Tag Archives: Job Search

Productive Procrastination — How to Keep Momentum During Break

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The end is near, dear readers. We are in the final sprint of this fall semester! Within the past week alone, I am not quite sure how I was humanly capable of completing all that I completed (caffeine and more than a few late nights were necessary). While I welcome Thanksgiving break with more than open arms, I know that there is an amount of work that I do need to accomplish during that time. Carving out time (and turkey and prime rib) to rest, pamper myself, and spend time with family will be a fun and easy thing to plan. But how will I keep momentum during break?

1. Make a List

Simple enough, right? This is huge for how I get things done, but I know that I can be guilty for writing the most vague, unhelpful items. “See syllabus” and “start paper” aren’t exactly the most engaging phrases and they are too vague. See syllabus for what? For a description on the final paper? To check what material will potentially be on the final exam? Instead of general, overboard to-do list items, I try to make them a little more specific so I know exactly what I am trying to accomplish. For instance, a portion of Thanksgiving break’s to-do list looks like this:

  • create outline of thesis material to go on Psychology Poster (Due Dec. 1 at noon)
  • Compile presentation notes from program notes for Mamlok, Haydn Diveritimento, and Bach Prelude from Suite No. 3 (presentation day Dec. 4)
  • practice first movement of Haydn Divertimento with metronome

Even if you aren’t familiar with the specifics of my list, each bullet has a clear objective. There’s an important difference between “start Psychology Senior Thesis Poster” and “create outline of thesis material to go on Psychology Poster”. Above, there is a preliminary step and what to use for it, an outline from my thesis material. In addition, the above clearly states a deadline. For me, it helps to put in specific details that help me actually break down the larger assignment and want to complete it (cross items off a list is so gratifying). Sometimes I sprinkle smaller tasks throughout my list so when I cross them off, I feel like I am getting things done (I am all about little victories). A smaller list in addition to above includes:

  • schedule a dentist appointment
  • make lunch plans with [insert high school friend here] for Friday

These items are much easier to accomplish and can take as much as 5 minutes. The fun things on my list are what I want to do first. After I complete them, I do feel like I am getting things done, which then propels me into wanting to get the rest crossed off.

2. Feel Free to Search Without Limits

During Thanksgiving break, I will more formally begin my job search. This process will also include a list. But I have also realized that this process, for me, will include a the ability to search without limits. Through some self-reflection, I have realized that planning for what comes next is an immense opportunity. Instead of searching for a job like a chore, I have been having some fun just imagining what could be. Right now, I believe I am very flexible and very willing to apply for so many varied positions. That is leading me to have a positive attitude towards the process. For instance, I am widening my options beyond arts and orchestral management. I find myself asking questions, what would the mission statement of a company that I would want to work for be? How would I want to contribute to the office culture? These questions are also important to address along with my relevant career interests. By feeling free to search without limits, my list (refer back to item number 1) of positions I plan on applying for is at a comfortable number.

3. Know when to say yes and no

This semester, I have been learning this lesson the hard way. For a lot of us, I think it is easy to overexert ourselves and simultaneously believe that we are not doing all that we can all the time to put ourselves in a position for success. Discovering how I draw boundaries for myself in academics, extracurricular activities, and interpersonal relationships is so incredibly important. Along these lines, self-care is immensely important. I believe that I cannot be fully present or produce my best work if it is going to be at the expense of seriously compromising my emotional or mental health. I am learning how to take care of myself and how I can actively incorporate that into a daily lifestyle (shout out to my friends who have inspired me to keep track of my steps everyday, the included iPhone “Health” app has a pedometer).

What are your plans for the break? I hope they include some rest and relaxation and some productive procrastination that will keep your momentum going at your own pace!

How Clarifying Your Values Can Help You Keep an Open Mind

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Happy November, everybody! Isn’t it incredible how fast this semester has been moving? Goodness gracious. I honestly can’t even process how quickly the past few months have gone.

If you remember, last week I spoke a bit about the seminars that Books & Such Literary Agency presented to the school. Today I am going to touch on those seminars a bit more, but also tie them into something very important that one of my interviewees told me this summer.

Talia was an American Studies major who graduated in 1989 (nbd, just the year that Taylor Swift was born). While originally she didn’t think she was on the right path after graduation, as she worked for a department store corporation fully aware it was not what she wanted to spend her time doing, she kept an open mind.

“I really feel that the whole approach to my life has been [centered about] what I wanted out of it. And that made me more open.” Her words rang in my mind, but until now I haven’t fully had the chance to explore their meaning. While Talia was not sure exactly where she would end up, she knew what was important to her and what she had to have to be happy. Because she didn’t restrict herself to one set career, she was open to taking unexpected opportunities and finding work in areas she never would have considered.

At the seminars, Janet gave the students a handout entitled “What Values are Most Important to You in a Potential Profession?” The directions instructed them to choose three of the following: Creativity, Financial Security, Fame, Social Justice, Fun, Service to Others, Self-Development, Faith, Self-expression, Influence, Entertain Others, Family-Centric, Quality of Life, Team-Oriented, Opportunity to Persuade Others, Mental Stimulation, Satisfy Intellectual Curiosity, and Expand Understanding of the World/Society.

Let me tell you a secret: I could not do this exercise. The bolded words above are the ones I narrowed down to, but honestly other than that…well I refused to eliminate one. And you should have seen how long it took me to get it down to four. Agh.

However, this exercise reminded me of Talia’s words. She kept her priorities in line and she was able to make a path for herself based off her loose definition of future. Now, I don’t know what exactly those priorities were, but in the end it paid off. She ended up starting her own company and she has been loving it.

I have been going back and forth so much lately about what I want to do, stressing about the many different career paths I am starting to fall in love with. Even more, I am stressing that I won’t end up on any of my desired paths. But, honestly, I think I need to change from here on out the way I think about my future. No longer will I worry about what the career title is, rather what the job entails. If it provides me financial security, self-development, self-expression, and satisfies my intellectual curiosity…well, I will make sure to give it a chance. Yes, I love books and want to be absorbed in their world 24/7, but that doesn’t mean if I don’t end up there right away I won’t get there someday. For now I will just focus on my priorities and what I want to get out of my life.
What do you think? Is it better to have a set career path in mind, or are you willing to be open to a job you never would have thought about taking as long as it satisfies all your priorities? Also, what values from the list are most important to you?

Aloha Fridays: Not Just For Friday

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I have a confession to make. Not anything scary or worrisome, mind you, but definitely something that needs to be addressed, especially at this stage of my life (where I am–somewhat reluctantly–becoming the professional young woman I am ~destined~ to be). If you know me at all, or have ever seen me from a distance at some point or another, this might not come as a huge surprise, but I still feel like I need to come clean.

I am addicted to wearing (and finding, buying, and collecting) printed, button-down shirts. My stockpile of these shirts, constantly growing, consists of all kinds of patterns and styles, mostly of the loud, colorful, and Hawaiian print variety. I can imagine you might be a little skeptical here–how can someone be addicted to a kind of shirt? Well, dear reader, let me lay it down for you.

This is pretty much me at any given moment in the day, to be honest-silly faces and all.

At the very moment this post is being written, I have approximately 15 short-sleeve, patterned, button-down shirt hanging in the lower shelf my closet that I rotate through during the week. About 7 or 8 of those are regulars, and very likely ones that you might have seen me wearing around campus or in a photo of me on Facebook. But, I have been known to ‘switch it up,’ as the kids say, and throw one of the less-worn shirts into my weekly routine, just to keep things interesting.

You might be saying, “15 Shirts? Why, that doesn’t seem like that many.” But wait, my friends, there’s more. Hanging directly to the left of this small portion of my collection is my hoard of long-sleeve, patterned, button-down shirts–about 13 in all. These are just as patterned and fun, however, they are a little more subtle in the choice of color, and I sometimes wear the least-obnoxious ones to my on-campus job. As I get to know my office better (I only started working there at the end of September), I think I’ll get a little more adventurous in my choice of patterned attire, but for now, I’m trying to keep it as subdued as possible.

“Okay, so that is kind of a lot of shirts,” you’re probably thinking to yourself, “but not what I would call an addiction.” Now, my cynical comrade, comes the revelation that will put everything into perspective. Under my bed, folded in one of those giant, cobalt blue plastic bags from IKEA, is another 18 of these shirts–of the short-sleeve variety, naturally–that are just waiting to be hemmed and shortened (pro-tip: if you’re trying to break into the ‘fun, Hawaiian shirt’ market, be advised that almost all of the shirts you are going to find in thrift stores are going to range in size from Large to XXXXL, not kidding). I am trying to make myself sew one shirt per weekend, but so far, that hasn’t happened yet…but, then again, there’s always next weekend!

The point is, my wardrobe pretty exclusively consists of a mixture of all these shirts, as well as equally tacky and loud sweaters and t-shirts–and it’s been this way almost my entire life at Scripps, where I’ve really grown into my own sense of style. I would describe it as comfy, somewhat silly, and very effortless: I can just throw on one of these bad boys, and boom!! Instant outfit. So, naturally, when I think about what I’m going to wear once I re-enter “the real world,” I get a little apprehensive about giving up my preferred shirt-style of choice. Of course, my major being media studies, and my intended career path lying somewhere within the entertainment/media sphere, I am not really anticipating the need to wear a pant-suit, blazer, or anything as “professional” as that on a daily basis. But, on the other hand, I am realistic enough to realize that, at some point in the not-so-distant future, my days of rolling out of bed, throwing on a geometric-print, rainbow button-down, and walking out the door, will soon be over.

My clothes are a huge part of my personal expression, and learning how to compromise what I can and can’t wear in an appropriate work setting is definitely something that has been weighing on my mind as of late. Will it affect my job search? Probably–working in a huge corporate office where a strict dress-code is enforced doesn’t really sound all that appealing to me, even if they do allow for a “Casual Friday” every once in a while. Because I’m not yet sure exactly what it is that I want to do after I graduate, it’s both easier and harder to imagine the kind of setting I am envisioning myself functioning in–easier because the job field is pretty open ended at this point, but harder because I don’t really know what kinds of jobs or careers to look for that could possibly allow me more freedom of expression through my choice in clothes.

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Exhibit A: Solange absolutely killing the compromise game, showing off the perfect blend between fun and professional (ish) that I am definitely open to exploring.

Perhaps my desire to retain my personal style will steer me towards the right kind of job that is perfect for me–whatever that might be: hopefully something fun, interesting, and that will allow my creativity, passion, and and personality shine through. I’m trying not to stress about it that much right now, what with thesis drafts looming right around the corner, but I know that I’m not the only one thinking about some of the smaller details that accompany almost all post-grad plans. Focusing on getting a job is great, but there is so much more that comes with just finding “the job,” such as the dress-code, or the hours, or the kinds of sacrifices and negotiations that will have to be made once the job offer is accepted. It’s definitely helpful to keep these kinds of details in mind–but, this early in the job-search game, I wouldn’t recommend getting super worked up about it just yet.

All I know for certain is that wherever I go, and whatever I end up doing, I will definitely be bringing at least some (preferably large) portion of my shirt collection with me. But, as of right now, I know that I always have at least one go-to interview question lined up if I ever run out of more pertinent things to say:

“Does your workplace participate in Aloha Friday? Or Casual Tuesday? Or wacky-shirt-Wednesday? Or literally any other kind of day-of-the-week + fun-shirt combo? Just wondering…..”

How Making Toast Could Be Your Work “Superpower”

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Hello my lovely Scripps students and happy, happy Life After Scripps Week! For those of you that have no clue what I am talking about, I highly encourage you to check in with CP&R this week because they have put together a wonderful program filled with opportunities every day to help you strengthen your future’s possibilities. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but make sure to check out the Create Your Own Career Adventure this Thursday from 12:00-1:30 in Humanities 204! If you have enjoyed receiving advice from the many Scripps graduates through this blog, this is your chance to get even more advice. Not only that, but a little birdie told me there would be pizza and baked goods…

Now, let’s get down to business (to defeat *dun dun* the Huns…). Today, I am going to focus ’74 Scripps alumna Carolyn’s advice. Carolyn, a history major, currently has an amazing legal position at a very well known movie production company. During her time at college, she excelled in history class. This was not something she took for granted; rather she used it to her advantage.

“Everybody is going to be good at one or more things and the things you are naturally accomplished at, you tend to not value as much yourself…People make the mistake of not going with their talents because they assume they’re easy for everyone else, too.”

At first glance, her advice seems simple enough: hone in on what you’re good at and then go with it. Simple, right?

Wrong!

In today’s day and age, it’s very easy to get caught up thinking everyone has the same basic skill set. We assume everyone knows how to use Facebook. We assume everyone knows how to cook pasta. We assume everybody knows 2+2=4 and not 5… (Well, hopefully everybody at our age knows this). But just because we assume these are skills everyone possesses, doesn’t mean that they do.

Self reflect for a minute to the very basic level of all basic levels (think pumpkin spice latte level). What is something that comes naturally to you? I don’t mean advanced algebra or biology (even though those are very important and cool!), I mean something you do all the time without even thinking about it.

For me, I’m really good at constructing emails. However, I never really knew that this was an important skill until I got to my senior year of high school and had to start emailing college professors and representatives. I assumed it was basic nature for everyone in our day and age how to write a good email. Then, when I got to college, my roommate would complain about how hard it was to construct emails or texts. A lot of the time, I found myself instructing her what to say and she would be very grateful. I was so surprised—I thought that it was something everybody knew how to do.

Now, let’s dig further into this skill. What does an email or text entail? I would say it is the concise construction of words and phrases based around your targeted audience, all while keeping in mind what you hope to receive from your outreach. Looking into each part of that, I want to demonstrate how an easily overlooked skill can be crucial to a resume, job interview, etc. My ability to concisely construct words and phrases can help me not only build a resume that fully demonstrates my skills in an orderly structure, but it can also help me in a career. I can put those skills towards presentations for co-workers, using only a brief amount of time to make sure they stay interested. If I go into editing, I will be able to better communicate with my clients so they understand my comments and can increase their book’s potential.

Next, let’s look at targeting your audience. This is a skill that can be put towards anything. When I’m interviewing for jobs, I will have a good understanding of what the company is looking for and how I can best present myself in a way that is attractive to them (while staying true to myself). I will also be able to help with marketing at a book publishing company, knowing what book cover, for example, would be more captivating to the audience.

Finally, I think it is incredibly important to keep in mind your goal. When I make that presentation to my coworkers, I need to have an endpoint in mind. My presentation will have to be geared to convince them of my awesome idea. When I’m interviewing, I will need to remember that I want to be a member of the company in order to get their attention.

I really encourage all of you to take Carolyn’s advice. Take ten minutes and write down everything you are good at, and really try to focus on things that you think may be basic, everyday actions. Next, think about what that skill does for you and how you can put it towards your future goals. Who knows? You’re ability to toast bread to the perfect consistency every single time may be what your dream company is really looking for.

P.S. I would love to know what you guys discover about yourself! Please comment below if you have anything to share J

Naiveté: Your New BFF (Besides a Motley Drink)

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Take a second and imagine the layout of Seal Court. Does the collection of offices and stores (is the Motley a “store”…?) seem kind of random to anyone else? I always thought it did, until now. Think about it. From the second you enter Scripps, two things become more important than anything else: 1. Caffeine and 2. The CP&R Career Services Guide. No joke. When I found out that the new 2015-16 Career Services Guides were in, I ran to CP&R and grabbed one for dear life. And maybe I stopped by the Motley to get a tea. Maybe.

 

There’s no doubt that a good resume is your best friend. During the hiring process, your experience (in addition to all of your amazing personalities!) is what probably will determine your fit for a company. I completely believe in resumes and in the importance of experience (this is not a CP&R ad, I promise), but Rose, an English major who graduated in 1999, brought to my attention the importance of being inexperienced.

“You have to let yourself be inexperienced when you start a job. You can’t be the expert. Be in that learning stage,” she told me as my brain called into question everything I had ever heard before on the topic. Isn’t the reason a company hired you because they think you have good experience/potential for the position? Why do I even bother working at all if they want someone inexperienced!

But the more I thought on her comment, the more I realized she was right. She wasn’t critiquing an extensive resume, rather how you approach a new position. I think many people go into new jobs feeling like they have to be perfect at everything—they believe they were hired because they were “ready” to fulfill endless amounts of tasks. And this may very well be true. But it’s also true that you won’t know the routines of the office when you first enter. You won’t know where the kitchen is, you won’t know if your boss likes his coffee with one or two sugars, you won’t know the best way to address the incredibly successful woman who works two doors down. And those are just the social aspects. Rose is right: you can’t be afraid to ask questions, to find out information, and to absorb the culture that you are entering for the first time. “The willingness to learn and the willingness to apply yourself to learn” is all you can give your boss at the start. Your 100% dedication to learning the ropes will go a long way. You will not only understand the nature of the space better, but you will also maintain potential to grow. You will learn how to fully contribute in the way that will best reflect yourself in the office’s light.

When I walked into my internship this summer, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Yes, I worked from home, so I didn’t technically have to deal with many of the social aspects, but I honestly thought I could predict how these interviews were going to go. I was so afraid to come across as naïve during these interviews. I spent days planning questions and bullet points on how to get from different possible answers to a new question, planning for the absolute worst. I was shocked when I walked away from my first interview. Not only did my paper not help me, but also I didn’t have to worry about naïveté. My inexperience prompted me to ask the necessary questions. After all, the seminar series is for humanities students just like me. These interviews are so we can hear stories of what life after Scripps is like.

Rose’s advice may have been shocking at first, but I really do believe the capability to let yourself be inexperienced is very important. You will find yourself asking questions that are pertinent for your success in the workplace, questions that your boss will probably be delighted to know intrigue you. And, of course, with time, your inexperience will fade away, but hopefully your desire to improve and willingness to learn will stay, because you can always keep improving.