Ciao, readers!

By: Amanda Norell

Just as it is every year, the semester has flown by even quicker than the year before. It seems like just yesterday I was walking into my interview (sick as a dog, deaf in my left ear and voiceless—quite the disadvantage. I didn’t think I had a shot!). But now, 4 months later, an experience, changed, and successful (I would say) intern writes to you.

I received my offer from LACD in the spring and was beyond jazzed about it. I actually received it before I secured my summer internship, which made me even more jazzed. I will admit, though, that over the summer I began to have my worries, not necessarily about the internship, but about my semester in general and how I would balance my time. With 18 credit hours, a part-time job, being in a sorority and two other organizations (one where I hold a position) on top of the internship, I didn’t realize initially how much I was taking on. When the semester had finally started, I quickly became aware that juggling all of these activities might be too much for me to handle, and I needed to scale back. It was not an easy decision for me to make (someone who hates to admit ‘defeat’), but it was also one of the most mature decisions I had ever made and I grew a great deal from it.

I saw myself grow even more through my internship with LACD. I was being challenged in ways I had never been before and, while I admit that I was a bit intimidated at first, I began to love it. The first of my assignments as an intern: creating the LACD newsletter for both September and October. I had had some experience in this arena before; interviewing people, writing articles, page layout, etc., so I truly enjoyed working on the newsletters and found it to be a nice introductory task for me. But around mid September that I hit the ground running. Writing press releases for Advance Yourself (LACD’s graduate and professional school fair), project managing LACD’s speaker series, creating and implementing marketing plans, delegating tasks, and collaborating to the creation of LACD’s newest program, Peer Partners.

I know there are things in there that I am forgetting, but this experience has prepared me for the future by instilling and strengthening in me marketable skills for employers. I have started to find my voice in a team setting and now feel more comfortable as a leader. My organization and time management have improved and I have become much more comfortable professionally interacting with superiors as well as peers. I’m definitely a much more well-rounded person than I was at the start of the semester

So what’s next for me? I’ll be spending spring semester studying abroad in Scotland, and I couldn’t be more excited! I have one more year at Purdue starting next fall, and it’s crazy how fast time flies (sorry for the ridiculous cliché, but I can’t help that it’s true). After that who knows! It’s no secret I want to be a wedding planner, so I’ll keep working toward that and see what happens!

Lastly, I just want to thank the whole LACD team for helping me grow this semester, especially Sidonna and Lisa for giving me this opportunity. Good luck with career week! (Not so secretly bitter I won’t be here because it already sounds so awesome!) And to my other interns—I wish you all the best in all of your future endeavors!

Ciao, readers! 

Notes from an Intern: From the Other Side of the Desk

By: Amanda Norell

As college students, rare is the occasion when we get to see things from the professional perspective. For example, we so often worry about being prepared for interviews without really knowing what happens on the other side. This semester, however, I have had the chance to sit behind the desk, sitting in on interviews for applicants in both my internship with LACD as well as with Liberal Arts Student Council.

Life on the other side is quite fascinating. You see things from an entirely new perspective (shocking, right?). You realize that writing the ‘perfect’ resume and cover letter isn’t as difficult as you think it is (or all that matters), body language speaks volumes and first impressions are key.

When reviewing my first stack of resumes and cover letters, I found them to be pretty evenly split as far as quality is concerned. I began separating them into three piles: ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’. When going through the ‘no’ pile a second time, I found the common thread they all shared was not necessarily lack of experience (which is common among college students), but grammar. Simple grammar rules that most of us learn in grade school were violated or ignored, weakening these pieces far more than their lack of experience.

If you want to present a strong resume and cover letter, double, triple and quadruple check your grammar! If grammar isn’t your thing, have a friend, sibling or roommate review it. Also, don’t be afraid to make use of the CCO, LACD and other career resources on campus. Be honest and straight forward in what you are trying to accomplish and what you can bring to the table, and you will stand out more than you think.

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but posture is not the strongest for our generation. Many people are completely unaware when they slouch because it has become so natural. In the interviews I helped conduct, posture was one of the first things I noticed of the interviewees. When you walk in the room, keep your head up and shoulders back and keep that posture throughout the interview. I saw more than one person slouched forward on the table with their legs in all different directions. Sit straight and proper without looking uncomfortable and stuffy.

We’ve all heard it before: first impressions are everything. I don’t necessarily like saying that they are everything, but they definitely have an impact on how you will be remembered. In this case, we kind of back track to the resume and cover letter, which are really your first impression. Make sure the person on paper matches the person in the room.

At the end of the day, your qualifications and potential for success should speak for themselves, but making little mistakes like these can overshadow what you have to offer. 

Office Etiquette

By: Amanda Norell

Transitioning from the life of a collegiate to world of work can be tough. There are new schedules, new assignments and new norms that may take you a while to get used to depending on how easily you can adapt. One of the easiest ways you can smoothly transition between the two very different environments is to be well versed on office etiquette. I know not all jobs are held within an office, but entering a professional office environment can be intimidating and difficult to become comfortable. Here are a few dos and donts to make that transition seamless.


1. Greet coworkers you pass when you enter the office
This might be natural for you anyway, but being friendly and approachable is a good trait to have when working with others. Be careful, though, as you don’t want to appear too nice. People sometimes see niceness as weakness, so learn how to be pleasant and approachable while still standing your ground.


2. Office time is not personal time
When you’re in an office all by yourself, it may be easy to put your real work on the back burner while you tend to personal matters. Personal calls, checking Facebook and Twitter, reading a book, knitting—whatever you may do to decompress—it’s not what you’re getting paid for. Avoid the temptation to check your notifications or Tweet what you had for lunch (since everyone is so curious). If these are things you just can’t wait to deal with, use your lunchtime for personal business.


3. Music in the workplace
If you’re anything like me, you’re more productive with a little John Mayer or Adele crooning in the background. Music in the workplace can be a tough call to make, but unless your office has a very strict policy when it comes to the tunes, then I don’t see why low-volume, appropriate music can’t be played at your desk. We all know what’s appropriate and what’s not (at least I hope we do), so just be smart in your song choices. And if you find yourself breaking out in random dance sessions way to frequently, you may want to reconsider listening at all.


4. Keep your desk and office neat
Now I may sound like your mother, but this may be one of the best ways to make a seamless transition from college life to work life. A messy workplace does not lend itself to being productive. Also, you don’t want your first impression on your coworkers to be a negative one for being the office slob.

Utilizing Resources

By: Amanda Norell

How many times have you been sitting the Class of ’50, feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Chances are, on a university campus the size of Purdue, you’ve felt unnoticed from time to time. These feelings can also transfer into the workplace as the new guy or gal. I have found, both on campus and in professional settings, that the easiest way to stand out from the crowd is to utilize the resources that are made available to you.

In a 400-person lecture hall, the likelihood of your professor knowing your name or even recognizing your face is pretty much zero. On the first day of class, go down and introduce yourself. Even then it make time more than one interaction for him or her to remember, so visit the professor’s office hours to build rapport. These hours are there for you to make use of, so don’t be hesitant to stop in if you are struggling with a topic or would like feedback on your work.

Utilizing resources is also a helpful way to excel in the professional world. Pursuing the knowledge of your bosses and superiors is one way to progress and distinguish yourself. You can also make use of past files and other documents that are made available to you in your company library or database. Don’t always feel that you have to do everything on your own. By seeking out help and collaborating with others you gain multiple perspectives and also catch mistakes you may have not seen on your own.

CAREERREALISM To the Rescue: Tips for Keeping Focus

By: Amanda Norell

Staying focused can be tough. Whether you’re sitting in an office from 9 to 5 or stuck in back-to-back-to-back power hours, keeping your mind on the task at hand is not always easy. I’ve definitely been there; doodling on the corner of my notebook page instead of copying down the Powerpoint slides (they’re on Black Board. It’s ok, right?), and I always wish later on that I put down my pen and tried a little harder. So, when I stumbled upon this article on www.careerrealism.com I thought this might be of help to those of you who, like me, struggle in the attention department from time to time. Hope these tips help!

http://www.careerealism.com/how-stay-focused-work/

Looking Back

By: Amanda Norell

Well, after all of the planning, publicity, and preparation, the “big day” has come and gone. No, not my wedding day—get serious people! The fall installation of the LACD Speaker’s Series, the event that I project managed this semester, took place last Wednesday, Oct. 19, and passed just as quickly as it came.

This wasn’t exactly my first rodeo in the event planning arena, but this experience was much different from what I’m used to. Over the summer I interned for an event planning company where I worked in design preparation, venue setup, and day-of coordinating for weddings. So the work I did to prepare for the Speaker’s Series was a bit different from wedding prep. Instead of conditioning flowers and assembling boutonnières, I was making contact lists, editing flyer designs and press releases, and corresponding with a number of different people. While these two types of events seem like polar opposites, I did find that I was able to bring my coordinating and organizational skills from the summer to the field last week.

Erin Slater, Purdue alumna and CEO of College Mentors for Kids, was our guest for the evening, and I could not have asked for a more amazing speaker and genuine person to join us. Erin started Purdue’s chapter of CMFK in 1998, and spoke on the importance of community engagement and professional branding. Along with my fellow interns and a few other students, I was also able to speak one-on-one with Erin prior to her presentation. She knows so much about so many things—launching a new organization, building that organization, working in the community, building and maintaining relationships, running a business…the list goes on and on!—and was able to give me some great advice, both personally and through her presentation. We were so lucky to have her, and so thankful that she could join us. Thanks, Erin!

One thing I learned from this event is that some things will always be out of your control. Leading up to the event, we did a pretty good amount of publicizing. We posted flyers all over campus, sent out emails to various student organizations, Greek houses, and faculty, utilized social media, and sent out a press release. While we definitely could have done some things differently, I felt as though we publicized our event pretty well. That night, it poured. It had been raining all day, which I believe discouraged some students from attending. The weather affected our turnout that night, but the message delivered was no less meaningful.

Overall, I had a great experience project managing this event. I learned a lot of valuable information that I will be able to use in all aspects of my professional life, and had fun in the process!

All-Nighters No More

By: Amanda Norell

We've all been there: the 10-page paper (you know, the one you've been anticipating all semester), due the next day; the midterm worth 50% of your final grade right around the corner; the speech you've been dreading for 2 weeks finally knocking on your door. These can all be pretty stressful situations, but is there really that much reason to worry?

If your paper is due at 8:30AM and you just decide to wing it at midnight, chances are there may be cause to worry. If you have actually taken the time to prepare and have given yourself an adequate amount of time to finish the task, the situation is much less stressful, hence, no worries! This may seem like common sense to many people, but still countless students find themselves pulling all-nighters to eek out a product to turn in the next morning. Now I'm not saying I've never procrastinated--I certainly have--but I'm just giving you, reader, a little food for thought on the matter. Is it really worth the stress?

I've done my share of preparation and procrastination, and I've found that the former to be much more successful for me academically and less strenuous on me physically. Shocking, right? I apologize if this seems pretty cut and dry for you, but sometimes it just needs to be said. And after coming off a week of all-nighters, I can say with certainty that it is not worth the stress/loss of sleep/state of delirium you find yourself in to stay up until tomorrow. And realistically, these habits will not transfer well to the professional world.

Moral of the story: be prepared, stay on top of your work, and try (as hard as it may be for sometimes) not to procrastinate. How can you put your best foot forward if that foot is still asleep?

The Importance of Delegating

By: Amanda Norell

We’ve all been there: the new guy or gal, following the lead of the veteran employees and just starting to learn your way. But before you know it you’re thrown into the “big leagues,” taking on your own projects and assignments, and gaining experience as a leader. But just as you were handed tasks as a newbie, one of your greatest responsibilities as a leader is delegating roles to members of your team. For those of you who are independent workers or self proclaimed “control freaks,” you may find this difficult to do, but believe me when I say that delegating tasks will make your life so much easier. Not only that, but giving others a part in the overall project brings the team closer together by distributing the responsibility to different team members.

I have had my share of delegating experience, but I was not always its biggest advocate at first. I work well in teams and am by no means a “control freak,” but I felt initially, “who am I to be telling him/her what to do?” Because I hadn’t had a great deal of leadership experience myself, I felt as though I shouldn’t be handing out assignments to my peers, some of who had more experience than I. That is another key factor to leadership and delegation: confidence. When you are managing a task or project you are in control, so act like it! If the team sees their leader struggling, the success of the team is at risk. This was something I realized quickly, and after my first round of delegation I realized that assigning tasks was not as big of a deal as I had made it out to be. So don’t be timid, take charge, and utilize your team! You will see greater success, a closer team dynamic, and a smoother transition to your ultimate goal.

The Job-Hopper

By: Amanda Norell

As was the case for many of us, the pressure to partake in Operation Resume Expansion began for me early in high school. “Get involved in anything and everything,” was the advice I had initially been given, so I did. I went to callouts, started going to meetings and organizational events, but I began to find that even though I was a member of the club, I wasn’t really getting much out of the experience. Because I was in multiple organizations, it kept me from being really active and really involved. I decided to scale back. While quantity was what had been preached to me as far as resumes go, I wanted to focus more on quality. By doing this I have found that people are more concerned with the amount of time spent and the depth in which you were involved in an activity than with the amount of activities you have participated in.

I was speaking with a family friend a few weeks ago about the current job market and the outlook for college graduates, and a topic similar to this was broached. Some students are finding that they need to start in smaller markets in positions they were not anticipating before they can obtain the one they truly want. Realizing that these jobs are not everything they wanted, they decide to leave for greener pastures and try the next thing on their list. Hopping from job to job, however, could be detrimental down the road. Just as it was with high school clubs, many employers like to see length and depth in past employment. While it may not always be the case, jumping from job to job can be an indicator of unwillingness to commit and irresponsibility. I’m not suggesting that you should hang around your entry-level job for the rest of your life, but cutting out after a few months may not fare well for you later in your job search. So stay committed to what you’re doing, even if it’s not your dream job. I’m not a big fan of clichés, but “good things come to those who wait.”

To Feather, Or Not To Feather

By: Amanda Norell

To feather, or not to feather: isn’t that always the question? I’m going to go on a limb and say that the majority of us have seen our share of trendy gals sauntering across campus with feathers of all sizes and colors woven into their locks. It’s the new craze, so hop on board! Right?

Personally, I was drawn to the feather trend from the start, but never got one over the summer when I had the time (and the money; broke college student over here). But lately I had been giving it more thought and decided I was going to go for it. But then I wrote an article for LACD’s September newsletter about business casual dress in the workplace, which led to me getting lost in web discussions about the different levels of professional dress and what is appropriate in certain situations and what is not. Ok, it also led to some shameless online shopping, but I only looked! (Ann Taylor, why are you so timelessly chic?) It also got me thinking: hairstyles are just as important to your professional presentation as attire. Would feathers be seen as acceptable?

I broached this question to Lisa Lambert Snodgrass, Career Development Director for the College of Liberal Arts, to see what a career professional had to say on the matter. I had a feeling that this trend would not be seen as business-friendly, but the answer I received was not the answer I was expecting. Lisa told me that feathers were largely associated with social movements that took place when she was growing up so, in turn, she associated feathers with those movements. She did not tell me not to get one, and she did not tell me that they were inappropriate in our business casual work environment. But what she did tell me, even if indirectly, was something I hadn’t given much thought to before, and really should have. While some styles and trends can cross generational lines, others do not and can sometimes carry generational connotations about which younger professionals are clueless. This, too, got me thinking: certain styles that I see as “cute” and am drawn too may not be seen the same way by members of another generation, especially in the business world.

Like it or not, initial impressions are based on appearance, so even something as seemingly insignificant as a feather in your hair can determine someone’s perception of you, positively or negatively. I’m not saying that everyone will write you off for rockin’ a feather, but you should keep in mind the generation gap and how different styles can look to different people. And you should just want to look professional, too! 

Travel All Paths

I am a big believer of the “try everything once” mantra. Well, maybe not everything (I’m looking at you, acid-wash jeans), but definitely most things. I try to live out this motto in all aspects of my life, but perhaps the most important area in which it should be followed is in the career world.

Like many of you out there, I thought I had it all figured out in high school. I liked to read and write; I liked art and magazines; and my friends were always coming to me to edit their research projects and college admissions essays. “Hey,” I thought to myself as I mulled over my strengths and interests. “I’ll go to Purdue, major in communication, and become the editor of Vogue my first year out of college. Easy.” But when I arrived in West Lafayette my world turned on its ear. I realized that there were so many other career paths that I never even considered, and it seemed unfair to close off those roads and stick with my “master plan.”

So instead of closing down those roads, I travelled them. I began in areas that were familiar to me, and started off as a copy editor for the student newspaper. From there it evolved into reporting, writing, and even leading the launch of a branch of an online magazine for college women.

Launching this branch is what helped me expand even more. The responsibilities that accompanied managing a magazine branch were many. In addition to writing and editing, I also coordinated schedules, published content, managed a staff, lead publicity campaigns, and directed social media accounts. Many of these things I had zero experience with prior, so it was a great learning experience. I had noticed that many of the other branches of this publication had organized and hosted events for their schools, and this lead me to my next endeavor: event planning.

I spent the past summer interning for an event planning company in northern Indiana. I worked primarily on the wedding circuit, doing both design and day-of event coordinating. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

While these paths may seem to cross from the artistic point of view, they are all extremely different. Similarities can be seen in each, but had I not pursued each one I would never have known how different they could be.

This is why internships are so important for college students. Not only do they pump up a lackluster resume, they also allow provide a taste for the industry in which the student is interested. It is hard to say if one will truly love their intended career path without being immersed in it prior to graduation.

I’m still testing out different career paths, but I now have a better idea of what I like and what I dislike. So gain as much experience as you possibly can. Whether it is through internships, job shadowing, or even observation, test out as many roads as you can and give everything a fair shot.