Category: Nursing

Three R’s for the job search and beyond

by Sharon Fleshman

I work with many students who seek to either enter or support the helping professions.  Often the same skills that they seek to empower others with need to be applied to their own career planning and development. As you develop these three R’s during your job search, remember that they’ll also come in handy to help you excel once you land the job.

Reflection. Many of us live in a fast-paced, media-saturated culture, in which information, ideas, and images are coming at us from all directions.  This isn’t necessarily bad in of itself, but can distract us from the thoughtful, intentional reflection necessary to confirm our interests, affirm our strengths and address our weaknesses. Fortunately, reflection can be integrated into a field placement, internship or just about any extracurricular experience.  Student teachers can reflect on why a particular lesson was or was not successful. Student nurses can make observations about how their supervisors attend to patients. Interns can think about what attracted them to one internship site more than another. Taking the time to reflect can be quite beneficial to the job search, particularly for interviewing, since you often need to offer concrete examples that demonstrate that you are interested in and qualified for the job.

Resourcefulness. As you seek to move toward your career goals, there are resources available to help. The key is to foster awareness of these resources and to utilize them effectively.  Those of you in the helping professions seek to cultivate resourcefulness toward wellness and development in your students, patients, and clients; don’t forget to do the same for yourself.  The Career Services website is a great place to start identifying resources that will be most useful to you.  Our website is full of information and may seem a bit overwhelming at first glance, so set aside some time to learn to navigate it.  Your network is also an important resource, so make sure that you build it by way of informational interviewing, joining professional associations, and being a resource for others.

Resilience.  Ask any student making a comeback from a failing grade or a patient recovering from illness. Resilience makes the difference.  The ability to bounce back in the face of roadblocks is always necessary, especially during a challenging economy.  If you are frustrated at the lack of job offers or caught off guard by a layoff, it is critical not to internalize your disappointment or a paralysis of sorts may set in. Instead, look to your support system for encouragement and advice as you regroup. Adjust your goals and tweak your plans as necessary, but don’t overwhelm yourself by focusing on worst case scenarios. Take it one step at a time. Start each day with a fresh resolve to persist. Submit another application. Schedule another informational interview. Use the tools of reflection and resourcefulness to move forward.

Your “Best Places to Work” List

by Sharon Fleshman

Do a google search on “best places to work” and you’ll get an abundance of  responses.  While this can be a good starting place for job seekers who are sizing up employers, a “best places” list (strictly speaking) will differ from one person to the next.  How will you develop your own personal list?

Conduct a self-assessment. Reflect on your past work, whether paid employment, class projects, or extracurricular/volunteer activities, and ask yourself some questions. What energized you? What drained you?  What did you value most about your assigned tasks and work environment?  The Career Services website has a brief inventory on work values that can serve as a point of reference.

Research potential employers. Once you have pondered what you value in the workplace, it’s time to get a sense of what a given employer may value.   If you go to the employer website, look for a mission statement or set of core values that communicates what is valued.  Most organizations have a news section on their websites; are there any new initiatives or projects listed that intrigue you?  You may want to dig a little deeper and search newspapers or trade magazines to find articles on recent developments involving employers of interest. In many cases, reviewing relevant periodicals may also unearth some employers that you had not even considered.

Ask thoughtful questions. Whether during informational interviews with those who work (or have worked) at the employer under consideration, or at a job interview, you should prepare questions that will lead to clues about whether you would enjoy working there.  Some possible questions are: What attracted you to this company?  What qualities and skills are most valued at this firm?  What characteristics must one have to thrive at this organization?

Check out the workplace. There’s no substitute for observing and interacting with others in the workplace.  In some cases, you may be able to intern or volunteer with an organization to get a feel for what it would be like to work there.  At the very least, try to arrange for a site visit or shadowing experience where you can chat with current employees.

Of course, compiling your “best places” list will always be a work in progress as you grow and evolve, but now is as good a time as any to get started!

Held Hostage—and Ode to an Interview

by Anne Guldin Lucas, CAS Counselor, Penn Career Services


In honor of my son’s 31st birthday this weekend, I’m sharing a family story with you. In the summer of 1997, J.T. and I got in the car for an eight-hour drive to visit colleges. Since this was The Dark Ages, a time before Blackberrys and iPhones, most families listened to music or books on tape (yes, tape) during long trips. Remember, though, I am Career Counselor Mother, so naturally I insisted that we practice interviewing. J.T. was filled with joy at the prospect of eight hours in the car with his mother AND practicing potential admissions interview questions with me.

J.T. fielded my questions more expertly as the hours passed, and we only missed one turn. (This was also the Time Before Navigational Systems.) After arriving on campus. J.T. went for the interview while I sat in the Admissions waiting room, reading glossy college publications. (Somehow we survived without Kindles and iPads too.) Eventually J.T. entered the waiting room smiling, followed by a laughing Admissions counselor. Apparently J.T. had told her, in amazement, that she had asked him the very same questions that he and I practiced during our long car ride! Viewed as a capable and forthright young man, J.T. was accepted to that college and enrolled about a year later.

That college trip was almost 14 years ago, and yet to this day, J.T. remains confident in his interviewing skills. My MBA son knows that if he can just land the interview—through the powers of a strong resume, sparkling cover letter, and all-important networking, he stands a very good chance of acing the interview and winning the job offer.

No, I’m not recommending that you schedule a road trip with me–although that might be fun. Rather, I do recommend that you take advantage of our many Career Services resources to help you polish your interviewing skills. Check out our web site. Schedule a mock interview. In case you haven’t noticed, we also offer a new interview practice experience called Interview Stream. You can find it on our web site, in Penn Link.

If you have a web cam on your computer, you practice interviewing on your own time and then email the interview to family, friends—or even CS counselors—for review. I’m offering a prize to the first student who sends me his/her Interview Stream session. Please remember that since I grew up and even raised children during the Dark Ages, I may not know what to do with it. However, I will give it a shot!

In the meantime, I’d like to propose another deal. If, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day poetry, I make a fool of myself by closing with a few common-sense interview tips—in verse, will you please join this blog by sharing your favorite—and/or most dreadful—interview questions and stories?

Ode to an Interview

Yahoo—an interview!
Do your prep,
Comb your hair.
Got a tattoo?
Cover up there.

Get some rest
To do your best.
Get there on time,
Keep answers succinct,
No need to rhyme.

Relax and smile,
You’re doing great.
Stay positive in all you say,
The “fit” is the thing
That wins the day.

Practice makes perfect
So make an appointment.
CS counselors or Interview Stream
Will help you achieve
The job of your dreams.

Now it’s YOUR turn! Please submit
those “unique” interview questions and anecdotes. Blog away!

Student Perspective: The Job You’ll Remember Forever

by Nick Raport, CAS ’12

So you’re looking for a job.

But not just any job. You want a job that will impress future employers, develop skills, pay you, and will be fun.

However, you know that those jobs don’t exist.

You’re wrong.

I’m a Team Coordinator for the Office of New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives. When translated from the Penn jargon, that means I am one of the student workers who helps to put together and run New Student Orientation every fall, along with the events for the academic theme year the Provost’s Office sponsors.

During the summer, I plan all of those events you remember with fondness from your time as a freshman. Last fall, I personally oversaw Late Nights, the Penn Reading Project, and the Toga Party, to name just a few. Through the process of planning these, I built working relationships with Penn faculty and administration, both local and national businesses, and student leaders from every kind of organization imaginable. I learned how to properly compile budgets and file them within the University system, gained a working knowledge of the entire Adobe and Microsoft Office software suites, and how to run a virtual orientation using current social networking sites. I learned what to tell building administrators in order to let my event go longer without an extra charge, what to tell a caterer to get a few extra items, and how to ensure that vendors donate items for events like Pennfest.

I also maintain two major Penn websites, NSO and the Theme Year, constantly updating them and making sure they are both accurate and composed of the newest features.  Before I started this job, I just assumed that websites made themselves and were just for my viewing pleasure.

During NSO, you’re going to work. A lot. And you’ll be frustrated. You’ll want go home and sleep. Instead you’ll keep going beyond what you thought was possible. But the satisfaction of seeing all those students having the time of their lives at something that you have overseen from the moment it was proposed until the doors opened is worth it. Months later, you’ll pass people on Locust and they’ll be talking about how they want to go back to NSO, to dance amidst the statues of the PMA, to dress in togas with their entire class, and you’ll smile. Because you will know that you made that happen, that you are the reason those memories exist in the first place.

This job is very real, and not your imagination at all. This is the job you want on your resume. This is the job you will remember forever.

To apply to the NSOAI Management Internship Program for this year, search Penn Link for job #745101.  For more information, contact Troy Majnerick , Assistant Director of New Student Orientation.

Top Cover Letter No-Nos (in no particular order!)

By Barbara Hewitt

It’s that time of year and Career Services counselors have been reading LOTS of cover letters and resumes for the upcoming internship recruiting season. Many are well crafted and thoughtful letters, but then there are the others – those that we cringe at the thought of a recruiter reading. In that context, I thought I would share some of my “cover letters no-nos” through the blog this week.

Typos and poor grammar. Your cover letter is a writing sample and testament to your attention to detail and communication skills. If it is littered with mistakes and poorly written, no employer will want to hire you, regardless of the many other ways in which you may be well-qualified for the position.

Wrong length. A cover letter should be long enough to adequately convey your interest in the position and highlight your qualifications for it. An extremely brief letter does neither and will indicate to the employer that you are not enthusiastic enough about the position to take the time to articulate that interest through a well written cover letter. On the other hand, it should not be your life’s story written in a tiny font on a page with miniscule margins. Employers often get hundreds of applications for a single position, and they simply don’t have the time to comb through extremely long cover letters. A one page letter in a reasonably sized font (10 to 12 pt) and standard one inch margins should do the trick. Most letters will have four or five paragraphs.

Unfocused. Keep in mind that a cover letter is (usually) your opportunity to express your interest in a SPECIFIC position and a SPECIFIC employer. Read the job description thoroughly, ascertain what qualities the employer particularly wants candidates to posses, and then demonstrate through the letter that you have those qualities. Research the employer to learn more about the organization and be sure to indicate why you are particularly interested in them. Avoid vague phrases like “I would be thrilled to work for such an industry leader.”  Why do you consider them a leader? Let them know if you’ve talked to people who work at the organization or attended an information session (and, of course, what impressed you in these interactions).

Wrong Tone. It can be hard to get the right “tone” for a cover letter. On one hand, you want to be confident in expressing your qualifications for the position. After all, if you don’t think you can do the job, the reader surely won’t either. On the other hand, you don’t want to come across as arrogant and oversell yourself. I am always taken aback when I read in a cover letter that an applicant is “confident that they are the best candidate for the position”. This is a determination the employer will make, and it is presumptuous for an applicant to make it on his or her own candidacy. (After all, the applicant hasn’t even seen the other resumes!) Saying something like “I believe my skills and past work experiences make me a good fit for this position” relays the same message in a more understated way.

Writing strong cover letters requires time and effort, but will pay off in the long run in terms of more interviews, and ultimately, job offers. For more information on cover letters (and samples), check out the cover letter guide on the undergraduate portion of the Career Services website: http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/coverletter.html