About To Graduate? Here is Something to Consider While Looking For A Job

It is now officially April, and while many students are excitingly waiting for summer break to begin, there are a great many students ready to enter the job force.

With that in mind, it is important to be prepared. I am not just talking about having your resume updated, making a list of potential employers, and doing practice interviews.

While all those things are important, it is more vital to take the time to sit down and take the opportunity to determine what it is you really want to do.

This doesn’t mean that there is where you will start up; many times you have to start somewhere just to get your foot in the door. However, having a plan gives one a sense of purpose.

In addition to having an ultimate dream job in mind, I urge you to take that a step further and find something in your field that you would love to wake up every morning and go to work.

Call me crazy, but I feel that it is basic human right to go to work everyday and enjoy what you do.

Now, I know this may not be a reality for every person; we all make sacrifices for other things that we find as priorities.  I also know that many people would consider my philosophy about the work force naïve, but honestly I don’t care.

I truly believe that we, as “worker bee’s”, are happier working in something we care about.

As a photographer, the term starving artist comes to mind, but I would rather be a starving artist that a miserable anything else.  I realize that you may not, and that is why you need to determine your workforce priorities.

So as graduation (much to your horror) approaches, I urge you to take the time before you start applying to consider your what is important to you, what you want to do, and how to get there.

After all, you are just starting in the work force; do you really want to be anything but happy for the next 40 plus years in the job force?

Exactly!

Job Fairs

      We are all going to have to go through one of these especially if we have to work to find a job in the real world after graduation.What you could expect is a one to two people at a table and a room, FILLED, packed tight in a room.

1.The best way to go about this is to create a rotation. I prefer to start where you would think others will finish. This way you are the first fresh face they see and be the first impression they get. 
2. Take ALL of the information they have provided on their tables. Once you leave take a minute and jot down a few notes if you really liked the potential job and what made them stand out in your head.
3. Do not leave until you feel you truly got something out of this experience. Whether or not your willing to relocate you have the opportunity to meet people, talk, and potentially have an interview!
4. When all is said and done go home to email them or write them a snail mail thank you card. This shows what kind of a kind, driven person you are.
5. Make a list of all of the potential jobs your interested in. Separate everything out on paper including the contact information of the person you met at the fair.
6. Don't give up. 
       I know I am still a current senior dreading the real world but I know that I cannot give up. I am very motivated and willing to move to find the perfect teaching job for me. The moment you give up is the moment you will regret when you have graduated and have no plans yet for the future. Continue to strive to be the person you want to be with your ideal job!

10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Second Semester Senior Year

To All College Seniors,

The time has come when you start calling yourself a second semester senior. This is a time when you will cry about all the "last times" you do your favorite and least favorite things. The last fraternity party, the last night of your lease with your friends, or even the last time in the library (if you ever went before). These are all experiences that will be only memories in a few months.

Luckily, you still have one more semester to make the most of your time in college. This means taking advantage of ALL aspects of being a college student. Here are some suggestions to really make your last semester your most memorable one.

1. Make smaller resolutions. We all know it's a new year and there are things we want to work on. This year, consider creating more manageable short-term goals instead of attempting larger, more generalized resolutions. Check out this article with some suggestions: http://elitedaily.com/life/25-new-years-resolutions-every-person-should-actually-make-for-2014/

Or, you know, you can go in this direction: http://www.buzzfeed.com/joannaborns/realistic-new-years-resolutions#.nda5Vzbve

2. Find an internship. Believe it or not, you still have time to get an internship for this upcoming semester. Time to get some experience for your resume! While making Dean's List is impressive, most employers are really looking for experience. You can find internships or similar opportunities on your university's website, through word-of-mouth from friends, family friends, or classmates, and even from a search on Google. Remember, even unpaid internships are worth the invaluable experience!

3. Or get a part-time job. If money is tight and you cannot locate paid internships, there are other ways to get experience. In fact, that side job will help you improve many professional skills such as time-management, customer service, or communication. Plus, it will be helpful financially while you search for a full-time job after college.

4. Go out on a random night of the week. You still have a few months left when it is considered acceptable to go out every night of the week. If you have been doing well in school throughout your college life, time to celebrate your hard work. Party with the friends you will have forever along with the people you will leave behind at that bar. College is a tough balance of social life, school work, and sleep, but it is definitely possible to do it all! Well, at least do the first two.

5. Visit career services. Your university has this resource for a reason! This office can help you with writing a resume and cover letter, finding and applying to jobs, and interviewing. Check me out in this documentary series discussing how Rutgers University Career Services helped me get my dream internship: http://vimeo.com/99563486

6. Skip class to go to the bar. This may look like terrible advice, but now is the time to take risks and have fun! As long as this isn't a frequent choice, skipping a regular class to go to happy hour one time will not be a time you regret next year.

7. Maintain your college friendships. Figure out which of your college friends are the ones that make you feel the happiest. Keep them close and show them that they mean a lot to you. Even though they may not live near you after graduation, you can definitely keep those friends for a lifetime.

8. Keep on top of your schoolwork. Yes, I did say to skip a class. But you are ultimately at college to get a degree. Get good grades by keeping your notes and list of assignments organized, getting to know your professors, checking your email inbox at least every other day, and answering/asking at least one question in class. I know it's hard not to take a Snapchat selfie, but try to keep your phone away during class to avoid getting distracted from taking notes.

9. Stay involved on campus. I never said making the most out of your college experience would be easy, but it is worth every minute you lose of sleep. If you are part of a community service project, a leadership organization, a theater troupe, or a sorority, you may feel like you are burnt out from these clubs. Don't give up just yet! These clubs helped you make great friends while participating in fun and rewarding activities. All of these clubs are still just as enjoyable as long as you stay an active part of it.

10. Be nice to everyone. Hopefully, you are already doing this one. Being considerate to everyone whether they are friends, acquaintances, or strangers will make you feel better about yourself. Those people will most likely remember you for your kindness. And hey, they may just have the connections you need for your first job!

Student Teaching

     These past few weeks have flown by. I have a third grade classroom right outside of my town of Kutztown. These kids all have grown to be people I look forward to seeing day after day. Being on Thanksgiving break and not seeing them for five days felt beyond strange. I didn't like it at all. It is nuts to think that a little more than a month ago I did not know any one of these twenty one beautiful kids. 
      Every single one of them has a spark. This spark is for their character, their passion, their drive, and their learning ability. No, we are all not perfect, but it doesn't matter, with these kids they can be. They try so hard and push to make everything they do the best they can do. I loved working with the whole class teaching pronouns, and about holidays or working one on one trying to improve students multiplication. 
      These twenty one students help prove to myself that teaching is the job I was always supposed to do. I came into the classroom with doubts, and being unsure that I had worked three long, hard years studying something that I didn't know was for me. I learned how much of a true teacher I am. I have discipline, I have strength, I have patience, and I have lots and lots of love. I couldn't see another future for the rest of my life other than teaching. It is such a rewarding career and one I know I will look forward to for the rest of my life.

My American Holidays Text Set