I recently had the humbling privilege to experience what job rejection feels like. The word “humbling” is the key word in this entry because it truly allowed me to feel what thousands of Americans are feeling in the current economic situation we are experiencing. I never had a hard time getting a job before, but that might be due to the fact that I have been employed prior to the financial meltdown.

I was applying to get a summer research position with the CNS on campus where I would get the opportunity to study the societal effects of nanotechnology—something new for a change. I went through the usual freak-out mode most people go through after they have their interview and wonder, “did I talk too much? did I talk too little? Maybe they didn’t like me?” These were the questions that were racing through my head for a week after the interview.

I was so set on getting this internship that I did not even think twice about the fact that I might not even get it. I had this mindset that I would automatically get the internship. Little did I know that times have changed. I always hear people say no one is hiring in this job market, but now that it has hit close to home for me I see that it takes a lot more than just landing an interview to guarantee a job or internship.

I feel as if the interview itself actually went well, but from this experience I have learned that you win some and you lose some. I learned that I need to keep a level headed mindset every time I apply to a job. Aside from these points I have also realized that it is important to use multiple resources when on the job hunt.

By multiple resources I mean being creative in what types of jobs and internships you apply for so that you can get the highest amount of offers. In my experience I applied to only a select few internships because I was neglecting the internships I felt were too easy to get. Now I realize that by applying to out of reach, medium range, and easily attainable internships or jobs. This way I could have more options when it comes to choosing what internship to take and having back up internships.

Now that the initial rejection has come and gone I have realized that not getting jobs and call backs is all a part of the career process. Determination is key and not giving up is essential in succeeding in any career. I learned that this persistence will ultimately pay off in the future and even though I might have learned this the hard way, at least I learned it. You have to face adversity to know the worth of what you do have. With that being said, I have now gained knowledge here and there about what it takes to make it in the job market.

Last week, I wrote about the importance of getting involved on campus and at work.  Getting first-hand experience in a certain field does not only enhance your resume, but also your skill set, interview material, and mindset. Employers are increasingly making leadership skills a higher and higher priority in their potential future employees. And for that reason student organizations dedicated to providing their students with leadership training are appearing all over college campuses.

During my freshman year, I joined the National Society of Leadership and Success- UCSB chapter. In order to gain the benefits offered by the Society, there was a set ofrequirements that I, along with all other hopeful members, had to complete before becoming a full member. They include attending three video broadcasts during which professionals, entrepreneurs, and motivational speakers give advice to college students and future leaders; partaking in three success networking team meetings, in which small groups of students discuss their goals and achievements; and one leadership training day, which includes a variety of lessons and activities. Once these requirements are fulfilled, members have access to the website’s resources, letters of recommendation, and an exclusive job bank. Most importantly, we have been provided with professional leadership training that will be a great asset in any future endeavor.

In order to enhance this training, I took on leadership roles within the organization. During my sophomore year, I became the co-promotions coordinator with one of my friends. We were responsible for creating advertisements for our events and distributing/posting them around campus. Having only a light load of responsibilities was a great way to ease myself into a position of leadership. However, it proved to be a great introduction into what running an organization means and how to pull off successful events.

The following year, I became president of the Society. In this role, I learned more about successful communication, event planning, leadership skills, and organizational skills than I had in any other position I had previously occupied. Throughout the year, I maintained contact with our campus’ members, other officers, our faculty advisors, and representatives of the national office. I helped envision and execute fundraisers, weekly meetings, and the end-of-the-year induction ceremony. I scheduled a sufficient number of broadcasts, success networking team meetings, and leadership training days to ensure that pending members would have enough opportunities to complete their requirements during a ten-week quarter. All in all, I feel that I gained a great deal of experience from which I will benefit in the future.

I really believe that the best way to learn about anything is to actually experience it. Engaging in an activity, whatever it may be, will always be the most efficient and effective way of understanding it. While it can be quite easy to forget something that you heard or read, it is usually far more unlikely to do so with a skill or talent you learned through first-hand experience with it. So, keep in mind that simply joining a group will never be as beneficial as actually attending all of the events or taking on a position of leadership. Next time you join a campus organization remember to get truly involved in its vision, meetings, and activities.

Why are majors always so hard to decide on? Is it the pressure from parents and friends telling you to do this or to do that? There is always the, "Hey, you seem like you'd be a good bio major!" How would they know if I would be good at something if they are not me. So what I decided to do was to stop listeneing to other people's advice and to start listening to myself. I know that I wanted to learn more about social activism and ways that others have dealt with injustices. I never really knew what kind of major would deal with these types of issues. After taking Soc 1 in the fall Quarter of my freshman year I definitely knew I was going to be a Soc major.

Despite knowing that I felt a calling to study Sociology I also knew I would have to plan my career very seriously becasue like most humanities majors, the pay outlook may not be as high if you do not strategically plan a path to get you to where you want to be academically and financially. The type of deep understanding that I was able to gain from this class and all other Soc classes I have taken at UCSB really solidified my decision to declare Sociology as my major. I never thought I would find a major that deals with issues I think about daily. The funny thing was that understanding the course work just came naturally to me because type of issues that are taught in Sociology classes deal with issues I have felt passionate about my entire life. I feel this comfort level is definitely one of the main factors that frequently keeps me interested in pursuing a degree in the field of Sociology.                        

I definitely had a hard time when I was trying to convince my parents that this would be a suitable major for me to grow in. Their concerns mainly dealt with the job outlook for this field. For them, they only saw me being able to be a professor or do research work if I majored in Sociology. ONe thing that helped win hem over a little bit was telling them that are way more options available for careers than becoming a professor—especially since I am planning on doing graduate school after my academic career here at UCSB.    

Sure there are setbacks to this major...just like there are to all majors....such as trying to figure out what the heck I am going to do with a B.A. in Sociology after college since the major is so broad. However, the thing I have found helpful about this "broadness" is the fact that having such a wide-ranged foundation can play into one's own advantage when applying to graduate school because there are many programs that Sociology majors can qualify to study in such as: public policy, non-profit management, social worker, etc.

The cool thing about the Sociology Department is that its like a tight-nit community. This has been extremely helpful for me because of the fact that I have been able to get to know the professors and advisors on much more intimate level. This is definitely rare to find in other departments on our campus. This also allows for awesome accessibility to great resources, such as research opportunities within the field. Doing the research on majors realy helped me choose my major and I am very happy with the result so far.              

So I have spent all year debating whether or not I want to take a year off. Then, last quarter (winter) I finally decided I needed to take some time off from school. At first I felt disappointed because I had always planned on continuing school immediately. Additionally, all of my friends had been accepted and were planning on attending grad school, which did not make me feel more confident about my decision. However, after thinking about it for weeks I realized that taking a year off was an opportunity for me to do anything. I was free to experiment with my life before committing myself to school again.

Despite this newfound opportunity, I still needed to search for a job. I knew this wouldn’t be an easy task, but I began my search early in December. Ideally, I wanted short term work because this would motivate me to complete my law school applications. Seeking short term commitments led me to Americorp, a U.S. government program offering opportunities to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national non-profit groups. I had been interested in Americorp programs mainly because most opportunities lasted for about a year and at the end of my service I would receive an education award of $4,725 that I could use for law school.

Through Career Services, I stumbled across an opportunity to work for City Year, an organization associated with Americorp that focused on working with children in low performing schools. I decided to apply, but the application process was not simply a resume and cover letter. The application required thought because it asked me to answer essay questions regarding social issues I was interested in and my reasons for applying to the organization. After working on the application for several weeks, I finally submitted it. A few days after submitting the application, I received a call to schedule a phone interview that would last approximately 15-20 minutes. The interview would be for the following week and I immediately turned to the resources at Career Services.

Working as a career peer advisor, I had constantly given advice to students preparing for interviews, but now I needed to prepare for my own. Since the interview would be conducted over the phone I prepared an outline that I could quickly refer to. Additionally, I researched the primary purpose and goals of City Year on their website. I used what I had found to formulate my outline, drawing from all of my experiences over the past four years. I wanted to create diversity in my responses, in an attempt to not repeat myself during the interview. After reviewing my outline and the City Year website I felt confident that I was well-prepared for my interview.

The next morning I woke up early, reviewed my materials, and relaxed. The interview took approximately fifteen minutes and I was certain I had represented myself well. Afterwards I sent a thank you email to my interviewer thanking her for taking the time to speak with me. The following day I received a phone call for a second interview and I was ecstatic, yet frightened because this would require more preparation.

As college students, I’m sure you have all been told several times how important it is to get involved in the various opportunities your campus has to offer. Joining ateam, becoming an active member of a campus organization, or simply attending social events are all ways of doing so. With so many choices, though, how should you decide which opportunities to take advantage of and which are just not worth your time?

First and foremost, consider which options sound the most appealing to you. If joining the human rights group or working for the school newspaper does not interest you, it doesn’t matter how good either will look on your resume—you won’t gain much from the experience at all. In order to truly take useful and valuable knowledge away from a position you hold, whether it be as a teammate, a co-worker, or a leader, you must enjoy what you are doing and feel passionate about what you are working for.

While engaging in activities or jobs that help boost your resume is definitely of great importance, it should not be the only thing causing you to take on such a responsibility. However, if you yearn to be a lawyer and the District Attorney’s office hires you as an intern, you have every reason to devote your time and energy to excelling in the position. In other words, take advantage of the opportunities that bring you closer to achieving a goal about which you are passionate or landing a job in the industry of your dreams upon graduation, but don’t waste your time on those that don’t matter to you.

Another thing you should consider is how much of your time you are willing to spend on an opportunity to be involved in campus life. As a student, your first priority must be to do well in your classes. If you’re getting straight Cs, don’t expect the top medical schools to accept you just because you are working at Student Health, interning at the local hospital, and volunteering at a women’s clinic. While those are indisputably all great things to be doing if being a doctor is your calling, your grades must be up to par as well. In other words, don’t let your extracurricular activities hinder your ability to excel academically. If your internship or job is soaking up too much of your time, find an opportunity more conducive to your schedule and workload.

Lastly, keep in mind that any experience is only as good as you make it. You should be devoted to excelling and actively learning in any position you hold or job you undertake. Simply slapping a name or company on your resume won’t get you very far if you have nothing to show for it. Future employers will want to know what skills you acquired from interning for a company. So, if all you did while you were there was get your supervisor coffee and make photocopies, putting that internship on your resume probably will not mean much. 

In conclusion, get involved with the opportunities that interest you, don’t let them affect your schoolwork, and be proactive and driven in any task you undertake. Not only will you have something to add to your resume, but you will have learned some important lessons and enhanced your college experience along the way!

The beginning of this quarter brings forth new opportunities. I am very excited to explore the aspects of sociological research in the research methods class I am taking. I feel like this research experience will help prepare me for graduate school because the skills I will gain from this course will apply to research I will conduct while in grad school. Grad schools look for relevant coursework as well as research experience in order to help them determine whether or not students will be able to succeed in their programs.

I started to ask questions in class about how this course could help out in grad school and it sparked discussion amongst my colleagues in the class that I was not expecting. Another good thing is that the instructor for this course is a graduate student so building this relationship with her has helped me gage the importance of student-teacher relationships. I strongly recommend talking to professors and forging friendships because they really do have great advice to give—especially if someone is thinking about going to grad school.

In my decision to take a research methods course I have found that conducting research is actually fun and not as bad as most people make it out to be. I could see myself in graduate school doing research that inspires me. Being an undergrad student one of the leading research universities in the world has allowed me to build a good foundation in conducting research and now that I see graduation coming up in the horizon I feel that graduate school might actually be a good option for me.

I plan to make more research intensive classes during the rest of my time here at UCSB. The reason I decided to do this is because it will allow me to build my portfolio in terms of research experience and it will also allow me to compile samples of my research work. In the application process for gaining admission to grad school, some institutions request that students submit writing samples to help the assess a students writing ability and thinking processes. I know that in order to gain admission to the schools I want to go to I would need to have stellar examples of my research experience and my intellectual capacity.

Another step to take in planning my graduate school career is researching the programs I want to gain admission to. I have found that some schools require applicants to take certain courses before applying to their programs, so by researching those requirements now I will be able to plan ahead and complete these requirements in time to be eligible to apply in the winter of my senior year.

The planning process for grad school is just as important as the planning process was for college. Taking the time out to do this planning now in my junior year will be beneficial to me in the future, and I hope that my experiences in the research methods course I am taking can allow to me gain the skills I will need when in grad school.