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Doing Good, Doing Well

By career

As a college student, I did a lot of volunteering—and when talking with my advisor about the work I was doing in the community, she would ask, “Are you doing good?”

Having had proper grammar drilled into my head, I would respond, “yes, I’m doing well…” and continue telling her about my volunteer work. One day she clarified that what she really wanted to know was, are you Doing Good? Was my work helpful to the community? Was it meaningful? Was I proud of the work I was doing, and confident that my volunteer work was in line with my values?

Our new blog series, Doing Good, Doing Well, is for anyone interested in finding mission-driven work. Finding meaningful work that fits with your values doesn’t have to wait until you are further in your career—and this blog series is about finding that work now! Regularly, we will feature stories of people who put their values to work, tips for finding ‘Good’ job and internship opportunities, helpful links, resources for supporting your wellness by maintaining work/life balance, and inspiration for your career journey. Watch for our first post, about Sargent Shriver, who said,

“It is not what you get out of life that counts. It’s what you give and what is given from the heart.”

—Robert Sargent Shriver (1915-2011)

Thanks for reading and we hope you’re looking forward to this series as much as we are. Each post will include a discussion/reflection question; feel free to respond in the comments! What do you envision your first “real job” after graduation being like? What values would you want to be embodied in your work?

—Laura

Grow Your Professional Network with UVM Alumni!

By career

How did you grow your professional network over the winter break?

This year, more than 130 students and recent graduates gathered with UVM alums in New York City and Boston for the annual Career Networking Nights.  Attendees met one-on-one with alumni from various industries who were eager to share their career paths, knowledge about their fields, and insights on possible opportunities. If you missed these networking events or want to grow your professional network further, mark your calendar for the Vermont Career Networking Night on Tuesday, March 22, at 6:00pm in the Davis Center.

Connect personally with Vermont alums and jumpstart your career! The Vermont Career Networking Night schedule and attending alumni networkers will be posted to the Career Services website.

World of Work: Nate Bosshard '01, The North Face

By career

The North Face Logo

Nate Bosshard, ‘01 Brand Manager, The North Face

San Francisco Bay Area, California

Major: Political Science

How would you describe what you do on a typical day to someone who is unfamiliar with your field?

As the Brand Manager my day to day can vary. On any given day I could be sitting with the product teams kicking off a new product season, working on TV advertising, planning an athlete photo shoot, working on iPhone/iPad apps, developing content for social media,  managing our budget, creating a 5-year business case study, or snowboarding with our pro athlete team.

What advice do you have for students searching for jobs or internships in your field?

The best advice I can give is once you know what you want to do, try your hardest to get an internship as early as possible. The longer you wait the more likely there will be somebody ahead of you in that coveted entry-level position. I did my first internship the summer after my freshman year, and already had it secured in the early part of the second semester of my first year at UVM. Constantly building your resume through your four years is crucial.

What is your favorite part of your work? Most challenging part?

I love everything about my job, the most challenging part is balancing the travel away from my family and staying on top of things in the office when I’m out in the field.

Tell us about your best day at work.

Cat-skiing with our pro athlete team at Baldface Lodge in British Columbia doing product testing.

What three words would describe your work environment?

Passionate, relaxed, and honest

If you’re interested in seeing all our World of Work profiles, click here. If you are a UVM alumnus and would like to be featured, please contact us at career.services@uvm.edu. If you are interested in contacting a featured alum, check out the Career Connection alumni database or contact us.

World of Work: Introducing Alumni Profiles!

By career

Ever wonder where you’ll end up after graduation? Curious to know what UVM Alumni are doing out in the “real world”?

We will be featuring UVM alumni in our new blog series, the World of Work. In each post, UVM Alums will share their experiences and a day in the life at their workplace.

If you are a UVM alumnus and would like to be featured, please contact us at career.services@uvm.edu. If you are interested in contacting a featured alum, check out the Career Connection alumni database or contact us.

If you’re interested in seeing all our World of Work profiles, click here.

Market Yourself in 30 Seconds: The "Elevator Speech"

By career

Chances are that you’ve stood in an elevator with some well-connected people. It’s also likely that you didn’t strike up a conversation with them.

An “elevator speech” is a clear, concise pitch about yourself – what you do well and what you are looking to do – in the time that it takes to ride from the bottom to the top of a building in an elevator.  About 30 seconds.

If you take just 5 minutes to develop your elevator speech or “pitch”, you will be more confident in marketing yourself when meeting new people at social events, in professional settings, and even in unlikely networking spots like the grocery store or airport.  Create your own elevator speech online or read these tips to enhance yours.

Knowing how to market your unique skills and attributes is of utmost importance in the job search. Having a practiced and thoughtful elevator speech is your first step to success.

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