A friend of mine recently shared\nthis thought in a LinkedIn post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word “crisis” in Japanese is represented by two characters: \u5371\u6a5f (\u201cKiki\u201d). The first character (\u5371) means \u201cdangerous\u201d while the second (\u6a5f) means \u201copportunity\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been thinking about that a lot in relation to the pandemic we\u2019re all experiencing. These circumstances are uncertain and scary, and are threatening some peoples\u2019 lives and livelihoods. For those of us who have to pivot from our original hopes and plans, this crisis may also offer new opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of us are hearing from our previously-secured summer internship sites that our plans are delayed, canceled, or uncertain. Though it\u2019s not what we\u2019d hoped for, this could also be the chance to pivot and try something new. If your in-person summer plans are precarious, here are some steps you can take:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working remotely is a new and different\nexperience for many of us, and likely for your internship site too. If it\u2019s not\npossible to do your originally-planned internship, consider approaching your\ninternship supervisor with an idea for a remote project. You might offer to\ncoordinate social media marketing, do market research on similar organizations,\ncreate newsletter or blog content, analyze data, or generate sales leads.\nInstead of asking your supervisor to do all the work to convert your internship\nto a remote format, approaching with an idea makes it so much easier for your\nsupervisor to say yes. If it\u2019s not possible to do remote work at your original\ninternship organization, consider approaching other organizations with similar\nproject proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now is a great time to develop skills that can help you land a position and thrive in your future career. Think about possible dream jobs and take a look at some job descriptions to learn about the skills required for that position. If there are skills you\u2019re missing, consider the ways that you can develop them this summer. You might take a project management course on LinkedIn Learning<\/a>, try out computer animation on Khan Academy<\/a>, or brush up on public speaking on Coursera<\/a> (all free).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talking to professionals in your field can help you understand the landscape of an industry, find potential mentors, and solicit important career advice. LinkedIn<\/a> and UVM Connect<\/a> are great places to start looking, and it\u2019s easy to reach out with a quick ask. Make it easy for your contact to say yes by being specific and brief. You might send a message saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHi Mr. Rodriguez, You can check out more advice about networking on the Career\nCenter\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many people, summer 2020 won\u2019t look as they had originally planned. That being said, remember that the Japanese word for crisis also contains the word opportunity. Think of this as an opportunity to build different skills, make new connections, and flex new muscles. This situation will pass, but in the meantime, try to make the most of it however you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to talk through your individual situation, please reach out to the Career Center. We are still hosting appointments by phone or video call! You can self-schedule by logging in to Handshake<\/a>, or shoot us an email at career@uvm.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amanda Chase A friend of mine recently shared this thought in a LinkedIn post: The word “crisis” in Japanese is represented by two characters: \u5371\u6a5f (\u201cKiki\u201d). The first character (\u5371) means \u201cdangerous\u201d while the second (\u6a5f) means \u201copportunity\u201d. I\u2019ve been thinking about that a lot in relation to the pandemic we\u2019re all experiencing. These circumstances are uncertain … <\/p>\nPitch a remote project<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Build your skills<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Grow your network<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I hope you are doing well and staying healthy with everything currently happening in the world. I\u2019m a current sophomore at UVM studying sociology, and I\u2019m interested in careers related to food insecurity. I saw that you are also a UVM grad, and I was wondering if I could talk to you about your experience in the field. Would you have time to connect for a 20-minute phone call? I\u2019m usually available Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Thank you,
Megan Trevino\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nClosing thoughts<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Internship Coordinator & Career Counselor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"