Business Fellows Experience
Have you found your Business Fellows experience beneficial? Do you know students who might be interested in the program? Help the Career Center promote Business Fellows by sharing information about the program and your experiences with your friends and classmates. Business Fellows team members must be juniors, seniors, or graduate students. Additional information and the application for the 2006-2007 projects can be found at http://www.bsu.edu/students/careers/fellows/students/stdntinfo/.

The 2006-07 projects will be announced by the end of April. Help other students gain practical real life experience as part of Business Fellows.

Finding and Applying for Summer Jobs, Internships, or Full-time Jobs
When applying for jobs keep in mind that e mployers look at your major when considering your application, mainly because your major helps the employer determine the skills you'd bring to the organization. But other factors, especially your relevant experience, play a large part in the final decision.
A recent poll determined the top ten characteristics corporate recruiters look for, which can be found in students with any major:

• Communication skills
• Honesty/integrity
• Teamwork skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Motivation/initiative
• Strong work ethic
• Analytical skills
• Flexibility/adaptability
• Computer skills
• Self-confidence

Additionally, serving as an intern can provide specialization and work experience that may be relevant to your dream job. As summer rolls around, consider the option of interning as a way to get your foot in the door to the job you want to land. Internships, certain volunteer experiences, and even job shadowing can provide you with experiences that can help you define your career path.

As part of your job search, be sure to conduct research on companies that interest you. Company Web sites may contain such useful information as the missions, goals, and objectives of the organizations. They might also include advertisements or slogans that provide clues into the companies’ true natures. Be sure to talk to other people in the industry for their impressions of the organizations. If you have an opportunity to visit the organizations you may be able to pick up clues through decorations, office layout, or office design. This information should provide a basic feel for the place you might one day work.

Finding Your Summer Job
Jen Bowers, Business Fellows Career Assistant
As the spring semester rapidly comes to a close, the next challenge is securing a place of employment for the summer. As each year of education progresses, the need to find a job that could lead to a career becomes more and more pertinent. By going on my own job hunt, I have discovered quite a bit about the best ways to go about it.

First, narrow down the area where you would like to find a job. You should decide how far you are willing to commute or if you are willing to relocate. Find out what towns and cities are in the area you are considering then start your pursuit of finding a job.

Once you have figured out your location options, start researching businesses in the areas that appeal to you. If you have some companies in mind, call and simply ask if they currently have openings or if they are anticipating any openings for the summer. For the most up-to-date answer, it is best to speak with the manager, director, or human resources recruiter to narrow down the number of applications you have to fill out and get your name out to companies if they are in fact hiring. Another thing to consider when researching companies is to find out how they fill full-time professional positions. This is a critical aspect to consider when searching for a future employer. Some companies will hire from within, while others will recruit outside their business. A company that hires from within would be extremely beneficial to someone just starting out in the field. A company that hires from within will promote current employees rather than find new employees to fill high status positions. Even a summer job could turn into a career with that employer.

Be sure to have your résumé up-to-date. You will need to adjust it to highlight appropriate experiences for each job you apply for. The Ball State Career Center is a great place to visit if you need help organizing your résumé in a way that will catch employers’ attention.

Internet Job Search
While being able to search online for jobs has become much easier than in the past, there are even better ways to increase your options and odds of landing a dream job using the Internet. The links below are great resources for career seekers. Not only can you view open positions in companies across the United States, you can also post your résumé so that potential employers see your qualifications at the click of a button. A lot of opportunities could come your way that you might not have found otherwise. You could be on your way to multiple job opportunities with minimal effort.

Resources:
www.hotjobs.com
www.monster.com
www.allretailjobs.com
www.careerbuilder.com
Cardinal View Jobs (both on- and off-campus job listings as well as assistantships)
http://www.bsu.edu/webapps/viewjobs/Default.asp

Fun things to do in Indiana
What are some fun things to do in Indiana? Click on these links:
Here's a Web site that gives you a lot of suggestions about cool things to do in Indiana.
www.visitindiana.net

Conner Prairie is a great place to go when you're in the Indianapolis area. It's a living-history museum that lets you see how people really lived in Indiana in 1836. You can also visit the Lenape Indian village and fur-trading post. This part of Conner Prairie gives you a look at even earlier days in frontier Indiana.
www.connerprairie.org

This site features information about theme parks, amusement parks, and other places to have fun.
themepark.city.com

Think museums are stuffy and boring? Think again! The Children's Museum of Indianapolis was named the No. 1 Children's Museum by Child magazine.
www.childrensmuseum.org

Here's another cool Indianapolis attraction, the Indianapolis zoo.
www.indyzoo.com

You have a degree! So who’s hiring?
Graduation is only a few months away for many college students, and once the ceremonies end, that “real world” experience we have all been hearing about will kick in. This is where the true journey for the ideal job begins. At this point in your development, it is time to shift your focus from hitting the books to hitting the streets, résumé in hand.
Fortunately for graduates, j ob prospects look encouraging, as employers plan to hire 14.5 percent more new college grads this year than last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). In addition, new grads can expect to collect higher starting salaries this year. That is great news for graduates who are ready to start paying back those college loans.

So what jobs are most in demand and how much are they offering? Here are the top jobs for 2005-06 bachelor's degree graduates according to NACE's Winter 2006 Salary Survey:
1. Private Accounting
Average Starting Salary: $44,111
2. Entry-Level Management Trainee
Average Starting Salary: $38,790
3. Sales
Average Starting Salary: $38,402
4. Design/Construction Engineering
Average Starting Salary: $47,986
5. Financial/Treasury Analysis
Average Starting Salary: $46,138
6. Public Accounting
Average Starting Salary: $44,287
7. Project Engineering
Average Starting Salary: $49,653
8. Teaching
Average Starting Salary: $29,016
9. Consulting
Average Starting Salary: $50,460
Compiled by Kate Lorenz, advice editor for CareerBuilder.com.