Career Conversations
Advice and News From the Cohen Career Center
4/21
Happy Last Week of Classes everyone! We're rounding out the year with a few fun events.
Take a look to see what you can do to get career-ready over the summer!
Check below to see what's finishing up at Cohen!
Next week: Meme Edition
Upcoming Events:
Share your views by April 30 and be entered for a chance to win $500
You could win $500, just by sharing your views on the job-search process. Participate in the 2019 NACE Student Survey, sponsored by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, and you are eligible to win!
It's easy: Complete the survey online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019NACEStudentSurvey-Four-YearSchools
Anytime between now and April 30, 2019, and you are eligible to win (winner to be picked, at random, on May 6, 2019). Good luck!
Your individual response will remain absolutely confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside of NACE. Only aggregate data will be presented in any reports or articles based on the responses to this survey.
For contest rules, please go to: http://www.naceweb.org/surveys/student/sweepstakes-rules.aspx
What you can do over the Summer!
Work/Research/Apply for Summer Internships: Internship applications start way before the actual internship. Start filling out applications for internships you might want to participate in this summer! Internships are a great way to get some hands-on experience and sometimes some extra dough!
Work a job: Being a couch potato all summer isn’t going to help your savings account. Try to return to a high school job or find a new one! Many store hire seasonal help with the holiday crunch time upon us.
Mini study abroad: Broaden your horizons by traveling abroad! Go with a preset program or design your own adventure. Not only is this a great opportunity to change your perspective on the world, but you never know who you’ll meet or what kind of connections you can make!
Job shadowing: Countless employers and alumni are waiting and willing to let you shadow them at their job and get an insider’s look at what their career is like!
Informational Interviews: Try calling some employers in your fields of interest. Draft a set list of questions you’d like to ask to get more familiar with their career and their perspective on the field.
Pick up some transferrable skills: Use your W&M college login to access Lynda.com to learn marketable skills, such as how to use Excel, project management, Photoshop, and more.
Attend a lecture: Don’t leave the newspaper freezing at the end of the driveway. Pick it up and look for events going on in your local area….speaker coming to town, community workshops, networking events or symposiums.
Compile list of References: If you’re planning on filling out any application in the future (work, internship, etc.), the employer might ask for references. Now is a great time to revisit the people who have influenced you and helped you become who you are today!
Work on your Resume and professional profile: We cannot stress enough the importance of having a clean, polished, professional resume and online profile. With school work out of the way, devote an hour or two to working on your resume. Freshmen and sophomores, juniors and seniors… EVERYONE needs a resume and professional online profile (LinkedIn)! They are a part of applications for internships, research opportunities and jobs.
Research scholarships: Feeling like your savings aren’t going to make it to senior year? Research and apply for scholarships to help relieve financial stress. The money you would have paid if you hadn’t gotten a scholarship can be put towards your savings for after college or fund a nonpaid internship!
Volunteering: Get a new perspective on life and on what’s important to you. A major part of choosing a job is choosing one that aligns with your core values. Volunteering in your local community or abroad can help you discover and define those core values.
Go back to your roots: Visit your high school and talk to kids about college – give back and pay it forward! Talk to administration or guidance counselors to set up a time and place to meet with students for informal questioning or to give a short presentation. The younger kids look up to you. Don’t let them down!
Join LinkedIn groups aligned with your career interests: Learn about current issues and topics, reach out to professionals in your field for advice and insight.
Cohen Career Center
Supporting students on their individual paths as they create meaningful futures. Don't forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and follow us on Instagram @cohencareercenter.
Email: career@wm.edu
Website: mycareer.wm.edu
Location: 180 Stadium Dr. (Next to the Sadler Center)
Phone: (757) 221-3231
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WMCareerCenter/?fref=ts
Twitter: @wmcareer