diaries of the candidates - genevieve
Profile | Resume | Diary

| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 |

Week 9
So, where do I go from here? I have thus far spent my semester connecting to employers in a variety of ways. This coming week, I have two more interviews. Beyond that, however, I will keep doing what I have been in the past – networking, writing to employers, keeping-up with the NY Times, etc. I am also optimistic that by the next semester the economy will pick-up a bit, and hopefully, more employers will be willing to hire students out of college. Consequently, I am looking forward to a new selection of employers on Mployment during Winter term.

I have learned several valuable lessons as a Candidate, but I would like to note two here. # 1: Job searching in this economy is tough. When the rejection letters pour-in, it is easy to blame yourself for what you said during an interview, wrote in a cover letter, etc. It is really important to keep in mind the number of people that are actually being hired versus the number being screened/interviewed. That brings me to # 2: Being discouraged can lead to apathy. However, one must persevere. Keep trying – keep looking, keep calling, keep begging – Do whatever it takes. All and all, try to stay positive about the situation.

I may not have a job by winter break as I originally had hoped, but that is okay too. My new aim is to have a job by graduation. Keep up with my journal updates next semester to see how things are going! I hope you've had as much fun following me a Candidate as I have had participating in it!
Best of luck!

Week 8

When it comes to job searching, my strategy has been to employ as many ways of searching as possible. My main search strategy has been networking, but that has been more difficult than I initially presumed. I did speak to a relative this week though who said she would compile a list of contacts within her company for me. I interviewed with her company two years ago for an internship position, so I already have a few contact names. It's a large and well-known organization in the pharmaceutical industry, and I enjoyed learning about the people, organization, and offices when I visited at the end of sophomore year.

Other strategies have included using the Internet to submit resumes to companies, Mploymentlink, and sending cover letters and resumes to organizations. This week, I also went online to my local newspaper's web site in New York. I applied to a Junior HR position, and was phoned for an initial telephone screening. They asked me a few questions (such as why I thought I would enjoy the position and what I knew about the organization), and then said that they would like to invite me to their East Coast office in February for interviewing.

However, if all else fails, my "last-resort" job search strategy will entail standing in the middle of Times Square with a sandwich board over my body that states, "I graduated from the University of Michigan. Please Hire Me!" You never know – It may just work.

Otherwise, this week has been pretty slow. I am really bogged-down with school work, and feel that I am running out of ideas for job searching in New York City. I did, however, go to the Career Center's library this week to research advertising/marketing agencies in New York City. I am thinking about revamping my resume for that industry, but I'm not really sure. I also had an interview with a technology company in Chicago that went pretty well. I am now anxiously waiting to see if I made it on to the bid lists for two organizations that I bid on through Mploymentlink. One is my dream job, so I hope they will give me an opportunity to interview with them.

Well, that's all for this week! See you next week!

Week 7

I have to take back what I said during week 1 about the Internet as a job search tool. This week, after submitting a resume online, I received a phone call and will be having a job interview over the telephone. The company is in New York, so I am really looking forward to speaking to them.
I also had two interviews this week. On Thursday evening I received a phone call from a small-sized consulting firm in Chicago to interview the next day. Although I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for the interview, I read their web site the night before. I really enjoyed this interview because it was not like the others I have been on. They had drinks and food at the interview, and the entire atmosphere was very comfortable. The conversation was more like a dialogue than an interview, and the interviewer made sure I learned a lot about the company. I think it went pretty well and I will know if I make Round 2 by November 1.

I spent a lot of time preparing for my other interview that was on Tuesday. I researched the company's web site, spoke to some current employees, had a mock interview, and practiced typical behavioral interview questions. I highly recommend thinking through situations before going into an interview. Although I did not receive a call for Round 2, preparing for this interview will definitely help me with others. One great web site for behavioral interviewing is provided by Quintesential Careers at http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/college_student_behavioral.html. You type answers to interview questions and then they send you the desired responses. I also HIGHLY recommend Interviews for Dummies for any interview, and Ace the Case, and the Vault Guide to the Case Interview if you are interested in consulting careers.

This week I also received a phone call for Round 2 to a company in Michigan. They will be sending me to their Headquarters for that round shortly. Well that's all for this week!

Week 6
Fall break managed to slow down the job search just a bit. I went home to New York, so most of my time was spent with my family and friends. In any case, this brings me to an important point. The semester can get really hectic between classes, work, extra-curricular activities, and whatever else you do. It's been really helpful for me to literally plan out time in my schedule to do my job search. Whether it's one hour a day or 10 hours in a week – plan it out. I feel like I've accomplished something after I spend the time each week to work on my job search. This way, the week doesn't fly by with the job search getting neglected!

This week, I also had an informational interview with one of the employees at a company that is coming to campus. Although she is from the Los Angeles office and the company is recruiting for their Midwest offices, she gave me a lot of insight into the company and answered all of my questions. I found her name from an e-networking site called Company of Friends (go to fastcompany.com and then sign-up for free for a program called Company of Friends – you can search for people by industry, location, or even company). Other great sites are Yahoo's interest boards and the U of M Alumni Network. I sent her an e-mail and told her that I am interested in her company, and that I would like to chat if she had the opportunity. She volunteered to speak with me, and I gave her a call. I prepared a set of questions to ask her with the help of sample questions listed on the U of M Alumni networking web site. I asked her, for example, "what her favorite and least favorite part of the job was," and "what the executive compensation and rewards group was like." It was a positive experience, and I feel more educated about the company.

Over Fall Break, I also found out that I was rejected from a lot of closed lists on M-Ployment. I was really disappointed, and tried to figure out reasons why I could have been rejected….was it my major? My lack of internship experience? I was selected for one more company's closed list, so perhaps I should look at the positive, but sometimes a pile of rejection letters really stinks! I'm also going to continue networking in New York, since this weekend made me realize that I'd like to be there the most. I won't discount other places, but New York is a great city!

Tomorrow, I have my mock interview and on Tuesday is the real thing with a consulting company. I am definitely going to give this one my all, and I'll let you know how it goes! See you next week!

Week 5
Presentations are a great opportunity to see what a company is like. I've attended a lot of presentations so far, and they have been so helpful. I attended a presentation on Tuesday evening for the company I interviewed with on Wednesday. Only 8 out of the 25 students who would be interviewing the next day showed up – Bonus points for me, I hope. Not to mention, the presentation helped me to see the specific traits they were looking for in a job applicant and to think through whether or not I would enjoy working there. I also attended a presentation from a consulting firm. I spoke to over eight alumni, and I am certain that is why I have good news for you this week.

So on to the good news – I'm on the closed list for a consulting firm I really would like to work for. My SAT scores did not make the cut-off, but for some reason, they added me to their closed list. I believe it is the overall interest I have in the company. I contacted the company over e-mail, and asked to speak with alumni from Michigan who work there. I also spoke to the employees at both the career fair and at their presentation. I am so excited – now, I have to learn how to conquer the case interview.

I read Wetfeet's Ace the Case and attempted to work through some of their sample cases. The main thing I feel I need to work on now is situational-type questions. No matter the industry, it seems that situational interviews are becoming more and more popular. My interview yesterday was like that, and I am sure I will be asked questions about past leadership activities, learning experiences, etc. when my consulting interview rolls around in just about a week. I am going to take advantage of the career center's mock interview resource in the coming week to get practice with some of these difficult questions.

This week I also went on a cover-letter sending spree. I sent my resume and cover letter out to nine companies that I am interested in working for. I had a difficult time obtaining the name of the recruiter or HR director. People over the phone were – let's just say – not so nice. I also tried to look-up the information via public records in the library, but that produced no results either. Unfortunately, I had to mail some cover letters addressed to the black hole: aka "Dear Recruiting Coordinator."
Lastly, I finally got a hold of my contact again at the consulting firm in New York. He asked for my resume (yeah) and passed it on to the recruiting department. He promised to let me know what they think. Let's hope we don't lose touch again.

That's all -- Have a great week!

Week 4

On the whole, career fair went really well. Speaking to employers from a variety of industries gave me a broader perspective of the types of jobs that are available this year. However, my best conversations were those where I got to know the people and not only the company. I had conversations ranging from space camp to telemarketing. No one wants to work in a company where you're miserable, so try your best to research the culture of each company.
So where do I go from here now that the career fair is over? The employers wrote notes on my resumes and we exchanged business cards. I am going to follow-up with some of the employers (probably via e-mail) to see if they will be willing to speak with me in greater detail about their companies. The truth, however, is that I secretly hope the employers will find me. That's just not reality. I can keep dreaming…
The rest of my week has been eventful as well. I attended two more consulting presentations and two case interview workshops. I was more prepared for this week's presentations, and as a result, more confident in my interactions with employers.
I've started to prepare for consulting interviews because most employers seem to be interviewing in the next two to three weeks. After practicing some case studies, I can now tell you why manhole covers are round. Perhaps, next week I'll be able to tell you how many barbers are in Chicago.
Lastly, I want to follow-up with my journal from week two where I discussed a connection to the consulting firm in NYC that I really want to work for. The person that I spoke to from the firm works in the Retirement area, and I am interested in more of the Rewards/Executive Compensation area. He passed me on to another woman, who did not return my emails. I then contacted my original contact and he didn't respond either! I think I am going to follow-up via telephone. I really don’t want to let this great contact go!
Well, have a great week! Check back next week – it seems like it's going to be a really exciting week!

Week 3
My feet are killing me. If I’m going to attend more employer presentations, I need a new pair of shoes (It really matters – be comfortable when you attend events like this!). Other than that, the employer presentation for a consulting firm on Tuesday went well. I learned a lot about the company and about strategy consulting in general. The main presenter encouraged us to speak with the employees who were present after the program was over. I was really apprehensive about it. I didn’t know what to say or how to act. I had to be brave though! I ended up speaking with three employees who shared their experiences. Moreover, I realized that as nervous as I was, they were just people too, who at some point in time were doing what I was. I had a good conversation with one of the Associate Consultants who majored in Social Studies at Harvard. It was reassuring to see that not everyone in consulting comes from the traditional business background. The company is also holding a case review study on Monday night that I’ll be attending. Tonight, I am off to yet another consulting presentation. After that, I’ll be going home to write thank you notes to everyone that I’ve spoken with in the past few days. It can’t hurt, right?
I went to Employer ReViews on Monday that helped me to fine tune my resume. I also continued to do more work on my cover letters this week. Since the career fair is coming up next week, I started to research employers that will be coming to the fair. I even had the opportunity to speak with a Michigan alum who works at one of the firms coming to the career fair. I still need to have my resumes Xeroxed and references put together before the fair. I am a little disappointed that more firms aren’t making the trip to Michigan from New York to recruit students, but that just proves that the career fair can only be one part of my search strategy.
I received an exciting E-mail this week. I have been selected for a closed list through M-Ployment. I am looking forward to my interview, which is in about two weeks. I’ll be researching that company and practicing interview questions in the weeks to come. Well, that’s all for this week!

Week 2
Welcome back! This week has gone by really quickly! I've mainly spent the past week working on job application materials. I used walk-in advising to have my resume critiqued. One valuable lesson I learned was to remove gendered language from my resume. I had the word "freshmen" on my resume, where more appropriately it should have been "first-year" students. I also started work on my cover letters this week. I found this task incredibly challenging because I want to target each specific employer. Doing so requires some time and research into the company. The best place to start is probably with the company's press releases, which are usually posted on the web. I'm planning to bring a few of my cover letters into walk-in advising next week.

I had my Strong test (one of the career assessment tests available through the Career Center) interpreted this week. I had taken the assessment test as a junior, but I was curious to see if some of my career interests had changed. The test presented just about the same results as the time before, which was reassuring for me. I am confident that working within the general area of business is where I should be.

I have some SEMI-exciting news this week. I say "semi-exciting" because this news hasn't granted me a job just yet, but seems to at least be leading in a good direction. Last week I mentioned sending out an E-mail to my family. Many of my relatives replied with potential contacts. However, my cousin who is only a few years older than I am replied with names of a few of her friends who are working in consulting, and said that she would be glad to pass my resume on to them. In addition to that, my cousin's boyfriend played a company soccer game against the company I REALLY want to work with in New York. Her boyfriend networked with the rivals, and I now have a contact at that firm. I E-mailed the contact at the firm, and he said that "the hardest part about consulting is getting your foot in the door, and I should be able to do that for you." We spent the week E-mailing back and forth, and although he is not in the same division as I would like to be, he produced another company contact for me. There'll be more to come in the following weeks about what comes out of this new contact. One of my fellow candidates also helped me with a contact this week. Her friend that graduated last year works at one of the firms I am looking in to. I plan to E-mail her this week. I am really getting in to this networking thing. It's a lot of fun, and according to many sources, one of the most effective job search strategies. 80% of jobs aren't advertised…..I'll just leave you with that thought.
In the coming week, I will be attending an employer presentation, the employer resume review and a workshop on behavioral interviewing. Have a great week, and I'll see you then!

Week 1
Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Since you'll have the opportunity to peek into my job search, I'd like to tell you a little bit more about myself – I'm a general studies major, outgoing and loud due to my East Coast upbringing, and love to ski and shop. During the week, if I'm not in class, I may be working at Telefund, studying at the Law Library or relaxing in the Diag with friends. On the weekend, I love to sleep late and go out. Since it's still nice out, Dominick's is my favorite pick right now. Anyways, as you may know, I'm slowly approaching 120 credits, at which point it'll be time for me to enter the "Real
World." Like my senior year of high school, I am again curious and excited to see where I will be the following year. And like senior year when I longed to be a Michigan Wolverine, I now have another ideal in mind of where I want to be.
My aspiration is to become a human resources consultant and work for a firm like Towers Perrin or Hay Group. I would like to be in New York, my hometown, or Chicago after I graduate, but I am open to new locations. Consulting engages me for several reasons. I have always loved to solve problems and think critically about the organizations I have been involved with. Consultants also have an energetic lifestyle filled with travel and new projects. In the future, I would like to earn my MBA and eventually make partner in a consulting firm. As for right now, however, I have to figure out how I am going to get
there.

Today I picked up a copy of The Daily on my way to class, and on the front cover I noticed an article: "Filling out applications online not reaping benefits, job seekers say." I didn't have to read any further. The article confirmed my job search plans. Although I will probably submit applications online, I feel that it is also important to employ many unconventional means in order to find a job. This summer, for example, I contacted the Alumni Association in NY and attended events such as the Financial Panel at Morgan Stanley. I have also been E-networking for the past few weeks. There are many web sites that include the names, email addresses, and companies that people work for. This past week, I networked with a consultant from McKinsey & Co., who gave me invaluable tips about interviewing, his career and the industry in general. Lastly, I started a letter-writing campaign this week by emailing my family and friends a copy of my resume and asking them to let me know if they know anyone or "anyone who knows anyone" in the industry that I could speak with.
Well, that's all for this week, but this is just the beginning of my search. Thanks for reading and I hope you'll join me in the weeks to come!