October 2015 
Hello grads, and happy October! We've got an exciting issue lined up for you this month. As I prepare my PhD applications, I've been plagued by the bane of every applicant's existence-the personal statement. Of course, the personal statement is just one offshoot of a notoriously difficult genre that encompasses the cover letter, the statement of purpose, and the job letter, as well as various other permutations thereof. So, in order to give myself and all the other job and higher-degree-seekers out there a little peace of mind, we've wrangled up some expert advice on how to write about yourself and your accomplishments.
 
This month's interviews come from long-time Career Services team member George Hoey and from PWR faculty member Steve Lamos. With their combined expertise, they offer a wealth of advice for graduate students in both academic and non-academic or alternative academic tracks, so make sure to read their interviews and soak up some valuable words of wisdom! In addition, I offer a few tips on cover letters and self-presentation based on my visit to the fall career fair, where I spoke with a range of employers to find out what they're looking for in a graduate-level applicant. Finally, don't miss the expert advice from Vitae's "Ph.D.'s Do Have Transferrable Skills" series, which addresses the all important issue: convincing someone to hire you.
 
And, in addition to reading this stellar newsletter, don't forget to enjoy the fall weather, carve a pumpkin or two, and plan an unforgettable Halloween costume!
 
Cheers,
 
Trish

Cracking the Cover Letter
Interview by Trish Bredar

George Hoey has been a member of the Career Services staff since October 1999. He has held positions as career development coordinator, career counselor and assistant director for diversity. He holds a master's degree in education from the University of Michigan with an emphasis in guidance and counseling. His top two favorite areas in career counseling are networking and interviewing.
 
In this interview, George offers up invaluable advice for tackling the cover letter. From hard and fast rules to tips for navigating the more subtle aspects of the genre, this piece delivers crucial information for any job search.
 


Interview by Trish Bredar

Steve Lamos is an Associate Professor in the Program for Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) and the English Department at CU-Boulder. He's also an Associate Director for the PWR, where he works with issues related to faculty and graduate student hiring, training, and evaluation.

In this interview, Steve tackles the tricky topic of self-presentation in marketing documents. Speaking with an eye to all forms of this tricky genre- personal statements, grant applications, job letters, cover letters, etc.- Steve's advice is worth hearing no matter what your professional and academic goals. Read on to learn more about techniques such as modeling and "show-don't-tell" and to find out more about Steve's own experience as a writer and evaluator of marketing materials.


Employer Advice: Cover Letter Tips
By Trish Bredar
 
I'm an introvert. Walking into a room full of total strangers ranks among my greatest anxieties. For that reason, I've generally steered clear of career fairs. But this year I faced my fears and headed to the fall career fair in order to gather information- I chatted with a range of employers to discover their perspective on graduate students and to brainstorm ways to make a graduate application stand out. Since our topic this month is on cover letters and similar marketing documents, I've focused on those pieces of advice that apply directly to self-presentation in your written application, but I couldn't resist including a few career fair tips as well!


The Chronicle Vitae
By Elizabeth Keenan

In this article, Elizabeth Keenan draws from her own experience with both academic and post-academic job searches to deliver some tips to job seekers who are looking outside the academy. In an honest, straightforward style, Keenan offers a smattering advice in several areas, from crafting a positive personal narrative to writing the non-academic cover letter and beyond. Read the article here.

Work for Progress
Denver and Pheonix

American Institutes for Research
Washington, DC

Denver Public Schools
Denver, CO

American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado
Denver, CO

Tourico Holidays
Orlando, FL

RTI International
RTP, NC

CBR International Corp
Boulder, CO

Numerica Corporation
Fort Collins, CO 
Upcoming Events

Engineering Buff Talks: Entrepreneurship & Engineering
October 19, 5:30pm - 7pm
Fleming Building Idea Forge
Explore career opportunities for entrepreneurship within Engineering. Learn from panelists about their career paths and how to get involved.

College of Media, Communication & Information Career Fair
October 22, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
UMC Ballrooms
Employers will have spring internships and entry-level jobs for students/graduates in areas of Advertising, Public Relations, Media Design, Journalism and more! More info, including employer RSVPs, will be in Career Buffs.

WCC-Denver Law Fair
October 24, 10am - 1pm
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
On behalf of the West Coast Consortium (WCC) of private law schools, you're invited to the 2nd annual WCC-Denver Law Fair. There will be an admissions panel from 10am-11am, and the law fair is from 11am-1pm. At the event, students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with law admissions professionals from 38 different law schools! The event is FREE and open to all students.

Engineering Buff Talks: Biotechnology
October 29, 5:30pm - 7pm
Biotechnology Building, Room JSCBB A115
Explore career opportunities for Biotechnology. Learn from panelists about their career paths and how to get involved. More info: http://bit.ly/BiotechnologyEngineering 

Quick Links
Center for Community N352
303-492-6541 
colorado.edu/career/grad