Meet Our HU Students: David Samberg

Name: David Samberg

Hometown: Massapequa Park, NY

Major: Exercise Science

When you were young, what did you think you wanted to be "when you grow up?"

When I was young, I knew I wanted to be a personal trainer "when I grew up". I always knew in my head that this is what I wanted to do. Ever since I saw my mom in this position, and experienced what it was like, and what it involved, I had a good feeling that I wanted to pursue that career choice.

What career do you hope your first job after graduate will be?

The career that I hope to have after graduation (first job) is a personal trainer. I have been learning all about what it takes and how things need to be done in order to have this career.

What experience have you had so far that you think is best preparing you to reach that goal?

I have a lot of experience in this field, as well as past experience actually training clients one on one. The majority of things that I learn in my classes I already know, but it is good to know that I was taught the right things and have good background knowledge about this career.

What advice would you have for others who are pursuing this same career?

Advice I would give to others who are pursing this career would be don't expect to succeed quickly. In this type of job, you have to slowly work your way up. At first you start off with  few clients, and then as you progress with more and more time that you put in, you begin to  broaden your clientele. It is definitely worth the wait though.

Who at Hofstra has had the biggest positive impact on you?

The person at Hofstra who has had the most influence on me would be my advisor Dr. Katie Sell. She has really helped me out with not just classes and extra ways to help me succeed, but she has worked with me one on one and helped me gain experience in the field. She has really given me that opportunity to become successful in the field.

Meet Our HU Students: Sydney Pastor-Poe

Name: Sydney Pastor Poe

Hometown: Newton, NJ

Major(s): Video/ Television

When you were young, what did you think you wanted to be "when you grow up?"

Oh, gosh. I think I really wanted to be everything: a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a psychologist, a singer, an actress. I think that’s why I chose TV, actually. I love to create; I love creation itself. When I write or produce something, I get to nurture it from A to Z. I’m very thorough as a person, and writing really allows me to create a world where “anything” and “everything” can co-exist for as long as I deem possible. Also, I think at one point I actually wanted to be a dream interpreter before I realized that they didn’t really exist.

What career do you hope your first job after graduate will be?

I’d really love to be an NBC Page. The selection process is ridiculously demanding, but that’s never stopped me before.

What experience have you had so far that you think is best preparing you to reach that goal?

I love working on Thursday Nite Live here at Hofstra. I’m only a freshman so I haven’t been involved with TNL for long, but it’s really given me a great opportunity to be absurd… which I very much appreciate. I write for the show, and I’m also a cast member. In our first episode, I wrote a sketch with another writer called “The Wizard of Phi Zheta” which had Dorothy, Swolecrow, Tinderman, and Cowardly Ryan all try to navigate a Frat Party. It really turned out hilarious, and it was such an incredible learning experience going from the initial pitch meeting, to writing and revising the script, to hearing the first read-through, to watching the first run-through, and then actually watching a live-studio audience react to it. I had a blast with all of it, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.

What advice would you have for others who are pursuing this same career?

Don’t? Be a practical human being? Work at a desk? Just kidding, of course. To pursue a career in the film or television industry, you really have to be very flexible. So much is prone to change in the creative process that if you get too attached to anything, you’ll have a hard-time adapting. That being said, it is also important to have a clear and distinct voice and to know what you want. You also have to have a lot of grit, and you have to be really hungry for opportunity. I can’t think of a more exciting career path than working in the film or television industry, but you really can’t do it lackadaisically.

Who at Hofstra has had the biggest positive impact on you?

Well, in my all-inclusive-two-months-of-Hofstra-retreat, the wait staff has been exquisite, and my maids are getting exceptionally better at remembering to put the mints on top of my pillows instead of underneath them. In actuality, I’ve had several really great influences on me as a student and a human being. I love all of my colleagues at the Career Center. My professors are absolutely brilliant. I have a great support system between my advisor, my friends here, and my friends and family back home. Hofstra in general has been a great positive impact on me and a great resource for me. I can’t wait to see how the rest of my time here unfolds.

Conducting Phone Interviews

A potential employer may want to do a preliminary interview by phone. If you're prepared for the call, you can impress the interviewer.  Here are some tips, since doing a phone interview is a unique experience!

First, have all your tools in one place, which should include:

• Your resume
• Pen and paper to jot the interviewer(s) name(s) down immediately and to take notes during the interview
• Company research (with relevant information highlighted)
• Questions to ask about the company and position
• A glass of water

 Some additional tips:

• Turn off distractions. Take your phone into in a quiet room.
• Make sure you write down the interviewer’s name and contact information.
• Dress the part for the interview. Experts say if you're dressed in a professional manner, you'll speak that way.
• Make your answers more concise and to the point.  It is harder to keep the interviewer’s attention on the phone, due to the lack of non-verbal communication.

Some final thoughts:

If an employer calls and wants to do the interview right away (instead of setting up an appointment), tell them you are interested but would like to call them back in five minutes. This will give you time to make the psychological switch from whatever you are doing to your professional demeanor and collect some basic materials.

When the employer ends the interview, thank them for their time.  Be sure you have their full name and contact information.  Close the interview by thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in the position.

Write a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview.

If you have other questions, don’t hesitate to come see us!

Gary Alan Miller,
Executive Director

5 Questions All College Students Should Be Asking

You have a lot of experiences and gain a lot of knowledge as a college student. But, to a large degree, it falls to you to figure out how all these things are connected and to make personal meaning from them. So, while it’s perhaps not the type of advice that makes the rounds on the internet, reflecting and synthesizing your knowledge and experiences could be among the most important things you can do to impact both your short- and long-term success.  

This kind of deep reflection and meaning-making can be hard to do. So, here are five questions you can ask yourself to help with the process.  You can use these during and after experiences (and by “experiences,” I mean just about anything – class projects, volunteering, student organization work, studying abroad, interning, going to your part-time job, and so forth).

1.      How does this connect this to other things I’ve learned or experienced? 

2.      What was the most challenging aspect of this experience, and what skills did I use with that challenge?

3.      In what ways did this experience require me to communicate with others?

4.      What mistakes did I make, and how could I have done things differently?

5.      How did I interact with other people in this experience?

There are many other questions you could ask yourself to prompt reflection as you move through college.  These are just a start. I recommend you start a journal and have a set of standard questions like these that you use to reflect on everything you do. You will learn a lot from doing so, and you’ll be better prepared to integrate what you’ve learned into future experiences. Resume writing and interviewing become easy when you do this kind of reflection. But, more importantly, what you experience and learn will have relevance and meaning to you, and that’s truly what college is about!

Gary Alan Miller,
Executive Director

My #1 Tip for Undecided Students

My executive director recently left a gift on everyone’s desk. Who doesn’t love spontaneous gifts, right?  It was a copy of the New York Time’s bestseller “Steal Like an Artist.”  It’s a little book, quick read and very visual.  As a busy woman, it was my kind of book! There were so many little gems of advice that I found myself nodding along in agreement with each page I turned. The author, Austin Kleon, proves you don’t have to write a lot to say a lot. 

The book gives 10 tips about how to be creative. I love them all, but one resonated with me because of my role as a career counselor. Tip #5 is “side projects and hobbies are important.” I tell this to students in appointments all the time. When students come in saying things like “I feel lost,” “I feel so undecided about my future,” or “I need to chose a major but I don’t know how,” I start to ask them about the things they do for fun.  I ask them about their hobbies, their passions.  Inevitably after I ask that question, they will follow up with something like  “I like _____ but don’t know how to make a career of that.”

This is where Kleon gave me the “aha moment.”  He advises that we don’t need to worry about connecting the dots in our life as they happen.  In fact, we should do a few things that we love no matter if they seem connected or not, relevant or not, even purposeful or not.  He says, “Don’t throw any of yourself away.  Don’t worry about a grand scheme or unified vision for your work […] what unifies your work is the fact that you made it.  One day, you’ll look back and it will all make sense.”

So, I am going to “steal like an artist,” and give you some of my best advice with some help from Kleon.  If you want to choose a major or your career, keep those hobbies.  Find time for your side projects.  It might not make sense going forward but it will all make sense looking back.  

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

How to Rock Your Next Skype Interview

Did you see Kaitlyn’s blog yesterday? It has really great tips to prepare you to ace an interview. So if you didn’t, check it out by scrolling down after this post or clicking here! While I was reading it, I started thinking about one of the more recent methods of interviewing that has developed—the Skype interview. Skype interviews have become increasingly common in recent years, and they’re particularly helpful if you’ve applied for a position for which you would have to travel a long distance for the interview. If you’re an out-of-state student looking for a position once you return home, or are looking to relocate after graduation, Skype interviews are a great way to keep the personal feel of an interview! However, Skype interviews do come with their own nuances that you must think about and prepare for; these tips will help you stay cool, calm, and collected!

1. Choose your interview space carefully – and keep it clean!
Once you know when your Skype interview will take place, start thinking about where you’ll be connecting with the employer for the interview. You want a room that is clear and free of distractions: both for you in the room and your interviewers on screen! If you choose to take the interview in your bedroom, either in your residence hall or at home, make sure that the area that will be on screen with you is free and clear of anything that could potentially give a negative perception of you to an employer (especially things like posters, pictures, and decorations).

*Protip: Ask The Career Center! With advance notice, we can try to set aside one of our interview rooms for you to use!

2. Dress (completely) professionally!

Just because you know you’ll only be visible from the torso-up for your interview, don’t think that’s free reign to wear those Spongebob pajama pants! It might be comfy, but you’ll feel much more professional if you’re in full interview attire. Plus, if any technical glitches arise and you do need to stand up while you’re on-screen, you’re prepared!

Don’t be this guy.

3. Don’t let the glitches get you down!

Technical difficulties happen. Just as your internet connection can go down right at the crucial part of the movie you’re watching on Netflix, it can happen during a Skype interview, too. Take precautions before the interview, like making sure that you’re on a computer that has a stable connection and doing a test-run to calibrate your camera and microphone. Also make sure you provide a phone number you can be reached at during the interview time, in case they can’t connect to you or the Skype call gets dropped. Most importantly, how you handle glitches can also potentially show the employer how you can handle pressure; stay calm and have a back-up plan in place!

Best of luck on your next Skype interview! If you want to schedule a mock interview or just have some questions as you prepare, stop on in and see us!

Amy Smith, Assistant Director