Category: career tips

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Getting Started with the Job Search Process

Whether you plan to apply for a summer internship or post-grad opportunity, there are steps you can take now to prepare, including drafting a target list of employers. You can begin this process by:

  • Researching organizations you want to work for based on their mission and impact. Not sure where to start? Check out the links in the Employer Research folder within the Document Library of Career Connect.
  • Identifying opportunities within these organizations that align with your knowledge, skills, and interests.
  • Making connections and conducting informational interviews with people working at these organizations in roles that you hope to attain.

Learn more at our Job Search Workshop on Tuesday, October 27 from 1:00 to 1:50 PM in Room C06! There will be another workshop for those seeking summer opportunities on Thursday, November 14.

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Tips on Sharing Your Value with the Wider Community

Last Wednesday, we were excited to welcome back alumna Josie Rosario LMSW ’19, MSEd, a NYC-based therapist and founder of Healing Strategy, a brand and marketing consultancy for therapists, to share insights on how to develop a personal brand and enhance your professional marketability while in school, especially using digital platforms.

A couple takeaways included:

  • Being clear about (and staying true to) who you are, and how you want to serve the world using your strengths and expertise
  • Knowing who and where your target audience is, whether online or offline, and focusing on nurturing a relationship with them based on their needs and interests
  • Leveraging various resources and tools including social media and personal connections to broaden your reach

Thank you, Josie, for sharing these insights and many other tips, as well as your personal story on how you implemented these successfully in your own journey!

Missed the workshop? Check out the presentation slides in the Document Library within Career Connect under the Workshops/Webinar folder. You can also make an appointment with career services via Career Connect.

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Managing Your Personal Brand

Whether you know it or not, you have a brand.

For better or for worse, how you communicate and engage with others, whether in person, online, or on paper, shape the reputation of who you are and what you bring to the table. It can be as simple as an email you sent to a supervisor, a brief interaction you had with a peer, or a status you posted on your social media page — people will judge:

Do you communicate clearly and concisely? Are you respectful? Do you have a positive attitude? What do you stand for? Would I want to work with you?

Regardless of whether these perceptions ring true, they don’t always represent how you may see yourself or hope to be seen. However, you have the power to change this.

Personal branding is the practice of developing and managing your reputation based on the value you bring to the world. If you take ownership of this process and do it well, it may not only improve your image but also raise your visibility and access to new opportunities.

A good starting point is determining what you want your brand to be, auditing your existing brand, and refining it to better showcase your strengths and personality. A few questions you can ask yourself are:

  • Who are you? What’s important to you, and what makes you unique?
  • Are these aspects of you accurately reflected in your professional interactions? Social media profile? Resume?
  • Do they come across authentically and credibly?

Read additional tips on personal branding on Idealist Careers and/or attend our upcoming workshop on Wednesday, October 16 with Josie Rosario ’19 to learn more about how you can build your brand and enhance your marketability.

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Build Your Brand with Josie Rosario ’19 | Wednesday, October 16

Join us for an exciting workshop led by CSSW Alumna, Josie Rosario ’19!

Building Your Brand: Strategies to Enhance Your Marketability While in School
Wednesday, October 16, 12:30 – 1:30 PM
CSSW Room 301

Register

This is a great opportunity to learn how to effectively define and communicate your personal brand and increase your marketability for future opportunities.

About the Presenter

Josie M. Rosario, LMSW ’19, MSEd is an NYC-based therapist, who helps individuals and couples improve their self and relational awareness while supporting their journey towards feeling whole and being well. As the founder of the Healing Strategy, a brand and marketing consultancy for therapists, she supports private practice clinicians increase their visibility and impact. Josie splits her time between private practice, leading the Healing Strategy, and a mental health clinic.

Josie earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, a master’s degree in education from Hunter College, and graduated with distinction from Columbia University’s School of Social Work. Josie was an early participant of Business Essentials at Harvard Business School and the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio. She is also a trainee in family and couples therapy at the Ackerman Institute for the Family.

Josie is a native New Yorker, a proud Black Dominican-American woman, a die-hard Golden Girls fan, and deeply committed to continuing to manifest her ancestors’ wildest, most fiercest dreams.

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Careers in Development with Angelie Singla ’06

Last Wednesday, we had the pleasure of learning about careers in development from Angelie Singla ’06, who spoke about her own journey in the field and how she leveraged her social work background to secure funding for her organizations. Many social work skills and attributes were discussed, including the ability to:

  • Understand the needs, goals, and mission of an organization;
  • Build and cultivate relationships with both donors and internal stakeholders across the organization; and
  • Persuasively communicate and advocate for a cause and inspire others to invest in the issues, whether through grant proposals or other fundraising campaigns.

Thank you, Angelie, for sharing your story, insights, and tips on this career path!

Want to learn more about careers in development? Conduct informational interviews with professionals in the field and explore resources and associations such as Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFPNET), Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Candid (merge of the Foundation Center and GuideStar).

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Strategies for Successful Student-Alumni Networking

Networking and informational interviewing are critical tools for career success, whether you are a student or seasoned professional.

Specifically, they can help you:

    • Learn about different careers and industries
    • Gain insider knowledge about specific positions or organizations
    • Discover “hidden” opportunities
    • Build a network of contacts for information-sharing, mentorship, and partnerships
    • Gain visibility in the field

Student-Alumni Networking Events are particularly valuable because they provide students an opportunity to connect with alumni who have an interest in sharing their insights and advice and can relate to their educational experience.

Whether you are networking in a formal or informal setting, consider the following strategies:

    1. Keep the goal in mind. The objective of networking or informational interviewing is to gather information, not to ask for a job. If done effectively, it can lead to valuable contacts and information regarding potential opportunities.
    2. Conduct a self-assessment of your goals and interests. It’s okay if you’re not exactly sure what you want to do; however, you should have a general sense of your skills, goals, and interests so that you can ask targeted questions that can help you move forward.
    3. Prepare an introduction. How you introduce yourself will influence how you’ll be remembered. To make a strong first impression, be ready to share a quick introduction on who you are, what you do or have done, and what you hope to learn. Be sure to bring business cards if you have them.
    4. Do your research. Learn as much as you can about your prospective new contacts using online resources such as LinkedIn. They have invested time out of their schedule to meet with you; invest time to learn as much as you can about them.
    5. Develop a list of questions. Conversations will be more productive if you prepare a list of relevant questions in advance. Examples:
      • How did you market your social work skills and experience to land your current role?
      • What classes were most valuable for the work you’re leading? 
      • What recommendations do you have for those interested in following your career path?
    6. If you’re in a group setting, provide opportunities for others to engage. You can learn a great deal from listening to and showing interest in others. It is also the courteous thing to do!
    7. Follow up. Make sure to send a thank you note to the contacts you made and stay in touch with any updates, especially if they provided specific advice or leads that were helpful. Go a step further and offer to serve as a resource for them in the future. Ultimately, meaningful networking is about cultivating a mutually beneficial relationship.
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Welcome Back to the Fall Semester

Welcome back to a new school year! We hope you had an enjoyable summer break.

Appointments: Please note that our full appointment schedule is now posted on our career management system, Career Connect. Appointments can be booked up to six weeks in advance, with extended hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and are available in person, by phone, or via Zoom. To schedule, simply log into Career Connect, then go to Advising > General Advising > Add Appointment. We’re here to help you update your resume, prepare your career action plan, explore career options, and more!

You may also stop by without appointments during Drop-In Hours, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:00 PM for brief 10-15 minute meetings. Students will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Please make sure to check these weekly announcements for any changes to this schedule.

Workshops and Events: We also have a number of events coming up, including our Art of Networking Workshop being held on Wednesday, September 4, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM in Room C03. There is still space to attend! Take a look at additional upcoming events on our Career Events page.

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Planning Ahead for Post-Grad Opportunities

Whether you just started the program or are approaching your final year of study (or both!), setting aside some time to craft and implement your career action plan will be critical for effectively navigating the job search process. This may include:
  • Conducting a self-assessment of your unique strengths, interests, values, motivators, and goals;
  • Creating a job wish list including target organizations and opportunities;
  • Preparing your marketing materials (e.g. resume, LinkedIn profile, and pitch);
  • Developing your network of contacts in your fields of interest; and
  • Setting goalposts to measure your progress

Not sure where to start? Book a career appointment, or take a look at the extensive resources available within the Document Library of Career Connect. Finding an accountability partner with whom you could share your goals, challenges, and successes can also be a great way to stay on track!

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Job Search Tips for International Students

The job search process can be a challenge for any student, but particularly if you are an international graduate student seeking opportunities outside of academia. With restrictions outside your control, planning early and being strategic in the search process is imperative. Take a look at these tips from Inside Higher Ed to start.

Where ever you are in your career stage, keep in mind that the process begins with you — knowing what drives you, what you excel at, and what options you have. To further explore your skills, interests, and goals, make an appointment with us via Career Connect. To learn more about your employment options based on your status, meet with an advisor from the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO). ISSO also offers useful information on their site on employment as well as workshops throughout the year. Make sure to review their newsletters so you don’t miss their events!

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