How To Be Productive During the Summer

By Jiaxin Karen Lu, Peer for Career, Starr Career Development Center

After tackling a series of final exams, here comes summer! College students love summer because they get three months of free time which they could use for vacation, socializing with friends, or catching up on any great movies and books that they have put off during the busy academic semester. Besides rewinding and relaxing your mind and body in summer, it is also important for us to realize that summer can be a productive period which we can utilize to prepare for the upcoming fall semester, such as by taking one or two summer classes, interning at a company you like, getting more well-rounded by reading news and books daily, and researching the companies you are likely to apply to in the fall.
If you have an internship in summer, make the most of it by being a diligent worker. In addition, writing internship diaries at the end of the day will aid in the learning process. In the internship diary, make sure you capture the main responsibility you have been assigned and make sure you know the steps of completing the important tasks. Make yourself available as much as possible at work, and let the supervisor know that you are accountable and responsible to them by regularly updating your current progress on any projects you do. Essentially, make repeated efforts to show that you are an asset to them by contributing to the department to the best of your ability.
Secondly, if you happen to be juggling a part time internship and summer classes, your time management and ability to prioritize will definitely come into play. Since classes are accelerated during the summer, you will have to be on top of the materials by constantly reviewing notes and reading textbooks. Taking summer classes is a great way to learn subjects of interest that you might otherwise not have time for in the fall or spring semester.
Thirdly, summer is also a great time to get to know any companies of interest in more depth. Browse the companies and stay on top of their current events such as addition or change of service lines, involvements in the community, or expectation for the new hires. In addition, to better prepare ourselves for the fall semester, we can hone our transferable skills by attending the workshops offered by SCDC, such as Small Talk, Mastering the Job interview-Basics, Researching Companies, etc.
It’s important for us to be aware that summer is a great time for us to continuously make progress on our academic and professional journey. Taking the time to relax while still being productive in internship, work, and class prepares us better for the fall semester and will definitely give us a leg up in a competitive and fast-paced environment.

The Benefits of Becoming a Peer for Career

By David Tsui, Peer for Career, Starr Career Development Center

Winter break is upon us and it is a great opportunity for students to use that time wisely to plan for the upcoming school semester. For a Baruch College student, we are lucky to have such a strong student life with many extracurricular activities to offer to students. As a junior who has had a pretty good understanding of Baruch’s student life through personal experience and word of mouth from my peers, I feel that joining the Peers for Careers program was one of the best decisions I have made during my college career. From this program, students can learn so much to complement their professional growth, like writing and reviewing résumés and cover letters, understanding all the resources the Starr Career Development Center has to offer, and developing leadership and communication skills by joining a committee.

Initially I was like many college students — uncomfortable with public speaking and job interviews. However, the Peers for Careers Program has helped me overcome that obstacle by learning how to conduct résumé and cover letter reviews professionally during the spring semester Tier I Training. In addition, I was able to shadow the senior Peers and conduct résumé reviews over the summer break. In my first semester as a Peer, I gradually learned helpful techniques that are applicable in professional settings such as reading people’s body language, thinking on the spot more effectively, properly handling an uncooperative client, and communicating well. My confidence in interviews has also increased. The experience being a Peer teaches you to think more naturally, be more relaxed, and handle unexpected questions more effectively during interviewing sessions.

Another great thing about being a Peer is learning about the resources that the Starr Career Development Center has to offer outside of just jobs and internships. As a Peer, you can definitely take advantage of this great benefit which can help enhance your professional growth. When I joined the Peers for Careers program, I was exposed to many wonderful professional programs such as Passport to Partnership, Rising Starr Sophomore Program, Financial Leadership Program, Max Berger Pre-Law Program, and many more! Since Peers work in the Starr Career Development Center, we have the ability to interact with the full-time staff, which is a great way to expand your network or seek out career advice.

Like many other traditional student clubs, the Peers for Careers program offers leadership positions for its Peers when they join a committee. Committees give students the opportunity to take on more responsibility, develop team skills, and learn more skills such as technology, marketing, and writing. Committees also allow Peers to multitask more effectively as well as work collaboratively with other members.

Overall, the Peers for Careers program has benefited me greatly. Not only have I developed professionally and personally, but I have also been surrounded by other career-oriented and like-minded students in this program. The environment has made me want to succeed even more, and enabled me to be up-to-date on professional events like Career Day, On Campus Recruiting events, and career-oriented workshops. The Peers for Careers program is definitely something you would not want to miss out on during your college career. And if it is too late or not possible to join Peers for Careers, then be sure to take advantage of their Résumé/Cover Letter Reviews, Mock Interviews, Starrlights Blog, Career Corner Ticker Column, and Suit up for Success Event.

The Four Year Plan for Career Success

By David Tsui

As an underclassman, determining what you want to major in is difficult enough, let alone choosing your desired career after you graduate. In addition, there are other distractions that pry freshmen away from focusing on their futures, such as getting used to the new environment in college, adjusting to the college workload, making new friends, and participating in social activities. It is great to enjoy the social aspects of college, but students should keep in mind what they might want to do after they graduate. After all, the job market is getting more and more competitive every year, and as a result many students start their career planning as soon as their freshmen year.

In their freshmen year, students should try to obtain any type of work experience, strive for a strong G.P.A., and attend on campus recruiting events hosted by corporations to explore the possible careers they might be interested in. Obtaining a decent G.P.A. and getting work experience should be the student’s primary goal. Without strong grades, opportunities will be limited for the student. Work experience is a great way for young adults to enter the “real world” and apply the skills they learned in school to their jobs. In today’s world, it is crucial to obtain work experience before graduation because of fierce competition.

After their freshmen year, sophomores and juniors should further their career development by joining professional organizations related to their career interests, look for internships relevant to their majors, and attend networking events. The benefits of joining a professional organization are to help students take on leadership positions that will enhance their communication and teamwork skills and to build a network within and outside of the organization. With an internship, students will get the opportunity to see if their major is the right fit for them and if they are willing to continue pursuing that career path. Lastly, attending recruiting events will let peers see the corporate culture and job opportunities a company has to offer. In addition, these events allow students to network and keep in contact with the company’s representatives such as recruiters and other employees; these connections could be crucial leverage for senior year.

When senior year arrives, it’s time to put all that hard work to the test! Even though it seems that all the necessary pieces are in place, there are other equally qualified candidates gunning for the same position as you. This is where one develops a unique and interesting yet genuine story for their interviews to differentiate themselves from the other candidates. The story can be derived from one’s internship experiences, networking events, student life participation, or other relevant experiences. Sometimes people prefer to continue their education, so they might opt for graduate school. Mid-junior year to senior year would be a great time to start prepping for standardized exams or attending target schools’ information sessions.

In the end, it is better to start your career development early than to procrastinate until the last minute. Some students fall into this trap and many end up regretting not being proactive in their professional development earlier. The consequences can range from delaying their graduation date, to changing their majors, to being confused about career interests and goals after college. So don’t delay. Start working on your career development today!

Off-Campus Opportunities

By Ruixiang (Richard) Wu

CPA fair, Career Fair, Corporate Presentation, Networking Event… Most students (job seekers to be exact) are more than familiar with these on-campus events hosted by STARR Career Development Center. Big four accounting firms, major banks and financial firms all come to campus to recruit Baruch students. Students just love these events since it is so convenient to attend them. However, what if the companies that you are hoping to reach have no plans to come to Baruch’s campus? What are you going to do? Should you just wait for them to come? Sometimes when we focus too much on what we see on campus, we miss a lot of opportunities outside. Going to on-campus events might be convenient, but attending off-campus events may open a whole new world for you.

During the week of September 16, 2013, I was able to attend three different events outside of Baruch campus. They were “Digital Games: You Can Be a Player,” “STEM Career Expo” and “Microsoft Career Day at John Jay College.” All of these events really broadened my horizon about different industries and the job opportunities that they have for undergraduate students.

The first event was “Digital Games: You Can Be a Player” hosted by the Center for Communications in Kumble Theater in Long Island University, Brooklyn. During the panel discussion, I had the opportunity to hear from various industry professionals, including a CEO, a game developer, a Chief Creative Strategy Officer, and a Tech Writer who all shared about how the game industry works. They explained in detail how a video game is made from an idea and then marketed to a target audience. They also provided insider information about how we can utilize local opportunities nearby to achieve our goals. If I had not attended, I would never have known about Game Jam, where people get together and develop a game within two days to train their game development skills. And surprisingly, New York City is actually one of the biggest Game Jam places in the world.

During the discussion, the panel also shared with us information about their previous student life, tips for seeking jobs, and stories of how they ended up doing what they are doing right now. Their career stories were probably the most surprising part. For example, Wade Tinney, the CEO of Large Animal Games, first started as a bartender without any knowledge about game development. It was through a networking connection that he found himself interested in this particular industry and started building his own company from scratch. Other speakers shared similar experiences. You can click here if you are interested in what they talked about during the event.

I am sure you want to hear more about the other two events, right? The STEM Career Expo hosted at the New York Hotel on 9/20 hosted many Fortune 500 companies who had small information booths for students. The companies that I approached included Intel, Boeing, Prudential Financial and many more. These are examples of companies that you may not be able to see on campus at Baruch. If you are interested in the Microsoft event and their job opportunities, here is the link for the flyer and the Microsoft Academy for College Hires [MACH] Program that they mentioned at the event.

Of course you might ask “Where can we find these events?” The answer is pretty simple. First of all, check our STARR search website frequently for off-campus events that are listed under the event tag. The STEM Career Expo was actually listed there. Keep in mind that STARR Search is not just for on-campus events. Secondly, check out the Center for Communications website for their upcoming events. They have a lot of seminars about media, theater and technology related fields. If you are interested in any of them, don’t hesitate to sign up. The events are free. Finally, read your CUNY weekly newsletter. There are many great opportunities out there as long as you look for them. The Microsoft event was promoted in the CUNY newsletter! So spend some time researching and you will find something of interest to you. I wish you the best luck on your networking and job searching!

Here are some of the upcoming off-campus events that you might find useful. You can click the event to learn more and RSVP.

1. Sports Marketing: How to Win? October 22

2. Digital Advertising: What’s Next? October 29

3. New York Student Career Forum November 1^st

4. Women Talk Tech: Starring Roles November 19