Gamma Zeta Undergrads Practice Interviewing Skills on Alumni
On Wednesday, January 15, ATO alumni sponsored a Mock Interview Day at the Illini Center in Chicago to give ATO undergrads an opportunity to practice their interviewing skills. Sixteen undergrads put on their best suits and ties, shined their shoes and each got an opportunity to meet and interview with two alumni. Each meeting consisted of a thirty minute interview followed by a fifteen minute feedback session.
Illini Fraternity & Sorority Greek Hall of Fame to be established in 2014 – Nominations needed!!
Ashley Dye, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs at the University of Illinois recently announced that the University of Illinois Order of Omega greek honorary will be launching a Fraternity & Sorority Hall of Fame this year. They will be recognizing a few successful Illinois alumni each year through this program. They will also host an event this year on May 3 to recognize these alumni as well as offer the opportunity for our student leaders to learn from and interact with them.
She is looking for nominees from each fraternity and sorority for the Hall of Fame. We’ve compiled the attached draft list from ATO Gamma Zeta but need your help. Please email the names and basic information of anyone who you believe should be added to this list to daneluhrsen@gmail.com. Also, if you know of additional notable bullet points that should be added to any of these guys, please send them as well.
They didn’t provide any specific criteria for inclusion in the list so please submit anyone who you believe is notable and deserving.
Draft Alpha Tau Omega Nominees for Greek Hall of FameContinue reading
The Lifeblood of our Chapter – Recruitment
Dear Gamma Zeta alumni,
The Membership Committee is preparing for Spring Rush. The House very much seeks to have strong half class this year and the undergraduate Rush Team has done a great job assembling a list of potential recruits for the upcoming semester. However, we can still help them. I realize that we polled the network last summer, but please let me know if you have since learned about any freshmen (or sophomores) at the University of Illinois that could be potential recruits.Continue reading
The Myth of Following your Passion
I came across an interesting Blog and Podcast series called “The Art of Manliness“. It contains interviews with authors and experts who have studied various topics of interest to men… “a blog dedicated to uncovering the lost art of being a man”. This particular episode challenges the popular career advice of “Follow your Passion” and everything else will take care of itself.
Well, what if you are like the vast majority of 22 year old people and you don’t yet know exactly what your passion is? This discussion and the book written by the author who is interviewed provides some great advice.
Podcast – The Myth of Following your Passion
Book – So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
Not Just Your Space – The College Student’s Guide to Managing Online Reputation
Gamma Zeta Alumnus Tom Drugan ’98 wrote the linked below ebook about the importance of managing your online reputation. Included are some tips on what to do if you have some less than favorable items out there that you’d rather not have potential employers or grad schools see.
Start by googling yourself. Do you believe that what shows up on the first couple of pages is going to help your chances of landing that position that you want or hurt it? Put yourself in the shoes of a 40 year old hiring manager… not one of your drinking buddies.
Not Just Your Space
The College Student’s Guide to Managing Online Reputation
Written By: Tom Drugan
Co-Founder of Naymz.com
Networking Tips for College Success: How to Build Relationships and Land a Great Job After College
I came across another article on the value of networking for college students from the Art of Manliness that I think is very relevant for our undergraduates. In addition to the tips mentioned in this article, they have the benefit of their mentor and the entire Gamma Zeta alumni network. Here’s the link – Networking Tips for College Success: How to Build Relationships and Land a Great Job After College
Building a Resume and Preparing for the Interview Process
Creating a resume doesn’t start in the fall of your senior year in college when you first wake up to the reality that your college years are almost over and it’s time to start looking for a career and first full time job. For those who have the most success in the job search process and have the most options to consider, It starts the moment you step on campus as a freshman… even sooner.
The linked paper below was contributed by Dave Erhardt (Gamma Zeta ’81). It was written by his older son John who had recently landed a great first job with PwC Consulting and addressed to his younger son, Paul, who was just starting college. Great advice from one brother to another…
Using Linkedin
Many people view Linkedin as a tool for those already well into their careers. However, there can be tremendous value for undergraduate and graduate students as they are just beginning their job search. Gamma Zeta ATOs have the additional advantage of a large and active private Linkedin Group and several subgroups by industry. Gamma Zeta ATO members in these groups are happy to help students and each other with insight into particular companies and careers and introductions to others who can help.
To take advantage the first thing to do is to create a Linkedin Profile. Here’s a link to an on-line article with tips in what should be in a student’s profile .
Once a profile is created, the next step is to join the ATO Gamma Zeta Illinois group and subgroups of interest. Here’s a link to the ATO Gamma Zeta Illinois linkedin group .
Finally, familiarize yourself with linkedin. Learn how you can search for individual names, job titles and industries to identify Gamma Zeta brothers who you’d like to meet. Reach out to these guys respectfully and request a time convenient for them to talk. You’ll find that the members are knowledgeable, generous with their time and happy to help.
There is a destiny that makes us brothers – Robert J. Simonds, 1924-2013
Our great friend, inspiration and leader, Bob Simonds entered the Chapter Eternal on December 21, 2013.
Bob remained connected, committed and active in ATO until the very end. Just this past year he led all of us in a campaign that raised over $60,000 for ALS research. He inspired the ATO Rooftop outing in 2012 and the gathering at the Illinois vs. Washington Football game this past fall at Soldier Field that brought so many of us together, some for the first time in decades. Bob also inspired the creation of the document “Legends, Leaders, Lists and Profiles – the Stories and Men That Bind Us – Gamma Zeta – Alpha Tau Omega – University of Illinois” which you can see at our Continue reading