Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so I definitely made sure to have both merriment and candy. Besides that, I managed to start off the weekend with something productive -- a Job Search Boot Camp!
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| Halloween + Jobs = Skeleton Taxi Driver? Source |
I started this blog post before the boot camp, but by the time this is posted I will have attended and added my thoughts on the experience.
PRE-BOOT CAMP THOUGHTS
I'm looking forward to the resume critique, since every time I update my resume I find things that could change. Writing a perfect resume is definitely an art form, and it often takes another set of eyes to fully gauge all the improvements that could be made. (If you couldn't make the boot camp, you can schedule an appointment with the Career Center and have someone critique your resume any time.)
The one thing I'm most nervous about is the mock interview. As I'm sure you all know, interviews can be quite nerve-wrecking. I'm always worried about portraying myself calmly and eloquently, all while having good posture and maintaining eye contact. However, I know that this is just practice! The purpose of the boot camp is to train us on interviewing skills, so if I don't do perfectly it'll be a learning experience.
This is especially true since the mock interview will be in a small group rather than one-on-one. I've never done a group interview in real life, so I have a lot to learn.
Overall, I'm excited to see what this boot camp has to offer!
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POST-BOOT CAMP THOUGHTS
The Job Search Boot Camp was a total success! I had a great time learning about all the different steps involved in the job search. Though the program was several hours long, time flew by. We were learning so much at such a rapid pace that it felt like we were done in no time. Kudos to the Career Center for a well-organized day.
Some of the highlights included networking practice, resume critiques, a guide to online resources, and the mock interview. Every part of the program was really informative, and they all lent themselves to a different facet of the job search. One of my favorite portions was the guide to web resources, since the Career Center site is filled to the brim with awesome links. It's a lot more efficient than aimlessly googling. A great place to start is Career A-Z, which organizes job resources by profession.
The interview ended up being a lot less scary than I thought it would be. Chris, the Career Counselor assigned to our group of three interviewees, gave us a lot of great advice and let us critique each other. One thing he emphasized was the importance of telling a story during an interview. A good story can be the difference between making an impression and being forgotten the moment you walk out of the room. Always brainstorm a few stories before any interview, so you have an arsenal to choose from.
All the information packed into the boot camp was a lot to take in, but it was also comforting to come away with a "toolbox" of sorts. I learned so much that I'm actually excited to pass on tips to my senior friends. Thanks to the boot camp, I feel like I have all the knowledge I need to tackle the job search and finally figure my life out (or just the first part, at least).
If you think you're missing that toolbox, make an appointment with a Career Counselor! They'll help you find your way.
Signing off,
Kelly Vieira
Class of 2015
