By Claire Klieger
So, in addition to the pedestrian (and come on, let’s face it, usually not very realistic) vow to eat less junk food (in my case, it’s chocolate, which I’m drawn to like a honing pigeon) and exercise more, how about giving yourself some new year’s resolutions that don’t require you to sweat like a pig or give up Ben & Jerry’s? Here are some that you can apply to your search.
1) Don’t procrastinate. This one is particularly hard for me as I’m a person that typically needs a deadline to truly get my butt in gear. So you know what? Give yourself deadlines to help you better manage your time. If that internship application is due on January 18th, give yourself the deadline of submitting your resume to be critiqued by Career Services by January 14th so you have time to have it appropriately reviewed and updated before you submit. Amazingly (or rather, not so amazingly), you’ll feel a lot less stressed about the whole process. And, if you have trouble keeping that resolution…well, that’s what walk-ins are for. Check your school’s page for details about hours.
2) Roll with the punches. The job or internship search can often be a major blow to the ego. At some point along the way, you will likely face rejection. It is easy (and natural) to take these instances as personal blows but try to see the bigger picture. Just because you weren’t selected for an interview or offered a position, doesn’t mean that people didn’t think you had valuable skills and abilities. It just means that they encountered other people for whom they thought that specific position was a better fit. Your best strategy? Be ready with a counter punch by speaking to a counselor about ways you can improve your game plan (resume, interview skills, etc.).
3) Be more flexible. I’m not talking about yoga contortionist flexible, just keeping your options open. There may be many things that you’re interesting in doing this summer or after graduation. There is no reason you have to focus on just one possible path. Explore opportunities in multiple areas that peak your interest and give yourself more options by being willing to apply for things in locations or organizations that are not on the very top of your list. Remember that every experience will give you skills that you can apply to other opportunities in the future.
