Career Development Blog

Blog Post: Interview Tips            

You get the email or call you’ve been waiting for. You got an interview! Now what?!

For many students the request for an interview can invoke both excitement and stress. This may be your first time in a professional interview setting. Have no fear! The Center for Career Development is here to help!

Follow these key tips when preparing for an interview:

• Do your research! You must be prepared to articulate why you are interested in the industry, company, and role. In order to do that effectively, you should research as much as you can ahead of time. Spend time on the company’s website, look for articles / press releases on the organization, reach out to prior interns to talk to them about their experience. Gather as much information as you can so you’re able to demonstrate your knowledge of who they are, what they do and why you want to be a part of it.
• Prepare your elevator pitch. Many times an employer’s first question may be “Tell me about yourself.” You need to have that answer ready to go. Tailor your response to your audience. What would that particular employer be most interested in hearing about? Discuss your background, experience, skills and why this role is the next natural step for you. The Center for Career Development can help you craft your elevator pitch. Stop in during drop ins or schedule an appointment.
• Prepare and practice examples to highlight your skills. Take a critical look at the job / internship posting. What skills / abilities do they seem to be looking for? Then, identify examples from past experiences that demonstrate you possess those skills / abilities. Draw on all experiences! Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your examples.
• Practice, Practice, Practice! Interviewing is a skill. The more practice the better! Use the Center for Career Development to help you prepare so you can wow those employers! We offer interview prep strategy sessions and mock interviews.

Our Interviewing Skills handout will provide more details and sample interview questions that you can use as you prepare. As soon as you get that phone call / email, reach out to the Center for Career Development to schedule a mock interview or interview prep session. We can be reached at 508-793-3880 or careers@holycross.edu.

Interviewing doesn’t have to be stressful or scary….if you’re prepared!!

 

Written by Julie Draczynski  

   Associate Director, Center for Career Development

Full Name: Raha Maalin

Internship Company: BBDO

Internship Position: Account Management Intern

Internship Location: New York, NY

While looking for your internship, what services did you use at the Center for Career Development?  

I frequently visited the Career Development Center’s drop-in hours and attended their different programs. I went the ‘Internship Search’ workshop, which taught me more about the center’s different resources, such as the mock interview, which prepared me for my actual interview. Additionally, I attended panel discussions to learn more about prior interns experiences at different companies and scheduled appointments with counselors to see what kinds positions that I would be interested in. My utilization of the office’s resources definitely helped me secure an internship at BBDO.

What skills did you gain from your internship experience and how have they added to your professionalism?

My internship at BBDO taught me about how much work goes into the advertisements we see on the television, computers, and in magazines. I worked on both the Foot Locker Inc. and the American Red Cross accounts, and because these two account are so different I learned to quickly adapt my thinking skills when working on different projects for both accounts. I gave weekly presentations to my supervisors on consumer trends and analyzed social media data to better help our clients appeal to their consumers. My weekly presentations helped me strengthen my presentational and communication skills.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

My experience at BBDO influenced my future career goals by teaching me more about myself. I learned that I really loved being in creative spaces and working with others, which are qualities I look forward to pursue in my future. Additionally, it solidified my goal to further pursue advertising. 

What is one piece of advice that you would give to the future intern?

Research BBDO’s different advertisements, know who their clients are, and understand their history.

Overall, what was your most exciting experience at your internship?
During my internship I was able to go on three advertisement shoots with the client. This was an exciting experience, because I was able to work with the production team to assist in production of the advertisement. 

Name: Alexander Rojas
Class Year: 2016
Major: History

Shadowing Visit Site: Hanover Insurance Group

1. Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

My visit to Hanover served as opportunity to further explore the commercial insurance industry. In particular, my host, Annette Berry, served as an open forum to ask questions and offer insight, but also connected me with other alumni in different areas of insurance in order to obtain a fuller picture. This experience further strengthened my networking skills and solidified my interest in insurance.

2. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?

Without a doubt, this experience reinforced my career goals and desire to build a career within commercial insurance. This opportunity allowed me to network with multiple Holy Cross alumni and obtain different perspectives of the insurance industry. Insurance is a necessary asset for all individuals and businesses where relationship building is key. I am drawn to a career where I can develop relationships with agents and brokers in order to deepen the presence of the company I represent in the market.

3. What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

Throughout the day, my alumni host shared various pieces of advice. However, the most valuable piece of advice she offered was not to discount any opportunity. While we may be fixed on a certain position or industry, it is still fruitful to apply to a diverse set of jobs because an unexpected position could become your favorite job. Furthermore, having an open mind and appetite for learning are valuable qualities for success in any job.

4. Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

Yes! Any student with a slight interest in insurance should precipitate in the Alumni Shadowing Program. From my experience, Annette was very open to creating a day of value for me outside of actuary (her field) and connecting me with other alumni in different areas of insurance, which was beneficial.

Spring semester is an important time for students who are interested in pursuing a career in education. Whether you are graduating in May and looking for full time employment or gearing up for your summer internship search the Center for Career Development is here to help. Below are a few important reminders specific to students interested in education.

To help you stand out when you pursue post-graduate teaching positions it is important that you demonstrate work experience with choldren. The summer is a great opportunity to work towards building the skills needed to work with kids of all ages. Consider applying to work as a camp counselor or at boarding school. You can also work as a nanny, tutor or coach.

If you haven’t done so already volunteering at local schools, after school or summer programs are other great ways to gain experience. So check out your local schools, youth centers or organizations that work with kids.  This is the perfect time to reach out to see what opportunities they offer.

Are you looking to teach in the public school setting but don’t have the experience or degrees? There are many programs that offer the opportunity to work towards a Master’s in Education while also gaining teaching experience. If this is of interest to you make sure to let us know when you meet with a counselor in our office.

Private schools also offer an opportunity to gain teaching experience without a Master’s level degree. Whether you eventually want to end up teaching in public schools or not, private schools offer great opportunities for recent graduates to gain work experience.

Our office offers online resources to help you learn more about the education field or help in your search for jobs and internships. Make sure to check out the following resources:

Crusader Connections- https://holycross-csm.symplicity.com/students/

Liberal Arts Career Network Internship Database- access this database using the “jump to” feature on your Crusader Connections home page

Spotlight on Careers- http://spotlightoncareers.org/

Username: spotlightaccess  & Password: liberalarts2015

What to do with a Major In- http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/

Vault- http://access.vault.com/

Don’t forget we are here to help with your search. Stop by Hogan 203 to schedule an appointment today!

(Written by Melisa Jaquez ’06 )

 

Name: Caroline Morano

Class Year: 2017

Major: Psychology

Shadowing Visit Site: Koomar Center

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

For my job shadowing, I visited Erin Flynn, an Occupational Therapist, in Newton, MA. I arrived at the Koomar Center early in the morning and started my day by touring the facility, sitting in on a meeting, and helping Erin create a Twitter for the Center. It was really interesting to see the more administrative side of such an interactive profession. After lunch, I shadowed Erin, as she administered therapy to five different children. The children presented a variety of developmental delays and disorders and some had been coming to the Koomar Center for years. Right away, I was impressed with how the therapy seemed much more like playtime than work. The children directed much of the activity, and the therapists worked to facilitate movements and actions directed towards specific goals. The kids got to play in giant swings, swim through ball pits, crawl through tunnels, and scooter through the halls. I even got to jump on the trampoline with a few of the kids. It was so great to see how much the kids enjoyed receiving therapy, and it was especially rewarding to see how different sensory interventions soothed them. After each session, we debriefed the parents on the children’s progress during the day. I loved seeing how excited the parents became when Erin reported even a small improvement with the child’s behavior. It was clear to see why being an occupational therapist is regarded as such a rewarding profession.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?

This experience really helped me become more confident in pursuing a path in occupational therapy. Before shadowing, I had been interested in the field, but had little first hand experience with this intervention. After this experience, I found it  easy to imagine myself becoming passionate about administering occupational therapy to children. I definitely will continue to pursue the prerequisites required for graduate school at Holy Cross, and now plan to look into graduate programs.

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

Erin reminded me that it is fine to be unsure of your future and to not have a clear path for your profession. It was helpful to hear from a variety of staff at the Koomar Center that they toyed with different professions before choosing occupational therapy, and that there are many different ways to achieve a desired position in any field.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

I would, without a doubt, recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students. Holy Cross provides an excellent service to students and in my opinion, more people should take advantage of the opportunity. The AJSP is an easy way to get connected to alumni and really get a more refined view of what a day in a life of a profession really entails. This was overall a great experience!

Full Name: Andréa Pappey

Internship Company: Pearson Learning Solutions

Internship Position: Rights & Permissions Editorial Intern

Internship Location: Boston, MA

While looking for your internship, what services did you use at the Center for Career Development?  

I found the mock interviews to be extremely helpful before each interview I had. I used the mock interview service at the Center for Career Development for both phone and in-person interviews which helped immensely. The mock interviews not only helped me formulate answers to difficult questions, but they also helped me learn how to better articulate myself. I also came to the Center for Career Development for resumé and cover letter help, as well as general questions throughout my internship search.

What skills did you gain from your internship experience and how have they added to your professionalism?

Throughout my time at Pearson, I cultivated very strong time management, interpersonal, and negotiation skills. I believe that these skills will translate well into any career, and have helped me build a more professional reputation both in the workplace and my everyday life.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

After completing this internship, I’ve found that I definitely want to pursue a career with a lot of interpersonal interaction. One of my favorite parts of this job was calling different rights holders and negotiating fees and contracts with them.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to the future intern?

Be organized and communicative! This job is very deadline-driven and involves working with employees in different departments. Put everything into Google Calendar and make sure you are always following up and checking in with the other departments to make sure your projects are on track.

Overall, what was your most exciting experience at your internship?

The most exciting experience throughout my time at Pearson was speaking with some well-known authors on the phone. It was really interesting and rewarding to speak with authors from all over the world.

The following post was written by Lisa Samaraweera on LinkedIn Pulse.  Lisa joined us as a career counselor during the middle of the fall semester, while Maura Hume-Sweeney was on leave. Our students had the pleasure to meet with Lisa to discuss their career interests and goals, to critique their resumes and cover letters for jobs and internships, and to help them prepare for interviews.

I’ve spent the last month and a half covering a maternity leave at the College of the Holy Cross Center for Career Development in Worcester, MA. The experience has been truly enjoyable and engaging. The people (students, staff and faculty) who represent the community are just wonderful. Holy Cross is a special college, and there is an energy on campus that is both vibrant and serene at the same time.

Having worked at several different colleges over my career, I have to say that Holy Cross has really been my favorite – and almost entirely because the students are so unique. They are incredibly bright, articulate, service driven, determined and so polite! Day after day it is a joy to help them with their resumes, cover letters and interview prep.

Despite all of these wonderful attributes, I have noticed something interesting and unexpected – and that is despite their intellect and poise, they are also incredibly hesitant to trust in themselves. I see it each day – and each day I want to just reach out and give them a hug and say, “If you only knew how amazing you are! You’ve got this.”

I know this is true not just for Holy Cross students, but for students everywhere (and for adults…but that’s another post!) I’ve reflected on this, and while I write these parting words to the students of HC, I hope other students will read this too:

1) You Will Find No Answers

More specifically – you will find no answers if you continue to searchexternally. You are profoundly more resourceful and powerful than you know – and closer than you believe to harnessing this truth. Your career counselors, faculty, parents and friends will provide you with guidance – and you will seek it out (probably for the rest of your life) – but at the end of the day only you can make the choices that impact your future and career. You will ask for black and white answers from others, but you will always be left with shades of gray. You have to give into the gray. Trust yourself…no matter how scary it feels.

2) Trust Yourself – Trust the Journey

The more you trust yourself, the more you will begin to trust your journey. The choices you make now, unfortunately, will not wrap a tidy bow around your career and relieve you of future decisions, anxiety and uncertainty. You will continue to evolve, and grow, and seek out your destiny – it’s our human nature to do so. With this constant seeking, you will find yourself embarking down paths that are not clearly lit. Trust the journey. Everything you do now is setting you up for something in your future. You cannot move forward without the experiences you are living right in this moment. Trust that they all serve a purpose instead of judging them as “wrong” or “right”. If you do this, a weight will lift from your shoulders. I promise.

3) Everything You Need is Within You Now

Stop believing that the best you will appear AFTER you get that job, or AFTER you get into that grad school, or AFTER you get that interview. You. Right Now. In this moment. Hold POWER. You have everything you need inside of you to fill you to the brim with confidence and happiness and capability. You are limited only by the stories of doubt that you tell yourself. Tap into that feeling that fills the bottom of your belly when you feel passionate, and excited, and strong. That feeling is the energy within you that has been there since the moment you were born. You don’t need anyone’s permission to use that power. Give yourself permission to unleash it!

4) Continue to be Resourceful

It’s very possible that your first word was “Google.” You live in the information age. You are surrounded by incredible resources. Learn how to use them. While you won’t necessarily get those nice black and white answers from your online searches, you WILL learn and shed light on the possibilities in front of you. If you’re reading this you’ve made a profile on LinkedIn – awesome. Now go and do something useful with this incredible tool. I would have killed for LinkedIn when I was your age…you are CRAZY if you’re not using it for networking and research.

Thanks to all of the HC students who helped me remember that this career stuff is HARD. It feels crazy, and terrifying, and entirely out of control. I get it. I soooo get it. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up and I’m almost 40 years old….but you know what? I’m cool with that. I’ve realized that my job does not define me, and my career does not decide my worth.

So, here’s my “hug” to you – go out and CRUSH this career stuff.

You’ve got this.

 

 

Winter break is a time for you to relax, decompress and visit with family and friends. Those dreaded finals are
a distant memory! Once you’ve caught up on sleep and recharged your batteries, here are a few ways you can make the most of your time away from the hill.

• Focus on your summer internship search. Use winter break to identify the type of internship you are seeking and explore potential opportunities. There are many career exploration and internship search tools available on our website. The Center for Career Development is open during winter break so reach out to us for assistance. We can review resume and cover letter documents via email or set up time to meet via phone or Skype.
• Volunteer. Employers look for demonstrated interest in a particular field or industry. Volunteering is an effective way for you to gain exposure to an area that may be of interest to you. Seek out volunteer opportunities in your community that align with your interest areas.
• Network. The Holy Cross Alumni community is incredibly strong. Take advantage of it! Winter break is an ideal time to for you to find and reach out to Alumni in a role, company and/or field of interest to you. The Career Advisor Network and LinkedIn are two resources we encourage students to use to identify alumni to contact.
• Consider Summer Internship Funding. If you are considering an unpaid or underpaid internship for this summer, the Center for Career Development has limited funding available. Students need to apply for funding by January 31, 2016. Winter break is a perfect time for you to work on your application materials. More information about Summer Internship Funding can be found here.

Lastly, ENJOY winter break. It’s a time when you can step away from the busy day-to- day of student life to relax and re-energize. In addition to tackling some of the items outlined above I hope you find time to slow down, enjoy a home cooked meal, and spend quality time with family and friends.

(Written by Julie Draczynski ’99)

Full Name: Carson Marsh

Internship Company: WAE/MG Advisors

Internship Position:  Analyst

Internship Location: New York, NY

While looking for your internship, what services did you use at the Center for Career Development?  

I frequently visited the Center for Career Development throughout my entire internship search process to seek advice, assistance with my resume/cover letters, and attend different functions/workshops they hosted. I specifically met with Pam Ahearn, who is the the industry based career counselor for financial services and Wall Street. Ms. Ahearn helped me figure out how to best present myself to companies I was interested in, and she also answered my questions about the general recruiting process. Ms. Ahearn and I met regularly and I was able to keep her informed throughout my internship search process.

If you want to intern on Wall Street, you have to talk to specially to Ms. Ahearn. She and the rest of the Career Development staff are really helpful in scheduling mock interviews and going over my cover letters  and resume. The entire office is fantastic and I really appreciate all of their help with my internship search.

Are you involved in any of the COES clubs and/or programs? If yes, how did they help prepare you for your internship?

Yes, I am involved with the Holy Cross Pre-Business Program. I have participated in the Summer Business Program (SBP) and Finance Bootcamp. The SBP really opened my eyes into the world of business and showed me all of the opportunities available. These programs allowed me to learn how to effectively  network with other professionals. SBP showed me the many different career paths available within business. Once I realized I wanted to go into finance, I participated in the Finance Bootcamp. Here, I was able to visit banks and network with Holy Cross alumni, who were in charge of recruiting current students for summer internships. Additionally, Finance Bootcamp allowed me to experience firsthand the different career paths within finance such as private banking, sales, and trading and investment banking.

What skills did you gain from your internship experience and how have they added to your professionalism?

My internship at WAE/MG advisors helped me improve my analytical and quantitative abilities. During my internship, I honed my  Excel skills, drafted emails, and edited marketing materials. These jobs really improved my attention to detail, and ability to execute tasks as fast as possible with no margin for error. All of these skills made me a much more attractive candidate for the bulge bracket banks during Wall St. recruiting and I highly recommend applying to WAE/MG Advisors if one is trying to best position himself to get into investment banking or any career on Wall Street.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

When I started the internship, I was not really sure what area within finance I wanted to go into. But after working at WAE/MG Advisors, I decided that I wanted to go into investment banking. Also, being in the city presents an easy platform to network with alumni and learn about what they do. You can learn from them and that can help you decide what kind of career to pursue.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to the future intern?

This job has a lot of extremely random responsibilities and tasks so there is nothing you can do to prepare for them. Just go in with the mindset ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done and be able to multitask. Also, take advantage of being in the city and network with as many alumni as possible. This will set you up really well for Wall Street  recruiting.

Overall, what was your most exciting experience at your internship?

One time I got to sit in on a couple meetings with private equity firms. This was an incredible experience that is very hard to replicate elsewhere in business. Just watching my boss discuss business with the partners at the firm was very inspiring.

Full Name: Karina Sofia Camargo

Internship Company: ZinePak

Internship Position: Marketing/Journalism Intern

Internship Location: New York, New York

While looking for your internship, what services did you use at the Center for Career Development?  

As a member of SIP, I was able to receive email notifications of listings of internships offered. Since I was abroad, I was not able to physically walk into the Center, but I worked closely with much of the staff and communicated with them through email to make sure my resume and cover letters were in good shape.

Are you involved in any of the COES clubs and/or programs? If yes, how did they help prepare you for your internship?

As a first-year and sophomore, I tried my best to attend meetings of The Agency and SPIN, whenever I could. Every time I attended a meeting, especially during my freshman year, I learned something new, just because I had no idea what “networking” or “elevator pitches” were. These clubs allow you to become familiar with the basics of these industries in business and also make you aware of upcoming events and resources to then implement those skills in the real world. Sometimes they have mini-projects where you have to come up with a marketing campaign on campus and present your idea to the rest of the group. Experience with this allowed me to not be afraid at my internship to contribute my own ideas and speak up during brainstorming sessions for new products.

What skills did you gain from your internship experience and how have they added to your professionalism?

I became content marketing certified, and acquired the skills of business and blog writing. These two types of writing styles are  very different from academic writing that I tend to use more heavily as a Spanish/German double major. I was able to learn more about content/inbound marketing and how it connects brands/entertainers with their fans. Additionally, one of my biggest accomplishments was learning to navigating New York City. I am now proudly able to say that I can handle living and working in Manhattan.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This experience solidified my decision to pursue a career in media/entertainment, preferably with music, and specifically with a Hispanic focus. The co-founders (my bosses) have been really great and are willing to connect me with people they know who can help me, too. They have a lot of connections, including people who are heads of the Latin American divisions of other companies and they have introduced me to them, as well as have always been helpful in writing me recommendations or serving as references for any applications.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to the future intern?

One piece of advice I would give to a future intern would be to encourage them to integrate themselves into the company in any way they can. Don’t shy away from sharing your thoughts in brainstorm sessions, helping someone even if they didn’t ask you for help, or even forming a relationship with your coworkers. ZinePak is a small start-up comprised of 8 young women, so it’s easy to really get to know each one and make an effort to see how each of them contributes in a significantly different way to produce the end product. On my first day, one of my coworkers invited me to attend an event after work hours. I gladly accepted the invitation and was then able to learn about her, as well as the company in casual conversation preceding the event. When I went back at the end of the summer and asked for feedback from everyone, it turned out that this one decision of mine ended up having a positive impact on the rest of the team. My acceptance to their invitation showed them I was outgoing person and open to spend time out of the office with them.  

Overall, what was your most exciting experience at your internship?

Living in New York City was one of the most exciting parts of my internship experience! It amazes me that I was able to accomplish so much in two months. On the first day of my internship, a coworker invited me to the premiere of Magic Mike XXL. Another day at work, we all went to see Broadway in Bryant Park on our lunch break. I also won front row tickets to see a new Broadway play, Hamilton, written by and starring my favorite playwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Later in the summer, I was able to meet some famous people. I met one of my favorite Latin singers, Prince Royce, saw Candace Cameron (DJ Tanner on Full House) at a book signing, and attended a talk given by Salma Hayek. This summer in NYC was one of my greatest life experiences, because I was able to do things I could have never imagined.