Category: Students

Clifton Strengths Assessment

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Post by Sydney Pickell ’24

Before doing the Clifton Strengths Assessment, I thought it would not be very useful in my future career search or give me any new information about myself that I did not already know. Having done a lot of strengths tests and personality quizzes in the past, I expected it to mirror the results and not give me any new and relevant insights. However, although the assessment did give me similar results to previous quizzes, I think it framed them in a unique light, and the assessment results themselves, paired with the additional resources found after taking the test, allowed me to gain a lot of perspective on what I want to be doing and what I personally value in a career.


With the assessment, you are able to receive your top five strengths with a description of each, ranked by the order you value and show each theme. Scrolling down on the page, there is an Insight Guide, a Signature Themes Report that gives more details on your personalized themes and a Strengths Insights and Action-Planning Guide specifically tailored towards you. The latter is where I found the most beneficial information, and I really enjoyed how it was broken down by each of my top five themes. With the questions written with each theme, as well as the end of the section, it almost forces you to reflect on what is important to you and highlights ideas for action, as well as how you can use them in daily and professional life. I think this specific tool really separates the Clifton assessment from other career or strengths assessments. Not only does this resource give you insights about you, but it helps to walk you through possible avenues of putting them to use and allows for a lot of reflection. Another part of the guide I really enjoyed was the quotes from real people, broken down by what each of your five personal themes sounds like. I really was able to figure out what themes were most important to me and how they could manifest in my professional career further in my future. It really made me realize how I could connect each insight to what I want to pursue and gave me a look into what I want to focus on achieving and how to get there.


Even though I thought this was just going to be another run of the mill personality assessment, I now can confidently say that most people, if not all, will learn something new or be able to reflect and gain perspective in a new way by taking this assessment. I encourage students of any age to take this assessment, whether they know what they want to major in, what fields they want to work in or if they do not know anything about their future plans. Knowing more about yourself and being able to walk through it in the way this resource does has been extremely helpful to me. Although I was apprehensive to take this assessment in the beginning, I am so glad I was able to gain the insights and perspectives put forth by this tool, and will be planning on keeping them in my mind through my future career exploration.

**If you are interested in the Strengths assessment, please make an appointment with a Career Coach in Handshake.

Why did I decide to attend the GLCA virtual career fair? 

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Post by Blagoja Naskovski ’24

GLCA Virtual Career Fair - Thursday, February 23, 2023 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (ET) Hosted on Handshake

My Fall ’22 was very busy in terms of finding new career opportunities for the summer of ’23. As a student majoring in Business, my goal was to secure an internship in investment research and financial services. Chasing job opportunities might sometimes be fun, but it takes a lot of time and energy. What I really learned is that one of the key factors to be successful in grabbing an opportunity in your favorite field is to attend career fairs where you can directly communicate with a hiring manager and to connect with the alumni community. Fortunately, I saw that our CCPD was co-organizing an event that was seen by me as a chance that should not be missed – GLCA virtual career fair.  

From education organizations and health care services, finance, and marketing to government to nonprofit organizations, GLCA career fair has a diverse spectrum of internship opportunities.  

My case included searching and talking to recruiters from the companies that are in the sphere of financial services and investment analysis. I was fortunate to learn for the first time about the company that I am going to intern at this summer- Morningstar. I had a great time talking to the recruiter about the details and specifics of the Morningstar Summer Internship Program. After the session I decided to connect with some of the K alumni at Morningstar and apply for the position. I was fortunate to connect with a K alum and to gain valuable suggestions during the hiring stages.  

One of the best things about this career fair that it is a student centric. You can schedule a 1:1 or group session with the hiring manager based on your time availability. Most of them are in a 1:1 format so you have the chance to talk directly to the recruiter. More importantly, there is an unlimited number of sessions that you can attend regardless of your school major. 

I am grateful that I attended the GLCA virtual career fair last September. This event represents a fantastic opportunity where all students, from diverse backgrounds, are given a chance to attend and talk to recruiters and hiring managers from many companies and organizations. Therefore, I strongly encourage my peers, regardless of their academic major, to attend this event (Thursday, February 23, 11 AM – 2 PM, Virtual on Handshake) and establish new connections in their professional network while learning more about different industries and career opportunities. 

Unpaid Intern Stipend Applications Open to All – updated $$

Posted on by Rachel Wood

The Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) is committed to helping all K students participate in internships so they can gain experience and successfully transition into careers post-graduation. To alleviate the financial burden on students participating in unpaid internships, the CCPD has updated its summer internship stipend program. While the CCPD believes that all internships should be paid, we understand that many industries rely on unpaid internships and the stipend program helps ensure that more students have access to valuable internship opportunities.

The updated program features tiered stipends with the primary goal of increasing the amount of funding provided to students. The tiers take into account factors such as the inability of students to work jobs during their internships, inflation, and the rising cost of housing in various cities.

To learn more about the tiers replacing the previous flat $4,000 stipend structure, and/or to apply, please visit: https://career.kzoo.edu/students/internships/summer-internships/

One Major: Multitudes of Possibilities

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Come see what K grads from your major are doing after K! Leave with ideas (and snacks). We’re celebrating all majors after Declaration of Major Day down in the Career Studio on Wednesday, February 1st 2023, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

“What are you going to do with that major?” That can be a kind of annoying question. But every major has a multitude of possibilities. Check out our What Can I Do With This Major? resource at: https://career.kzoo.edu/students/

Save the date for February career fairs

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Save the date for February’s job/internship fairs for K students. Three are in person, and the CCPD will reimburse you for transportation if you need it. These fairs are the largest local recruiting events of the year for college students!

Wondering which employers will be there, and/or what they’re looking for in applicants? Check out the links for each— they have all the info you need.

WMU Government and Nonprofit Job Fair

Tuesday, Feb 7, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

WMU Bernhard Center at 1922 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo

WMU Spring Engineering Expo

Wednesday, Feb 8, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

WMU Bernhard Center at 1922 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo

WMU Career Fair

Thursday, Feb 9, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

WMU Bernhard Center at 1922 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo

GLCA Virtual Career Fair

Thursday, Feb 23 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Virtual Event in Handshake 

Need a ride? 

Students needing transportation are eligible to be reimbursed by the CCPD for local Uber or Lyft trips to and from the WMU fairs listed. We encourage you to “car pool” by coordinating these trips with friends interested in attending, wherever possible, though this is not required for reimbursement.

Steps: 

  1. Use Lyft or Uber app to travel to/from the fair(s).
  2. Email your Lyft or Uber receipt(s) and indicate which fair you attended to Valerie Miller at vmiller@kzoo.edu.​

Email Tips/Tricks from CCPD & CCE

Posted on by Rachel Wood

The following is a compilation of email writing tips put together by Riley Gabriel, Program Associate, CCE, and Rachel Wood, Assistant Director, CCPD.

Components of a professional email

  • Subject line
  • Salutation
  • Body
  • Closing
  • Signature
Image shows a screen with an example of a professional email including Subject line, Salutation, Body, Closing, and Signature.
Image borrowed from “How to Write An Email” on indeed.com

Email Examples

The following two email examples offer some obvious and not so obvious clues to professional email writing.

Example #1

Subject:

From: Riley Gabriel​

To: Moises Hernandez​

​

Sup Moises,​

What are u up to next Friday at 11? I could also meet tmrw. We should meet 2 talk about office furniture. I JUST CAN’T WAIT. :/ I don’t like my chair, always hurts my back. Talk soon.​

​

Thanks friend,​

Riley Gabriel​

Example #2

Subject: Supply List Follow Up

From: Riley Gabriel​

To: Moises Hernandez​

​

Hello Moises,​

I’m reaching out to follow up with our meeting last week. We discussed purchasing new supplies for the community room for CESs to use in various events and activities. Below you will see a link to the supply list I gathered from online sources. Are you able to pick up a few things from stores? Let me know if I missed anything we talked about. ​

​

Thanks for your help,​

Riley Gabriel​

Pronouns: they/them​

Kalamazoo College ’21​

Program Associate – Center for Civic Engagement​

Notice that Example 1 uses an informal greeting (used only if you know your recipient well and informality is established), text shortenings, ALL CAPS, complaining, and an informal closing (could be acceptable depending on level of formality).

Notice that Example 2 has an appropriate greeting, establishes the reason for contact, uses proper grammar, includes a closing statement, and a professional signature (optional). However, it is missing a link to the supply list, specific instructions about what supplies to purchase (and from what stores).

Example Greetings

  • Hi/Hello (Name),​
  • Dear (Name),​
  • Greetings,​
  • To whom it may concern,​
  • To (Name),​
  • Hello everyone,​
  • Good morning/afternoon​

Do I include titles/prefixes?

It depends. If you are writing to someone with a PhD, you can start by assuming the prefix Dr. until told otherwise. Modern advice suggests moving away from Mr./Mrs./Ms. prefixes as they are not gender-inclusive, but they may be appropriate in certain contexts.

Example Closings

Be sure to end your email with a closing. Even a simple “Thank you,” followed by your name on the next line, might suffice.

  • Best​
  • Sincerely​
  • Regards​
  • Kind regards​
  • Thank you​
  • Warm wishes​
  • With gratitude​
  • Many thanks​
  • Respectfully​

What goes in an email signature?

Email signatures can be as simple, especially if you are still a student. They may simply look like this:

Joe Hornet ’24

However, when you are writing on behalf of an organization or an employer, additional information might help give your reader context.

Examples of additional email signature inclusions

  1. Title of position & department​
  2. Pronouns
  3. Email address &/or phone number​
  4. Company logo
  5. Company physical address 
  6. Company social media links and/or website
  7. Land acknowledgement where you live/work
  8. Other important cultural messages from your organization or team

Example Signatures

Riley Gabriel​

Pronouns: they/them​

Kalamazoo College ’21​

Program Associate – Center for Civic Engagement​

Rachel B. Wood (She/Her/Hers)

Assistant Director | Center for Career and Professional Development

Kalamazoo College

Take care of each other.

Reply vs. Reply All

  • Reply – Responds to original sender only. No one else originally included in the message will see your reply.​
  • Reply All – Responds to everyone that received original email. Very good for scheduling, for example letting everyone know “I’ve got this one!”​

Depending on an organization’s culture, reply all may be preferred to keep everyone in the loop as decisions are made via email. ​

CC vs. BCC

  • CC – Stands for “Carbon Copy”. Add additional recipients to a message that may need to be kept in the proverbial loop, but may not need to respond. ​
  • ​BCC – Stands for “Blind Carbon Copy”. ‘Blind carbon copy’ is a way of sending emails to multiple people without them knowing who else is receiving the email. Any emails in the BCC field will be invisible to everyone else in the To and CC fields. BCC should only be used when it isn’t a personal email topic and you want to keep the receipts email address private.​

​

Depending on an organization’s culture, a supervisor may prefer to be CC’d on certain types of messages. BCC can be used in confidential situations. ​

Subject Lines and Threads

The subject line should communicate exactly what the email is about so that the recipient can prioritize the email’s importance without having to open it.​

​

Good Examples of Subject Lines:​

  • Time conflict for meeting 10/13​
  • Fall ’22 Term Report​

Bad Examples of Subject Lines:​

  • [no subject]​
  • Hey​

Using the Reply or Reply All function will automatically generate a subject line that is formatted as: “RE: [original subject line]”.​ This helps a recipient search their Inbox for a conversation. A Thread is a set of multiple emails with the same subject line.

DO: Reply All and CC a new person to loop them into an on-going thread.​

DON’T: Changing subject lines mid-thread can cause confusion.​

The “body” of your email

The “body” of your email refers to the text that is between the greeting and the closing; it’s the main text. If you are writing to someone new, err on the side of formality in your tone for best results. Once you are familiar with your recipient/team/organizational culture, your tone can change over time.

Be clear and concise in your message— make sure you have a specific ask. If you find that your message is running very long, needs multiple caveats, or is about something delicate, email may not be the best medium. Instead, use an email to ask for a time to talk in-person (or via video/phone) to work through conflicts. Remember that emails can be forwarded or shared. When in doubt, think: “What [unintended] consequences could there be if what I have written were published on the front page of a newsletter or shown to my boss?”

Need Help? Stop by the Career Studio

If you are working on an email (especially to a potential employer, or an alum) and you’re feeling stuck, stop by the Career Studio. We’re happy to help you make your best first impression!

Is Forage legit?

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Research shows that almost half of college students do not have a clear understanding of what different employers do. Forage aims to change that. Of course, before I recommend any platform or product to students (even if it is free) I explore it myself. I want to know if it’s legit, if it is helpful, and if I’d want to stake my own reputation on its recommendation.

This fall I chose two different job simulations with Forage: one focusing on data visualization and one focusing on marketing. 

Screenshot of a Forage job simulation completion certificate as an example of what a student could earn.

Data Visualisation Job Simulation

For my first project, a company called Tata pointed me to tutorials for data visualization tools, and gave me data to analyze. I created real data visualizations to answer questions from the CEO and CMO. I also recorded a video describing what I did and how I did it. Between reading the materials provided, watching some tutorials (where I learned skills I’ll actually use in the future), and completing hands-on activities, the whole project took me about six hours.

Omnichannel Marketing Job Simulation

For my second job simulation, I chose a marketing role with lululemon. After extensive research, I ended up writing a creative brief for a marketing campaign for their new Mirror product. That project took me about three hours, but it could have taken me less had I not gotten “into it” as much as I did.

Insights

Full disclosure? I started a few other simulations as well, but I didn’t complete them. This is okay! Those companies (and you, dear reader) won’t know that I quit after I began. My name is oblivious to them. However, I did get to jump into something I initially thought might be interesting. Once I realized it wasn’t for me, I quit and moved to something else. 

After submitting my own work for both completed projects, I got to see “model” answers. These allowed me to compare my efforts to what the company considered excellent work. I did some self-evaluation and noted where I might improve in the future.

Here’s the key point: I was able to submit these work practices to Forage without showing them to the employers involved. Neither lululemon or Tata will see my work, because I chose not to share it. 

Why is that important? You might follow that same path if you are simply “trying out” a job. You might quit half-way through when you say “Ya… this job isn’t for me.” Doing a job simulation lets you get a glimpse into what someone actually does while they’re at work; instead of just reading about it, you’re doing it.

Conversely, anyone who wants to may share their work. Maybe you want to apply for an internship or job at the very company for whom you do a job simulation? In that case, you can submit your work for an advantage in the application process. Recruitment is, afterall, why the companies agree to participate and provide job simulations in the first place! According to Forage’s own Outcomes study, employers are twice as likely to advance a “Forager” to the interview stage with their organization, and four times more likely to extend an offer.

I’m not applying to Tata or Lululemon. However, I now have a digital badge/certificate that I could add to my resume, LinkedIn profile, etc. I could showcase these work experiences without having to have had an internship or job with either company. I think that’s pretty great.

Pros and Cons

  • Pros of Forage:
    • Helped me learn about the jobs of a data visualization specialist and a omni-channel marketing specialist
    • Helped me create potential work for my portfolio
    • Helped me make a connection to the two companies for further internships/career
  • Cons of Forage:
    • Projects take time
    • Projects are simulations, and therefore are unpaid

Interested in learning more? Check out Forage for yourself.

Record #’s of students at Career Studio

Posted on by Rachel Wood

This Winter saw record numbers of K students visiting the Career Studio— and we expect that this will only continue as we head in to Spring.

Haven’t visited us yet? Check it out— we’re here to help you. No question is silly, no visit is too late (or too early!) in your college career. We can’t wait to talk with you about your upcoming summer plans, new major, or next steps after graduation.

Stop by Weeks 1-10, 10 AM-2PM, Monday through Friday in Dewing Basement or on MS Teams at: https://bit.ly/KVirtualCareerStudio.

What Can I Do With This Major?

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Excited for Declaration of Major Day next week? The CCPD’s resource, “What Can I Do With This Major?” gives you some great ideas of not only career paths but links to job outlooks, professional networks, etc.

Whether you’re exploring majors or searching for information about your chosen field, this website will help. Learn typical career areas and types of employers that hire in these fields, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate. Continue your research through the websites provided.

Logo for What Can I Do With This Major service with additional logo stating Kalamazoo College CCPD and Handshake

In-person meetings in the time of COVID-19

Posted on by Rachel Wood

Handshakes? Masks? Social distancing? What is proper etiquette? Experts agree: public health is more important than traditional U.S. cultural norms. And… you still want to know how to make your best first impression. Whether you are heading to a networking event or interviewing for a job or internship— the return to the possibility of in-person events brings new challenges on top of typical nerves. Here’s what you need to know:

Door sign that states "Handshake free zone".

Ask about COVID-19 etiquette in advance of interviews

Certain normal pleasantries like handshakes may be out and replaced with a friendly nod or wave. The interviewer might ask you to wash or sanitize your hands before the interview begins. Knowing this information beforehand will help you come across as prepared and professional. If you don’t know the expectations, decide on what feels comfortable to you: nodding, waving, and bowing are all ways to acknowledge meeting someone for the first time without touching them. If meeting in person feels awkward, it’s fine to call out that awkwardness. “It’s so nice to meet you— I’d shake your hand, but of course the pandemic makes that awkward.” Then, move on to more relevant conversation.

Be prepared to discuss the pandemic

The pandemic is not a topic that can or should be avoided in conversation. Be prepared for comments about it (and questions!) to come up. Think about how you might answer questions about how you’ve been handling the chaos. Note that people you meet likely have a wide variety of experiences and an even wider sense of how much they do or do not want to share (as do you!). Preparing in advance and practicing deflecting inquiries that feel uncomfortable will go a long way. How might you answer some of these newly common interview questions?

Keep your face covered

Face masks are the new normal in situations with new people or large gatherings (recommended by the CDC and may be required by the hosts). Despite our collective experience, they still make expressing enthusiasm more difficult. Body language has become more important, including nodding, making hand gestures, facing your body towards the person you’re talking to, and making eye contact. Practice enunciating and speak slower than normal to ensure that you don’t have to keep repeating yourself. And, when awkwardness surrounding masks inevitably comes up (“Sorry, what was that you said?”) remember that it is happening to everyone; don’t let it derail your confidence.

Keep your distance

Pre-pandemic, conversations between folks were often closer than 6-feet. Take note of where others are standing/sitting, and be mindful of your own comfort level with physical distance. Again, it may still feel awkward, but it is collectively awkward. You may need to speak a little louder than normal.

Practice

New problems need new solutions. Use the CCPD’s 24/7 Big Interview platform to set yourself up for success. Then meet with a career coach for a mock interview to feel most prepared.