Career Portal The A Newsletter Supporting the Career Development of SUNY Orange Students Career Portal The A Newsletter Supporting the Career Development of SUNY Orange Students Good Luck to the graduating class of 2011! T T he staff at the Office of Career & Internship Services would like to extend best wishes to all our graduates. We share in your pride and congratulate you on your accomplishments. As a graduate of SUNY Orange you are poised to begin your future, and our office can be of assistance as you set out on your career path. Visit us any time to take advantage of the many services we offer. Caring professionals are here to answer your questions and guide you through the myriad of career information. Our services for alumni include resume assistance, interviewing help, networking tips, job market information, as well as part- time and full-time job postings. Your destiny is in your hands and you can create a future that includes a fulfilling career. Stop by our office at the Shepard Student Center, Room #227 and see how we can help. SUNY Orange Office of Career and Your Career Services Team Internship Services www.sunyorange.edu/careers careers@sunyorange.edu (845) 341-4444 Networking Strategies Featured Employer Career Advice from Learn the essentials of Crystal Run Village the Staff Middletown Campus networking and incor-is one of the county�s Career Services� staff George F. Shepard Student Center porate it into your job largest human services provides tips for career Room #227 search efforts. providers. Find out success. P2 what employee skill sets P3 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Internship Update are required to work at Upcoming Events 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Internships help stu-CRV and at other hu-Read about upcoming Wednesday: dents put theory into man service agencies. activities and work-8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. practice. Learn how one P3 shops that are scheduled student benefitted from for the remainder of the Newburgh Campus her internship. spring semester. Please call for hours P2 P4 Students Meet with PotentialEmployers at This Year�s Job Fair INSIDE THIS ISSUE Networking The essential job seeking tool, especially during tough economic times N N etworking, the art of building contacts, is among the most effective career development and job search techniques. It far outranks the more traditional job seeking tactics, checking and responding to want ads. Indeed, employers make their fewest hires through want ads and 80% of jobs are never even advertised. In fact, studies find that more than 60% of all people locate their jobs through a lead provided by a personal contact. So how do you start your networking plan? 1. Create your lists of contacts: friends, relatives, friends of parents; former co-workers, teachers, advisers; members of your church, civic, or social organizations; neighbors and classmates; former employers, members of professional organizations, and people who provide you with services. Don�t forget your Facebook and LinkedIn network. You get the idea. 2. Contact the people on your list in a systematic way. Tell them that you are looking for a job and be specific about what you are looking for and the skills and qualifications you have. 3. Present yourself well; be professional, courteous and enthusiastic. 4. Ask your contacts for job leads. If they have no job leads, ask them if they know of someone else who might know of an opening in your field. 5. Contact the referrals and ask them the same questions. If you do this consistently you will expand your network by hundreds of people. Eventually, someone will hire you or refer you to someone who will. Keep at it ! Internships Confirm Career Decision T T he Human Services Program said �it too is a residential facility for her conversations with the staff she is one of several programs at the mentally ill but in a much more leaned how to cope with the inevi- SUNY Orange that require students institutional setting and with residents table emotions brought about by deal- to complete an internship, or field ex-struggling with more severe mental ing with this type of population. perience, as part of the graduation re- Dr. Douglas Sanders, Professor in quirements. Vanessa French, a student the Behavioral Sciences Program at in the program, completed her field SUNY Orange and Director at the experience at Walden House, a group Rockland Psychiatric Center, pro- home for adults with dual diagno vided guidance to Vanessa while at ses, operated by Crystal Run Village her field placement. He took time out � our featured employer. Vanessa, of his busy day to �give me a better who wanted to work with people with sense of how a facility like this works mental illness, was able to engage the and in some cases, doesn�t work.� residents of Walden House and got to know their stories and struggles. Vanessa concludes that the field �The house staff was most accommo experience class �helped me narrow dating and gracious,� said Vanessa, down my field of interest, identify my �and allowed me to review case logs, strengths, and determine my educaevaluations, and monthly goals�. disorders.� tional goals.� It brought the theory The manager and assistant manager taught in her psychology classes to encouraged her to ask questions and At this placement Vanessa learned life. In prior classes she learned what made her feel like an equal, not just about the numerous amounts of a human service professional does, an intern. paperwork required in the human but in the field experience class she services field. By interacting with the learned how to do it, and how to do Vanessa�s second field placement was residents and reading case files, she it well. For Vanessa, the field experiat the Rockland Psychiatric Center got to know and experience the ef-ence class was invaluable. in Middletown. �Like the first,� she fects of mental illness. And, through Important Advice from your Career Services Team Featured Employer: CrySTAL ruN VILLAGe A A ccording to the Department of Labor, the health and human service industry�s occupational projections are expected to increase by 13.1% from 2008 to 2018 in NY State. Crystal Run Village, Inc., founded in 1959, is one of the local human service providers which employs approximately 850 people and serves more than 700 adults and children with developmental disabilities and spectrum disorders. The agency provides a number of services including residential, vocational and life skills development; service coordination; and case management. The agency operates 50 group homes and provides services to individuals living at home ethical judgment and are able to create relawith their families, in supported apartments, tionships of trust and mutual respect are most at their places of employment or at school. likely to advance within the organization. Crystal Run Village operates throughout The agency encourages their staff to pursue Orange, Sullivan and Rockland counties, a college degree and provides financial relief and the vast majority of its workforce, 80%, in the form of tuition reimbursement or tuprovides direct client support. ition deferment for course work at colleges. Direct Support Professionals comprise the Case managers and service coordinatorsmajority of the agency�s entry level hiring. must have a bachelors degree. The agency Minimum qualifications for direct support has a combined nursing staff of 21 RNs and professionals are a high school diploma or LPNs. Other positions include social work- GED, a valid driver�s license, and passing ers, individuals with accounting, bookkeepof a background check. Although experience ing and quality assurance skills. Executivein the human services field is not necessar-level staff is expected to have graduate or ily required for employment, having such doctorate degrees. work experience or knowing someone with a developmental disability is a plus, as is Ms. Cirillo states that individuals pursingthe completion of relevant college course a career in developmental disability serwork. According to Laurie Cirillo, Associate vices must work not only with their heads, Executive Director of Human Resources, the but with their hearts and hands. Providingagency seeks people who are flexible, have personal assistance is not custodial care, itgood interpersonal skills, are computer liter-is about helping an individual to developate, and communicate well both verbally and and live to his or her full capacity throughin writing. personal relationships and experiences as a community member. Many aspects of Bailey Hooper, a 2010 SUNY Orange gradu-working in the human services field are difate has been working at CRV since 2007 ficult due to governmental regulations andas a Direct Support Professional. She says policies. The amount of documentation can the mentoring is what she likes best about be overwhelming. There is a lot of observaher job. �I really help these guys on a daily tion, data collection, accurate reporting andbasis,� said Bailey. �It is very rewarding record keeping that must be submitted toknowing that.� appropriate sources in a timely fashion. The agency encourages qualified employees If you want to help others and make a difto apply for open positions. Ms. Cirillo states ference in someone else�s life, you might that employees who are willing to be em-want to consider employment in the humanpowered and accept responsibility, who have services field. When Networking, Prepare a 60second �Elevator Speech� When networking have your 60second elevator speech ready. This mini commercial should explain yourknowledge, skills and abilities and letthe listener know what type of workyou are looking for. Be prepared to back up your skills and abilitieswith concrete examples during aninterview. Petra Wege-Beers, Director Be Willing to Accept a Part-Time Position In this job market, it is important torealize that jobs, even entry-levelpositions, are not going to fall intoyour lap! If that full-time job youhave been wishing for is practicallynonexistent, even for the experienced candidate, then what are youroptions? Unemployment? Giving upyour dream? Not so. Part-time work is an answer to getting some vital work experience anda way to help pay off those pesky bills. You might even be able to work multiple positions while you honethose customer service, communication, management, and instructionalskills you know you have plenty of, but you need a chance to show themto an employer! Even if the full-time job you so desperately want has not yet opened, itwill do you no harm to work within apart-time arrangement. It looks greaton your resume and your work skillswill just improve with practice. You�ll be so much more ready for that full- time position when it appears! Linda Newman, Career Development Specialist Your Resume Should Target the Position You Apply For Tailor your resume to the specific job you�re seeking, and incorporaterelevant key words from the jobdescription into your resume. Irma O�Dowd Clerk Direct Support Professional Bailey Hooper with RobertMorrison and John Wisniewski. With her assistance, the men have full lives in the community. CAREER BLUNDERS Can bad spelling be a career destroyer? Yes, it can. It can even cause an interviewer to discount your candidacy for an interview because poor spelling indicates several things including laziness, carelessness, low quality work, and indifference to making the right impression. SeniorSLooking for a job? Come register on our on- line job bank � the Career Portal. Local and regional employers list entry-level, as well as career track positions there. Go to www.sunyorange.edu/ca- reers, click on the Career Portal door image at the bottom of the page, and register for access to over 100 jobs. JOB FAIRS COMING IN 2011 Orange County Job Fair to be held on Wednesday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Galleria Mall in Middletown, NY. Free Summer Webinar Series to built your Job Search Skills! For graduates only! Participate in Career Marathon Day on June 9 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and pickup tips, ideas and best practices that will make you stand out from the crowd. See how LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can help you build a network and search for a job. Learn to build your brand, handle tough interview questions, know which job boards to use and how to network. Only 5,000 connections available nationally. Register immediately at: www.talentmarks.com/Webinar/GRAD_Summer_Webinars. aspx What you don�t know will cost you interviews and jobs. The Career Center provides access to top career gurus. Come pick up the latest information on proven job search techniques. Attend one presentation or all. April 27 Mark Goulston Listening May 5 Devora Zack Networking May 11 Peter Weddle Career Strategy May 18 Martin Yate Job Search Where: Career Center, Room 227 George Shepard Bldg. Time: 3 to 4 p.m. Career Webinar SerieS www.sunyorange.edu/careers You do yourself no kindness when you try to communicate that you pay attention to detail, but your resume says that you pay �atention to detail.� An error-free cover letter and resume can suggest that your communication skills are �right on target.� Good grammar and usage and spelling can also imply intelligence and that you are educated and capable of representing an organization well.