Category Archives: Evelyn

Practice Makes Perfect

Posted on by
Reply

I have always enjoyed writing letters.  As a child who moved cities half-way through elementary school, writing postcards to old friends was a hobby.  Drafting and sending thank you cards, birthday cards, and everything in-between was an activity I enjoyed doing.  Therefore, when I first heard the term “cover letter,” I did not worry about having to write one.  Of course, when I first had to write a cover letter, as a Freshman in college, my mind went blank.

These past few weeks have been full of cover letters for myself and for my friends as we all apply to summer internship programs.  At first, I was intimidated by the ease at which some of my friends could quickly type one up and send it.  I for one was creating multiple drafts, asking for peer edits, and conducting rather intensive research on each program to include in my letter(s).  Was I doing it wrong?   Were my friends not doing enough?  Did any of us really know what we were doing?  

I really had no idea, so I checked out the career center for some tips on writing a good cover letter.  After figuring out the basics, I learned that it is helpful to make a little list of essentials I want to include in each letter.  First, I research the employer.  What does this organization stand for, what are past accomplishments, what are their goals?  It helped to find a way to relate to these things and include them in the letter.  Second, I look for the desired skills and qualities of interns described by the employer.  I then select specific experience from my resume to hype my qualifications up.  Third, I find it helpful to get a feel for the tone of the place I am applying to.  Based on their application description, website, or even blog, are they strict and formal?  Sometimes they can be.  Other times, they may have some humor or exclamation points in their “About Us” page.  I tried to match the tone while writing about myself.

The first cover letter that I wrote in 2018 was nerve racking to send.  However, a letter can only take so many peer edits.  If the list of my basic essentials was met, how bad could it be?  In a moment of confidence, I pressed “submit.”  The amount of relief I felt after hitting my first submit button of the semester made all of the stress worth it.  It also made me realize how a lot of the stress I was feeling was unnecessary.  I definitely overthought it, but I will always prefer to be over-prepared than underprepared for something, especially if it has to do with my professional career.

Since I sent my first one, it became easier to write cover letters.  Just like tailoring a resume, the more you do it the better at it you become.  If there is any doubt in your mind while writing one, just remember that it is your space to really prove why you are perfect for the job; so essentially like a short and condensed interview, minus the stress of being on the spot.  Cover letters can be really fun to write, and remember to never underestimate yourself, your skills, or your experience!

My Professional Idol

Posted on by
2

Picture this: you are seventeen years old, it is your junior year in high school, and you have just met with the college counselor for some advice on college applications.  What question did you rehearse answering?  I assume it had something to do with an idol; someone you look up to or would love to have a cup of coffee with.  As a sophomore in college, I am well prepared to answer the age-old interview question: who is your professional role-model?  However, just because every applicant is prepared to answer this question, just as every hiring manager is prepared to ask it, does not mean the answer has to be generic.

Hiring staff members are looking for someone who fits their needs, yes, but authenticity can be just as impressive as a perfectly tailored resume.  That is why I have not changed my answer, which is Helen Suzman, by the way, since my junior year in high school.  I know what half of your are thinking: that is the most generic answer there is.  I also know what the other half of you are thinking: who in the world is Helen Suzman?

Helen Suzman was a representative for the Progressive Party in the South African Parliament for 36 years, starting in 1953 (although she did not join the PP until 1959).  Yes, it is a little predictable that a female politics student looks up to a female politician, but let us dig a little deeper.

Suzman was the definition of a boss woman.  As the only progressive member of Parliament for 13 years in a row, Suzman avidly opposed and challenged her male colleagues, all of whom supported the apartheid.  She was taunted, excluded, and insulted by the rest of Parliament, but Suzman did not step down.  In fact, not only could she take it, but she could dish it.  When asked by a minister why she embarrassed South Africa with her questions, her response was that it was not her questions, but his answers, that were the embarrassment.

If there is anything that I respect, it is a strong woman with wit.  Some people would call a woman’s wit “attitude,” but I beg to differ.  A woman who throws a remark right back at the man who undermines and underestimates her is not a sassy woman.  Helen Suzman had a commitment to human rights, even when every single member of Parliament besides herself did not, and she would not be silenced.  A woman who uses her wit to silence the people who try to silence her is a pretty cool gal, in my book.  So yeah, I would get coffee with Helen Suzman.

My point is that as long as you know yourself, and know who you admire, it does not really matter how generic your answer to this question is.  There is nothing wrong with looking up to Beyonce, or Michelle Obama, or Abraham Lincoln.  Of course, setting up a mock interview with your career center and really working on how to answer this question is always helpful.  Anyone who knows me knows that my middle school teachers, and even the dean of students at my high school, would call me head-strong.  Some would say that is just another term for stubborn, but I never saw it that way.  I know what I want to do, know what I believe in, and am passionate about my goals as a young professional.  Therefore, my professional idol is a head-strong woman who proudly never backed down, and that is who I plan to become.

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Posted on by
Reply

The first week back from winter break is always a little hectic.  The days seem to stretch on for a week, and yet the week seems to last only a day.  Coming back from a month of Christmas cookies and relaxation, I felt more than ready to throw myself back in the game of homework and internship applications.  The one problem with a month’s worth of energy built up in your brain is that you may overestimate your work capacity.

By Monday evening, after my roommate and I had settled in, I already had about twelve tabs open on my laptop.  Half of those were different internships, the other half consisted of handshake, Linkedin, the Scripps student portal, and so on.  My adrenaline, having been dormant for several weeks, was released during the online internship search and all of a sudden I felt like I could either run a marathon or run for President and probably win either way.  A classic mistake.

I made the impulsive decision that night to try and add an extra course to my schedule about history and media, then I emailed my dad in a frenzy asking whether or not I should minor in Marketing, Media Studies, or History.  I then emailed my older cousin, asking her to review and edit my resume.  By Tuesday morning I was enrolled in five courses, had an appointment with Career Planning & Resources about internship applications, and another appointment with SAGE (Study Abroad and Global Education) about finding the right program for my semester abroad next year.  After going to three classes that day, I realized I needed to start several applications for some political internships in Washington DC, read about one-hundred pages before class the next day, and call my aunt for some information on a potential connection with a campaign internship.  Needless to say, by Tuesday night, the thought of writing another cover letter made me want to hide under my Rams blanket forever (go Rams).

Life lessons are usually something you think about years after the fact.  For example, say someone, who will remain nameless, spent hundreds of dollars on coffee every year in high school and did not realize the consequences of poor money management until college, and now must limit her coffee intake.  Do not, under any circumstances, fall into the trap of expensive coffee.That is an important lesson that took me half a decade learn.  This week, I learned the lesson of career patience in the matter of 48 hours.  I am not saying that pounding out several applications, setting up several appointments, coming up with a course schedule for the next two years, and overloading on classes all in one night is a bad thing.  It is great to have those days where you briefly conquer the world.  However, if you go about your day thinking you have to conquer the world, the stress can weigh you down.  Yes, internships have application deadlines, and yes, it is great to plan ahead, but this week I learned that trying to meet every deadline in one day is not going to help me in the long run.  If applications are not due for at least another month, there is no reason I need to finish them by the end of the week.

Part of time management is learning the consequences of overworking yourself.  It can be just as unproductive as procrastinating.  The first week back is always a little hard, because I have to get back into the groove of things.  I am happy to say that I now feel like I have figured out my schedule and am ready to tackle those applications once again, just maybe not all at once.