I'm in sort of an interesting spot this year. As a double major in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and English, potential career paths were hard to pin down. I'm currently a senior, and a great class I took on women's health last year inspired me to follow the path I've now chosen. Instead of going into social work, or working for an NGO, I've decided to go to nursing school after graduation, and am really excited about it. I see nursing as a concrete way to make change and do something interesting.
It took quite a bit of last-minute planning for me to ge to the point that nursing school is a reality. I had to juggle around classes, drop a thesis project, and take summer school, but I'm really doing it, and am so happy I took that leap.
My advice for people who have no clue about what they want to do after graduation is to deeply explore your interests: take classes that inspire you, do research on things you're excited about, and think outside of the box. We're still young-we have decades in which to change careers, change mindsets, and start over. It is never too late to try something new. If you don't know what you're interested in this point, come into the career center and take a self-assessment or two. Strengths Quest and Strong Interest Inventory are great places to start.
Good luck in your own search!
-Sarah
Monday, October 20, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Are we planning our Careers or are we just trying to plan the next two years?
I’m a junior this year. Writing that sentence gave me chills (If you’re a junior, or have been a junior you will know exactly why I said that). I think I‘m at this weird cross road in my life where I’m re-evaluating everything. I constantly hear the phrase, I have to figure out what I’m going to do with my life, but I wonder if that‘s what I’m really doing? Though I’m interesting in consulting, I don’t think that I’m going to do that for the rest of my life. Thus, I made a plan, just like all Wash U students do, but what does that mean? Nothing, but the funny thing was it really made me feel good to know that I did have some type of direction in my life. But how stable is that plan? In truth I may get into a consulting internship this summer and realize that I hate it and then what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to start a new Career? So I’ve decided, that at this point in my life, I’m not planning my Career, as if it’s the only one I will ever have, I’m planning my next two years. I don’t think it’s fair for me to decide exactly what I’m going to do until I retire at 20 years old. I’m sure that my life and interests will change along the way. In ten years will I even want to be in Healthcare? Maybe by then, I would have picked up some artistic skills and put all my money into redefining my craft (well maybe). I have no idea what’s going to happen. So I guess my advice for those flustered juniors and stressed out seniors is try not to focus on planning out the rest of your life, focus on planning the next two, the rest will fall into place.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
There’s still time…
My sole goal for last summer was to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. By the time mid-August rolled around and I was packing for my senior year of college, I still hadn't found the answer. But, I realized that I still have time. Yes, I used to get annoyed when everyone I talked to would tell me "you still have time". I'd been hearing that phrase since high school and figured, "I'm graduating soon; I'm running out of time". But the truth is, the first job you take is unlikely to be what you do for the rest of your life. Don't freak out if you don't know what you want to do yet. Many people do transitional programs such as Teach for America or Americorps for a couple years. Business students may work for a consulting firm for 2-3 years, and then move on to do an MBA or get a job in private equity. There are also management development training programs where you rotate through several different functions before you decide which you want to focus on. If you're interested in research, you can take a research assistantship position in a lab before deciding if grad school is right for you.
Last summer, I told myself that I was going to finally decide between getting a job and going straight to graduate school. I did a lot of research. I did informational interviews, talked to professors and career advisors, and took the GRE and the GMAT just in case. And still, by the end of the summer, I hadn't had an epiphany yet. Apply for jobs or apply for grad school? I realize now that the best thing for me to do is to not rush into grad school. Don't go to grad school because you don't know what else to do. Don't go if you have no idea of what you want to do with the degree when you're done. Grad school is a huge commitment: time-wise and money-wise. Make sure you're committed. I realize now that I can do both: work for a few years and get some real-world experience, then go to grad school later if I still wish to do so.
If you don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life, don't freak out. You still have time. You have the rest of your life to figure it out.
-Fannie
Last summer, I told myself that I was going to finally decide between getting a job and going straight to graduate school. I did a lot of research. I did informational interviews, talked to professors and career advisors, and took the GRE and the GMAT just in case. And still, by the end of the summer, I hadn't had an epiphany yet. Apply for jobs or apply for grad school? I realize now that the best thing for me to do is to not rush into grad school. Don't go to grad school because you don't know what else to do. Don't go if you have no idea of what you want to do with the degree when you're done. Grad school is a huge commitment: time-wise and money-wise. Make sure you're committed. I realize now that I can do both: work for a few years and get some real-world experience, then go to grad school later if I still wish to do so.
If you don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life, don't freak out. You still have time. You have the rest of your life to figure it out.
-Fannie
Focusing on the Job Search
It’s hard to believe that for so many of us, senior year is here. It’s a time to be excited as we close our academic ventures and focus our attention on maximizing the memories and important relationships of our college experience. However, it is also a time of transition as we each decide on the next step after college. For many of us, jobs are in the near future and pursuing a job search may be a full year project.
For many of us applying for jobs, our industries have not started recruiting. Our finance and consulting peers are hitting the job search now and getting offers, but what should the rest of us be doing while we wait for jobs to open in our fields? On top of that, how do we deal with feeling inadequate or unprepared when pursuing the work force. Work may still feel like that distant entity that we only correlate with our parents and “real” adults. But how can we feel confident in pursuing a great job when there seems to be a lot of competition? How do we get excited about applying to jobs when the economy doesn’t seem promising? How can we be so sure that we want to work when we still can’t answer that enduring question: What do I want to be when I grow up? If you find yourself questioning and unsure like me, here are some suggestions that can help us get focused and make us feel more prepared for pursuing the job search.
1. Learn about yourself. In understanding what jobs fit us best, we need to first understand ourselves: our skills, our weaknesses, our passions, etc. You can achieve this through personal reflection. Keep a journal. Ask those close to you what your strengths and weaknesses are. Also take advantage of self assessments offered by the Career Center. Just walk in and ask the front desk. These assessments are particularly helpful with identifying your personality as a best fit within the job force.
2. Make yourself feel more comfortable with the industry that you think interests you. Read up on the industry first. Most importantly, get out there and meet people. Informational interviews are a great way to do this. Find out what kinds of skills are necessary, what your daily tasks may be. The great thing about this is that informational interviews are another great way to network. You’ll get your name out there and show others within the industry how interested and dedicated you are.
3. Finally, share your interests and ideas with those around you. Searching for a job can be very stressful. There’s no reason to hold it as a personal burden that you deal with by yourself. Talk to those around you. Express your concerns, fears, questions, excitement or whatever you’re feeling at the time. I’ve always been pleasantly surprised with where great advice, encouragement, or answers to prolonging questions came from.
These are just a few tips that can help us get started with the job search. It is a process. Hang in there and I’ll continue to keep you updated as I undergo the same challenge. Best of luck!
-Kimberly
For many of us applying for jobs, our industries have not started recruiting. Our finance and consulting peers are hitting the job search now and getting offers, but what should the rest of us be doing while we wait for jobs to open in our fields? On top of that, how do we deal with feeling inadequate or unprepared when pursuing the work force. Work may still feel like that distant entity that we only correlate with our parents and “real” adults. But how can we feel confident in pursuing a great job when there seems to be a lot of competition? How do we get excited about applying to jobs when the economy doesn’t seem promising? How can we be so sure that we want to work when we still can’t answer that enduring question: What do I want to be when I grow up? If you find yourself questioning and unsure like me, here are some suggestions that can help us get focused and make us feel more prepared for pursuing the job search.
1. Learn about yourself. In understanding what jobs fit us best, we need to first understand ourselves: our skills, our weaknesses, our passions, etc. You can achieve this through personal reflection. Keep a journal. Ask those close to you what your strengths and weaknesses are. Also take advantage of self assessments offered by the Career Center. Just walk in and ask the front desk. These assessments are particularly helpful with identifying your personality as a best fit within the job force.
2. Make yourself feel more comfortable with the industry that you think interests you. Read up on the industry first. Most importantly, get out there and meet people. Informational interviews are a great way to do this. Find out what kinds of skills are necessary, what your daily tasks may be. The great thing about this is that informational interviews are another great way to network. You’ll get your name out there and show others within the industry how interested and dedicated you are.
3. Finally, share your interests and ideas with those around you. Searching for a job can be very stressful. There’s no reason to hold it as a personal burden that you deal with by yourself. Talk to those around you. Express your concerns, fears, questions, excitement or whatever you’re feeling at the time. I’ve always been pleasantly surprised with where great advice, encouragement, or answers to prolonging questions came from.
These are just a few tips that can help us get started with the job search. It is a process. Hang in there and I’ll continue to keep you updated as I undergo the same challenge. Best of luck!
-Kimberly
Mock interviews!!! Get them while they're hot!!!
It was 8am on a sunny Thursday morning as I took the Metrolink down to the medical school to meet my mentor. I had just pressed out the wrinkles in my new suit and my professional attire helped me to exude confidence. Despite the fact that my mentor told me he would ask difficult questions I felt prepared. We met in his office, shook hands and began, establishing an easy exchange. Things were going quite well until he started asking me questions I had never heard before. I was broadsided and started to lose my composure stumbling over my vision of the next ten years of my life and the goals I had formed about my career path. To say the least, it was a complete disaster. Or was it? It was a mock interview after all and though my mentor was proud to have caught me off guard, he did get his point across about what it takes to truly be prepared for an interview. Most importantly, I learned from this experience and when I interviewed recently I knew exactly what to expect, answering questions fluidly and coherently.
Whether you are planning on entering the workforce, applying to graduate programs, or preparing for an internship, learning how to present yourself to others is an important skill to have. The Career Center offers mock interviews which can give you a chance to practice and find your common slip-ups before you ever shake the hands of a recruiter. In addition, we have resources such as packets of commonly asked questions, how do dress, and skills to help you promote yourself. This process is especially important if you are a senior who is beginning their job search. If you have not heard about it yet, I strongly encourage you to sign up for the Senior Prep Series or SPS. It is required in order to apply for jobs listed on CareerLink and it includes a mock interview for the job of your choice which will help you to come ready and confident for your first interviews.
-Stephanie
Whether you are planning on entering the workforce, applying to graduate programs, or preparing for an internship, learning how to present yourself to others is an important skill to have. The Career Center offers mock interviews which can give you a chance to practice and find your common slip-ups before you ever shake the hands of a recruiter. In addition, we have resources such as packets of commonly asked questions, how do dress, and skills to help you promote yourself. This process is especially important if you are a senior who is beginning their job search. If you have not heard about it yet, I strongly encourage you to sign up for the Senior Prep Series or SPS. It is required in order to apply for jobs listed on CareerLink and it includes a mock interview for the job of your choice which will help you to come ready and confident for your first interviews.
-Stephanie
Job Search: Start Now
Senior year is here and it’s hard to believe that in eight short months my title as “student” will be taken away and replaced with “alumnus”. I have to admit, this change of title scares me because I know what it means. It means that a chapter in my life that I have really enjoyed will come to an end. It also means that a new chapter will begin, and with it will come the time to get my first real job. AAAAAAAAAAAAH!
So to make the transition into real world a bit easier, I have set a goal for myself. I want to graduate Wash U. with a job already lined up. Although I still don’t know what I want to do with my majors, I do know that hiding from the future won’t get me anywhere. I have eight months to find a job, and I am starting now.
I have set aside time each week to work on my job search (here is a link to help you get started with your job search http://careers.wustl.edu/documents/job%20search.pdf). It’s much easier for me to do something in many small chunks, over a long period of time, than all at once. I usually try to get an hour or two in each week. What I have found is that the actual job search is not as daunting and scary as it seems. It’s really not that hard—the hard part is finding time to do it and actually doing it. It’s kind of like writing a term paper. You don’t want to do it—you’re tired and have a million other things to do—but once you start it’s not so bad. So, yes, I have chapters to read, tests to study for, and projects to work on, but I remind myself that I do all that because I hope that it will help me get a good job. And no matter how great my grades are, I know that the job won’t find me, I have to find it. So that’s why every week, even though there are other things I would rather be doing, I sit down and work on my job search.
So to my fellow job seekers, my message to you is be proactive and start your job searches now. You will thank yourself when it comes time to start that new chapter in your lives.
-Julia
So to make the transition into real world a bit easier, I have set a goal for myself. I want to graduate Wash U. with a job already lined up. Although I still don’t know what I want to do with my majors, I do know that hiding from the future won’t get me anywhere. I have eight months to find a job, and I am starting now.
I have set aside time each week to work on my job search (here is a link to help you get started with your job search http://careers.wustl.edu/documents/job%20search.pdf). It’s much easier for me to do something in many small chunks, over a long period of time, than all at once. I usually try to get an hour or two in each week. What I have found is that the actual job search is not as daunting and scary as it seems. It’s really not that hard—the hard part is finding time to do it and actually doing it. It’s kind of like writing a term paper. You don’t want to do it—you’re tired and have a million other things to do—but once you start it’s not so bad. So, yes, I have chapters to read, tests to study for, and projects to work on, but I remind myself that I do all that because I hope that it will help me get a good job. And no matter how great my grades are, I know that the job won’t find me, I have to find it. So that’s why every week, even though there are other things I would rather be doing, I sit down and work on my job search.
So to my fellow job seekers, my message to you is be proactive and start your job searches now. You will thank yourself when it comes time to start that new chapter in your lives.
-Julia
Take the Internship Success and Stipend Class!
If you're thinking of getting an unpaid internship this summer, you should strongly consider enrolling in the Internship Success and Stipend Class that starts next Friday, October 3, and meets weekly for the remainder of the semester. Summer stipends are not guaranteed if you take the class, but the Career Center will consider your completion of the class when making its decisions. Last spring, I took this class, and it probably contributed to the Gephardt Institute's decision to offer me a stipend that enabled me to intern at a non-profit in New York City.
The class only meets for an hour a week, so as long as you don't have a direct conflict, it really won't take up much of your time. There is some homework, but most of it is relevant to your internship search and will help you get the most out of your internship.
This is a great way to learn about maximizing your internship experience. Also, if you are planning to go abroad in the spring and are considering an unpaid internship when you return for the summer, this is your best chance to get financial help! RSVP on CareerLink soon!
-Daniel
The class only meets for an hour a week, so as long as you don't have a direct conflict, it really won't take up much of your time. There is some homework, but most of it is relevant to your internship search and will help you get the most out of your internship.
This is a great way to learn about maximizing your internship experience. Also, if you are planning to go abroad in the spring and are considering an unpaid internship when you return for the summer, this is your best chance to get financial help! RSVP on CareerLink soon!
-Daniel
Thursday, April 17, 2008
So Long, Fair Well… But WAIT- I don’t have a job!
So this is it. The end has begun. As a senior graduating in a month, it’s hard to believe that 4 years have come… and now gone. Every opportunity to hangout with friends is precious and not taken for granted. It’s a semi-sweet time.
On the other hand, for more of us than you know, the question of, “what are you doing after graduation?” still looms with a big question mark for the answer. I’ve started getting creative with my response and saying it’s like a good movie, the climax can’t come too soon- the viewer must be kept in suspense.
Nevertheless, it is a little unsettling and frustrating when friends are landing jobs and looking for apartments near their graduate schools and you’re still writing cover letters.
Words to my fellow job-seekers-
1. Blueberry Hill tonight, 9:00pm- be there! (jk,jk,jk…)
2. The sun will come out tomorrow.
May is actually an artificial deadline. We have May 16th as the deadline because that’s when we graduate- companies don’t have this deadline and will be hiring on May 17th (hard to believe, I know!)
3. Meet face-to-face! If you’re doing informational interviews- FORGET the phone!! I know, I know- it’s far away, etc. Do all in your power to meet with people in person.
4.Keep knocking. So have you really followed up with everyone you’ve contacted? Check in with the ones you haven’t contacted in a couple of weeks or a month.
5. Keep your chin up! Set your eyes on your goal and go for it.
On the other hand, for more of us than you know, the question of, “what are you doing after graduation?” still looms with a big question mark for the answer. I’ve started getting creative with my response and saying it’s like a good movie, the climax can’t come too soon- the viewer must be kept in suspense.
Nevertheless, it is a little unsettling and frustrating when friends are landing jobs and looking for apartments near their graduate schools and you’re still writing cover letters.
Words to my fellow job-seekers-
1. Blueberry Hill tonight, 9:00pm- be there! (jk,jk,jk…)
2. The sun will come out tomorrow.
May is actually an artificial deadline. We have May 16th as the deadline because that’s when we graduate- companies don’t have this deadline and will be hiring on May 17th (hard to believe, I know!)
3. Meet face-to-face! If you’re doing informational interviews- FORGET the phone!! I know, I know- it’s far away, etc. Do all in your power to meet with people in person.
4.Keep knocking. So have you really followed up with everyone you’ve contacted? Check in with the ones you haven’t contacted in a couple of weeks or a month.
5. Keep your chin up! Set your eyes on your goal and go for it.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Seniors, graduation is now upon us, but don't think that since you are leaving campus you have to leave behind all the services of the Career Center. It's true, there will be no more late nights at Bears Den, our wustl email addresses will expire, and the ID cards won't let us into anything anymore, but a positive thing is that the Career Center will always be available to you even after you graduate. Imagine, 10 years down the line, you realize that you truely hate your job and want to switch careers. You can come back to the Career Center and retake (or take for the 1st time) a career assesment test to help guide you in your career switch. Maybe you love your job, but for some reason after 2 years you are laid off. You can still make an advising appointment to talk about how to get another job in that sector or take a look at what E-recruiting has to offer. Perhaps it's 2030 and you need help with your interviewing skills because it's been awhile since the last one you did. Make a trip back to St. Louis in order to participate in a mock interview or read books about interviewing in the library. Yes, class of 2008, we will be gone after graduation on May 16th but the Career Center will never forget us.
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