Patricia Rose – Page 4 – Penn & Beyond

Hammock Time

Hard to believe — our summer vacation is half over. Before we know it, students will be back on campus in large numbers. Of course some students are still around: graduate students, summer session students, pre-freshmen, high school students doing discovery programs. But the true hustle and bustle of the semester is very different, and it is only six weeks away.

What I wish for us all, whether we are here at work, off doing a summer job or pursuing research, is to find some hammock time. We are all so busy, with so many commitments. Make sure during these warmer months that you take a break that will allow you to relax, reflect, and be refreshed. Read a book (or two or three) about something far removed from your daily responsibilities. I just finished an interesting volume called The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter, a kind of detective novel, set in 1830’s India. It transported me to a very different world. I learned something about the early days of the Raj, which for all intents and purposes I knew nothing about. It got me thinking about topics that I seldom consider. I couldn’t put it down.

My hope is that you will use these last six weeks wisely by taking some time for yourself, for your physical, intellectual and mental health. It’s necessary, and come fall, you’ll be glad you did. Enjoy your summer, and safe travels (those who are travelling). Now go find a good book.

Thoughts on Graduation

Six years ago, even four or five years ago, I received numerous interview requests from media representatives in the days leading up to graduation. They wanted me to discuss what they believed was a dismal job market for graduates. Of course it wasn’t so dismal for Penn graduates. Even then, people were getting jobs, perhaps not dream jobs, perhaps they had to work harder to receive an offer, but they got jobs nonetheless.

Fast forward to 2015. I did not receive one interview request to discuss the job prospects of new graduates. Not only are Penn graduates getting jobs, but the overall employment picture has improved markedly. The national unemployment rate is 5.4%, a level that some economists might even characterize as full employment. Our graduates have had a banner year. More will be starting their careers at one of their “top choice” employers; graduate school admissions are impressive as well.

The class of 2015 is fortunate to be graduating into a growing economy, and with the skills that employers value. Experience shows that Penn graduates make the most of their opportunities, and those of us in Career Services have great confidence that today’s graduates will do just that.

Class of 2015: the road may be bumpy. You may not move in a linear fashion from one known, well-trod step to the next. The important thing is that you will be learning more about yourself, and about the work you really want to do, or not to do. These past years at Penn have been a time of tremendous growth for you. You are not the same person you were at matriculation. Nor will you be the same person four years from now. Take advantage of your Penn education, take care of yourselves, and don’t be afraid to take a risk. If you can’t take one now, when can you?

On behalf of everyone here at Career Services, congratulations!

End of the Semester Thoughts

by Patricia Rose, Director of Career Services

Somehow the semester has flown by. It did for me because I was out for six weeks getting my knees replaced. I was fortunate to receive outstanding care from Penn surgeons, nurses and physical therapists, and the new and improved version of me was back at work reasonably quickly.

But I am not the only one with new parts. We are all different in some way than we were in January: we have learned new material, added new skills, developed new ideas. We may have new friends, some of whom we may remain close to for years. We may have new interests that will enrich our lives and the lives of others. Any of these new “parts” may provide a path to the future; we may only know in retrospect.

Good luck with finals, final papers and projects. Have a wonderful summer. We look forward to seeing you again in the fall. Graduates, congratulations. All the best in the coming months in a new job or graduate program. If are still deciding what your next steps will be, please let those of us in Career Services help you. We’re here all summer.

A Notice to Sophomores Regarding Fall 2015 On Campus Recruiting

Dear Penn Sophomores:

Yesterday Career Services sent an email to Penn sophomores to inform them of planned changes to the internship recruiting timeline for next year. We immediately received feedback from a substantial number of students who had been planning to study abroad during Fall 2015 who felt that they had not received enough time to adequately plan for such changes and who were not comfortable with the option of using videoconferencing to conduct their internship interviews from abroad. We apologize for not making the decision earlier in the year, but we felt it was important to gather statistics and data from the 2015 internship cycle to better inform our decision about the optimal timing for internship recruiting. We were not able to make a decision until right before Spring Break and so announced it as soon possible when classes resumed.

We have heard from a significant number of students with concerns about the proposed change, and at this point we have decided that the best course of action will be to postpone the implementation of fall internship recruiting until Fall 2016. For current sophomores, on-campus interviewing for non-technical internships will take place in Spring 2016. Current freshmen should expect that internship recruiting will take place in Fall 2016 which will give students more time to adequately plan.

Again, our goal in Career Services is to help each and every student to clarify and pursue their career interests and we hope that the revised timeline will work for all of our students. We urge rising juniors who are studying abroad next fall to meet with a career counselor this spring or summer to discuss any career concerns they may have and to plan in advance for their return to campus in Spring 2016.

Sincerely,
Career Services

“The world is too much with us”

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;

This is the beginning of the William Wordsworth poem, “The World is Too Much With Us.” I think of it at this time of year, when we are all getting and spending our way through the holiday season. But the phrase that really echoes with me is not the getting and spending, it is “we lay waste our powers.” I think we all are so wrapped up in our own particular routines (we might even say rat races), that we lose sight of the larger picture, and our larger purpose. We need to stop once in a while and ask ourselves why we are doing what we are spending all our time accomplishing. Has it ceased to have meaning? Are we too often just going through the motions?

We have the power to make changes, to adjust course, to recalibrate our goals, be they career goals or personal goals. We also have the power to affect change in the lives of others, or in the institutions of which we are a part. My end-of-the-year wish is that you take some time over the holidays to re-assess your goals and to exercise, not waste, your powers. Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season, and the year ahead.