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On November 7, 2017, I attended the STARR workshop, “Cover Letters and Other Business Correspondence.” At this workshop, I learned many new things regarding what a cover letter is used for. There are two types of cover letters, something I had not previously known. The two types of cover letters are: cover letters for applications and cover letters for networking. I have previously heard of the letter for application and found it interesting that a cover letter could be used to request and talk with someone experienced in a certain field. Furthermore, we discussed the purpose of three paragraphs in your cover letter. The first paragraph is your introduction, the second is your body, and the last is your conclusion. All paragraphs serve distinct purposes and showcase certain skills and positive aspects about your work ethic. In addition to cover letters, we also discussed writing thank you letters to potential employers. Thank you letters are usually written 24-48 hours after the interview and express your gratitude for the time the interviewer spent interviewing you.

One of my biggest takeaways from this workshop was getting to familiarize myself not only with cover letters but also with the difference between a good and bad cover letter. We did some group exercises and had to grade sample cover letters. I was able to see the correct formatting and how to begin/end a cover letter. Not only was this workshop a way to collaborate with other individuals, I learned the necessity of cover letters in addition to your resume. Furthermore, learning how to create a cover letter will definitely be a useful skill in the future. As a result of this workshop, I hope to find internships and personalize my cover letters for the ones I am interested in. I will also be sure to check out the STARR Career Development Center to work on my resume.

For My career blog post I choose to write about an actual event I have attended this semester that actually made a difference to my development in the United States. On Friday November 3^rd I traveled to Washington DC for the entire weekend to participate in the annual IAC conference in DC. IAC (Israeli American Council) is an organization that for many years work on keeping the strong bond between Israeli Americans in the United States. I was invited to attend the conference as an Israeli student living and studying in the United States. Other than the fact that I had travel and accommodation expenses covered I did not know what to expect from the conference and the city of Washington in general. To my surprise, the conference had a phenomenal program and over the course of the weekend I have had the chance to participate in lectures by; ministers of the Israeli parliament, the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, famous Israeli journalists, and more outstanding figures from the diplomatic and business worlds. Needless to say I have interacted with remarkable individuals over meals time and was able to network with interesting and unique people. Moreover, it was indeed my first time in the country’s capital city and I have enjoyed exploring a new ground other than NYC and see the subtle changes in the urban culture between the two (not so far) cities. Between the new friends (Israeli students at CUNY schools) that I met and hang out with at the conference and the socializing and networking opportunities that I stumbled upon that weekend I can conclude that the conference was a success to me, a true event that include actual business and pleasure. A true mark in the beginning of my yet unformed career, where I have learned many new skills and became more ambitious than I was before.

For the third event, I chose to go to a STARR career workshop. Specifically, I went to the cover letter workshop. To be completely honest, I chose this one for the sole purpose of completing this blog post, unlike the other two. Whatever the reason, though, this workshop was really helpful. I was able to get figure out what exactly a cover letter was, and I never actually wrote one before. I’ve only ever had to use a resume before.
The workshop started off with the Ricki, the lady who was hosting the workshop, telling people that if we were unable to attend the whole workshop, it was best if we had just tried again for another workshop for logistical reasons. Once everyone got settled, the workshop began and we were given a lot of information on what a cover letter is and how it should be tailored for the individual job that is being sought. We did a few activities, choosing which cover letter was better and then explaining why. It was. We also got a few handouts that is essentially all of the power point slides, but In paper. We got it In the beginning which didn’t make too much sense to me, seeing as they had then given me the ability to learn everything without them explaining it.
Regardless of what made sense and what didn’t, the important thing was that I got some useful information and I am now more knowledgeable in that specific area. I am now able to write an effective cover letter that goes with my resume and such, and I will only get better at it with time and experience. So now, all I can do is wait to see what will become of this new found skill. I’m hoping for results.

 

For this learning outcome, I decided that I would join a club of some sort. I was not sure at first which club I should join, because I do want to be an active member in this. With so many clubs to join in Baruch, I couldn’t decide. Thankfully I signed up for Femcode way back when during Convocation Day. So there I went.
I went to the first general interest meeting with a friend, so that I wouldn’t stand out. I am a guy after all. To my surprise however, there were more than three males present in that meeting. They served cookies and sandwiches, but I only took a cookie. In this interest meeting, we started off by doing the standard things, icebreakers and giving them our e-mails and what not. The ice breakers felt awkward for me, which they all do, but I got to find out one interesting thing about everyone there. From having a pet to being from a foreign country, it was all very interesting to me. Then we moved onto the information part of the event. This is they talked about what would actually go down in the club. They talked about all of the events that would happen off campus, and how the requirements for joining the committee.
All in all, this club seems pretty interesting. I know that I can benefit from becoming an active member in this club. Seeing as how I want to major in Financial Mathematics, I could definitely use coding to my advantage in higher level math courses and the like. More importantly however, I can use the resources that they give to meet new people and become a better-rounded individual. That is all I can ask for in the short term, and the long run. So I’m hoping for the best and looking forward to seeing what the future has in store.

Early in October, I attended the T.E.A.M. Baruch Orientation and was introduced to the job we could all apply for on campus:  becoming part of this student leadership program.  Not only does being a part of the program give you another family as well as unlocks so many skills in leadership, communication, and teamwork, but it also gives you experience to work as a position of your choosing.  Currently, I am in the middle of the application process (with my interview scheduled for the day this assignment is due!) and hope to become a Freshman Seminar Peer Mentor.  I have a lot of experience working with others, including working as a tutor in my high school and in the New York Public Library, working as a mentor to middle schoolers at Summer on the Hill, a summer program I attended as a child, and well as working in the Botanical Gardens, leading workshops for children.  These jobs and positions not only required me to be able to work with the students/children I was responsible for but also required me to grow in teamworking skills that were essential in working with fellow co workers.  I have always had a passion in helping others and being a teacher and a role model.  I have been through many unique experiences throughout my life, such as being raised with two religions, going to four different types of schools, and dealing with things such as homesickness, depression, and anxiety.  I believe that I could be a great resource for all types of new freshmen coming to Baruch and attending Freshman Seminar and I hope I get the chance to become a Freshman Seminar Peer Mentor.

Recently, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to find an artwork to write about for my history class. I’ve been to the Met before, but during those times I was usually with friends or family. This time I went alone so I felt like I was able to pay much more attention to the works, allowing me to learn more. I spent a lot of time in the Egyptian section as I was trying to find a work that was pertaining to what I was studying in class, and there were so many interesting artworks. I noticed that the hippo was an animal that appeared quite frequently in Egyptian works. There was a statue that I had found of a hippo goddess and after doing some research realized that she was the goddess, Taweret, who was the goddess of childbirth and fertility in ancient Egypt. Afterwards, I had ended up in the American section, which was actually my first time seeing it. It was really interesting to see the set up and designs of houses that existed in the past. In the richer households everything was so elaborate and very in-your-face, which is quite different from today’s designs. There were also a lot of different paintings, but one that stood out to me the most depicted a war scene, showing a wounded soldier and another who was temporarily blinded due to the chemical warfare that took place. I’ve always liked learning about history and I do a little drawing as a hobby, I also recently started painting with watercolors, and so, seeing all of the art from places all around the world is really amazing. Especially when you take into account the materials that the people had available to them at the time to make such artifacts.

On Thursday, November 9 2017, I attended the Baruch Major/ Minor Fair, located in the Multipurpose Room during club hours. Even though I am currently marked as a Marketing major, I mostly came to Baruch with an open mindset, and unsure as to what major and career I truly want to pursue in. While there are many fields in business, and Baruch is largely a business school, I wanted to explore other fields that Baruch offers as well, possibly to pick up a minor in the process.

First, I went to the Marketing table, the major I’m currently marked down as. I spoke to the lady there, and learned a bit about the many fields and tracks that makes up Marketing. So even though I originally expressed an interest in Marketing, finding out about the many directions the field can actually lead you to made me take a step back and reconsider just what would fit me best.

I stopped by at the Accounting table after, as many of the people I know at Baruch are pursuing that major. I spoke to Lorraine, the lady there who told me a bit more about the major, and the rigor that many accounting majors go through, but also the benefits and range that the field of accounting provides. I left that table impressed by what I learned.

Finally, I visited International Business. Being another major I had interest in, as I enjoy learning new foreign languages,  I believed that this was a major that resonated with me, especially as I plan to take Japanese next semester, which would surely supplement my academics well. I spoke to the lady there and learned of the many opportunities abroad, not just the mandatory study abroad, but the different internship abroad opportunities the department can sponsor or introduce you to through 3rd party programs.

Though by the end of the event, I still haven’t finalized on a major, I left with more knowledge on just what each major can lead me to. Being a freshman, I still have lots of time to finalize on a major, so at the moment I am not too concerned. I’m grateful for being able to attend this event.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved going to all the different museums in New York City. My mother would always take me almost every other month when she had a day off from work. I would hold her hands as we walked around the city and into various crowded art museums. I was always amazed at how small I felt compared to the size of the museum ceilings. On October 12th, I journeyed by myself (for the first time) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to complete one of my Global History assignments. I was excited to immerse myself in all the museum had to offer. To no surprise, I had been there with my mother before, though I don’t remember much of it. All I can remember are the pretty windows we saw as we through a certain part of the museum..

This time, I walked through almost the entire museum. While in the Ancient Egypt section, my favorite section, there sat a turquoise-blue, decorative hippopotamus, popularly known as “William.” Apparently, it is the unofficial mascot of the MET. I learned numerous historical facts through this artistic display in the Egyptian section. Beneath the blue glaze on William’s outer body, there are outlines of river plants that were painted to symbolize the marshes in which the ancient Egyptian hippopotamus lived. The installation in which William is displayed is named “Conversation between Two Hippos,” which commemorates the 100th anniversary of William’s presence at the MET. I did further research and discovered that hippopotamus figurines were created and placed in tombs to give the deceased regenerative powers, in Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. Their surfaces were often painted with lotus flowers, which were part of the animal’s natural habitat and symbolized rebirth.

My visit to the MET was nostalgic, and the whole time I couldn’t help but think about my mother. A plethora of childhood memories came back that made me miss the time we spent together. Despite this, my trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a very enlightening experience. The research I did on my own aided in my understanding of many art displays the museum had to offer. In turn, I learned a bunch of new concepts and facts that can be applicable to both my social and academic life. I’m glad I took the time out of my schedule to do something I didn’t know I need to do; I can thank my global history class for that.