It is that time of year again! The applications for the Scripps Emerging Professionals Program have come out and it is time to start thinking about career paths and summer internships. I wanted to dedicate this blog post to unabashedly bragging about the program and imploring anyone interested to please apply!

I applied to the program because I did not know what I wanted to do in the future and had many different interests that I could not figure out how to translate into a career. The Emerging Professionals Program helped me gain confidence in professionally presenting myself on paper and in person. It not only helped me revamp my resume and LinkedIn profile, but it also helped me come up with an elevator pitch and figure out how to conduct myself during interviews.

Here are some of my favorite memories and experiences from EPP and hopefully you all can partake in them when you join the program:

• We began by learning about our strengths and personality types through a variety of tests such as Strengths Finder and Myers-Briggs. I had never taken time to figure out what my strengths and weaknesses are and how they can translate into a career path and these exercises were increasingly helpful in allowing me to think before acting on assumptions.
• I loved being paired with a mentor who used to work in a career path that I was interested in and was able to give me great advice about her job and possible internships. We have remained in contact even a year later and I feel comfortable reaching out to her whenever I need someone to look at my resume or talk to me about possible career opportunities.
• I found it helpful to go through speed interviewing sessions with professionals from companies that I might eventually want to work for. I learned that interviewing in person is different from interviewing through Skype, which was something I had not thought of beforehand.
• It was especially important (and nerve-wracking) for me to have to come up with a one-minute elevator pitch to introduce myself to people in a professional environment. I then had to give this pitch to a room full of people from different companies as well as my own peers.
• EPP helped me make my LinkedIn page and even took professional headshots for all of us. On top of that, we had resume sessions where my peers edited my resume and gave me helpful advice on improving it.
• Lastly, we went to a networking event where we were able to meet Scripps alumni as well as other professionals from different industries. At the event, we were able to practice the networking skills that we had learned during EPP and make connections.

I would recommend EPP to any student at any point in their career path because there is always room for improvement and practice when it comes to professional development. At the very least, you get to form a great connection with Career Planning and Resources and meet interesting people who can support you as you navigate your career and personal journey. Learn more about the program and find the full schedule here.
Apply by midnight October 21, for consideration in this year’s EPP cohort.