Category: Career Services Library

The Career Services office is open all summer long to help you with your career or graduate school planning.    This summer, we’re adding some stellar new additions to our library.  Why not stop by and cool off this summer in our comfortable library with one of these great books?

Here’s a sneak peak.

Lean In for Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg
From the publisher: Expanded and updated exclusively for graduates just entering the workforce, this extraordinary edition of Lean In includes a letter to graduates from Sheryl Sandberg and six additional chapters from experts offering advice on finding and getting the most out of a first job; résumé writing; best interviewing practices; negotiating your salary; listening to your inner voice; owning who you are; and leaning in for millennial men.

In 2013, Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In became a massive cultural phenomenon and its title became an instant catchphrase for empowering women. The book soared to the top of best-seller lists both nationally and internationally, igniting global conversations about women and ambition. Sandberg packed theaters, dominated op-ed pages, appeared on every major television show and on the cover of Time magazine, and sparked ferocious debate about women and leadership. Now, this enhanced edition provides the entire text of the original book updated with more recent statistics and features a passionate letter from Sandberg encouraging graduates to find and commit to work they love. A combination of inspiration and practical advice, this new edition will speak directly to graduates and, like the original, will change lives.

This title should be on the shelves in late May.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
From the Publisher: Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals in a Fortune 500 boardroom. What they have in common is a mission to penetrate that fog of uncertainty to discover a successful path to a sustainable business.

The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on “validated learning,” rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want. It enables a company to shift directions with agility, altering plans inch by inch, minute by minute.

Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs – in companies of all sizes – a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it’s too late. Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

This title should be on the shelves in late May/early June.

MCAT Complete 7-Book Subject Review Created for MCAT 2015 by Kaplan
From the Publisher: The MCAT is changing in 2015. With the addition of three semesters’ worth of material, more advanced critical thinking skills, a longer duration, and changes in content, the new exam requires even more diligent prep with resources from Kaplan Test Prep.

The seven-book MCAT set emulates Kaplan’s tried and true classroom experience. With its easy-to-follow format and helpful teacher commentaries and advice, students can be completely prepared for Test Day success.

Kaplan’s MCAT Review offers:

UNPARALLELED MCAT 2015 KNOWLEDGE: The Kaplan MCAT team has spent years studying every document related to MCAT 2015 available. In conjunction with our expert psychometricians, the Kaplan team is able to ensure the accuracy and realism of our practice materials.

THOROUGH SUBJECT REVIEW: Written by top-rated, award-winning Kaplan instructors. All material has been vetted by editors with advanced science degrees and by a medical doctor.

NEW PRACTICE QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT: Brand-new end-of-chapter questions and the introduction of Interactive Concept Checks, which allow students to identify their strengths and areas of opportunity in real time.

MORE PRACTICE THAN THE COMPETITION: With questions throughout the book and access to three full-length practice tests, Kaplan’s MCAT Review has more practice than any other MCAT books on the market.

TOP-QUALITY IMAGES: With dozens of new images and full-color, 3-D illustrations, charts, graphs and diagrams from the pages of Scientific American, Kaplan’s MCAT Review turns even the most intangible, complex science into easy-to-visualize concepts.

KAPLAN’S MCAT REPUTATION: Kaplan gets more people into medical school than all other courses, combined.

These books will be available in early July.

 

by Michael DeAngelis, Information Resources Manager

The following resources have been added to the Career Services Library and are available for your perusal! When classes are in session, the Career Services Library is open from 9am-6pm Monday to Wednesday and 9am-5pm on Thursdays and Fridays.

Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer (Second Edition) by Mira Allen.  From the publisher: If you’ve always dreamed of making a living as a writer, this book will take you where you want to go. Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, Second Edition, demystifies the process of becoming a writer and gives aspiring writers all the tools they need to become successful freelance writers, get their names in print, and start earning a healthy income from writing. Completely revised and updated, the second edition includes an entirely new section on the “online writer,” discussing how to set up your own website, whether you need a blog, how to effectively participate in social networking sites, and information on electronic publishing, POD and more. New chapters provide guidance on writing for international markets and other writing opportunities such as ghostwriting, speech-writing, technical writing, copyediting, teaching, etc. This indispensable resource walks writers through the process of developing marketable ideas and then finding appropriate markets for those ideas. It includes effective tips on how to set writing goals; make time for writing; hone research and interview techniques; create outlines and first drafts, approach editors (online and offline), and prepare and submit material. Writers will also discover the vital business issues of freelancing such as rights and contracts, plus how to manage income, expenses, and taxes. Author Moira Allen has more than 30 years experience both as a freelance writer and as an editor; her tips come from a keen understanding of what works from both sides of the desk. Whether readers are looking to support themselves as full-time freelancers or supplement an existing career, no one wanting to make money as a writer can afford to be without this book.

SORS: Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study (2013-2014) by Eric Woodward, Director of Fellowships and Internships.  From the publisher:

The Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study (SORS) Guide is meant to help would-be researchers, students, fellows, interns, partnership-builders, and anybody else who is interested better navigate research and study opportunities at the Smithsonian.

SORS is divided into two sections. The first describes various internship and fellowship opportunities at the Smithsonian. The second summarizes a lot of activities and work happening at various Smithsonian units, and current interests of various Smithsonian staff – plus how to get in touch with them (see the email directory at the end). If you’re looking for a mentor, adviser, collection, or other opportunity at the Smithsonian that matches your study and/or research goals – this is a great place to start.

Furthermore, Career Services recently hosted a panel on getting internships at the Smithsonian.  You can check out advice from former interns and Smithsonian employees in the video below.

Smithsonian Internship Advice from Penn Career Services on Vimeo.

Vault released our newest guidebooks titles and updates this week! Titles include Vault Career Guide to Energy, Vault Career Guide to the Internet and Social Media, Vault Career Guide to Insurance, Vault Career Guide to Advertising, Vault Career Guide to Accounting, Vault Career Guide to Public Relations and Vault Career Guide to Pharmaceuticals and Biotech.

Vault Career Guides offer an insider’s perspective on what’s happening in these industries, what it takes to break in, and how to advance your career.  Each volume provides a comprehensive overview of the industry and expert advice and tips for uncovering job opportunities, networking, preparing your cover letter and resume, interviewing, and keeping current on industry news and trends. Interviews and case studies guides offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of what hiring managers look for in a candidate and how others have succeeded in landing their jobs or advancing their careers. These guides place you in the shoes of an established professional, and an extensive glossary and resource list put all the industry knowledge you need to succeed at your fingertips. Each Vault Career Guide includes:

• The Scoop: Everything you need to know about what your industry does, its history, who works in it, and where it’s going.
• Getting Hired: Practical information on researching potential employers, networking, interviewing, and getting in the door.
• On the Job: A look at life on the job and the industry culture.
• Talk Like a Pro: A glossary of industry jargon and key terms.
• Resources: Associations, organizations, Web sites and other resources to help you plan and advance your career.

VAULT Guides are made available to current Penn students and Penn alumni with an active PennKey.  Visit our Career Services Library Online Subscriptions page to gain access to these new guides

 

The end of the semester has almost been like Christmas for the Career Services Library.  Here are some of our recent additions to the library that you can come by and read now or when you return from break!

Behind the Academic Curtain: How to Find Success and Happiness with a PhD by Frank F. Furstenberg.  From the publisher: More people than ever are going to graduate school to seek a PhD these days. When they get there, they discover a bewildering environment: a rapid immersion in their discipline, a keen competition for resources, and uncertain options for their future, whether inside or outside of academia. Life with a PhD can begin to resemble an unsolvable maze. In Behind the Academic Curtain, Frank F. Furstenberg offers a clear and user-friendly map to this maze. Drawing on decades of experience in academia, he provides a comprehensive, empirically grounded, and, most important of all, practical guide to academic life.

While the greatest anxieties for PhD candidates and postgrads are often centered on getting that tenure-track dream job, each stage of an academic career poses a series of distinctive problems. Furstenberg divides these stages into five chapters that cover the entire trajectory of an academic life, including how to make use of a PhD outside of academia. From finding the right job to earning tenure, from managing teaching loads to conducting research, from working on committees to easing into retirement, he illuminates all the challenges and opportunities an academic can expect to encounter. Each chapter is designed for easy consultation, with copious signposts, helpful suggestions, and a bevy of questions that all academics should ask themselves throughout their career, whether at a major university, junior college, or a nonacademic organization. An honest and up-to-date portrayal of how this life really works, Behind the Academic Curtain is an essential companion for any scholar, at any stage of his or her career.

Dr. Furstenberg is is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology Emeritus right here at the University of Pennsylvania!

Working in American Theater by Jim Volz
From the publisher: This is the indispensable career guide for anyone interested in the theatre: the complete A to Z culled from industry expert Jim Volz’s experience and interviews with many voices in the theatre community. This guide is your first port of call from how to get your foot in the door to where, when and how to advance your career.  In addition to advice, inspiration and strategies for all working practitioners, not just actors, it also features extensive listings and directories for regional companies, commercial theatre, festivals, touring companies, university theatres and children’s productions.

This book updates and replaces our previous holding, The Backstage Guide to Regional Theater, which was an extremely popular title in the library.

Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever

From the publisher: Combining fascinating research with revealing commentary from hundreds of women, this groundbreaking book explores the personal and societal reasons women seldom ask for what they need, want, and deserve at home and at work–and shows how they can develop this crucial skill.

By neglecting to negotiate her starting salary for her first job, a woman may sacrifice over half a million dollars in earnings by the end of her career. Yet, as research reveals, men are four times more likely to ask for higher pay than are women with the same qualifications. From career promotions to help with child care, studies show time and again that women don’t ask–and frequently don’t even realize that they can. Women Don’t Ask offers real-life examples of the differences between the negotiating habits of men and women, and guides women in retooling their attitudes and approaches.

Also recently added to our collection is the companion book, Ask For It, by the same authors.

The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty by Samir P. Desi & Kajani Katta

From the publisher: Did you know that the interview is the most important factor in admissions decisions? What can you do to achieve maximum success during the interview?

In 2011, the AAMC published a survey that evaluated the importance of 12 variables on admissions decisions. These variables included total MCAT scores, science and math GPA, and the interview. The interview was rated the most important factor, receiving a score of 4.5 (scale of 1 [not important] to 5 [extremely important]).

Continue reading “By the Book: End of the Year Additions”