Regardless of what your plans are for this summer—working at your summer job in your hometown, interning in a new city, taking summer classes, or studying abroad—it’s a great time to create, and complete, a career preparation to-do list. We’ve come up with a few suggestions to add to your list. (more…)

LinkedIn—Facebook for professionals (where you post your work experience rather than your favorite movies)—is an important resource that you should be taking advantage of, if you aren’t already. It’s free, so there isn’t much to lose. However, across the Network we’ve been hearing students raise some common concerns: “I’m on LinkedIn, and I completed my profile. Now what?” and “How do I leverage LinkedIn to help me with my career search?” It was in response to questions like this that we created an enclave of Spartan students and alumni on LinkedIn, called Spartan LINKS. (more…)

Megan Gebhart, a junior marketing major, started a website called msuCatalyst to tell the stories of students and alumni who are doing cool things with their lives. The purpose is to inspire and inform her fellow students. Gebhart’s story deserves mention on her own site, but we know that she’s too humble to write it, so we’ve decided to tell it here. (more…)

“Social media”—you’ve heard the term. Maybe you’ve even read articles explaining how you should keep recruiters and hiring managers from seeing your inappropriate Facebook pictures (e.g., “Beware the Profile Picture”). But have you considered how social media can help you in your job or internship search? Brett Kopf, former social media intern for Career Services and current social media consultant, explains how to use LinkedIn, Twitter, and other resources to your advantage in these videos. (more…)

Generation Y Michigan is a website presented by Michigan Radio that takes “a look at the reasons why young adults are or are not staying in Michigan.” It was created to supplement the on-air series by the same name, which wrapped up in December 2009. The conversation continues on the website, where essays, polls, and photographs are still being posted. (more…)

Looking for your first job can feel like the first time you attempted a new sport: there are so many rules and customs to keep in mind, and everyone but you seems to know them. That’s why some of the folks in the Career Services Network have talked to recruiters to get the dirt on what exactly you should—and shouldn’t—do during the job search, application, and acceptance process. (more…)

According to their website, Toastmasters is a “non-profit organization developing public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs since 1924.” However, these skills aren’t only valuable for giving presentations in class; they are directly related to your job or internship search. (more…)

With the upcoming Government & Nonprofit Career Fair (on Wednesday, February 9, 2011, from 4–7 p.m. on the 4th floor of Spartan Stadium), you may be wondering what the difference is between jobs in the corporate sector and those with nonprofits. We found this great video that should clear things up, so you can decide whether nonprofits may be a good fit for you—and prepare for what industry professionals are looking for before you meet them. (more…)

There is one story that, when I tell it in a university setting, I can see the whites around the eyes of the students. (more…)

We all know that the state of Michigan is struggling. Are you sick of people talking about it? Do you wish changes were being made to improve the state’s economy? Do you know what changes need to be made? (more…)