Month: September 2013

The Day After the Career Fair

Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did you attend the Career Fair yesterday?  If so, how did it go?  What did you learn about yourself and opportunities that are out there?

Hopefully, the career fair gave you some great experience and helped you make lots of new connections.  Now, take a step back and think about what you learned.  What went well?  What would you like to do better in the future?  Remember, that the Career and Professional Development office is here for you to offer opportunities for further growth and learning.  We can help with interview skills, resume writing, personal statements, and lots of other professional development resources.

Look at our website, www.baylor.edu/cpd, for a list of all the workshops and opportunities scheduled for the rest of the semester.  Whether you are a freshman student and this was your first career fair to attend or a graduating senior who is looking for that first job after walking across the stage at the Ferrell Center, we are here to help you!

Who Should Attend the Hire a Bear Career Fair?

That’s easy.  Every Baylor student could benefit from attending the fair.

Seniors:  It is not too early to start talking with employers about post-graduation opportunities.  Make plans to attend the fair, research employers before you come, and dress professionally (i.e., in a suit).

Sophomores and Juniors:  Students who complete an internship during college have much higher odds of successfully landing full-time employment upon graduation.  Students who complete more than one internship have even higher success rates.  Wouldn’t it be nice to get your summer plans lined up early?

Freshmen:  This is a great time to gain work experience through a part-time or summer job.  Previous employment may make you a more attractive candidate for internships in the future.  Many of our employers at the career fair offer part-time or temporary opportunities, in addition to full-time jobs.  Also, getting practice talking with recruiters will help you to know what to expect going into future career fairs.  You might even make a contact with a recruiter and keep in touch through senior year.  Some students have secured full-time jobs this way!

The Hire a Bear Career Fair is in a new location this year, the Waco Convention Center, because it is the largest fair we have ever held.  Shuttle buses will pick up at the corner of Speight and 4th Street, in front of Cashion Academic Center approximately every 15 minutes.  The fair is from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, September 25th.  See you there!

HireABear Career Fair!

Hope you all had a restful weekend. We have a lot of exciting events coming up this week for you all!

Our big event this week is the HireABear Career Fair, it is on Wednesday from 12:30-4:30. It will be at a new location this year because there are so many companies coming to talk to you! It’s at the Waco Convention Center and there will be a shuttle picking up students on 4th Street, behind the business school, and dropping you off right in front of the Convention Center. Look for a sign telling you where the shuttle is picking up! Please wear business professional dress (no jeans!) so that you look your best to talk to your potential future employer. Bring a few copies of your resume and your student ID and get ready to talk to lots of employers!

There are 134 companies coming to this fair who want to talk to you. They will be hosting other events this week such as info tables and sessions and on-campus interviews. To find out more about which companies are having additional events go to www.hireabear.com to see a list of events for the week, or check your On the Baylor Horizon email.

We hope to see you all at the fair Wednesday!

So You’ve Had Your First Test…

The word around campus is that the first round of tests has begun.  Perhaps your stress level began to rise a bit when you turned the page of your planner and saw the word TEST staring back at you.  Or maybe you didn’t see it in your planner, but heard it from the mouth of your professor when she reminded you that your first test would take place when you next gathered.

How did it go?  If you’ve had your first test, now is the time to take stock of what you did well to prepare and what areas you might want to improve for next time.  Making appointments to meet with your professors or stopping by during their office hours could be a great way to gain additional ideas about how to improve for next time.

I hope your first test went well, but if it didn’t go as smoothly as you hoped, you still have time to prepare for your next test and now you are armed with experience, which goes a long way in the college exam world.  Do you know about resources available to you?  Academic Support Programs offers a world of opportunities from free tutoring to SI and beyond.  Here are a few links to resources the world of Academic Support Programs offers:

  • Awesome videos to guide you in time management, reading comprehension and study tools.
  • Sessions with an Academic Coach who will work with you one-on-one to reach your goals.
  • Valuable resources for improving your study skills.
  • A list of all the free tutoring resources with subjects, times, and locations.

Please take advantage of these great campus resources available to you.  And if you haven’t taken your first exam, please utilize these opportunities to prepare you the very best.

But here’s the truth of it, if you didn’t make the grade you wanted to on the first test, learn from it.  Take this opportunity to grow and prepare for the next one.  Also, take stock of the material and determine if this is something you want to continue studying during your time in college.  Above all, though it is easy to do, don’t let the results that others around you received affect the way you feel about yourself.  Be affirmed in the way you prepared if you received the results you wanted and learn from your experience and move forward if your results weren’t quite what you hoped.  Remember:

We want you to experience all the fullness and joy life has to offer and we are here to help you continue receiving the results you want and we’re also here when things don’t go the way you planned.

I hope you enjoy a weekend filled with thoughtful preparation for the week ahead and also lots of fun with your fellow Bears.  Sic ‘Em!

Calling All Shutterbugs!

Amateur photographers at Baylor have many opportunities to enhance their skills and perhaps even discover a future career.  Here are a few options:

Majors– Baylor offers several majors that can help you grow from amateur to professional.  Consider these possibilities:

Minors– For those who want just a taste:

Baylor Photo League– A student organization that focuses on hands-on experiences, guest speakers and field trips for the photography enthusiasts on campus.

Now, it’s time to get snapping!  What do you think is the best photo op on Baylor campus?  Tell us in the Comments section.

What Matters?

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/7042829/Values

We all walk around carrying different things that are important to us.  These values make a huge difference in the decisions we make each day, how we relate to one another, and frequently, what career path or major we choose.

Take a look at the image above.  Which words stand out to you?  Are there values you would add to the list?

Take some time this weekend to think about what matters to you.  What is essential for you to feel fulfilled?  What needs to happen in your life to feel like you’ve had a good day?  Maybe think 5 or 10 years in the future.  What do you want your life to look like? What gives you meaning and purpose?  These questions can help lead you in the direction that will help you live the life you want to live.  Take stock in the major and career choices you are currently pursuing.  Do these pathways fit with the important things in your life?  If not, feel free to make an appointment with a career counselor in Career and Professional Development.  We’ll be happy to help guide you toward the career and major goals that fit who you are.

Enjoy your weekend!

Should I Choose a Minor?

Post by Mandi Canuteson

Did you know that Baylor offers 80 different minors? Having a minor can be a great way to add to your college experience and gain knowledge in an area outside of your major but it’s not a must-do for everyone. Some majors, like journalism, require you to choose a minor, but for others it’s a decision that deserves a lot of thought. Here is an article from the Huffington Post that shines some light on how to know if it’s right for you:  The Benefits of a College Minor.

Click here to find out which minors are offered at Baylor.

What are You Learning?

Image courtesy of mrpuen at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We are two weeks into the semester and maybe some of those assignments and quizzes that early on seemed part of a vague future have become a very present reality.  How do you like the classes you are taking?  Are there some that seem to fly by because the information you are learning is fascinating to you?  Are there readings that seem very difficult to make yourself sit down with your book and plow through?  Notice what you’re thinking.  In fact, take a minute to mentally think about each class you are taking this semester.  What is your initial reaction as you walk through your schedule in your mind?  Notice those feelings.  What I’m trying to say here is that the odds are better that you will be able to stay focused and do well in courses that you are actively interested in.  As part of your college experience, you may face some courses here or there that may not suit your fancy, but if every course feels like that, it might do you well to take a moment and think about the reasons behind what you are studying.  What about this course of study has meaning for you?  What do you hope to get out of these courses?  If you are having trouble figuring this out, please consider making an appointment with someone on the Career Exploration team in Career and Professional Development.  We can help you sort through your path, discussing your overall vision for your life and helping you discern where your major and career ideas fit in that vision.

This weekend, as you prepare for the week ahead (before and after cheering on the Bears against Buffalo on Saturday), take some time to consider each class, making note of the things you like and don’t like.  For some of you this task may confirm your course of study, but if these considerations bring up new questions, we are here to help.

Enjoy your weekend and Sic ‘Em, Bears!

Upcoming CPD Events!

Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a great week so far. We wanted to let you know about a couple of upcoming events so that you can be sure to attend.

The event we have coming up Thursday (tomorrow) is a workshop about how to prepare for the STEM Fair. It is from 5:00-6:00 in Rogers Engineering 106. One of the recruiters from AT&T will tell you exactly what you should do to prepare, and what to expect at the fair. It is really helpful, especially if you have never been to a career fair before, but even if you just need a refresher. There will be pizza and door prizes for those who attend as well!

The big event is the STEM Job Fair coming up Monday September 9th from 1:00-4:00. It will be on the 5th floor of Cashion and we have 57 employers signed up to attend. We are really excited because this is the largest STEM fair we have ever hosted! This is great for all of you because this means that employers are ready to recruit you all for various internships and jobs in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field. Make sure you wear business casual dress, business professional if you have it, no jeans please. Also bring copies of your resume. If you need assistance getting your resume career fair ready come to resume review walk-in hours!