment centersAn assessment center consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple evaluations including: job-related simulations, interviews, and/or psychological tests. A variety of testing techniques are used to allow candidates to demonstrate the skills and abilities that are most essential for success in a given job.
• The assessment center is not the place to fight against the competitor candidates. The best team player wins.
• Be yourself, but at the same time remember what role you are applying for and act as if you already have that job (decisions, judgment, behavior, etc). It will help the recruiter to better picture you in that position in real life.
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Career online resources
Job portals for businessVault: www.vault.comWetfeet: www.wetfeet.com www.careersinbusiness.comwww.financialjobs.comwww.amcf.org/index.asp
NGOs & NonprofitsNonprofit career network: www.nonprofitcareer.comDirectory of development organizations: www.devdir.orgIdealist database: www.idealist.orgThe Development Executive Group: www.developmentex.com/oppsummary.jspWorldwide NGO Directory: www.wango.org/resources.aspx?section=ngodir
Internship portalswww.milkround.com/s4/jobseekers/zones/internshipswww.internshipprograms.comwww.internships.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internwww.gapyear.com
Career advice portalswww.allbusiness.com www.resume-help.org/interview_tips.htmwww.careerlab.com www.careeradvicenetwork.co.ukwww.careerplanner.com
Graduate programsGE ECLP: www.gecareers.comInBev Trainee Program: www.inbev.com/go/careers.cfm Credit Suisse: http://campusrecruiting.credit-suisse.com/en/Europe/Home.html Morgan Stanley: www.morganstanley.com/about/careers/recruiting/index.html ING: www.ing.jobs/careers/index.jsp Wolseley European Graduates Programme: http://egp.wolseleyplc.com/ataglance/overview.shtml WORLD BANK - Young Professionals Program http://go.worldbank.org/FVOVD83WI0
Working abroadThe world’s most popular immigration advice site: www.workpermit.comJobs & resources for work and travel: www.anyworkanywhere.comAbout Hungary: www.magyarorszag.huHungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mfa.gov.hu Live and work in the USA: www.usagc.org
Practical resourcesO*NET skills for different careers: http://online.onetcenter.org/skills Europass: http://europass.cedefop.europa.euAbility and personality assessment: http://www.shldirect.comPersonality test: http://colorquiz.comCareer assessment: www.assessment.com
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Career Fair tips - How to make the most of a job fair
What you can do before the event
• Take the time to read one or more of the articles on career fairs and practical tips on how to make the most of them
• Do your homework and research. Check among the participants to see which organizations you are most interested in and conduct research on them. Gather basic information about the company (size, organization, locations, top management), their products, and their standing in their industry.
• Make sure your resume looks perfect. Review for keywords and accomplishments, check for typos and other spelling errors, and customize for each targeted organization (even if it is something as small as inserting the organization’s name into your job objective). Print out extra copies of your resume to bring to the career fair — just in case you need them. You might want to consult your Career Services Office to receive feedback about your resume.
• Check your attire. Whenever possible, you should wear a well-fitting suit to career fairs. For men, it means conservative shirt and tie, polished shoes, tidy hair, and removal of jewelry from all visible piercings. For women, it means a conservative suit (skirt or pants), shoes and pantyhose, styled hair, little jewelry.
• Create or review your elevator speech: a 15- to 30-second presentation speech that succinctly tells the person to whom you are giving it, who you are, what makes you unique, and the benefits you can provide.
What you can do at the Career Fair
• Attempt to establish rapport with each recruiter. Remember to smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm (but not death-grip) handshake. Use your elevator speech.
• Answer questions, showcase your knowledge of each company, but also remember to ask questions so you’ll have a better understanding of which organizations are the best fit for you.
• Ask about the organization’s recruiting timetable. Solicit information about the next step in the process.• Don’t forget to collect business cards from each recruiter. And if you can’t get a business card, be sure to get
all the contact information (including the correct spelling of each person’s name).• Network, network, network. Make connections with people—not just the recruiters but with fellow job-
seekers, career professionals, and the like—the more people in your network, the stronger it becomes.
What you can do to follow up on the event
• Your search for employment and internships does not end following the close of the career fair.• After the fair concludes, write down notes about conversations you had with company representatives. • Consider developing some sort of system for keeping track of all the recruiters and potential job leads.• Send thank-you notes to each recruiter, company representative(s). Write or email each of the people you
met and thank them for their time, being specific about where and when you met. Most job seekers fail to take this simple step, often losing out in the end to those who did express their thanks.
• After contacting them, express your continued interests in the organization and get more information about the next steps in the process. Include another resume and provide any follow up information the employer requested during the job fair visit. This may include a cover letter or a letter of recommendation.
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First Destination Survey 2007: career paths six months after graduation
Launched for the first time in November 2007, the First Destination Survey opens the doors every year to continuous communication with recent CEU graduates, sharing information about employment and educational activities, as well as personal career perspectives.
Almost half of the members of the 2007 class shared with us their “life after CEU” experience, by participating in an online survey. Besides updated contact and employment data, we were delighted to learn about their career status six months after graduation, the sectors they work in, sources of information for job searching, etc.
According to the survey, an encouraging 82.�% of respondents were either employed (��.1%) or continued their studies (18.�%) by December 2007.
Out of those who were employed full- or part-time, self-employed or served as interns, the largest group chose to start their career in the private sector. Among the most popular careers there were strategic management consulting, legal and banking fields, as well as environment protection. Those who worked in education and research institutions follow, as the survey report reveals.
Special attention should be paid to the relevance of studies at CEU to the careers of current graduates. It’s very encouraging to note, that in ��.�% of the cases, the job taken relates directly to the field studied at CEU. This can serve as proof of the high quality instruction process, which empowers graduates to immediately apply on a practical level the knowledge and skills acquired at the university.
Another important conclusion drawn from the survey relates to the length of the job search period. More than 80% of the respondents were employed or enrolled within less than two months after graduation. For more than half of the students, accepting a job offer happened after only a maximum of five CVs were sent out and/or three job interviews attended, all in less than a month.
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CEU Alumni Relations and Career Services Office
The integrated CEU Alumni Relations and Career Services Office (ARCS) serves as the principal office coordinating all the alumni and career support programs for CEU students and graduates. Our mission is to engage our clients in a mutually beneficial, lifelong connection to each other and the university. We strive to empower students and fresh graduates with the skills necessary to succeed in their professional lives, while fully utilizing the power of the CEU alumni network.
Services offered for studentsThrough our diverse range of services and programs, we empower students and graduates to find the best opportunities available to them, and to develop their career paths, while ensuring that they have access to information relevant to their professional interests.
• Individual and group guidance (CV and cover letter review, skills assessment, interview behavior, job search strategies, networking)
• Career-related resources (a comprehensive library of career guides and casebooks, electronic Career Noticeboard for job opportunities, Internet resources)
• Contact with employers (recruitment materials, on- and off-campus events: Career Fair; corporate presentations; interview sessions; Open Days)
• CV Book (a collection meant to increase the visibility of job candidates among employers)• Alumni Connections network (providing contacts with alumni from specific countries and professional areas,
organizing networking events for sharing experience and know-how)
Services offered to alumniAs a graduate of Central European University, you become a member of the CEU alumni community. This network of graduates serves to develop closer links between the university and its alumni, helping them to remain involved in university affairs. As an important part of the university’s commitment to strengthen and develop its relationship with former students, the university is able to offer a range of services either free of charge or at reduced rates:
• Networking (alumni chapters and clubs, alumni directory, online groups, support for reunion and other events, alumni association, leadership and volunteer opportunities)
• On-campus services (discounted accommodation at CEU Residence Center, CEU computer login, CEU Library privileges, foreign language courses, discount at the CEU bookshop, sports and recreation opportunities)
• Electronic services and communication (email for life, free web-hosting for alumni chapters and clubs, quarterly electronic newsletter, email distribution lists, online alumni forum)
• Career services (guidance for skills development and job searches, library of career-related resources in electronic and print form, contact with employers, presence in the annual CV Book, Alumni Connections network)
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CEU Business School Career Services Office
Today’s job search is an entrepreneurial venture. To be successful, you must know your personal abilities and goals, understand specific industry and company trends, and adopt a resourceful and pro-active approach toward your career. In an environment of uncertainty and risk you need to be creative, motivated and able to initiate and embrace change.
The goal of the Career Services Office is to provide students with every resource and service necessary to pursue career ambitions. CEU Business School is dedicated to helping students make sound business choices, and is committed to career strategy development through career education, counseling, market-oriented job and internship search, as well as consulting assignments.
Some of the services provided by the Career Office include personalized career counseling, resume and cover letter writing, company and industry information, contact to companies through alumni of the Business School, mock interviews, workshops and an array of research materials for student usage.
Corporate showcaseOur successful Corporate Showcase series gives companies the opportunity to present themselves to our students and serves marketing and PR purposes along with sharing information about a company, its history, corporate culture, product and activities, employment opportunities and position requirements. Usually held once a month, these showcases give students the opportunity to find out more about various companies, as well as network with professionals.
Job postingsStudents of the CEU Busines School receive emails about corporate vacancies on a regular basis. The vacancies arrive from our corporate partners as well as from alumni. Each year more than 300 MBA postings are emailed to students - thus increasing their changes to find a position matching their skills and business background.
Resumé BookOur Resumé Book of MBA and MSc candidates offers an efficient way of matching a candidate’s profile with that of companies which are hiring. This annual publication of current students’ resumes is published both as a hard copy and as an electronic book, and is usually sent out to about 700 companies, including several recruitment agencies/headhunters in Hungary and in the region. As companies use these publications very actively when looking to hire talented professionals, each year more and more students decide to publish their resumes in the Resumé Book.
Vacancies for senior professionalsAs the history of the CEU Business School dates back to 1988, we have a wealth of experienced professionals, over 1,400, who graduated with a management degree. The Career Services Office regularly posts vacancies for more senior professionals on our alumni webpage at www.alumnet.info. Alumni receive invitations to corporate events and they also have access to regular career services (career consultations, Career Services Library, online resources).
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Notes Notes
