menu

UVM Career Center Blog

Posts

Spotlight on: Julia Sexton ’21

By career

I am a Senior Biochemistry major and a Peer Leader within the Health Professions Interest Group at the Career Center. This fall, I will be attending Pharmacy school to pursue my Pharm.D at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, New York. Being from the Albany area, I was initially drawn to UVM because of the location and because of the strong pre-health advising. Throughout my undergraduate coursework, I discovered that I was mostly interested in how chemicals and medications could be used in the treatment of disease, while also searching for a profession in patient care, leading me to consider a career in pharmacy. I started working as a Pharmacy Technician at Walgreens last fall. Through this role, I have become a Nationally Certified Pharmacy Technician and a COVID-19 vaccine immunizer. After pharmacy school, I hope to complete a 1-2 year residency to become eligible to work in clinical settings. 

Throughout my time at UVM, I have been an active member in Chicks on Sticks, an all-female-identifying club focusing on increasing women representation in the ski and snowboard industries. Over my winter breaks, I have also worked as a Ski Patroller at Gore Mountain in upstate New York. That being said, I have a passion for skiing. Being at UVM has allowed me to ski and explore many ski areas I had never been to before. My favorite resort in Vermont is probably Jay Peak, aside from the long drive. However, this season I had the Ikon pass and a Smugglers Notch pass, so I skied primarily at Sugarbush and Smuggs.   

My advice to any student considering a career in pharmacy or healthcare is to try to listen to your gut rather than the people around you. Yes, it is challenging to get into professional programs, but try not to let others discourage you from pursuing your dreams. Along with this, try not to let others (especially parents) steer you in the direction they think is best for you. At the end of the day, you need to consider what career will be most fulfilling for you, not what would make others happiest. Lastly, don’t be afraid to change your mind. I jumped from idea to idea before I finally landed on pharmacy. I also got experience in the field to ensure that this was the path for me. You have plenty of time to change your mind!

Spotlight on: Maddie Panyard ’21

By career

I am a Senior Animal Science major and a Peer Leader within the Health Professions Interest Group at the Career Center. I have been a part of health-related peer mentoring at the UVM Career Center for three years now and will deeply miss all the friends and counselors that I have connected with through this role. When I joined the Career Center team initially, I was a sophomore pre-med student who was majoring in Biochemistry. I thought I was interested in cancer research and wanted to become an oncologist. However, after taking a biochemistry class and shadowing a pediatric oncologist, I realized that was not the job for me and I did not want to limit myself to just cancer-related things. In my first year as a pre-health peer mentor at the UVM Career Center I learned that there is an incredible amount of healthcare jobs besides the typical physician. I also realized that my childhood passion for animals was not going away in my college life as I worked as a stable hand and kennel assistant. Therefore, I decided to explore the world of veterinary medicine and discovered that I absolutely loved it. I ended up switching into the Animal Science major to be able to take animal health specific classes and grow close with professors who hold DVMs (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine).

I learned invaluable networking and job-related information from the Career Counselors and my peers at UVM which allowed me to attain a wide variety of experience in my undergraduate years. Specifically, my advisor at UVM helped me land an amazing veterinary assistant internship abroad in South Africa for the Summer of 2019 where I was able to learn about the importance wildlife population health on human health. After that experience, I networked with local clinics and landed an ICU overnight technician job at Vermont Large Animal Clinic for my junior year. Following that, I attained a Veterinary Technician position at River Cove Animal Hospital in Williston, VT where I am currently employed. After graduation, I will continue working there full-time as a veterinary technician while I apply to veterinary school. As of right now, my career goal is to own a practice that focuses on creating personal relationships with both my patients and their human owners. 

For my undergraduate peers debating on a career in healthcare, the best advice I can give you is to explore everything that University of Vermont has to offer. These four years are not the time to “check box” your requirements for a professional experience, rather they are for you to figure out who you are, what you love, and meet individuals who will help you get to your goals. Join the club that you want to, change your major if you need to, and invest in your hobbies. If healthcare is for you, I promise that everything will fall in place for you. These experiences, health-related or not, will expose you to new people and new things that will let you know whether this “thing” is for you. Personally, I changed my major three times in college and do not regret it.

My career goals jumped from medical school to PA school to veterinary school in the past four years. Yes, all these career goals were in the realms of healthcare but my experiences and interactions with UVM faculty, peers, and alumni helped me narrow down my focus to something that fit me. I am extremely thankful for my experiences (good AND bad) in all the different healthcare fields because it just makes me feel reassured that I chose the right career path. Have fun, experience as much as you desire, and most importantly be YOU!

Senior Series 2021: Application Materials

By career

Welcome back to another edition of the Senior Series.  

Last week, we reviewed the updated job search strategies that will help you find viable job opportunities within this changing world. Now that you know where and how to look, your next step is to ensure you have great application materials.  

Resumes and cover letters: that’s what we mean by application materials. We have organized several resources for you based on 3 stages of the writing process: drafting, fine-tuning, and final review. This can feel like a daunting task, but once you get started, Career Center staff can help you polish your documents.  

Take some time to peruse the resources included in this message. Have you scheduled a block of time to re-visit the information and resources later this week? Writing a resume or cover letter isn’t a quick task, but breaking it up into smaller chunks and stages will ensure that you get it done in a timely fashion.

Remember, you can still book career counseling appointments! We have plenty of availability for virtual appointments. You can self-schedule on Handshake, or send us an email at career@uvm.edu.

Resumes

Getting Started

Your best bet to get started on a new or updated resume is to consult our Resume module in Blackboard. If you haven’t logged in before, visit uvm.edu/career/blackboard for instructions on enrolling.

In addition to the module, Candid Career, an online resource, is packed with videos on every career-related topic you can think of. We’ve picked out a few that might be the most helpful to you in creating a good draft resume.

We also found a few articles that might be helpful to read over, include a step-by-step guide to getting starting in creating a new resume.

Fine-Tuning

Once you’ve got a solid draft in place, it’s time to start working on fine-tuning your document. Maybe you have an existing resume from past applications, or you’ve got the ball rolling on a new draft. Either way, we’ve pulled together a few articles and videos to help you polish what you’ve got!

A common question we get from students is, “what should I put on my resume?” An equally important question is, “what should I leave off of my resume?” If you are looking to fine-tune your resume, here are a few resume red flags provided by professionals in fields from education to engineering.

Red flag free? Great! Now it is time to really focus on revisions and proofreading. This article provides a strategy for helping resume writers sharpen their word choice by using keywords and strong action verbs. Use this to sharpen the words on your resume so you will stand out to recruiters and digital resume screening tools. 

A Final Look

You’ve revised your resume several times. A friend, family member, or another member of your personal network has taken a look at it. You’ve proofread it again. Now what?

For brief, written feedback, consider requesting an online document review. For a more nuanced review, consider scheduling a 30-minute career coaching appointment. A career counselor will talk through challenge areas, and provide tips for maximizing your presence on the page. While we are happy to meet with students at all stages of the writing process, coming to the Career Center with your nearly complete draft is a great way to finalize your document for submission. Our online document reviews have a 1-3 day turnaround, and we are able to offer next-day appointment scheduling. To request a written document review, log in to Blackboard, click “Prepare” and then “Resume” – the final step of the module is where you can submit your document for review.

Cover Letters

Getting Started

Just like your resume, we also recommend starting off with our Cover Letter module in Blackboard as you prepare to write a first or new draft. This will take you through the basic steps of getting a cover letter written.

We also have two documents to help you think about your story and how to present it on the page. Our Cover Letter Basics reviews the purpose of a cover letter and provides some tips for success. The Cover Letter Worksheet takes you through the step by step process of reflecting on your skills and experiences and customizing your cover letter for each position you apply to.

Fine-Tuning

Once you’ve got a solid cover letter draft, it’s time to start honing your document. We’ve pulled together three Candid Career videos focused on cover letters from the perspective of an employer.

Use this advice from employers to tailor your document for each position you apply to. You could also consider reaching out to an alum on UVM Connect to ask them to take a look at your cover letter. Bring your specific questions – what kind of feedback are you looking for? Many alums are ready and waiting to help you!

A Final Look

Congratulations – you’re almost there! Before you send your cover letter out for job applications, it might be helpful to have a Peer Mentor or Career Counselor share their perspective through an online, emailed document review in Blackboard or a virtual appointment (which you can schedule via Handshake). Just like for your resume, you can submit a document for review by logging in to Blackboard, clicking “Prepare” and then “Cover Letter” – the submission field will appear in the last page of the module.

Exploring: April 2021

By ehowe2

Hello Explorers! Read on to learn about your 4-year path, watch a fun video on informational interviews, and hear more about the latest content we have been creating for you.

As the Exploring Interest Group, we highly recommend you take time to reflect on who you are and what you want out of life. Reflecting on your interests, skills, curiosities, and identifying the people who you want to connect with is the first step towards figuring out your unique path. The 4-Year Path to Career Success is a great tool to help you get started on your reflection and planning process. You can fill this out on your own or you can meet with us for assistance either by logging into Handshake to schedule an appointment or you can attend one of our Virtual Drop-In sessions. We are here to help you create the life you want to live-happy exploring!    

Put Your Curiosity to the Test 

Do you want to explore an area of interest, but you don’t know where to begin? One step you can take is to set up an informational interview with someone working in a job or career you’re curious about to learn more about that chosen field. By interviewing a professional contact and asking them about their experience you’ll receive career advice, you’ll bridge connections and learn more about whether it’s something to consider as a career. In addition, it will help you map out your next steps.


To prepare for informational interview(s) you’ll want to research the professional’s current position, the organization they work for, and then reflect on what’s most important for you to learn about during this conversation. This will help you think of the questions you want to ask them during your time together. Remember, they were once in your shoes, so try not to feel intimidated by the interview; it’s all about building a trusting relationship. After the interview, reflect on what you learned- is it something you want to pursue further? Are there more skills you need to gain? Are there other people you want to connect with? If you need help, please connect with us.

Here’s a helpful video to learn how to get started!  

Instagram Story Highlight reminder

The Exploring Interest Group has been creating curated information to put out on the Career Center Instagram. Check out information about how to explore through different experiences, what career competencies are and how to develop them, and interactive stories that give you the space to reflect! Keep checking for awesome content! 

Get Matched and Virtual Drop-Ins

Get Matched: Join us to explore major options, by engaging in 1:1 discussion and/or by completing the Choosing a Major activity. Register in advance or drop-in, and get advice and help on May 5th from 7-8pm.

Virtual Drop-ins: The Career Center is excited to offer drop-in hours again! We will be hosting these appointments virtually, and there is no need to sign up in advance. Just log into this link: go.uvm.edu/ccdrop-in, to meet with a couple of Peer Leaders who will be available to help throughout the week.  
You can meet with Alex, the Exploring Interest Group Peer Leader on Mondays from 1-2pm and Wednesdays from 5-6pm. You can meet with Peer Leaders from another Interest Group on Thursday from 1-2pm, too, if those hours work best for you!

Resources

UVM Clubs – Find clubs you want to join! By joining a club or two, you can meet other students who share the same interests and you will build skills that can transfer into the professional world.
Join an Interest Group – This will help you explore your interests through events, specialized resources and opportunities to meet people in the field of interest. Just log into Handshake and choose your Interest Group today.

Senior Series 2021: Getting Started

By career

These are uncertain times in our world. This past year has been a test of our collective ability to be flexible, persist through hardship, and attempt to adjust to a “new normal” of pandemic life. As seniors, you may be trying to figure out how to navigate your job search and post-graduation goals in what feels like uncharted territory. The good news is, we are here to support you along the way.


Over the next month, we will share our weekly Senior Series newsletter with you via email. We hope that it will help you explore possibilities, control the parts of the job search that you can, better understand the ones you can’t, and confidently navigate the end of your time at UVM and your first steps into post-graduation life.
To make the most of these resources, we suggest you set aside some time to re-visit this information later in the week as the newsletters are pretty densely packed. In pre-pandemic times, we would have recommended setting aside a few hours each week as the semester winds down to work on a different aspect of your job search – so returning to these newsletters might be a helpful way to structure that time. Go ahead and schedule it now!


Future Newsletter Topics:

  • Building your network and optimizing your job search
  • Writing effective resumes and cover letters
  • Successful virtual interviewing
  • Negotiating your salary

The Job Market: What’s out there?
As is true for our personal and academic lives, organizations around the world have adapted to the pandemic and our current economic conditions. This will likely continue to impact your job search. We have found that most employers fall into one of four categories: pausing their hiring processes, re-building their organization after down-sizing last year, implementing a round of layoffs, or continuing to build on a year of rapid growth. We have spoken with employers in each of these positions and have heard a consistent message: with creativity, agility, hard work, and some patience, we can get through this.
While this new reality has shifted our economy, the kinds of positions you might expect to find, and which employers are actively hiring, much of our job search advice remains the same: prepare your materials, network as much as possible, and leverage online tools. You may need to re-consider your short- and long-term goals, stay flexible in considering different industries or geographic locations, and practice putting yourself out there – but this is the reality for many job searchers under normal economic circumstances, too. As you prepare to launch or fine-tune your post-grad job search, remember that we are always here to support you.

Connecting with the Career Center
Alongside these newsletters, our events, and our online resources, Career Counselors are available for one-on-one appointments and can help you connect with employers who are hiring. Our resources and services include:

  • One on one appointments. You can self-schedule a phone or video appointment by logging in to Handshake, clicking “Career Center” and then “Appointments.” Fill in the details and choose a date/time that works for you. Your Career Counselor will then set up a call by phone or video.
  • Blackboard modules. There are 15+ self-paced modules available in our Blackboard organization. Topics range from informational interviews and choosing a major to internships and resumes. Check these out for an overview of different aspects of the job search process.
  • Resume and cover letter reviews. You can submit a draft of your resume or cover letter for an online document review via Blackboard. Expect to hear back from us within 1-3 business days.
  • Handshake. In addition to browsing and applying to open positions, check out specific employer profiles to learn more about their organization. Be sure to complete your profile and make yourself visible to employers if you’d like to be contacted by recruiters – update your geographic locations of interest and specify the types of jobs you’re looking for to increase their chance of finding you.
  • Micro-internships. While you are searching for a full-time position, consider applying to a micro-internship. These are short-term, flexible, paid opportunities that can usually be completed remotely and allow you to build your portfolio of professional experience. They’re also a fantastic networking opportunity. Read more on our webpage about micro-internships to get started.
  • Interest groups. Join a network of peers, staff, faculty, employers, and alums who share your passions by signing up for one or more of our Interest Groups. Networking is critical during these shifting economic times, and Interest Groups can help you find new opportunities to connect with employers and alums. Fill out this form and we’ll get you added in the next few days.
  • Events. In addition to our own alumni panels and career readiness workshops, you can find many virtual events hosted by employers from around the country posted in Handshake. We also have an Environment & Sustainability Job Fair coming up on April 21st.
  • Online resources. Our website features several additional online resources. This includes Candid Career, GoinGlobal, UVM Connect, and more. You can learn more about each of them on our Career Tool Library page.

One Last Thing…
As luck would have it, our last career fair of this academic year is next week. Looking for work related to the environment and sustainability? Meet employers and grad program representatives at the Environment & Sustainability Job Fair on 4/21. Be sure to register and sign up for sessions with organizations of interest.

Skip to toolbar