Home > Newsletter > Volume 3, Issue 4 (May 2004)

Volume 3, Issue 4 (May 2004)

Brave Opportunities
Career Services Center
Where Today’s Braves Look to the Future

Volume 3, Issue 4
May 2004

Inside this issue:
Style & Grace Tops Ratings
There IS A Career Designed Especially For You!
Career of the Month: Antiques/Art Dealer

In Every Issue: From the Director’s Desk, Cool Jobs Listings, Career Bloopers, Job Search Tips, Ask Zelda, Little Known Facts

Career Center Info:
Location: University Center, Ste. 210, 521-6270, cs@uncp.edu, www.uncp.edu/cs
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Appointments may be made for Career Consulting, DISCOVER, Resume Critiques, Mock Interviews, etc.
Staff:
Dr. Denisha Sanders, Director
Lori Bumgarner, M.Ed., Assistant Director
Brenda C. Jacobs, Student Services Assistant

Style & Grace Tops Ratings
Style & Grace was the event of the season! On April 13th, students had the opportunity to sit down to a full-course meal in the Chancellor’s Dining Room. A delectable menu of shrimp cocktail, spinach salad, sorbet, beef tenderloin, roasted new potatoes, broccoli with lemon zest, and Kentucky bourbon pie set the stage for lessons in business etiquette.
Ms. Karen Thompson, a nationally certified business etiquette trainer/speaker and career consultant, discussed several etiquette topics such as how to make formal introductions, how to give a toast, when to discuss business during a meal, which utensils to use, and the difference between European/Continental dining style and American dining style. She even talked about what to do if you’re served something you may not like.
The Style & Grace etiquette dinner was rated as one of the most helpful programs sponsored by Career Services with the help of Student Activities and Sodexho. “Students felt they really learned a lot from this event because it was very hands-on,” stated Dr. Denisha Sanders, director of Career Services.
The Career Center hopes to make this an annual event so other students can have the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful meal while also learning some new things about business and dining etiquette.
Lori Bumgarner

There IS A Career Designed Especially For You!
People with disabilities often wonder how their disability will impact job performance. Barriers to getting to that second interview do exist, but with careful planning and organization, you can earn the second interview. Be prepared to provide ways you have learned to manage your disability and how you can be an asset to the organization. Here are some tips for interviewing:
Before the interview:
Know your skills.
Do a self-assessment.
Find about the company.
Anticipate questions/review possible answers.
Research the company; ask for brochures or catalogs.
Check out the building for access and location.
Know your strengths.
Know how your disability may interfere with performance and have a list of solutions.
Day of the Interview:
Arrive alone and early.
Smile, make eye contact, and shake hands firmly.
Provide factual information about your disability.
Take control of the discussion about your disability; don’t use complicated medical terms.
Don’t focus on your health or disability during the interview.
Legal Considerations:
Be aware of your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations.
Inquiries about your disabilities and ability to perform may not be asked prior to a job offer.
There are many private and government agencies that target those with disabilities for hiring. Many of them offer paid internships for summer employment. A list of these organizations can be found in the Career Services Center and in Disability Support Services. Remember: You have a lot to offer!! When you focus only on your disability you are forgetting many of your abilities and gifts. Illuminate your abilities, not your disability. Happy hunting!
Mary Helen Walker Director of Disability Support Services

From the Director’s Desk
The summer is almost here! As you decide how you are going to spend your summer, I hope you will plan to use some of the time to work on your career preparation. Take advantage of opportunities to gain work experience that will help you to develop the skills that will make you a successful job candidate upon graduation. Spend some time gathering information about the career you plan to pursue – do a few informational interviews, shadow a professional on the job, or volunteer to work in a field of interest to you. Taking the time to gain knowledge and experience in your chosen career will make you an attractive prospective employee or graduate student!
If you are graduating in May or over the summer, we wish you all the best! When you accept a job or begin graduate school, please take a few minutes to contact the Career Center to let us know where you are and what you are doing. We always want to know about the successes of UNCP graduates. And, be sure to join our Alumni Career Connection. This program gives current students opportunities to talk with UNCP alumni about their careers and plans. You can be a tremendous resource for those following in your footsteps by allowing them to contact you via phone or e-mail to ask you a few questions about your career.
We will be here 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. Whether you are a current student or an alumnus, our services are free and available to you at any time. You can reach us via e-mail or phone if you are away from campus, or you can drop by.
Keep in touch and have a great summer!
Denisha Sanders

Career of the Month: Antiques/Art Dealer
Antiques/Art dealers buy, restore, clean, appraise, and sell old items such as furniture, art, jewelry, glass and chinaware, and many other collectibles. They check the condition and quality of the items and clean and restore them as necessary. Dealers identify objects as antique, non-antique, or as reproductions, and price accordingly. Dealers may specialize in a certain area or period of antiques.
To the best of their knowledge and ability, antiques and art dealers provide information to clients about the merchandise they are selling. They serve as consultants and give clients correct information about items concerning the date, the artist, and the condition of the objects that they are selling. Dealers also serve as cultural missions by distributing and identifying items through their experience and research. In addition, antiques and art dealers report to law enforcement officials any information they receive about antiques or other merchandise believed to be stolen or offered for sale by unauthorized persons.
Most antiques/art dealers work indoors in their own shop or showroom. They usually open their shops during regular business hours, but they may also open weekends and evenings. Some dealers work for large auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's.
Dealers may travel to buy items, and to attend conferences, auctions, and antique fairs. They may visit clients in their homes. Some dealers may also travel overseas.
Quick Facts:
Related Majors include Business, Enterprise Management & Operation, Fine Arts and Art Studies, General Retailing & Wholesaling Operation, Home/Office Products Marketing Operation, and Marketing Operations & Marketing/Distribution
Salary:
The Economic Research Institute reported the following:
Starting Salary: $32,000 ($15.50/hr)
Average Salary: $43,500 ($21.00/hr)
Salary w/experience: $60,500, ($29.00/hr).
For more information about antiques/art dealers you may contact:
Antique Appraisal Association of America
11361 Garden Grove Boulevard
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Art and Antique Dealers League of America
1040 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021-0111
http://www.dir-dd.com/aadla.html
National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America
12 E 56th Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.dir-dd.com/naadaa.html
World Antique Dealers Association
818 Marian Avenue
Mansfield, OH 44906
Source: DISCOVER Online. To learn about thousands of other occupations, you can access DISCOVER via our website.

This Month’s Cool Jobs Listing
Dance Instructor/Choreographer. Teach modern dance, movement analysis, composition, and choreographic courses at Penn State University’s School of Theatre. University Park, PA
Writer/Investigator. For a private investigation firm, specializing in corporate investigations for the finance industry. New York, NY
Agency Intern for a talent agency. Interact with clients/casting directors. New York, NY
Animal Care/Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant. Assist with the care of injured, sick and baby animals. Smithtown, NY
Marine Science Education Intern. Assist with outdoor summer activities for children focusing on different marine environments. Port Clyde, ME
Anchor. For the WSOC-TV morning and noon newscasts. Charlotte, NC
Recipe Editor. For Southern Living Magazine. Edit all kitchen-tested recipes, attend daily taste tests, contribute ideas for monthly planning. Requires a love of southern food and cooking. Birmingham, AL
Historical Interpreters. For a 550-acre living history museum. Des Moines, IA
Broadcast Meteorologist. Anchor weather segments and create weather graphics. Kansas City, MO
Character Escort Supervisor. Universal Studios. Supervise team members responsible for the safety of Character Performers, provide guest services to park guests. Universal City, CA
Health/Fitness Reporter. Prefer related reporting experience. Bend, OR
Writer. Write local and national scripts for the morning and noon shows. San Diego, CA
Full job descriptions and application procedures are listed exclusively in the Career Services Center Library.

The Year in Pictures
Dr. Denisha Sanders, Director of Career Services, as a pirate at Halloween.
Dr. Roger Brown in “Ask Dr. Deal”
CSC Career Unscripted logos
Zelda and Tommy Hawk at Halloween
Brenda Jacobs, Student Services Assistant, Career Services
Lori Bumgarner, Assistant Director of Career Services with a koala while visiting Australia
Student Activities and Career Services staff at “Six Feet Over” Halloween Open House
Students and representatives at the Volunteer and Internship Fair
Students and representatives at the UNCP Career Fair

This Month’s Job Search Tip:
Don’t forget to notify your references, your network contacts, and the Career Center about the job offer you have chosen. Keep everyone who has assisted you in your job search in any way updated on your career plans.

Little Known Facts
Seniors graduating in December 2004 should start their job search this month!!!

Dear Zelda,
I didn’t get to attend the etiquette dinner, but was wondering what the rule is if I’m at a business or interview dinner and the food being served is something I don’t really like?
Picky Eater
Dear Picky Eater,
If it’s something you’re not allergic to, you must take at least one bite to try it, especially if it was prepared by your host so as not to insult him or her. If, after trying it you still don’t like it, say nothing and just push it around on your plate and pretend to like it. If it’s something you’re allergic to, let the wait staff know as early in the meal as possible.
Zelda
Got a career or job search question? Ask Zelda at cs@uncp.edu

“I can’t believe you did that!” and Other Career Mishaps
One candidate showed up to her interview sporting a low-cut dress, multi-colored braids, and a tattoo, and had a pager that went off during the interview.

Congratulations Class of 2004!!!

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