When I first got to Cornell, I thought I was all about the environment because I studied environmental science in high school. Now, after four years of deciding on courses, stressing over internships, and lots of googling, I feel like I've finally figured out that I am into the environment and much more, namely sustainable development. Which is perfect because Cornell is one of the hosts for the annual All Ivy Environmental and Sustainable Development Career Fair. It takes place at Columbia University every year and Cornell offers round-trip transportation to the fair for $30. This year, however, there is the possibility of bad weather on Thursday & Friday which means that the trip may be canceled. Hopefully, it won't but the weather forecasts say that there is a 100% chance of snow on Thursday so if I can't make it to the fair in New York, I'll at least still have another career fair that I can go to.
In addition, I've been on Idealist.org 24/7 (Facebook stalking is proving to be quite the transferable skill) and I've found a ton of great job opportunities on that site. Idealist also lists non-profit organizations in Australia so if I end up in Australia (which is looking more and more possible since I can't find a job in the US) I'll have a reliable source to start my job search there as well.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Getting all your ducks in a row
As Liz mentioned in the previous post, we have been critiquing many resumes and cover letters lately as students get ready for upcoming internship and job opportunity deadlines. It is nice to see the increase of students in our office because it shows that students are realizing the value of strong resumes and cover letters as they compete against other qualified candidates. While students are being proactive and getting their resumes and cover letters polished it can also be worthwhile to continue the search for internships and job opportunities. One of the best ways in which students can make sure they're ahead of the curve in pursuing opportunities is by visiting our career library.
The Arts and Sciences career library, which doubles as the space where resume critiques are conducted, has a wealth of resources for students. At first glance the wealth of resources may seem a bit daunting but I have a few helpful hints for students:
1. If a student is certain that they want an internship instead of a job opportunity, then the internship section of the library will be of use. We have several binders with each one listing the contents on the spine of the binder. For example, binder 4 includes a wealth of resources on Government opportunities. Interested in working with the New York State Assembly? There's a flyer within the Government binder containing more information. How about a position with the CIA? Again more information on the CIA, New York State Assembly, and other positions can be found in the Government binder.
2. Perhaps a student is looking to for an international position. Directly below the internship binders there are several binders containing opportunities on each continent.
3. Not sure if you want an internship or a job but just generally want more information about your field of interest. There are sections throughout the library dedicated to various fields of interest. The Fine and Performing Arts section of the library contains several books including one entitled "Careers for Music Lovers and Other Tuneful Types."
4. Last but certainly not least are the shelves located farthest to the left and therefore sometimes overlooked by students. These shelves contain information on Graduate School, Job Hunting by Location, and Fellowships. So check these out!
So the next time you find yourself in G55 Goldwin Smith getting a resume or cover letter critiqued, don't hesitate to explore your career library surroundings. A dream internship or job may be waiting for you within one of our binders or library books!
The Arts and Sciences career library, which doubles as the space where resume critiques are conducted, has a wealth of resources for students. At first glance the wealth of resources may seem a bit daunting but I have a few helpful hints for students:
1. If a student is certain that they want an internship instead of a job opportunity, then the internship section of the library will be of use. We have several binders with each one listing the contents on the spine of the binder. For example, binder 4 includes a wealth of resources on Government opportunities. Interested in working with the New York State Assembly? There's a flyer within the Government binder containing more information. How about a position with the CIA? Again more information on the CIA, New York State Assembly, and other positions can be found in the Government binder.
2. Perhaps a student is looking to for an international position. Directly below the internship binders there are several binders containing opportunities on each continent.
3. Not sure if you want an internship or a job but just generally want more information about your field of interest. There are sections throughout the library dedicated to various fields of interest. The Fine and Performing Arts section of the library contains several books including one entitled "Careers for Music Lovers and Other Tuneful Types."
4. Last but certainly not least are the shelves located farthest to the left and therefore sometimes overlooked by students. These shelves contain information on Graduate School, Job Hunting by Location, and Fellowships. So check these out!
So the next time you find yourself in G55 Goldwin Smith getting a resume or cover letter critiqued, don't hesitate to explore your career library surroundings. A dream internship or job may be waiting for you within one of our binders or library books!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Resume Critique Season
The A&S Career Services Office has been bustling these past few weeks. It seems everyone wants to get their resume critiqued as they look for summer opportunities, post-graduation jobs, and new jobs on campus. We have walk-in resume critique hours M-F:
Monday 10:00-10:45 am, 11:15-4:15 pm
Tuesday10:00-11:45 am, 12:30-2:15 pm, 3:30-4:15 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am-10:45 am, 11:15-4:15 pm
Thursday 10:00-10:45 am, 11:15-12 pm, 1:00-2:00 pm, 3:00-4:15 pm
Friday 10:00 am-10:45 am, 11:30-4:15 pm
We get pretty busy in the afternoons, especially Friday afternoons, so if you want to avoid a line, try to come by in the morning. Here's a little resume tip to whet your appetite: Start off bullet points with active verbs. Rather than writing, "Responsible for editing ...." write, "Edit..."
Of course, resume critiques aren't all that we offer. You can stop by to look at the opportunity listings and books in the Career Library at the back of our office or schedule an appointment with a career advisor to figure out what you want to do with your life and how you're going to do it.
Stop by--we'll be happy to see you.
Liz
Student Career Ambassador
Monday 10:00-10:45 am, 11:15-4:15 pm
Tuesday10:00-11:45 am, 12:30-2:15 pm, 3:30-4:15 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am-10:45 am, 11:15-4:15 pm
Thursday 10:00-10:45 am, 11:15-12 pm, 1:00-2:00 pm, 3:00-4:15 pm
Friday 10:00 am-10:45 am, 11:30-4:15 pm
We get pretty busy in the afternoons, especially Friday afternoons, so if you want to avoid a line, try to come by in the morning. Here's a little resume tip to whet your appetite: Start off bullet points with active verbs. Rather than writing, "Responsible for editing ...." write, "Edit..."
Of course, resume critiques aren't all that we offer. You can stop by to look at the opportunity listings and books in the Career Library at the back of our office or schedule an appointment with a career advisor to figure out what you want to do with your life and how you're going to do it.
Stop by--we'll be happy to see you.
Liz
Student Career Ambassador
Thursday, February 11, 2010
the interview stage
I've been applying to jobs left and right for several months and all that hard work is finally starting to pay off. A few employers have asked me in for interviews! This is a key step in landing the job and I'm nervous. Maybe I will schedule an appointment at the office for a practice interview with one of our trained career advisers. It will be useful for someone to observe how I comport myself professionally and then make suggestions for what I can improve on.
Scheduling my interview will also require me to go through the On-Campus Recruiting system of Cornell Career Services. Since I was informed that I was pre-selected for an interview, I have to sign up for my interview time slot a week before the interview occurs at a specified time. I should probably review the On-Campus Recruiting policies on career.cornell.edu so I don't accidentally violate any of the strict rules. I wouldn't want to be banned from ever using the OCR system again!
Scheduling my interview will also require me to go through the On-Campus Recruiting system of Cornell Career Services. Since I was informed that I was pre-selected for an interview, I have to sign up for my interview time slot a week before the interview occurs at a specified time. I should probably review the On-Campus Recruiting policies on career.cornell.edu so I don't accidentally violate any of the strict rules. I wouldn't want to be banned from ever using the OCR system again!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Decisions, Decisions
Sometimes, it just sucks to have options. Life was definitely a lot simpler back in high school when all we had to do was worry about college applications. Well, at least I knew that I was going to college for the next four years. Right now, I'm still in limbo about what I'll be doing after graduation because the IAESTE program that I was looking at was a fail for me. They had a lot of great internships and longer-term positions and all of them were paid; the only problem was that they were also only looking for engineers. Now I'm looking at BUNAC again and a few other similar programs like Real Gap Experience and Cultural Embrace. (They all help you obtain a visa, provide orientation, etc.)
I also happened to take a look at the Australian Visas & Immigration page. Apparently, if I wanted to be able to work in Australia, there are several types of visas that I can get. The one that I would probably be applying for would be the 12-month Work & Holiday visa. But the catch is you can only apply for that visa once in your life - which is fine since I probably won't be able to take a year off to bum around in Australia anytime afterwards. But I'm also stressing about the fact that I have the option of getting a 4-month Work & Holiday visa instead. So do I want to bum around in Australia for a year? Or 4 months? It would be great if I could bum around for 4 months in Australia and then bum around Peru or Costa Rica on a volunteer trip. But from my parents' perspective, bumming around at home would be way cheaper. Like I said before, sometimes, it sucks to have so many options. But I've started to make a budget in Excel for all my options (the benefits of having an obsessive compulsive need to plan my life). Hopefully, I can find something cost-effective in the next week or so.
I also happened to take a look at the Australian Visas & Immigration page. Apparently, if I wanted to be able to work in Australia, there are several types of visas that I can get. The one that I would probably be applying for would be the 12-month Work & Holiday visa. But the catch is you can only apply for that visa once in your life - which is fine since I probably won't be able to take a year off to bum around in Australia anytime afterwards. But I'm also stressing about the fact that I have the option of getting a 4-month Work & Holiday visa instead. So do I want to bum around in Australia for a year? Or 4 months? It would be great if I could bum around for 4 months in Australia and then bum around Peru or Costa Rica on a volunteer trip. But from my parents' perspective, bumming around at home would be way cheaper. Like I said before, sometimes, it sucks to have so many options. But I've started to make a budget in Excel for all my options (the benefits of having an obsessive compulsive need to plan my life). Hopefully, I can find something cost-effective in the next week or so.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Start of Semester Whirlwind
Now for a thrilling, stream of consciousness blog post to reflect the breathless spirit of the semester's start:
1. Over winter break, I looked up summer internship opportunities in Cornell Career Net and applied for one with city government in my hometown. Of course, you should really apply to multiple internships, but...
2. I got in touch with some former professors in the history department here at Cornell to ask if they had any leads on research opportunities at universities near my home. Lo and behold, several of them mentioned the same professor, one who used to work at Cornell. (One Cornell professor even offered to read over my cover letter!) I got in touch with this professor and set up an interview over spring break. Fingers crossed.
3. Just my luck, both opportunities I have in mind for the summer are unpaid. But hey, they're going to be interesting, teach me new skills, and look great on my resume. So now the question is: how to actually bring in some money over the summer? My plan is to try to find a job at a restaurant or ice cream place or in retail that I can work around my research/internship schedule.
4. That reminds me: Are you an Arts student who would love to do an unpaid internship or some research over the summer, but can't because you need to make money? If the answer is yes, get in touch with A&S Career Services. We can help you strategize and look for funding.
5. FRESH! Freshmen, you should do this "externship" program over spring break. It's a fun, low-pressure way to get a glimpse of a career field you're interested in and make some valuable connections with Cornell alum. If you haven't started the application process yet, you need to listen to the online recording of the Required Info Session ASAP at career.cornell.edu . You have to listen to it and be ready to take a quiz and draw a lottery number at 103 Barnes by THIS FRIDAY.
~Liz
1. Over winter break, I looked up summer internship opportunities in Cornell Career Net and applied for one with city government in my hometown. Of course, you should really apply to multiple internships, but...
2. I got in touch with some former professors in the history department here at Cornell to ask if they had any leads on research opportunities at universities near my home. Lo and behold, several of them mentioned the same professor, one who used to work at Cornell. (One Cornell professor even offered to read over my cover letter!) I got in touch with this professor and set up an interview over spring break. Fingers crossed.
3. Just my luck, both opportunities I have in mind for the summer are unpaid. But hey, they're going to be interesting, teach me new skills, and look great on my resume. So now the question is: how to actually bring in some money over the summer? My plan is to try to find a job at a restaurant or ice cream place or in retail that I can work around my research/internship schedule.
4. That reminds me: Are you an Arts student who would love to do an unpaid internship or some research over the summer, but can't because you need to make money? If the answer is yes, get in touch with A&S Career Services. We can help you strategize and look for funding.
5. FRESH! Freshmen, you should do this "externship" program over spring break. It's a fun, low-pressure way to get a glimpse of a career field you're interested in and make some valuable connections with Cornell alum. If you haven't started the application process yet, you need to listen to the online recording of the Required Info Session ASAP at career.cornell.edu . You have to listen to it and be ready to take a quiz and draw a lottery number at 103 Barnes by THIS FRIDAY.
~Liz
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