Job Zone E-News Fall Issue

Job Zone E-News

Fall 2011 Issue: Services For You | Job Zone Tip: Setting Up Search Agents | Proper Conduct @ Work | Upcoming Events | Facebook Partnership Announcement

SERVICES FOR YOU

If you haven’t taken advantage of our services this school year yet – here is a quick overview of what we offer – personal job search advisement, resume critiques, job postings and on campus interviews, career events, work abroad and grad school information, and much more. (And all these great services and resources continue to be available for RIT alumni too). Check out our quick Services video on our YouTube Channel

JOB ZONE TIP: SETTING UP SEARCH AGENTS

Will you be searching for a co-op or full-time job this year? Schedule a search agent to run and "ping" you with new job postings! Using the search agent tool in Job Zone is one of the most effective ways for you learn about job opportunities.

How To:
1.       Login to Job Zone from the student page of our site.
2.       Go to ‘Jobs’/select ‘Advanced Search’/check Save As check box, pick your criteria (the less you pick the better) then Submit. (Now this search will show on Search Agent Tab under ‘Jobs’).
3.       On the ‘Jobs’ page go to the Search Agent tab. You will see your newly created agent. Next to it click on the Schedule button to turn it on to email you with newly posted jobs. You can also edit from here. 

You can create multiple agents. One of the best ways to use these agents is as a saved search -- just choose the Run button.

PROPER CONDUCT @ WORK

All those resumes, interviews, career Fairs and job search events are behind you and you got that great co-op job! Now it’s time to focus on making your co-op job turn into another success story for you by being aware of proper office etiquette. Follow some of the simple tips below to help you enhance your experience and be a good citizen at your company!

Dress to impress – Most companies will give you some sort of orientation and talk about the proper dress code, so if they tell you business or business casual – that’s what you wear. If you’re not sure, just look around you – does what you have on fit in with the attire of your supervisor or senior members? Start out on the formal side until you are on the job for a week or two and can observe what’s accepted. Things to avoid – bare feet, flip flops, see-through and clothing that’s too revealing, jeans, work-out clothes, shorts and tank tops. Dress for the job you want, not the one you’ve got!

Punctuality – Find out your assigned work hours and then come in on time and don’t leave before the agreed upon time.  If you are sick or unavoidably late, be sure to call in to let someone know. Never mind what your boss or “everyone else is doing” – stick to your hours – it will always come up at review time!

Company Culture – Getting the lay of the land is vital. Is the work environment casual or a little more formal? Do employees address managers by their first names or Mr. and Ms.? What are the rules about taking breaks, using Facebook and other social media during work or free time? Is listening to music with earphones on allowed while working? Remember, this is a place of business, not the dorm room, so if you’re not sure what is acceptable, ask your supervisor!

What else can I do? – If you’re not busy enough or just want to get more experience, ask what you can do next. Show them that you are a hard worker and take assignments seriously. Ask questions and absorb as much information and knowledge as you can to get the most out of your co-op. Try to get yourself included in meetings and projects – show initiative and go beyond the basic co-op tasks when you can.

Be respectful – We all have our opinions and in increasingly diverse workplaces, we don’t always agree. Listen carefully, act maturely and honor others ideas in a non- judgmental way. It may appear to be a dumb way to do things to you, but you may not be aware of the big picture and others may have been there awhile and have a lot more experience. Offering your ideas is fine, just always be respectful of the fact that many people bring many different perspectives.  

It’s confidential! –Intellectual property, trade secrets, company reports, etc. are all proprietary information. The same is true for all employee directories and email/address lists. Treat everything that you see and hear as though it is confidential - when in doubt, don’t share!

Check your ego – We all have to do things that sometimes seem below our skill level. Avoid the “it’s not my job” attitude and accept tasks willingly. The quicker you get the little stuff over with, the more time you have to focus on the more meaningful work. Do the best job you can no matter what is asked!

It’s company property - Everything from scotch tape, the copy machine to laptops belongs to the company and is not there for your personal use. Stick to the rules for use of company cars and travel expenses and always ask permission before using company equipment.

The grandma check – Always conduct yourself in a professional manner as though someone is watching you in and around the office.  Avoid gossip and involvement in “office politics”. Make efficient use of your time and personal calls and emails should not be made on company time. Emails and conversations (even though in perhaps an informal or social situation) should always contain clean language and you should never say anything that can’t be shared with everyone. If you wouldn’t do it or say it around grandma, don’t do it at work either!

FACEBOOK PARTNERSHIP
Last month, Facebook, the U.S. Department of Labor, DirectEmployers Association, NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies announced they have joined together to create the Social Jobs Partnership www.Facebook/socialjobs

The partnership’s goal is to leverage social networks to facilitate the employment of job-seeking Americans. 

They identified a number of initiatives they will undertake to achieve this goal, including: 

- Launching a central page on Facebook—facebook.com/socialjobs—that hosts resources and content designed to help job seekers and employers.

- Conducting in-depth research about the ways in which job seekers, college career centers, and work force recruiters are using the social web.

- Exploring and developing systems through which new job postings can be delivered virally through Facebook at no charge.

- Promoting existing government programs and resources for job hunters.

We’ll have to see where this goes, but it might be worth exploring.  Check out our Facebook page, for trends, career-related articles, events and more!

   

Rochester Institute of Technology Office of Co-op and Career Services

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