Category: career resources

Posted on

Tips for First-Generation Job Seekers

In honor of First-Generation College Student Day celebrated yesterday, we would like to a give special shout-out to our first-generation students and alumni who are continuing to blaze a trail for themselves, their families, and communities and making their mark in the field of social work!

If you are currently pursuing opportunities as early career professionals or seeking to advance to leadership roles, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

    • Know that you have a lot to offer. Start by embracing the knowledge and strengths you’ve built. Your resourcefulness, determination to succeed, and ability to both navigate uncertainty and complex systems and adapt to changing needs are all qualities that employers highly value. Keep a record of your unique skills and accomplishments and practice sharing them with others so you can feel confident conveying them to prospective employers.
    • Build a support system. A healthy support system can offer validation and a safe space to bounce off ideas and concerns. Continue investing time in developing your trusted community of mentors, professionals, former supervisors, peers, faculty, and college administrators who can share resources, information, and potential access to opportunities. To find community on campus, check out the events hosted by the Graduate Initiative through University Life and reach out to the student leaders of the CSSW’s First Generation Lower SES Caucus.
    • Be proactive in seeking resources. Continue to use resources inside and outside of Columbia to increase your knowledge around job searching, networking, negotiating salary, and advancing in the workforce. For instance, you can learn about the unspoken rules of the workplace and how to get ahead in your career from this HBR IdeaCast episode, Career Rules You Didn’t Learn in School, take a self-paced salary negotiation program with AAUW online, or attend the National Urban League’s professional development webinars. You can also participate in networking and leadership development activities through professional organizations such as the Network for Social Work Management. Links to similar resources are also readily featured in our enews, blog, and Career Connect resource library.

Students and alums are always welcome to meet with us for individual career consultations. Learn more about what’s available to you here.

Posted on

Flash mentoring is back – Sign up to get career advice and support from alumni!

The Office of Alumni Relations and Office of Career Services and Leadership Management are pleased to resume our career mentorship program for the spring semester!

The program will run from Monday, February 1 through Friday, May 28. Requests will be accepted until Friday, May 14.

 

Mentoring Program Overview

Through this program, students can request to connect with up to 3 alums per month for 1:1 conversations to:

    • Gain insights and perspectives about a career path, field, organization, or industry;
    • Get advice about career planning, searching and applying for jobs (including resume writing), networking, interviewing, or navigating life after CSSW; OR
    • Seek support in general from someone who’s been in your shoes as a student

Interested?

    1. Fill out this mentoring program interest form. On the form, you will find a link to a directory with a list of more than 300 alumni volunteer mentors who are eager to meet you! Select the one you’re interested in meeting. Note that you will have to complete this form for each request.
    2. After submitting the form, you will receive an email confirmation as well as an introductory email from Jennifer March from Alumni Relations connecting you to the alum of choice within a few business days. If you don’t hear from Jennifer in that time frame, please email her directly at [email protected] to follow up.
    3. Once you receive the email, it will be your responsibility to arrange a meeting directly with the alum using the contact information provided. While Zoom meetings are recommended, you can choose a platform that works best for both you and the alum.

Remember: This is NOT a forum to ask for a job or a recommendation for a job, but rather an opportunity to gather valuable information based on their knowledge and expertise.

After the initial meeting, it will be up to you and the alum to decide whether to continue to stay in touch.

Questions?

For general questions about our alumni mentors, please email Jennifer March at [email protected].

For guidance on how to prepare for a meeting, refer to our Informational Interview Guide. You can also view free, on-demand webinars on informational interviewing (and other career development topics) from LinkedIn Learning, or schedule an appointment with the career team to discuss further.

We hope you take advantage of this special opportunity!

Posted on

Making the Most of Informational Interviews

Does the idea of conducting informational interviews feel intimidating?

Consider thinking of them as “curiosity conversations”—opportunities to make meaningful connections with folx in your field and gain insights and advice that will help you move forward in your career development.

If you missed our information interviewing webinar last week, here are some key takeaways:

    • Clarify your interests, needs, and goals to assess what knowledge and insights will help you move forward in your career exploration.
    • Identify contacts from your network who possess the background or expertise in your area of interest, including through the CSSW LinkedIn Group or career mentoring program for students.
    • Prepare a brief overview of your professional experience and an agenda for the meeting to ensure you leave with your “must” takeaways.
    • Ask thoughtful questions that can provide actionable insights and build upon what you already know.
    • Make sure to follow-up with a thank you note and keep the contact up-to-date on your progress.

You can find the presentation slides in Career Connect within our Document Library under the Workshops / Webinars / Presentations folder.

Posted on

Welcome Fall 2020 Students!

The Office of Career Services and Leadership Management would like to extend a warm welcome to our Fall 2020 class!

We look forward to meeting you and discussing your career plans as you further your education and training to promote social justice, equity, inclusion, and the overall well-being of others as anti-racist practitioners.

Want to get a head start on the conversation? Join us on Thursday, September 3 at our Career Q&A session for new students! See details within your Orientation materials.

Career Connect

Later this week, you will be receiving access to our exclusive career management system, Career Connect!

Please keep an eye out for a welcome email from: [email protected] (It’s not spam!). It will include instructions on how to schedule appointments, register for future career events, access career-related resources, and more.

Posted on

Asking Powerful Negotiation Questions

Establishing your value and asking for more is not a selfish act, says Alexandra Carter, Director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School and author of Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything. Instead, it primes others on how to value you and those who will come after you.

Negotiating is also more than asking for a higher salary and includes intangible benefits such as recognition for your achievements and mentorship and training opportunities. Asking questions is the most underutilized practice in a negotiation strategy, notes Carter. Some powerful questions she suggests asking yourself in any negotiation process are:

    • What’s the problem I want to solve and how? This can help frame what you want to ask for and how you ask for it.
    • What do I want from this negotiation? Consider both tangible and intangible needs.
    • What am I afraid of? Air out your emotions and hesitations by writing them down. Once you acknowledge your feelings, you can move forward to creating a strategy with confidence.
    • Where have I successfully advocated for myself or others in the past? In evaluating the strategies you’ve used and simply thinking about a prior success, you are more likely to do better in negotiating.

Remember, whatever you want to ask for, keep it optimistic, specific, and justifiable. Learn additional tips including how to boost your confidence going into a negotiation by listening to this episode on the How to be Awesome at Your Job podcast.

Written by Rawlisha Pena, Assistant Director of Career Services and Leadership Management, August 25, 2020

Posted on

Welcome Advanced Standing Students!

Welcome Advanced Standing Students!

The Office of Career Services and Leadership Management would like to extend a warm welcome to our Advanced Standing students!

We look forward to meeting you and discussing your career plans as you further your education and training to promote social justice, equity, inclusion, and the overall well-being of others as anti-racist practitioners.

Want to get a head start on the conversation? Join us on Thursday, July 30 at our Career Q&A session for new students! See details within your Orientation materials.

Career Connect

Later this week, you will be receiving access to our exclusive career management system, Career Connect!

Please keep an eye out for a welcome email from: [email protected] (It’s not spam!). It will include instructions on how to schedule appointments, register for future career events, access career-related resources, and more.

Proudly powered by WordPress