Tamara Mason – Penn & Beyond

Appreciation.

As the summer slowly moves along, just a little tip from an Administrative Assistant… As someone who spends their day assisting others it’s important to feel like what you do matters. Many of you are in internships, or have gone off to your first full-time positions where there will be those who are in roles like mine. Roles where they may not get as much of the recognition for what they do. My advice is to take the time to acknowledge those people. It may be that their positions are primarily behind the scenes, but their work is essential. Take the time to thank them for what they do.

Don’t Panic

Tamara Mason, Administrative Assistant for Wharton Undergraduate and SEAS

We’re just about at the halfway mark for this Spring semester. With so many things going on it may suddenly be hitting some of you that your summer/post graduation plans aren’t finalized. As I like to say to students in this situation, there is no need to hit the panic button. Yes, there are going to be those students who’ve already landed their dream position and are sitting pretty. One thing to remember is that not everyone is going to be the same. There are going to be some who weren’t able to secure something through On-Campus Recruiting, or other job/internship hunting methods. You’re not alone and that is something to keep in mind. Eventually things will work out!

Another point to remember is that not all industries recruit during the same seasons. It is possible that your dream job/internship makes their selections later on in the school year. No matter the situation, just relax and try to think positively. And if you ever need help, stop into our office to speak to someone about your options.

Shake It Off

It’s hard to believe that the summer is half over already. Whatever you are doing this summer, this is the perfect time to take a look at where you are and appreciate what you’ve done so far. With the hectic schedules of most students during the school year, it may be difficult to see the end of the tunnel. There is always some test, paper, or quiz that pulls you back into having to deal with school. Take this time to really sit back and look at where you are. Summer is the time to really reflect on yourself and to check in with your progress. If you’re a rising sophomore, congratulate yourself on completing your first year in college. Get excited about the possibilities of your future if you are a rising senior. And if you are a rising junior, bask in the knowledge that you have another year of being a student before you have to start really thinking about your first job. Be positive about where you are going. For some, this past semester – or school year – wasn’t their best. Even if that is the case, take the time now to reevaluate where there is room for improvement. It’s hard being a student sometimes. Students come into the office with the worries of life written all over their faces. Use this time during the summer to shake off the worries so that you can return to campus fresh and ready to tackle new challenges.

Don’t Wait!

Now that the semester is under way and the On-campus recruiting season is set to begin within days, many students are going to be clamoring to schedule appointments or come in for walk-in advising. The beginning of each semester is by far our busiest. Students are usually very anxious about getting their resumes and cover letters critiqued, or speaking with an advisor about their career plans. Given that it is our busiest, it is also the most difficult to get in to see an advisor. Too often, students come in for a walk-in only to find that all of the available slots have been taken before the session has even really began. Or calling in, they are not able to get an appointment for that week, or even the next week. If there is anything that can be passed on about navigating getting advice from our office it would be to get in as early as you can.

Whether it is getting a resume or cover letter critiqued, coming in to speak with an advisor about future plans, or practicing your interviewing skills… Don’t wait until the beginning of the semester to see someone. Try coming into the office during our slower times to get things critiqued or to practice interviewing. Usually the end of each semester is the best time. Fewer students come in and there is more time to polish resumes and cover letters, or practice things in order to get them as close to perfect as possible. Be proactive so that you don’t make an already stressful time even more stressful.

The Summertime FAQ Blues

Tamara Mason, Administrative Assistant, Wharton and Engineering

With the end of summer break quickly approaching, it might be difficult for some to get back into the swing of university life again. Whether it’s working at an internship, doing summer volunteer work, or just hanging out with friends, the beginning of the school year is just around the corner and the transition can be somewhat jarring. Not to be an alarmist or cause any undue feeling of doom and gloom as the end of summer nears, but as the Administrative Assistant for the Wharton and Engineering schools here at Career Services, I find that all too often students come back to campus only to be bombarded by the onslaught of school responsibilities while at the same time trying to navigate the sometimes treacherous path of Fall recruiting. Because most of the panicked calls come directly to me, and to alleviate some of the stresses associated with the On-Campus Recruiting season, I’d like to address some concerns that students will inevitably have upon their return.

1. Although it is popular belief that On-Campus recruiting is for Wharton students only, the misconception is completely false. On-Campus recruiting is for any undergraduate/graduate/PhD student (within one year of graduating) who wants to apply for full-time positions or summer internships for those who are not within one year of graduating.

2. “I don’t see the On-Campus Recruiting link on my PennLink account”, says Student X half way through the recruiting season. Please, please, please, before you start your foray into On-Campus recruiting, be sure that your PennLink account is up-to-date. There have been countless students who have come into the office half way through the recruiting season to alert us that they haven’t been receiving notifications about resume drops for positions to which they would have loved to apply. This is the most common issue I run into with students at the start of fall recruiting and unfortunately once the date has passed there is nothing we can do to plop a student into closed resume drops. The On-Campus Recruiting link only appears when a student is eligible for it and the system determines that based on your graduation date. If for any reason your graduation date has changed, it is your responsibility to change it in PennLink (it will not be done automatically). Every student should be in the habit of making sure that their PennLink account is up-to-date and that all the necessary fields are filled in on their profiles. For additional OCR tips, please see our OCR page here: http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/recruiting/

3. Most importantly… while On-Campus recruiting, or the job search in general for that matter, can be somewhat hellish and stressful, don’t overwhelm yourself and don’t get so worked up that you turn it into a bad experience. On-Campus recruiting was designed to be an aid to students so that they didn’t have to juggle school work with trying to travel to different companies for interviews; it was made for your convenience. Take it easy on yourself!

The Career Services office is always here to assist students in their career planning needs. Stop in and see us! We are open 9am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Check out our website at http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/ where you will find lot of additional information to assist.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you back here in September!