Briana's blog
To be honest, November is not one of my favorite months. The summer sun is gone, the excitement that accompanies the start of the new school year has dissipated and the beautiful red leaves have fallen to the ground. Yet, ski season and winter holidays seem eons away.
November requires resilience as we come to terms with the fact that the rain is here to stay, that we have no control over the performance of our favorite sports teams and that professors actually expect work from us! If you're struggling to maintain your motivation and mood, remember to be thankful for November's blessings (Pumpkin-flavored everything! Three federal holidays! Television sweeps!) and to spend your energy on things you can control.
Consider using November as a springboard to begin thinking about your future in 2010 and beyond. The Career Center can help you channel your mid-autumn restlessness into a productive career exploration or job search process. So be sure to come check us out in 134 Mary Gates Hall. We think you'll be thankful you did.
Grad Students -
Are you interested in a great job after finishing graduate school? One that comes with a salary of $48,000 to $69,000, possible student loan repayment of up to $60,000, extensive training, a great network of mentors, and excellent health and retirement benefits?
Then consider applying for the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) - a special, paid, 2-year fellowship program in the federal government, which is exclusively for students finishing a graduate program from September 1, 2009, and August 31, 2010.
The Career Center, Graduate School, Evans School, & Jackson School are co-sponsoring an information session about this amazing opportunity. Come learn about the required application materials, assessments, deadlines, opportunities, and the short-term and long-term benefits associated with being a Presidential Management Fellow. Also, hear from agencies who hire fellows and from individuals who recently completed their PMF tenure.
Thursday, October 1st, 4:30-6:00, Thomson 125
No registration required.
Learn more about PMF at - https://www.pmf.opm.gov/HowToApply.aspx
If you've read any of my previous blog posts, you'll know that: (1) I am an optimist, (2) I like country music, (3) I like to write musically related posts.
I find the song We Can by Leann Rimes to be amazing on a number of levels. It's very upbeat and catchy. It encourages people to work together. It inspires listeners to pursue their dreams in the face of opposition, barriers, and naysayers.
Sorry if you can't get the song out of your head....
Students -
The UW is currently looking for students who have completed internships or jobs with federal government agencies to help with our new UW Making the Difference: Careers in Federal Government campaign. There are lots of ways to get involved:
1. Serve as a student ambassador. Attend a one-day training and commit to 2-4 hours per month for a minimum of 6 months. You'll be helping with event planning, marketing, etc. Basically, you'll be helping other students get excited about federal opportunities!
2. Serve as a panelist during the Federal Internship Panel Discussion on October 21st from 5:00-6:00 in Parrington.
3. Write a blog post about your federal experience, which will be posted on the UW's federal careers blog.
If you are interested in helping as an ambassador, panelist, or blogger, please contact Barry Wall at barry77 [at] u . washington . edu
The best part of summer in Seattle isn't less crowded buses, fewer people in coffee shops on the Ave, Independence Day, or SeaFair. It's [usually] the sun!
The sun is the central star in the solar system. It holds the planets in their orbits. It is a source of radiant energy, animation, and life. The sun provides light and direction. Its nutrients buoy health and its presence uplifts spirits.
As you enjoy Seattle's summer sunshine [hopefully it will stick around a while!], make time for your sun. That is...the person, activity, place, or object that centers and rejuvenates you, or that provides a light-filled space for reflection and helps you find direction.
If you're feeling unmotivated in your academic work or indecisive in your career exploration, perhaps you just need to identify and reconnect with your sun.
And remember, if you need help finding a job that excites you as much as the sun excites Seattleites, come visit the UW Career Center.
Ever heard of a musical group called Straight No Chaser? If so, you likely didn't know about them until 10 years after they first performed. Straight No Chaser is a men's A Capella group from my alma mater, Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!). While students in Bloomington in the late 90s, they realized IU didn't have such a group so they took the initiative to create one. The group full of very talented men developed a uniquely funny and genuine musical style. They enjoyed performing during their college years, then graduated and went on to bigger and better things, inside and outside the musical world. Then, about 10 years after they first performed, one of the group members decided to post a video of an old performance on YouTube. It's a very original comedic version of 12 Days of Christmas that makes me laugh every time I watch it. The video went viral. A record company executive fell in love with it and the rest is history. Now in their early 30s, Straight No Chaser is back together, having fun making albums, performing on tour, singing at NFL games, and doing the media circuit. You can read a heart-warming, inspirational, first-hand account of this surprise turn of events here.
Some may say that SNC is just lucky...that it's just random a music executive just happened to watch the YouTube video. Perhaps there is a bit of truth to that, but this amazing group of men did a number of things that made it possible for this scenario to unfold. We can all learn quite a few lessons from Straight No Chaser.
- Show initiative and take some risks.
- Do what you love.
- Be genuine and down to earth.
- Have a good sense of humor.
- Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you.
- Spend time honing your craft.
- Don't be afraid to pursue several different paths at once.
- Develop an online presence.
- Be open to possibilities.
- Realize that dreams can have a timeline of their own.
So...if you're feeling discouraged...remember that you never know what opportunities await you just around the corner!
Graduation marks an ending…the closing of a chapter in one’s life.
Yet, the graduation ceremony is often called commencement –which means beginning. Sure…graduates will say goodbye to their favorite coffee shop on the Ave, the free entertainment that happens on campus, and the other students with whom they bonded during classes, club meetings, and various social gatherings.
But…they will also say hello to new adventures, new friends, and new (bigger) paychecks! Celebrating the advantages of change, rather than just grieving the losses, is a coping strategy that all of us should consider adopting, especially now.
The past few months have been difficult for the UW – we’ve laid people off, increased fees, eliminated many campus jobs for students, etc. It is right and proper to feel sad, frustrated, and even angry about these unfortunate changes.
But, hopefully, as a community, we can start shifting our focus to the new beginnings that accompany change. Graduates and continuing students alike are living in a new reality. Choose to adapt, to stay engaged, and to recognize the endings while celebrating the commencement of wonderful journeys yet to unfold.
And…if you need assistance mapping out a journey that excites you, start your voyage at the UW Career Center.
How many among you have seen Lion King - the movie or musical? The Lion King is special to me for a lot of different reasons. One of my favorite songs is Hakuna Matata. Here's a clip that makes me laugh.
Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze. It means no worries for the rest of your days. It's our problem-free philosophy. Hakuna Matata!
Hakuna Matata?
Yeah. It's our motto!
What's a motto?
Nothing. What's a-motto with you?
Those two words will solve all your problems.
The song got me thinking about personal mottos and mantras - little sayings that help us get through the ups and downs of life. My dad used to say "Do Your Best and Have Fun" (along with other things like "To Make Little Girls Like You Ask Questions and It Worked Too, Didn't It") but I digress. Anyway...a few of my other favorites are:
Positive, Professional, & Proactive
Tomorrow is Another Day
It Is What It Is
It's Not About What You've Done, But About What You Do Next
So my question for readers is this:
When you are worried about passing an upcoming test, getting all your projects done, making a good impression in an interview, going on a first date, playing in the big game, or just getting through another day during a stressful time in your life, what mottos or mantras help provide comfort for you?
I went for a walk on my lunch hour and, coincidentally, the song One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks came on my iPod. I happen to love the song and, therefore, I listened to it over and over during my drizzly walk. The song talks about having big dreams but, more importantly, being patient and persistent as you try to achieve them. The lyrics pretty much sum up much of the advice I give to students who happen to walk through the doors of the UW Career Center. Sometimes I'm trying to convince students they should be dreaming bigger than they are because I believe in their potential more than they seem to believe in their own capabilities. Sometimes I'm trying to convince students that accepting a position with a salary or title that are less impressive than they were hoping doesn't mean they have failed. And right now, I'm trying to convince them, not to take One Step at a Time, but simply to take a step! It seems students have lost all hope of finding work...and have resigned themselves to spending their days eating ramen noodles and staring at the ceiling in the bedroom they occupy in their parents' basement. Jobs for college graduates ARE out there. The key to finding them is simply taking a step in the job search. Don't let fear...or the media...or your friends' horror stories - paralyze you. Put one foot in front of the other, feel proud of your accomplishments, muster all the optimism you can, and face your job search with renewed energy.
Evergreen state residents often complain about the rain, which is understandable after weeks upon weeks of cloudy days! What we often take for granted, however, is that our seemingly constant drizzle provides us with beautiful greenery year-round. Other parts of the country relish the month of May because it’s one of few times residents get to experience the colors and scents of nature. The reality is that the thing about which we grumble is the very thing that brings us joyful outcomes. The same could be said of the career development process. Let’s be honest; most people don’t particularly enjoy reflecting on their strengths and interests, schmoozing at networking events, writing persuasive cover letters, talking about themselves in interviews, and…well…you get the point. But those who push forward, fight the fatigue and frustration, and resist the temptation to hide under a rock until the sun shines again…those are the job-seekers who end up with the best career opportunities. So don’t avoid the job search and thereby create another cloud to hang over your head…let the UW Career Center help you find a job that brings you year-round joy.
