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

The One Skill Every Student Needs When Applying to Internships

Whether you are finishing up your internship search for this summer or beginning your search for the fall, there is one skill that every student needs to acquire when applying to internships:  investigation!  Yes, you need to become your very own private investigator.  As a student, your time is of the essence, so it is important to use it wisely. Apply, interview and accept only the internships that will be valuable to you!  Here is how you can do so:

1. Make sure the employer is legitimate.  Search for a company website, make sure the contact person’s email address is a company address (not a private yahoo or gmail account), and don’t reply to anyone asking for private information like your bank account or social security number.
   
   
2. Become clear on what the internship is about.  Read the internship description carefully and answer the following questions for yourself.  Is the employer stating what you will be doing and your key responsibilities?  Does the work sound meaningful?  Will you learn new skills?  Can you connect what you are learning at Hofstra to what you will be doing on site?  Will you be supervised and/or is there department in place that is already doing the work that will be required of you?
   
   
3. Ask key questions at the interview, so you can effectively evaluate the offer.  Here are a few you can use:
• Can you give me some examples of the type of work an intern will be doing, such as day-to-day activities and key assignments?
• Will I be supervised?  How will my supervisor evaluate me?  Will I be meeting with my supervisor regularly?
• Does this internship offer any training?  If so, what type of training?
• What do you see as the key benefits of this internship?
• What are the most important qualities you look for in an intern?
• Could you give me an example of an intern whom you thought of as outstanding and what he/she did?
• Are interns included in staff programs such as staff meetings, seminars, or training sessions? Do interns observe site visits, or meetings with clients?

If at any point you are unsure of whether to accept an internship offer, contact our office and speak with a career counselor.  We are here to help!

Deanna Rodin,

Associate Director

The Top 7 Body Language Mistakes Made on Interviews

The Career Center offers mock interviews year round, but right now is our busy season for interviewing

prep.  Students are coming in every day to practice before the “real thing.”  We are so often concentrating on what to say that we forget the importance of our nonverbal communication, aka body language.  It doesn’t matter what we say if we are saying the opposite with our body.  For instance, has a friend ever told you what you were saying was “so interesting” but instead was looking around or at his/her phone?  It would be far more believable if your friend were making eye contact, right?  The point, don’t underestimate body language on an interview!  

When practicing with students, I have found these to be the top body language mistakes:

1. Crossing your arms or legs
2. Avoiding eye contact, or staring too long
3. Repeating gestures over and over, or fidgeting
4. Not smiling
5. Bad posture (leaning back, leaning forward, slouching)
6. Weak handshake, or too aggressive a handshake
7. Playing with your hair or with something on the table like a pen

If you’re not sure which of these mistakes you are making, if any, then join the rest of your peers and make an appointment for a mock interview by calling our office at 463-6060.  Happy Interviewing!

Deanna Rodin,
Associate Director

Is It Too Late to Apply for a Summer Internship?

One of the most frequent questions that students are asking at The Career Center is “is it too late to apply for a summer internship?”  The answer is “no, it’s not too late.”  Truth be told, though, it is crunch time.  To be successful in finding a quality internship, you will need to plan at least 4-6 months in advance of when you hope to begin interning.   Yes, I can do math and this only leaves you with less than 3 months to prepare.  However, the majority of college students are notorious for waiting until spring break to apply.  It is very difficult to manage classes, midterms, clubs, jobs, and a social life while applying for internships.  So if you want to beat the rush, don’t procrastinate and start now.  The process can be overwhelming.  To help you out, I have broken it down for you in a few manageable steps:

1)   Decide what type of internship you would like.  You can choose by major (i.e. I want to internship in journalism) or by industry (i.e. I want an internship focusing on sustainability).  You can even narrow it down by type of employer (i.e. I want to intern with a political candidate on a campaign).  If you need help brainstorming, take a look at our resource called “What Can I Do With This Major?”  It is important to be open minded, however, searching for an internship without a focus is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

2)   Prepare your resume and cover letter.  Whether you have a connection through your network, you meet an employer at event, you are attending a career fair, or you are applying online, you will always need a resume.  If you don’t have one, use our career planning handbook on our website to draft one and have it critiqued during our quick question hours. 

3)   Schedule a mock interview at The Career Center.  You can have the best resume in the world but it comes down to the interview as to whether you beat out the competition or not.  Our counselors offer individual feedback to help you practice and prepare during our mock interviews.  Schedule one by calling the office at 463-6060.

4)   Search and apply.  There are many ways to go about applying to internships.  I am only going to mention two here.  First, log onto Pride CMS (our online job/internship database specifically for Hofstra students).  Secondly, search on Internships.com, accessed through Blackboard.  Third, attend our Spring Career Fair on April 2^nd. 

5)   Don’t do it alone.  Schedule an appointment with The Career Center so we can support you through the process.  Let us tailor our resources and program recommendations to you.

That’s it!  Follow these five steps by tackling one and moving on to the next.  It is that simple once you get started.  Good luck!

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

Culture Shock

As we begin the new semester, many of you are beginning your spring internship.  A common question students ask during their internship interviews is “what is the company culture?”  How many of us really know what that means or what we are looking for?  My guess is not many.  However, how we “jive” with an organization’s culture is very important to our career success and happiness.  Your internship is a great time to start to understand this concept and get a feel for what you are looking for. 

Internships.com published a helpful article on “Getting a read on corporate culture.”  Check out the article for some clarification on what company culture really means and how to understand it. 

Best wishes for a great spring semester!

Deanna Rodin, Assistant Director