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Seniors: Planning for After College Starts Today

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This week’s blog entry comes to us from guest blogger, Kyle Espinola. In addition to being a student at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Kyle works for FindtheBest.com, a website that allows consumers to compare their purchasing options in various industries in order to make informed decisions.  In this post, he has some advice for choosing potential jobs in cooperation with location.

Kyle Espinola

When I’m not hitting the books or working at FindTheBest, I’m most likely writing a post for the UCSB Career Services blog. I recently wrote a post for our senior class addressing the importance of aligning your career choice with your city selection after graduation. Here are some of the highlights:

Analyze the Job Market: Step one is checking an industry’s job creation to loss ratio. Job markets fluctuate as the needs of society change and industries become saturated. Do your research and make sure to pursue jobs with positive job growth. Here is a future jobs and career forecast tool.

Make Your Major Work for You: Did you know on average surgeons make $30,000 a year more than orthodontists, but are in school for minimum of 4 more years? That is over $750,000 lost to more schooling (and that’s not including the tuition)! This phenomenon isn’t specific to the medical field, so make sure to research multiple career options in your discipline.

City Selection is Crucial: Your salary in a particular job could be more or less depending on the city. Most often the increase is due to cost of living, but not always. You could potentially capture additional income without losing it to taxes, inflated rent, etc. In order to determine the equilibrium, you’ll need to maximize your salary while mitigating your living expenses. Here is a salary by city and job comparison and a cost of living index to help with the calculations.

By accounting for these variables you can set yourself up for a comfortable life. In the end, the true secret to wealth is doing what you love.

Kyle Espinola
Business Development, FindTheBest
Email: kespinola@findthebest.com
Phone: 559-759-4066

FindTheBest is a powerful tool for making quick and informed decisions.
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World of Work: Brenda J. Luciano, Esq. ’97, Associate at Paul Frank + Collins, P.C.

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Brenda Luciano

Brenda J. Luciano, Esq. ’97
Associate
Paul Frank + Collins, P.C. – http://www.pfclaw.com/
Burlington, VT

Major: Business Administration

What type of law do you practice and how did you choose that?

My practice surrounds areas of business law, including business transactions, commercial real estate, and business litigation as well as some environmental litigation. I have a B.S. in Business Administration from UVM so my interests stemmed from my college studies and also from working as a business and e-commerce consultant prior to law school.

What surprised you about law school and/or the practice of law?
Just how diverse the practice of law really is. There are so many areas of practice and so much to always learn.

What changes have you seen in the legal job market? And what should students know about this?

In general the job market and economy are still a bit unstable right now. My advice to students is to be flexible and resourceful in terms of your goals. While in school, students should do things that distinguish themselves from others in the job market, whether it is volunteer work, internships, publishing articles or joining academic or other groups. Show employers that you have done things outside of the classroom especially in a leadership or cooperative role, which may set you apart from the other applicants.

What advice do you have for students considering a career in law?
First, study hard for the LSAT. Take an LSAT course and really try to do as well as you can on it. Also talk to a variety of lawyers already in practice about what they do. You may want to work or intern in a law office to get a feel for the day-to-day work. In addition, visit some law schools and talk to the admissions staff to find out more about what law school will be like. Try to sit in on a class. Talk to current law students or recent graduates about the demands of law school. You may also want to take a legal writing class prior to entering law school since writing is a huge part of your law school education.

How Do You Prefer Your Shrimp? Choosing a College Major

By career

In the movie Forrest Gump (1994), Forrest befriends Bubba, a soldier with a passion for shrimp.  In a scene from the movie, Bubba explains the many ways shrimp can be prepared:

Just like the many options that exist for preparing shrimp, there is a wide array of possibilities for college majors.  You will invest much of your time and energy into the major of your choice, so it should be something that excites you.  Additionally, you probably want to know that the major you choose will lead to gainful employment that keeps you satisfied beyond your years in the classroom.

You should feel empowered to study what you love, in spite of the myths that exist that may make it scary to do this:

Myth: You’ll never get the job you want unless you pick the “right” major.
Truth: Students across all academic disciplines land exciting jobs every day!

Myth: Everyone in my life will disown me if I choose the “wrong” major.
Truth: While your choice of major may prove to be shocking to others in your life at first, you will find encouragement and support from others throughout your process.

It is important to explore your options.  UVM has a very rich, diverse curriculum and faculty and staff who are here to support your learning.  You can also research possible majors and career outcomes by using the resources offered by Career Services, and outside resources (such as MyMajors.com).  You should gather as much information as you need to make your decision comfortably and confidently.

If you are a current UVM student and want to talk more about choosing a major, please come to drop-in hours at Career Services, L/L E-140, Monday- Thursday from 1-4, or at the Davis Center on Tuesdays from 11-1, in Rosa Parks Place.

~Ashley

Internship of the Month: Vermont Public Radio

By career

VPR

Intern: Cody Searles, ’11
Major: English
Internship Title: Classical Music Intern
Company: Vermont Public Radio
Website: www.vpr.org
Current Postion: A&R Coordinator, Putamayo World Music

Briefly tell us about the organization you were with: Vermont Public Radio is Vermont’s source for independent non-biased news, information, music and cultural exploration. Specifically, VPR Classical presents classical music with interesting historical background and hosts live performances of local musicians.

What did you like best about this internship? What was most challenging? The people. I was able to get a lot of guidance and experience through their instruction and patience. The most challenging part was to be self-sufficient and accurate. Especially working inside a massive database, I had to be thorough as well as productive. Being able to answer my own questions through critical analysis of previous work and entries was a key skill in order to be successful at my internship.

How did you gain credit for this internship? Through EDSS 239! It rocks! During my final semester at school, I had a serious revelation while sitting in the first week’s classes of an elective–it was senseless to take a class I didn’t care for rather than intern at a place which could extend beyond graduation. In retrospect this was a life-changing decision as I am now employed right out of school partially because of my decision to stay involved in internships in the music industry rather than take a “filler” class.

What impact did this internship have on your career direction? It had a massive impact. I transitioned from VPR to interning at Putumayo World Music at the end of the school year and into the summer and then was hired as A&R Coordinator. The work I did at VPR and the people there greatly influenced my abilities to fill this position. Basically, I could not be where I am now without my previous internship experience.

What advice do you have for students searching for internships? Aim high and apply, even if you think you can’t get the internship. You never know until someone tells you no. Once you get one, work hard! It’s worth it. And get credit! It is awesome to be able to lighten the class load and get real-life experience simultaneously.

Savvy Seniors: Assess and Priortize

By career

Autumn Road

Imagine yourself, nine months from now: cap on your head, diploma in your hand and ready to transition away from UVM and towards your future.  If the picture is a little fuzzy after the cap and gown part, you’re not alone.   We’re here to help you think about what’s next and how to get there, each step of the way.  Follow the Savvy Seniors Blog Series this year to inspire and motivate you to prepare for life after UVM.

To get started, the first thing to do is Assess and Prioritize. Before you dive in to gaining more great experience this year, or researching careers, or even honing your resume, step back and think for a moment about all you have already done.  Which activities, classes, or part-time jobs have you particularly enjoyed? What have you leaned about yourself here at UVM? What do you really care about? What are you good at?  Reflecting on your previous experiences will help you make good decisions about your post graduation goals and how to spend your final year of college.

Imagine where you want to be next summer, and use this year to make small, steady steps towards that goal. To get started, check out this article from Quintessential Careers:   So You’ve Graduated College….What’s Next for You?

We’re here to help! Come to Careers and Coffee to pick up your Senior Packet and Plan, including the Senior Checklist, and chat with a career counselor about your unique situation. Careers and Coffee: Wednesday, Sept 21, 3-5pm.   See you there!

~Kala

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