Thoughtful Career Advice for Penn Students and Alumni, written by the staff of the University of Pennsylvania Career Services office and selected special guests.
CAS alum Erwin Rose (’84) from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, once again sits down with the Penn Career Services CareerCast to talk about careers in sustainability policy.
Enjoy.
Want to watch this video on your mobile device? Click here!
We asked some top law school recruiters what they look for in a personal statement. Their answers may surprise you!
Want to watch on your mobile device? Click here!
Special Message regarding inclement weather on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010:
If the University closes tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb 10) for the snow storm, Career Services will be closed. If the University remains open, Career Services will be open, although some staff may not be able to make it in. Some counseling appointments may be held over the phone. You will be notified if that is the case. Some programs may also be canceled. Check our web site before venturing out.
On Campus Recruiting will remain open, whether or not the University closes, thanks to our intrepid recruiting staff. Several scheduled employers are already in Philadelphia and will be conducting interviews as planned. Others are unable to fly in, so will be doing telephone interviews. Still others are re-scheduling for next week or a later date. If your interview is going to be held over the phone, or has been postponed, you will be receiving an email with the details. If you are not notified you should come to the recruiting suite at your scheduled time.
We in Career Services and our recruiters are doing the best we can in the face of bad weather. We appreciate your patience. Thank you, and stay safe if you venture out in the storm.
Patricia Rose
Director, Career Services
by Sue Russoniello
Hard to believe, but January, 2010 is almost past. The poinsettias are long gone. You’re back at the gym working off those cookies you couldn’t resist in December. And your mom is still bugging you to write those pesky holiday thank you notes, right? Why don’t you put that etiquette training to good use in your job or internship search? How’s that, you ask?
Well, for instance, a friend and I were chatting recently about our respective holidays. She was telling me about a connection her daughter made over the break. “Mary” accompanied a friend to a holiday party where she had the typical conversations — Where is she studying? What degree is she getting? What are her career goals? Pretty humdrum, right? Whoa! Wait a minute! What a coincidence! The host of the party is on the board of directors of an organization in the very field she wants to enter when she graduates in May! He told her to be sure to get in touch in the spring, and he’d be happy to help her in her job search in whatever way he could.
I urged Mary to write to him NOW. And I encourage you to follow up on connections you made, as well. Write that note; thank him for the lovely party; impress him with your good manners while gently jogging his memory about the conversation you had regarding your employment goals. Be sure to include your contact information so he can reach out to you if he wants. Let him know you’ll be in touch in the next few weeks to follow-up. (Then, of course, don’t forget to do that.)
So even though it’s almost February, it’s not too late. Sit down for a minute before the semester kicks into full gear. Think about the people you spent time with over the break. Perhaps you didn’t make as exciting a connection as my friend’s daughter, but maybe you had a nice conversation with your best friend’s parents or your Aunt Sadie who had some good leads for you. Reach out to them with those thank you notes and let them know how much you appreciate their guidance and friendship. Use the good manners your mom has taught you and at the same time kick your job search into gear.
While you’re at it, thank Mom for the etiquette lessons!
We want YOU to help us name our blog! As you can see, our staff has been working hard to create interesting content, but the blog needs a makeover. We are envious of creative blog names here at Penn like Under the Button, Quakers and Shakers, and Tripping Franklins, so we turn to you for help! Entering is so easy, even a Princeton student could do it (but actually they can’t…the contest is ONLY open to Penn students, alumni, faculty and staff).
How to enter:
Just post your suggestion as a reply to this post using your Penn-affiliated email address. There is a limit of one entry per person, so give it some thought before submitting. We will create a new logo based on the new blog title, so bonus points to those of you who suggest how your title could be translated into a graphic.
We will be accepting entries until Friday, January 29th (so you have two weeks…but if someone takes your creative idea before you submit, the prize will go to them). And speaking of prizes, the winner will get a $25 iTunes gift card and their blog name in lights. Or, at least at the header of our blog. We’ll announce the winner and new title here on the blog in mid-February.
Good Luck!
*Penn Career Services reserves the right to make the final decision on the new blog title, including selection of a title not proposed via this contest.
