Surviving College 101 Section: FTA

I attended the workshop “EOC Job$mart Panel: Networking: Is it who or what you know?” on December 6. It was a really useful workshop. I learned networking is really important in today’s world. And I began to realize it is a true fact that most jobs found today are through the networking.

There were two guest speakers in this event. They were Christine Ippolito and Jodi Brockington. They both have very successful businesses. Christine is one of the founders of Compass Workforce Solutions. And Jodi found the NIARA consulting.

In this workshop, they answered many questions about the networking. For example, when one asked how to build network, they answered there are three main ways. One is the family and friend, so it is really important to make more friends, they may give you information about the jobs, or invite you to work with their company. The second one is the school. As we all know, many companies come to our school to look for people, so school is really a good place to start build your network with the companies. They also mentioned we can find network through charities, such as library, community service. We will have a chance to meet more people there. So it is important that we should be more involved in the community.

They told us when we went to a workshop, conference or any events. If the speaker is the one you really wanted to know, there are many strategies for you to be known by the speaker. You should try to be there early, so you may have an opportunity to talk to him individually. You should also try to sit in the front, and try to do some gesture or express your emotions when the speaker was looking at you. It shows you are interested at what the speaker says. You can also send the speaker emails, or post on the speakers’ Facebook even if it is just one or two sentences.  These things will really be helpful for you to be remembered by others.

They also mentioned that most jobs today are posted online first. And I didn’t realize how important the website linkedin.com is until they talked about it. They told us most companies today look for people through linkedin.com, they will search the key terms in this website, and look at these people’s profile, so it is really important to have a linkedin.com account, otherwise they will not be able to find you. And we should be careful about what we posted in this website. We should post the real information there.

Although it is just one hour, I felt I really learned a lot from it. I realized the networking is really important today. We should all try to be more socialized in our community.

My first semester at Baruch College almost has done. now I am trying to summarize my first semester. In the beginning of the school. I felt so  excited because I could learn more knowledge and know more people. The the college is completely different with the high school. Professors’ teaching style is more  open than that of the high school teacher. I have more free time. As the  time past, I find out that the college become more and more difficult.

The philosophy is a difficult course. this course requires us to keep thinking thinking and thinking. it’s hard for me to follow the professor’s idea. also the reading materials challenge my poor reading ability. they are so complicated to read for me. finally, I did not drop this course because I don’t want take again. maybe someday, my reading ability be improved, I would like to learn more about philosophy. It is a really  thoughtful course.

I think the freshman seminar is really helpful. It tried to help us transit from high school to the college. It help us adjust the college culture. It  teach us how to deal with the college essay and how to do the research. through the freshman seminar I know more about the college and help me have a good experience in the college.

in the college, one of my expectations is building up friendship. friends are important to me in the college. when I was in trouble with the classes. I always can get help from my friends. Also the time management is a challenge. I hope I will manage my time much better next semester.

First, I really do not know what should I write.

My third workshop is Job Search Strategies.  This workshop taught us about how to get job in the future.

I learned a lot, for example In present time, the economic is in the bad time, we might take 3 to 6 months to get job after we graduate, sometime it even might take double time.  We need to understand ourself first, them the environment which is best fit for us, and we should also understand the current market.  I also learned that the importance of Networking.  And we have a lot of resource that we can use.  We can use those resources to research market, it is very helpful for us to find a job.

 I got more strategies which help me to get job in the future.  For example, we can consider new growing sectors, we can expand the geographical area of our search, we can apply to government positions, we can go to graduated school, etc.  The most important thing is that do some research about ourself, every skill and interest we have, every value we believe, every personality we are, those are all helpful to find a job.

 I am going to attend more workshop which can help me in the future in different way.

I join a walking of The Alliance for Lupus Research(ALR) on October 22,2011. It is a national voluntary health organization in New York City. Through the walking, we hope more people care about the Lupus problems and help those people who are suffering Lupus.

When I heard that I would join this community service project, I felt excited about it. This is my first time to do the community service. I felt happy that I would contribute my time to help other people. There are thousands of people join the walking. they all are benevolent. They are willing to contribute their time and money to help other people even they don’t know who they are. trying to help others whatever you can do that’s what I learn from those people.

During the community service, the most trying experience for me was the long distance of the walking. we need walk several miles from the beginning to the end. I think I need more exercise to improve my physical strength. After walking, I felt exhaustive. I am so proud of those people who finished the entire walking. They can finish the walking because they not only have good physical strength but also they have faith in their heart. they believe what they do could help more Lupus patients.

If we want more people to pay more attention on a larger society issue, we need congregate the power of masses. We know that the individual is so weak, but when we come together for one goal, we would have much more power to accomplish the goal. To congregate that many people to work together for the one goal, you should have good skill of communication and you should be charismatic.

I know that when I live in a community, I am a part of this community. I need to do something to improve the community, like other people are willing to help the community. throughout this community service, I learn that I even you do something small you also can help other people. so you can’t have any excuses to not to do the community service.

I satisfied with my experience overall, because this is my first time to do the community service and I learn many experience form the service. I will keep trying to join the community service. When I do the community service, I also help myself because I am living in this community. the community is good and I also feel good. I am so pleased to join the community service. it is my pleasure to help other other people.