On Thursday November 16th I attended Networking with IBM, the senior manager of IMB Blueberry discussed how networking was the reason she got a job. She explained to us what networking is and the benefits of it. Everyone that attended the event discussed their positive and negative experiences with networking. Everyday is a good opportunity for building authentic relationships. “For a college student, what is giving?” she asked us. It’s to begin with a mindset of helping others. You should have a genuine interest, that it’s not all about you. When in networking situations, you should always try to build an environment that’s comfortable to talk. Try to create a good relationship. Ask questions, How did you get to where you are today? What do you love or hate about your job? It’s good to share insights about their areas of interest. She discusses a book Give or Take by Adam Grant and how it was important to her because it discusses 2 different types of people, those who give and those who take. She talks about having a right mindset, and how you should network proactively. After her speech on what networking is, how it will help us in the future, and how it helped her, we were all spilt into little workshop groups. She brought along students, some who previously graduated Baruch, that discussed their experiences with Networking, and what they found that helped them. They encouraged us to write articles and blogs because it’s a way to put your name out there. One student shared that she wrote a blog on a certain product, and the company reached out to her. Writing blogs and articles is an easier way for people to find you. Beginning to build your networking skills involves being bold. You should get close with your professors and get familiar with campus career centers. I was paired with two guys named Andy and Eric and they talked about their experiences with their job and internships. I learned a lot from this event and am looking forward to future networking events. 
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Mastering a Job Interview
Mastering a job interview is an important skill to have at hand. Job interviews are the most stressful part about applying to new jobs. Natalia and I attended this workshop to properly learn how to master a job interview. They discussed things like making sure that you have the proper attire and and know how to start a conversation. Proper attire is extremely crucial in an interview because that is the first impression the employer has on you. Maintaining good language, and preparing questions is also a vital aspect of the interviewing process. I’m glad i attended this workshop because attending interviews will be a big part of my future regarding my career. Interviews can always seem stressful, but attending this workshop I now feel confident, I feel more prepared and eager. I learned how to properly address the employer. I learned the different types of interviews, like through phone, web cam and in person. It was helpful knowing all the different ways to conduct myself during these interviews. I learned to maintain a good level of eye contact, and make sure I have a proper stance with the questions that are asked. These interview skills that I have gained through this workshop will come to my advantage in the near future when applying for internships and jobs. Researching the company you are going in to interview with will benefit you greatly when asked why you want to work for the company. Preparing questions to ask at the end of the interview will leave a good impression because it shows you want to learn more and are genuinely interested. Attending this one workshop has taught me skills that I will need for my future.
Rajiv Visits the Met for the Millionth Time
As you might figure out, I visit the Met a lot. Like twice a week “a lot”. Thats like 114 times per year. This time was no different as I waltz into the museum and opened my bag for the security to inspect. They found nothing and I proceeded to pay my $1 donation and there I was. The Greek rotunda. Actual statues which were chiseled from big slabs of bronze and marble many centuries before Christ, and I was in vicinity of millions of dollars of art! I looked up at the vaulted ceiling and I always am amazed at the engineering and architectural marvel. I take the elevator up to the Israel, Iran, Central Asia, and Turkey exhibit, one of my favorites because I am in love with the silk road and its history. Persian rugs, Ottoman chairs, scrolls, manuscripts, an old Torah from Judea, Quranic text, a Turkish fountain, and so many other Middle Eastern art. I swear I spend a good 30 minutes just walking in circles taking in the art because this is one of the least visited exhibitions in the museum, so all of the tourists and camera flashes and extra noise is absent, augmenting my experience.
So I spend like maybe 5 minutes rushing through a pack of tourists with flashy cameras to get to the India, Nepal, and Tibet exhibit and I absolutely cannot get over the fact that they have Kama Sutra statues of people making love. I by reading the small plaquards that people disregard that Asoka (some Buddhist Indian ruler) encouraged sex and promiscuity as virtuous due to the reincarnation that stemmed from it, and I was like I have to take a selfie so I did. I always think of how much momey the Met had to pay local chiefs and local politicians in order to transport beautiful pergolas and decorated spaces, many of which are ornate by the way, and I think to myself, “Gosh, maybe when I’m older, I’ll hop on a plane instead of the train and see these places and these artifacts with my own eyes, in the places that they come from by the descendants of the people who made them.”
Resume Workshop
On Thursday, November 2nd, I attend a resume workshop at the Starr Career Development Center. One of the most important things in order to get a job is to write an resume, which includes your education, experiences, skills, and contact information. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to improve and perfect on my existing resume that I’ve written in high school. I’ve had experience in writing resumes, so I somewhat knew what to expect when entering this workshop.
There were many points to an resume that the instructor told us about.One of the most important things is writing the resume in the correct format. If your resume is not even in the correct format, the company might not even take the time to read it and throw it our immediately, just because it is considered “unprofessional.” There were certain fonts, font sizes and margins that were appropriate to be used in a resume. She also mentioned that one’s resume should not go over a page and that the experiences and events we list need to go in chronological order. In addition, she also said that depending on the field we plan on going into, the different sections of a resume can be rearranged in different order if, for example, the skills session is more important than the experiences, the skills can be listed first before your experiences and awards. We also learned how to write the bullet points needed under each experience.
Overall, this was a good informational session on learning how to write resumes and the overall format. This workshop helped me improve on my skills in resume writing. Even if my resume is not up to par, I could always go and visit to the Starr Career Development Center, and they would help me edit and revise my resume before I send it into an job or internship i want to apply for.
Blog #3 Career Workshop
On October 18, a Wednesday, I went to the Freshman 15 with Starr Career Development Center. I did not know this event was even going on until my friend informed me about this flyer she received. The event was a 15 minute one on one information session on internships in Baruch. It seemed like a really good event to go to as it was forwarded towards Freshman. The timing was also perfect as I could go right after my English class has ended.
The event was just a simple table in the main lobby with workers talking one on one with participants. Although it was so simple, having a one on one conversation allowed it to be really informative. The worker, a sophomore student, gave us papers filled with information regarding internships during the summer. On these papers it had information regarding internships with The Big 4. Not only did it have information about the internships for the summer of freshman year, it also included sophomore and junior year. The paper have everything I would need, including how to apply for these internships.
He also gave us insight of when he went into a summer internship recently. Although it wasn’t an actual internship, and was more of a getting to know the business and him, he still talked about how necessary it was to go to. It allows you start a relationship with the businesses early and be recognized. He talked about the importance of going to internships early as many students would wait till junior year. Getting into these internships would not be easy as there would be at least 1, sometimes 2 interview processes to go through.
The Freshman 15 event was really informative for the short amount of time provided. It allowed me to have a good idea of the importance and difficulty of an internship.
Cover Letter Workshop
I attended a Cover Letter writing workshop today with the Career Development committee. In this workshop, Ricki Weitzen from the STARR center taught us how to write a cover letter, that followed with a peer review at the end. Attending this workshop was apart of one of the requirements to be apart of the Sigma Alpha Delta Honor Society. I found this meeting very helpful because often in regular classes you are not taught how to write a cover letter, or even a resume. So for Baruch to hold workshops like these helps out students. I always had trouble writing cover letters because in my classes I was never taught it. But, this workshop taught me the basics of it. Learning how to properly write a cover letter is a skill every college student needs to know. Cover letters are one page documents that you send with your resume when applying for a job. I learned in the workout how to properly introduce myself to the hiring manager and argue why I’d be a good fit for the job. I learned to make sure to address the main points that a cover letter should contain, such as explaining why I’m applying for the job, why I’m a good match for the position, and to make sure to draw the reader’s attention by stating my qualifications. I learned how to demonstrate my abilities in just a simple page. Attending workshops like these help me with skills I will need throughout college and my future career.
Underrepresented Majors Meeting
On Tuesday, me and Nat went into the meeting organized for students at Baruch who are majoring in majors that are not popular or well known at Baruch. I thought that the meeting was going to be crowded, but as the name suggested, only a few showed up and me and Nat were perplexed. The meeting started out with the students introducing themselves, their majors and their school. It was a small open discussion and I met some people with really quirky majors that I wouldn’t have expected to meet– like a sophomore in Biology and another in Environmental sciences. My major of political science is the biggest minority major at Baruch. In this day and age, I think college campuses should be more politically engaged because the millenial generation has potential to swing elections (mainly toward the Dem side). Political science opens up jobs in government, and my aspirations to draft drug policy could be augmented with a science minor (that will probably be underrepresented at Baruch). Baruch’s curriculum helps students like me enter a public sector job in many ways. I had mentioned at the meeting that it was noteworthy that companies like EY, MetLife, and other companies recruit directly on campus here. It is important to build new connections with other students in my freshman class because it will be mutually beneficial as we can help each other out professionally after we graduate. The meeting also touched on the topic of being more represented at Baruch. I had said that the Undergraduate Student Government was a good method on the democratic process and having a say in the running of our school. My major is not only good for government but also helps with going into Law School and being part of the New York State Bar Association. Meeting with people with underrepresented majors helps expose students to other potential majors besides business that one would not have thought of in the first place.
Visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museum visits are always pleasant. Even though Metropolitan Museum of Art has been one my most visited ones, it’s beautiful and detailed paintings have never disappointed me and always drawn my full attention effortlessly. Visiting the MET with my new classmates (Baruch Bearcats) have not only helped me learn their personal interests but also made me feel like their tour guide and reawakened the sensation of being dramatically excited about the MET altogether.
Although the Metropolitan Museum of Art itself is monumental and grand, I believe that the museum was arranged neatly in order. The entrance was decorated with huge display pieces from around the world. I went in for free with my Baruch College ID card . There were counters all over the main entrance where maps are provided and with the map it’s easier to follow up. The first section of the MET we visited was the European Paintings on the second floor, galleries were decorated with beautiful paintings and sculptures from the renaissance period from all over Europe.
The staircases to go to the second floor were not only majestically huge but also beautifully detailed on both sides. Also there were various interesting paintings including portraits done by famous painters. Even though I was concentrated searching for paintings that are well known, many other infamous painting drew my attention for it’s oriented and majestic color choices. Visiting during weekend made it seem very busy but I did not feel rushed and was able to visit the assigned comfortably.
Visiting the MET and looking at paintings in person was a great experience because it helped understand how to analyse art and also this way I got to view it upclose. The painting itself created an emotional impact on ways I visualize the art world. Since this first semester at Baruch is about being open to new possibilities, having a positive outlook for the world and being a role model inside and outside the classroom, last week’s visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art has convinced me to always push myself out of my comfort zone and make progress every day.
“USA” United Sikh Association
Just the other day, I attended USA’s (United Sikh Association) second General Interest Meeting. Founded in order to support other Punjabi Indian students, the club was restarted under new leadership and expanded exponentially. Originally, I did not plan on joining this club but after a friend convinced me, I was quite content to have attended. Upon arrival, it was hard to find a place to sit. Despite how crowded it was, the President himself came to me and introduced himself, and gave a brief overview of the club’s goals and initiatives. After they introduced the members of the board, they had games ready that would involve the entire room. One of the games, like an ice breaker, required us to give an answer that would sum up our first weeks at Baruch. This game allowed us to be more open and social with the people around us by making us work together.At the end, they served food such as fried Indian snacks and brownies. During this time we were able to interact with other South Asian students that are also interested in this club. It allowed me to meet many different people that were also freshman. I learned about where they came from, what they planned on majoring in, and how they felt about Baruch. The gathering was a time to have fun and socialize with others, and get to develop connections with the upperclassmen. Being given a tremendously long break in between classes for clubs gives me an opportunity that I would otherwise not have had. I guess since we’re not NYU or Columbia, we might have some space issues, however, the vibe of the clubs here surpasses those at the other top-tier schools, but in the end, the school is as energetic, and as great, as the people.
UNICEF
This afternoon, I attended the UNICEF Organization at Baruch College. UNICEF stands for United Nations Children’s Fund. It is a nonprofit organization, which provides assistance to children and mother’s in the developing countries. An example of a developing country is Africa. Baruch’s UNICEF club is an organization that gives the students the role of helping children survive in our world. UNICEF is a very active club. UNICEF conducts campus wide education. They do this with the help of their club members. They also conduct several fundraisers in order to help the children in the world. I was really amazed to see what UNICEF had to offer and all its efforts in helping children survive.
The way I am going to get involved is to continue to attend more UNICEF club meetings. By attending, I hope to find what I am best at in terms of helping these children. I would love to contribute by becoming really educated in the field. This will help me help to the maximum capacity. Additionally, I am going to follow UNICEF at Baruch on Facebook. Following them, will allow me to get a constant update on the club’s events, fundraiser, accomplishments and most importantly ways I can help. I am excited to see what I can accomplish. I hope my involvement will inspire the students around me to get involved in this amazing club as well. It may be an investment, but I believe this investment is worth it. Not only will I be helping those children on the other side, but they will be helping me. In my opinion, when you help someone, you end up helping yourself. I will begin to appreciate my childhood more and become more sensitive to those around me who didn’t necessarily have the proper support from a young age.