Let's Talk Turkey

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Career Services Center would like to let YOU know how thankful we are to serve YOU. We have the privilege to work with some of the most talented, intelligent, and gifted students around.


I can’t find the right words to express how much I adore the following article. I hope you will take time to read each word and marinate on the thought of YOUR uniqueness.



Career Coach: Be Thankful for Your Uniqueness
By: Pamela Kleibrink Thompson.


During the filming of Some Like it Hot, Tony Curtis (who just recently passed away) pointed out to director Billy Wilder that he was doing an impression of Cary Grant. Billy Wilder replied, "If I wanted Cary Grant, I would have hired Cary Grant."

There is no one else in the world exactly like you. You have talents, experiences and a perspective that make you unique. Be grateful for your unique gifts. Nurture and develop them and utilize your strengths to add your unique vision and insights to the world. Your uniqueness is your most marketable quality. Yet many creative people make the mistake of chasing the latest fad or imitating the newest style.

It's tempting to chase trends or emulate successful people. I fell into this trap. Years ago I worked on a screenplay with a friend of mine I knew since high school. We were 3/4 of the way done with our script and we decided to celebrate and went to the movies. We were enthralled with the escapades of Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark. We decided to rewrite our detective screenplay in the Indiana Jones style. We never finished it.

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -- Bill Cosby

Don't try to chase the market or try to please everyone. Imagine Leonardo da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa in a storefront window. People pass by giving him feedback on his work in progress. "I think her dress should be a lighter color." "Her smile should be bigger." "The painting should be bigger." "She should wear her hair up." "The background should be the city, not the mountains." "There is too much shadow under her chin." Can you imagine Leonardo changing the painting as people made comments, concerned about whether everyone would like La Gioconda when it was finished?

Those who allow their unique strengths to set them apart from the crowd are those who achieve milestones in science, art and literature.

Whenever you are tempted to blend in and try to be popular with everyone, remind yourself of your uniqueness -- your passion and goals. Dare to be different and you will achieve success. Again, you can't be all things to all people. Rita Mae Brown reminds us: "The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself."

Be thankful that you are different from everyone else in the world. You have a unique contribution to make. Go ahead. Be distinctive. Originals are rare.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is grateful for her family and the opportunity to contribute the Career Coach column to AWN and for all the readers and followers. She is a recruiter, career coach and speaker. You can contact her at PamRecruit@q.com.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson dares you to be yourself.

By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
Monday, November 1, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Posted In
Columns: Career
Site Categories: Education and Training, Jobs & Recruiting


Reference: http://www.awn.com/articles/advice/career-coach-be-thankful-your-uniqueness
Photo: http://www.clipartof.com/

Two Years to Graduation or Transfer

November is National Career Month!
This month Career Services is celebrating YOUR career dreams through National Career Month. The following is an overview of topics we feel are most important for you to prepare yourself to enter the work force. The article was found at http://www.jobweb.com/.



Two Years to Graduation or Transfer

You're planning to graduate with an associate's degree and find your spot in the work force—or you want to transfer to a four-year college at the end of two years. There are things you should do each semester to make it easier to reach your goals.

Here's a timeline to guide your progress:


Things everyone should do at the beginning of each semester:

• Make an appointment with a career services advisor to review your status in the career development process.

• Find the career center's webpage for career development and check out upcoming events.

• Update your resume. Have it critiqued and proofread by someone in the career services office.

• Check your career center's web site for an online job board or see if your career center keeps a notebook of job opportunities.

• Subscribe to and read professional journals in your field(s) of interest.

• Join the student version of professional associations and become an active member. This will help you build a network of colleagues in your field and give you valuable contacts for summer jobs, clinical rotations, and full-time jobs.

Year one: Ask questions. Explore. Research. Test your interests.

• Locate the career center on your campus as early as possible in your first year. You can find its location by going to your school's web site or by asking your adviser.

• Call the career center and make an appointment to talk to an advisor. If you've decided on a direction, the advisor can help you map out a strategy for reaching your goal. If you're undecided about what to major in or where you might want to be in two years, you can take assessment tests, including interest and career inventory tests to give you a direction to explore.

• Are you enjoying a specific class and think it might be the right field for you? Talk to faculty and professors about possible careers.

• Join at least one professional or honorary organization in your program of study to begin to build a valuable network. Even if you plan to transfer to a four-year college to continue your education, it's never too early to start building professional bridges.

• Scan Job Choices magazines (available in the Shelton State’s Career Center), the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and computer or web-based resources for clues to a future career. Your career center probably has an extensive library of career-search books, software, and web sites to explore.

• Attend on- and off-campus career and job fairs to get a look at potential careers and employers in fields that interest you.

• Find a part-time or summer job in your field of interest.

• If you're planning to transfer to a four-year school, research schools that specialize in your program of study. The career services office often has information on potential places to go.

Year Two: Time for your job search or to transfer to a university.

If you're planning a job search:

• Update your resume and take it to a career services advisor to have it critiqued.

• Ask your career center for a checklist of specific activities to follow to organize your job search. This will ensure you don't miss essential steps in the job-search process, or resources to help you locate employment options.

• Check your career center's web site information about mock interviews.

• When preparing for your interviews, pay particular attention to the top skills employers seek and the top skills candidates lack.

• Take leadership positions in student chapters of professional associations.

• Draft a cover letter that you can adapt for a variety of employers and get your letter critiqued.

• Follow-up on all job applications and keep a record of the status of each.

• Build a professional wardrobe.

• Make sure you research salary scales for your occupation, to include the geographic region where the job is located. Ask your career center for resources and assistance.

• Evaluate job offers and accept one. Ask your career center for help with job offer assessment and salary negotiation techniques.

• Report job offers and your acceptance to the career services office.

If you're planning to transfer:

• Update your resume and take it to a career services advisor to have it critiqued. You'll need an updated resume to find next summer's job in your field—and you'll need it when you check in with the career center at your transfer school.

o Attend on- and off-campus career and job fairs to get a look at potential careers and employers in fields that interest you.

o Find a part-time or summer job in your field of interest.

o Read at least one book on career planning recommended by career services staff.

o Explore at least three career options available to you through your program of study.

o Research various occupations in Job Choices and the Occupational Outlook Handbook and computer or web-based resources for clues to a future career.

o Identify organizations and associations in your interest areas for shadowing opportunities and informational interviews.

o Join at least one professional or honorary organization related to your program of study in order to contact with people in the professional world.

o Work toward one leadership position in a student/professional club or association.

o Begin to collect recommendations from previous and current employers.

o Put together an interview outfit.

o Complete applications for transfer to a four-year college or university.

o Find the career services office on your new campus.

Reference: http://www.jobweb.org/studentarticles.aspx?id=706

November is National Career Development Month!

This month we are celebrating YOUR career dreams. 2010 marks the 45th anniversary for National Career Month. If you have not already started to think about your career, The Career Services Center at Shelton State invites you to visit us in the West Alabama Center for Workforce Development or online by clicking HERE. You can also check out our window case located on the 2nd floor next to the Faculty Resource Center/ Faculty office entrance for current information.

In addition to a quality education, Shelton State Community College offers result-oriented career assistance through the Career Services Center. The Shelton State Career Services Center serves as a liaison for current students, alumni, and West Alabama businesses and industry. The Career Services Center welcomes the opportunity to provide services and make a difference in the lives of currently enrolled students and alumni by providing employers with qualified potential employees. Examples of services include: wage information for cities across the country, industry trends, internship information, employer profiles, resume proofreading, on-campus mock interviews, current full and part-time job-openings, and career workshops hosted by local business and industry.

The Career Services Center is dedicated to serving the needs of the community as well as the graduating students and alumni. The Center welcomes the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students and assist business/industry with qualified employees.

Politics. Smolitics.

All of the political talk this week has got us thinking in Career Services. How many of you actually went to the polls on Tuesday to vote?? As a U.S. citizen, you are privileged to have this opportunity to make your voice heard. Approximately 99% of college students are eligible to vote, if just age is taken into account. However, according to surveys, only about 25.5% of the student body is likely to vote.

Although it is too late for this past election, it is never too early to begin readying yourself to vote in the future. Two years from now, you will have another opportunity to raise your hand and speak out. With the Presidential election comes great responsibility. You will have a chance to stand with fellow American citizens to let the government know how you think your tax dollars should be spent – or who should be in control of the educational system to which you are a part of. It is a duty and privilege to have this opportunity. We hope you will embrace it with a mature attitude by educating yourself starting now so you will be able to make the best choice.

The following are a few tips to help you get started:


1. Know where you are eligible to vote. If you are a resident of Tuscaloosa Co. (meaning, do you pay a utility bill?) you have the right to vote in Tuscaloosa. If you live in a dorm, you are probably still registered in your hometown. You will be able to vote by absentee ballot.

More information on registering to vote can be found by visiting this site: http://www.declareyourself.com/

2. Study the candidates. By tracking the potential candidates now, you will build a foundation of knowledge on each issue and where each candidate stands. This will save you time in the future and allow you to speak intellectually with your friends. You also will have a better understanding of who you want to vote for come Election Day.

Click on the following link to read the Wikipedia’s view of the 2012 Election: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012

3. Talk amongst your friends. It is a good idea to engage in friendly conversations regarding the elections, candidates, and views of others. Be careful, however, to not confuse yourself by speaking to too many people. This could swing your vote in a different direction without merit or deter you from voting at all.

4. Make a List. Think about what you hold valuable. Make a list of the views and topics you feel you should base your vote on. 1st – write out the topics with your opinion that you know you absolutely do not want to compromise. (Example: are you Pro-Life? Pro-Choice? Etc) 2nd – list the topics you are concerned about but don’t have a strong opinion one way or another. Then research each candidate and rate them according to the topics you listed. This will help you narrow down your selection and allow you to make a smart choice.

Regardless if you voted this past Tuesday or intend to vote on Election Day 2012, know you have a responsibility to be informed.

References:
1. http://letuyellowjacket.org/?p=94
2.  CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and En­gagement)
3. Photo:  - www.campussolutionsinc.com