Jump Start
A newsletter for freshmen & sophomores from Cohen
Since so many of you liked the first email in March, I decided to send another one!
This month, we’re looking at another way to spend a portion of your summer gathering helpful career-decision information and being productive, without having to work or do an internship. All you have to do is talk to people! The Career Center is open 12 months a year, and so you can still come in for Quick Advising or an appointment as things slow down before and during finals.
So stay tuned for more from the best newsletter you never knew you needed!
Kelly O’Shaughnessy ‘05
Assistant Director of Freshmen & Sophomore Initiatives
Career Readiness Punchcard Event of the Month
Learn more about careers in Marine Sciences from the perspective of alumni currently working in the field. They’ll share trends that have changed, how they got started, and advice for you as a student pursuing the industry.
Marine Science Careers Panel: Apr 17, 2017 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Cohen Career Center: Presentation Room
This will give you a taste of an informational interview, and there will be PIZZA.
Career Readiness Tip of the Month
A great way to start exploring careers is by having conversations with people who have jobs you find interest. It’s a great approach to learn more about how people got into different fields, what it’s like on a regular day/week/year, what’s a part of the job they didn’t expect, and what kinds of trends have changed since they started. These conversations can grow into opportunities to shadow, intern, or meet more people in the industry.
You may have heard of these as Informational Interviews. This is a time for you to learn what you want to know about a potential career path from someone currently in that role before jumping in. You can reach out to upperclass students in a particular major, talk to faculty, get introduced to a friend’s aunt, or even talk to your older brother/sister’s college roommate. The options are endless when you think about how many people you know, and their ability to introduce you to anyone they know. To help with the initial outreach, we have a resource on Professional Correspondence. This will give you tips and samples of email messages to send to someone. All it takes to get started exploring careers is to initiate a conversation.
Career Competency Of The Month
Across all industries, recruiters want to learn about the skills you have and how you've used them. No matter your major, they want to know where you developed your core set of career competencies, whether it was in the classroom, as a member of a club, while playing a sport, when conducting research, or in a professional position, many have agreed on a set of eight transferable skills. Click here for a full list.
This month, we’re looking at Oral/Written Communication. Can you:
· Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization
· Ability to express ideas to others
· Can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively
Have you practiced talking with someone about your experiences lately? Can you tell your story by sharing your accomplishments and demonstrate skills you’ve used?
Did you know you can sign-up for mock interviews through TribeCareers, or at the front desk to start practicing and get out the nerves?
Tribe Careers Tip of the Month
Do you know how to find our upcoming industry panels, networking receptions, and information sessions? We share all information for upcoming visitors and programs on TribeCareers, and give you the opportunity to RSVP ahead of time so you can add it to your calendar and save your spot.
1. Login to tribecareers.wm.edu
2. Click on “Events” on the left menu
3. Click on “Information Sessions” to see a list of upcoming sessions where employers share details and advice about their opportunities and how to stand out as a candidate.
4. Click on “Workshops” to see a list of upcoming panels, industry meet-ups with an alum, as well as our regular workshops.
Both Information Sessions and Workshops are updated throughout the year as people become available to visit, so check back regularly to see newly added programs.
Come talk with us!
Come into quick-advising hours and get your questions answered without making an appointment:
- Monday & Thursday, 1-4pm
- Tuesday & Wednesday, 3-5pm
- Friday, 9am-12pm
Email: career@wm.edu
Website: http://www.wm.edu/offices/career/students/
Location: Between Sadler Center and Zable Stadium on Stadium Drive.
Phone: (757) 221-3231
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WMCareerCenter/
Twitter: @wmcareer