October is....

National Disability Employment Month

Please visit http://studentaffairs.shu.edu/career/students-undergrad-dss.html for more information regarding career opportunities for students with disabilities.

For information regarding eligibility and criteria for Disability Support Services (DSS) at Seton Hall please visit http://studentaffairs.shu.edu/dss/

Employers Have MySpace/Facebook Accounts?

As a first year student at Seton Hall University you are among a college population that relies heavily on internet social sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, and/or Friendster, to name a few.

What may be unknown to most students is that these sites have been of interest to potential employers, providing them an opportunity to access "more information about the applicant." For example, employees who have recently graduated often retain their college e-mail addresses, which enable them to view pages on Facebook.

“Sometimes, too, companies ask college students working as interns to perform online background checks, said Patricia Rose, the director of career services at the University of Pennsylvania (source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/us/11recruit.html?ex=1307678400&en=ddfbe1e3b386090b&ei=5090). MySpace, on the other hand, is the 3rd most visited U.S. website with an average age of a MySpace user to be thirty five years old. Employers performing searches to find revealing photos and explicit “friend comments” may think twice about the status of your application.

According to Alan Finder (2006) this has been going on for quite a while. Many companies that recruit on college campuses have been using search engines like Google and Yahoo for a long time to conduct background checks, but now the focus has been shifted to internet social sites, as they provide more information (source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/us/11recruit.html?ex=1307678400&en=ddfbe1e3b386090b&ei=5090).

The other perspective to consider is that these sites can be used in a positive way, as a means of exposure. “Use them to your advantage…learn how to manage your social network accounts to showcase your strengths, avoid pitfalls and maximize your professional visibility” says Elaine Young, faculty member at Champlain College (source: http://www.champlain.edu/news/news_display.php?article=05-07-07a.php). The main concern is to be aware of the “cyberspace visibility." It is important to monitor your account and how you may be portraying yourself to a future employer.

Why is November So Important?

As you may or may not know, the month of November is a very special month. Of course, there are some well known days in November, like Veterans' Day and Thanksgiving, but something not everyone knows is that the ENTIRE month of November at Seton Hall is devoted to Career Development. Let's see why November is something you should remember...

Now, you may be asking yourself "why does this matter, I'm going to be a freshman," or "November is not for another three months." However, Career Development month does concern you as a first year student. In fact, as a first year student it is a requirement to attend at least one program offered by the Career Center.

The good news is that there are many events to choose from and they are all excellent sources of information. For example, have you ever wanted to hear the unbiased facts straight from a professional in your field of interest? You may be interested in the Real Deal Series. Would you like to hear what a fellow SHU student who is in your major, but a couple years ahead has to say? Come check out Major Quest. There are many more events, including a showing of an excellent fim related to the challenges of finding a career that fits who you are. A detailed description of all the Career Center's events can be found at: http://studentaffairs.shu.edu/career/cdm2007.pdf.

Before your schedule gets "too busy" in the Fall, you may want to consider thinking about "My Career, My Community, My Calling." This is an easy contest that answers the question: "How does my personal experience of calling and community impact my career choice?" Two first place winners will earn $100.00 each, and another two will receive $50.00, which will be added dierctly to your Pirate Gold account. The essay is not due until November 20, 2007 to the Career Center. All freshman are encouraged to enter.