The ICC is hiring!

Dear Students,
Looking for an on-campus job or a fun way to gain some work experience? Come work or volunteer at the ICC! We’re currently hiring for both paid and unpaid positions – could you be our next student advisor or even the next Liberal Arts & Business Intern? Read more about it here and apply!

I manage this blog on my own, and hopefully you’ve noticed all the love that I put into it, which attests to how much I love working and/or volunteering for the ICC.  I can’t emphasize enough how much they have helped me to gain such diverse work experience:
- a little bit of event planning from career fairs
- developing interpersonal skills from advising students
- demonstrating initiative by independently working on this blog
- gaining a bit of experience in the field of human resources by reviewing potential student advisors’ resumes and interviewing them; also, from working at the Apple Home-Based Agent (HBA) Recruitment

For example, this summer I worked at a small medical manufacturer as the Administrative Assistant to the President.  I wrote many documents for her such as letters to doctors emails to vendors about policy changes.  I learned that one of the main reasons she had hired me was because of my excellent written skills in technical communication, which I learned here at the ICC from helping so many students with their resumes and cover letters.

I’m currently interning at a non-profit organization in Sacramento and discovered this job because of my colleague, Ken Barnes (w00t for networking!). They did not hire me simply because I knew Ken; they said that they were pleased with my technical background and with my work I put into the blog in reaching out to students. They felt confident in hiring me, and now my main responsibilities include moving information to their new site for future launch of their new site (which, by the way, I find very fun and very similar to managing this blog).

I will be graduating this year, and I honestly believe that I have such a great advantage over other soon-to-be alum because I know how to write a resume and cover letter, understand what employers are looking for, and know how to appear and communicate professionally (Sadly, some students don’t consider these things until after graduation).

Who could ask for anything more? Having the necessary skills to enter the work force, work experience on your resume, and a leg up above the competition? Stop procrastinating and apply already!

Who knows, you could be the next person managing this blog…

Hurry! the deadline is Tuesday, February 16

Warm regards,
Kris

Upcoming Event: Eavesdrop on an Interview

Dear Students,

Never have had an interview? Seem to choke up at some point? Or just want some pointers? Check out Eavesdrop on an Interview and improve those interviewing skills!

From Program Coordinator Lisa Sanders: “Come watch UCD students in a “mock interview. ”  Hear their responses to challenging interview questions. Listen to the feedback they receive from an HR professional.  Learn to interview without being in the hot seat yourself.  Co-sponsored by the ICC and Delta Sigma Pi.  All majors and class levels welcome.”

When: Tuesday, January 26 from 12-1:30pm
Where: 114 South Hall

Welcome back!

Dear Students,

Welcome to Winter Quarter 2010! Oh gosh, it’s already 2010… I hope you’re all well-relaxed and ready to conquer school and the search for your job and/or internship! As always, below are a few events or resources I’d like to highlight:

- Have you checked out our amazing webshops? Our one and only marketing coordinator has put these interesting and informative slides, filled with information on “writing a winning resume,” “prepare for the fair” and more!

- The Engineering & Physical Sciences Fair will be here on Wednesday, January 13 from 10am-2pm at the Pavilion. Don’t let the name of the fair fool you! These companies are also looking for Liberal Arts & Business majors! (On a personal note, it was at this fair that I found out that Macys.com was looking for Textiles & Clothing majors! See what you can find? There’s no reason not to go!). See the list of attending companies right here

- Learn more about the Washington Program by going to an info session for Letters & Sciences on Thursday, January 14 in 114 South Hall at 1:30pm

- Wondering about the Do’s and Don’ts of an interview? Check out Eavesdrop on an Interview on Tuesday, January 26 at 12:00pm in 114 South Hall

For more information on what the ICC has to offer you this quarter, check out our Winter 2010 Program of Events. It can be found to the right under “Useful Sites” > “Program of Events [Winter 2010]“

Warm regards,
Kris

My last wish for 2009…

Photo courtesy of Christine Ang

Dear Students,

Happy Holidays and I wish you all a wonderful New Year’s [Eve]! 2009 has been an interesting year, to say the least.

It may be Winter Break, but I still check this blog every chance I get. A number of you constantly check out “‘I lost my job because of Twitter’”, or “Student Spotlight: Daniel Ooi,” but I also see the search queries about “The phrase of the year is: Budget Cuts,” and “Top 5 Reasons to Become a Textiles & Clothing Major.” With that said, I have one last wish for 2009…

Where do I even start?

I’m a Textiles & Clothing major, and the TXC department has a high risk of closure. Faced with the imminent budget cuts, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) created the Academic Prioritization Committee (APC). The APC released a recommendation report around July 2009 about each department within CAES, and on September 14, 2009, the Dean’s Proposed Action Plan for CAES Academic Prioritization Committee Report was published.

It starts off: “A faculty committee led by Professor MRC Greenwood was charged to advise our college on how to absorb expected significant budget cuts in ways that strategically position us for the future.” The APC recommended the closure of three departments: the Department of Environmental Design, Department of Nematology, and the Division of Textiles & Clothing (TXC).

A number of you within the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences are quite lucky, as your departments will be consolidated (i.e. Community & Regional Development with Human Development, I believe). Unfortunately, Textiles & Clothing is so small that we aren’t even a “department,” we are a “division.” It is merely our size that dictates why there is such a recommendation for closure.

We may be small, but we have much to be proud of, especially because UC Davis  is the only UC  with a Textiles & Clothing program. Or that we have the only textile research institution in the state. And if you’re questioning the importance of textiles and fabrics in today’s world, let me remind you that California has the largest apparel industry and is the second largest cotton producer in the nation.

In the back: Occupational personnel clothing (i.e. military jackets, anti-microbial gowns). In the front: Clothing from top apparel companies (i.e. BEBE, Northface) that employ many TXC alum (Photo courtesy of Ely Estoesta)

Let me clarify: They are not closing the major, they are closing the department. But with the faculty retired or dispersed elsewhere, who will teach our TXC classes? It is our faculty that are responsible for the research and ensuing development on military suits, firefighter jackets, anti-microbial gowns, etc. They continue such research for important stakeholders (i.e. the Occupational Health & Safety Association [OSHA] and the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] to name a few) that utilize this information.

We’re not a frou frou fashion major (I’ve listed my reasons here) – we don’t even design clothes!

I recognize that Dean Van Alfen is simply making a business decision, but I feel that it is one that will potentially hurt UC Davis as one of the nation’s top public research universities. As my last post for the year, I beseech you for your help:

1 – Write to the administration right here. Let your voice be heard. Every email, letter, and/or phone call counts!

2 – Sign our petition. Created by fellow TXC major Samantha Pinnock, we need 1500 signatures PRONTO.

One last thing before I get ready for my new year’s eve…

If you don’t feel the same, then I don’t need your help. I’m trying to educate and motivate, and the last thing I need is another person claiming this to be a “frivolous division” when it is my professors, TAs, and TXC alum who may be ultimately responsible for the very clothes on your back.

Is this our future? (Photo courtesy of Christine Ang)

Wishing for the best in 2010,
Kris

Updated Links!

Dear Students,

I am SO glad that finals are over and that Winter break has officially begun : D (Much luck to the semester school kiddies who still have finals)

Fall Quarter may be over, but the job search and career exploration are not. Just FYI, I’ve updated the “Useful Sites” to the right hand side: I’ve put the link to the 2009-2010 Career Resource Manual, and you also have early access to the Winter 2010 Program of Events! Consider it an early holiday present haha.

Warm regards,
Kris

Student Spotlight: Daniel Ooi

Name: Daniel Ooi

Year: 4^th Year

Major: Managerial Economics

Activities: Breakdancing, dreaming about buying my motorcycle, white-water rafting (when the weather is good)

Organizations:

Delta Epsilon Chi – business club

Alpha Kappa Psi – business fraternity

Breakdancing Club

Past internships:

LogixData – Intern

Brocade Communications – Sales Operations Intern

The MarkeTech Group – Sales & Marketing/Market Research Intern

UCD University Extension – Student Assistant

Integrated Packaging Assembly Corporation – IT Support

Why did you pick your major and continue to pursue it?

I mainly picked Managerial Economics because I really wasn’t sure what to do with my career and figured learning general business skills would be applicable to any job. Truthfully if I could go back, I would have picked a different major (Economics/Mathematics or Economics /Statistics double majors), but I’m content with the way things panned out for me with Man Econ. I’ve had a chance to learn about different fields of business such as accounting, investments, quantitative analysis, marketing, and it’s a real eye opener to what opportunities are out in the working world. As someone who likes working with business operations and talking to people, Managerial Economics was definitely the best major to pursue here in Davis.

What have you done to prepare for your future?

I’ve learned to pursue everything I possibly can in my time here in college. I joined Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity, my freshman year and it has been pivotal in pointing me to the right direction. I have learned many soft skills such as public speaking, interpersonal relationships, and leadership that have already been beneficial in how I function in a company. I started a business club to get others interested in furthering their careers and to put myself in a large leadership role giving me the ability to take on whatever responsibilities I could.

What is one trait that your college experience has cultivated?

Explore, explore, explore. Try everything college has to offer! I had a lot of great family, friends, and mentors growing up who supported me with a lot of my choices and I’ve never regretted anything. I’ve learned to try everything, from getting my motorcycle license, to taking a Zumba class (oddly enjoyable), to taking up internships in different industries. You learn a great amount trying everything and lose nothing from experiencing what the world has to offer.

Be honest, how many times have you come into the Internship & Career Center (ICC)?

More times than I care to admit.  : )

Why or why not?

I used to come in on a monthly basis freshman year to get my resume looked over. Then I started going for advice on my future careers, cover letters, interviews, and workshops (resume, finding a job, etc.) It has definitely been a beneficial resource and probably one of the most underused and important resources on the UC Davis campus. Safe to say, the ICC and Managerial Economics department have seen my face on many occasions.

What is one thing at UC Davis that you wish you could have done?

Of all things, I wish I would have participated in IM sports. This is something every college has and probably the one thing I haven’t had a chance to experience. Maybe if we had video games as an IM sport…

What advice do you have for other students?

Take time to network. Your career is about who you know, not just what you know. Make friends everywhere you go and it’ll come back to benefit you down the line. I’ve been given many opportunities by the people I’ve met in the most random of ways and it’s been enjoyable taking up these endeavors as well as meeting new friends. So learn to not be shy, get out and meet the person you sit next to in class or the people you see on the bus, you never know how they can affect your future.

Upcoming event(s): Fall Internship & Career Fair! and…

It's that time of the quarter again!

Dear Students,

This Wednesday, November 18 is our Fall Internship & Career Fair! You know the deal:  100+ companies there to see you for four hours at the ARC Pavilion!

The ICC Fall Internship and Career Fair
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
10 AM – 2 PM, UC Davis Pavilion

Not sure what to do at the Career Fair?
It’s okay, sometimes I don’t either. For the first time this year, the ICC has a number of webshops that will inform, educate, and ultimately prep you for the fair! You can check them out here. Of course, webshops are only one option. You can see a coordinator at their office hours or a student advisor during their hours.

Don’t forget to check out the list of the companies who are coming!

Kris – what’s with the “and…” ?
Going on simultaneously will be the Community Service Fair – same time, same place! Check out which organizations will be there.

Warm regards,
Kris

Upcoming event: Environmental Internship & Career Fair

Dear Students,

Have you heard the news?

What: the Environmental Internship & Career Fair
When: Thursday, November 5 from 10am-2pm
Where: Freeborn Hall

Thoughts on your mind?

Why isn’t it held in the Pavilion?

When planning for this fair, we wanted the environmental fair to be a little smaller and more intimate for students to meet the employers. I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of meeting with 50 employers (more or less) instead of 200. Don’t worry, the career fair in mid-November will be in the Pavilion, for sure.

Environmental? I don’t think that’s me…

What do you have against the environment, punk!? (haha) There’s nothing wrong with stepping outside of your comfort zone for a little bit. Career fairs help students with finding internships and jobs or just assist with networking in general. Make sure to check out that list of employers that are coming (You can click right here). A number of companies are recruiting all majors. Yes, you read that correctly – all majors. If the light bulb in your head didn’t go off already, I don’t know what else to do. A number of these companies have had great job postings on Aggie Job Link, and you should definitely stop by their table and check them out.

Any other questions? Leave a comment and i’ll try to get back to them! I need to get back to reading this book for ANT2…

Warm regards,
Kris

Welcome back!

Miss studying?

Dear students,

Welcome back! I know, I’m a little late, especially since it’s been about a month since school started! Blame it on the senioritis.  You’re working hard and we are, too. If you haven’t noticed, we’ve changed things around a bit here at the ICC. Just a heads-up:

- Fewer Student Advisors and Coordinators may be around, but check out our resources online! We have our webshops which are a great resource on learning job skills, networking, and resume writing! The best part? It’s available 24/7, so you can tab between a webshop and Facebook (don’t lie, you know you do that too.) Also, you can access the online version of our Career Resource Manual whenever you’d like – it’s right here (or check out the link to the right under “Useful Sites.”

- Still want to see a Student Advisor and/or Coordinator? We have five new general Student Advisors, and you can read all about them here

Warm regards,

Kris

The phrase of the year is: Budget Cuts

Dear Students,

The start of Fall Quarter is fast approaching, and the new school year will usher in new changes, opportunities, and hopes, right? Um, kinda.

If you haven’t heard the news, California’s budget cut situation isn’t looking too good right now. Maybe you haven’t felt its effects, but I think you will soon. I know I have : (

I just want to inform all of you that the overall theme of this blog will be changing in the following weeks. I’ll still try to be helpful & hopeful as always, but I will have to be a little blunt as well. Things can’t stay sugar-coated forever; otherwise, you might get diabetes.

Warm regards,
Kris

I look up "school budget cut cartoons" and this was the only cute thing I could find. REALLY? Riding the A-line in the morning was already like this prior to budget cuts...