Class of 2012: Do Great Things!

It’s that time of year! Graduation ceremonies are happening at colleges and universities all around the country. It’s a little different for me this time around.  For the first time in 12 years, I will be “graduating” with my students; well, kind of . . . while I did not just complete a degree, I [...]

Are Unpaid Interns Merely Exploited Labor?

On February 1, The New York Times ran the article Are Media Interns Merely Exploited Labor? Share Your Experiences. 76 people have shared their experiences so far, and the variety of perspectives on this topic is really amazing. On February 4, The Times opened an online discussion in its Room for Debate section for the topic - Do Unpaid [...]

The Four Interview Questions You Must Be Able To Answer

There are a lot of books written about preparing for job interviews:  101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions, 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions,  The 250 Interview Questions You’ll Most Likely Be Asked, The Q&A Manifesto: How To Answer The 45 Most Typical Interview Questions . . .  the list goes on and [...]

Cover Letters that don’t kill your application

I read a lot of cover letters and most of them are pretty bad.  This is unfortunate because, in most instances, cover letters are pretty important.  Why? Four things good cover letters can: —Get the employer to read your resume —Demonstrate your ability to write persuasively —Illustrate how your qualifications align with those in the [...]

It’s January – How will you spend Spring Break?

Productively, I hope! Spring Break offers students  great opportunities to explore career options, experience new cities, connect with alumni, and conduct information-gathering interviews; all of which can lead to jobs and internships. Of course, you can spend the same amount of time and money during Spring Break working on your tan and Karaoke skills in South [...]

Evidence to support our career advice!

Each year, we survey new graduates of the UT College of Communication approximately six months after they graduate to gather data on their employment status, the efforts they undertook to seek internships and post-graduation employment, and the extent to which they took advantage of the services and resources we offer through Communication Career Services (CCS). [...]

2012 Internship Guidelines for Employers

Communication Career Services at UT Austin routinely gets questions from employers regarding  internships: What is an internship?  How can I get my internship approved for academic credit? What if it’s an unpaid internship?  What does the university allow?  What about the Department of Labor’s standards?  I wrote this blog post to summarize – in layman’s terms [...]

104 Resources for Finding Jobs

We survey UT College of Communication graduates six months after graduation. The results of these surveys are compiled into employment reports which are available in our office and can be downloaded from the Employment Data, Salary Survey & Relocation Guides section of our website. We also ask some open ended questions regarding their job search [...]

8 Tips for Job Seekers with Disabilities

I recently attended a panel discussion for career services professionals on helping job seekers with disabilities.  Representatives from the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, the UT  Austin Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, Seton Healthcare Family Administration Offices, and VSA Texas (The State Organization of Arts and Disability) shared their insights and advice with career [...]

I have a job interview – can I miss class?

“Professor Harris, I’ve been accepted for an interview next week for a job with ABC Company, but the only available interview times are when your class meets.  Can I be excused from class that date so that I can participate in the interview?  I am graduating in May, and this is a really good job opportunity.” [...]

An Open Letter to Students and Parents (2011)

The original version of this blog post first appeared in August 2010.  As the fall 2011 semester approaches, I am reminded just how important the message it contains is! So, with a few updates, following is the 2011 version of my Open Letter to Students and Parents.  This might just become an annual thing! The first [...]

Dec 2011 & May 2012 Grads: It’s Time To Prepare for Recruiting Season

The fall semester is just around the corner, and that means students facing graduation in December 2011 or May 2012 should start thinking about what they are going to do after they graduate. Proactive May 2012 graduates will start their job search planning in August and September and will be actively “in the hunt” for post [...]

Six Career Lessons You Can Learn From Reality TV

I have a confession to make . I am a bit of a Reality TV junkie! No, not the Survivor, Big Brother, Bachelor/Bachelorette kind of mind-numbing Reality TV shows that defy rational explanation;  I mean shows like Deadliest Catch, Swamp People, Dirty Jobs, Ice Road Truckers, and other reality-based programs the feature real-life people doing what they love and working [...]

Court slaps DOL on unpaid-intern rules

About this time last year, the Department of Labor was making noise about cracking down on companies who used unpaid interns. Now a federal judge has ruled the HR Morning Your daily dose of HR via Court slaps DOL on unpaid-intern rules.

Want to Thrive in Your Career? Be Like Proteus!

12 Protean Principles For Personal and Professional Success  Proteus: Sea god (son of Oceanus and Tethys) who could change his form Protean (adj.): Readily able to assume different forms or characters; extremely variable Note: The following is an outgrowth of a collaborative effort of members of the LinkedIn Protean Careers Group, spearheaded by Jay Block during March and April 2011, [...]