Figuring out what to do when you grow up is tough

There is a few days of class left and a week of finals. It’s exciting, but I know a lot of people are people saying, “Another year has gone by, and I still don’t know what to do with my life." Here are a few tips to getting a head start on figuring out what you want to do with your life!

The first thing you should realize is that you probably want to do many things with your life. Your enthusiasm for starting to search and realize what you want to do later is applauded. Many college students pick their major freshman or sophomore year, and think sooner or later they will stumble into the career that suits them best. Often this does not work out as well as they hope, so the sooner you start your search for your “real life” interest, the more likely you will end up being happy in your career.

Figuring out what you want to do when you “grow up” is a hard decision, but there are a few things that you do not need to worry about when picking a path to find your life goal. First, your major will not define what you spend your life doing. If you major in political science and later decide to become a physical education teacher, it is okay. The world is not going to come to a screeching halt crashing and burning. It is going to take some work, but it is still a possible. Any major can lead to a variety of things. Ask your parents what they majored then compare what they are doing now – it may not seem to add up, but in the end they did what made them happy. For more information about what you can do with your major check out our website. We offer wonderful information about all majors, and if you are still interested in finding more information you can always make an appointment with a Career Counselor.

Second, college is an opportunity to find what you are passionate about. If there is anything to take into consideration when you are finding your career, think about whether you like it or not. Passion is important. If you do not like what you are doing every day of every year then how are you going to keep doing it? Make sure you are happy in your field, and if you are not – change it up. Figuring it out now is a lot easier than figuring it out when you graduate college, and already have a job, family and bills. College makes it easy to try out new classes and internships are great experience to see if you like a career field or not. For example, if you are majoring in physical education and decide you cannot stand teaching to your own peers, there is a good chance you may want to try out some classes, and maybe change direction. Keep your options open.

Third, your summer can be used productively by talking to people. Anyone is a good resource when it comes down to questions like, “How did you end up where you are today?” There is never just one way to get a job you dream of. People take all kinds of paths to end up where they are. Backgrounds and education comes in all different packages. Your professors at The College at Brockport could have been majors in history and may now be teaching you communication. You never know what someone did with their life before you ask. Take this summer to make conversation.

And finally, never get discouraged. It is okay that you are in college and cannot decide how you want to spend the rest of your life. It may take a while for you to figure out your calling and decide where you will be happy. Take advantage of the several opportunities at Career Services. We have four internship programs open to all majors. Internships are one of the most effective ways to figuring out what you want to do with your life. Even if you hate the internship – you will learn something. Go out there at try everything you are interested in! There is no experience that can’t help you.

And please do not forget to have fun this summer!

Real Reasons to Revamp your Resume!

I have an eight-gigabyte jump drive. Bear with me for a moment... I'm going somewhere with this. I have every semester that I have been at college labeled with all my classes, and I also have a Resume folder. This is when you should start saying, "She has a folder...dedicated to resumes?"

Yes, I do. And you should too.

Let me explain the benefits of having your resumes organized.

First, resumes are important. You might need one at any moment. For example, I was just asking for a letter of reference and she asked for a copy of my resume. And ta-da, I pull out my flash drive, print her a copy and bring it right back to her. Plus, you always needs a resume for a job application. Whether it is on-campus or an internship, people are going to want to see your resume.

Second, resumes show what you have done. Your resume is your guidebook. It shows your positions, accomplishments, and activities. It gives prospective employers an excellent look into your business life. Now, this is why I have a folder. You should cater your resumes to each specific job you apply to.

Third, your resume should be catered to each position you apply to because no job is the exact same. For many companies/businesses/schools each position will be somewhat different. And because of this you will need to cater your resume according to your strengths and what the job will require.

You might be asking, "WHY?!" It's a simple answer - No employer wants to look at the same canned resume that everyone else is looking at. You should add a personal touch to your resumes.

Take me for an example - I am interested in applying for an Event Programming position at Brockport. My resume for this position is going to look drastically different than my resume if I was applying for an Office Assistant at Career Services. Your resume should be used to your advantage. Push your skills and abilities that you would use the most at your prospective job. Taking my example I work and help set-up several events at Career Services so when I am getting my resume ready for the Event Programmer, I will make those bullets most important. Now if I was applying to be an Office Assistant I would use the skills that I gained doing office work - answering the phone, filing, taking message, and so on.

Why is this important? Let me answer that with a statistic...63% of HR managers report that spelling errors are the most annoying mistakes they see on resumes. Other top mistakes include - Resumes not customized to the position (30 percent). Beyond the statistics though prospective employers aren't going to be as interested in you if you are applying for 18 other jobs. They are looking for someone motivated and committed to their company. By making your resume custom and personalized you can still apply to many jobs.

I'm not saying your need to make a brand new resume for each job you are applying for, but with a few minutes tweaking your resume you have a better chance of getting noticed. Recruiters like to see that you are customizing your resume to fit their job description. It can only help you in the end.

Surprise...I'm going to write about Internships!

Lately I've been thinking about that pesky "I" word again. Summer is coming, and people are talking about the awesome internship they are getting psyched for. Well, for me, this summer will be about finishing my foreign language credit, working a lot for some money, and of course...relaxing. I'm taking, what I like to call, an internship vacation.

Internships are draining; they are awesome experiences, but they can tire you out with a full-time job on top of it, but as I spoke to some of my friends they were unsure how they even got their internships. Most used their parent's friends, professor's friends, or a website. Although these are all great ways to get an internship they are plenty of other ways to find an opportunity that could rock your socks off!

But before you can get these other internships you have to have proper after-internship etiquette. After you get through however many hours of free (or the rare paid) internship you must do the right thing to make sure your supervisor will remember you. If they remember you, they are more likely to help you in the future.

So - after your internship, what do you do? Many students come into Career Services to ask questions about proper networking, and this is a major concern. Networking in one of it's best forms is using your former internship coordinator. For example, when I interned over the summer for the Promotions/Marketing Coordinator of the Business Improvement District she took me out to lunch the last day of my internship. In return, I sent her a thank you card and beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was a gesture of appreciation, and a way to say, "I hope you keep me in mind if you hear of any opportunities." In fact, three weeks later I received an email from Nicole saying that her friend in Rochester at an event planning business had an internship available and would I be interested.

If you are in the teacher certification program you should always give your teacher a thank you card, and if you really enjoyed the experience something small for the classroom or their personal use. Physical education majors could give them a new whistle, or a small gift card to Wegmans, Starbucks or anywhere else. If you are observing in a kindergarten class you could give the teacher a Webkinz for the class to play with. Think about all the time you spend with these people - you are bound to know something about their likes, dislikes and interests. Use it to your advantage. The same applies for any teacher certification candidate. You spend hours with these teachers learning their job and helping to teach their class - don't you think you should give them something in return?

You should always, always keep in touch with your internship coordinator and supervisor. I still drop regular emails to my internship supervisor from my freshman year. We have dinner or lunch once a year, and regularly keep in touch every few months through an email. If you build a relationship with these people good things will happen to you. Your internship supervisors know a lot of people in your given field, and they may know when and what jobs are going to open before it's released publicly. When you are on a search for your next internship, get in touch with them. Chances are good that they will know someone or can get you in touch with the right people. Network, network, and network more. It is one of the best ways to find your dream job.

If you ever feel guilty about doing this, which I know could happen, think about it this way - they used your free labor for so many things you deserve something back. This is their way of showing appreciation! Most people are more than happy to help their students find internships!

I hope you find this information helpful! Internship etiquette is very important, and all students should learn to use this to their advantage!

Be a Detective!

Brockport Career Exploration Course!

BCEC is the opportunity to find your own internship. It is a course designed for students who are interested investigating a career through an internship. Through BCEC students will gain experience related to their career and get credit for it! Students can do this internship in the fall, winter, spring or summer! It is available whenever semester you are interested in.'

Students must be second-semester sophomores with a minimum of a 2.0 GPA. The application process is done through Career Services. It involves basic information about yourself and a "Learning Agreement." The Learning Agreement is a form that includes the internship description, training and on-site supervision, and learning objectives. To take part in the program students need to have a faculty sponsor to report to. In the case of winter and summer internships, Rob DiCarlo will serve as your faculty sponsor.

To receive and complete the BCEC course students must attend an orientation meeting with Rob DiCarlo in Career Services after they have registered for the course, attend 3 Monthly Seminars to discuss internship experiences, create an updated resume with the internship on it, and a final paper analyzing your internship experience. These academic credits are upper-division elective and for an internship a student can gain anywhere from 1 to 6 credit hours. 1 credit hour is equal to 40 hours of work, 3 credits is 125 hours, and 6 credits is 250 hours. Keep this is mind when making your academic schedule for the semester that you are doing your internship. If you are doing in internship in an office keep in mind they are usually only open from 8am to 5pm. You should keep large chunks of time open during the day in order to intern. Grading for the BCEC credits are done on a Pass/Fail basis. If you complete all the major course requirements and your internship hours you will receive a passing grade.

Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to find your own internship. Many companies and businesses have dates for potential interns to apply by. The internship world is extremely competitive, so make sure to get your resume out there. Even if you have your heart set on one internship there is a chance you won't get it, so apply, apply and then apply some more. There may be more than an application for the process; you might need to have an interview, or maybe two. Take charge early on with getting your internship and BCEC application filled out.

If you need help finding an internship, Career Services can help. On the Career Services website there is a listing of employer's who have used Brockport interns before and their contact information. Also, we have a Jobs & Internships Fair in the Fall and Spring semester. Check it out! Recruiters from over 50 companies gather to recruit from Brockport. You should also use your network to find an internship. Talk to your professors - they know a lot of people in their field, talk to your family and friends - you'll be surprised at who they know, and talk to anyone who have worked for before - if they liked you they would be happy to help you out.

In the end internships give you an incredible amount of experience that you will not find in a classroom. Take the opportunity to find out if you like a career, or find out if you hate it. Either way the experience will be worth your time, energy and effort.

Career Services is hosting a Lunch & Learn about Career Services's internship programs! If you have more questions about BCEC, America Reads, Disney College Program and the Albany Semester, please come see us on Tuesday, April 28th from 12pm to 1pm in Union Room 228. Call 395-2159 to RSVP. We provide pizza and soda for lunch!

Going Abroad

Should I go abroad?

Should I get out of here for a semester?

Won't I get homesick?

What if it's weird?

How will I survive for a whole semester with NO ONE I know?

These are all the typical questions that people ask themselves when deciding if they want to spend a semester abroad or not...

Yes, going abroad is a BIG DEAL, but it's such a great opportunity to explore other cultures, other people, and most of all have the time of your life.

When will you ever get the chance to go somewhere for fifteen weeks, and have almost nothing to worry about?

So, let me make a case of why you should go abroad during your college career.

Going abroad....

1. is all about learning who you are.
By putting yourself in an abroad situation you are going to learn how you deal with different cultures, missing home, and more about your likes and dislikes.

2. is a chance to explore the world.
Traveling from country to country in Europe is way cheaper than traveling in the United States. Imagine jumping on a train when you are in Venice and ending up in Amsterdam a few hours later. You can hear different languages, see different sights, taste new foods, smell different cities, and touch all the different streets in different cities! Going abroad puts your five senses in a whole new light..

3. is a way to meet new people.
When you go abroad you will meet students from different parts of the United States, natives of the country, students studying abroad from different countries and many other travelers. The amount of people you meet will amaze you, and build a worldwide network of friends, especially with the worldwide craze of Facebook.

4. is great if you want to learn (or polish) a different language.
For students who are majoring in a different language, studying abroad is a must. Many people have told me the only true way to become a true bilingual speaker is to live and learn from natives. For students who are interested in picking up some conversational language skills in another country, going abroad gives you the opportunity to do that as well. If you live somewhere for fifteen years there's a good chance you will be needing a few phrases and words.

5. makes you more knowledgeable about world affairs and politics.
Students come back over to the United States knowing far more about the world when they left. Hearing different opinions and viewpoints about politics, world affairs, and domestic issues helps broaden your horizons.

and finally...

6. will change how you think about your life.
You may have never wanted to study abroad until college, but now that you have the opportunity it could change what you want to do when you graduate, or maybe it will make you realize that you want to live abroad.

So...take advantage of your Study Abroad program. Brockport Study Abroad is a great program, and is one of the best in the SUNY system. We have programs on every continent. The people in the office will be inviting, make you feel comfortable, and help you every step of the way. From picking a program, to figuring out how many credits you will get, to arranging your financial aid - they are there for you.

If you aren't interested in going for a whole semester EF College Break tours offers shorter programs. They have trips during the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer semesters. These are "touristy" programs, but they allow to you go abroad while traveling in a group, and having a set itinerary. Check out their website if you are interested!

Get out there! Travel the world, meet new world, try new things, and find out who you are!

Spring is here...

March 21st brought us the new spring season! With that comes warm weather, green grass, days of laying in the sun, and of course less clothing.

After reading that second sentence you are probably wondering, "Where is she going with this?" Well, this blog is going to talk about dressing professionally no matter the weather. Wherever you work there is likely to be a "dress code." It might not be formal, written down or even enforced, but there is always that silly dress code that you must abide by. For example, think about your classes at college; you all dress alike. Jeans, sweatshirts, sandals, boots, button downs, khakis, and overall a casual look. I bet you can find the same pattern for college professors, college staff and various other career professionals.

So, there are two main kinds of dress in the business world: business professional and business casual.

Business professional incorporates more formal attire. For men this will include suits. Keep them classy - no baby blues or pinks! Think solid colors, and pinstripes. I suggest staying with navy, charcoal, gray and black. As far as ties go, make sure they match your suit and shirt. Red, navy, striped and patterned ties will look great. Make sure your socks match your outfit. You would be surprised how many people notice this! As for you shoes you should have a pair of dark slip on or lace up shoes that are appropriate. Keep in mind when laying out your outfit that your belt should match your tie. A sport coat with trousers would also be appropriate for a business professional look. Males should take it easy on the cologne. Smelling up an interviewer’s office will leave a bad impression.

For ladies, business professional will be suits in dark colors as well. Women can also wear a contrasting jacket and skirt, or a two-piece dress. Always have a few white or cream colored blouses to wear. They match anything in your closet! A scarf can spice up your outfit, as well as bring hidden colors out. Have dark colored high heels that are appropriate to wear to the office. They should be close toed, and not too high. Shoes that are over 4 inches are not appropriate for the office. Also, it is extremely important to wear neutral or taupe hosiery. In business professional settings it is considered very inappropriate for women to not be wearing stockings. Simple jewelry – earrings and a necklace is okay as long as it’s not too flashy. Don’t forget to take it easy on the perfume. Just a few sprits – don’t overdo it.

Now, most people that are business professional have dress down days. It can be once-a-month or sometimes weekly. Just make sure you have a handle of when the days are and what is appropriate. If you are new to workplace try and be a little dressy until you get the hang of what people are wearing. It is better to be overdressed than underdressed in any situation.

Business casual is a little less tricky to maneuver. For men it can include slacks, khakis or Dockers-type trousers. It can also be sport shirts, polar shirts with collars, sweaters, and sport jackets. For your feet it can be causal loafers or lace-up shoes…with socks, please.

For the ladies, business casual includes skirts and slacks, neatly pressed khakis and corduroys. Cotton shirts are appropriate in solids, and prints. Make sure the color isn’t too bright. Women can also wear sweaters as long as they are not too tight or reveal too much. And finally, low-heeled shoes and flats are appropriate on your feet. The most important thing for ladies in the workplace is to make sure they don’t reveal too much.

Even when the warm weather starts coming, try and abide by these basic rules. It will keep your employer happy, and it will keep you professional; business or casual.

How to Deal with Priorities

Managing your time can be tough, especially in college. There are always 8139874201 (quite the exaggeration, I know) things to do; it can be hard and extremely frustrating. Even if you think you are managing your time effectively, there are probably some tips you can live with knowing. It never hurts to manage your time better.

Here are some things that I do to better prioritize my life. These tips can apply to work, school, your social life, and anything else that is on your mind.

The most important thing is, obviously, the due date. The most common way a person can prioritize their work is by due date. When you know when something must be finished, it is easier to find the time to finish it by its due date. For example if something is due on Tuesday, then obviously it will be more important the assignment due on Friday. If your tasks do not have any concrete due dates, assign them due dates yourself. By giving yourself a time frame to accomplish the work, you will likely be more productive.

The next thing to focus on is the weight of the project. If the task is falling heavy on your mind then you may want to put it at the top of your list. Keep in mind that some things may need to be done first, just to get them off your mind. If you have a task that is bothering you, then get it done because that way the you will be able to accomplish your other tasks with the least amount of stress possible. By getting the heaviest projects out of the way, you will be able to get everything else done with the least amount of stress.

The third tip I abide by is the length of a project. If the project is long and tedious then you are going to want to start it far in advance, so you can work on it in pieces. You should probably start this is the morning because you are more likely to have energy and do a better job of the task at hand.

Another great way to stay prioritized is by using your emotions. If you are passionate about one project, it means that you will put it at the top of your list. If you are excited about a project or task you should put it near the top of your daily list. The same goes if you are dreading a project; if you think you are going to hate doing it, then get it done and out of the way first. If you do it first, chances are better that you will accomplish the task quicker and better because you will be able to relax for the rest of the day.

If you like to group your work by degree of difficulty, then your work by level of ease. This means that you might feel most comfortable doing your easy daily tasks at the beginning of the day to get them out of the way. You may be the type of person who likes to get the most tasks done early in the morning. If you would rather save the easy tasks for the end of the day, then tackle the difficult tasks in the morning, before you are tired from the day.

And finally, let me tell you what works best for me! I make lists. A lot of people hate making lists, and actually now that I think about it...so do I, but I enjoy crossing things off my list, so I guess it evens out. My favorite thing to do is to complete a task and then cross it out of my agenda. It is a stress reliever.

When you are prioritizing you need to done what needs to be done. The key is a well accomplished day is being a great "prioritizer." The sooner you start prioritizing, the better you will be later! Being organized never hurt anyone...so give it a shot!