Month: November 2017

Blog #3- Resume Building Workshop (Career)

j.petilloLeave a comment

On Thursday, November 9th I was able to attend the South Asian Student Association’s (SASA) “From Ideas to Reality” Resume Building Workshop. I felt the need to attend a resume building workshop as a resume is one of the most vital things to simply have, let alone be a good one, in order to even be considered for a job and can be the “make it or break it” aspect in getting hired or not.

Now, your resume is what sets you apart from other job applicants, so it is crucial to have a professional, strong resume- which is what these workshops are there for. The upperclassmen of SASA had the mission of helping other students create and properly format a resume; along with other tips and tricks. This workshop was very helpful as no only did SASA just offer tips for building a resume but also had someone that you could talk to for help on how to deal with job interviews, they offered to take professional head-shots, and “most importantly” had pizza and refreshments!

A member of the SASA, an upperclassmen named Lav was the lucky man who sat down and spoke with my friends and I; explaining to us how a resume should be formatted, the importance of certain information and how its presented in a resume, and other little pointers to try and maximize our potential of landing a job in the future.

Overall I had a good experience because I do feel like I learned a lot and I am most definitely motivated to create my own official resume as I did attend this without previously having my own. But with that being said, I  now do understand the importance of a resume  and feel confident that I will be able to have a solid one for my first time making one thanks to the workshop. This image requires alt text, but the alt text is currently blank. Either add alt text or mark the image as decorative.

Marcel Sternberger Art Gallery

s.subhaniLeave a comment

While visiting the art gallery at Baruch, I learned about the works of Marcel Sternberger during the 20th century. During his career, his notable technique included his style of taking pictures. He used a smaller and portable 35mm camera which allowed him to be able to move freely and take pictures through different angles. In this exhibit, there were many well known people that Sternberger photographed, including Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, President Roosevelt among others. I noticed that the personalities among Sternberger’s photographs varied and the woman giving the tour explained how Sternberger would take the pictures while having a conversation with the people. The most interesting person he photographed to me was George Bernard Shaw. Shaw declined having interviews at first but eventually agreed after being convinced. He had even told Sternberger that his photos would not impress him and he is not even interested in seeing any of it. However, he ended up requesting fifty copies of the same photograph without providing payment. He eventually sent very small checks explaining that his autographs were worth more than each check, and so selling the checks would gain Sternberger more money than the photographs. While taking pictures of Albert Einstein, Sternberg wanted to have the suspenders off since it made him look less professional, but ended up letting Einstein keep it on to show a compassionate side. I liked Sternberger’s technique of taking photos since it was not just to take them, but also to show a more personal aspect of his interviewees. It gave me a new perspective on how photographers take pictures because I did not realize there was more to it than just clicking a button. It is always fascinating to me to learn about new people and information, and this trip allowed me to learn about not just Sternberger, but also a little bit on the people he interviewed.

Career Workshop

a.lutherLeave a comment

Last Thursday my friends and I attended a resume building workshop hosted by the South Asian Student Association (SASA). This workshop was comprised of three different stations. The first was meeting with some upperclassmen to discuss the importance of your resume. The second was learning how to make and maintain a LinkedIn profile and the third was a professional headshot station. I had a copy of my resume with me so I was able to share it with a member of the club who is a senior. Lav was able to give me tips on how to make my resume appear better and how to possibly add more content to it. Some of the tips he gave me included: making your name the biggest thing on the page, getting rid of the white space, have consistency with the spacing, use aggressive verbs, and use a higher level of vocabulary. We were even given a statistic which said that the average amount of time that an employer spends looking at your resume is six seconds. The best piece of advice that I received was to make your resume look the best that you can because employers usually judge it with a glance.

The other station which I attended was the LinkedIn profile design. I do not have a profile yet but I know it is very important to have one. The leader of the station told us that LinkedIn is a branding tool that every person who wants to work in Corporate America needs. Also, when employers do a web search on their employees, LinkedIn profiles are often one of the first things that appear on search engines, so it is always beneficial to have all your accomplishments right there in front of your prospective employer. This workshop was very helpful in that I was able to get a lot of my questions about my future career answered. I would recommend everyone to attend some type of workshop like the one I attended just to get another pair of eyes to look over your professional plan.

Visiting an Art Gallery at Baruch

g.calle1Leave a comment

   

Last week, I attended a field trip to the Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College with my English 2100 class. I got a chance to actually see some really amazing photographs, all taken by the photographer Marcel Sternberger, who work was actually curated by Jacob Loewentheil after Sternberger’s death in a fatal car accident in 1952. From this visit, I was able to take a glance at photographs of very famous and well-known world figures from different perspectives due to Sternberger’s photographic style of trying to capture his models’ personality.

I learned a lot about Sternberger’s determination for getting historically famous people to agree to model for him. One important example was George Bernard Shaw, who wasn’t the least interested in having his picture taken and was very condescending towards Sternberger. After many failed attempts, Shaw finally agreed to model for him, portraying a very serious attitude throughout the entire session as he saw this as futile. Sternberger was also able to photograph two iconic figures of Spanish history, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, who were married artists. It was nice to see them being portrayed as a loving couple instead of just having them pose unemotionally in front of the camera. He was also an acquaintance of famed physicist Albert Einstein, engaging in a friendly conversation with him throughout the session and ending up with pictures of the genius Einstein as an amusing and lovable average guy.

What was really amazing to learn about Sternberger’s photographs is the amount of equipment he used- or rather the lack of equipment he used. While other photographers used super professional cameras, he relied on his Leica flagship 35mm model camera. This allowed him to have his pictures being taken at different angles and to move more freely when doing so., allowing his portraits to reflect that unique style that has been displayed for years to come.

 

 

Career Workshop

Jasmine MahabirLeave a comment

On Halloween, my fellow classmates and I attended an on campus recruiting workshop presented by the Starr Career Development Center.  I’m actually glad I signed up for this workshop rather than trick or treating, because I’m more aware of what I need to do to apply for an internship or job.  Baruch’s on campus recruiting program (OCR) is similar to the traditional job search, except it makes it much more easier for you.  Various companies send recruiters to Baruch to inform students about paid, full-time job opportunities and interviews are conducted on campus.  

The workshop was mainly geared towards juniors and seniors, but the information I learned will help prepare me for future career opportunities.  Such information includes how to write a resume and cover letter, how to prepare for an interview, what to do/not do during an interview, how to network and make an impression on employers, what happens when you renege, and so on.  Since I attended the OCR workshop, I am eligible to apply to both internships and full-time positions through OCR and I won’t have to attend the workshop again as long as I’m a student at Baruch.  

I found the information I learned about resume writing to be extremely useful.  For instance, on the resume I have now, I put that I’m proficient in Excel; however, it’s not recommended that I put that down if I don’t know it very well because employers might ask questions about it.  So instead of saying I’m proficient, it’s all right to say that I’m basic or intermediate at Excel, which is better than being caught in a white lie.  Another piece of information that I found helpful was that I can practice interviews by using the Starr Search Mock Interview Module.

OCR definitely gives you an advantage when it comes to looking for a job, but it’s very competitive.  It’s recommended that you keep your options open and look outside of OCR, as well.  Though I won’t start my job search now, I’m fully equipped with the tools and resources when the time does come.

On-Campus Recruiting Workshop

s.chan4Leave a comment

This Halloween instead of going out tricking people unless I get a treat, I attended an on-campus recruiting workshop. I know it’s lame, but hear me out. Baruch’s on-campus recruiting program (OCR) is a great opportunity for students to make connections and get interviews for a range of positions with companies all across the New York tri-state area.

OCR workshops are primarily geared towards juniors and seniors, but everyone is welcomed. The hour and a half long workshop covered topics such as general OCR information and policies, how to navigate through Starr Search, resume and cover letter writing recommendations, steps to do before an interview, what to do/not to do during the interview, what to do after the interview, and how to accept/decline job offers. Most importantly, attending and staying for the entire workshop qualifies you for OCR for two years or one semester after your graduation date, whichever comes first.

For me, this workshop was a pregame changer. OCR gives students a chance at internships and full-time positions, which most Baruch students don’t apply for until later in their college career. That means the two year certification warranty won’t last me long after I start applying for full-time positions. Although I will most likely have to return to the workshop again some time in the future to renew my certification, I am prepared in terms of what to expect when entering the work field. I can also apply the information from the presentation to apply for other positions outside of OCR, something the presenter highly recommended for us to do.

Every student will have to attend this workshop at some point during their time at Baruch. It may sound like another tedious chore in our career path, but in reality, it is a major boost.