Category Archives: Christie

Keep Calm and Carry On

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Like all Scripps students I received a  “Life After Scripps” flyer in my mailbox a few weeks ago. Some events, such as the personal branding and personal statement writing workshops, looked particularly interesting and I was excited to join them and get some veteran insight. I find that the information presented at these events is incredibly useful, and because these workshops and panels are all on campus I try to drop in for at least an hour or two after class. Nevertheless, I find that it’s still hard to fit career planning into my schedule; its bullet point in my planner will always be an interminable task because there is never truly an endpoint and, really, where do I even begin? Last week began with an “almost-all-nighter” in Honnold for a Core paper and ended with a late night drive back to campus from Orange County. I actually missed all of the “Life after Scripps” events I had planned to attend save for Tea. Do I at least get a gold star for trying?

Although Seal Court was more crowded than usual last Wednesday I felt inexplicably calmer than I had all week, even as students gingerly tried to push around me. For a small fragment of time, just fifteen minutes, I worried about nothing other than the minute sadness that there wasn’t enough whipped cream on my pound cake slice. I used a corner of the cake to scrape what was left of the whipped cream off a serving spoon, and then I drizzled fluorescent red strawberry syrup on top of my fluffy, crumbling white mound. I know we’re all feeling an increasing amount of tension and stress due to impending midterms. I find myself spending less time at the gym and even skimming class readings during the ten minute breaks between classes. Between school and work I hardly have any time for myself these days!

What motivates me to stay on top of important deadlines for alternative spring breaks and summer internships is simple. I don’t use the traditional rewards systems in which you “treat yourself” to a new pair of jeans or a little knickknack whenever you finish a paper; rather, I motivate myself by envisioning a future, a future perhaps in a different city or even a different country. I tell myself that this summer will be even better than the last. I’ll be given meaningful projects and be further convinced that I chose the right field of work. Maybe I’ll meet someone who will be my mentor or maybe someone will ask me about my experience blogging for CP&R. Sometimes, I also envision a quiet summer in the suburbs watching Grey’s Anatomy reruns. I then grimace at the thought of halfheartedly ordering an extra thin Margerita pizza and drinking grapefruit juice straight from the carton. But then I go back to my vision of a summer leading writing workshops in Baltimore. I think of all the wonderful people I have yet to meet and all the experiences I have yet to have in one of the brightly colored rowhouses that line the streets of Charles Village… and then everything is worth it.

What Happens When You “Drop-In” at CP&R

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I’m ashamed to admit that last Wednesday was the first time I ever “dropped-in” at CP&R’s office in Seal Court. I was familiar with many of CP&R’s electronic resources, such as the Career Courier and the Gateway, but I’d never actually met with a career consultant. Finding job postings online or on various bulletin boards around campus usually doesn’t require professional assistance, but sooner or later during our undergrad careers we will need some one-on-one help. My time is now, though I wish I’d realized it sooner. To think I’d been suffering all this time, enduring the vast wasteland that is today’s job market… alone and alone without reason!

I dropped in around 10:00am after a late breakfast. After signing in, I sat down with a career consultant who I was pleased to see was peer (she was actually a lovely student I took Writing 50 with my first year). Phew! It was nice to see a familiar face, as I was actually quite nervous. If you need professional help with anything that means you have a problem… right? You’re in trouble… right?? Well, not exactly. I came to the CP&R office with a “problem” I’d already worked a fair number of kinks out of: my resume. I just needed a little more help (or so I thought).

As a college sophomore I had a resume I’d been updating since I was a high school student. It was an awkward collage that resembled sample resumes I found via a quick Google search. I should have known that my resume was probably not supposed to look like that of Jane Doe, who has been an associate at Big Time Law Firm for eight years. CP&R helped me edit and clean up my resume; it now looks like the resume of Christie Kweon, language and literature enthusiast, tutor and mentor extraordinaire.

I had to reformat my entire resume. Some sections were moved around and others entirely removed because some parts of a resume should be highlighted more than others. For instance, I learned from my career consultant that at this point in my career it’s standard to list “Education” before “Experience”. Some additional edits such as the merging of dates and locations were necessary, and I also rephrased some points to compact my resume. I unfortunately had brought in a two-page resume, which is a bit on the long side.

I could go on about little details I had to add and others I had to take out, but I can hardly remember them all at the top of my head. Most of my career consultant’s comments from our half hour session were recorded in her scribbly cursive on my resume. The whole process of reviewing my resume with Lauren was rather remnant of the peer editing workshops that are oh-so-popular among Scripps classes. I honestly don’t know why I was nervous about coming in during drop-in hours, which are from 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday.

Be sure to drop-in or set up an appointment with CP&R before important datelines, or if you’re busy studying for midterms now, at least stop by to pick up a copy of the 2013 Career Services Guide (It’s an invaluable, free resource!) and check out the intranet page on resumes and cover letters.

What important deadlines are coming up in October? Is anyone already searching for a summer job or internship?

How to Write a Thank You Note (in any Galaxy, near or far, far away)

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As young professionals we often need a helping hand, actually, many helping hands. I know I’m personally grateful to a number of people – my brilliant professors and classmates, my understanding supervisors at work, my supportive parents (Hi mom!) – and I’m often at a loss of what to say in the moment. Thus, I often rely on thank you notes to help express my appreciation. Of course, a card or email isn’t always enough or even appropriate, but I think it’s important to note that even little minutiae can have a big impact.

When I was young my mother always made particularly big fusses after the holidays; she always made sure I handwrote cards to my relatives for all the Barbies and Magic Tree House books I got (You know you love them!). Likewise, we always bought two boxes of cards before my birthdays: one box of invitations and another box of thank you cards. A simple thank you note says two very important things: (1) “Thank you for supporting me by either coming to my event or doing that one thing” and (2) “I would really appreciate your support in the future… please remember me!”

These days, while I still occasionally write thank you notes for presents, I find myself more frequently writing them for the professors, supervisors, and interviewers who helped me achieve milestones such as landing my first interview or job. By sending them thank you cards or emails, I’m communicating my appreciation for the time they’ve invested in me and also asking them for their continued support in the future. There’s a professional as well as personal benefit to writing thank you notes. Good feelings all around!

I always keep a little box of Crane & Co. cards handy in case an occasion arises. An Amazon reviewer appreciates that these cards have “no tacky dayglo flowers or chintzy sayings” and a “simple refined elegance”. If you plan on sending a thank you card via good old snail mail, these are a safe and classy option. Both my best friend and grandmother would approve of these! If you plan on sending a thank you email you could jazz it up by using your favorite font. I personally love Times, no New Roman for me!

Here are some thank you notes I’ve actually sent in the past (though they’re in a slightly modified form here). Please feel free to modify and use them in the future (and if you have suggestions for improvement, don’t hesitate to post them)!

[A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…]

Dear Governor Tarkin,

I just wanted to thank you for being my reference. As a result, I start my new position on the Death Star next week. I truly appreciate your time and hope I will be able to call upon you again in the future.

Zone Captain #6

OR

Zone Captain #6,

Thank you for the card. It was a pleasure assisting you with the destruction of the Rebel Alliance, and I look forward to another year on the Death Star.

Thank you again for thinking of me!

Governor Tarkin

Thoughts Before and After a Skype Interview

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Let’s go back a few months to the previous spring semester. I’m sweating profusely and chugging an extra large Red Bull while speed walking to my dorm. The short walk between the Field House and Clark Hall seems eternal; I repeatedly glance at my phone and count down the minutes. I should have left earlier. I shouldn’t have gone to work at all. I barrel through the bike shed and swipe my card four or five times before finally entering through the emergency exit (Oops!). On my way up the stairs I pass my roommate, who is watching hockey in the TV room, and feel a tremendous relief. She already got all her things and is out of the room. Brilliant. I throw my bag on my bed that is lofted way too high and start clearing the clutter off my desk. I button up a clean blue and white striped shirt, comb and pull my hair half up/half down, and prop my laptop onto my desk. It’s 10:17am and I dust a final layer of loose powder of my face while Skype loads.

… This is not ideally how you would prepare for a Skype interview (Now you know!). I suppose the interview must have gone well, as I managed to get the job and spend an invaluable time in New York this summer, but in hindsight, I know things could have gone a lot more smoothly. Here are some things I’m glad I did and other things I wish I had done differently (Be sure to take note of these “do’s and don’ts”!):

  • I’m glad I had the opportunity to do a Skype interview. Many employers consider the interview, both in person and via Skype, an integral part of the hiring process. Additionally, an increasing number of employers are utilizing Skype as a professional tool because it enables intimate conversation with prospective hires from all around the world and spares them the costly expense of travel. Download Skype here and familiarize yourself with the application.
  • I wish I had scheduled a better time to interview. My interviewer lived on the east coast, which meant she was also living in a completely different time zone. I had to be mindful that she was three hours ahead of me – although it was only 10:17am in California, it was already 1:17pm in New York – so I scheduled an early morning interview. However, I found out a little too late that a 10:30am interview would entail chaos for me. I had to leave work immediately after my shift was over, and eat and dress in less than an hour.
  • I’m glad I warned my roommate ahead of time that I would be conducting a Skype interview in our room that day. By communicating with my roommate early, I was able to secure a quiet space where I wouldn’t be interrupted and she was able to make plans to be somewhere else for half an hour (It would have been incredibly rude to exile her out of blue!). For peace of mind, I also silenced my phone and exited programs, such as Groupwise and Facebook, so that I wouldn’t be distracted by notifications during my interview.
  • I wish I had worn a solid colored blouse rather than one with stripes. Stripes or busy patterns tend to appear distorted on camera and thus distract from your face. Jennifer Johnson, founder of J. Johnson Executive Search, Inc., recommends a dark solid colored outfit with a pop of color somewhere. To make up for the distraction, I did my best to stimulate eye contact by looking directly at the camera rather than at the thumbnail of my interviewer. Sometimes things don’t always go the way we plan, but it’s important make the best of the situation!

Here are some helpful links to consult before your next Skype interview:

1. Learn How to Ace a Skype Interview – About.com Article 1

2. Video Interviewing With Skype – About.com Article 2

3. How to Ace a Job Interview on Skype – Time Video

What is your experience with job interviews, both in person and via Skype? If you have experience with both types, how are they similar and how are they different?

Hello, Stranger!

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Class introductions were different for me this fall. When asked to state my year and major, I was confident in my answer: I am a sophomore and I dual major in English and legal studies. My answer was completely different just last year. In high school one of my best subjects was history, specifically global studies. Although I took the class my senior year, it was the first class I ever took that focused on current events and the contemporary issues that plague our modern society, such as genocide and nuclear warfare. I loved that class and it left a considerable impression on me. For a long time I wanted to major in history and international relations, what I believed would be a perfect segue into a career in politics or at least law school.

I am a “planner”. I enjoy planning everything down to even the minutest details. Before I started classes last fall I had eight Excel files saved on my laptop. They were titled “Fall 2011”, “Spring 2012”, “Fall 2012”… and so on. I had planned every semester from Fall 2011 to Spring 2015 complete with alternatives (Just in case a class I wanted to take filled up or was not offered that semester.) and even a list of potential work-study jobs. You probably think I am crazy and perhaps a little obsessive, but I find that a fair number of my fellow Scrippsies are also planners (though not quite as outrageous as myself). This past week I had the opportunity to meet a small handful of first year students and they are truly some of the most incredible people I have met. (One of them is a stand up comedian and she has been one for quite some time…and to think she is only eighteen years old!).

You all are very accomplished young women, and I am confident that no matter what major or career path you choose you will achieve great success as well as personal fulfillment. So my advice to you is this: Take it easy. I understand that you all have a huge burden on your shoulders – an unspoken responsibility to your parents, your family, your friends, your peers – but I would like to encourage you to take everything with a grain of salt this year. So the art history class you are taking is a lot more challenging than you expected. Take another one next semester – one difficult experience or bad grade is not necessary a red flag for you to change your major. Or say you are a perspective foreign languages major who finds that she enjoys her sociology class a lot more than her German class. Consider taking more classes in that area and perhaps even majoring in Sociology (Or dual majoring in Foreign Languages and Sociology, a winning combination!).

You have four wonderful, wonderful years ahead of you and most likely even more years between undergrad and grad school or your dream job. You do not, I repeat, you do not need to know all the answers now. I know it will be difficult, but try not to think too much now of your prospective major(s) or how your degree will be applicable in the future. For now, take it easy. Take that bookbinding class and join the lacrosse team and go to that mixer this afternoon. One of your main priorities now should be figuring out what you truly enjoy doing. Life is a marathon, so be prepared to encounter detours and be open to taking a different route. If you box yourself into a set four-year plan now, you will miss out on perhaps life changing opportunities. For instance, that survey class you took to fulfill your letters requirement could potentially persuade you to change your major from history to English!

What classes are you taking this semester? Do you enjoy one or two more than you expected?