The Career Compass, February 2025

You got the interview! Now what? Getting an interview is a good sign that you’ve established a strong match between your skills and experience, and the job description. In an interview, hiring managers are still assessing qualifications and evaluating skills based upon the information candidates provide in their responses. They’re also trying to determine candidates’ motivation (an important factor, particularly in the face of challenges) and assess if a candidate is in alignment with the organization’s mission and values (an important factor in decision-making and navigating ambiguity). An interview is also an opportunity to gauge a candidate’s compatibility with the team they’d be working with. It can feel like a lot is at stake, so preparation is key; get support from NAU Career Development by making a Mock Interview appointment in Handshake!

During a Mock Interview appointment, we’ll ask a variety of common interview questions and take notes on your responses. We’ll provide feedback, discussing strategies for answering each type of question and how the response helps hiring managers to make decisions. Provide us with a job description ahead of your appointment and we can use it to tailor interview questions.

Interviewers often ask for specific examples or stories of candidates navigating a particular scenario or demonstrating a skill. Stories are a powerful tool in communicating and building relationships with other people; we shared our experiences through stories long before we developed written communication systems. Stories allow you to provide evidence of your skills, experiences and personality in a way that’s relatable to others. Demonstrating your skills through narrative allows you to provide more context and depth, is more memorable, and helps interviewers to visualize you in the role. We’ll discuss tools like the STAR method that are useful in creating concise stories to provide evidence of your transferable skills.

Preparing for and participating in a job interview is likely to be accompanied with some anxiety and stress. In a Mock Interview appointment we’ll talk about strategies for managing stress, creating a positive first impression, understanding nervous habits and identifying tools to mitigate them so they don’t become distracting during the interview. We also offer the option of recording the appointment over Zoom so you can watch it back to evaluate your responses, body language, and tone of voice. We’ll also discuss what types of questions to ask at the end of an interview (and yes, you must ask questions). NAU students, faculty and staff can make a Mock Interview appointment (alumni, use the Alumni Career Advising appointment type and include a note with the support you need). Check out Handshake to make an appointment!

Each spring, Northern Arizona University (NAU) celebrates the exceptional contributions of its undergraduate student employees and their supervisors. Through the Student Employment Awards program, individuals and teams are acknowledged for their dedication, skills, and positive impact on the university community. This annual tradition highlights the importance of student employment and its role in fostering career readiness.

Award Categories and Selection Process

The program honors three distinct groups:

1. Outstanding student employee
2. Outstanding student employee team
3. Outstanding student employee supervisor

Nominations for these awards are submitted by colleagues or supervisors of student employees, with self-nominations also welcome. An anonymous committee, composed of staff and students, evaluates the nominations using a standardized rubric. This process ensures a fair and consistent review aligned with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies, which serve as the foundation for performance appraisals at NAU.

Eligible student employees must have completed at least one semester of work in their current position. Winners are selected based on their demonstrated excellence in areas such as professionalism, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking.

Timeline for the 2024/2025 awards

• Nominations open: February 17, 2024
• Nominations close: March 21, 2024
• Announcement of winners: By the week of April 21, 2024

Award presentation and acknowledgment

Award winners will be surprised at their workplace with an in-person presentation of their award. In addition, they will be honored on the university’s website. Please visit our website listed below to submit your nominations.

Getting involved

NAU invites individuals to participate in the nomination and selection process. Whether nominating a deserving peer, team, or supervisor, or serving as a nomination reviewer, this is an opportunity to spotlight the hard work and dedication of student employees across campus. For more information please reach out to StudentEmployment@nau.edu or visit the Student Employment awards page.

The Student Employment Awards represent more than accolades—they affirm the vital role student employees, and their supervisors play in shaping NAU’s vibrant and collaborative environment.

Career Development hosts more than just career fairs. We organize a variety of events that connect Lumberjacks to local employers here in Flagstaff as well as across the state of Arizona. Here are some upcoming FREE events where you can meet recruiters and learn about incredible internship opportunities for all majors.

1. Career Development is hosting an Internship Information Session on February 12. Career Development and our campus partners will be sharing information on what an internship is, how to navigate Handshake, current internship opportunities available, and even how to develop your own internship. You’ll get a chance to meet with recruiters who can give you more of an inside scoop on how to successfully obtain the internship you’re seeking. Light refreshments will be served.
   Learn more and register on Handshake. Handshake.
2. The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity in collaboration with Career Development is hosting the Barrow Neurological Institute Field Trip on Friday, February 7. This all-day field trip invites students to tour the facilities at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix and learn more about their 10-week internship program over the summer, where students work full time in a research laboratory under the mentorship of a Barrow scientist.
   Learn more on their website.
3. Disney will be visiting campus on Monday, March 3 to Tuesday, March 4 to recruit for the Disney College Program. They will be hosting an information session, doing class visits, and even doing career fair preparation!
   View all the Disney events and register on Handshake.

Need personalized help? Make a 1-1 appointment with our Internship Coordinator Tyler Lawhead on Handshake under the ‘Internship Exploration’ Appointment Type.

Don’t forget that we have drop-in hours everyday Monday-Thursday at our Career Development office in the University Union, 2nd floor in the Fieldhouse.

Have you stopped by Career Coffee Corner yet? Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we invite an employer to the University Union where Lumberjacks can meet face-to-face with employers from various industries right on campus. It’s your chance to grab a coffee and chat in a relaxed setting. Whether you’re curious about a specific industry or exploring potential opportunities, this is the perfect place to start. No need to stress—just come as you are and bring your curiosity. Last semester we welcomed 25 employers from many different industries to connect students to career opportunities! Check the Career Coffee Corner calendar regularly as we add new employers weekly.

We have THREE career fairs coming up this semester.

1. Start by joining us at the NAU Part-Time Opportunities Fair on January 22, 2025. Meet on-campus and off-campus recruiters looking to fill part-time positions, volunteer opportunities, and internships.
2. Looking for a full-time opportunity or thinking about attending grad school? Then don’t miss the NAU Career & Graduate School Fair on March 27, 2025.
3. If networking virtually is more your style, register for the NAU Virtual Career Fair on April 3, 2025.