Career Spotlight

Photo by: mariana mansur

By: Ellen Hatfield

This month is Women’s History Month. This month we pay special attention to the contributions of women throughout history. Women like Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Gloria Steinem, Julia Child, Sylvia Plath, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Belva Lockwood, and many others. Learn more about the contributions of these women through an online exhibit by the National Portrait Gallery.

By nature, Women’s Studies is a major that is an “interdisciplinary field that explores knowledge about women, their experiences, roles and achievements, and investigates issues related to their lives,” (UWW). University of Tennessee mentions that women’s studies students gain experience with ”in-depth knowledge of the conditions of women in various cultures and societies, gender dynamics, strategies and organizational skills needed to address gender inequalities, women’s struggles, achievements, and contributions in past and present societies and across cultures, the courses and consequences of women’s subordination, gender-based assumptions & biases and their consequences, social change agents, and sensitivity to social concerns and other view points.”  

Students who graduate with a degree in Women’s Studies can go onto a wide variety of careers, for example: domestic violence advocate, public relations, counselor, administrator, researcher, educator, etc. Skills gained through this major include:

• Ability to work for change in organizations and the community
• Alertness to social issues
• Analytical Judgment
• Assertiveness
• Critical thinking
• Effective communication
• Leadership
• Problem solving
• Sensitivity to prejudice

Different sectors that women’s studies majors can work in are quite varied. Sectors include business & industry (public or private corporations, organizations for research on and advancement of women in business), healthcare (hospitals, clinics, wellness centers), human services (counseling, case management, community relations, women’s service organizations such as Girl Scouts), education (schools, women’s resource centers, non-profits), writing (newspapers, magazines, broadcast), and law and politics (law, lobbying, special interests, research).

As with any major, a great way to gain experience while still in college is to partake in an internship. An internship can help you decide which job functions you like and dislike. The National Women’s Studies Association has internship board where employers can post internships related to the women’s studies field. Some of the opportunities listed on the internship board were in film distribution, communications, public policy, leadership, marketing, magazines, editorial, publishing, women’s human rights, and research. Other women’s organizations that have internship programs include Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Catalyst (works with business globally to help build inclusive workplaces), and the Association for Women in Science.

There are several more websites that have information about Women’s Studies. This is a major that you really can do what interests you and you have a variety of opportunities available for you to purse.

• University of Delaware – career information and links to check out
• Advancing Women – career strategy, tools, resources, and targeted job board
• American Association of University Women – equality and breaking through educational and economic barriers
• American Business Women’s Association – women from diverse occupations and help to grow personally and professionally in leadership, education, and networking

Have you had success finding an internship or job with a Women’s Studies degree? Let us know what you love about it.

Event Reminder for Everyone.

We will be having another Resume Dr. on March 10th! We will be at the Salute to Grads event being held 11am-6pm in the Old Main Ballroom on the second floor of the University Center. Bring your resume to get looked, ask questions about the job search, and pick up some great information, all to help you be successful after graduating in May.

See you there!

By Kathy Craney

I just wrote in my Facebook page that I was working on a presentation for work, doing my laundry and watching a sewing program.  I’m not sure that’s a good life balance, but it did get me to think about it.  What is life balance?  According to Wikipedia it is a “broad concept including proper prioritizing between “work” (career and ambition) on one hand and “life” (pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development) on the other.”  Have I prioritized or am I just trying to cram too many activities into a small amount of time?  What are your priorities? 

I understand balance is important in my life, but what should I look for and what does that mean in regard to my career and my personal life?  What does that mean to college students? 

Often when I talk to students about what they need to do to prepare for their future careers I talk to them about balance.  Grades are definitely an important part of the preparation.  Attending classes and keeping up with homework, studying for tests, writing papers, reports, etc. are part of that.  I also talk about participating in extracurricular activities.  We know employers like students who are involved in organizations, community services, and so forth.  If possible I recommend students get involved in two types of organizations – one that is career/major based and one that is for “fun” (not to imply a career/major organization isn’t fun.  I hope it is.)  Employers like to see leadership roles too.  Employers also are interested in students who have internship experience.  These have a variety of benefits, as experience, deciding what career area you’re interested in, etc.  (For more information see http://www.uww.edu/internships/ , and last week’s blog about Internship Week.)  Beyond these things, there are also jobs (most of our students have to work to pay for college), relationships, and any other interests a student might have.  Wow!  How are you supposed to keep up with all of this!  One article (http://www.worklifebalance.com/worklifebalancedefined.html ) states we need to Achieve and Enjoy something in every important area of our lives every day (IE: Work, Family, Friends, and Self).  Sounds pretty simple, but with all the work we need to do is it really that simple? 

Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. gives ten steps for helping college students cope find their life balance in his article,  “10 Tips for Finding Life Balance in College”:

1. Set Realistic Goals
2. Learn to Study Effectively
3. Learn to Manage Your Time
4. Eat Well
5. Exercise Regularly
6. Set Priorities
7. Simplify
8. Let things Go
9. Explore Your Options, Get Help
10. Know When It’s Time to Quit (social activities, a class, etc.)

I don’t know about you, but it looks like I have some work to do to put some balance in my life (after I get my laundry done.)  As I think about it, though it seems as though not waiting until the last minute is a good idea.  Don’t wait until the semester you’re graduating to think about what you’re going to put on your resume.  Planning when you’re a freshman will help prevent some of the stress caused by having too much to do and not enough time to do it.  What ideas do you have to put balance in your life?

By Ellen Hatfield

March 1st – March 4th will be Internship Week here at Career & Leadership Development. On Monday, March 1st, Laura Jacobs (our internship coordinator) and I will be hosting an Internship Search Boot Camp at 5pm in the Warhawk Involvement Center in the University Center (UC 146). We’ll be talking about creating an internship search plan, networking, how to make the most of your internship, the role social media can play, and much more.

We will also have Internship Outpost tables set up at various buildings around campus throughout the week. Come visit because we like the company, plus you can get some great resources and have your questions answered.

• Monday, March 1st University Center 1-3pm
• Tuesday, March 2nd Hyland Hall 1-3pm
• Wednesday, March 3rd University Center 10am-noon
• Thursday, March 4th Upham Hall 10am-noon

At both the Boot Camp and the outposts you will have the chance to enter drawings for some great prizes that can help you with your internship search. Here are some resources to check out as you prep for your internship search.

• UW-Whitewater Internship Blog
• What is an Internship?
• General Internship Resources
• Field Specific Internship Programs & Resources

Photo By: Francisco Diez

By: Ellen Hatfield

With Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th, President’s Day on February 15th, and Washington’s birthday coming up next week (February 22nd), I thought it would be appropriate for the Liberal Arts Majors series to take a look at the Political Science major.

Having a major in political science can lead to careers in government (local, state, national), law, politics, campaigns & polling, international (variety of areas), nonprofit sector, business, journalism, education, etc. A political science undergraduate degree can also be a great forerunner to pursuing a graduate degree in fields such as law, psychology, or business. University of Wisconsin-Madison is home to a first-tier law school that you should check out if that’s a path that you’re thinking of. As an undergraduate at UW-Whitewater, you can pursue a legal studies minor that would certify you to be a paralegal and help you break into working with law firms.

An excellent way to get your feet wet in the world of political science while you are still a student, is to get involved with organizations on campus. This could mean political party organizations, student government, or seeking leadership positions and responsibilities in any student organization. At UW-Whitewater, check out student organizations and the Whitewater Student Government for opportuntities to get involved. Joining a professional organization is another opportunity to get involved, network with others in the field, and a place to look for jobs and internships. One organization to check out is the American Political Science Association. A bonus to joining a professional organization as a student is receiving  several member benefits without having to pay a lot of money.

Seeking out an internship is also a great way to gain experience in an area of political science. Internships can range from local to international. An internship gives you a taste of what professional work would be like and can help you decide your career path once college is complete. A few sites to check out:

• UW-Whitewater Political Science Department
• UW-Whitewater Internship Resources
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• National Republican Congressional Committee
• Student Government Jobs

If you are interested in a career with federal government, your resume is going to be different from a regular resume. You will have to talk more about your knowledge, skills, and abilities. The Making the Difference website has extensive detail about the federal resumes (along with job and internship postings).

Some other resources that are worth checking out (ranging from career information to job search) are:

• University of Tennessee-Knoxville
• University of North Carolina-Wilmington (several links to job searching)
• Idealist (campaigns, nonprofits, internships, etc.)
• USA Jobs (main posting spot for federal jobs – and not all of them are in Washington, D.C.)

Good luck political science majors as you embarking on internship and job searching. Schedule an appointment with a career counselor to look over your resume, practice interviewing, or to go over internship/job searching techniques.

By Kathy Craney

In October I wrote a blog about Personal Branding.  It included information from a presentation I had attended on “Developing Your Personal Brand”.  Now that second semester is here and more students are coming in our office (Career & Leadership Development) to have us look at their resumes for jobs/internships, as well as helping them figure out a major/minor, it’s probably time to bring up the subject again and remind everyone (that means you too Freshman) about the importance of developing your own brand.

As a brief reminder, I’ll first remind you about the answer to the question you might have:  What is a Personal Brand? 

• It’s how you distinguish yourself from other smart people (answers the question, “Why are you the best person for this job?”)
• What makes you different than the other candidates we see?
• What makes you stand out and become noticed?
• They show-
  • A good quality product (your skills)
  • Uniqueness (skills you bring to the workplace)
  • You can deliver results!

Personal branding is about communicating and about networking.  If you are now or will be in the future looking for a job, and I assume you all will be eventually, these are two skills you must absolutely have!  The earlier you start learning and using these skills the better off you will be (Freshmen, pay attention here!)  Where can you learn these skills?  There are a variety of ways you can practice.  First off, pay attention in class.  Participate in class discussions.  Get to know your professor – talk to them.  Your professors have a wealth of knowledge they are willing to share with you if they know you.

Next, get involved!  There are so many activities and events going on I hardly know where to begin, but I will start with – Come to the Involvement Center in the University Center and talk with one of the Leadership Assistants.  They’ll sit down with you and help you figure out a club or organization that fits your needs.  You can also look on JOIN (there’s a link on the Involvement Center Page (http://www.uww.edu/involve/).  Consider two types of organizations – one that’s more professional/major related and one that’s for fun.  What does involvement have to do with branding?  Involvement is a great place to learn skills such as communication (the number one desired skill by employers).  It also helps refine your teamwork skills and learn to be flexible.  Another employer desired skill it teaches you is good time management.  You need to keep up your grades – getting your homework done, studying for exams, writing papers, etc. will help develop that good quality product I spoke of.  So, getting good grades, you probably have a job, and belonging to an organization is proof positive you have good time management skills.  Step up to the plate and take on some leadership skills.  It doesn’t have to be the president or Vice President, but maybe you’re good at organizing things, try leading a committee within the group.  Look for ways to use your strengths.   

These ideas will give you a start.  What are some other ideas you can share with us?  Do you have some experiences where you either wished you had gotten more involved or were glad you did?  Can you share these with us?

NOTE:  If you’re looking for some good ideas for creating your personal brand, I can recommend a great website our Grad student, Ellen, showed me.  It’s called “Student Branding Blog” at http://studentbranding.com/.  

Photo by pedrosimoes7

Photo by Lara604

by Ron Buchholz

Arrrrggggg!  At times, I think many college graduates feel like the young woman in the picture while they’re conducting their job search.   It’s exciting to begin your career, most often with a new employer, meeting new people, and even living in a new place.  However, the search for a job can, at times, be slightly maddening as you spend hours searching online job boards and submitting your resumes to an electronic Wizard of Oz somewhere behind the curtain.  Searching for your first professional position involves strategies and tactics that are unfamiliar to many students, and too often the way graduates learn is by trial and error.  During our Hawk Career Fair and Expo last September a number of our recruiters shared advice with our students, and their advice is definitely worth sharing today.  Here’s what they had to say:

Know Yourself – first and foremost, you need to know who you are, where your headed with your career, and what knowledge, skill and attitude you bring to the organization.  This sounds fairly basic, but many people apply for a job because it’s a job (as in paycheck), not because their interests and aptitudes align with what’s needed to be successful in that particular job.  The person reading your resume or interviewing you needs to see that you’re interested, even passionate, for doing the work that they’re hiring you to do.  Why should they spend time and money training you, if they’re not entirely convinced you’re interested in this line of work.  It’s up to each of us to find our passion – and if you approach your job search without knowing your passion, well, it will show.

Develop Your Personal Brand – Check out Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0 and Personal Branding Blog.  Dan is an outstanding resource for students interested in the process of developing their personal brand.  Advice from the recruiters at our Career Expo complimented Dan’s advice.  What you say about yourself – in person, on paper and through social media – needs to be honest, and should communicate a consistent message that you intended to communicate. 

Develop and Practice Your Self-Pitch – according to the recruiters, they’ve experienced their share of clumsy moments when job seekers don’t know how to present themselves in a professional manner during job fairs and interviews.  Some of the biggest criticism from the recruiters has to do with poorly developed interpersonal skills and students not knowing how to present themselves professionally.  Now, some say this is generational, that it’s unique to Gen-Y.  But I think this is primarily a developmental issue – I know I’ve improved a ton since my initial job search after college.  Take the time to develop your interpersonal skill so you feel comfortable and develop future relationships with confidence. 

Seek Advice - you don’t have to “go it alone” when it comes to your job search.  There are plenty of people to give you advice and help you practice your skill.  Students should seek counsel from their career staff – profesionals who are available to develop your job search strategy and refine your skill.

Photo by: t a k k  (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abphoto/ / CC BY 2.0)

The Winter Olympics are just a few short weeks away (Opening Ceremony is February 12th!). All eyes from around the world will be on Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. I thought it would be fitting to explore career paths in the field of sports and recreation. 

On the UW-Whitewater campus, the department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Coaching has a major (Health, Human Performance and Recreation) for those individuals who don’t necessarily want to teach physical education. With this major, students can choose from several different pathways for their career development. Fields include: exercise science, health behavior science, sports management, coaching, and athletic training to name a few. The field is quite competitive, and if you open yourself up to the potential of pursuing different career paths within the sports and recreation fields, you’ll probably have greater success of establishing yourself professionally.

In exercise science there are a variety of areas to look at including: physical fitness, athletic training, physical or occupational therapies, education, business, or sports medicine. In sports managment areas include: amateur athletics, facilities and event management, professional teams and leagues, sports merchandising, and leisure and fitness. Also check out athletics & sport and recreation & leisure studies from University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Employers in the sports and recreation fields are as varied as the areas of focus. Employers include: colleges and universities, national/state governing bodies, International Olympic Committee (IOC), training centers, YMCA, sports camps, stadiums, golf courses, city parks and recreation departments, professional teams, health clinics, retirement centers, resorts, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and health clubs and fitness centers, to name just a few.

As I said before, the field of sports and recreation is competitive. You have to prepare yourself to work hard. There are some things you can do while you are still college. Join professional organizations, often there are student rates that get you all or most of the same benefits as the professionals. Get involved with athletic teams, intramurals, or other recreation programs on campus. Do one or more internships. Professional teams and leagues will often have internship opportunties in multiple areas.

Other resources online to check out:

• American Hiking Society – internship opportunities
• American College of Sports Medicine – good variety of resources available
• National Recreation and Park Association – advocacy organization for public parks and recreation
• Adventure Jobs/Internships – cool opportunities including summer jobs
• TeamWork Online – jobs and internships listed for a variety of sports

Whatever career path you decide to choose to coordinate with your Health, Human Performance and Recreation major, do what interests you and find the career that you love.

To all, enjoy watching the Olympics in February as athletes follow their dreams and compete on snow and ice!

by Ron Buchholz

Welcome back to the spring 2010 semester.  The UW-Whitewater campus has some great career events planned for you at the start of the semester.  They are:

Multicultural Career Fair – Thursday, February 4th from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the Univeristy Center.  This fair is open to all students, all majors.  A great networking event and way to get to know many recruiters and learn about career opportunities.

In order to prepare for the fair, attend one of the Resume Doctor sessions to get your resume reviewed so you put your best foot forward at the fair.  Professional career staff will be available to offer advice on the following days:

• Monday, January 25th   1:00 – 4:00 p.m.   Hyland Hall main concourse
• Tuesday, January 26th   1:00 – 4:00 p.m.   University Center main concourse
• Wednesday, January 27th  9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Hyland Hall main concourse
• Thursday, January 28th      9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  University Center main concourse

Career and Leadership Development has collaborated with the staff in Andersen Library to hold the Career Week in the Library.  January 25th though 31st is Careers Week, which will be filled with great information.  The schedule of events for the week include:

• How to Work a Career Fair presentation    Monday, January 25th at 3:45-4:30 p.m.  Library Main Level
• Interview Skills presentation    Tuesday, January 26th at 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.    Library Main Level
• Resume Strategies presentation  Wednesday, January 27th at 2:00 – 2:45 p.m.    Library Main Level
• Resume Doctor (resume review)  Wednesday, January 27th from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

There are more events and presentations on the horizon – we look forward to seeing you in attendance!

Holidays are enticing only for the first week or so.  After that, it is no longer such a novelty to rise late and have little to do.  ~Margaret Laurence

By Kathy Craney

Welcome back!  We hope you’re all rested and ready to experience the upcoming semester!  For some of you, this will be your last semester with us, as you will be graduating in May.  Where has the time gone!  There are a million things to think about including where and how do I find my first professional job?  You might want to check out “5 Job Search Strategies” on our web site – http://www.uww.edu/career/students/job_search_strategies/index.php .  There’s lots of good information there and should help you get started. 

Are you networking to gain leads?  Studies show about 80% of jobs are found through networking.  According to Kathy Sims, director of the career center at the University of California-Los Angeles, “The Class of 2010 will not just be competing with itself; it’ll be competing with some of the Class of 2008 and many of the Class of 2009.”  I bring this up not to discourage you, but to remind you to be prepared.  Take advantage of the help that’s available to you.  Before you ignore this advice, check out a website my colleague, Laura Jacobs, found – Career Center!? I Was Too Cool For That… http://www.samdiener.com/2010/01/career-center-i-was-too-cool-for-that/ .  Good advice!  

Before networking, think about what you want to do, what skills do you want to use?  When you start networking be able to clearly state, “Here’s what I’d like to do.”  Know what you bring to the table, what you’ve accomplished while you were here and what you have to offer an employer.  How can you help them succeed? 

Next, have a good, targeted resume.  It should be focused and directed to the employer.  Tell them how you can help them.  Let go of things that aren’t important to the employer – this is not an autobiography, you don’t need to include everything you’ve ever done, but you do need to be specific and clear about what skills you have, what experiences you bring with you, what you’ve accomplished and why you are the best person for the job.  Don’t make them guess – they don’t have to (there are more than enough candidates from which to choose) and they won’t take the time to figure out what you mean.  Make an appointment to see one of us for a resume check-up. 

We’ll also be repeating our “RESUME DOCTOR” program on Monday, January 25 through Thursday, January 28^th.  Watch for posters listing the times and places, as we are again taking our show on the road!  We hope to see you there!  To round up your activities, remember to do some mock interviews.  Call our office and schedule one.  To quote a Milwaukee TV weather saying, “Be prepared, not scared!”  and welcome back.  We’re glad you’re here!