menu

UVM Career Center Blog

Posts

Make the Most Out of Your Internship Experience

By career

Illustration of Two People Shaking Hands

So you’ve landed an internship—great! But what can you do to make this a valuable, learning experience? Here are a couple of tips to consider:

1) Ask questions.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially when you are confused about a task you were given or if you are merely curious about the culture of the organization. Asking questions will enhance your experience at an internship and will allow you to learn more about the company. Not only that, but maintaining a curious mind will also allow your supervisor to realize your interest and potential within the business beyond your internship program.

2) Connect with your coworkers and boss.
Have conversations with the people you work with—it’s a great way to learn more about the company you are interning at and also a great opportunity for you to network and make connections! Ask them about their college experience, career path, hobbies, job search process, tips and advice they may have for you—anything you deem being worthwhile and beneficial to your own, personal growth and career path. Along with that, share your own passions, experiences, and dreams with them. Let them get a glimpse of who you are as an individual and form those relationships.

3) Get excited and have fun!
Get excited, be motivated, and stay hungry for more knowledge and assignments! Also make sure to have fun while you’re at it!

With all these in mind, remember to make the most out of your internship experience!

~Michelle, Career Peer Advisor

What Employers Want

By career

Employers and Students at Job Fair

So you want a job or an internship.  You have worked hard, polished your resume and ironed your job fair shirt.  So now what? What is the secret to what employers really want?

Keep to the basics.  Employers seek people who present themselves well, are well informed and are interested in being actively involved.

Here are a few strategies on sending the right message at the fair and afterwards:

Prepare: Know who is coming and with whom you want to talk and share your resume & skills.

Dress: to signal you want to work and be taken seriously.

Practice: introducing yourself, your skills and interests.

Positive & Personable: Remember employers are people. Start a conversation and show your interest in what they do for a living.

Follow Through: Persistence pays.  Collect business cards and follow up via email or LinkedIn.

It is all in the conversation!  Keep learning, practicing and exploring the avenues for your job journey.

~Holly

To Go or Not to Go: Considering Graduate School

By career

Sunset Crossroads

There are lots of reasons why people choose to go to graduate schools and pursue advanced degrees.  Deciding to go is a complex decision that involves the outlook for increased earnings and deepened learning in a field of study.  Although there are a plethora of reasons why to go, we’ll explore a few good reasons why not to go to graduate school.

An article called “The Five Worst Reasons to Go to Grad School” provides some useful tips for when to avoid graduate school.  Here are the five reasons, paraphrased:

1.  To Fill a Personal Void

You are more than your degrees.  Graduate school is great for people who find their zest from studying particular topics in-depth but doesn’t tend to be an effective patch for the holes in one’s life.

2.  For bragging rights

Graduate school is a hefty undertaking, and it will take time and money.  There are cheaper ways to obtain a positive reputation.

3.  Buying your way into a network

You will join a new network if you go to graduate school, but you are likely already a part of many networks (including the UVM community) and these will grow throughout your career, with or without graduate school.

4.  It’s the only way to get a job

Some jobs do require advanced degrees and some prefer them.  But there are lots of career opportunities for people with Bachelor’s degrees.  Employers want dedicated and skilled workers, and those skills can be developed in a plethora of ways.

5. It’s what to do when you’re lacking direction

Graduate school is not the place to discover your life’s path or career journey.  The strongest graduate school candidate’s know what they want to study and why.  Not with meticulous detailed measure, necessarily, but enough to have a vision for where the process might lead.

Ultimately, the decision to go to graduate school should be based on much reflection and consideration and it is yours to make.  To learn more about the ins and outs of considering and applying to graduate school, visit the Career Services website.

~Ashley Michelle

Navigating Your Way to the Right Law School

By career

Law Balance in the Sky

Finding the right law school can be a daunting task. You must weigh the costs and benefits of earning a J.D. as well as determine what will make your law school experience fulfilling. Examine the following important areas:

Evaluate specialty, experience and training opportunities

Specialized courses, clinics and professional skills training opportunities tailored to your interests can provide valuable knowledge and lay the foundation for your legal career.  Learn about which schools provide valuable hands-on experiences, allowing you to work with clients and practicing attorneys.

These opportunities, are ideal for discovering your passion, honing your skills, and making connections with future employers.  Think about where and in what field you will want to practice after graduation.

Professional guidance and support

Look at a school’s available resources that you will  utilize throughout your experience, including the number and type of student groups as well as career services such as career fairs and alumni networks.  When thinking about future employment, be sure to look at the school’s employment statistics for graduates to see what type of work they tend to pursue.

Evaluate financial assistance options side-by-side with tuition and fees

When considering law school, cost should be a top priority.  Law school is not cheap and often requires large student loans.  Be realistic!  Assess your financial situation and determine the availability of aid as well as repayment options after graduation.

Check out Equal Justice Works Guide to Law Schools, which allows you to examine a school’s available curricula, financial aid options, and staff and faculty engagement.

Radhika Singh Miller, guest blogger, serves as program manager of educational debt relief and outreach at Equal Justice Works

You can find more resources and information on the Career Services Considering Pre-Law and Applying to Law School pages.

Also, don’t miss the Law School Panel: Mon, Sept 24th 4-5:30pm. Davis Center, Jost Foundation Room!

Savvy Seniors: Let’s get Started

By career

Clocks and Watches

Welcome back Seniors!

It’s here, Senior Year, your final year at UVM. Surprising how quickly time has gone by?

Your Senior Year is sure to be the same: a blur of homework assignments and social activities that’s over before you know it. However you measure it, or choose to spend it, time is passing.  It’s said that how you spend your time reflects your values and shows what you really care about.

Before you get too busy, take a moment and think about where you want to be nine months from now. What steps can you take in the coming year to take you where you want to go? How will you use this time to prepare to transition to work and the “real world”? As Franklin Field said, “The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: I did not have time.“

So make some time to start the year off right by dropping by Career Services for Careers and Coffee, our kickoff Senior Event.  Pick up the Senior Packet, eat cookies, drink coffee and chat with a counselor about your plans for life after college.

Careers and Coffee, Wed Sept 19th, 3-5pm at Career Services L&L 140

Watch for workshops and blog posts throughout the year with more advice on networking, interviewing and more, just for Seniors!

“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.“ – C. S. Lewis

~Kala

Skip to toolbar