What Are Your Plans for This Summer?

As the academic year winds down, it is likely that college students around the world are being asked, “What are your plans for this summer?”

Interning at your dream company? Taking classes? Studying abroad? Feeling speechless because you have no idea?

If this question makes you cringe, it might mean that you don’t…yet…know what you’ll be up to this summer. The good news is you are in control of how you spend your time this summer and there is still time to make a plan to make the most of it!

Conduct Informational Interviews – Reach out to family, friends, or alumni from your university who work at a company/organization of interest to you and set up a time to talk with them about their work, their company, or their city. This is a great way to network and people love to talk about themselves. People also like to help college students because it gives them a chance to “pay it forward,” so do as much of this as you can while you’re still a student. LinkedIn is a great resource for expanding your network – www.linkedin.com/alumni

Get Experience – While many students put pressure on themselves to get an internship as early as freshman or sophomore year, most companies target juniors for their internship programs. While you may not land an internship, there are so many opportunities to develop transferable skills through traditional summer jobs. For example, being a server in a restaurant may help you develop strong customer service or communication skills, and working as a camp counselor may help you develop teamwork or problem solving skills. It is important to value your experiences and be ready to tell potential employers how you can add value to their company based on your experience from previous employment.

Develop a Skill – Perhaps you’ve been meaning to learn some new Excel formulas, get familiar with a social media platform, or brush up on a foreign language. Summer is a great time to focus on the things you have been putting off.

Be Strategic – Many students want to work for large companies or organizations after graduation, but they don’t always think of ways to get insights into the company. For example, if a student is interested in a career with L Brands, it could be very beneficial for them to get some in-store experience at Bath & Body Works. This would be a great way to show that you understand the company culture and the customers in an interview.

Volunteer – Approach volunteer opportunities as if you’re applying for your dream job. Write a personalized cover letter and send it along with your resume to local organizations and offer your help. Even if you don’t land a gig in the marketing department, you never know how much you may gain (both personally and professionally) from the experience of giving back.

Do Something That Makes You Interesting – What do you like to do for fun? What would you enjoy talking to people about in a casual setting? Training for a half-marathon, learning a new instrument, perfecting your cooking skills, or taking a cross country trip? The opportunities are endless, but you are the only person who can decide what makes you interesting.

Read – “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss

Best of luck making your summer a meaningful and memorable one. Hopefully when you head back to school in the fall and someone asks, “What did you do this summer?” you will have plenty to talk about!

by Sarah Steenrod

Sarah Steenrod is the Director, Undergraduate Career Consultation and Programs, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers

FEELING LOST?

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Feeling Lost? The Best
Careers Change and Evolve

by Melanie Buford

A senior psychology major came into my office the other day. She dropped her bag, plopped down into a chair, and said “I’m lost!”

With relatively little prompting, the story came out. She already knew her long term goal: to be a child and family therapist. A faculty mentor had recommended a graduate program for her, and, doing very little of her own research, she applied to the program and turned her attention back to school. She was accepted, fortunately, but upon learning more about it, she realized that it was a business focused program, not a therapeutic one.

“That’s disappointing,” I said, “But it sounds like you have a good sense of what you’d like to do in the short term—graduate school—and the long term—child and family therapy.”

“No,” said the student, “you don’t understand. I’m lost. What will I do now? Program deadlines have passed. I can’t go to graduate school now. I have to wait a whole ‘nother year!”

How often does “I’m lost” mean “things didn’t turn out as I expected?”

Here’s the thing, and it’s something I tell students over and over in spite of the fact that it doesn’t reassure them at all: The best careers, just like the best lives, aren’t linear.

So many people are paralyzed by the idea of choosing a career—at the age of 20—that they’ll have to spend the rest of their lives on. This is entirely reasonable. And yet, students seem equally intimidated by the idea that their career will change and evolve in natural and unpredictable ways.

Very few people look up as a junior in college and plan out a 40-year career during which everything happens exactly as they expect it to and they are perfectly successful and satisfied. How incredibly uninspiring that would be. The purpose of college career goals isn’t to remain unchanged for half a lifetime, but instead, to interact with the world and be changed. Our mission is to let the world change us, not to make it to the finish line exactly as we started.

The most interesting people will tell you that they never could’ve predicted where their careers would end up. This is why their stories are interesting, and this is why people want to learn from them. We are inspired by people who are open to life and let it change them, people who evolve in unexpected ways.

We instinctively know this is true. Most of our career advice has this idea at its core.

Take the somewhat controversial mantra— “follow your passion.” Cal Newport* and others have come to challenge this advice as, at best, misleading, and, at worst, harmful. But there is wisdom embedded here and it isn’t “ignore practicality,” but rather, “be open to inspiration.”

The near universal emphasis on networking is yet another example. Yes, networking is indispensable in finding a job in your field of interest. This is undeniably true. But the hidden value of networking is to expose you to people and ideas outside of your comfort zone. Your family and friends typically want to help you achieve the goals you’ve identified right now. Networking exposes you to people who don’t know your background, your goals, or the ways that you may already be limiting yourself. This opens you up to serendipity, and serendipity will push you to evolve.

“I’m lost” can be the beginning of amazing things but it’s not a place of comfort.  It can, however, be a place of humility. It is often when we’re most unsure of ourselves that we’re most open to new directions.

This was the case for my senior psychology major.  After a full session during which we discussed several possible options for her newfound open year, I brought her focus back to the long-term goal of becoming a child and family therapist.

“Did it occur to you,” I asked, “that many of the clients you will work with as a therapist will have come to you because they’re feeling disappointed and lost?  Might this experience of disappointment, and perhaps a few more down the road, help to make you a better, more empathetic therapist?” Her nod was reluctant.

Our lives are full of surprises. If, as a young professional, you’re struggling with the overwhelming task of figuring out your future, I encourage you to tackle it one step at a time. If you’re still in school, focus on creating a plan for what you’ll do the year after graduation, rather than what you want to do with the “rest of your life.” Go to workshops, meet new people, travel if you can. These things will inspire you to set new goals. Most importantly, be patient with the process.

Embrace your failures and “lost” years as something inevitable and challenging. Delays to your plan can be opportunities to improve and refine it. Don’t waste these opportunities. Take full advantage.

*Newport, C. (2012). ‘Follow Your Passion’ is Bad Advice [Video file]. Retrieved from http://99u.com/videos/22339/cal-newport-follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice.

Melanie Buford is the Program Coordinator/Adjunct Instructor in the Career Development Center at the University of Cincinnati.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers

3 Things to Do in December to Land a Summer Internship

Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Research

How many times have you told yourself that you will begin your summer internship search when you get some free time?  The winter break is a perfect time for doing some preliminary research on your options.  Begin browsing internship postings in Handshake, Vault, CareerShift, and GoinGlobal.  This will help you identify positions that interest you and help you determine what application materials may be necessary.

 

2. Talk

‘Tis the season for gatherings of family and friends.  Quite often, loved ones use these gatherings as an opportunity to ask you about your life at college and your future plans.  Many positions are filled by someone who knows someone else with a connection to a great job.  Let family, friends, and acquaintances know that you are looking for an internship and ask if they have any ideas related to your field of interest.  Even if they do not know of a job opening, they may know of a professional who would be open to an informational interview.

 

3. Prepare

The spring semester is always hectic, between academic demands and the very active student life on our campus.  Save yourself some stress and create a first draft of your resume over the winter break.  When you return to campus, you can have it reviewed by a friendly staff member in Career and Professional Development, then attend the Internship and Career Fair on January 31st.

As you wrap up the fall semester, remember that the staff of CPD wish you good luck on finals and a merry Christmas!

Written by Amy Ames, Assistant Director of Professional Development

WANT TO BUILD A PROFESSIONAL ONLINE PRESENCE? JOIN LINKEDIN!

linkedin

As a former recruiter who worked with employers around the country to fill a range of positions from entry-level college grads to CFOs, I highly recommend that you build a profile on LinkedIn. Any time I reviewed résumés, the first thing I did when I wanted to learn more about someone was go to LinkedIn and see if they had a profile. If they didn’t have a strong profile, I moved their résumé to the bottom of my pile!

Here are six helpful LinkedIn tips to make your profile as effective as possible.

  1. Add a professional picture on your profile – If you post a picture to your profile, studies have shown it is eleven times more likely to be viewed! In my experience as a recruiter, I didn’t even click on profiles that didn’t have pictures. Keep in mind though that your picture needs to be professional. Make sure you are professionally dressed with a nice backdrop behind you, and make sure the picture is only from your upper chest or shoulders and above.
  2. List as many skills as possible on your profile – These skills can be anything from technical skills (such as Excel, PowerPoint, or SAS) to general skills (such as problem solving, public speaking, or sales). People who list skills on their profiles are thirteen times more likely to have their profiles viewed!
  3. Complete the education portion – If you know your expected graduation date, add it to your profile so recruiters don’t contact you about jobs that start before you graduate. Also, be sure to add relevant coursework, and site examples of leadership even if you have to go back to high school activities. Recruiters love leaders!
  4. Connect with alumni – Under the “My Network” column on your homepage, click “Find Alumni”. This is an easy way to find people who would be open to connecting with you. There are nearly 70,000 Baylor alums as of today that you can connect with!
  5. Customize your connection requests – When you request to connect with someone, alter the default message to tell the person how you know them or why you would like to connect. This 10-second task increases the odds that someone you don’t know will agree to connect with you.
  6. Check out the jobs! – LinkedIn has thousands of jobs for professionals at all career stages. You can customize your job search by criteria such as location, company size, industry, experience level, and more. Many times a job posting will even tell you who posted the position, which means you can request to connect with them, introduce yourself, and get your name moved to the top of the job poster’s mind as they are reviewing applicants.

Written By: Adam Kaye, Director of Employer Relations at Baylor University

Personal Branding With Social Media

 

Build your brand online and network with professionals in your field using social media that reflects your career or professional goals. (You may want to create separate personal and professional social media pages.)

Facebook

  • Use a professional-looking picture—you can use the same picture on all of your social media pages.
  • Add the following to the “about” section: internship and other educational experience, a short bio, and links to other professional social media.
  • Follow organizations you’re interested in to discover intern and full-time job opportunities, announcements about the company, and potential contacts in the organization.

Linkedin

  • Drop in your professional photo.
  • Customize your headline with keywords and phrases that are related to your desired industry or profession.
  • Request a connection with professionals you’ve worked with at internships or met through networking channels. Be sure to “personalize” your request by offering some information on why you would like to connect.

Twitter

  • Use a professional profile photo. Your cover photo can indicate your interests.
  • Choose a Twitter handle that will be recognizable as you.
  • Tell your story in your bio: university, class year, major, and keywords describing your career interests.
  • Add a link to your LinkedIn profile, your personal website, blog, and/or online portfolio.

Pinterest

  • Drop your professional-looking picture on your main page.
  • Select a username that is consistent with your other social media platforms.
  • Create a bio that reflects your goals and brand. Who are you? Why are you using Pinterest? What are your professional aspirations?
  • Create boards using images and content to share your interests and experiences in your field.
  • Mark boards “secret,” if they are going to contain content you would prefer to keep private.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Top 10 Career Strategies for Freshmen and Sophomores

You control your career destiny! Just going to class and picking up your diploma after four years doesn’t cut it. You need to become active on and off campus.

Becoming marketable to employers or graduate schools is a four-year job. Here are the top 10 things you can do during college to make yourself marketable at job-search time. In fact, if you do all 10 of these, you’ll be unstoppable:

  1. Keep your grades up—Employers and graduate schools want candidates with good grades. That will probably never change. Doing well academically not only proves that you have a good knowledge base, but indicates a strong work ethic—a trait that employers value.
  2. Identify your interests, skills, values, and personal characteristics—The first step to clarifying your career goals is to go through a process of self-assessment. Visit your career center and take advantage of the self-assessment instruments it has to offer.
  3. Actively explore career options—You owe it to yourself to find a career that enriches your life, not one that brings you down. Actively exploring careers means talking with professionals in occupations of interest and observing professionals on the job. Your career center probably has alumni and other volunteers who are willing to talk to you about their careers. Also, attend any career expos, career fairs, and career speaker panels that are offered.
  4. Become active in extracurricular activities and clubs—Active involvement in activities and clubs on campus is highly valued by employers and graduate schools. Joining a club is fine, but becoming active within that club is what matters most. Become a leader, hold an office, or coordinate an event. You will develop your skills in leadership and teamwork—skills that recruiters covet!
  5. Get involved in community service—It’s important that you begin to understand and appreciate the importance of giving back to your community, and that you live in a larger community than your college or hometown. Typically, students look at community service as a chore. After they’ve served, however, it’s usually one of the most rewarding experiences they’ve had! Recruiters love to see that you’ve volunteered to help in your community.
  6. Develop your computer skills—Take advantage of the computer courses and workshops your college offers. You can also learn a lot by just experimenting with different software packages on your own. Finally, you should learn how to develop your own web page or web-based portfolio. There are many web-design software tools that make it real easy to develop your own web page! Contact your college’s information technology office to see how to get started.
  7. Develop your writing skills—Over and over, company and graduate school recruiters complain about the lack of writing skills among college graduates. Don’t avoid classes that are writing intensive. Work at developing your writing skills. If there is a writing center on campus, have them take a look at your papers from time to time. Remember, the first impression you give to recruiters is typically your cover letter or personal statement.
  8. Complete at least one internship in your chosen career field—More and more, internships are the springboards to employment and getting into graduate programs. Many recruiters say that when they need to fill entry-level jobs, they will only hire previous interns. In addition to making yourself more marketable, internships also are a great way to explore careers and determine whether or not certain careers are for you. When you work for a company as an intern for three to four months, you get a really good feel for whether the field (and company) is one in which you want to work day in and day out!
  9. Gain an appreciation of diversity through study abroad, foreign languages, and courses—We are now, more than ever, working within a global work force. For you to be successful at work and in your life, you must stretch yourself, and learn about people and cultures different than yours. Take advantage of the wonderful study-abroad opportunities and the courses relating to diversity. This is your time to travel! Most people find it harder to take time to travel as they begin their careers and start families.
  10. Use your career center all four years—Your college career center can help you throughout your entire college career. Here is just a sampling of what your career center can help you do:
  1. Choose your major and career direction,
  2. Explore career options,
  3. Obtain an internship,
  4. Write a resume and cover letter,
  5. Develop your interviewing skills,
  6. Identify your interests and values,
  7. Develop a job-search or graduate school plan,
  8. Connect you with prospective employers (career fairs, on-campus recruiting, and more), and
  9. Connect you with alumni mentors.

 

Remember, you control your career destiny. Don’t wait until your senior year to start realizing your goals. Your career train is on the move. Jump on board now so you can reach your destination!

By Bob Orndorff. Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

1…2…3…Elevator Pitch

So, what is an elevator pitch? Tossing a baseball in an elevator isn’t exactly the idea, though that could be interesting! An elevator pitch refers to the basic introduction of who you are and your intended purpose. Career fairs, networking events, cover letters, and formal interviews are great places to integrate this exercise. The reason is due to the fact that time is a limiting factor. Recruiters or employers only have so much of their attention to dedicate to you during these hectic events, so condensing information in an effective way helps immensely! Elevator pitches provide background information and shows your enthusiasm in a way that allows the other person to want to continue the professional conversation. It is important to practice your elevator pitch as well. Being confident and showing you’ve done some research on the company will truly make you a competitive applicant. These personal summaries should be about 30 seconds! Let’s break it down:

elevatorWritten by:  Megan Nguyen

4 Weeks to Building a Network: Step 2

networking step 2
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today, we continue with step 2 in a series on networking that Cassie Thompson, a practicum student in Career and Professional Development, is sharing with us.  Please find step 1 here.  Thanks so much for sharing your insights with us, Cassie.

Okay, you’ve made your list and selected your ten people. Now what to do with that list?

One by one, ask them if you can take them to coffee or lunch. Let them know you are doing some information gathering as you look for a future career, and that you are interested in their industry or type of position and would like to ask them some questions, and would they be willing to meet. Depending on where you are in school, you can take your time with this, or maybe go a little more rapidly. If it is spring semester of your senior year, I would try and book coffees and lunches all spring break!

I need to mention that you will be paying for these coffees and lunches. At least, you will offer to pay. Some people will end up paying for you or splitting, but you must always offer. Yes, I know you are in college and cash may be tight, but consider this an investment in your future. As these people are willing to give up their time to talk with you, it is only right to show your gratitude by offering to pay!

Now here is where most people go, “But my roommate’s dad has met me once and he won’t remember me!” or “Why would my sister’s best friend want to help me?” There are a couple of reasons why they will want to help you. First, people love to talk about themselves. Seriously, don’t you love to talk about yourself? People like helping others and giving advice, so they will most likely want to help you out.

Second, many companies now have referral programs for new hires. This means that if you meet with your roommate’s dad and he knows there is an entry-level position open at his company that you’d be perfect for, he can refer you and get a bonus. It is in his best interest to meet with you. Lastly, the worst that can happen is the person says no. This is one door that has closed, but that’s why you have nine more! But until you ask, you will never know what path will be the one that leads to employment.

So time to start making some phone calls and writing some emails. Check back next week to see what to talk about over coffee!