Upload your resume onto your profile- Make sure you get it reviewed by one of our CSER career counselors before you post it!
Fill out your job preferences.
Add experiences to your profile.
Fill out your skills section completely.
Add a photo to your profile.
Download the Handshake app to update your profile on the go!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
Send a thank you note 24 hours after an interview.
Send one 1-2 days after a networking event or activity.
Make sure you spell all names correctly!
You can send a thank you note after landing a job or internship.
A handwritten note is better than a generic email.
Make sure the note is genuine!
Download the Handshake app to send your thank you notes on the go!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
Some may say it looks like the show “The Office”, and others may say it looks like the show “Parks and Recreation”.
Regardless of what comedic show you may think of when company culture is brought up, the general understanding of company culture is the environment created by the people in the company.
Company culture is important when researching what company you want to work for. Do you prefer a more laid-back environment, or do you want a more rigid environment?
There also is company structure, which is the way a company operates in business.
Handshake has a whole blog dedicated to the ins and outs of company culture and structure.
Check out a company’s social media to gain an insight into their culture.
Make sure to look at the company’s value statement.
Keep a tab on the company’s reviews from customers and employees. Also, look over how the company responds to positive and negative reviews.
Research if the company has a non-profit foundation linked to it.
In an interview, ask about the company culture and structure specifically.
Keep your expectations realistic- no company is perfect.
Download the Handshake app to find company listings on the go!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
You know what Focus 2 is. You know how to use it. Now, it is time to learn when to use it.
When to use Focus 2 is just as important as the how and why. If you use Focus 2 as a senior, you will utilize different aspects of the site than a freshman or sophomore.
One of the good things about Focus 2 is the depth. You can use it at multiple times in your life to suit your different needs.
When To Use Focus 2
Freshmen and Sophomores:
Use Focus 2 to explore different majors that are offered at FSU or other universities.
By taking the different assessments and quizzes, you will find out if which disciplines you prefer- the arts, the sciences, math, etc.
It also can be used to explore future career opportunities and which major will help you in your preferred career field.
Juniors and Seniors:
Use Focus 2 to explore potential career fields and specific jobs you may be interested in.
You can research an industry within the site and see the pay rate, the hours, what degree you need for the job, what skills are needed for the job, and an overall description of the job.
Alumni:
Use Focus 2 to change your career path or field, for research into a specific career field, if you are looking for a job after graduation.
Takeaways
You can use Focus 2 at different times in your life.
As a freshman and sophomore, use it to help navigate towards a major you are interested in.
As a junior and a senior, use it to research careers and fields you are interested in.
As an alumni, use it to help research, change career fields, if you are looking for a job.
Utilize all of the tools Focus 2 provides!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
Don’t be afraid to ask for more work. Supervisors and employers love people who take the initiative.
Make sure to build relationships and connections at your internships.
Keep in touch with your supervisor after your internship ends to maintain a relationship for future letters of recommendation.
Follow your gut- If the internship wasn’t all you thought it would be, it’s okay to explore different career plans and options.The internship wasn’t a waste of time, trust me.
Download the Handshake app to find internships on the go!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
If you have ever sat in front of your computer and taken online quizzes to see what Disney character you most resemble, Focus 2 will be a hoot for you.
Not only does Focus 2 provide fun quizzes and assessments to get to know your Values, Interests, and Personality and Skills (VIPS), it also provides you with links, resources, information and descriptions of jobs, industries and majors to aid you in your career and major search and research.
A Look At Focus 2
The first thing you will see after logging into Focus 2 is your home page. Here, you can access everything that Focus 2 has to offer with a click.
The first section within the home page includes the “Career Planning Foundations.“
Included within this section is the “My Career Planning Involvement” quiz, “My Academic Strengths” quiz, and “Am I Career Ready?” quiz.
Some of the quiz questions may look like this…
And others may look like this.
The next section on the home page is the “Self Assessment” section.
This section is used to discover your VIPS in a way that can be matched to job titles and potential careers.
Here, you will find the “Work Interest Assessment”, the “Values Assessment”, the “Personality Assessment”, the “Skills Assessment”, and the “Leisure Assessment”.
The assessment questions format are similar to the format of the questions in the pictures above.
The next thing on the home page is the “Explore the Possibilities” section.
This section is to help you explore the never ending possibilities of your future career and education.
It prompts the different tabs of “What can I do with a major in…Offered at FSU”, “What can I do if I majored in..”, “Explore any Occupation”, “Explore Occupations by Job Family”, and “Compare 2 occupations Side by Side”.
These tabs will bring you to different pages that explore the specific majors or industries that fit your VIPS and your assessments.
On those pagesis where you can do the research into an industry or major that you have your eye on.
Below the “Explore the Possibilities” tabs, there is a “Take Action” section.
Here, you can plan out a “road map” of your major and potential jobs.
The “My Education” tab will take you to a section where you enter information about your education.
The “My Professional Development” tab will bring you to a section where you enter information about your professional experiences.
The next thing you will see is the “Career and Education Planning Results” section.
This includes summaries of your assessment results and some of the majors and occupations you saved to your home page while doing your research.
Once you get your results you can combine them and view them side by side.
You can view your results based on one assessment or you can combine one or more.
The last thing to view is the “Recommended Tools & Websites”.
The “Job Boards and Internship Opportunities” tab will bring you to different job board links.
The “Links to Resources” tab will bring you to the link for the FSU Career Services and Employer Relations Instagram and Handshake.
If you never have heard of Handshake, check out our many blog posts on Handshake at our blog site!
Make sure to complete all of the self assessments and quizzes.
There are different formats of questions- from bullet points, ratings, and “check all that applies”.
You can combine your assessments to compare them against one another.
Take advantage of the “Explore the Possibilities” tab for in depth research of potential majors and careers.
By filling out the “Take Action” section you will start a working resume.
Save jobs and majors to view them on your home page.
Check out the different job boards and links provided on the home page!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
Messaging an employer is the best way to get answers to any of the questions you may have about a job.
It communicates that you are interested and willing to take initiative- qualities many employers are interested in.
While messaging an employer, include a snippet of information about yourself and why you believe you would be a good fit for the exact role they are offering.
Remember, this isn’t an interview, so do not send an entire resume unless they ask!
Download the Handshake app to message employers on the go!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
You are a unique individual with a specific set of values, interests, personality, skills and goals.
These are your VIPS- Values, Interests, Personality, and Skills. They only belong to YOU.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a magical program that took your individuality and matched it with potential career opportunities that fit YOU instead of you trying to fit into a job?
There is no need for pixie dust or tapping your ruby red slippers together.
Focus 2 is not a mythical being. It is a real life program that is designed to help YOU explore your career opportunities and potential career fields with your best interests in mind.
What Is Focus 2?
Focus 2 is a self paced, interactive program that helps you match your VIPS, aptitudes, and goals with potential career occupations.
The goal is to help you make decisions during college which will then help you with your future career goals and education plans to be career ready before graduation.
Within the site are self assessments, quizzes, and questionnaires.
Some can help you with finding a major, others can match you with a job, and others help you with research about an industry.
Focus 2 also provides descriptions of careers, the salaries, tasks, and the ability to delve into more research within an interested field.
Why Use Focus 2?
Ideally, you will love your job and your career. I mean, you only work for 40 years of your life.
For many, that is not the case.
Focus 2 helps you plan ahead by developing an individualized career plan that fits your VIPS.
It also helps you set career goals and options based on your VIPS.
Plus, once you have a plan, you will be equipped to manage and take control of your career and options.
This will hopefully set you up for a more meaningful, fulfilling and fun work life.
Doesn’t that sound better than perusing through job sites completely blind and desperate?
Or staying at a job that you absolutely loathe?
My Honest Experience With Focus 2
I sat down and completed all of the self assessments in one day. It wasn’t a grueling task, trust me.
The quizzes were short, sweet, and insightful.
I was able to compare my personality assessment with my work ethic assessment which promptly brought up industries that would align with my VIPS. As a senior, I didn’t have to look at any of the majors. You can compare all of the assessments or choose which ones you would like to compare.
A problem with the program is the claim that they have “all of the industries” on their site for students to look over, including the ability to search for a specific industry. I searched for “Animal Welfare Specialist”, as that is the career I am pursuing after graduation, and it was not listed. Neither was “Animal Behaviorist”, “Animal Groomer”, or “Animal Nutritionist”.
They may not have every industry, but I gained knowledge about myself and why I like the job I like.
As a senior myself with the constant panic of “what next?”, I would recommend the program to every student, regardless of their employment status.
If you have any questions like I did with the program, do not be afraid to reach out to Career Services to help you!
Takeaways
You are an individual. Do not try to fit a job, let the job fit you!
Focus 2 is a program to help you plan for your future. It is available to you for free- use it!
Focus 2 helps you set career goals based on your VIPS.
The quizzes are short and insightful and will not take up a lot of your time.
You are able to compare different quizzes and assessments.
You have the ability to research the careers that interest you.
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
Follow the steps after registering provided by the Focus 2 platform.
Step 10:
Explore Focus 2 and enjoy!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
2. Click the “Internship” filter at the top of the page.
3. Use the filters to specify what type of internship you are looking for.
4. Hit the red “Apply” button at the bottom of the listing!
Tip For Landing Your InternshipFromA Student
“Sometimes applying can be a bit of a numbers game. You may feel like you’ve gotten so many rejections, but keep on applying even if you’ve applied to hundreds of jobs. All it takes is one person to say yes and believe in you.” Erika, UC Berkeley
Tips For Landing Your Internship From Handshake
Different Kinds Of Internships
Academic credit
This is an internship that includes an academic component for class credit and must be approved by your faculty advisor and head of your department.
2. Experiential learning
This is an internship that furthers your understanding of a potential career, such as a job shadow, a small project, or a part-time job.
Use filters to find the internships that interest you.
Understand the different internships posted on Handshake and decide which one is best for you!
Don’t forget that work study and part-time job options provide insightful experiences in a potential career, even if they are not internships!
Download the Handshake app to find internship listings on the go!
Not sure where to begin? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Career Services for help! Set up an appointment today with a career counselor at http://starfish.framingham.edu/
FSU Career Services Blog 