Career Exploration « The Career Development Center Blog

Jessica Baron in one of her many roles. Currently, Jessica is a Graduate Assistant in Career Services.

My name is Jessica, and I’m a career changer.

What is a career changer? Well, I’d like to think that it’s someone who is continually searching and learning, about herself and about the world in which she lives. I’d also like to think that it’s someone whose experiences and interests are multiple and varied. But it’s also someone who wants to do everything. And can’t. So, we career changers hop from experience to experience, from job to job, searching for the thing that will fulfill all the aspects of our values, personalities, wants, and needs.

I started off wanting to be an actor. When I graduated from college in 2000, I moved to New York City to pursue this dream. Acting is a logical choice in some ways for someone who wants to do everything. With each role, the actor gets the opportunity to inhabit someone else’s life, even if it’s just for a short moment. I’ve played pioneer women and secretaries, battered wives and English country girls. For the duration of the show, I could feel what that person’s life would have been like, how their backgrounds and histories and present circumstances converged to create who they are in this moment of the play.

But acting sometimes doesn’t provide a steady paycheck. When I first moved to New York City, I needed to make some real money to pay my bills. First, I found a waitressing job at a restaurant in Soho. Soho is a neighborhood on the South end of the island of Manhattan. I lived in Queens. The trip from my work to home took about an hour by subway, and the restaurant was a late night place, so I often found myself waiting for the subway to go home from work at 4 am. I would walk down the stairs to the empty platform and wait for 30 minutes for a train to arrive, watching the gaping hole of the subway tunnel in anticipation, falling asleep standing up. I wasn’t making much money for the amount of time I spent there. Sometimes less than $100 in tips for 10 hours of work. And I was so tired during the day that I didn’t go to many auditions. I had to keep reminding myself that I was living in New York to be an actor, not a server. One of the other servers I worked with at this Soho restaurant was a writer, trying to write a novel during the day and make enough money to pay his expenses by serving fancy pink drinks to already drunk ladies in thigh high boots at night. He was having a hard time of it, just like me, but he kept plodding along. I didn’t last very long there, maybe a month.

When I left this unnamed restaurant, I signed up with an office temp agency, and within weeks, I got a job doing reception at a technology firm near Radio City Music Hall. Remember that this was 2000, and jobs felt plentiful, at least in New York. Many people moved from job to job easily, and I felt like I could pick and choose. I had a degree, and I learned things quickly. The world of work looks a bit different now that we’ve moved into a new era of economic downturn and uncertainty. Now, a degree is no guarantee since there are often hundreds of qualified applicants for each job. We have to be good self-promoters, with a strong resume, a well-written and specific cover letter, and a polished interview style. As I’ve moved from career to career, I’ve needed to become more adept at navigating the job market as times change and the working world shrinks. But that didn’t stop me from my career changer tendencies, hopping from job to job or from field to field. Look for my story to continue twice a month with more “Confessions of a Career Changer”.

Jessica Baron is currently a Graduate Assistant in Career Services at OSU and a full time student in the College Student Services Administration Program. Before making her way to Oregon State, Jessica worked as an actor, waiter, online tutor, receptionist, college composition instructor, creative writer, gas station attendant, nonprofit program director, writing workshop leader, high school drama coach, Hallmark card straightener, substitute teacher, real estate office manager, and SAT tutor, not necessarily in that order. Her “Confessions of a Career Changer” will focus on her wavy career path and the challenges and joys of wanting to do everything.

Summer Interns - there's me in the middle!

I had no idea what to expect from either of the internships I took on last summer. The only thing I knew for sure was that they would look great on my resume –so I was on board. At the time I really wasn’t very sure as to what kind of career I wanted to go into upon graduation –only that I wanted it to somehow relate to my two majors: Applied Visual Arts and Merchandising Management. After applying to about ten different internship programs, I was lucky enough to be offered three.

At first I was tempted to accept all of them and juggle my schedule as I went. Fortunately I saw reason and decided to accept only two of them. I accepted an illustrator position at a patterning company for spring term, and a merchandising position at a prominent retail chain for the summer.

In the illustrator position I worked closely with the designer to create visually accurate and compelling drawings of her clothing. I was surprised by how difficult it was sometimes. Communicating specific visual ideas can become very complex –and I learned a lot about myself during the process. Looking back, I’d say the most important thing I took away from that experience was that I do not want to be an illustrator. I didn’t like trying to create someone else’s vision –particularly when she didn’t like what I had sketched. This was actually an incredibly valuable thing to learn about myself, as this really helped narrow down what kind of career paths I would enjoy in the future.

To say the merchandising position was educational would be the understatement of the year. Having never worked in retail before, I had never been exposed to the retail culture –let alone the environment of salesmen working on commission. I was immersed in this very competitive field for three months, learning valuable customer service and managerial skills along the way. It was very interesting to work in such close proximity with such an individualistic group of people. There was this undercurrent of self-promotion and strategic thinking that I had never connected with retail sales before.

I would definitely say that this was one of the most important professional experiences I’ve had to date. From this one internship I learned: specific companies I do not want to work for, what qualities I need (and don’t need) in a manager, that sales is too cut-throat for me to enjoy it, and that I should look for careers involving the buying, merchandising, and trend forecasting aspects of retail –rather than those on the sales floor.

Overall I can’t emphasize enough how much you can learn about yourself and your future career field through completing a few internships. Not only do they look great on your resume –but they introduce you to the real-life workplace in a way that classes could never do.

Posted by Leah Anderson, Career Services Assistant

We are huge advocates of informational interviewing in Career Services so we thought we would re-post a popular article written a couple of years ago. Maybe it will get you interested in doing an informational interview in the future:

Have you ever found yourself wondering, I know there are jobs out there that may be perfect that I’ve never heard of. How do I find them? Most people ask this at one time or another. There are many ways to research occupations, but one of the most effective is: Informational Interviewing.

What is “informational interviewing”, you ask? An informational interview is an interview that you initiate with someone in a field that interests you. You ask the questions, because the purpose is to obtain information. This is one of the best sources for gathering information about what’s happening in an occupation or an industry, because you’re talking to people actually working in the field. You get to interact with someone and have a dialogue—something you can’t do with a computer screen. Informational Interviews allow you to:

explore careers and clarify your career goal
discover employment opportunities that are not advertised
expand your professional network
build confidence for your job interviews
access the most up-to-date career information
identify your professional strengths and weaknesses

Informational interviews can teach you about those mysterious job descriptions you’ve never heard of, and give you insider information about your field of interest. And best of all, they can teach you what kinds of experiences you’ll need to give yourself a leg-up in the job market during these tough economic times!

To conduct an informational interview, follow these steps: 1) Identify the occupation or industry you wish to learn about, 2) Identify People to Interview 3) Prepare for the interview, 4) Arrange the Interview, 5) Follow Up.

More questions? Come to the Career Center and meet with one of our career counselors.

Posted by Anne Lapour, Career Counselor

It’s Week 7 of Spring Term – whether it is classes, vacations, volunteer hours or work, I hope everyone has plans for summer! If you have the opportunity to complete an internship over the summer you might want to read on.

To optimize internship experience we need to show our interest by doing research on the company, being prepared and following some tips:

· Set Personal Goals. You will find that some internships are very structured, but others are not, so spending some time before you start the internship setting goals that you want to accomplish can be a step for organization. Make sure your goals are realistic and attainable in your internship.

It may be deciding on what area within marketing that you want to specialize, or learning new skills, or building your network. Whatever your goals, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment once you achieve them.

· Have Regular Meetings with your Supervisor(s). You may get a supervisor who never schedules meetings with you or travels quite a bit, so you have to make sure to have regular meetings where you can share experiences and lessons learned — both good and bad — as well as give progress reports. Hint: While you want to keep your supervisor aware of your accomplishments, remember to also be a good listener and learn as much as you can during these meetings.

· Tackle all Tasks with Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude. In just about every company, the new hire/intern is going to have to “pay his or her dues.” You will undoubtedly be given some grunt/ tedious work to do, such as making photocopies, but the key is to complete all your work assignments with the same level of enthusiasm and professionalism.

I am learning in my practicum that I should consider working extra hours (beyond the required number for the internship) not only to show my work ethic but to also take full benefit of the learning opportunity.

· Avoid Negativity. The quickest way to ruin a good internship is being negative. So, avoid complaining, being rude, disrespecting coworkers, arriving late, leaving early, being closed-minded, missing deadlines, wearing improper attire, acting unprofessionally, appearing inflexible, and taking part in office politics.

Hint: A common mistake among interns and new hires is treating secretaries and clerks as being beneath them — avoid this behavior at all costs.

· Never Reject a Chance to Learn More About the Company/Industry. Take every opportunity presented to you to attend company or industry meetings, conferences, and events; participate in training workshops; and read all company materials. Hint: Meetings may appear (and actually be) boring to you, but they can often offer a good chance to increase your knowledge, network, and build relationships.

· Get as Much Exposure as Possible. Some of the best internships rotate you among departments and supervisors, but if yours doesn’t, don’t let that stop you from tackling new tasks, meeting people outside your department, and attending company social events. The more you are exposed to new ideas and new people, the more you’ll learn.

· Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions. Always remember that an internship is a learning experience for you. While the employer expects to get a certain level of work from you, you are not expected to know everything. Seek advice and raise questions whenever you encounter something that is not familiar to you. Be open-minded about new ideas and procedures — remember that you don’t know everything and that your professors didn’t teach you everything.

· Take Initiative. Employers love employees who dive into tackling tough problems and who think “outside the box” in finding solutions. Just make sure you work with your supervisor(s) so you don’t overstep your authority — and make sure you share successes with him/her.

Hint: There is a fine line between taking initiative and being perceived as a “know-it-all,” and for interns especially, it is best to err on the side of caution.

· Find a Mentor. A mentor is someone at a higher level in the organization that looks out for you and makes sure you are learning what you need to know and accomplishing what you need to do. A mentor can also shield you from office politics and be a good sounding board for you to discuss ideas, ask questions, etc. Hint: Your supervisor could be your mentor, but it could also be another person within the organization.

· Network, Network, Network. One of the key tools of job-hunting is utilizing your network to find your next career step, whether that is another internship or a job upon graduation. Build professional relationships with your supervisor(s) and other managers in the organization. These people are also a good source for getting other job-hunting advice and tips from their years of experience.

Hint: Even if you have a bad experience in an internship, never burn your bridges because you never know when it could come back and hurt you. Always leave on good terms.

· Leave with Tangible Accomplishments. One of your goals with any internship is leaving it with some tangible results – both for your resume and your career portfolio. Maybe you developed a brochure, computerized an inventory system, organized a sales conference, met with clients, tracked industry trends, etc. Keeping a journal daily or weekly can help you see the progression or tasks you found joy completing. Plus you can refer to it in the future when you revise your resume to include your internship experience.

· Enjoy Yourself. Most internships are great experiences, so make sure you have some fun while you’re working and learning. Don’t be so tense that you are perceived as something you’re not.

Career Services encourages you to use BeaverJobNet to find internships or jobs you are looking for to gain experience in you field of interest. If you do not find what you are looking for, definitely keep your mind open to trying different areas because there is a good chance those skills learned can translate over to your field. The important aspect is that you are putting yourself out there, exploring and developing professional skills.

Internships can be very rewarding and offer a glimpse into exciting fields. Others may also be filled with what you may see as monotonous and unexciting tasks. Stay focused on your goals and you’ll enjoy your experience while getting some on-the-job skills. You’ll never get rich off of an internship but ultimately the contacts you make will aid in your eventual career search.

Resources: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. http://www.quintcareers.com/internship_success.html

Posted by Marisol Cardoza, Career Services Assistant

Does the thought of an 8:00 to 5:00 office job make you yawn? Do you become restless thinking about performing routine tasks? Perhaps you are in need of a unique job! I recently stumbled upon the book Nice Job! The Guide to Cool, Odd, Risky, and Gruesome Ways to Make a Living. If you are determined to lead a less routine lifestyle, this book may be for you. To peak your interest, I have included five of my favorite job positions for you to consider.

1. Christmas Tree Farmer
A green thumb paired with a business savvy attitude makes for a successful Christmas tree farmer. Today’s holiday trees sell for about $35 a tree. Earning around $4,000 an acre, one could earn a comfortable living harvesting a 15 acre Christmas tree farm. A successful farmer should be patient, have a background in marketing, and be knowledgeable of the land and farming procedures. For more information, visit www.christree.org.

2. Product Name Developer
The best marketing strategy a company can have is to find a catchy name for its products. In this position, you would be responsible for brainstorming and generating lists of names for the new products of companies. While each name suggested only earns about $1.00 each, a full time namer employed for a high-level company could bring in a six-figure salary. Knowledge of linguistics and languages is helpful, creativity is common, and working to meet deadlines is a must. Flexible hours and working in any environment are enjoyed by employees of this title.

3. The Real World & Road Rules Editor
MTV’s real life soap operas aren’t captured as they appear. A skilled film editor works through hours of tape to determine the best segments to include in each 22 minute film episode. A person in this position needs a great sense of drama and an understanding of human behavior. An eye for juicy and interesting subject matter is a must with film and script experience being helpful. A perk of the job: you always know what will be happening before the rest of the viewing audience!

4. Ice Cream Flavor Developer
Perhaps my favorite job: tasting and evaluating lots and lots of ice cream. Ice cream flavor developers begin at a starting salary of $25,000 a year with opportunities to grow to $50,000. Candidates for this position have sensitive, evaluative taste buds, are creative, and have the ability to deal with media. Developers are involved in quality control, product development, and the training of ice cream sales people. However, four to five hours a day can be expected to be spent on the tasting of ice cream.

5. Bicycle Messenger
Bicycle messengers serve in both big cities and small communities as quick deliverers of packages, letters, and time-sensitive documents. They can expect to bring home $500 a week before taxes while putting on 20 to 60 miles of bike travel per day. Agility, quick-wittedness, and a powerful survival instinct make up the best bicycle messengers. Keeping fit while on the job is a welcomed perk of this adventurous position.

These unique opportunities are but five of many. If you are interested in reading the full book, there is a copy available in the office of Career Services as well as the OSU Library. You might also check out the following websites:

A unique job may be the perfect fit for you. Be creative, be persistent, and be open to adventure!

Posted by Bobbi Meyer, Career Services Graduate Assistant

Preliminary results are in, college hiring is up 21%. “Employers expect to hire 21 percent more new college grads this year than they did last year, according to preliminary results of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook Spring Update survey.

Back in August, employers projected a 13.5 percent increase in college hiring for the 2010-11 academic year. However, since that time, other NACE surveys have pointed to college hiring gaining momentum. For example, NACE’s hiring index, conducted monthly October through February, showed an increase in the percent of employers planning to hire more new college graduates. In addition, NACE’s monthly recruiting activity index pointed to increased activity on campus: In fact, the index hit an all-time high in February, foreshadowing a greater increase in hiring for the college Class of 2011 than originally anticipated.

This is great news for graduating students! For students looking to find a job in 2012 – fall college recruiting also looks positive. “It’s early, but signs are good for fall recruiting”, according to results of NACE’s Job Outlook 2011 Spring Update survey.

Nearly 29 percent of employers that responded report plans to increase their fall 2011 recruiting over last year, and 41 percent plan to recruit at the same level.

NACE will poll employers this summer to gather more-detailed hiring projections for the Class of 2012.

This is very motivating information! If you need assistance with the job search process be sure to visit Career Services. We can help you learn more about careers that fit your strengths, interests, and values; assist you with researching companies, writing a resume and cover letter, practice interviewing, and networking/connecting with people in your field of interest.

We are also offering a Senior Job Search Group that meets on Tuesdays (April 26, May 3, 10, 17) from 4-5:30pm in Milam 033. We just met yesterday and provided tips and resources for students to help learn more about themselves so they are more prepared to write their resume, interview, and find jobs that are a good fit. The next workshop is on May 3^rd and will cover researching companies and careers. You don’t have to attend all workshops, come to those that interest you. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Jen Busick, Career Resource Specialist

Here at Career Services, not only do we offer professional one-on-one career counseling, resume/cover letter critiques, mock interviews, and career assessments, but we also house a new well-renovated, cozy space that serves as the Career Resource Library. The new Resource Library has been a great addition to the lobby of Career Services and it offers a variety or career-related resources that specifically help with career development, career decision-making, and career exploration.

If you have an interest in exploring the world via an internship abroad or volunteering in another country, we have information that helps you to explore many different types of career related work that you can do. Peace Corps is one of the programs that is supported by OSU Career Services and we have a Peace Corps Representative who specializes in helping students who have a passion in gaining an experience aboard. Peace Corps information can be found in our Resource Library along with information about Teach for America, the JET Programme, AmeriCorps, and the IE 3 Global Internship program. Come check it out!

We have many books and guides that allow you to do career exploration, occupational researching, and gain information about the job search process. There is a great series of books that is currently on our shelves published by VGM Career Horizon titled Great Jobs. These books are tailored specifically for an intended major, ranging from Art, Business, Engineering, Psychology, and everything in between. These books focus on how you can:

Discover all your career options
Target your ideal career
Set a path to advance your career
Assess your strengths and interests
Explore unusual career paths
Set strategies for getting the job that you want.

If you are interested in careers that focus on environmental issues, we have Green Careers resources that can be beneficial for your success. Special career focuses such as Non-profit organization work, Social Services, and Entrepreneurship are all great resources that we offer for those that are interested in these career fields.

We have the Job Choices magazine series that allow you to focus on the job market of certain types of career fields. Its features tips on how to succeed in interviews , job search techniques, things that employers are looking for in an employee, resume and cover letters tips, along with the ins and outs of certain career pathways.

If you’re looking for a place where you can sit and relax on a comfy couch and read about your career of interest, our Career Resource Library is the right place for you! Resources are updated frequently, therefore you’ll get the latest news in the job market and information about your career of choice. These resources are super useful in terms of helping you gain confidence of obtaining the dream career that you’ve always wanted.

Posted by Phi Vu, Career Services Assistant

Here are 10 reasons why you should consider studying abroad….

1. Study abroad is the optimal way to learn a language. The language on a daily basis will surround you.

2. Study abroad provides the opportunity to travel. It allows you to venture and see what the country has to offer.

3. Study abroad allows you get to know another culture first-hand. You can truly understand different cultures, and show appreciation.

4. Study abroad will help you develop skills and give you experiences a classroom setting will never provide.

5. Study abroad affords you the opportunity to make friends around the world. There is no such thing as too much friends!

6. Study abroad helps you to learn about yourself.

7. Study abroad expands your worldview.

8. Study abroad gives you the opportunity to break out of your academic routine.

9. Study abroad enhances employment opportunities. This is always a plus!

10.Study abroad can enhance the value of your degree.

Oregon State University offers lots of opportunities to study abroad. But the thing is where to begin? First of all you should start by looking at the study abroad portion on the website. It offers places you can choose to study in, what requirements you need and how to start planning and saving money. We all know that studying in a different country isn’t cheap, so by looking early for scholarships and grants is a must, but not to worry, your abroad counselor will go over all of that with you on a one-on-one meeting.

Some things to remember, you must keep up your GPA maintain at least a 3.0 and above. Be organized and meet all due dates, start planning a year a head. Make connections with people who are from your desired country choice. Do research of the place you plan on studying at. Learn the language a little bit! It’s going to take some time to get everything planned but with good help and attitude it will happen. Explore the world while you learn, that’s what makes life so exciting!

Check out the following website for more information to get started: http://oregonstate.edu/international/studyabroad

Posted by Hulali Kaapana, Career Services Assistant

The Career Fair is a great place to talk to potential employers. You know you will have the opportunity to talk to many employers, but how exactly do you turn the Career Fair into a job? Below are some ways you can stand out!

Dress for Success- Appearance plays a big part in the way that potential employers sees you. Body language is 55% of what employers use to select who they want to work for them. When it comes to the Career Fair it is important that you are looking your best. You want to stand out from others who aren’t looking professional and make it easier for employers to lean towards you. For men, a suit would be ideal but slacks, a button up shirt and a tie also work. For women, a suit (pants or skirt are fine) are also ideal, but you can also pair pants with a professional-looking blouse, blazer or sweater and make sure to wear a comfortable yet classy shoe (either flat or pumps are appropriate).
Resumes and Cover Letters– Having a strong resume and cover letter gives you a chance to stand out after meeting employers at the Career Fair. Employers get stacks of resumes after Career Fairs and you want to make sure that yours stands out. Format is important but it is more important to tailor your experience to the company or organization you will be talking to.
Be Prepared– There are many ways you should prepare yourself for the Career Fair. Doing research about a company or organization that you are interested in is very important. It is not a good idea to approach an employer and ask them what they do. You want to be prepared to talk to them about why you are interested in their company or organization and the different ways that you can fill their needs. You also want to prepare your “30 second spiel,” which highlights your resume, skills, and interests and it is always good to ask questions.
Follow up – After talking to an employer, ask for his/her business card and make sure to follow up with an email thanking them for their time and that you look forward to talking to them again in the future. You could even set up an informational interview which could get you connected to even more people.

These are some ways that you can turn a Career Fair into a job. Don’t be afraid to think about it as you interviewing employers to see if they fit your needs. You want to make sure you go in with a game plan and confidence, once you do that you will be ahead of everyone else.

Posted by Silver Trujillo, Career Services Assistant

The Office of Community and Diversity has a Multicultural Resource guide that directs you to an office on campus that can further help you explore areas you are interested in.

This office also helps you transition into a career after college by offering the PROMISE (Professional and Managerial Internships in State Employment) program (see office website).

This is an internship program that gives you an opportunity to gain skills in a professional office in/ around Corvallis. Included in the program, are professional development workshops. Finally it wraps up with a Poster Galleria, celebrating what you have learned and the projects accomplished.

I can personally recommend it; I was one of three interns for OSU’s Business Affairs Office. For me it was a good way to continue professional etiquette in an office and practice and improve my communication skills. I was stationed in the ID Center and some of the projects that I completed were: Creating a workflow during busy hours in the summer, organization of a database and compiling a card list for departments at OSU, translating brochures from English to Spanish, and many other duties. Aside from that there were a variety of different jobs other interns did with the City of Corvallis, Human Resources, Video production and many more. PROMISE also included workshops to improve on interpersonal communications and also got to hear from professionals of color from local companies, such as Hewlett Packard.

The way I have been able to find interesting jobs that allowed me to contribute my college experience and skills have all been from being a part of a Listserve! Specifically, the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) list serves. Currently I receive e-mails from 4-5 list serves. It is helpful to join your College’s list serv, a club or student organization list serv and different departments list servs around campus. You never know what will show up! So put yourself out there and explore departments to see how you can begin your career.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Resources for specific populations-Career Services provides a whole section dedicated to resources for underrepresented populations.

Disability Access Services- Internships can also help find a summer internship for students with a disability.

University Housing & Dining

Begin your search for clubs/organizations

Attend the “Swing into Spring” held by Student Leadership & Involvement next Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 11-2:30 in the MU Ballroom.

Finally, some programs such as the Pre-therapy/Allied Health Club, conduct mock interviews, do graduate school visits, and offer community service hours.

There are many resources available and remember it never hurts to ask! And here at Career Services we are here to help.

Posted by Marisol Cardoza, Career Services Assistant

The Career Development Center Blog

Explore. Educate. Empower. Engage.

Category Archives: Career Exploration

Confessions of a Career Changer: What to do when you want to do everything…

Thoughts about My Summer Internships

Informational Interviewing

How to Make the Most Out of Your Internship

Unique Jobs

Job Outlook Looking Better

Career Services Resource Library

Why Study Abroad?

Turning the Career Fair into a Job

Career Related Resources for Underrepresented Students

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