The Transition: "Pre-Season to In-Season"

November is here. I repeat November is here. For many of you this month may not have that much significance, but for NESCAC winter athletes, November 1^st is the day that we can finally begin official practices for our respective seasons. The transition from out of season to in season is a big jump, especially since November 1^st occurs right after midterms. Being in season can alter your entire schedule. For winter athletes, practices and games spill over from the fall semester into spring semester, limiting the classes we can take and when we can take them. Hello, 8 am classes - how I have not missed you!

"Early morning classes, after morning practice"
Source

This post will focus on the skills required to survive this transition, self-care tips like in Kelly’s upcoming post, and resources available to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Registering for Classes

For winter athletes, scheduling is a major concern as the winter season spans both fall and spring semester. This can be a source of stress for many, as availability for classes is narrow. Sometimes athletes are unable to take classes they need for their major, due to the timing of the class or it’s popularity coinciding with an unlucky registration window. For those struggling with scheduling for next semester don’t be afraid to schedule more meetings with your major/premajor advisor, career advisor, or even your assigned academic advising dean (don't know who your advising dean is?  check it out here). I have found speaking to my academic dean to be particularly de-stressing.  My dean is a great person to talk to - she has great insight into how to help students with time-constraints and course selection. If there is a conflict don’t be afraid to talk with your coach. The beauty of the NESCAC is that it's a Division III league aiming to be significantly focused on academic success. After going through the process I’ve also learned about which classes work for me within season. Whether it’s morning classes in the spring or harder classes in the fall, finding out what’s best for you is key towards success both in the game and in the classroom.

Time Management

As I mentioned in an earlier post on the advantages of being a student athlete, good time management is key maintaining sanity during the season. Since the new shift in time constraints can be a source of particular stress it is important to plan ahead in order to have a smooth transition. I know this will sound old school but planners and calendars really do help. Especially if you use a tool like iCal, you can sync your school calendar with your game and practice calendar, both on your phone and computer. This ensures you never “double book” yourself, and you know what’s coming up - team commitments, work, study time, papers, exams - it's easier to plan when you can see everything that's coming up. According to Positivity Blog, the act of writing down all your upcoming events makes you more likely to remember them. So plan ahead now!

Travel

Another large shift during in-season is the travel. Location, location, location. Traveling can take a toll, not only on your body, but on your mind. Look for the best places to study at Tufts as well as places to study when you are on the road. I’ve found some places that are ideal for prime studying. Whether on the bus or in a hotel, you have to get crafty in finding spots suitable for studying and completing homework. Let’s beat procrastination together!

"A lot of travel time"
Source

Communication

Make sure that you are on the same page with your professors. Identifying yourself as an in-season athlete and let professors know about your time constraints and travel commitments. And communicating this earlier, rather than later, will make it easier to reschedule exams and papers.

Careers & Internships

While the time available for updating your resume, finishing applications and preparing for interviews may seem limited, there are still opportunities for athletes to take advantage of career resources while in-season. For winter athletes who come back to campus during winter break, the Career Center is open regular hours! Winter break is a great time to schedule a career advising appointment  - fewer students schedule appointments during this time, so you'll have a career advisor all to yourself! The Career Center is also open during spring and summer breaks (Who would have thought?). Make sure you take advantage of these valuable resources.

Source

As we come to the end of these tips for the in-season transition I have to reiterate the importance of time management and self care.  It is important to make sure your body and mind are in sync and healthy in order to be successful (For more on this, stay tuned for Kelly's post). If you need to take a break, don’t be afraid to. Being a student-athlete can feel like working two jobs, so making sure that you are healthy in both mind and body is very important. Don’t forget to “Treat yo self”

Carpe Diem,

Nicole Brooks

Class of 2016

Read More

"Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose": The Student-Athlete Advantage

I mentioned in my introductory post that I'm on the Tufts Women's Basketball team. I thought it would be important to write a post about career opportunities from a student-athlete's perspective. 

Last year, as a sophomore I remember feeling confused and stressed about several things. What do you mean I have to declare a major? I just got here. I have to find an internship? What's a resume, and is that the same as my Common App? If you find yourself at this stage, check out Sean's upcoming blog post on Friday. All of these questions bombarded me as I was taking a heavy course load while dedicating 30+ weekly hours in season and 12 hours in the off season to basketball. I felt unprepared and unable to compete with peers who had time to visit the Career Center and were able to intern in high school and the summer before freshman year.

Coach Taylor on NBC's hit show Friday Night Lights repeated a motto before every game, "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose." This mantra parallels the career approach of student athletes. Though we may not have the same time to commit to career development as other students, by emphasizing our passion and dedication for sports, we can reveal our advantages as potential job/intern candidates. This post will detail the student-athlete advantage in the job market and provide tips for resources.

http://goo.gl/TcZiSb
"Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose"

Time Management

Through many conversations with fellow student-athletes, the issue of "time" frequently comes up as a major factor in their daily lives. As students first, we balance full time class schedules, midterms, papers and final exams alongside film sessions, travel, games, lifts and treatment. Often, it feels like time flies by without explanation. While we constantly try to fit more hours in the day, employers value the time management challenges that we face throughout college. In fact, there many reasons why potential employers value student athletes, according to Fast Company's post "Why Your Employee Should Be a Former Student Athlete". Employers value candidates who have demonstrated self-motivation and responsibility through experience, and student-athletes are perfect examples of this. 

Competitiveness

http://gph.to/1CHCLwW
"#Determination"

Colgate University's resource, "The Athlete's Advantage," lists various attributes that student athletes have practiced their whole lives. Ironically, athletes often don't even realize they are flexing these skills. Usually athletes are so focused on the game, they fail to recognize the advantages of consistently using a goal-oriented mindset. Since many athletes on the collegiate level have been playing their respective sport for most of their lives, they have unconsciously been conditioned to excel and dedicate themselves toward certain objectives. Whether it's mastering a reverse layup, dolphin kick, sprinting, or memorizing formations, we have constantly been performing habits that demonstrate our determination to succeed as well revealing a strong work ethic. As student-athletes performing on the collegiate level, we have demonstrated that we are able to compete at this level while consistently striving to get better. This is exactly what companies are looking for in employees. Student-athletes need to learn how to articulate that competitiveness is a strength both on and off the field.

Communication & Teamwork 

http://gph.to/1vBaWUY
"Group hug y'all"

It goes without saying that communication and teamwork are two of the most important attributes an employee can have. Working towards a common goal with a group of people is something many athletes have experience with. Even if you are in an individual sport, executing tasks assigned by coaching staff (being coachable) while exhibiting personal responsibility are qualities all athletes share. Being able to receive critical feedback is also an important asset that athletes bring. We've all had coaches throughout the years who give feedback in different ways. Whether it was harsh, lacking, or just right, we have been able to take the critique and use it as motivation toward self improvement and reaching our goals. According to a Forbes interview with Douglas Stone, managing partner at Triad Consulting and lecturer at Harvard Law School, feedback is often described in sports vernacular.  Being able to take feedback is very critical in the workplace, as employers don't want to "baby" candidates or have an employee who can't take criticism.  An employee who is a "team player" who is also able to coach is highly valued within business. This is due to the duality of skills: being able to take and apply critique, while also being able to observe and provide advice toward helping colleagues. 

Leadership

Whether you're a captain of your team or not, student-athletes are natural leaders. Knowing one's own strengths while being aware of others strengths helps to make teams more successful. At one point or another, athletes find themselves in situations where the opportunity for leadership is presented. Understanding your teammates and being able to create a successful combination of differing skill sets on the court, field, or rink is a highly specialized skill that is transferable to the workplace. Creating strategy and executing tasks among teammates reveals your leadership capabilities to recruiters, will give you an advantage in the application process. 

Involvement

Here are tips for athletes looking to gaining even more experience and skills through organizations on campus. Athletes should leverage their role to gain leadership experience in the community, on campus, and even among their peers. I recommend the following organizations for student-athletes looking to get involved in activities that are more flexible for a packed student-athlete schedule and popular among current and former Tufts athletes:

• SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee)
• This is a group of athletes representing varsity sports and club sports that meet weekly to promote Tufts Athletics on and off campus. Every team has two representatives on the Committee that work within sub-committees to address tasks pertaining to student-athlete life and the promotion of the image of Tufts Athletics
• Sub-commitees include: Fan the Fire, Community Engagement, Social Media and Promotions, SAAC Development, and Sportsmanship and Policy

• Team IMPACT

  

  Here is Tufts University Women's Basketball with our Teammate Shannon Curley
• This is an organization started by 5 Tufts undergraduates and a Fletcher alumni to pair collegiate teams with children battling life-threatening diseases. They were honored this year at the Tufts Athletics Ceremony in September for their efforts.
• Seven teams on campus are currently involved in Team IMPACT and of course, the organization is looking for more teams to join. Working with this organization demonstrates interest in community service and a leadership/mentor role.

• Fan the Fire
  
• Fan the Fire is one of the more well-known student run organizations on campus to promote Tufts Athletics events and the image of "One Tufts".
• Volunteering for Fan the Fire events is open to all students, and represents a very flexible opportunity to engage in volunteering and to reach out to the Tufts community on and off campus.

• Special Olympics
• This is an organization involved with Tufts that organizes Special Olympic events and clinics on Tufts campus.
• They are always looking for volunteers for organizing and working the events. It's a great opportunity for those with previous experience in Special Olympics and also those interested in volunteering.

• Level the Field
• Another organization with ties to Tufts alumni, this group started a few years ago in connection with the Somerville Community Schools.  They provide short lessons on Friday mornings to teach local children the important qualities of being a student athlete, provide mentor opportunities and organize sports clinics.
• Level the Field occurs every Friday morning and athletes carpool to schools to meet with students. There are different time slots that you can sign up for every week, thus allowing you to create connections with certain classrooms. 

  

  Here are some Level the Field volunteers and Somerville students

• F.I.T (Pre-Orientation for Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts)
• This is for those who are going to be on campus early and are interesting in helping first year students get settled on campus and learn about the fitness and health opportunities on Tufts campus.
• You get to meet freshman and educate them on what Tufts is all about, while getting some swaggy gear.

Alumni Athlete Opportunities & Networking

If you are a first year or sophomore athlete looking for internships and networking connections, reach out to coaches and teammates. Teammates can use their own internship experiences to help you figure out what type of internship may be right for you. Also, teammates may be willing to share with you their professional connections, who can provide advice for next steps in your career path. Coaches are always great sources of networking and opportunities because of their connections to alumni in various fields. Be sure to join various student-athlete networking databases, including the NCAA Career Network and Alumni Athlete Career Networks (your connections do not have to be limited to alumni of Tufts or NESCAC). You can also search for former college athletes through the Tufts Career Advisory Network. The alumni in this database have volunteered to talk with you, and many alumni are searchable by student activities and sports they participated in at Tufts.

The Career Center understands the various time constraints and pressure that student-athletes encounter in and out of season. There are a variety of options for meeting with a career advisor. The Career Center offers daily Drop-In Hours, and if that doesn't work you can schedule a 30 minute appointment. 

I hope the beginning of October brings pumpkin spice lattes and copious amounts of pre-Halloween candy, and remember, "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose."

Carpe Diem,

Nicole Brooks
Class of 2016

Read More

Introducing the 2014-2015 Career Center Bloggers, sort of . . .

Introducing the . . .

Tufts Career Center 

2014-2015 Social Media Interns

After a seriously involved application and interview process (we required a writing sample and candidates came in for second interviews!), I'm happy to announce that we hired three new Social Media/Blogger Interns to start in the fall.

As supervisor to our bloggers, I am excited to have a senior, a junior and a sophomore join our staff.  Their primary responsibility is to share their personal career experiences during the 2014-2015 academic year, and get paid for doing so!  I think that's a pretty sweet deal.

And to throw some intrigue into this post, I'm going to hold off on introducing them by name - I'll let them do that on their own in their first posts in September.  However, because I can't contain my excitement about their credentials, I offer a few clues to keep you tuned in:

(C) Chris for OPENPHOTO.NET
CC: Attribution-NonDerivs-NonCommerical

• We selected our rising senior because she is a social media pro, with presence on Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr, among other media, and for the way she described herself in her interview: "Writing is my hobby - I feel more eloquent through text."  Here's another clue: she has an obsession with the character who said, "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."  Incidentally, a lot of people feel that way about their career - it's their work that defines them. And after this summer's virtual internship (ooh, what's that!?), she should have some interesting content for us come fall.

• Our rising junior is a student athlete, and we're interested in hearing about how she balances school, career, sports and extracurriculars.  Plus, her team made it to the Final Four this past year.  Did I just reveal which team she played for? Want to know what we discussed in her interview? Pottermore. She's a Harry Potter fan, I'm a Harry Potter fan - what else is there to say?  Be prepared for the part of an interview where the employer asks you questions about your hobbies and interests because they want to get to know the real you.

(C) Michael Jastremski for OPENPHOTO.NET
CC: Attribution-ShareAlike

• One intern, a rising sophomore, attended the Career Fair as a freshman. Can you imagine going to the Career Fair in Gantcher during your first month on campus? Well, this student did, and we were mightily impressed, so we hired him.  (In fact, one of our peers in the "ten best career services blogs", Oregon State University, posted something on this very subject a couple of months ago, check it out: 10 Reasons to Attend the Career Fair as a First Year Student.)  

I just can't wait until the fall!

Nicole Anderson
Assistant Director/Career Counselor
Tufts Career Services

Read More