5 Tips on Starting a New Semester

Welcome back Hofstra students! It's that time of year again where the campus is buzzing with an exciting semester ahead. No matter what stage of your college career you are entering, below are 5 tips every college student could use.

Set a goal.
Make a list of specific, measurable, and meaningful goals for the semester ahead. Relate your goal for the semester to your long-term goal. Be sure to hold yourself accountable.

Stay organized.
It's easy as the semester progresses to become unorganized. Find a system that works for you - whether it be an app, a white board, a notebook. This will keep you motivated to stick to your goals.

Connect. 
Be proactive. Introduce yourself to your professors and academic team. Attend office hours. Taking that one extra step goes a long way.

Take advantage.
There are so many school resources to take advantage of - such as the Career Center! Be sure to check out what the Career Center, campus library, writing centers and more offices on campus have to offer.

Take care of YOU.
The most important thing to remember is to take of yourself throughout the semester. Take the time to eat healthy, exercise, sleep 8 hours, and schedule down time.

We wish you each a successful semester and looking forward to seeing you around campus!

Michelle Kyriakides, Ed.D.
Executive Director

The Journey to Your Passion May Never Be a Straight Path!

Not Sure What You Want Your Career To Be?

I am the quintessential model of when you want to do everything, you end helping others find their passions. Let me take a minute and explain this to you. I switched my major exactly 5 times between 2 undergraduate colleges. Hmm let me list them to you: architecture, biomedical engineering, biology, secondary education, pre-med, and finally landed on psychology with a pre-med concentration; and I’m also certain at some point I

wanted to go into corporate America.  My parents thought it was because I was indecisive, but I just wanted to do everything, and I still do!

Therefore, when I found my niche- higher education and career counseling, it spoke to me, I am able to work with students that want to do all different types of careers. In a way getting a feel for all the careers I wanted and have a hand in the various industries.

What do I want to impart on you all is that, when you love what you do, there’s something pleasant every day.

THE JOURNEY TO YOUR PASSION MAY NEVER BE A STRAIGHT PATH!! 

Even those days when you don’t want to get out of bed, you’ll have something to look forward to. I would even go as far as saying, it’ll make finishing your degree and going on internships fun. I’m also a nerd and decided to do my third degree in a field I love, but everyday is new and I never know what’s going to happen.

Here are some questions that we like to use in the career center that helps students think of their career path:

1. WHAT problems do you want to solve?
2. WHO do you want to help? Is anyone is already doing this type of work?
3. HOW do you want to help solve the problem?
4. WHERE do you want to help solve the problem?  (setting, location)
5. WHEN do you want to begin to solve the problem? (after undergrad/grad school)
6. WHY do you want to solve this particular problem? 

Sabeen Sheikh, MHC

Assistant Director

Outreach and Special Programs

Career Center | Hofstra University

The Countdown Is On!

Can you believe we’re almost halfway through April?! I feel like it was just yesterday that we were starting a brand new academic year… and now we’re just a few weeks away from graduation and summer break!


Time seems to speed up around this time of the year; when it does, it’s easy to find yourself focused on your end goal and how close it is—so easy, that we tend to forget that we should be enjoying the journey we take along the way.


So, for the remainder of this semester, I encourage you to go back to the basics and ask yourself the following:
● Who’s in your corner? The people in your network are there to listen to, advocate for, and support you — they are a resource! You don’t have to (and in some cases, simply can’t!) do it alone.
● What are your “sticking points”? Even the most proactive planners and do-ers among us have one thing in the back of our heads that just doesn’t get done. Challenge yourself to knock those little things out of the way, so you can focus on the big things to come.
● Where do you see yourself this time next year, or in 5? Envisioning the future while reflecting on the recent past helps you make sure you’re grounded, rather than getting too caught up in what’s happening right now.
● When are you taking time for you? Getting caught up in all of the things you need to do makes it easy to forget about the most important part of it -- YOU! Self-care, whether it’s taking time to step away from your screens for a walk, grabbing dinner with a friend, or just spending a few moments alone, will help keep the burnout at bay. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
● Why are you doing this? Revisiting your vision and the bigger picture of what your right-now tasks represent can solidify your drive and guide you through the busiest times. Finish the sentence “Imagine how I’ll feel when…” --- whatever comes after the “...” is your reason, and your motivation!
● How can you get help? Think back to the first question; who’s in your corner? Is there anything you’re currently dealing with that can be made easier with their support? Are there offices on campus (*cough* like us! *cough*) who can give you advice or assistance? I know I said it before, but it’s worth repeating; you don’t have to go it alone!

Good luck -- You’ve got this!

Amy Smith
Associate Director of External Relations

eNetworking - Expanding Your Online Network

Welcome to the second and final installment of eNetworking! In this post, we will discuss how to professionally and effectively reach out to people on LinkedIn to set up informational interviews.

Now that your digital profile, your brand, it's as sharp as a tack, it is time to start making new connections! You will foster and grow these connections through informational interviews. An informational interview is an opportunity in which a potential job seeker seeks advice on their career, the industry, and the corporate culture of a potential future workplace from a current employee

of a company. At one point or another, everyone has needed help with their career, so people are happy and willing to help those who ask for it by talking about their workplace or career path. The following steps will guide you through the process of making connections and handling these interviews.

STEP 1 - Reaching out
A. Target and research a company you are interested in and scroll through their employee list on LinkedIn. If a position or profile interests you, take a look!
B. Once you've found your employee of interest, click Connect and send InMail.
     a. Always send a message explaining why you’d like to connect and your background.

STEP 2 - Receiving a connection
A. Once the user has accepted your request, respond in a professional and timely manner asking to set up a phone call where you can learn from their experience and insights into the company.
     a. Phone calls are the most convenient way to connect with busy professionals.

STEP 3 - Nailing the informational interview
A. Always confirm your call the day before because people can forget and conflicts do come up.
B. Treat this phone call like an informal interview by following these tips.
     a. Prepare questions ahead of time
     b. Have a pen and pad to take notes
     c. Make sure your phone is charged and you will maintain cellular service
C. Communicating with professionals oftentimes strikes a balance between informal conversation and polite respect. Don’t be afraid to stray from ridged professional topics and conversational structure if you discover you both have something in common. A good rule of thumb is to mirror the demeanor of the person you’re speaking with.

STEP 4 - Follow up
A. Make sure to email them that night thanking them for their time and insight.
     a. Reference things from your conversation to show that you were listening and valued what they           said.
B. If you have already applied for a position at their company, mention it in your email. Companies have internal referral programs that often benefit employees who refer potential hires.
C. Now that this new connection is a part of your network, make sure to keep in touch! Reach out to your network every 3-4 months to keep them updated on your career, personal life, and ever-changing goals. This will help you strengthen your network so that you can support each other for years to come. By following these steps, you can develop a robust online network that will help you throughout your career! You may even have the chance to help others and support someone who is also trying to get their start.

If you have any questions about this article or need help phrasing any of your outreach; please contact Michael Goldin at michael.q.goldin@hofstra.edu.

Michael Goldin
Graduate External Relations Assistant

The Journey of a Liberal Arts Major

It is my first time writing a blog post about my life and journey from beginning in 2015 as a lonely, nearly child-like human to a fully-fledged college student preparing to enter the great beyond of adulthood. I must say the experience was something of unusual twists and turns, backwards and forwards and overall wildness. I began my life as a young eighteen year old, enamored with the bright lights of New York. When Hofstra reached out to me about their university, all I saw was the city they were in. New York. I immediately knew this was where I was meant to be, with the never-ending nightlife, cold weather and places like the Brooklyn Bridge or Central Park. When the decision came to apply, I wondered if it were better for me to go in undecided or with a particular major in mind. All my college counselors said going in undecided made it look like you had no clear idea of what you wanted to do so it would be best to choose a major and change it later. Not knowing the hole they and I had dug for myself, I chose Forensic Sciences. 

Sight unseen, I accepted Hofstra’s offer and the time came when I was to go to orientation. I had this idea that I would meet a group of friends within my group and we would be best friends for all of college; this definitely did not happen. I remember

stepping onto campus after a six-hour flight and feeling like this could become my home. Fast forward to the first days of Welcome Week and class, I realized that perhaps this was not the life for me. Between parties, cliques and a hellish biology class, it left me questioning my maturity and ability to cope with being so far from home. I suffered through my first semester and immediately knew that no way could I continue with two more semesters of biology, just to get to chemistry and finally, forensics. I completely switched everything and began my life within the Liberal Arts major. With the added stress of disappointing my parents, loosing my scholarship due to a D in biology, second semester was no better. I took political science classes, which confused me, and photography, which slowly became my passion. I then knew that I needed to go back to my roots and love for history.

Summer came and I questioned my passions and my life. I got a job in a bakery which I loved (I mean, free and unlimited pastries and coffee? Who would not love that?). I knew I needed to go back to Hofstra because a life at home and community college did not fit me. So instead of suffering through more political science classes, I switched to history and found my love for all things, old and new. From ancient texts to analyzing trash to researching the effects of the year 1968, I knew this was it for me. I shocked my family with my decision to go towards history but they were receptive and proud of my growth thus far. Now, I had a clear path set in front of me and with the help of a wonderful professor, I realized my future had so many options and paths for me to find, try and love or hate. It was like jumping off a cliff into an unknown; scary but exciting and thus, began my career in the Liberal Arts which landed me a job offer with AmeriCorps, connecting the past to the future. 

Written by Emma Kern

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?

We’ve all been asked this question hundreds of times throughout our lives. Whether your answer has changed from doctor to lawyer, or from astronaut to accountant, or even if it has stayed the same, the most important part of choosing a career path is finding something that makes you happy and fits your needs. In my case, from the time I was first asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” my answer was always teacher. I spent almost 20 years giving everyone that same answer, until one day, it changed. College is a time for self-reflection, to make mistakes, and to change your mind and change it again, and while I was in my second year at college, the answer changed to “I don’t know.”

I am here to tell you that it is perfectly okay to not know what you want to do. You can change your mind dozens of times throughout your life, and just because your degree says one thing, doesn’t mean you can’t do something else. I have a degree in Physics that is currently sitting on my shelf collecting dust, as I purse another degree in Higher Education. My career path has changed at least 3 times already, and who knows if it will change again.

As you think about your career journey, here are some things to consider:

1.     Identify your skills: Every career requires a different skill set, and being able to identify your skills may help you to find a career that you enjoy and will thrive in.

2.     Determine your goals: What do you want to get out of a career?

3.     Know your work style: Your work style may affect your ability to thrive in certain careers. Are you a team player, or do you prefer to work individually?

4.     Try and try again: It’s okay to try a career and determine that you hate it. Internships, co-ops, fellowships and other experiential learning are ways to test out a career before making major decisions.

5.     Network, network, network: you never know who you might meet at a family event, a friend’s dinner, or at mom’s company holiday party. Online networking via LinkedIn is also great for informational interviews.

6.     Visit the Career Center: We’re here to help! Stop by or make an appointment with the Career Center! We have resources to help you identify your strengths, determine your goals, look for jobs and internships and more!

Take this time during college to reflect on your career choices. Consider trying something that sparks your interest, maybe interning at a company, volunteering with a non-profit, or shadowing a professional. No harm can come from trying something new. Nothing is ever set in stone and there is always time to change the road you’re on.

Cheryl Posner

Graduate Assistant- Career Development

The Career Center

From the Classroom to the Community

Do you want to travel the country, meet new people, create lifelong friendships, and give back to your community?

If the answer is yes, AmeriCorps is a way you can dedicate your time and skills to serve. According to AmeriCorps Youth Outreach Specialist for the NorthEast Region, Jessica Brown, each year more than 80,000 American’s enroll in AmeriCorps between the ages of 18-24. With more than one million alumni, AmeriCorps has provided life-changing experiences for members to jumpstart their career path. As a member of AmeriCorps, you can travel the country, earn money for school, and meet the critical needs in your community in 10 to 12 months!

AmeriCorps members are committed to getting things done by tackling different projects with non-profits, public agencies, institutions, and community based organizations. Here are just some of the ways you can help serve through AmeriCorps:

·       Filling and placing sandbags in local communities to mitigate the impact of natural disasters like flooding

·       Educating citizens on sustainability and energy conservation practices

·       Constructing or repairing hiking trails in local and national parks

·       Removing exotic vegetation and planting new trees

·       Assisting veterans, homeless and senior citizen populations

·       Constructing and rehabilitating low-income housing

The advantages of becoming a member allow you to receive money for college, student loan repayment assistance, living allowances, health benefits, and potential job opportunities. At AmeriCorps, you can gain professional skills, network, and begin living your dreams with no prior experience necessary!

If you’re ready to begin creating your future and want to find out more information, please visit www.corps.vet.

Here’s to making a difference!

Hofstra Career Center and Jennifer Fragleasso, External Relations Coordinator

What To Do Over Winter Break

The semester is over! The textbooks are closed (and sold back to the bookstore), your Hofstra ID is tucked away in a drawer, and you don’t have to set your alarm clock.

So now what??

Maybe you have plans for the winter break, which can include trips, a class, a part-time job or an internship. Whatever your plans, there are many ways that you can jump-start your career or job search during the break, and some take very little time! See how many of these you can check-off this list by the end of the break:

o  Update your LinkedIn profile.  It’s never too early (or too late) to do this.  Complete your profile by adding special school projects, skills and honors. Search for LinkedIn groups in your field of interest and join them.  Connect with your professors, anyone at your part-time job and people who you see are involved in your career field.

o  Talk to people who are in your target job or career field. Where do you find these people? Ask around, you never know who will know someone.  

o  Write a draft of a resume. The career center is open during the winter break to help you create a resume, or fine-tune one you already have. A good place to start is our Career Guide, which can be found at Hofstra.edu/career.

o  Volunteer!  Even if it’s just for a few hours, volunteering in a field of interest can give you an inside-look at that career and also provide valuable networking connections.

o  Read articles and blogs about certain careers. Start to learn as much as possible about any field you are considering.

The Career Center wishes you a wonderful winter break!  Happy New Year!