Find details on these
opportunities on our web
site under Grand Avenues.
Community Health Worker
Portico Healthnet
St. Paul , Minnesota
Full-time - Deadline: 12/07/07
Portico Healthnet, is a partner of the HealthEast Care System. Their mission is to reduce the number of people without coverage for health care services. The Community Health Worker will provide targeted outreach to patients of a local health clinic to connect people without health coverage to health care programs through assessment, assistance and ongoing support. Bilingual Spanish is required.
Internship-Executive Pathways
Minnesota Department of Human Services
St. Paul , Minnesota
Full Time – Deadline: 12/14/07
Each of the internships are designed to provide in-depth learning opportunities in a state government setting. The program aims to recruit students who are interested in careers in public service. Advanced undergraduate students in public policy, social work, law, information technology, and other human services-related programs of study are encouraged to consider this internship.
Budget Analyst Intern
The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Minneapolis , Minnesota
Full Time – Deadline: 12/17/07
Beginning Salary: $30,279 - $48,759
Skills necessary for this position: ability to analyze problems and identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; and communicate orally and in writing.
News Interns
Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc
St. Paul , Minnesota
Part Time - Deadline: 12/19/07
Must be taken for class credit. Judge appropriateness of on-air material according to FCC, community, and station standards. Understand, interpret, and communicate information about news events to staff. Read and interpret documents such as wire copy, articles, and professional journals.
Programmer
Agilis
Albert Lea , Minnesota
Full Time – Deadline: 12/27/07
Agilis is a fast-growing national company that provides specialized services for large national non-profit organizations. This role requires programming in proprietary software and being an active player in an innovative IT team.
Intern
American Public Media Group
Washington DC , Minnesota
Full Time – Deadline: 12/27/07
Award-winning Marketplace is public radio's daily magazine of business and economics. It boasts the largest audience for any business program in the U.S. on radio, cable or network television. The intern will: Gather tape in the field; Schedule in-studio interviews; Host and set-up in studio guests: includes meet, greet and seat guest for preparation of interviews or commentary; Shadow reporters in the field; Learn and perform a wide variety of broadcast production, research and editorial tasks, including editing and cutting tape.
Environmental Interpretation Internships
Patuxent Research Refuge
Laurel , MD
Full Time – Deadline: 1/01/08
Provide quality educational experiences for all visitors to the National Wildlife Visitor Center and Patuxent Refuge through developing and conducting interpretive and educational programs for all ages, leading interpretive tram tours focusing on wildlife management and research, working with Scout groups, and assisting with all operations of a visitor center.
Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program
Office of Naval Research
Multiple Locations
Full Time – Deadline: 1/14/08
Ten week summer research opportunities at a Naval Research Laboratory or a Naval System Command Laboratory.
Upcoming Events
For a complete list of upcoming CDC programs and events, be sure to check out:
http://www.macalester.edu/cdc/events
/index.html
Beyond the Piggy Bank
Suggestion Box
TEN TIPS FOR SURVIVING FINALS WEEK
- Don't panic (make too much of the final). The first thing you should do is to check what the final is worth in each course. Remember, it is only one component of your final grade. If it is worth 20% or less, you probably won't be able to bring your final grade up or down by more than one grade level (e.g., B to B+), unless you perform extremely better or worse than you have on other exams and assignments during the semester.
- Don't be too relaxed (make too little of the final). On the other hand, you should try to do as well on the final as you possibly can. Furthermore, sometimes the final is a big part of your final grade (30% or more), in which case it is more likely to make a significant difference in your final average
- Make time for "renewing" activities. This is NOT the time to stop exercising or doing other things that you find enjoyable. Pace yourself! You will study more effectively if you spread things out and take breaks.
- Use an effective study method. The key to effective retention is repetition, and not overloading your brain (it can only absorb so much in an hour). Whatever you do, don't do it all in one long cramming session. Which brings us to:
- Get enough sleep. Don't pull an "all nighter." You will do better if you are rested, and cramming often leads to a superficial and confused knowledge of the material you have studied.
- Resist the urge to party on "off" days. Instead, if you have a break in your exam schedule, use it to get a head start on the exams coming up. This can be a time to catch up on missed reading.
- Arrive on time for the exam. Be especially careful about setting your alarm the night before. Save yourself the anxiety and embarrassment of arriving late. Needless to say, you may also need every minute of the exam period to finish the exam.
- Follow the rules of good exam taking.
Click here for some tips on taking an essay exam.
- Don't worry about others finishing earlier than you. This could mean ANYTHING. It often means these students have written a mediocre or poor exam. Take the time YOU need.
- When the exam is over, let it go! Forget it! Move on to the next one, or go enjoy the break! If you do have major concerns, make an appointment to see your professor at a mutually convenient time.
(Source: Office of Health Education, Penn University.)
Grad School Notes
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Do's and Don'ts When Asking for Letters of Recommendation
Do..
-
Provide the person with as much information as possible, including your transcripts, resume, personal statement, and a short description of the program.
-
Send a friendly reminder at least a week before the letter is due.
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Provide them with an addressed envelope and stamp to mail the letter, along with the date the letter is due.
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Ask professors of classes you did well in or supervisors who can emphasize your strong work ethic.
Don't..
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Ask your friend, brother, significant other, therapist, or probation officer to write you a letter.
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Expect a glowing letter from a professor of a class that you did poorly in or didn't attend regularly.
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Ask the day before the letter is due.
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Forget to send a thank-you card!
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Write the letter yourself and ask someone else to sign it.
Contributor: Maureen Mahoney, Graduate Intern, CDC
Web Watch
CAREER JOURNAL
Wall Street Journal Executive Career Site
www.careerjournal.com
The Career Journal website is a large database of career opportunities and information for both employers and job hunters. Run by the Wall Street Journal, the Career Journal posts jobs from some of America 's most profitable and well known businesses and fortune 500's. For the most part, the jobs posted on the site are for big businesses, so for those looking for jobs in the non-profit world, this is not the place for you.
Whether or not you are planning on attaining a career for one of the employers advertised on the site, Career journal has other helpful tools for job seekers. The site features an entire section dedicated to job seekers, and offers advice on how to find jobs on the net, interviewing, changing careers, and other commonly sought after pieces of information. Once you have a job, the Career Journal has useful tools for managing your career and ensuring success. Some of the articles featured give advice on everything from surviving a work crisis to working abroad.
Additionally, the website has a great discussion board that is utilized by many executives and focuses on current issues in the workplace. Here you can find job-search advice from professionals, or learn about common obstacles people face in their employment searches. Career Journal is recommended for those interested in working in a business, and can be utilized at any stage of the job search process.
Featured Fellowship
THE VILLERS FELLOWSHIP FOR HEALTH CARE JUSTICE
The Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice was created in 2005 by Philippe Villers, Founder and President of Families USA, to inspire and develop the next generation of health care justice leaders. The Villers Fellow works as a full-time policy analyst in Families USA's Health Policy Department. Designed to provide the fellow with a national perspective on health care justice work, the fellowship will be based in the Families USA office in Washington, D.C. and will afford the fellow the opportunity to learn about a range of health care justice issues. The Villers Fellow's primary responsibilities involve conducting primary and secondary research on a range of health care issues, including Medicaid, Medicare, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), prescription drugs, and the private insurance market, as well as writing and contributing to publications that are relevant to current health policy debates.
The fellowship will last one year, from August 2008 through July 2009, and fellows will receive a compensatory package that includes an annual stipend of approximately $35,000 and excellent health care benefits. One Villers Fellow is selected each year. To learn more, visit their website at: http://www.familiesusa.org/
about/the-villers-fellowship.html
For further information on fellowships, please visit the CDC website: http://www.macalester.edu/cdc/
graduateschool/financing
/fellowships.html
The Career Development Center is here to assist students in planning, articulating and applying their educational experience to meet their future goals. The office is located on the first floor in Kagin Commons, and offers individual counseling sessions with a career counselor, an extensive career resource library, job/internship listings and opportunities from around the globe. The CDC resource library features: Information about Fellowships,
Internships and Job Postings; information on Companies and Government Opportunities; pamphlets and materials on resume and cover letter writing; books on etiquette, interviewing, grad school and the job search process; and an
extensive alumni directory, sorted by career.
------------------------
HOURS
8 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday
(Daily Drop-ins between 2 to 4 PM)
-----------------------
Macalester College
Career Development Center
Kagin Commons
1600 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105
(651) 696-6384
Fax: 651-696-6131
cdc@macalester.edu
http://www.macalester.edu/cdc
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Counselor's Corner
ODD JOBS: What Someone Could Have Told Me
By Abigail R. Gehring
"My odd job years started early. I think I was five when I first began “working” at Don's Dog House. The school bus would drop me off outside the white box on wheels with a red roof and a wooden hotdog nailed to the side. My dad was the “Hot Dog Man” of Wilmington, Vermont, and I was his apprentice.
My first position was “Soda Girl,” which entailed diving headfirst into a large plastic trash can to retrieve the cold cans. I stood on my tiptoes and draped my head and arms over the rim of the barrel, feeling the coolness meet the blood that rushed into my cheeks. Once or twice my feet came off the ground and I almost landed stuck upside down with only my shins and pink sneakers waving like flags above me. It was dark in the soda barrel, too, since my body blocked most of the light. Often Dad had long since given the customer his hot dogs and change before I emerged, out of breath and clutching a Mountain Dew like it was an Oscar award. I earned many a ten-cent tip that way. “Startin' her out early, huh?” a customer would quip to Dad, sliding a dime across the windowsill. “Don't spend it all in one place.”
Dad was starting me out early—not prepping me for a career in hot dog slinging, but for the many other eclectic jobs I would later discover. During college I cleaned dorm bathrooms, I tutored writing, I swam and bathed a ninety-year-old man with Alzheimer's. After I graduated I moved to New York and served hors d'oeuvres at weddings, I gave adolescent girls henna tattoos up and down their arms. I dressed up like a toy soldier and once like Cinderella and painted stars or butterflies or balloons on kids' cheeks. I was a promo girl for Beck's beer and a ‘guinea pig' for a scientific study on eye sight. I wasn't rich, but I had enough to live, and more importantly I had the freedom to make my own schedule and to do what I loved—writing—on the side.
When I began to doubt the worth of my work, I'd remember how proud I was of Dad, the Hot Dog Man. True, his Master's in horticulture wasn't earning him a living, but it never occurred to me that his education was a waste—just that it was one step in his career journey (and we certainly reaped the benefits from our home garden). Still, as more and more friends accepted secure, well-paying jobs, or enrolled in high-caliber graduate programs, I wondered if I was making a mockery of all the hours I spent studying for my summa cum laude diploma.
I wish someone had told me before I left the college campus that I shouldn't despair. Of course, I couldn't have expected a career counselor to prophesy that soon I would write a book about those odd job experiences, and it would make me a published author. But someone might have said that it was okay not to have a nine-to-five office job lined up before I donned my cap and gown. They might have mentioned that sometimes the shortest path to reaching a career goal is not the most direct one.
Here are a few other things I wished I had learned from my trips to the career center:
- Discovering your purpose is a lifetime process, not something you need to know before you graduate, or even when you take your first job. I knew I wanted to write, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to write, or how I would get anyone else to read whatever it was. These are things I am still discovering, and the progress I have made is due, in large part, to my varied experiences in all sorts of jobs along the way.
- Freelancing can give you the freedom to try a variety of careers, short term. If you're not entirely sure what you want to do, odd jobs provide a chance to try many vocations, sans commitment. Temp agencies generally offer short-term office positions in everything from fashion to finances.
- There are plenty of ways to make money outside of a 9-5 office job. If you aren't ready to commit to a full-time job doing something you're not crazy about, you don't have to resign to a life of poverty. Look for a need, and then figure out how to fill it. Does an elderly neighbor need rides to the store? Does that shop need a better window display? Are there dogs desperate for exercise? Many a successful entrepreneur has been born from noticing a need and meeting it.
Now I work full-time at a book publisher and as a freelance writer. I love my work, and it's nice to have health insurance and a predictable pay check. But would it be so bad if I were still modeling for art classes, house sitting, and dressing up like an elf at Christmastime? I think not. Every job taught me something new; I could take time off when I wanted; and I made time to do the things I loved most. There are a lot of folks who would quit their high-paying office jobs in a second for such an opportunity."
(Source: Career Convergence, The National Career Development Association web magazine.) Abigail R. Gehring is the author of Odd Jobs: 101 Ways to Make an Extra Buck (Skyhorse Publishing, May 2007). A 2004 graduate of Gordon College, Massachusetts, she is now a full-time book editor and freelance writer in Manhattan.
Contributor: Mary Emanuelson, Assistant Director , CDC
The Bookshelf
 THE TRANSITION GUIDE FOR COLLEGE JUNIORS AND SENIORS: How To Prepare For The Future - Carol Weinberg, New York University Press, New York, 1996.
Procrastinators beware; you are not going to like the following statement: Preparation is key! Everyone knows that putting things off or leaving things until the last minute is not always optimal, especially when it comes to, oh say, planning your future. Author Carol Weinberg successfully “combines the advice of professionals with short anecdotes from recent graduates, making this a readable, accessible, useful guide for all those nearing the end of their college years.” I would agree; this book offers user-friendly advice that can help make the worrisome transition from college to the real world less complicated.
Weinberg explains, “As graduation approaches, many college students are filled with trepidation about what lies ahead. Graduation, they fear, means losing friends, having to find the right job, moving to an unfamiliar city, and learning to shop and cook for yourself for the first time.” Anticipation of this time can cause even the most organized of students to fret. This eight chapter book focuses on pressing issues such as financial management, health care, housing, relocation and community involvement, budgeting food and cooking, meeting new people, and more.
While the friend and relocation advice may seem wishy-washy, I found the financial planning section to be incredibly accommodating. Weinberg offers helpful tips by laying out a roadmap to following, beginning in junior year of college. The entire point of this book is to plan early, and if done, you may find the advice may be extremely useful. For example, the author provides a list of creative ways to cut expenses, including rather than having subscriptions sent to your house; check them out in a local library for free. A lot of libraries will rent DVDs for a lot cheaper than pricey video stores as well. The author also recommends asking your utility company about energy saving programs, which can greatly cut down your bills (especially during those long, Minnesota winters when we use a ton of heat).
I found this book to provide numerous useful tips. The only downside was that it was too long for the amount of information provided…meaning it was a bit drawn out at times. While some of the information may seem redundant to already savvy and prepared Macalester students, nonetheless, the book makes for a good and fast read. The information could be helpful to not only juniors and seniors who are preparing to make the transition from college to the real world, but perhaps to sophomores who want to get a head start and to first-years who want to see what all the fuss is about and what actually goes into planning your future after Macalester.
This book can be found in the Career and Life Planning section of the Career Development Center resource library.
Contributor: Lisa Herndon, CDC Student Staff Member
Featured Article
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: How College Students and Their Parents Can Survive, And Even Enjoy, The Holiday Break
With year-end holiday celebrations come thoughts of home, and for college students and their parents, those thoughts are often accompanied by feelings of stress. Holiday breaks are usually the first extended periods of time that families spend together since saying goodbye at the dorm in the early fall. St. Lawrence University Director of Counseling Services, William B. Burns, has advice and tips for making the holidays happier for the whole family.
Burns states, "Stress can be brought on by a variety of things. Students' visions of what will take place over the holiday break can be much different than that of parents. Parents often assume their student will spend significant amounts of time with the family, while the student has plans to spend every night visiting old friends."
"Another common area of conflict is parents' reluctance to see the student as an adult and to adjust house rules to the new adult status felt by the student, and to the freedom the student has been enjoying since school began."
"Students also find changes in family patterns to be stressful. Parents who 'stayed together for the sake of the kids' may have decided that it is time to separate or divorce. Single parents may have developed new friends or interests while their student has been away. Students coming from blended families often face the stress of dividing time equally between parents."
"Making the most of this much-anticipated, and needed, break can be challenging for everyone involved."
Burns offers the following tips to help make the break as stress-free and as enjoyable as possible:
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Plan ahead. Parents, think about the needs of your student as they seek a break from a stressful semester of academic work. Students, have some empathy for the needs of your parents - especially their need to spend time with you. Make sure your plans include your family in some way. This will help them feel included in your life and will make it less likely that they will try to plan extra activities just to get a chance to see you.
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Students, let your parents know what your holiday plans are before you arrive at home. Give fair warning to your parents about how often you plan to be away from home. Expect to make compromises in order to help your parents enjoy your visit, and as the need arises to make changes in family plans. If you will be splitting time between various family members, establish your plans ahead of time and inform everyone of when you will be spending time at the various family locations. State decisively what you are doing and that you are doing your best to accommodate everyone's needs.
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Parents and students, discuss what the house rules have been in the past and how they could be changed now that the student has been living away from home for a number of months. This new set of rules should be the result of a mutual negotiation between students and parents - remembering that you will both have to give a little to make sure you enjoy a smooth and happy holiday break.
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Students, prepare your parents in advance if you know that your grades are not going to be up to expectations. If your grades are a sore point with your parents, it can help to establish times when talk about grades is off-limits. This will give everyone a chance to relax and enjoy the bulk of the holiday season.
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Students, if your family situation is such that going home is just too uncomfortable, find a friend who is willing to "adopt" you for the holiday break or make your own special plans. This break is for you to relax and rejuvenate so that you can return to school and have a successful academic year. Do what you can to help insure that success.
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Students, however you spend your holiday break, make sure to take time for yourself, indulge in some rest and relaxation, have fun, and stay safe.
(Source: William Burns, Director of Counseling Services, St. Lawrence University; collegenews.org)
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Macalester at Work
Clark A. Wohlferd
Macalester Class of 2003
Clark Wohlferd '03, is an Associate in the
Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance Practice, at
White & Case LLP in New York City. Clark talks with the CDC about how his experience as a student-athlete at Macalester prepared him personally and professionally, the importance of mentors, and how the new MARC will positively impact the Macalester community.
CDC: As a former student-athlete, how did that impact your student experience at Mac? How has that experience influenced your current personal and professional life?
CW: Undoubtedly being a student athlete has done a great deal for my personal and professional life. It helped me to form relationships with my teammates that are as strong today as ever and provides me with something in common with other former athletes that I meet. In terms of skills, I think student athletes are particularly prepared in that they have developed organizational and teamwork skills as well the understanding of the need to work hard to succeed. I know that in recruiting among the legal profession, student athletes are looked on quite favorably because hiring partners have a comfort level that they already have developed some very useful skills and know the need to prepare and work hard (i.e., practice) for the important deposition, client meeting or drafting session (i.e., game day).
CDC: What drew you to the field of law?
CW: I was one of those people who had no idea what real lawyers do. I had the romantic view of what I'd seen on TV and in movies, and after being a History and Political Science major it seemed like the natural thing to do. However, I'm a big advocate for the flexibility provided by a legal degree – there are so many different things that you can do with a J.D. and few people, like me, realize them prior to entering law school.
CDC: Would you describe the type of law you are practicing in your current position?
CW: I'm a corporate transactional attorney. For the most part I work on large energy and infrastructure transactions. I would say that a majority of my work is outside of the United States with parties ranging from all parts of the world – though I also do plenty of domestic transactions. The best way I've heard it described is that it lends itself to a sort of a “kick the tires” mentality for an attorney in that there is something tangible at the end of the day that I've worked on, whether it is in representing the sponsors developing the project or the lenders financing the project.
CDC: What are the most interesting parts of your job and the most challenging?
CW: There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have to sit back and think. I know it seems foolish, but that is really important to me. Too many of my friends in other professions (and in other practices in the legal profession) find themselves in monotonous days. Each day I confront a new issue I've never dealt with before, which I then have the opportunity to learn about and work on finding some solution. I appreciate that feeling of being challenged as it makes my practice all the more personally rewarding.
CDC: Have you had any mentors in your life? If so, would you be willing to describe those relationships and how the mentor influenced you?
CW: I have been blessed with too many fantastic mentors to note, from professors and coaches to family and friends. Unfortunately I don't really think there is one particular way that my mentors influenced me except to say that they influenced me in every way. I would really encourage anyone to seek out mentors and ask questions of people with experience who are involved in careers and personal pursuits that you might be interested in.
CDC: If you could have any job in the world other than the one you currently have, what would it be?
CW: Governor of the great state of Wisconsin. Prior to law school I worked in the Governor's Office in Wisconsin and got a taste of policymaking and politics. Like an addiction, politics will always be something I'm interested in, whether it is volunteering or simply being an eager spectator.
CDC: As a member of the M Club, how do you see your role as an alum with the institution?
CW: I believe we are alumni advocates for the current student athletes in the fullest sense. Sometimes it is difficult because as an alum we have to understand that Macalester belongs to each of us, including the current students who may change the various traditions or things that made Macalester dear to me. Nevertheless, it's also extremely important for alumni to remain involved with the campus to ensure that the current students have advocates who are available for them, whether it is in mentoring, career development or simple advocacy if students need support for various issues arising on campus.
CDC: What do you think about the new Macalester athletic/wellness center under construction?
CW: I wish I was a student at Macalester again. Much of the focus seems to be on the bricks and mortar, and it will certainly be a beautiful building once completed. But to me, the biggest difference will be in the tone of the campus with an athletics/wellness center that is open and inviting to all students, regardless of whether a student is a varsity athlete. That interaction between Macalester students will go a long way to heal some of the divisions on the campus between student athletes and non-student athletes. I'm a firm believer in the transformative nature of athletics and wellness and the positive impact it can have on a person's life. To the extent that the new MARC will expand the opportunities for students to feel that positive impact (which I am absolutely certain it will) I think Macalester as an institution will be all the richer.
Senior S.L.A.M.
(Seeking Life After Macalester)
HOLIDAY LETTERS
The end of the semester is upon us and we are scrambling to prepare for finals and write papers, finalize travel plans and spend time with friends. The time-honored tradition of sending holiday letters may not be on your “to do” list. If you or your family regularly receive these missives, you know that the content runs the gamut from boring to hilarious to outright obnoxious. Who really cares that Uncle Tom and Aunt Patty took a six-week vacation in the South Seas ? Is it important to know that Cousin Pat set a school record for most goals in single soccer season AND was class valedictorian?
If you wish to send a holiday letter, but cannot, due to student time constraints, the CDC has an early holiday gift for you. Following you will find a convenient fill-in-the blank form letter (with suggestions for potential answers) for your personal use.
Dear Friends,
My thoughts are with you as the year winds down to an end. 2007 has been _____ (a drag/outstanding) for me!
I will be graduating _____ (summa cum laude/barely) from Macalester College in May, with a Bachelor's degree and a (major/triple major, two minors and a concentration in _____ (or_____ , _____, _____, _____, _____ & _____).
Four years at Macalester has been _____ (thrilling/long/memorable/hellish) and taught me that what really matters is _____ (world peace/political involvement/paying off my student loans).
Feedback from my professors indicates that they think I am _____ (brilliant/educable) and they predict that I will go _____ (back to my barista job/to Wall Street/home to live in my parents' basement) after graduation.
I hope it has been a _____ (happy/productive/lousy) year for you. Please join me in working for _____ (world peace/a fair 2008 election year/a full-time job/winning lottery ticket).
Happy New Year!.
______ (Sincerely/Dreadfully/Always),
______ (Your name or an alias goes on this line).
Contributor: Mary Emanuelson, Assistant Director, CDC
Junior Jumpstart
DRESSING THE PART: Interning, Interviewing, And On The Job
Would you feel comfortable buying a car from a salesperson wearing flip flops and a 2-years worth of accumulated frankincense incense oil on his or her body? Would you allow a gum-chewing, late-arriving,"muffin" pants, and underwear showing teacher to care for your future child? If you would, congrats you are not a visual person and like to take high risks. But if you would feel uncomfortable, it would be normal.
Many people are visual beings. We rely on what we see or more specifically perceive--wrong or right.
If you plan to be a leader of an investment bank--dress like the CEO. If you plan to be taken seriously at social justice meeting, make sure your pants are on your waist and your cleavage is not doing all the talking for you.
Whether you plan to work on a agriculture kibbutz or an architecture firm--you must dress the part to become one with your colleagues, make clients/children/patients feel assured, and represent the organization with due diligence.
Now this doesn't mean you cannot add your own individuality, but try observing the culture and standards then add your own personal flavor into the mix.
For samples of proper dress attire consider referring to: http://amdt.wsu.edu/research/dti/
General_Guidelines.html
Happy trails!
Contributor: Christina Cowens Gholson, Career Counselor, CDC
Sophomore Syllabus
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WINTER BREAK
Now that finals are quickly approaching, the last thing probably on your mind is how you can use your winter break to be better prepared for your next internship or job in the spring or summer. Right now it might not be the first thing on your to-do list or even on your list at all for that matter, but using that time to get prepared for next semester can be critical for your success. I am not saying you have to spend every waking hour being as efficient as you can, but remember, once you get back, things get even crazier and the next thing you know June will be here.
There are many things you can do over the break to set yourself up for success next semester, including:
Create a resume draft - Take a first pass at putting together a resume. Examples can be found on the CDC website or pick up a handout in the CDC on the first floor of Kagin Commons. You can send it to cdc@macalester.edu to be reviewed by a career counselor over break.
Expand your network - Just by listing people you know or have worked with, professors, and regional/national associations in your area of interest, you can create a starting point for your network. Before/during/after winter break, stop by the CDC to fill out an alumni request form to find alumni contacts that are currently working in your field of interest or attended the graduate school you are considering.
Research organizations - Via online research or better yet, take the opportunity to personally visit organizations of interest. Take advantage of being able to make an impression in person vs. via email or phone. That extra effort to stop by their office could be significant.
Develop a game plan for spring semester - Take the time now to plan out what you want to accomplish when you get back to campus. December and January can be a great time to map out what your next steps will be.
Stop in at the CDC We are open during winter break and are available for scheduled appointments or during drop-in hours which are 2-4 PM Monday through Friday.
You don't have to magically plan every minute of your entire break, but just a little effort to take advantage of your time away from Macalester can have huge benefits down the road.
Again, any one of the counselors at the CDC are available to help assist in this planning process. To schedule an appointment, call 651-696-6384 or stop in any day for drop-in hours between 2-4 PM .
Contributor: John Mountain, Associate Director, CDC
First Year Focus
YOUR HEALTH: Knowing The Symptoms And Solutions
A recent study featured in the Star Tribune by the University of Minnesota reported that out of a study of 10,000 college students, 1 in 4 had depression. The study linked higher risks of depression to transitions to adulthood, excessive television/internet use, smoking, sexual assault trauma, and over or under eating.
The study collected data from 14 Minnesota campuses and also examined how high financial debt was linked to student depression.
What does this mean for us? It suggests that there are those close to us who may be experiencing depression, possibly ourselves. From a wider lens, the information calls us to encourage those dear to us, including ourselves to seek professional support and move towards mental and physical liberation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing lack of appetite, lack of sleep, feeling unworthy, or considering suicide-- strongly consider stopping into Winton Health Services for free support and care.
Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you later.
Contributor: Christina Cowens Gholson, Career Counselor, CDC
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