Category Archives: Olivia T

It’s Okay to Be Uncertain

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Wouldn’t it be handy to be able to see the future? Think of all of the tests you could have studied harder (or less) for, or how much time you could have saved on _____ if only you had known that _____. It sounds wonderful, right? Being in the know is definitely a stress reliever and can definitely make work easier.

The bummer is that nobody can see the future. Everything, as far as you and I know, is up for grabs. It can be stressful, in fact, sometimes it is incredibly stressful. I think back to college apps and wished I could have reminded myself from the future (even though I probably knew) that things would work out one way or another.

Uncertainties can be found in a variety of departments from jobs to school to relationships to majors and beyond. Postulating about what may be rarely helps, even though it may feel like you’re preparing for what may come. What does help is action.

Actively looking for things you can do to help yourself out is one way you can not read, but maybe adjust your future. I rarely believe in luck; favorable probabilities tend to result from hard work and strategy, though sometimes there is a little magic to how things turn out.

I know that I’m not entirely sure where my life is going in the grand scheme of things, but I can identify immediate interests (I’ve declared a Foreign Languages major, I’m joining clubs) that help me explore possibilities and whittle down some uncertainties. My next step is summer jobs and internships, which I’ve heard is invaluable in helping find out what you enjoy. As I look around for things, I’m excited to have the chance to apply to (and if I’m lucky, try out) something new.

So if you’re stressing out about finding summer jobs or jobs for the semester, or maybe you’re waiting to hear back from grad schools that you’ve applied to, have faith. With your hard work going in and some patience (as well as some flexibility), whatever the end result is, you will be able to live with it and work from there. For now, sit back, set the stress from uncertainty to the side because you have probably done just about everything you can.

You Never Know…

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At the beginning of first semester, I was focused on applying to jobs. I know that college incurs a large amount of costs, so I was hoping to make an income. I had been working all summer, but I was hoping to not drain my bank account too much with my first round of textbooks and other supplies.

For one reason or another, none of the jobs I looked at panned out, and at first I felt resigned and disappointed. I knew that as a first-year I may not be lucky with jobs right off the bat, but I was happy that I at least tried and got my name out into the world a bit, even if I didn’t get any jobs at the time. I decided that maybe second semester would be a better time anyway: I would have time to adjust to a college workload and see what clubs and activities I liked.

This being so, I began with club activities. I decided to join the Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Team after the first few weeks of my International Dance Standard class at Pomona (the first time I had ever ballroom danced). I also signed up for La Semeuse (yearbook) as a section editor because I enjoyed being part of the yearbook committee in middle school and high school. I joined BOSS (Board of Student Stakeholders) at Honnold Mudd Library and applied to be a blogger for Scripps CP&R. And to dabble in the familiar (editing) and unfamiliar (school newspaper), I went to The Student Life informational meeting and applied to be a copy editor.

Upon beginning those three clubs and enjoying the community they provided, I forgot all about my jobless woes. I had so much fun with each activity, and I’ve stuck with all of them into this semester.

I need not have worried so much about earning money my first semester, because some things happen unexpectedly. Sometimes you earn some by selling things on the 5Cs For Sale For Free Facebook page or by taking part in research for a Psych department. I was happy to find out that editor positions at the yearbook earn a stipend. This semester, I joined Senior Staff at TSL as Copy Chief because I loved the work and the people. I found out at a meeting the other day that it’s a paid position. Who knows how much it pays, but for me that’s not what matters.

Sometimes things that you enjoy will naturally yield themselves to compensation, whether or not you look for it. I know jobs are in high demand at the 5Cs, but sometimes one just has to stop looking and find something they enjoy, and sometimes you’ll find a job there.

If you’re able to secure an unpaid role and can build your resume but not your bank account, stop to consider how you feel about it. I’m not one to do something just because it looks good or for the pay, so I’m happy that some of these activities have come to me organically. If you’re worried, try to be patient, keep investing your time in fields that interest you, and it may just pay off in the end. And remember, CP&R is there to help.

Applications!

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Last week I spent some time talking about settling back into school here in Claremont. I also talked about summer jobs and getting a look at different options. I’ve only ever had one job outside of school positions (in a flower shop), and that job didn’t require some of the more typical job application parts, namely the cover letter aspect.

That being said, I wasn’t quite sure how far in advance positions are posted online or applications are due.

As it turns out, job applications for the summer are open (and more numerous) during December. I’m finding that a few posts I might have been interested in are closed for now, but I have still been able to find others of interest. I still don’t have any thing in particular in mind for jobs, which is both helpful and not.

On one hand, I am open to possibilities and not limited to a specific area. However, it is helpful to narrow things down if I have a specific interest. All things considered, it’s interesting to see what is available, even if it’s something that I won’t end up applying for.

In the past week, I have identified some positions that look interesting to me, and so I have started looking at applications.

Every job that I’ve looked at requires a cover letter, but I wasn’t sure how to put that together. So, I went into Career Planning & Resources for a drop in appointment. There I got some good pointers for my cover letter. Like an essay, it should have and intro, body, and conclusion. However, this persuasive essay should only be about a page with all of the formatting.

Based on what I learned from my appointment, I’m going to take a stab at my cover letter this this weekend. I know that if I have any other questions I can go back to Scripps CP&R. Another good resource is examples. My mom and an older friend of mine have both shared one of their cover letters with me, which gives me some context about how to write as well.

Though the process seems a little bit overwhelming, I think it’s good to be getting practice applying to jobs now. I’ll only be doing more of that in the future, so it’s important to build some of those skills early, especially when I have resources like CP&R around where I can ask questions of experts.

Thoughts About Summer (Already!)

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It’s always nice (and also a little weird) coming back from a break.This was the first winter break in a while where I didn’t have any homework. I flew back from Minnesota a couple days before the start of classes and was happy to experience a huge temperature jump from -26 Fahrenheit (with wind chill) to about 81. That one hundred and five degree increase makes this feel like the real vacation in some ways!

The first day of classes wasn’t too long ago, and things are already gearing up.  Though the semester is only just starting, it’s already that time to start thinking about summer jobs and internships.

The past two summers I have worked part-time at a flower shop. This summer, I am hoping to do something a little different. Not that I don’t like my current job, but if I don’t do something more full-time, I may go crazy from the excess free time.

As a first year looking for potential opportunities, it’s hard to know where to start. I know what I’m studying in school (Foreign Languages), but I’m not sure what I want to do after that. This makes it harder to start a ‘track,’ so to speak, to a certain career path.

So, when I am thinking of jobs or internships, I’m looking at a few different areas of interest. Languages, translation, and interpreting are definitely on my mind, but that’s not all. I’m also looking into public relations positions as well as copy editing.

Though I may not necessarily go into PR or editing, they both seem like interesting fields to start exploring, whether or not they are directly related to foreign languages. Other possible avenues could be internships abroad, but maybe not for this summer. I’d be interested in looking into that more in the future.

Another thing that I’m exploring is location. My hometown isn’t too far from a metro area (Minneapolis/St. Paul is only about an hour and a half away). I have family and friends in the area as well, which means I would likely be able to find housing.

Looking outside home brings a lot more possibilities, though it means being far from my parents, sister, and some of my friends. Even so, I think it’s exciting to think about exploring new opportunities and to learn about being independent, especially following year one of college.

No matter what happens in the summer job search, I know I’ll have a place at the flower department, and I could always pick up more hours in other departments or get a second job too. Nothing is set in stone yet, so I’m glad that I have some time yet to think about my plans and work them out.

Welcome back, everyone!

Staying on the (Shoveled) Path over Break

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After what seems like a simultaneously years long semester and one that flew by in three seconds, winter break if finally here (yay!). It will be the first time this semester when I will be able to go back to Minnesota to see friends and family in person, though one of my friends did come to visit as a Scripps prospie. This is by far the longest time I’ve been away from home, and I am looking forward to flying back to the beautiful snow and holiday cheer. Flying back to the cold is debatable… I’ll get used to it again eventually.

After a busy semester, it’s always good to take a bit of a break. I know I’ll be doing some sledding with my friends as well as spending time with my family. My sister and I have one or two dramas to watch over break already… I know I’ll stop by my high school too to see some of my former teachers. It’ll be fun to re-acquaint myself with not only changes around the house, but also the city and fins out new things that my friends are up to.

Just because it will be break doesn’t mean I’ll be stopping my work. I likely will try to get ahead on Korean vocabulary for second semester and do some hours of work at the floral shop again (note to self, ask my boss to put me on the schedule over break). Aside from that, I hope to look into jobs for the summer in case I do not end up traveling. The big question for me is if I want to stick with my current position at the floral shop, move up in jobs within that grocery store, start a second part time job, or begin a new job more relevant to my career interests.

I have put in a little but of thought to this up until now, but with few results. It would be really neat to shadow or do a (paid?) internship where I could learn about interpreting. I know that at the Mayo Clinic there are medical interpreters, but I would have to look and see what sort of lower level opportunities they offer through that department, if any. The school district or local education systems may have something as well. but I’d have to look and see.

Either way, I’ll be busy relaxing and working over break. It’ll be nice to be home, even if it means wearing a heavy coat and mittens every time I leave the house.