Few Words of Caution #Socialmedia

 By Shahd Khawaja

Due to the fact that this is a university affiliated page that is meant to help students achieve their career aspirations, it would be safe to assume that most readers are either about to start attending university, or are already in university. We are all young and lead interesting (relatively speaking) lives and with these interesting lives sometimes come pictures, comments, statuses, likes, and posts that can be fun…but also incriminating when seen by the wrong people. In this day and age people use social media not only to socialize with friends and family. It is used for publicity, to organize events and has even been used to start entire revolutions in various countries. Therefore it is no surprise that employers look at future employees’ various social media pages before hiring them, and no I am not only referring to LinkedIn. Employers check your Facebook, your Twitter- they check it all, and if you’re ranting about some drama that happened between you and your friends on Twitter, or posting pictures of all the parties you went to the night before, there’s a huge chance an employer might see that, and after that point you can kiss your dream position goodbye. Be careful and be smart about what you post, because even with your privacy settings, employers have their ways. That is not to say that you can’t share anything and must filter everything, but if you’re still 19, don’t go posting a picture of yourself with a red cup- even if it just has apple juice. Moral of the story, have fun and be smart about it.

Networking Events? What's the Point?

By Shahd Khawaja

With all the networking events that take place at Purdue, from alumni meet and greets to graduate school panels, one is bound to take notice. Despite this, a thought may come to mind that questions the use of such networking events. One may ponder at the use of meeting people that will probably never remember them, or attend fairs that don’t contain the school they wish to join later on. The point is being missed and consequently, people miss out. Attending networking events allows you to exchange contact information with the guests of the event, and even if the person you exchange information with does not remember your name, being able to say that you previously met them at an event at Purdue will provide a valid connection. You may be applying for a position at a company one day and remember that you met someone at a networking event who works for that very same company. Your connection will be able to send you tips on how best to apply and you may have an advantage over other applicants. For fairs that contain schools you don’t wish to go to in the future, attending the fair will give you general information on what the best way to approach the application process is. Never miss out on such opportunities as they are what may make the difference in whether or not you’re accepted for a position in a company, or a place in a graduate program.

Advance Yourself!

Written by: Shahd Khawaja

Being a university student almost guarantees that you’ve heard of graduate school. Some of you are one step ahead and are considering graduate school. Even better, some of you have started looking into and applying for graduate school. Whatever your situation may be, the graduate school fair Advance Yourself will provide you with extremely important information that may help you decide where you’d like to go, how you’d be able to get there, how you’d be able to afford it and when the best time to attend would be. If you’ve completely ruled graduate school out of your to do list, at least make it an educated decision. Don’t miss out on something until you know all the details regarding it and are sure it’s not what you want. Advance Yourself will take place tomorrow October 3^rd Purdue Memorial Union, West Main Lobby. Panel- 9:30-10:20, networking with the universities: 11:00-3:00

Bring all the questions you may have with you and make the most of this opportunity! Hope to see you there!

You Are Not Your Major

Written By Shahd Khawaja

Joining Purdue as a Liberal Arts student, I started off as a Communication major and ended up adding Political Science and a minor in French along the way. When asked what it was that I wanted to do with all of this, I had no answer. Coming from a family of engineers, doctors, and scientists, being a liberal arts student meant confusion. I wasn't studying premed to become a doctor, or engineering to become an engineer. My fields of study provided endless opportunity for those viewing it with an open mind, but ambiguity in the eyes of those who surrounded me.

I realized that our problem as Liberal Arts students is that we look at our majors the wrong way. We are put under pressure by those of different fields (not directly, but by ourselves when we compare ourselves to others) to see ourselves the way they see themselves, and we try to become something we’re not rather than be great at what we are. Entering Mass Communication, I thought this meant that I should only stick to career paths involving mass media, such as working for CNN the way engineers stick to engineering career paths. When I added Political Science, I told myself, “Well now you can work in either media related fields or politically oriented fields.” It finally hit me that my major wasn't preparing me for a type of job, it was giving me skills I could use anywhere.

I truly realized the extent of this when I got my first real job working for L'Oreal Middle East over the summer. They didn't ask me what I was studying in school so much as what it was I could do and how I did it. I was able to assure them that unhappy clients would not be an issue for me as I had been learning ways to communicate effectively and successfully from my communication major. When I received calls from French clients or received emails in French, it was a plus that I had been studying French in university, and being able to write in a professional manner and understand complex information was something I definitely gained from being a Political Science major, even if what I was reading had nothing to do with politics what so ever.

To make the most of your time in university, look at it as an opportunity to gain as many skills as you can. This does not in any way mean that you should solely study what major corporations want from them employees. You have to love what you learn in order to do great things with it. Just remember not to trap yourself in a box. A Liberal Arts student can truly do anything.

Embrace Every Opportunity

By: Shahd Khawaja

In high school, I was told that I would not be leaving the United Arab Emirates for university if I did not get a scholarship. You can imagine how my application process went after that. While I did study the hardest I could and receive the best grades I could, I had little faith that any university would give me a scholarship considering the number of outstanding students there are out there. Due to this, I applied to five random universities that demanded as little as possible (relatively speaking), did no research on them what so ever, and convinced myself that I would be attending a university at home.

Somehow, to my astonishment, I not only received the desired scholarship, but I was also invited to join a learning community that would allow me to research with a professor. While Purdue was not my first choice (it was IU), and while I did not know anything about Purdue’s liberal arts program or about Purdue for that matter, it gave me the most opportunities, so that’s where I went.

Before coming I was, of course, constantly lectured by my family. “Don’t do your laundry at night” and “Don’t forget to eat well” were things I heard almost daily the week before my departure. The one thing that truly stuck in my mind was some advice my father gave me. I’m not about to get emotional and quote him word for word as I really don’t recall what he said word for word, but I remember him emphasizing that while it may not seem so, the opportunity to study in another country and in a very good university is rare, and that I should acknowledge and take advantage of that in every way I possibly can. It was one of the few things they said that week that I took to heart.

I arrived at Purdue, barely even able to tell someone two words about my major, but I kept my mind as open to the new as I could. As the time passed, I came to love it and even added another major and a minor. One day, out of luck, someone recommended me to the ambassador program we have at Purdue that helps acquaint possible new coming students to the university. While I was not eager to speak in front of an unknown audience, I felt there was something to gain from such an offer, so I joined without question. I never had a real job before coming to the United States, so for a semester I worked at the dining halls (it was not fun), and while it was not the best experience I've had, I believe it was one of the reasons why I was offered a position working for L'Oreal this past summer. I finally, temporarily, end my list of random experiences with the Career Development internship which I am currently, extremely happy to be a part of.

My whole point is not to tell you about the things I've done, or how they've influenced me as a person. What I want to be taken from all of this is that to be something big, you have to start small, and I feel my experiences have given me a glimpse of that. Whether what comes your way is relevant or absolutely irrelevant to what you want, give it a try, because there’s always something to gain, and one day you may take a skill learned from each experience and use that to achieve your absolute dream job.