Tag Archives: CP&R

New Kid Starter Guide

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I have been so excited to write this first blog post, and now HERE I AM.  I can hardly believe I have been at Scripps now for almost a month. If you have not read my biography, which is on our website Beyond the Elms(under Meet the Bloggers)I just transferred from NYU (Go bobcats!) So, to say that I am in a different environment is an understatement. Although, I am happy to report: so far, so good

I have only been here a month, so I can’t confidently tell you I know all the “ins and outs”or “do’s and don’ts” of the transfer process yet, but in this blog post, I am going to attempt to tell you what I think the “new kid” on the block should know about coming to Scripps, and (sort of) the 5Cs. I want to share what I wish I had known some of these small facets about the 5Cs before arriving.

Not sure how much this will interest those students already here, but…who knows? It might refresh your memory on all there is to do on our campus. It might even encourage you to be a little bit gentler to that new kid, as they attempt to navigate a whole new world.

      Theri’s Do and Don’t Guide For Scripps Beginners

  1. DO ride a scooter, skateboard, etc. around campus-

I could not stress having wheels on campus enough. During my first week, I walked to and from my classes, between the various colleges, and it was exhausting. I envied those with skateboards whipping by me.  Many of you have cleverly kept all your classes on campus to avoid the walking hassle all together. If only I had thought that far ahead. At this point, you may be asking yourself, “How did this girl survive New York City if she hates walking?” The short answer is: I am still alive but barely breathing.

On the second week, I dragged myself to Target and bought a kid’s scooter for $39.99, and MAN was it the best investment of 2018 (thus far). Instead of taking me approx. 10 minutes to walk to my daily 8am at CMC, it was now taking me 1/2 that time with my new Razor scooter! #Scootergang Although, let it be known, I know how dorky riding a kid’s scooter may sound to you, so if you know how to ride a skateboard, do that, because #Tbh skater girls are the coolest #Sorrynotsorry Bikers are cool too.

 

 

 

 

 

2. DON’T go home on the weekends if you are a local

If you are tempted to go home on weekends, like I am because I live in LA, consider not going.  Especially if home is nearby i.e., Pomona, Claremont, Anaheim, Los Angeles, etc., it can be tempting to want to go home. I came home the first couple weeks of the school year because it felt comfortable to be at home, but I realized that I was feeling some major #FOMO as I watched snap, instagram stories, etc. of various friends getting together. The next week, I nearly missed a SCORE community event on campus because the traffic from LA to Scripps was so nightmarish. There is plenty going on around campus and so many new people to meet. On a side note, I think all the beautiful Scripps study spots make doing homework actually enjoyable. Take care of yourself, but my advice is to push your comfort zone and create some new roots here.

     3. DO utilize all of Scripps facilities and resources

OK, maybe it’s over stressed, but the facilities and resources on campus are truly extraordinary. Whether you are done with studying or just need a break, I highly recommend our pool at the Sallie Tiernan Field House. I mean our field house is essentially a hotel spa, with all the accommodations you could ever fathom: yoga classes, zumba, running, walking, spinning classes, and so much more. You also have your Motley coffeehouse for your daily bagel and caffeine fix. Read the Scripps Voice since its the official Scripps newspaper on campus, and happens to be a club I just joined (so you should come, so we can become friends) If you’re thinking AT ALL about going abroad, I suggest just dropping by  Office of Study Abroad to see if you can make a meeting with one of the advisors to talk about your questions and concerns. Stay up to date on SCORE events which you can find in your emails from SAS; Finally, check in with your one of the career counselors at CP&R once in a while…

      4. DO visit CP&R

Regardless of where you are in the career journey, Career Planning & Resources is here to help. Feeling overwhelmed by different passions and just want someone to pick one for you? CP&R can help you sort things out. Whether you’re are a freshman or sophomore and still have loads of time to think about your major, study abroad, or whether or not you want to apply for a fellowship, or if you are an upperclassmen, and need help planning your next steps for internships or job opportunities – Seriously, make an appointment with CP&R as early as possible in the term to see what steps you need to take, and how to stay on track – there is no limit to the number of appointments you can have, and you can also utilize their drop in hours Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm if you have quick questions. Take a deep breath, try your best try to stay organized throughout the semester, get to know your resources, and connect with the staff on campus here to support you. Yay for small liberal art schools and a rigorous amount of individualized attention!

5. DO hang in there… Fall break is right around the corner!

   Well, that’s all for now folks. Today has been a beautiful day to save lives.

 

 

 

 

 

Xx,

Theri

Preparing for an Interview

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The interview is one of the best opportunities to impress a potential employer during the hiring process. Not only are they putting a face to your name, they’re pairing a personality to your accomplishments.

This past summer I interviewed and was hired to be a sales associate at a stationery store. I had interviewed for colleges before, but never for a job. I didn’t know what to expect but managed to impress my soon-to-be manager during the interview. Here are some key ways to turn the nerve-wracking interview process into the reason you get the job.

1.Ask friends and family:
Your friends and family know you better than anyone else and can give you an idea of how to answer questions like these…

  • What are three of your biggest strengths?
  • What is your biggest weakness?
  • What do you have to offer that other candidates don’t?

2.Search and practice common interview questions Hint: Check CP&R’s Services Guide and online interview resources. 

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • Why do you want this position?
  • Describe a situation in which you faced a challenge and how you overcame that challenge.
  • Why do you want to work for our organization?

3.Practice presentation:
Eye contact and a firm handshake are key elements of presenting yourself professionally. Also, do not underestimate the importance of presenting yourself as someone who is kind and thoughtful. Over the summer, when I was working with the manager who hired me for my summer job, she said to me proudly: “I hire nice people.” Essentially, consider that your interviewer is hiring you as a colleague. Show them why you are someone they should want to work with.

4.Summon your confidence:
This is your time to brag about yourself. Explain your accomplishments and experience in the depth that you weren’t able to go into on your resume. Most importantly, talk about the things that don’t neatly fit into the boxes on your resume that make you stand out. Consider what your most important commitment is and how it is (and isn’t!) represented on your resume.

5.Ask your own questions:
Being curious about the position that you are interviewing for will show your interviewer that you are invested in this opportunity. Prepare three questions to ask at the end of the interview, and take note of the response your interviewer gives you. Some potential questions could include…

  • What would my day-to-day responsibilities look like?
  • What do you like most about working here?
  • What does success look like?

Prepare questions that surround the position you are applying for specifically as well. Before your interview, research the company’s mission statement or values and ask about how your interviewer feels those values are manifested in the company. Ask about the position you’re applying for and how it contributes to the company as a whole.

6.Practice makes perfect:
You can practice with friends, but you can even prepare by heading to the CP&R office and scheduling a mock interview. By practicing with others you will be sure to be pushed to answer tougher questions. Get feedback on how to get the position of your dreams!

My Personal Orientation to Career Planning & Resources

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After choosing my courses for the fall semester along with the rest of the freshman class just under a month ago, I was directed to a table in Steele Hall to set up my very first meeting with the Career Planning & Resources office. With my freshly curated course schedule planned out, I set up an appointment for Monday, September 17th, and had absolutely no idea what to expect. After all, I have not even officially declared my major as of now. Much less do I know what I want “to be when I grow up,” even though it’s a question that’s been posed to me since kindergarten. The only thing I do know is that I like literature and that I want to read lots and lots during my career here at Scripps.

A few days before my appointment I received an email from Handshake, reminding me of my upcoming meeting. A newbie to the website, I was excited to feel like a professional and a member of an online platform that has, more and more each day here at Scripps, become a crucial element of professionalism in Claremont.

As I entered the doors to the CP&R office from Seal Court, I was nervous. I had finally gotten here, to Scripps College, from four rigorous years of high school all the way across the country where I had been constantly wondering where I would end up once I’d graduated. Yet, there I was once more, at the start of another four years, feeling like I had to worry all over again about life after graduation.

As I sat in the CP&R library waiting for my appointment, my legs couldn’t help but sway back and forth like a restless little kids. So, I reminded myself to be “professional.” I sat there considering what that word had meant to me for the past 18 years of my life. Well, at that moment it most obviously meant punctuality, hence why I was early for my meeting and fidgeting in my chair. Professionalism means a shared respect for one another and upholding the guidelines of a working community. Culturally, professionalism means a firm handshake.

Just as I was musing these ideas, I heard my name, followed by a question mark. I stood up to meet the career counselor I had been scheduled with to talk. I wanted to start off professionally, so I reached out my hand, hoping to make a good first impression with a confident handshake.

As I walked into the career counselor’s office I began to feel more at ease. The career counselor went over some basics of Handshake with me. But what was most helpful was simply seeing the extensive list of careers that Handshake had listed. There is more to do with a degree in the humanities than law school after all! Although, I do have to admit, I was a bit of a traditionalist and checked off an interest in law school following college.

As the meeting progressed I realized something that perhaps should’ve been obvious to me: my appointment at CP&R was with a career counselor. They are there to help me in my career planning, not to create stress at the idea of becoming a professional. I left my meeting feeling more prepared for not just life after Scripps, but the four years until then in which I’ll be applying for internships and jobs, and probably having freak-outs about entering an increasingly digital world as a prospective English major. Now I know who to look to for counsel not just about “what I want to be when I grow up,” but about connecting with alumnae in my field, studying abroad, applying for fellowships and internship grants, preparing for interviews, and so much more. All in all, the R in CP&R should not be underestimated.

What Keeps me Blogging

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In early high school, I had a blog of my own. I had an alias and kept the blog a secret from my friends but open to the internet as a sort of online diary. I talked about school, books that I was reading, and what (in general) was on my mind. It’s unpublished now, so you won’t be able to find it. 😉

After a year or so, I discontinued blogging and went back to good old paper and pencil writing and continued with poetry as well as journaling fiction to produce the same reflective or cathartic effect.

When I entered college, I didn’t expect to go back to blogging. However, when I was looking at positions on campus on Handshake, and I saw that a position to blog was open for the Career Planning & Services center was available and began to think about starting to blog again. I emailed to ask some initial questions about post content and time commitment and was happy with the answers that I received. So, I submitted an application — the process was straightforward — and here I am today.

First semester and for part of this semester I blogged weekly, but now I am blogging bi-weekly. I’ve been happy with the flexibility of my blogging schedule, and I’ve been able to get a week or two off if I had big deadlines as well.

I haven’t had much time to write or read independent from school work this semester. I’ve barely touched a book I’ve been reading for ages except for over breaks, and I feel bad about not updating my stories on Wattpad for more than a month…

However, blogging forces me to set aside time for me to have the reflection time that I need. Thorough blogging, I create space for myself to take some time to consider some of the things going on with academics or careers and synthesize them in a way that is hopefully helpful and productive to readers as well as myself.

Blogging for CP&R has made me more comfortable going in to ask questions about my resume or cover letters during drop in hours and to check out other services. I’m happy to have been able to be part of the blogger team at CP&R my first year, and I’d recommend it to anyone hoping to set aside time reflect and to think about what she/he/ze wants to do moving forward.

 

 

My Future Self Will Thank Me

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Two weeks ago Friday, I attended a CP&R module on Basic Budgeting. During the session, we heard from two Scripps alums about their experiences budgeting post-college and in the professional world. I have to confess that I had a mixed response to what I learned: the side of me that likes to be organized was intrigued with budgeting, yet the side of me that likes to do new and exciting things found it pretty tedious.

The timing of the session was perfect for me, since I will need to budget carefully on my upcoming spring break trip and during my summer internship. While I am excited for both of these occasions, I worry that it is easy to spend more money than I would like to while on vacation and living in a big city. The budgeting session really helped me to develop a plan for and feel in control of the money I will be spending. At the session, the two Scripps alums shared online resources that they use to monitor their personal budget. I have decided to implement two of the resources into my budgeting routine:

Mint is an app created by the software company Intuit that allows you to create a budget, track and pay bills, receive a breakdown of your spending categories, and many more helpful features. It is almost overwhelming how much the app can do for you. I have been playing around on the app for the past few days and have gained a new awareness of my spending patterns. Through the app, I learned that I spend the majority of my money throughout each month on food. Now that I know that I spend most of my money on food, I can learn to budget effectively and responsibly and make more informed decisions about going out for meals versus eating on campus.

I find that between Venmo payments and spur-of-the-moment Amazon purchases, it is very easy to lose track of where I spend my money. To help remember where I’m spending my money and on what, I’ve created a Google Sheet of my monthly spending. I feel much more at ease knowing exactly how much I’m spending each month and understand that I can truly be in control of what I’m spending.

While budgeting may not seem necessary for most Claremont College students, since most of us don’t have to pay monthly fees for rent or purchase groceries, it is an amazing habit to start early on. I will have more practice budgeting over spring break and this summer, and I am getting proactive about preparing myself for the costs of these occasions. Although I still have a lot to learn about budgeting, I hope to master the art of it before I graduate. I know that my future self will thank me.