As we begin a new year, we are also beginning to review and revamp how we’ll be handling our social media outreach.  It’s been a great deal of fun launching and writing our No Bull Zone blog and we hope you’ve enjoyed the posts.   However, so that we are strategic and leverage all aspects of social media in getting the word out to you about what is happening in the Career Center, we have made the decision to place our blog on hiatus, beginning January 31^st.   Thank you for visiting our blog and once we have our social media communication plan in place, we’ll be back!  

But don’t worry…you can still keep up with our upcoming events.  Just check out our Career Center website, www.career.usf.edu for the latest activities, career information, and events.    Here is a brief list of our upcoming events –

• Jan. 26^th – Drop-by Resume Critiques from local recruiters and Career Center Counselors from 10am-3pm at the Career Center (SVC 2088)
• Feb. 2^nd & 3^rd – Career Networking Fair from 10am-3pm at the Marshall Student Center Ballroom
• Feb. 24^th – Public Service Career Fair from 11am-3pm at the Marshall Student Center Ballroom
• March 3^rd – Professional Etiquette Dinner (Tickets can be purchased from Feb. 9^th -25^th at the Career Center (SVC 2088)
• March 11^th – Big East Career Fair from 10am-3pm at the Madison Square Garden in New York City
• March 31^st – Part Time Job Fair from 10am-2pm at the Student Services Breezeway
• May 12^th – Statewide Job Fair from 10am-3pm at the University of Central Florida Arena (Orlando, FL)

The term ROWE was coined in 2003 by Ressler and Thompson and its use at Best Buy has resulted in a voluntary turnover rate reduction of 22% to only 2%.  Further, it increased the turnover rate of those not producing to 77%.

In practice, at least at Best Buy, it appears the strategy has been successful in rewarding top producers and terminating those who fail to produce.

In a ROWE, everyone is evaluated based upon what they accomplish, rather than how much time they spend on work-related tasks.  The advantages of this type of work environment are obvious:  no more clock-watching, no more micro-management, no more potential car wrecks as you fight traffic to get to work on time, and no more guilt.  The potential disadvantages, however, are less obvious:  struggling to produce, working more often in order to get the work done, struggling with time management, and feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of production.

For now, however, it appears the best work setting for a ROWE is an office.  But, as the world’s services and business operations become more virtual, it is possible ROWE will become an increasingly viable management philosophy.

Take this brief quiz to see if a ROWE is right for you.

1. Which of these describes you best?
   1. I just need to know the goal and I can figure out how to complete the task
   2. I need specific instructions to complete a task
2. Managing time is:
   1. Easy for me
   2. Difficult for me
3. I function best when:
   1. I have flexibility in my schedule and it changes regularly
   2. I have a routine 
4. I prefer a boss:
   1. Who provides general guidance, but is rarely specific
   2. Who provides structured guidance and directs my work
5. In college:
   1. I started my assignments early and moved on to the next one
   2. I procrastinated until the last minute and did just what was needed to pass

If you scored mostly 1s, a ROWE environment might be right for you.

If you scored mostly 2s, a ROWE environment may not be the best fit for you.

I would like to introduce myself as a person who has a great deal of self belief and one who follows his heart and chases his dreams. There are a couple of life changing experiences that I have had, which made me believe that, if you have the desire and the will to achieve something, then nothing can stop you.
In order to understand these key moments of my life, we need to go back a couple of decades. It was September 1990 when I witnessed my elder brothers awake at late night, watching a sport that had two men smashing balls across a low height net, and the scores of that match went from 15 to 30 to 40.Being a seven year old kid, I was totally dazed as to what was happening. It was the US Open Tennis, men’s singles final. That was the beginning of my affection towards sports, and more so towards tennis.
Years went by and I started keeping track of the sport, the players and the statistics involved. After completing my junior school, I went for a Bachelor’s in Chemistry in 2001, away from home. Being alone and away from the family I found comfort in spending time writing about tennis on various websites. As with any tennis fan, I had my favorites. Top of the list was Martina Hingis. I was so much in love with writing on tennis that I wanted to shift gears and be a professional tennis reporter. But having gone so far in one career, it was hard for me to change tracks, and even harder to convince my parents, who wanted me to become something big in the field I was in. Hence my studies and posts on tennis went on simultaneously, but I kept a desire to achieve something in the field of online sports reporting.
It was mid 2004 and through the Martina Hingis unofficial fan site, www.hingis.org, I got a job as an online tennis reporter for teamwta.com. A dream had come true. Here I was, taking online interviews of players, whom I use to follow as a fan. Analyzing tournaments and matches, whereas before I use to read analysis of others. Felt like I was in the box seat.
Although this experience may not sound very dramatic, but for a person like me, who was born and brought up in a society where people valued engineers and doctors, compared to an online journalist, to have been able to realize the dream of one day reporting on something which I loved watching, has been a life changing experience. I worked for the website for about a year.
The second critical moment of my life is very much linked to the one above.
During the intervening period between me finishing the tenure at teamwta.com and pursuing further studies and a job into management, I realized that I was missing being a part of the sports fraternity. Hence I decided to move on with my life and researched for a place where I could get best of both worlds. That is to reach a city where I can further my knowledge and skills for the work I was doing, and at the same time have a shot at tennis reporting once again.

I zeroed in on Tampa. Why? The answer lies in one name, Nick Bollettieri. During all these years of following tennis, from Agassi to Courier, from Hingis to Nicole Vaidisova, the name of Bollettieri featured as common. I found out that his academy is just 50 miles from Tampa, and the cream of this sport reach there at some point of their career to seek guidance. Hence I regarded the academy as a hub for tennis.
But, now came the difficult part, getting through all the tests and interviews in order to be at one of the universities at Tampa. It became even tougher when I messed up the GMAT. Everyone around me told that Tampa was beyond me, but I did not give up and gave my heart and soul in order to clear all the hurdles. After toiling through for about a year, I managed to do what many around me thought, was unachievable. I am at the University of South Florida in Tampa and am living my dream.
To conclude, I have some words for those who have dreams but are afraid of chasing them. Guys, just do not give up, no matter who you are or where you are from, just give your best shot at realizing your dreams and I assure you, more often than not, you will be successful.

The first step to conducting an informational interview is determining who you would like to interview.  You can decide this by examining your personal and professional network which would include your friends, family, professors, co-workers, current or former supervisors, etc.  Are there any individuals in your circle that hold positions that you aspire to be in or do they work for organizations that you’re interested in working for?  These are good starting points.  Other people to look to for informational interviews are alumni, professional organizations, and company recruiters who attend the career fairs.

The next step would be requesting a meeting which can be done by calling or emailing the person that you would like to interview.  When requesting the meeting, you’ll want to introduce yourself, let them know how you received their contact information, and your intentions of the informational interview.  The best case scenario would be to hold a face-to-face informational interview but that does not always work out.  The interviewee may have a busy schedule so may only be able to have the interview over the phone or even through email.  Whichever situation works out, be grateful to the interviewee for their time and the invaluable information that they would be sharing with you.

Before the interview make sure that you prepare a list of goals for the meeting and gear you questions towards achieving the outcomes.   What do you want to know?  Why did you choose this person to interview?  What kind of information were you hoping that this person would be able to share with you? Also, you should strive for no more than a twenty – thirty minute meeting to respect the interviewee’s time. 

During the interview, it is important that you conduct yourself as if it were a professional interview.  You will want to arrive early and dress professionally.  Bring your questions and take notes.  After the meeting, be sure to send a thank you card to the interviewee.

It’s important to know that you can do as many or as little informational interviews that you want.  The goal is to get as much information to make informed decisions about your career.

Good luck!

However, my summer as an OTL turned my world upside down. I was presented with a career option I never really knew existed. Being an OTL was fun and fulfilling and made me feel great about myself and about helping others. It was like a whole new world opened up right before my eyes! I knew then, where I truly was meant to be: Higher Education and Student Affairs. I did a lot of soul searching that summer trying to figure out if I was making the right career choice for me. I was terrified to give up architecture and possibly make the wrong decision, but I was even more terrified to determine the rest of my life according that what my dad’s dream was. I wanted to honor his memory. I wanted to become what he always wanted to be. I wanted to be able to do what he couldn’t. But, ultimately, I had to choose what was right for me.

I switched my major to Psychology that summer and deferred my admission into the College of Architecture and Community Design. After the summer ended I began new classes and another new job working as a Student Assistant in the Office of Orientation. I have been thrown into an even bigger world of Student Affairs. I’ve been answering phone calls with question after question. I have been helping put together OTL recruiting programs and training manuals and materials. I have just begun working with the Orientation Advisory Board to help make orientation the best it can be. I have been appointed to Dr. Meningall’s Circle of Student Advisors. I have been attending student affairs information sessions, asking my bosses tons of questions and researching graduate programs all over the U.S. I am in a whirlwind of orientation and student affairs and I could not be any happier. This was absolutely the right decision for me and I am never looking back.

I do still hope to build that house for Daddy one day. I may not be the architect and I may not be the “official” designer, but I’ll hire someone I know and trust and I will do all that I can to make his dream come true.

The virtual fair will be live on November 10^th from 10am -5pm and “on-demand” from 5pm November 10^th through November 19^th.  At the live fair, you can conduct a live chat session with employers, network with peers, view and apply for positions, participate in live video interviews with employers who have invited you to interview, and upload your resume.  During the “on demand” days, recruiters may or may not be online, however you can still visit employer booths, view and apply for jobs, submit your resume, and send recruiters messages. 

To participate, follow these simple steps: 

Step 1: Register for the Virtual Fair and view the list of participating employers at www.career.usf.edu.

Step 2: You will receive registration confirmation by email.

Step 3: Login on the day of the Live Fair or “on-demand” days.

Registered participants will be entered into a drawing for an Apple iPad!  Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to network with employers! 

Good luck!

A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft held an information session on the USF campus which drew a large crowd.  Alicia Bower, Microsoft’s National Recruiter, provided valuable information to students about their software and hardware development full time and internship opportunities.  Over 140 students listened attentively as Alicia shared useful information about the application process and their unique and fun work culture.

Information sessions are a great way to network with current employees  and learn more about an organization.  During the information session, companies typically share information about their career opportunities, benefits, and interview process.  Before you attend an information session, be sure to do the following: 

• Research the company by reviewing their website or conducting a web search.  Focus on what you want in a job and a company.  Get a sense of what they do, their mission, types of position they hire, etc.  When you attend the information session, pay close attention to any information that gives you an indication on whether or not this company would be a good fit. 
• Prepare your elevator speech.  An elevator speech is a brief (30 second to 1 minute) introduction of yourself that helps anyone know who your are and and overview of your skills and goals.  Once you’ve prepared your elevator speech, practice it and become comfortable saying it.
• Also, don’t forget to dress professionally and be on time.

Here are some upcoming information sessions that you won’t want to miss:

• Department of State –Thursday, October 21^st from 1pm-4pm at BSN 225
• Target –Tuesday, October 26^th from 5pm-6pm at BSN 111

Good Luck!

1. When preparing for an interview, which of the following should you AVOID?
A. Prepare extra copies of your resume
B. Dress in a coordinated business suit
C. Research the company
D. Contact the employer to inquire about salary, benefits, and whether you will have an office with a window

2. All of the following are true about your resume EXCEPT:
A. In general, a resume should be 1 page only for an entry-level position
B. A resume should include your Facebook relationship status, interests, astrological sign, and all the pages you like
C. A resume is your opportunity to sell yourself
D. Formatting should be consistent throughout your resume

3. Which of the following is the MOST important thing you should ensure is accomplished in your cover letter:
A. Introduce yourself and your skills
B. Provide a proper greeting and salutation
C. Review the job description and outline the skills requested that you possess
D. Format appropriately
E. Explain what days you are not available to work due to animal care needs
F. A – D
G. All of the above

4. Which of the following is NOT true of a good interview:
A. Interview candidate had a firm handshake and good eye contact
B. Interview candidate answered questions directly and concisely
C. Interview candidate walked into the CEO’s office and said “I’m just checking out my future digs”
D. Interview candidate was able to provide examples of their experience

5. Which of the following tools IS NOT a good tool for researching the company?
A. LinkedIn/Facebook/Other Social Networking tools
B. Internet/Company’s Website
C. Informational Interview
D. Word of Mouth
E. USF Career Center Resource Room & Internet Resources
F. Posing as a UPS professional in order to meet with the hiring manager

Answers:
1. D
2. B
3. F
4. C
5. F

Was your SCORE not what you expected? Consider making an appointment with a Career Counselor to go over your interviewing skills or discuss your overall job search strategy. Call 813-974-2171 to make an appointment today.

Happy Job Searching!

At the end of the fall semester of my sophomore year, I switched my major from chemical engineering to magazine journalism. I was 80 percent finished with my general requirement courses, and was on my way to begin the core courses within the journalism major. I was looking at the beginning of my future, wondering how I was going to make it to what lay after graduation, and if I would even want it once I found it.

Junior year rolled around, bringing with it more challenging courses and leaving me without a real connection into the journalism world-or so I thought. Then, two things happened at once: I started scrapbooking with my mom and my mom’s friend Sheryl Vitelli was laid off from her job. Now, how do these two seemingly insignificant things relate to my career as a journalist? It’s simple, although I didn’t see it at first either: Sheryl ended up getting a job at FOCUS Magazine as a sales consultant and I was able to network with her at my mom’s scrapbooking parties.

I remember mentioning to Sheryl that I was going to school to be a writer. She had just started her job at FOCUS and said that she would look into any internships that they offered. Little did I know that this remark of mine would stay lodged into her brain, only to free itself one day many months down the road when her manager would ask if she knows any writers.

So one day I get a call. A call that would forever change my outlook on college, on life, on the benefits of networking with anyone and everyone you meet. Susan Riff, a manager at FOCUS Magazine calls me, says Sheryl mentioned that I was a writer, and that FOCUS wants me-me!- to write for them. I was completely blown away. I was excited and nervous, I felt like there were butterflies swimming around inside my body, just waiting to burst out with excitement.

At this moment, I knew that the only reason that I had been offered this job was because I had networked with Sheryl-however blindly it may have been- and was given a chance to prove my want to be a writer. Networking had helped me start writing for an established news outlet and would help me enhance my experience as a writer.

Once I began writing, I realized that people want to talk to you, especially once they find out you’re a writer. My experience as a writer so far is that a journalist gets to venture out into the community and ask questions about what’s going on around them. I get to be a facilitator of free PR, offering coverage of people and events that I find interesting in my daily trolling around my community.

USF Professor Randy Miller told my class that to write a story, you have to unleash your inner seven year old; you need to get curious about the world around you. Being a writer pushes you, it’s challenging. I often find myself banging my head up against the wall, chewing off pen caps- but, I love it. I have never found more enjoyment in my work-if you can even call doing something you love work- than when I’m out covering a story, or when I’m back at home writing about it.

So, who am I? I’m a student, a server, and a writer. But more than that, I’m a person. A person who knows that you will never meet two people who are the same, that everyone has a story to tell, and that each story you hear is a chance to connect with that person and create lasting relationships that you can build a foundation for your life off of. Networking isn’t just about getting contacts in the business world, it’s about building a relationship out of those contacts and connecting with people within your community.

Brittany Cerny

AT&T

Bibb County School District

CH Robinson Worldwide

ConnectWise

Deloitte

Dillards Department Stores

Enterprise Holdings

Ernst & Young

Geico

KPMG

Mass Mutual/Levin Financial Group

Mutual of Omaha

Naval Surface Warfare Center

Nextera Energy, Inc.

PCL Civil Constructors

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Progress Energy

Prudential

Raymon James

Raytheon

Sherwin-Williams

Target

Tech Data

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corp.

The Nielsen Company

Veterans Health Administration

Vocational Rehabilition