Summer Reading List

Jiny Yen, Associate Director

Hurray for summer! It’s finally time for a break from classes, meetings, exams and projects. I usually have a running list of books I keep meaning to read, and my favorite part of summer is that I’m able to finally check off a few. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite career related picks that will help you discover your passions and ways to achieve success.

Design thinking is a hot topic these days, and this book gives practical advice on how to find a fulfilling, meaningful life using design thinking principles. It’s not about achieving success in the traditional sense, and instead focuses on what you can do to find joy in your career.

This book is a great guide for how to handle networking in the social media age. The best part is it includes templates on how to email a recruiter, follow up with a contact and even tips on how to use Twitter and Facebook for your job search.

As a freshman in college, Alex Banayan started on a seven year quest to interview leaders in all different industries and find out what made them successful. His book details those conversations and both the similarities and differences in their experiences. This is a great read not only because of the key insights from these huge names, but also because of the adventure Alex went through to get access.

By The Book: Late Summer Reading

by J. Michael DeAngelis, Information Resources Manager

The summer brings not only a little bit of downtime to the always busy Career Services office, but also marks the start of a new fiscal year! With the budget refreshed, let’s take a look at some of the latest editions to the Career Services library.

filmschoolFilm School: The True Story of a Midwestern Man Who Went to the World’s Most Famous Film School, Fell Flat on His Face, Had a Stroke and Sold a Television Series to CBS by Steve BowmanFrom the publisher: Steve Boman was just your average middle-aged ex-newspaper reporter and stay-at-home dad when he applied to be a student at the University of Southern California’s vaunted School of Cinematic Arts.  Boman didn’t know what would await him at the world’s oldest and most prestigious film school, a place that has trained Hollywood heavyweights George Lucas, John Carpenter, James Ivory, Judd Apatow, Brian Grazer, Shonda Rhimes, John Singleton, Jay Roach, Conrad Hall, and many others. In this rollicking, thoughtful, and unexpectedly touching tale, Boman shows what life is like behind the scenes at Hollywood’s pre-eminent boot camp… and what it’s like to do the almost unthinkable–sell a primetime television show while still in school.

profisinThe Professor is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. into a Job by Karen Kelsky, Ph.D.  From the Publisher:  Each year tens of thousands of students will, after years of hard work and enormous amounts of money, earn their Ph.D. And each year only a small percentage of them will land a job that justifies and rewards their investment. For every comfortably tenured professor or well-paid former academic, there are countless underpaid and overworked adjuncts, and many more who simply give up in frustration.

Those who do make it share an important asset that separates them from the pack: they have a plan. They understand exactly what they need to do to set themselves up for success.  They know what really moves the needle in academic job searches, how to avoid the all-too-common mistakes that sink so many of their peers, and how to decide when to point their Ph.D. toward other, non-academic options.

Karen Kelsky has made it her mission to help readers join the select few who get the most out of their Ph.D. As a former tenured professor and department head who oversaw numerous academic job searches, she knows from experience exactly what gets an academic applicant a job. And as the creator of the popular and widely respected advice site The Professor is In, she has helped countless Ph.D.’s turn themselves into stronger applicants and land their dream careers.

navpathNavigating the Path to Industry: A Hiring Manager’s Advice for Academics Looking for Jobs in Industry by M.R. Nelson.  From the publisher: Finding a job is hard. Running a non-academic job search when all of your previous experience is in academia is even harder. This book won’t make it easy (unfortunately, nothing can do that), but it will help you learn to run a successful job search and avoid common pitfalls. It provides a hiring manager’s advice on networking, conducting informational interviews, converting your curriculum vitae into a resume, writing a cover letter, interviewing, and maintaining your self-confidence throughout the job search process. This concise collection of job searching advice provides a framework for finding the way out of academia and into a new job for academics at all levels who have realized that they want a different sort of career.

gradprofPeterson’s Graduate & Professional Programs: An Overview (2014 edition) from Peterson’s Guides.  From the publisher: Peterson’s Graduate & Professional Programs: An Overview 2014 contains over 2,200 university/college profiles noting degrees available, enrollment figures, tuition, financial support, housing, faculty, research affiliations, library facilities, and contact information. This graduate guide enables students to explore program listings by field and institution.

  • Informative data profiles for more than 2,200 institutions, including facts and figures on accreditation, faculty, students, degree requirements, application deadlines, expenses, financial support, and application contacts.
  • Two-page in-depth descriptions, written by each featured institution, give complete details on the graduate study available.
  • Expert advice on the admissions process, financial support, and accrediting agencies
  • Comprehensive directories list programs in each volume.
  • Up-to-date appendixes list institution changes since the last edition and abbreviations used in the guide.

By the Book: Summer Preview

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 inLean 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.

lean startupThe 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.

mcat2105MCAT 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 The Book: Two New Resources for the Spring

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.

freelanceStarting 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.

sorsSORS: 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.

By the Book: Brand New VAULT Guides Now Online!

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