Introduction
Welcome to the March edition of the UF CVM Careers Monthly newsletter. This month we have the exciting first VetCAN Virtual Career Fair - register and gain access to employers offering externships, full time, part time and other positions! We encourage you to keep up-to-date by following our Facebook page and watch emails for dinners, workshops, and more!
How do I succeed at the Virtual Career Fair?
Did you know that the Virtual Career & Externship Fair is Saturday 3/24? This is a unique and first-of-its-kind opportunity for DVM students and alumni to connect with organizations interested in hiring for post-graduate and externship positions. Any DVM graduate or student can register as a job seeker and access multiple organizations interested in hiring.
5 Tips for Succeeding in Virtual Job and Career Fairs
Test Your Equipment. At least a few days before the fair, test your connection speed, camera, and microphone. You might also want to make certain you have the most recent Java and Flash. Some virtual career fair sites even go as far as to have a testing link on their site — so do NOT skip this feature. If you do not have a computer with a high-speed connection, find a place that does (such as a library of Worksource location).
Find Employers and Job Openings that Fit. It’s extremely important — just as in an actual job fair — that you research employers that will be attending the virtual job fair. Many employers will also list the openings they are hoping to fill. But don’t stop there; go deeper and develop a list of keywords and phrases from each employer and job listing that you can use to help you succeed.
Develop Tailored Resumes for Each Employer/Job Opening. You may be able to upload a version of your resume before the career fair, and if you can do so, make certain that the resume is laser-focused for the job you seek. Even better, for those employers you wish to target, develop a customized resume (for each employer) using the keywords you found in the previous tip.
Prepare Responses to Interview Questions. Your goal with an online job fair is to chat one-on-one with recruiters — and by chat, we mean participate in a screening interview. You should prepare short accomplishment stories and responses to typical screening interview questions. Practice your responses – even write out an outline of what you want to say — but do not memorize responses. Keep responses concise. Again, you may want to sprinkle your responses with a few of the keywords you found in the second tip.
Don’t forget to prepare a few questions to ask of recruiters; asking questions not only helps you better understand the situation, but is taken as a sign of strong interest by many recruiters.
Dress for Success on the Day. While not all virtual career fairs offer video chats with recruiters, you’ll want to be dressed well for those that do. Additionally, even for those virtual career fairs that only offer text chat, dressing professionally will help keep you in the job-hunting mindset. Remember that dress is not the only thing you should keep professional; when in text chat, write in full sentences, avoid slang and emoticons, and watch your spelling!
Excerpt from: https://www.livecareer.com/career/advice/jobs/how-to-succeed-virtual-job-fair
Student Tip - Juggling Multiple Offers
Juggling multiple job offers can be a difficult situation to handle, this article focuses on the Exploring your Options and Making Decisions portions of the career planning cycle. The following is provided as an excerpt from 'the balance'.
1. Express enthusiasm without saying “yes.” Any time you receive an attractive offer, express your high level of excitement and appreciation for the offer. Clarify when the employer needs to know your decision. Resist the impulse to accept on the spot if you have other attractive options to consider.
Example of what to say: "Thank you. I am so excited to receive your offer! I believe this position is an excellent fit for me at this point in my career. When do you need to know my official decision? (break) I will give this my utmost attention and get back to you by Wednesday."
2. Get all the information. If you receive multiple offers within the same deadline period for acceptance, your task will simply be to decide which option is preferable. Make sure you have all the information necessary about both options to make a rational choice. If not, reach out to the employer and seek clarification about any lingering uncertainties regarding benefits, advancement, working conditions, job content, supervision or any other questions you may have.
3. Develop a decision matrix. Create a decision matrix to weigh each job option.
Do the same for all your decision factors and compare the totals for the jobs in contention. Use this information in conjunction with your gut or intuitive feeling to make an informed choice. Remember that your gut can sometimes be the best indicator of whether you should or shouldn't take a job.
4. Negotiate the decision time frame. A more challenging scenario is when you have an offer from one employer, and you believe that another equally or more attractive offer might be forthcoming from another organization. In these cases, if you aren't comfortable accepting the firm offer, you should attempt to bring the time windows for decision-making together. One way to line up the time frames is to create a reasonable delay with the first employer who has made the offer. For example, you might ask for the opportunity to meet with staff at your level if you weren't able to do so through the screening process.
However, be careful how you frame a request for extra time so that you don't create doubt about your degree of interest.
Example of what to say: "I am very interested in this job and from everything that I have heard my background is an excellent match. I am a careful person and would feel most comfortable if I could speak with colleagues in similar roles (or shadow them for a day) prior to finalizing my acceptance."
5. Mention the other offer. Another approach is to level with the employer who has made the offer and mention that you have another offer pending. There is some risk with this approach but if handled delicately, most employers will only view a candidate more favorably if they are in high demand.
Example of what to say: "I am so excited that you have offered me the opportunity to work with your firm. I believe that I can make a very strong contribution in this role and would enjoy the work immensely. I do have another firm that has been courting me, and I believe an offer may be pending shortly. Though I am strongly inclined towards your position, I would be most comfortable if I could make a comparative choice. Is there any chance that you could give me until next Wednesday to finalize my acceptance?”
Be prepared to respond if they deny your request. You can say that you appreciate the consideration and will get back to them by the agreed upon response date.
6. Try to get a second offer. Another way to bring the time window together is to approach the employer that hasn't issued an offer yet. In this case, you might ask if they are in a position to expedite the process since you have received another offer. Again you would need to word your request carefully.
Example of what to say: “I have received another offer and they need to know my decision by Monday. I would prefer to work for your firm but don't want to pass up this other job and be left with nothing. Is there any chance that you might arrive at a decision about my candidacy before Monday?"
If you employ this approach, then you should be ready to respond if they say no. In this case, you might say that you will attempt to get an extension on the other offer.
For a career planning appointment here at UF CVM, email Katelyn Jerles. Excerpt from: https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-juggle-multiple-job-offers-2061403
Looking Ahead to Events
Learn more by clicking the links and don't forget to RSVP for food events!
Virtual Career Fair - Saturday 3/24 12pm - 4pm, Remote Access
Practice Ownership: Case Study of a New Owner's Path to Success - Thursday 4/12 5pm-6:30pm, UF CVM VAB New Auditorium, Dinner provided, sign up coming soon
Highlighted Gator CareerLink Job Postings
We have over 125 jobs currently listed on our job widget, below are the three most recent. Click on the button below to view all of them.
Equine Veterinary Internships (Ambulatory, Hospital, Reproduction) Full-Time, Internship
Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital(Ocala, Florida)
Posting Date: Mar 01, 2018
Veterinarian Full-Time, Part-Time
Lake City Animal Hospital/ Veterinarian(Lake city , Florida)
Posting Date: Feb 28, 2018
Head Of Veterinary Services Full-Time
SPCA New Zealand(Auckland, Non-US)
Posting Date: Feb 27, 2018
For the full list of all current job postings, please click the link below
UF CVM Careers Facebook Page
Interested in staying up to date with career opportunities and other career related information that is accessible to you? Consider following us on our Facebook Page! Check out the three most recent visitor posts below:
For requests to receive this newsletter or include information or events in this newsletter please contact KatelynJ@crc.ufl.edu
