Emma's blog
If you missed November 3rd's Graduate and Professional School Fair or November 16th's Law School Fair, I won't hide the fact that you missed a good time. Representatives from more than 75 institutions attended the Graduate and Professional School Fair, and reps from more than 80 (!) attended the Law School Fair. It was a great opportunity to connect face-to-face with admissions representatives from programs all over the region and the nation.
But if you missed either event, all hope is definitely not lost, because the UW hosts many year-round resources for connecting you with pre-professional information, guidance and advice.
If you're thinking of heading to Graduate and Professional School, for instance, you'll want to be sure to check out the entire webpage of resources hosted by our team here at UWCC.
And if you're thinking of heading to Law School, please tell me you've checked in with the Gateway Center's Pre-Law Advising team. If you haven't yet, don't fret - just check out their online resources, then scurry to the Gateway Center (MGH 171).
If you're interested in pursuing Health-related graduate or professional education, be sure to attend April 28th's Health Graduate and Professional School Fair, being offered from 4-7pm in the Upper Husky Den. More information will be available on the Career Center website by late Winter Quarter.
Finding the face-to-face contact with admissions reps that was offered at the fairs earlier this month can be tricky to duplicate. However, there are some options to consider:
- Some programs make department-specific visits on campus, if there's a target population they're interested in recruiting. Check in with your departmental advisers if there's a school or two that is of particular interest.
- Look at other school's events websites. Sure, it's always nice to attend these events on your home turf, but sometimes neighboring colleges and universities offer these fairs at different times, and many times they're open to the public, and students from local schools. Be sure to call the event coordinator listed on the website first, though, to ensure you're able to attend.
- Visit the admissions page of any and all institutions that you're particularly interested in attending. Often times they'll have a calendar of their recruiting fairs and activities - maybe there's one happening in a neighboring city, or even a town where you have a friend/relative and could bunk for a night.
And last but definitely not least, keep an eye on the UWCC calendar for next year's Fair dates!
Sometimes I like to think about Eeyore. Seriously, he's an amusing little guy, is he not? And I think Eeyore's important to remember in this economy. Why, you might ask? Well let me play out a little scenario below.
Eeyore: good morning. If it is, which I doubt. Of course I'll never be able to find a job in this economy, so I should probably just stay inside and eat cookies and watch Tool Academy on Vh1. And maybe I'll stay at UW a couple extra quarters so I can delay the inevitable rejection that awaits me in the great big world beyond UW.
Savvy UW job seeker's reponse: Eeyore, lose the 'tude! Didn't you know that pursuing an internship is a great way to improve your employment chances, according to research done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers? That experience outside the classroom can lead to more success after graduation? Get on HuskyJobs, you cranky creature you, find that internship, and take a step towards securing meaningful employment.
Questions on the internship process, or how to land one? Visit us online at http://careers.washington.edu/Students/Find-Jobs-and-Internships , and don't let Eeyore get you down.
So last week, Dawgs, my neck started hurting. My shoulders ached. I woke up with a headache, kept it most of the day, and went to bed with it each night. I started noticing the bags under my eyes and a voracious appetite for caffeine. So what's a girl to do? Spend a weekend morning in bed with coffee, her Nintendo DS and some strategically placed naps, naturally.
And guess what? I came out the other end of it feeling a lot better, thanks to taking four seemingly-measly hours to myself. And that's what I want to encourage you to do. Yes, do your homework. Absolutely, attend your internship. Of course, study for your midterms. But when you have a moment to take a real, live break - take it and run with it.
Sure there are dishes to be washed, laundry to be done, people you haven't seen in a while, grandmas you owe a phone call to, the list goes on and on. But an equally important thing, keeping our sanity and our health, is often the first thing we cross off our list. I challenge you, Huskies, to flip that upside down this week. Because in a particularly aggressive flu season, a particularly tricky economy, not to mention the tough classes, demanding jobs or internships and more - taking good care of yourself is key to staying happy and healthy. So here's to your health and happiness! 
So each Fall, we gather (ok, it's over email, but I like to think it still counts) and talk about what we love about Fall. One of the unanimous items? The return of the students - you guys make our days more lively, and a good bit brighter.
What else do we love about Fall?
We're an office of foodies, so Pumpkin Pie Blizzards, soup nights with friends, taffy and popcorn balls, perfect apples for making the perfect pie, chili and baking seasonal goodies all make the list.
We love our sports! From the MLB postseason (with hopes the M's might be there again someday), to our love of the Hawks, the Huskies and all things college football, you don't have to guess how we spend our weekends. Bring on the Pumpkin Pie Blizzards and some quality time with ESPN.
We love our quiet time. Fires in the fireplace, the beautiful colors of the leaves on trees, reading books on lazy Sundays, taking walks in the park.
We love our entertainment. Whether we're decorating for Halloween or plotting our costume, celebrating the return of our favorite TV show from its Summer hiatus, or shop-shop-shopping for a new warmer wardrobe.
Spend a little time over the next week thinking about what you love about Fall! It's a great way to gear up for what is sure to be a great year. Welcome back!
So I know I can't be the only fan of "The Office" out there in Husky country (umm and by the way, I still can't get over the fact that we BEAT USC! Whose house?! Our house!).
And because of the fact that I know I can't be the only "Office" fan, I know for sure that I can't be the only one who sat on their couch last week giggling helplessly at the "Parkour" opening scene for the season premiere of The Office.
So, you might ask - how does this relate to the Career Center? Well don't you worry, Huskies - I've got you covered. Just keep on reading. :-) PARKOUR!
We here at the UW Career Center don't like to sit still for long. I'm serious - our hallways are like a constant little bee hive of activity.
So it's only fitting that we're rolling out a big new event this Fall, right? What I'm talkin about, friends, is the Graduate and Professional School Fair we're holding on Tuesday, November 3rd, from 2-6pm in the HUB East Ballroom - the first time such an event has been offered at the UW in over a decade. And why should you attend? Oh, let me count the ways -
- Institutions from all over the nation will be attending. Already registered? NYU's Silver School of Social Work, Princeton's College of Engineering & Applied Science, the American University of Paris, as well as many of the stellar programs here at the UW - Nursing, Public Health and Environmental Management, to name a few.
- This is a unique opportunity to meet admissions representatives face-to-face and learn more about the specifics of their program, the culture of their school, and insights into the application process.
- Depending on your field of study, and your career ambitions, attending graduate or professional school can go a long way in helping your employability and your competetiveness as a candidate for jobs. Talk to your academic advisers, our career counselors, or faculty about whether it's a good option for you.
Questions? Email ccse......@uw.edu or call 206.543.0535. An event website, with a complete list of attending schools and information on how to prepare, will be available in late September, and will be accessible from http://careers.washington.edu/. Hope to see you at the Graduate and Professional School Fair on November 3rd!
Sometimes it can be hard to maintain a cheerful demeanor at work, considering the current economic and employment situation, can't it. It's rough out there.
But here's the thing - because of the current economic and employment situation, there's also a lot to gain by retaining (or creating) a positive attitude in your workplace. Whether it's just keeping your current job, or it's reaching for a raise or promotion, Shawn Achor (head at consulting company Aspirant) has some suggestions on how to stay positive and stay successful.
Per Achor: "The two most important predictors of success are, first, whether we believe our behavior matters, that is, whether we think we can make a real difference -- and many people lose that belief in hard times, because so much is out of their control," Achor says. "And second, how do you manage stress? Does it paralyze you, or does it move you forward to action?"
Want to know more? Check out the complete article, which includes more feedback from Achor, as well as 6 tips for being happy at work.
So I know we've all heard it before - think outside the box, follow your own path, create your happiness. Right? And it's the truth, friends - what gets us going, what gets us excited and what makes us happy may well be very different than it was for our mentors, our grandparents, our parents, our partners, our church leaders, whomever it is that has chimed in on what's best for us.
Now if you're anything like me, sometimes you need a little jolt of inspiration to create and follow your own path (it ain't always easy). And if you're like me, you'd never expect to find that inspiration at a wedding. So although the inspiration I share below is in no way career-related, it shows exactly what can happen when you turn convention on it's head and proceed in the fashion that's important to YOU. The fun part? It results in more fun and more satisfaction for you AND for the people around you - happiness and fulfillment rub off. While watching this clip, I dare you not to get a smile on your face.
In Spring of 2008, Seattle was named the 2nd most literate city in the country (trailing behind chilly Minneapolis, Minnesota). So cool, right?! The study, conducted by Central Connecticut State University, was based on six literacy criteria - newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and internet resources.
And Seattle's been in the top 10 (including a couple years as number one) since the rankings started in 2003.
So what does this mean? It means you should get out there and stretch your literacy muscle, dawgs! Check out an upcoming reading at Third Place Books (bonus - you can grab coffee at Honey Bear Bakery while you're there or browse used books in addition to new), an event at Elliott Bay Book Company, or take advantage of the incredible resources available to you at your local library, whether here at UW, in Seattle proper, or in the greater Puget Sound. Want to patronize only independent bookstores? Well you're in luck, you savvy Seattlite - NW Source's "Peoples Picks" includes a Favorite Independent Bookstore category.
And here's the fun thing - just because you spend all year reading academic textbooks doesn't mean that reading can't still be fun (seriously!). Check out the lists of recommended reads from local libraries (like KCLS's "Books We Like" page), browse the list of topsellers at Barnes and Noble's website or other online retailers, or check out the New York Times' best seller list, which includes everything from chick lit beach reads to non-fiction and biography.
Read any good books lately? Have a favorite bookstore you want to give a shout out to? We welcome your comments!
Good morning, friends, and welcome to Summer Quarter!
The beginning of Summer Quarter means many things, but the thing that's most on my mind this morning is FREE HUSKYJOBS ACCESS FOR ALUMNI. Seriously. I wouldn't lie about this. If you're a UW alumni, you can have free access to HuskyJobs (normally a $60 quarterly fee) for the Summer months. All you have to do is fill out a quick online registration form, and your free access will be activated within two business days. Voila!
And while we're on the subject of HuskyJobs accounts, let's talk email addresses, Huskies. Just a friendly reminder that employers see your email address. And if it's "bigdaddy@u.washington.edu" or "justlukin4agoodtime@gmail.com", that might not be considered putting your best foot forward.
So if you have an email address that might fall a bit short of the 'professional' mark, consider creating a new, work-friendly email account for all your job search-related correspondence. You can score a free email account from Hotmail, Gmail, or any number of service providers. So don't let "Iheartbaddecisions@msn.com" make an employer's decision for them. Stay professional, and stay competitive in your job search. Good luck, and let us know if we can do anything to support you in this process! 206.543.0535 or ccs......@u.washington.edu
