iSchool Career Services Newsletter 12/23/2013

Career Tips

Prepare for the New Year

As you rest up in holiday mode, this is a rare time when you’re given some space to set aside school work and focus on other aspects of your life. This means that right now is a great time to pause and reflect, and maybe to start working on a new years resolution or two. Here are some things I think are worth reflecting on that will help with your career development in 2014:

1. What have you accomplished this past year?

Your accomplishments are important to remember, list them out! If they are professional in nature they will be great material for your resume, and for your interviews. Even more personal accomplishments can be used in an interview as you discuss your soft skills. A third use for accomplishments: reflecting on them helps boost your motivation and confidence, which are critical components of moving yourself forward in your job or internship search. Confidence and motivation will also be critical to your success in your school work come January. So reflect on what you did this year, what you earned, accomplished, and did well.

2. What have you done to support your job or internship search, and how did it go?

This is an important point to reflect on, because if your search is not going as planned, this is a great time to think about why and change course a bit. Have you been delaying your search? That’s ok, but it’s good to acknowledge so that you can motivate yourself to get moving now. Are you getting interviews but no offers? Think about ways you could improve your interviewing so that your next ones go more smoothly. Haven’t heard back from the company of your dreams? What are some new strategies you could try that might help you get good professional connections or that will impress the company and let them know you’re an asset?

3. Set goals.

What would you like to accomplish this next year? What great experiences would you like to have, or skills would you like to develop, that will support your career? The tradition of new years resolutions applies to all areas of our life, so think about personal goals but also professional goals. Support your goals by identifying actions you can take that will move you forward.

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