by Amy Feifer | Nov 6, 2019 | General |
Talking to professionals in your fields of potential interest is an important exploration tool. It is a way to learn more about the field, to find out if it is a good fit for you, and to gain ideas on how to prepare yourself to enter the field. Alumni are wonderful resources since they had a similar path. These conversations are called informational interviews. Even though you are hoping to learn and gain information from these interactions, you MUST prepare before reaching out to request an informational interview, and you MUST do research in preparation for the actual conversations. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for informational interviews: Research about the person you are requesting to talk to for information and advice. Know what their career path and their educational background have been. Using Haverford Connect and LinkedIn (Haverford alumni page) are helpful resources for this preparation. When talking to the alum or other contact, do not ask basic questions about the field that you should have been able to learn from reading preliminary details about the field (CCPA subscribes to Vault for this purpose). Prepare questions that are specific to the person to whom you will be talking. Think of questions that are relevant to their background and experience. Never ask for a job or internship; you are asking for advice and information. Be mindful of their time. Be on time for the video chat, phone call, or in person meeting. Since these are busy individuals, don’t take too much of their time (~15-20 minutes). Be appreciative. Thank them at the end of the meeting...
by Amy Feifer | Oct 23, 2019 | Career Exploration, General, Networking |
The best way to explore a potential career choice is by speaking with and/or following someone who works in that career. Do an information interview. Learn first-hand about your chosen profession by asking questions about tasks, business environment, and educational background. Shadow a professional. Follow someone in your career choice as they go through a typical day or week on the job. Ask questions and observe the work. FINDING A PROFESSION(AL) Finding someone to interview or shadow is not difficult. Ask your parents and your friends’ parents if they know someone you can interview. Ask your professors for recommendations of professionals in the field. Go to your career center: Many maintain lists of alumni and employers who are willing to help in your career exploration. Next, call or write a letter requesting an information interview or job shadowing. People who like their jobs tend to enjoy talking about them. You compliment the professional by expressing an interest in the career. In your phone call or letter, explain how you found the person you want to interview and request time for an appointment. Emphasize that you want to find out more about the career—you’re not looking for a job. If you’re lucky, the professional you contact may have other colleagues you can interview also. ASKING QUESTIONS Takes notes during your time with the professional. Here are some questions you might ask: What is your typical workday like? What do you like most (and least) about your job? What skills/abilities are most important to succeed in this job? What is your educational background? How did you get started in this field?...
by Amy Feifer | Feb 26, 2019 | General |
CCPA wants to share varied ways for you to develop and learn concrete professional skills over your four years at Haverford and during your summers. Do you want to: Enhance your presentation skills? Learn how to use Excel pivot tables? Tell a compelling story using data for decision making? Do you want to learn to manage projects more efficiently? Do you want to improve your interviewing skills? There are numerous opportunities of which to take advantage to learn and enhance skills of interest. Some ways will take place on campus, some opportunities can be done on your own during a school break. This is not an exhaustive list, but will provide ideas. LinkedIn Learning An online video library with thousands of courses, taught by recognized experts. Examples include: Building Professional Relationships Excel Essentials Training (Office 365) Excel: PivotTables in Depth Improve your Presentation Skills Meeting Facilitation Navigating Awkward Situations at Work Storytelling with Data Time Management Tips Weekly and many more Khan Academy Expert-created content and resources. A sampling of the courses includes: Computer Programming Computer Animation Hour of Code Grad School Test Prep CCPA and other College-sponsored trainings and workshops: Numerous departments on campus periodically offer training and workshops. Examples from the past several years have included: Alumni Interview Coach Program (CCPA) Behavioral Interviewing (CCPA) Case Interview Workshops (CCPA) Crush Your Coding Interview Workshop (CCPA) Emerging Tech Workshops (HIP) Fellowships for Peace and Global Citizenship – Prep workshop and course in the fall (CPGC) Haverford Sites (IITS) How to Do Research Abroad (The Libraries) Impact Challenge (HIP) Innovation Incubator (HIP) Manage Your Data (The Libraries) Pitch your Project...
by Amy Feifer | Nov 23, 2018 | General |
Liberal Arts Career Conference 2019 Sunday, January 20, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This conference is an exciting opportunity for students to hear about the vast array of career possibilities available to liberal arts graduates, while also learning the skills necessary for a successful internship and job search, with interactions with Haverford alumni. The day includes a keynote speaker, an alumni panel, and interactive workshops. Presented by the Center for Career and Professional Advising. YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT IN ADVANCE. Register for this event in Handshake and complete the form to which you are redirected. Registration deadline: December 9, 2018. Schedule: 1:00 p.m. – Registration and Refreshments, Stokes Auditorium 1:30 p.m. – Welcome and Introduction 1:45 p.m. – Alumni Keynote Speaker Ann Marie Baldonado ’94, NPR and WHYY Consultant Formerly with The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, and Fresh Air with Terry Gross 2:30 p.m. – Special Topic Concurrent Sessions · Option 1: Resumes, Cover Letters and LinkedIn · Option 2: Translating your On-Campus Experiences to the Outside World · Option 3: Building Your Network 3:15 p.m. – Break 3:30 p.m. – Lessons from Haverford: Liberal Arts in the Workplace · Melissa Andrews ’09, Cities Major, Senior Planner, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission · Michael Froehlich ’97, Political Science Major, Managing Attorney, Community Legal Services · Erik Muther ’94, Psychology Major, Vice President, Discern Health · Petra Riviere ’96, History Major, Teacher, Bard High School Early College · Jorge Soler ’03, Biology Major, Post-Doctoral Fellow, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, Columbia University 4:30 p.m. – Closing...
by Amy Feifer | Aug 20, 2018 | Career Exploration, General |
The Office of Human Resources oversees the Student Employment Program (SEP). The Center for Career and Professional Advising (CCPA) posts the on-campus jobs in on our Part Time Job Board on the CCPA website. To view the available on-campus jobs, go to the Part Time Job Board. Click on the “On Campus Jobs – Haverford” filter to view the jobs. Each posting contains information about the position, application process, and the contact person. Apply for campus jobs. It is your responsibility to contact and apply directly to the departments for which you are interested in working, completing their application process, which may be an application, an online form, emailing, the contact, or other method. You should tell the departments of your interest and submit your application as directed. Some departments may want to interview you; some may hold an informational session. Do not hesitate to ask what you need to do in order to be considered for the job. During the first two weeks of the first semester, all campus employers give preference to student applicants who have a job as part of the College Grant Financial Aid Package. For this reason it is particularly important and crucial for students who have a job as part of their college grant financial aid package to start the job search early and to apply for jobs during the first 2 weeks of the semester! When you are applying, let the office know that you have a campus job as part of your package. Apply for several jobs. This way if one of the positions is filled, you will still have other opportunities....
