Middlebury World Youth Peace Summit Program: Fostering Community Through Athletics and Arts!

Panel Discussion: Athletics and Art as Agents of Social Change
Thursday, January 20, Wright Theatre, 7:00 p.m.

A panel discussion will explore the experiences of individuals working in the sport-for-development and art-for-development sectors. It will expose Middlebury students to various opportunities in these burgeoning fields. Panelists include: Read more

Opportunities in Education-Updated

Referring back to my earlier post Opportunities in Education, I found a few problems in the file Education Opportunities and Resources.pdf

So, I have gone through and made sure all of the descriptions can be seen, but most importantly, the links will only work correctly if you copy and paste them into your browser window.

That said, here is the revised copy of Education Opportunities and Resources.

Happy Job and Internship Hunting!

Staying up-to-date

It is essential in a job search to stay up-to-date with your industry of choice. However, an ‘industry’ is a broad beast, so what should you really know?

  • Follow new and upcoming technology
  • Know which companies are competitors
  • Understand where the industry is headed
  • Investigate how your industry is affected by external factors

Before an interview, make sure you know what the company does; an energy consulting firm can be a myriad of things, so it is crucial to know what niche they have carved out for themselves.

If you are interested in green opportunities, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an amazing source for information on things such as water, transportation, fishing subsidies, biofuels, and the health effects of consumer products. Even if it isn’t your industry of choice, take some time to peruse their Cosmetic Safety Database, which contains invaluable information on the health effects of specific products (from toothpaste, to deodorant, to shampoo).

Furthermore, check out the new tag “data point,” where we will keep you up-to-date on what is going on.

Masters in Development Practice

Is graduate school on your radar? If you have thought at all about pursuing a career in sustainable development, take some time to peruse The Global Master’s in Development Practice Network website. The site describes the programs as consisting of “two years of cross-disciplinary academic training in the health, social, natural & engineering sciences and management, along with rigorous, hands-on field training experiences.” Ten universities have already joined the network, so make sure to check out the site for all the possibilities.

Is Public Service For You?

If you are thinking at all about entering public service, you might find it convenient that we have our own resident Federal Service Student Ambassador. Elise Hanks is a junior here at Middlebury and she is here to help people explore the many possibilities in federal service. If you are looking for a job or an internship, make sure to ask her for help! She has drop in hours from 4:00-5:00 PM on Tuesdays in the CSO library. Also, she is now a guest blogger on the Internship blog so make sure to check out her advice as well as the  jobs and internships that she posts! She has already posted about an Internship for the State Department.

Is There a Spot in the Economy for your Skills?

The National Center for O*Net Development recently released their research on the current economy and its effects on occupations.

Check out their list of Green Increased Demand Occupations, jobs that will likely experience an increase in employer demand. Their Green Enhanced Skills Occupations lists the jobs that will likely require a change in skill sets. Finally, the Green New and Emerging (N&E) Occupations lists the emerging jobs that are/will experience a huge demand. All of this can be found here.

Nailing an Interview

Everyone should check out “How to Make Yourself Standout in an Interview.” It is a great article with sections on what you should know about the job, the industry and the company. 

It recommends that before the interview, you research industry trends as well as have a list of your five most compelling qualities, which you then reference during the interview. 

Also, if you have a phone interview check out our earlier post, “Phone Interviews” and, if you have time, remember to call the CSO to arrange a practice interview.

Phone Interviews

Since we go to school in the middle of Vermont, it is quite likely that there will be a few companies that will not be on campus for interviews.  So, knowing how to nail a phone interview is something that will come in handy.

Being in your own environment is one benefit of the phone interview; however, you can definitely be a bit too comfortable.  For example, sitting in your pajamas with a wad of Big League Chew probably isn’t the way to go.

Before the interview, call the CSO (x2061) and schedule a practice interview.  The CSO has drop in hours 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and they would love to help you find how to best present yourself (even if the interviewer can only hear your voice). It is a great way to practice your responses to common questions and learn how to tailor your answers for the specific job.

Also, check out Bright Green Talent’s 7 Tips for Mastering the Art of the Phone Interview. It is a great post on an even better blog.  For a phone interview, they recommend that you have your resume in front of you as well as notes on your strengths and weaknesses. They also believe that getting dressed up will help put you in the right frame of mind.

Social Networking in Your Job Search

It turns out a lot of us already have tools we need for a job search! Check out this great article “Leveraging Social Media in Your Nonprofit Job Search: Q&A with Beth Kanter, Author of Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media” to learn how to utilize your social networking prowess.

Also on the site is a list of Social Media Resources for Nonprofit Job Seekers. It is worth while to see the various blogs, books and articles that they have compiled including a page that lists the non-profits on facebook.

Once you are there, take some time to poke around Bridgestar.org it has some great resources for moving into the non-proft sector!