- Worked on MSU Major List
- Participated in an individual student meeting for a personal statement
- Participated in a Dinner Etiquette program for student athletes
- Critiqued student resumes
Reflections:
This week has consisted a lot of working around the office. This is definitely a change from June for orientations that were incredibly busy. I continued my work on the MSU Major List and am getting closer to getting it organized and figuring out how to make it work. Also, I began to think of a few new ideas for the list of how to arrange the majors. I am working on creating two versions of it and I will ask Cassandra and some others in the office which ones they think will be the most effective. Both of them will work just fine, it will just depend on what they intend to use the list for. I am really enjoying working with the different technology programs I need to update the list. It is teaching me several skills that will definitely come in handy in the future. As well as this, I was able to take some time and critique some resumes for students. I really enjoyed doing this and communicating with the students as we went through several drafts of the resumes until they were complete. And, I got to take part in another individual meeting with a student to help her write her and correct her personal statement for her application to dental school. I very much love working with all of these students and hearing their different stories and experiences and what they believe they can bring to their future profession. Lastly, I was able to attend my second Dinner Etiquette program for the student athletes. I absolutely love these events and being able to work with the athletes. This program consisted of several different sports such as football, soccer, volleyball, and basketball. These events are just so beneficial for these students to teach them the skills they need to be successful in the recruiting and professional world.
I feel as if parts of my practicum relate directly to our readings about ethics this week, specifically in the relationships with students. For example, many of the students that come into our office that I am helping to advise on their personal statements are the same age as me or, sometimes, even older. When they know that I am a graduate student, sometimes, I feel as if I am seen as their friend because I am about in the same stage in life. I have to work hard to make sure that my relationships with these students is a professional one and that I am not just seen as a peer. This way when I give advice, those students will listen to it and be willing to use it. To maintain this professional relationship, I believe in setting very specific boundaries. Because of those boundaries, all of the students I have worked with have been very willing to work with me. This is something I feel that I will continue to get better at as time passes. I really enjoy working with students and building trustful relationships with them, and my practicum is helping me to develop those skills and become a better professional.
Whitney,
ReplyDeleteI think it is really neat that you are getting so much experience in the Career Center. They offer a lot of opportunities for you to expand your skill set. You are also able to better understand the programs they offer by attending them, specifically the Dinner Etiquette program. I had no idea the Dinner Etiquette programs came from the Career Center, but after using some common sense, it is understandable. Do the Dinner Etiquette programs expand beyond the athletes, or are they the only one who gets this resource?
Keep up the good work, and best of luck completing the Major list!
Rachel
They have a Dinner Etiquette event for all students every Fall and Spring semester. The one this fall is actually November 11th if you know anyone who is interested!!
DeleteWhitney,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited that you have found a passion for working with students in a Career Center setting. I think it's something that you are naturally good at because it's helping students get organized and find their passion. Something that I would consider looking at if I were you is if there was a specific student population that you are primarily interested in working with? For example, you mentioned the Etiquette dinner programs that were designated for athletes. Could you see yourself potentially focusing your career efforts on working primarily on career resources for student athletes? That's just an example of one student group, maybe you could be specifically interested in a different student or major type? I think that there is some need for major-specific career services, maybe consider a specific area that you would be particularly interested in working with!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your experience!
Kelsey
Honestly, I have loved all of the students that I have come into contact with and would enjoy working in a Career Center period! I do love athletes and would definitely work in a Career office that focused primarily on them.
DeleteWhitney,
ReplyDeleteI have used the Career Center's website and have seen the list of majors you are working on. I wondered how they generated this list because there have been several times we needed a similar list. Now I know more about how they do it! What resource do use when you make this list? I'm really interested in your process for this. I am also interested in learning more about the work the Career Center does with resumes and etiquette. Do they have resources they use for this (Emily Post's etiquette book etc.)?
Chelsey V.
The main thing I did to make sure I got every major onto the major list is met with all of the different Career Center staff. Each of them is over a specific college or set of colleges and I asked them to go over the list and let me know of any majors or concentrations that needed to be added or taken off. Also, for resumes, they can be electronically e-mailed or dropped off in the office to be critiqued. They do have a Career Center handbook that they give out to students that has tons of example cover letters and resumes, examples of how to describe work tasks, how to dress for interviews, and interview advice. For the Dinner Etiquette, they have a script that they go by of the main points to cover that is changed and updated often and they have handouts they give to students.
Delete