Reflecting on Your Semester

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 10:13:01 -0500

This is my first semester as a Career Peer, and with the semester ending and due dates for summer internships fast approaching, the break is the perfect time for me to update my resume and make my bullet point descriptions more representative of what I do here at the Career Center.

Right now, my resume is being tailored to be submitted to a variety of legal and government internships. Clearly, I’m not acting as a legal advocate for the Career Center. So, I have to think long and hard about the transferable skills I have gained during my time here.

Maybe something you completed or did over the past semester isn’t directly related to a position you’re applying to, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave it off your resume. You can take away valuable experience from every position that you have; experience that a lot of employers look for when looking at candidates. As you start thinking about updating your resume, it’s your job to think about what transferable skills you’ve gained, and how you can apply those skills in another workplace environment.

Not sure about what a transferable skill is? Here’s a link to give you some ideas.

My point is that you shouldn’t think that you’ve wasted your time when you’re doing something that you enjoy, regardless of whether or not it is related to the field you’re interested in. There is something to gain from everything that you do, and a way to make it applicable to most jobs.

Working on your resume isn’t the only thing you can start working on over winter break. Here are a variety of different steps you can take to further your career goals:

1. Work on your LinkedIn Profile. Online media presence is becoming an extremely important part of application processes. Make sure you’re presenting yourself in the best way possible by tailoring your LinkedIn Profile to reflect who you are and what experience you have. Tips on how to do this can be found here.

2. Look for internships or summer jobs! I know summer always seems to go by so quickly, but three months is actually a long time, and it is certainly enough time for you to gain some real-world experience. It may seem crazy to start thinking about summer when winter break hasn’t even arrived yet, but many applications for summer internships are due in the winter time! Make sure you are on top of your game. Be proactive in your search and take the initiative to start looking and applying during your time off.

3. Make an appointment with the Career Center to discuss your future goals! Winter break is a time when you can relax a bit and focus on yourself instead of your classes. It’s the perfect time to put in a little bit more effort to try and understand how you can make the most out of your college career. Drop-in hours at the Career Center are still active during winter break also, so feel free to make use of that service as well.

As I sit here writing this blog post, I’m starting to get a bit overwhelmed thinking about all I have to do over the next few weeks. Finding internships, writing cover letters, sample writing pieces and essays, and tailoring my resume seem like daunting tasks, even for me. But what I’ve learned in the past is once I sit down, determined to get things done, these tasks become easier. Perspective is huge for me too. I have to constantly remind myself that college isn’t the be all, end all. I’m here for a higher purpose, and I have to be willing to put effort into my professionalism now in order to further my better future tomorrow.