The 12 days of Career Development

The holiday season has always been a favorite of mine. Sparkling lights are hung up, music is played, good food is eaten, and laughs are shared with family and friends. What more could a person want. For most college students the holidays are a time to study hard for finals, travel back home, and catch up on all the sleep missed while studying. This sounds exactly what my holiday break will entail with the exception of something new! Since this is my last blog post of the year and the holiday season is in full swing, I am going to bring you ‘The 12 days of Career Development.’ Combining one of my favorite songs, 12 Days of Christmas while helping students get that much closer to their career goals. Below are the 12 Days starting on January 1^st with a duty to accomplish each day!

January 1^st: Take the first day of 2015 and do something YOU love.

January 2^nd: Make a list of skills you believe you are good at

January 3^rd: Make your Social Media appropriate for future employers to look at

January 4^th: Choose a word or phrase on how you want to tackle 2015

January 5^th: Compile a list of your Dream Careers

January 6^th: Find gaps in your Resume or CV and find ways to try and fill those gaps

January 7^th: Purchase a new planner and organize your life

January 8^th: Put your phone down and actually go have a conversation with someone you have always looked up to as a mentor

January 9^th: Pick up a newspaper and brush up on today’s events

January 10^th: Make of list of career expos or fairs your school will be holding during the spring semester and go to them

January 11^th: Search frequently asked Interview Questions and make sure you have thought out answers with a few tricks up your sleeve

January 12^th: Reflect on everything you have accomplished during 2014 and have a story for yourself

Accomplishing these 12 Days will get you started on the right foot when conquering 2015! Do not be shy. This is your year! Get out there and Career Up! 

7 Books you Need to Read

     It is that time of year again…. pretty lights go up, jolly music is being played, snow is starting to fall, and finally gifts are being given and received. The gifts I want to give and receive this year are a little different than in years past. I want to give and receive books because many life lessons I learned come from the words I read in my favorite books. During the winter break I will have some extra time, so I wanted to make a list of excellent books to dive into. It will be cold outside maybe even snowing, so what is better than curling up by the fire with hot tea and reading a good book! Below are 7 books that YOU should read: 

11.     How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

22.     A Simpler Way, Margaret J. Wheatley & Myron Kellner-Rogers

33.     Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success, Rory Vaden

44.     Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg

55.     The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch

66.     I just Graduated… NOW WHAT, Katherine Schwarzenegger

77.     The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin  

 These books will make you laugh, cry and even think about careers or paths in life you might not have thought of! What are you waiting for! Get ready, get set and READ!

6 ways to get ride of the End of the Semester Slump

You are probably experiencing this right now, it is cold outside, winter break and finals are coming up, there are too many things to check off your to do list, and all you want to do is sleep. The end of the semester slump is a real thing; I am currently going through it right now. Projects, papers, and exams are all being piled up for your classes and you feel like you just do not have enough time in the day to get everything done. There are countdowns in your agendas to all the breaks and when each project is going to get over. The end of the semester slump is not a fun a thing at all and most students believe there will never be an end. However, I am here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT. Try out these 6 ways to get over that slump:

11.     Even though you have a lot to accomplish, get some sleep

22.     Prioritize your time, work and activities

33.     Go to your professors office hours and talk to them about their class, job, or just life in general

44.     Do something that you love to do

55.     Call your family and friends from your hometown

66.     Keep going you are almost there

By trying out these 6 ways to get rid of the end of semester slump you will be on your way to finishing out the semester strong. Breath and relax, you are going to do amazing! Good luck and have fun!

7 Tips I Learned from the 2014 Purdue Old Masters

After a long three incredible days, the 2014 Old Masters Program came to a conclusion. I had the honor this year of being a hostess for the program. After hearing everyone speak about how amazing this experience was I was very eager to start my three-day experience with my Old Master. All 10 Old Masters were Purdue graduates and have gone on throughout their life to have some amazing careers. The experience they spoke about could not be found in a textbook, power point slide or syllabus. The information they spoke to us about was real. All of them were college students once with hilarious stories and experiences of their own. However, that was the best part. They were real people with real life stories. After hearing an astronaut, a CEO, an advertising king, a professor, and presidents of successful companies, you learn some pretty amazing tips. Below are the seven tips I took away from the 2014 Old Masters.

11.     Ask, where do you see yourself in 20 years? Then work hard to achieve that goal

22.     If you do not have your life planned out that is quite all right, it will come to you.

33.     Use your networks often and not just when you need them

44.     Do not be scared to go out of your comfort zone

55.     Think about what you are doing today not tomorrow

66.     Find out what you love and what you are passionate about and do that

77.     Enjoy the journey

Yes, these might be the simplest tips however they are the core tips. Take these into the workforce after graduation and I bet you will not regret it. 

7 Ways to Make Searching for Jobs Easier

Looking for full time jobs and internships can sometimes be extremely difficult. Do not worry I am experiencing this right now. After coming back from a long day of class and work the absolute last thing you want to do is look for a job or internship. Most people could go onto Google and type in ‘Public Relations Opening positions.’ However doing this might not get you the companies or jobs you were looking for. Instead try to find websites that are specific to job search. The following seven websites are awesome ways to make the job searching process a bit easier!

11.     Purdue CCO: https://www.cco.purdue.edu/mycco.aspx

22.     Indeed: http://www.indeed.com

33.     Simply Hired: http://www.simplyhired.com

44.     Monster:  http://www.monster.com

55.     Idealist: http://www.idealist.org

66.     Career Builder: http://www.careerbuilder.com

77.     USA Jobs: https://www.usajobs.gov

 

Try and take ten minutes out of your busy life schedule and take a look at these websites. I promise you will not be disappointed. Another note, when doing these job searches try to not become stressed out. You will find a career that suits you. Remember to start searching early! Good luck and have fun!