Directions - Current Non-teaching Graduates
Career Services, 218.477.2131 • FAX 218.477.2430
114 Comstock Memorial Union, 1104 7th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56563
e-mail: careers@mnstate.edu • http://www.mnstate.edu/career
(Updated August 28, 2008)
Office Hours in CMU 114
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. M-F year-round (except holidays) and
Tuesdays until 6:00 p.m. Fall Semester & until 7:00 p.m. Spring when classes are in session.
Satellite Office Hours in CB 101
Tuesdays & Fridays 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fall & Spring while classes are in session
Purpose of Career Services:
Our purpose is to provide information concerning career opportunities; to assist you in developing a job search strategy; to provide information on job vacancies; and to provide opportunities for employers to network with you and to access your resume.
Note: There is no charge to register with Career Services via DragonCareers.
Registration for Service via DragonCareers:
If you have not already done so, register via DragonCareers when you are two semesters from graduation or are starting your last full year on campus or as a sophomore or junior if you are seeking an internship or want to learn the skills and experience various employers seek in hiring candidates with university degrees. First year students may register in DragonCareers too.You will be registered with Career Services when you have turned in a completed authorization form (print it from this website), completed the on-line registration in DragonCareers and uploaded a resume that showcases your capabilities for prospective employers to access.
To register, select DragonCareers Register On-line on the navigational bar of our website www.mnstate.edu/career. Please give us two (2) business days to activate your account so you will have full access to DragonCareers. If you have followed the directions above and you still do not have full access, call us at 218.477.2131.
Meeting with a Career Services Professional:
If you are seeking your first full-time non-teaching professional position, you may wish to schedule an appointment with a Career Services professional who will familiarize you with the resources and vacancy lists we purchase to support your job search. If you have questions regarding our web-based registration system, we will answer them.
Note: Many of the subscription vacancy lists are available via password protected websites so request the flyer listing the sites and passwords for use by MSU Moorhead students and alumni.
Resume:
Design a resume that effectively markets your capabilities and accomplishments. Attend a Resume Workshop prior to preparing your resume. To find the schedules for various workshops, select Job Search on the navigation bar of Career Services website, then select Workshops. Make an appointment to have your resume reviewed by a professional in Career Services prior to uploading it into DragonCareers or sharing it with an employer at a career/job fair or during an interview. You may drop in at the Satellite Office without an appointment for a quick review of your resume.
Optimal Resume, an online resume builder, is linked under Announcements on the home page of our website.
Requesting References:
Complete the front side of the Reference Request Form, including the authorization, before you give it to a faculty member or an on-campus work supervisor who could write a favorable letter of reference for you. Attach your resume to the form. If an off-campus employer requests an authorization from you, use this form for that purpose also. Ask the writer of the reference to: 1) use business, agency or university letterhead; 2) use letter quality printing, 3) sign and date the reference. You may stop at Career Services to pick up as many Reference Request Forms as you need or print them from our website by clicking on Job Search and then Search Strategy.
Agree on a deadline by which each reference writer will get your letter of reference to you. You may want to request two originals — one to carry with you (and to use for making copies) and one to keep in a safe place. Provide a business envelope addressed to you and stamped so the reference writer can easily put the completed letter in the mail to you. If you need to provide references electronically, you may want to have them scanned to a CD or flash drive.
If you complete an internship, request a letter of reference from the Internship Supervisor who mentored and evaluated you at the work site. If a prospective employer requests a specific number of references, they often specify three (3). If it is corporate policy to not provide letters of reference, check with the Human Resources office at your place of work to get the phone number prospective employers may call to verify job title(s) held and dates of employment. Some supervisors may not be willing to provide a letter of reference, but may be willing to serve as a telephone reference. If a supervisor (current or former) has agreed to provide a telephone reference supportive of your candidacy, add that person’s name, title, work relationship to you, company name/address and phone number with area code (and, if possible, an email address) to the list of references you create. Share that list with prospective employers when references are requested during the job search or whenever you believe it would help you secure an interview or the job offer.
Keep your letters of reference up-to-date during your career. Many employers do not believe that letters of reference that are more than three to five years old have any value in determining the kind of employee you would be. Keep a file of all of your letters of reference so you will be able to make them available if a prospective employer should request them to review your pattern of accomplishment.
Official Transcripts:
The Records Office in Owens Hall is the only source for an official copy of your Minnesota State University Moorhead transcript. An employer may ask you for an official transcript, which must be requested directly from the Records Office by you, and will only be mailed to an employer or another interested third party. You must provide the Records Office with a written request that includes your signature. Your signed request also must include the following information:
1. Dragon ID (or optional Social Security number);
2. Your current address;
3. The address to which you want the official transcript sent and, if possible, the name and title of the person who should receive it.
You can provide the signed request by stopping at the Records Office in Owens Hall, by mailing your request to the Records Office, Minnesota State University Moorhead, 1104 7th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56563 or by FAXing to them 218.477.2941. You must provide a signed request every time you need an official transcript sent.
Vacancy Listings:
All vacancy listings we subscribe to are available for viewing in Career Services Resource Center, CMU 114. Some are web-based listings and you will need to contact us for the User Name and Password to be able to access them. In addition, many sources of vacancies can be found under Job Vacancies and Job Search (see Major Specific link) on our website and in DragonCareers as employers use our web-based system to list their job opportunities. You will find a link to JobPost on our website under Job Vacancies (select Local and Tri-State). JobPost is a site hosted by St. Cloud State University that is used by employers to list many entry level jobs for new graduates.
Interview Preparation:
Attend an Interview Skills Workshop before you have an important professional interview or job fair contact. On Career Services home page under Announcements, select InterviewStream to create a free account and practice virtual mock interviews as often as you wish. If you have a webcam on your computer, you can practice anywhere, anytime. You may email your mock interview to a professional, whose advice you value, so they can review it with you. Make an appointment if you wish to have a Career Services Specialist help you evaluate the effectiveness of your answers to interview questions. The Interview Workshops schedule is under Job Search on Career Services website.
On-Campus Interviews (Open and Preselect):
When you have completed your registration in DragonCareers, you may sign up for on-campus interview opportunities on a first come, first served basis using this web-based system if the schedule is Open. If the interviews are Preselect, you will select the "Request Interview" button under "Qualified Schedules" in your DragonCareers active account. Selecting the "Request Interview" button will allow you to send your resume to the employer so they can consider it when they make their selections for on-campus interviews. If they select you during the preselect time frame, an interview appointment schedule will appear in your DragonCareers account when the preselect schedule signup date arrives. You may then select a timeslot for an interview.
Help Us Help You!
If you have a change of address, phone or name, please update your registration information and resume in DragonCareers.