Recommendations

I remember the entire college application process and how much 'fun' it was, especially when I had to ask teachers for recommendations. I don't know about you but I was always the shy kid who never spoke up much in class. So how on earth would my teachers have been able to write a good recommendation for me? Luckily, our college guidance counselors gave us forms to fill out to aid in the process: aka we essentially wrote mini-autobiographies and gave them to our recommenders. It would be nice to do that for the graduate school application process since I'm still the quiet kid who doesn't speak up much - especially in larger lectures. So in the midst of my panic about from whom to get recommendations, I went and found some tips for approaching professors for recommendations:

1) Don't be concerned that you are imposing when you request a recommendation letter; just provide the individual with all the help you can so he or she can do the job. (from Peterson's Perfect Personal Statements, 2004)
2) Allow a few weeks for the professor to write your letter. Professors are busy and your professor will be able to write a better letter for you if he or she is not rushed.
3) Thank your professor. And after you find out whether your application was successful, inform the people who wrote recommendations on your behalf. They spent their valuable time writing thoughtful letters for you and deserve to know the outcome. (Carthage)
4) If you plan to take some time off before going to graduate school, don’t wait until you want to apply to graduate school to ask for letters. Your professors could be on sabbatical, or you may not be fresh in their minds anymore. So, ask professors for a “general” letter of recommendation before you leave place their letters in a safe place. When you are ready to apply to graduate school, contact professors again, and ask them to update your letters. (Berkeley Career Center)
5) Also check out Cornell Career Services for more information on getting recommendation letters! And of course, stop by G55 Goldwin Smith if you have any additional questions.

If you're in the situation that I'm in - taking a year or two off before applying - you might want to check out Interfolio, too. For a fee, Interfolio provides secure online storage for things like recommendations letters, writing samples, transcripts, and more. They offer 3 different plans: a 1 year account for $19; a 3 year account for $39.90; and a 5 year account for $57. However, there are delivery charges. So every time you need Interfolio to send a recommendation letter, for example, they would charge you an additional fee depending on the type of delivery that you specify. If you're thinking about taking a break from school for a few years, Interfolio might be worth the money.

Good luck to you if you are stressing out over recommendations!

post - interview anxiety

I recently had an interview for my first choice job opportunity for next year. Since it was one of my first real face-to-face interviews, I didn't want to screw it up so I asked some of the career advisors and looked at the Career Guide for advice on how to conduct myself after the interview.

Hopefully one of your questions during the interview was "What can I expect next in the hiring process?" In response, the employer should tell you the approximate timeframe of when you should hear back from them about a second interview or a job offer. This was helpful for me because I didn't want to wait anxiously for an unspecified amount of time before hearing back.

One aspect of post-job interview etiquette that I learned is commonly ignored is the thank you letter. Generally these are sent to your interviewer within 24 hours of the interview. If you have multiple interviewers, try to send a personalized note to each - perhaps by mentioning a few things that you spoke about during the interview and why they were interesting to you. A few sample thank you letters can be found in the Cornell Career Guide here. Thank the interviewer for their time and reiterate *briefly* why you think you're a good fit for the job/organization. Nowadays it is appropriate for the letter to be sent by email if that is the way you have been communicating with the employer before the interview. I read a few articles online about writing thank you letters, and one question that was frequently asked was whether employers might think you are "sucking up" by writing such a note. The common response was that most people like to be thanked for their time, and it is rare that an employer would be upset to be thanked in a formal manner.

If you hadn't done so before the interview, get a list of references together in the event that the employer asks for their contact information. Make sure to confirm the willingness of each of your references before you give out their information to your potential employer! References can be professors, work or lab supervisors, coaches and other contacts who know you well in a professional context.

If the employer doesn't get back to you within the expected timeframe, it is appropriate to send a polite email inquiring when you should expect to hear back -- but aside from that, the only thing to do is sit and wait!

Pestering Pays Off

Last year I spent my summer slinging fast food and wishing I was doing some fancy, mind-expanding, resume-boosting internship. That was before I joined career services and saw the light.

Last semester I made an appointment with one of my bosses, Irene Komor, for career counseling. I used to think that I would never find any good internships because I was so determined to spend my breaks at home in Philadelphia. Before I started working at career services, it seemed all the good opportunities I heard about were in D.C. or New York. But it turns out there's hope for me, and for everyone else who doesn't live in the internship capitals of the U.S.

At Irene's suggestion, over winter break I got in touch with a few of my favorite Cornell history professors. I asked if they could recommend anyone for me to work with in the Philly area area (pestering step 1). Next, I researched what the recommended professors studied and zeroed in on my target. Once I knew who I wanted to work with, I asked Cornell professors who knew him to put in a good word for me (pestering step 2).  Then, I sent a draft of my letter of inquiry to an extremely generous Cornell prof. who reviewed it for me (pestering step 3). I emailed the new and improved version to the Penn prof. I hoped to research with (pestering step 4). It turned out that he was traveling over winter break, so we couldn't schedule an interview till spring break. We made plans and I emailed him the week before to confirm (pestering step 5).

One rainy train trip to Penn later, I had a research gig for the summer. It's unpaid, so I might be back to slinging fast food nights and weekends. But at least this summer I'll be spending some quality time in Penn's library exploring  interesting questions and figuring out if the academic life is for me.

Space Issues

Last week, I was at 301 College Ave, the Info Sci Building, and was amazed at the conference rooms and the kitchen (free coffee!). So it's natural that I think my major needs a shameless plug for office space. After all, the Bio & Society people share office with Science & Technology Studies, which itself shares the floor with Asian Studies. So we only take up a quarter of the floor. But aside from that, my trip to 301 College got me thinking about interviews (mainly because there was a teleconference setup in the room that I was in) and the lack of space that Cornell has for phone interviews. I mean, have you ever had a phone interview? It's pretty awkward, or at least it they are in my opinion. I've never had one on campus but I've definitely had a few at home where I'm hunched over my resume in a corner of my room, trying to sound smart and professional and hoping that my sibglings won't come bursting in. And even though I tell everyone that I have a phone interview so they know not to come in, they're still stomping up and down the stairs. In fact, I'm pretty sure the interviewers can hear me wincing in pain when that happens.

When you're at Cornell though, you get the luxury of not having ten people yelling things to each other because they're too lazy to go up and down the stairs. One thing you could do to get some quiet space is to kick your roommate out of the room. Which, hopefully, your roommate will understand. Barnes Hall also offers interview spaces for phone interviews - as long as you bring your own phone. So if you have a phone interview coming up, you might want to give Barnes a call (607 - 255 - 5296) to see if you can reserve a space. Barnes, however, doesn't have any landlines so if you need a landline, you might need to see if your on-campus friends are willing to lend you their room for an hour or so. Other than that, maybe a bright neon sign would help in letting others know to be quiet when you're doing a phone interview. (It's convenient, too: Mann has plotters for printing posters...)

(Also, check out the Cornell Career Guide for phone interview tips!)

Paying it forward

Since last fall I have been brainstorming on how the summer of 2010 will be my best summer yet. The summer of 2010 will be the summer that I get the coveted internship, somewhere away from home, that helps me build my  network in the professional  world and exposes me to a world outside of my small town and part time jobs. However, as the fall progressed into the winter and now spring I started to realize that I wasn't sure exactly what my coveted internship would entail or if I chose to spend my summer away from home where would I spend it exactly? I applied to a variety of locations including the U.S. Department of the Interior, and I even picked up some job applications for local stores in case my internship possibilities fell through. However, I didn't realize that perhaps my best summer option might be going in back in time in order to move forward with my life.

So what do I mean exactly by returning to my past to enhance my future? I am referring to Ivy Insiders, an opportunity I was notified of via email. Ivy Insiders allows college students to formulate their own mini tutoring services in their hometowns as they help high school students prepare for standardized tests such as the SAT's and the ACT's. College students that are hired by Ivy Insiders are provided access to online databases and other materials related to SAT and ACT prep. Some of the most intriguing aspects of Ivy Insiders include:
1. College students are able to approach their market in whichever way they see fit.
2. Hours flexible because when you work for Ivy Insiders you create your own schedule.
3. Since Ivy Insiders provides all testing materials and even promotional materials to help you advertise your own business, financial loss is not a possibility

Although it feels as though it has been years since I was preparing for the SAT's, in reality, its only been about three years. My high school teachers were encouraging and I know I couldn't have been as confident taking the tests without such a supportive community. So the next time you are considering internships or job opportunities try to remember to pay it forward. I hope to make as much of a difference in the lives of high school students in my community as my community has made in my life.

Coffee and Cover Letters

Every Monday and Friday, I go to Mann during my two-hour breaks and get a cup of coffee. I  settle myself in nicely, claiming a table or two and an extra chair and spread my stuff all over the place. Then finally, I get down to business - and start churning out cover letters. After an hour or so of feverish typing, I usually end up with a decent mass of words. Whether or not that mass of words is coherent is another issue but I'm usually delirious enough from a mixture of caffeine, my desperation to get a job, and enough Lady Gaga songs on repeat to be ridiculously proud of my cover letter. I proofread it several times and send it out, feeling empowered and hopeful about my future. After all, I just sent out an amazing cover letter. They have to hire me, right? Wrong.

When I get home, I would usually take a second look at the email I sent, just to be sure that I had sent it and of course, that's also when I would realize that I had just sent out the most absurd cover letter on the planet. Then panic ensues along with embarrassment and that familiar I-can't-believe-I-did-that feeling. So what can I do about it? Quite a bit actually: 1) I could study the Cornell Career Guide religiously so I don't commit any faux pas; 2) I could wait a while after writing my cover letter so I can take a second, more objective look at it before sending it out; 3) and I could stop by A&S Career Services to get a cover letter critique!

social media and the job search

I'm still looking for a job for next year, and my eyes were recently opened to the use of social media to conduct my search, particularly LinkedIn, the professional networking site. LinkedIn is an online system that allows you to connect with your professional and personal contacts and view their network of contacts in turn. This is useful if you are looking to meet people in a specific field or industry and have friends that may know people in that industry. While it may seem strange that what may be considered "stalking" on Facebook is actually encouraged on LinkedIn, I suggest you give it a shot! It could be a worthwhile job networking experience. As Christa Downey, Arts and Sciences Career Services adviser said to me, "You probably know a lot of people willing to help you with contacts in your desired industry, but they can't always remember everyone they know. Using LinkedIn allows you to get introduced to these contacts of contacts that you wouldn't otherwise have met."

Using the groups function in LinkedIn is also helpful - it allows you to meet people with similar interests or common backgrounds. By meeting people through groups, you may gain valuable exposure to potential employers or connections of people who are hiring.

LinkedIn is all about the connections and so is the job search! To find out more how to use LinkedIn and other social media sites to your advantage in the job search, attend Christa's upcoming event " on April 15th "Social Media and the Job Search" from 4:45PM to 5:45PM in 105 Ives Hall.

Networking

     Networking is one of the most valuable tools a person can employ as they pursue their career path. On March 10, Cornell Career Services sponsored the Networking: How to Work a Room event. Although I attended the event in more of a supporting role for the other students attending, I hoped that I could gain some tips on networking since I didn't have much prior experience with the topic.
      One of the first things I noticed at the event was the student variety. Students from multiple colleges at Cornell as well as each undergraduate class were represented. There were even a few graduate students in attendance. The variety of student attendance speaks volumes to the fact that networking is applicable to all majors and ages.
       The all-important handshake was a popular topic of discussion at the event. A firm handshake suggests confidence and approachability where as a limp handshake creates more of a forgettable first impression. While firmness is important, the handshake should also not be too firm as it will convey a sense of over-eagerness. Two fist pumps are the suggested amount of pumps as it will again contribute to the message of approachability while also not appearing too awkward. Finally, while engaging in a handshake, it is important to maintain eye contact with the other person. Sometimes in a high pressure situation such as the initial meeting with a prospective employer, nerves may prevent a person from remembering the fine details such as eye contact.  Failure to maintain proper eye contact suggests that a person is guarded and that they may not be as trustworthy.
      Hopefully these tips will increase student confidence for upcoming networking events. Especially for first-timers, it may seem difficult to effectively start the networking process. However, remembering to maintain a sense of approachability as well as interest in the other people you are trying to network with will contribute to overall success in the networking world.