Confessions of a [Former] Student Adviser

Dear Students,

My time as a Liberal Arts & Business (LA&B) Student Advisor went by too fast, but even if I’m not technically employed by the ICC, I am blessed with this opportunity to explore everything they have to offer (this from an undergraduate who is continually looking for more work experience, of course). I may not be advising students on a one-to-one basis anymore, but nonetheless, I’d like to share some insight from my time last year:

Student Advisors need their resumes and cover letters checked over, too.
Before you question my credibility, let me speak: preparing a resume and cover letter takes a lot of work. And as with any written document you’ve been working on (such as another resume, research paper, or essay), whose eyes have seen it for the past few hours? You. The writer may understand it, but another reader and the rest of the world may not.

So after working on your resume & cover letter for the past hour or two (yes, it does take that long or even more to produce a quality document), you’ll need a fresh set of eyes – that’s what a Student Advisor or Program Coordinator is for Sometimes when we’re the ones in search of constructive criticism, we go to professors, coordinators, and even each other! However, when I am unable to seek another’s advice, I rely on my ICC training and look at my own through the eyes of an employer; after thoroughly reading the job description, I know what the hiring manager is looking for, and that has helped me immensely.

Scared of going to career fairs? ME TOO!
If you’ve ever sought my advice on what to do at a career fair, I’ve told you what to expect, how to prepare and suggestions for attire. When I’m there and try to take my own advice, I freeze up. I have attended the career fairs on campus since my freshmen year, and you’d think that by my fourth year, I would have gotten used to them. I’m dressed professionally, have multiple copies of my resume, and know what I’m about to say, but there’s just something about 100+ employers and 500+ students swarming around the Pavilion that makes me nervous.

The Career Resource Manual is amazing, to say the least.
Every year, the ICC prints hundreds of these manuals, and I wish more students knew about this invaluable resource! If you didn’t read my corny blog post, let me summarize it for you here: the Career Resource Manual has almost everything you need to know for trying to find an internship or job. Don’t know how to start a resume and need a visual? Page 19. Need an example for a cover letter? Page 34. Have a job interview and want to know what questions they might ask? Page 45.

And if my love of this manual/dorkiness still isn’t that apparent, I just don’t know what else to tell you.

Be conscious of disclosing information that might hurt you in the job process.
Applying for jobs and talking to managers and supervisors can be a bit intimidating. However, the minute you meet someone on “your level (such as position or age)”, don’t get so “chummy” to the point that you’re disclosing information that could weigh against you. For example, some advisors assist with the hiring process of the following year’s student advisors. For my team, we reviewed resumes and applications, and even assisted with interviewing. One student emailed me and disclosed that “I have an old recommendation letter [that was obviously meant for another program]; can I use that for the application?”

Sorry, you can’t “reuse” recommendation letters, and it makes it a little worse that you told me so bluntly. Unfortunately, that student did not realize that my input mattered on the selection process.

That’s why it is incredibly important to monitor what you disclose. Same with what you put up online (hint: Facebook. If you’re not getting hired, it could be because when an employer googles your name, they see your Facebook profile picture of your “epic” kegstand)!
It’s basic social psychology – in order to forget something, your mind has to keep reminding itself of what it is, so in essence, you’re not forgetting it at all (I guess I did learn something in PSC151! Thank you, Professor Sherman).

Employers try to be as objective as possible, but disclosing certain information just sticks out in their minds and may ultimately hurt you.

Forget your major (for a second)
Vanessa Webster, Ariela Iringan, Suzanne Grey. These UC Davis alum are successful individuals who are actually working in fields completely different from their major! Webster, a Comparative Literature major, values the analytical skills she developed during her undergraduate and uses that toward her role as CEO of a high-end clothing line. Iringan is one of the many Psychology majors who works in business; she is currently an HR capitol consulting manager with Deloitte & Touche who handles mergers and acquisitions. Grey, an International Relations major, loved what she learned during college, but has a newfound passion of the medical industry; she is President of a successful medical manufacturer, MedDev Corporation.

You’ve heard this information before (as stated by Nohemy Chavez) and you’ll hear it again: Don’t stress, and forget about your major (for just a second).

If you’re trying to figure out what to do after college or looking for an entry-level position, don’t freak out. During the very first few days of training, I learned that approximately 80% of college grads work in a field unrelated to their major. Your first job out of college may not be what you ultimately want to do (also called an “interim” or “temporary” job), but that’s okay! You’re just building up those transferrable skills and figuring out what you do and don’t want to do. There is no certain mapped-out road to success, and your major shouldn’t dictate or restrict what you’ll do in the real world.

It is okay if you are doing something (seemingly) unrelated to your major; everyone else is doing it! And anyone who thinks otherwise should come into the ICC and talk with us. Now, if you’re in engineering or pre-med, that’s a bit different…

Working for the ICC? Best decision ever.
When I applied for this job, I was just looking for a part-time on-campus position that would help me earn some money. I was intimidated by the job requirements and the interviewing process, but I took a chance anyway. I would’ve never thought I would learn so much more than just interpersonal skills; I met an amazing team of people and have extensively built up my network and work experience. I have never worked at a place that has encouraged me so much to grow and excel, and even if this economy is in a slump, I feel prepared to find a job in part to everything I learned at the ICC.

This is one of those jobs that makes me want to come in early, work late, or even dedicate my weekend to it.

I hope these tidbits of my experience last year have given you insight into your future and a peace of mind.

Warm regards,
Kris

Good luck with finals!

Dear Students,

Today was the last day of instruction before finals, yet I still had a presentation, fat paper, and midterm. And now finals!? Sometimes, I feel like this:

Image source: http://www.the-lawn.net/wordpress/comics/2008-12-05-095_2008-12-05_Final-Exam.jpg

Hopefully you don’t feel the same! Good luck!!

Warm regards,
Kris

PS – What are you doing for Spring Break? For the first time ever, I’m going to NYC with the Textiles & Clothing department!! We’ll be hitting up 13-14 different companies for networking purposes and potential internship & job opportunities in the future. We’ve been planning this since August 2009, and it’s finally here! On our itinerary are companies like Pantone (the color company!) and Banana Republic (and of course dining, shopping, and a broadway show or two), but we’re still trying to confirm if we can hit up Victoria’s Secret. Don’t you wish you were a Textiles & Clothing major??

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

“Trust Me Freshmen, You Will Change Your Major!”

[Today's entry is written by guest blogger and fellow LA&B student advisor Nohemy Chavez. Click on her name for more info about the graduating CRD major!]

I have heard it before. Heck, I have lived it! You know, the “I have always wanted to be a (insert prestigious yet difficult occupation here)!”  I, too, was in that boat, coming into UCD wanting to be a Dietician under Clinical Nutrition. And, I too, was in denial and swore that I would not change my major. But I was wrong, and you possibly could too! According to Penn State, “up to 50 percent of college students change their majors at least once before graduation, and some change several times”  (Leonard 2009). And newsflash… it’s okay! Here are some steps to help keep you from large amounts of stress when you have that moment of truth:

1. Say it with me, “It is okay to change my major!”

2. Do some career exploration to figure out your skills, interests, and develop some goals. See a career counselor or take an assessment such as www.cacareerzone.

3.  Take your general education courses so that you are still working towards your 180 units for graduation.

4. Visit the academic advisors of majors you are interested in to find out about which courses you would be taking and what you can do for that major.

5. Once you know your interests or career goal, chose the major that relates and change your major!!

And remember, “up to 80 percent of students entering college admit that they’re not certain what they want to major in, even if they’ve initially declared a major” (Leonard 2009), so don’t be afraid and do what makes YOU happy!

Leonard, Michael J.  ‘Major Decisions…for students exploring majors’ Penn State.
http://www.psu.edu/dus/md/mdintro.htm April 2 2009.

“I lost my job because of Twitter”

DON’T let this happen to you.

“A recent tweet by a would-be Cisco hire illustrates how easy it is to humiliate yourself with microblogging. The candidate, whose identity ultimately was revealed, posted this: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” Cisco replied: ‘Who is the hiring manager? I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.’”

More details about the situation can be read at Helen Popkin’s article “Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less”

There are many components to landing a job, such as a creating a good resume and cover letter, making a good impression with your attire, doing well during the interview, and possessing proper social web etiquette.

The term “social web etiquette” was coined when speaking with ranting to Ken Barnes about students who need better privacy settings on their Facebook (By the way, if there is some other terminology I should be using, please let me know). Look at it this way: If an employer wants to hire you, they find it necessary to find everything about you to see if there is a fit, which includes checking out resumes, calling references, and doing background checks. In this day and age, that may include checking your social networking sites

One may argue: “They can’t look at my Facebook/Twitter/MySpace; that’s private information!”
I argue: Let’s try this exercise. Google your name. What comes up? Stuff from high school? Your comments on this blog? ::gasp:: Is that your Facebook? Or even your Twitter?
Surprise. That stuff is public. Everything on the internet is public. You know what’s creepier than possibly finding your social networking sites through a google search? Realizing how easily it can be done. If you can do it, a seven-year old could probably do it, and now your soon-to-be employer can as well.

One may say: “But my stuff is private!”
I say: Did you pass the google exercise I just had you do? If you did – Well, good for you.

One may say: “If you wouldn’t want your mother to see it, don’t put it up at all.”
I say: That is one way to look at it. Or, just don’t be friends with your mom – simple as that.

What do you think?

What Do YOU Want to See?

Dear students,

The Liberal Arts & Business blog is another way that the UC Davis Internship & Career Center is trying to reach out to our students, letting them know about all the resources available to them. For future blog entries, what would you like to see? As a LA&B adviser, I try to inform others about helpful resources that I would utilize as a student myself.

It’s like what T.I. says – “You can have whatever you like.”

Comment and give us inspiration, so that this blog may be a daily resource for you, just like the Aggie!

Warm Regards,

Your LA&B Student Advisor

Happy Thanksgiving!!