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April 29, 2009
Taking Care of YOU
Hello again,
I was reading an issue of the YMCA's "Fitness News" (April 2009) and I noticed a short article on "Brainpower and Exercise." I'll spare you a full recap, but the short and sweet of it is that exercise gets your blood pumping to places where the SMART happens, and so, in addition to contributing to your overall health and wellness, it can help you learn more effectively. Awesome. One more reason to keep up my YMCA membership even when deadlines loom. Which brought me to thinking...
In the hustle and bustle of whatever may be keeping you busy at this time, be it a job search, finals, or grad school applications the pressure you are under to "take care of business" can cause you to forget to take care of yourself. I write this not because I am a personal trainer, health guru, or certified joyologist (I am none of these things), but because it's exactly what I've been going through, and be it exercise, weekly matinees with someone special or just "me time"-it seems to be the things that help us to cope that we neglect as soon as there are way too many things to cope with.
And that brings us to this: the graduate school advice that I hope everyone receives and keeps close to their hearts, though at times it may be with varying levels of success...Find the thing that clears your head and relieves your stress, and make time for it on a regular basis. For those in relationships, it may be a "date night." It may be an hour you spend with a cup of tea and a book. It may be a show you like to watch on TV, or regular exercise. Whatever it is, once you start classes and the inevitable stress of graduate school begins, this time should become sacred because it will keep you sane in bad times, and keep you happy in good times. It may need to be moved around or adjusted in other ways as group projects and midterms pull at your calendar slots, but the peace it allows you will probably save you time in the long run because you'll still be skipping along when the all-work-no-play types are crawling over the finish line.
As I pour over every bit of literature on the interview process and how to move from "student" to "professionally employed" in 2.5 seconds, I notice that "take care of yourself" is included in pretty much every halfway-exhaustive list. It is also important before this point, as keeping your stress in check and practicing other healthy behaviors in terms of diet and exercise will also keep you healthy when the weather changes (as it is wont to do in Michigan) and the common cold makes it rounds.
In short, take care of yourself, kids. That time you save by skipping your weekly decompression may cost in the long run. Life will find enough ways to stress you out-no reason to make yourself even more vulnerable.
Posted by messelti at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2009
Making Your Exit
Due to the natural ebb and flow of business in graduate life, school year internships usually end right around the time all those final Ps of graduate school (papers, presentations and projects) come due. In the midst of a very busy and usually stress-filled time, the idea of 10 or so extra hours in your week may seem so enticing that you're blinded by the light at the end of the tunnel. And while you don't necessarily have to knit your mentor a sweater and proffer a teary farewell, if any of the following apply, you should make it a point to say a proper goodbye:.
If your mentor
a) is awesome
b) knows your cat's name
c) provided quality guidance, perspective, and/or learning opportunities
...you should plan a proper exit from the position.
Depending on your relationship to your mentor, this may range from an "exit interview" type conversation, to the exchange of baked treats and well-wishes. Here are some suggestions-take from them what applies:
-Make sure your mentor is aware of when your last day will be, and whether any work will be left unfinished when you leave. A week is a good amount of lead time on this-2 hours is not. Ideally, this will provide time for you to tie up any loose ends and gather/give feedback on the experience.
-If you have developed relationships with other employees at the organization, take note (if possible) of the last time you will be working with them, and say goodbye then. Don't limit your goodbyes to those who are working on your last day.
-Write a Thank You letters to your mentor, any higher-ups responsible for your internship (ex. your mentor's supervisor, perhaps), and anyone else who was especially helpful. If this turns into a long list, you may want to consider an writing open letter to the staff. If you're had a total sunshine and rainbows experience, adding sweets can't hurt. (Short on time? A bag of Oreos or other inexpensive/quick treat is still a nice gesture.) Remember that even if you work for free, your training and supervision costs the organization in staff time-often from more people than just your mentor.
-If you wish to keep the option of someday working for your mentor, or someone in the same organization, it is also not a bad idea to take the time to express this. "Hey, you wanna hire me now?" doesn't flow as well as a respectful mention that you've really enjoyed the experience, are thankful for their time and effort, and would be eager to work with them again in the future. Even if they don't do the hiring, they may be a part of or have the ear of someone on a hiring committee somewhere in your future. In fact, they may be even keep their eye open for a position, and alert you when something comes up.
It's all about the networking, kids. I can't say that enough. (In fact, I say that quite a lot in this blog entry.) Making a graceful exit shows respect for your mentor and colleagues, and for the skill-building experience you have completed. It shows that though you are a student, you are already a professional in many respects.
Posted by messelti at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2009
Building Your Network
In less-than-stellar financial times, those of us not already in a solid career must dig deep into our bag 'o tricks to find employment and other opportunities. A key part of this is networking. This doesn't necessarily mean cocktail parties and European air/cheek kisses. It means remaining keenly aware that just as you know things and share this information with people you encounter on a day-to-day basis, so do the people to whom you speak. Information travels through people like...conduct-y stuff. Forgive me, it's finals time 'round these parts.
The lovely people in Career Services held a Q&A session last week that I was able to attend regarding job and internship searches. One thing I noticed was that though first-year students may (though some are definitely NOT) be intimidated by the concept of networking, many second year students (including people like me, who found it to be quite a spooky concept when I arrived at SI) are quite comfortable with it. The truth is, by the time one finishes 3 or 4 semesters at SI, you have done so much casual networking to arrange rides to events, to figure out what classes or if nothing else just to make sure that you're not alone in whatever you're experiencing that the idea of asking around to see who is hiring doesn't seem so bad. So, to anyone out there who is not quite sure where to start when told to "use your network"-I offer the sagacity of my four semesters to you.
First and foremost, networking is the byproduct of conversation, so don't be afraid to talk to anyone and everyone who may have something useful to say.
-For SI students, the SI student lounge is an invaluable asset in student-centered info seeking (ex. class registration, when/how to start the internship search). Even the meek can be caught up in a room-wide conversation about a common stressor or experience. Take part!
-In general, meeting and talking with other professionals is one of those "it can never hurt, it can only help" sort of experiences. Many professional organizations will have occasional meet-and-greets in the area so that people can stay acquainted in the long months between conferences.
-Also, when a specific issue is on your mind, (formal or informal) informational interviews with those in-the-know (local professionals, professors, peers) can yield a lot more than a direct question.
Also, this is a two-way street: put your information out there, too. You can use networking to get information that may help you determine a direction in a job or internship search, or what classes will be most useful in your career, but you can also use it to spread information about yourself past the limits of your own group of friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Think of it in terms of private auto sales. If your friend has a friend who is selling a car at a time when you need one, for a price that you can afford, your friend will be able to connect you to his auto-vending friend ONLY if you have recently mentioned your desire to purchase a new car. Similarly, if you're looking for a job, mention it when you talk to people. Professors, students, alumni, employers-they might not be able to hire you, but they may know someone who can.
So to sum up: Meet people, talk to people, they talk to people-this is the power of the network. By taking part in many conversations, either random or aimed at getting a certain type of information, you can learn a lot more than by limiting communication to direct questions. Also, put your needs out there. Let people know what you're looking for and they'll be able to connect you to people who are looking for the same things. And lastly, of course, reciprocate.
Posted by messelti at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)