Keep It Clean: How to Maintain Professional Social Media

Our generation is the first to be considered “digital natives”. We’ve grown up with the internet, so now as young adults, we are fully capable of traversing it because of this close familiarity.

I believe that being digital natives means we should be more careful with our posts. During our time staring at screens, we’ve seen others burn in light of their posts. Whether or not we want to believe it, we know in our heart of hearts that both inappropriate and explicit posts will come back to haunt us.

So how can you avoid this turmoil?

An easy first step would be to avoid posting inappropriate and explicit content. But something you can consider for the long-term is putting more thought behind your posts.  Putting more thought and intention into each piece of content that you spread across the internet will mean that your posts are better crafted and of higher quality.

Now I know you may be thinking, “If I don’t get to post whatever I want, social media isn’t fun anymore.”  Something cool about keeping your social media clean is this: being professional doesn’t mean you can’t be personal.

Having an account that’s professional and an account that truly represents yourself are not mutually exclusive. It doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun, or be funny. Crack that culturally relevant joke. If you love a meme, tweet it!
Part of being a young professional is embracing what you have to bring to the table, and realizing that you’re not a knockoff. You have something to say that nobody else can.

Future employers who look at your accounts understand that you are human–you have tastes, experiences, and a life to live. Building your personal brand means being yourself first and foremost. For me, that includes my passion for my Hope College community, digital marketing strategy, and whatever’s trending. For you, it could be a love for coding, coffee, or Buzzfeed quizzes. Use what you love as a launch point for your online presence.

Interestingly enough, when analyzing social media usage, employers don’t only keep their eyes peeled for bad behavior. In a 2014 survey of employers conducted by CareerBuilder, one-third of employers surveyed said they actually considered someone more due to their positive social presence, with 46% of them saying they considered the candidate more because they got a good feel for their personality and could see them fitting in with company culture.
Not only does an appropriate presence make you respectable: if it’s infused with every last drop of yourself, employers will appreciate that, too.

I understand that the idea of potential employers pouring over your account is difficult to envision, so here are three simple ways to make your online presence both professional and personal.

Post like your Dad follows you.

For some of us, this is already an accurate scenario. Would your tweets disappoint him? Enrage him? Or would he favorite each one in pride, as dorky as they may be? If you can answer yes to this last question, then your post is in good shape. If your answer is no, think about why that is and if you can edit your post to guarantee it “Dad-Approved”.

Remember to add value.

During the first week of my internship with the University of Michigan’s social media department, I tagged along with my boss Nikki Sunstrum as she was the keynote speaker at a social media conference nearby.
She said something to all the content creators in the audience that day that has stuck with me. “Are we adding value or are we adding noise?”

It’s not a stretch to ask yourself the same question when it comes to your personal content. If you really love cheese and truly feel the desire to share that great gouda you had for lunch, go for it. But think about throwing in a favorite article you read that day or a picture you enjoy.

Consider how to add value to your follower’s timelines. Make them happy they decided to follow you.

Keep your friends accountable.

The people you are tagged in photos with are automatically associated with you, and employers can see that too. First off, by modeling these positive behaviors, you already will set a good example for your friends online.

But don’t be afraid to keep them accountable. Imagine if it was you who was in the sticky situation. You would probably rather have your friend shoot you a concerned text then reap the consequences the next time you apply for a job.

 

We all can relate to a heat-of-the-moment post. Whether it’s because we think we’re funny or are not having our best judgement, inappropriate posts happen. Posting in an unattractive manner can tarnish your entire online presence.

Being digital natives, we have the knowledge and capability to perform better across our favorite social media platforms. This is crucial to our future as we graduate from college and embark on the mission to secure a job in the real world. It’s easier than you may think! Remember to “PAK”: post like your Dad follows you, add value to your timeline, and keep your friends accountable. PAK-ing will not only keep you out of trouble, but just might land you that dream job you been looking for!

Alumni Experience: Sam Stevens

Image result for follow your heart

“ Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”    – Jalaluddin Rumi

Samantha “Sam” Stevens graduated in 2017 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Engineering. After graduating Sam moved to Austria where she currently lives working as an au pair. She is also currently pursuing a Masters in Organizational Leadership through Gonzaga’s online graduate school.

Sam was kind enough to answer our questions, and let us share her story.

What interested you the most about Psychology and Engineering?
Coming into Hope, I really thought that engineering was going to be the path for me. In high school, I always excelled in the math and sciences; it just seemed like the natural next-step. As an eager freshman, I set up my four-year plan in the engineering department. However, as my classes began I felt a disconnect between my head and my heart; I didn’t quite feel like it was just the right fit for me. By my second semester at Hope, I was already experimenting in just about every different academic department the school offers! From the pre-med track, to education and a composite-major; I tried it all! My junior year I ended up declaring an engineering major because I knew it was something that I could finish in time, do well, and it also gave me job security. Engineering aligned with my skills, but not necessarily my heart; my identity was not woven into my work. With the patience of a lot of mentors, professors, and loved-ones, I was encouraged to listen to those heart-tugs. They could see something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. I am such a relational person, I love people. Studying the way we function was so exciting for me! I found a home senior year with the faculty, staff, and students in the psychology department. I was still able to exercise a bit of my math-science brain as I finished my engineering minor. The two fields are more connected than I ever realized (of course, we engineers do things for people!). I am sure my background in both will serve me well some day. It took a lot of patience and experimentation. Eventually, I found a path that was life-giving because I could work out of my strengths, passions, values, and skills. It’s out there for everyone, I just think it takes some digging to find.
 In what ways did you begin to listen to yourself and your own opinions on what you should do post-grad?
Approaching graduation is a daunting time. There is this totally unrealistic pressure that the moment you graduate you should have the exact vision of what you are going to do for the rest of your life and the perfect job landed for it. I felt it, and I know my peers did too. But the problem was, I had no idea. Some of the best advice I was given during that time was that we can only always “do the next best thing.”
I’ve always had a curiosity about the world, I love to travel and experience new cultures and places and people.  I wasn’t quite sure of a career path, I thought I’d take some time to nurture this “travel-bug” while I was discerning the “next best” and work as an au pair in Austria. In the time between committing to the au pair experience and graduation, I also (thanks to the CDC) learned of a masters program in Organizational Leadership. I found one online from Gonzaga University that also has a concentration in Servant-Leadership; an academic program focusing on developing leadership practices while serving others…I was sold! It was something that bridged the gap a bit between my psychology and engineering experiences. It also allowed me to tap even further into my own natural inclinations and strengths, plus I could work on it from Austria. I found the “next best”.
What has your au pair experience been like ?”
My time in Austria has been exciting, adventurous, uncomfortable and everything between. I think anything you do after graduation is a bit like that because it is a big change when you uproot yourself from the special community that is Hope College. In a strange way, though, this next season is a bit of a parallel of my time at Hope. It’s all about experimenting, dipping my toes in lots of different waters until I can find that place of both identity and integrity in what I do. During my time abroad I have had a lot of time and space to define what I hope that will look like for me. Adding to this, is all that I am learning in my studies of Organizational Leadership. It’s been a time to slow down, trust in the constancy of the Father in the changing of seasons, and defining the “next best.”
 How do you feel that your experience at Hope helped you become who you are today?
Oh goodness, that’s an even tougher one! Hope College had a hand in shaping me in more ways than I can count. I was built up and encouraged by the strongest community I have ever experienced. I was invested in by countless staff and faculty members in a way that drives me to do the same to others. My worldview was greatly expanded during my experiences abroad and on campus alike. In the greatest way though, during my time at Hope my faith was nourished to growth I could never have imagined. I came to know our God deeply and found roots just as deep in His Word, His promises, and His character—and I feel so confident in those roots alone walking through all the seasons that lay ahead.
A liberal arts education is one that can open a door to thousands of possibilities. I loved Sam’s story, because she managed to combine the two things I need and want to do…attend graduate school and travel the world. Her story gave me insight into what it looks like to follow your dreams. It also gave me hope, in the sense that not having everything figured out by now does not mean I am ruining my life. I hope you gained something as well!

5 Reasons You Should Pursue an Internship

This past summer I had the opportunity to work for Whirlpool Corporation as a Finance Development Intern. I didn’t expect to get an internship as quickly as I did or with that big of a company, and let me tell you, I wasn’t sure what I was in for when I showed up in May! But, this Summer was one of the most important experiences I’ve had so far. Here’s why:

  1.     Internships let you test out a company

You can read all you want about a company, but until you are able to get in the building and really see how people work you won’t truly know what it is like. Internships let you get a feel for how different companies operate. This will let you figure out what you like and don’t like about a company.

  1.     Internships give you experience you cannot get in the classroom

Remember that marketing presentation you had to do? What about that research presentation? Classwork is good practice to simulate some activities you may do on the job. However, no amount of in class work will let you truly know what it is like to work on a project for a company.

  1.     Internships allow you to test fields you might want to go into

If you don’t know exactly what you want to do, internships can help you figure out what industries you like and don’t like. For example, I thought I wanted to go into Finance, but after spending a summer looking at Excel, I realized that isn’t something I’m super passionate about. Internships are a low-stakes way to figure out what you may or may not want to go into before you take a job opportunity.

  1.     Internships help show you what you like and don’t like

As I have mentioned before, internships help you see the traits you like or don’t like about a company, industry, or culture. Maybe you like working collaboratively in a small office space rather than solo in a large corporation. Maybe you want international work and cross-functional communications on the job. Or maybe you want to serve at a missions-focused non-profit organization. Whatever the case may be, the only way to really discern what you want in a full-time job is to work like an actual employee.

  1.     Internships let you ease into #adulting

This is probably the biggest plus of an internship. Working a full-time or part-time internship is a great way to experience what life will be like after college. Sure it’s not exactly the same: the stakes are a lot lower, and you may be living at home, but internships let you experience real life as a working professional in whatever field you may go into. The time you spend at your internship will help you grow and stretch as a person outside of college life.

Essentially what I’m getting at with this Tip Tuesday is go GET YOURSELF AN INTERNSHIP! It doesn’t matter if you want to go into law, education, health, or psychology. Take time to shadow people, do an externship, or find a way to fully immerse yourself in what you might be doing in the future.

Despite what you might think, the people and the overall aura of a company truly matter beyond your work. You’ll see that looking at spreadsheets, helping patients, or teaching involve similar skills across all organizations, but it’s the people that make what you do a drag or fun and engaging. Internships will give a chance to test the waters of the industry you think you want to go into before you actually dive in, and trust me, your future self will be so grateful that you did!

Finding an Industry if You Have No Idea Where to Start

For some people, knowing what industry they want to work in is easy to decide, for others not so much. I’ve been there myself and, in fact, I’m still torn about what I want to do.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to have it all figured out just yet, BUT here are some tips for beginning the process:

  1.     Think about your strengths

Almost every Freshman takes StrengthsQuest when they come to Hope (if you didn’t, call the CDC and we’ll get you squared away!). Reflect on your top five strengths and how your mind works, these can help give you guidance about what career path might suit you best.

  1.     Reach out to professors, family members, or friends

Use the people around you to your advantage. Start asking friends and family about what they do and what they like/dislike about their jobs. See what careers sound interesting to you and consider shadowing or doing an externship in a couple of those industries!

  1.     Think about your passions

Everyone has things they could talk about for hours. Think about the topics that get you fired up and see what jobs might deal with them (eg you love to talk about policy and current events, maybe political science is right for you or maybe you love math and analytics maybe finance is your sweet spot!) Whatever your passions are, there is probably some niche job that will let you connect what you love to your career.

  1.      Job shadow

Make a list of industries you think you might be interested in and shadow people working in that industry. We have tons of resources (LinkedIn network, Alumni connections, etc.) that can help with finding people in any industry you can think of. I’ve found that people love to talk about what they do, so informational interviews and shadow days are a great place to start looking for an industry you may be interested in.

  1.     Just give one a try and see if it’s a good fit!

No one says you’re locked in after you take an internship or that first job. People switch career paths all the time

Wherever you decide to begin, know that picking the best career path is normally a lifelong adventure. Very rarely do people pick a job and stick with it for the duration of their working lives. Just starting the search is half the battle, so hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be on your way to finding the industry that works for you.

Tips for Dressing Business Professional

“Please remember to dress business professional for this event…” Who knew so few words could cause such anxiety? Business professional can be tricky, but we’ve got you covered.

Here are five easy do’s and don’ts to follow next time you need to look sharp and at the top of your game.

Do…
  1.     Wear a blazer
  2.     Wear a buttoned shirt with a tie, a nice blouse, or a dress
  3.     Wear polished shoes (loafers and heels are preferred)
  4.     Wear ironed slacks or skirt (Trust me, ironing makes all the difference)
  5.     Wear dark, neutral colors

 

Bonus Pro Tip: run a lint brush over your outfit to make sure you have all dust and hair off your suit.

Don’t…
  1.     Wear jeans of any kind
  2.     Wear bold patterns or bright colors
  3.     Wear athletic clothing (this includes tennis shoes)
  4.     Wear large amounts of jewelry or big watches (you’re shooting for subtlety here)
  5.     Wear too tight, low-cut, or loose clothing (make sure your pieces fit properly and keep everything covered)

 

Whether you’re trying to dress for an interview, dinner reception, or networking event, it is important to put your best foot forward. If you don’t have all the essentials in your closet, try borrowing from a dorm/house mate or friend. Hopefully following these tips will help you know what to wear next time you need to dress up and will allow you to feel confident as you work towards finding your place in the real world.

Identifying Workplace Environment

Let’s set the scene: you walk into your second week and you already feel out of place. Sure, the work you’re doing is perfect resume-building material and your organization has a positive reputation. Your friends and family couldn’t be more proud. Yet, you’re feeling disconnected and there’s just no clear reason why.

So what’s causing your distress? It may be the one component students often forget to consider when taking on their first internship–workplace environment.

Workplace environment can be defined as the different environmental and social components of your organization that contribute to your work experience as a whole. It’s the sum of all the little things you may or may not be aware of that are working together to affect how you enjoy your internship. These components, like how you interact with your boss or how your physical workspace is set up, can be hard to determine before accepting the position.

While some internships provide more realistic responsibilities than others, you can begin to take note of the aspects that contribute to your organization’s environment (as well as your own preferences for your future places of work) even as you enter your first internship.

Some components to start considering regarding workplace environment:

Who’s in charge?
  • Who do you report to (who is your supervisor)? What is the hierarchy of management within your organization?
  • Is it a smaller company where your supervisor is also head of the organization?
  • How easily accessible is your supervisor?
Power
  • How are you treated during meetings with other employees?
  • Do co-workers not only respect but appreciate and value your input?
  • How often do you get the chance to state your opinion on important issues?
Size
  • How many people work at the organization as a whole? Are there less than 20? More than 100?
  • How do you interact with the leaders/founders of the company? Do you get any chance to?
  • Do you complete your work individually? With one other person? On a team?
Culture
  • How do employees interact with each other? Are they friendly?
  • How do members of your office feel about the leadership at your organization? Are they positive or negative?
  • What matters do they discuss in the office? Are the topics they discuss generally professional or personal?
Physical Environment
  • What does your workspace look like? Do you get your own? Do you share with others?
  • What does the space for the organization as a whole look like? Does it have an open feel, encouraging collaborative work? Are there cubicles for individual employees, encouraging individual work?
  • Where are you located in relation to your supervisor? Is their workspace near yours?

 

While it may take some time working in an organization to identify the answers to these questions, the answers you find will prove vital. As you apply for more work opportunities, you’ll be better able to understand the kind of organization in which you’ll thrive. Keep looking for how your environment contributes to your experience as an intern and you may be surprised by what you find. What kind of work environments have you been a part of?

How to Handle Stress Well

College is like one giant boiling pot of stress and busyness. From day one you’re told you need to study hard, be in a variety of clubs, and maintain a rocking social life. Let me tell you, if you try to do all of these things at the same time, you’ll get burnt out fast.

Sometimes, however, life gets busy by no fault of our own. In these situations, it’s all about how to handle stress well.

Here are five simple tips everyone can do to help ease the internal tension we all feel:

  1.     Call Home, Call a Friend, Call Someone

Sometimes we all just need to hear our mom’s voice. Maybe for you it’s your dad, best-friend, significant other, or grandma—but, talking with someone removed from your day to day schedule can do wonders to improve your emotional tension. This doesn’t have to be a long chat, but it will give your brain a chance to slow down and focus on something new for a change. Another bonus, if you call your mom, they typically have awesome advice and can help you put your stress into perspective.

  1.     Read a book, article, or blog-post

Taking time to let your brain focus on something besides school work or your to-do list will help you feel less anxious and stressed out. You don’t have to spend forever reading, rather take 15 minutes or so to let your brain escape and read something interesting to you. It will definitely help put the day in perspective.

  1.    Exercise

It’s been proven over and over that exercise releases endorphins, which help you to control your stress. If you don’t believe me, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic. Even if you’re out of shape or pressed for time, any sort of motion can benefit you and help manage your feelings of anxiety. Walk outside, sign up for an exercise class, or even clean up a bit around the house to get yourself moving. 

  1.     Meditate

I will be the first person to tell you this isn’t something I regularly practice. I’m really not great at sitting still, but I do know that the few times I’ve done it, it was really helpful. Some people focus on breathing, other mediate on a passage of scripture, and others just sit in silence. If you’re like me and don’t know where to start, don’t worry there’s an app for that! Check out Simple Habit- Meditation or Calm: Meditation.

  1.     Journal

Journaling lets you take time to process what you are thinking and feeling by forcing you to put words on paper. This doesn’t have to be an hour long session or an every day thing, but taking five minutes to process your day may help you realize positive experiences in the midst of your crazy schedule. One idea to get you started could be writing down the things that you’re most thankful for from your day. 

 

So as the semester ramps up, please take time to take care of yourself. The world isn’t going to catch fire if you pause to do a little stress check. College is hard and crazy, but it doesn’t last forever. Making memories with friends is going have a bigger impact on your life than the B you may receive in a class.

Preparing for a Career Fair

Okay, you’ve heard it a million times career fairs are important. You really need an internship for next summer, but you just aren’t sure how to get ready for the big day. Don’t worry we’ve got you covered! Here are 5 easy tips on how to put your best foot forward at the next career fair.

  1.     Review the List of Employers

The Career Development Center always posts a list of the companies coming to a recruiting event. Make sure you check handshake and figure out what companies will be here so you can prepare to talk with the recruiters. Check their websites, know their values, and be able to speak into the type of position you are seeking.

  1.     Get your Resume Ready

Your resume is your introduction on paper. Make sure this is in tip-top shape and carefully crafted for each firm you want to meet with (bonus points if you print it out on nice cardstock). Bring 9-12 copies of your resume to handout at the event. If you have time, also prepare a cover letter to go with each resume that is tailored the companies you plan to speak with. This will help you stand out and give you a leg up over other students.

  1.     Practice your Elevator Pitch

This can be daunting, trust me. But, it’s vitally important that you can share with an employer who you are in a few brief sentences. Click these links find some awesome tips on how to craft yours: here, here, and here.

  1.     Find a Padfolio

No that isn’t a typo, a padfolio is a nice folder that you can carry with you to house your resume, cover letter, business cards (if you have them), a notebook, and pen. This awesome tool will keep you organized and looking sharp. Here are some of our favorites: Brown leather, Royce Black Leather, and the Hope College padfolio sold in the campus bookstore. BUT don’t worry if you don’t have one, a simple, plain folder will do the trick.

  1.    Iron Your Suit

Part of putting your best foot forward is your personal presentation. Make sure you lay out your clothes the night before, iron them, and use a lint roller to get any dust off. As silly as it is, we judge with our eyes first. If you don’t look put together, recruiters will take notice. So please, just take a few minutes to help yourself out.

Always remember, career fairs are just one step on a long journey to landing an internship or scoring a job. Hopefully following these tips will make you feel confident and well-prepared for the next career fair!

(Side note: the STEM Fair, Economics and Business Fair, and The Gap Year & Non-Profit Fair are all coming soon to Hope’s Campus!)

Five Helpful Handshake Tips

If you are anything like me, college is when you truly begin to get a better feel for the “real world”, and with that feeling, many new things start to come into focus. One of the biggest considerations may be “What exactly am I going to do with my career once I graduate?” Well, personally, I found this question quite intimidating and wasn’t sure where to even start looking for ideas.

As of this year, we at the Career Development Center have introduced Handshake and let me tell you, it has helped me immensely. In hopes that it can do the same for you, here are the top five most helpful tips for Handshake that have been useful for me to get the most out of this new platform.

1. You get what you put in

Handshake is a platform with all types of capabilities, but if you don’t tell it anything about you, it cannot help you that much. Make sure that you put as much information about yourself into your profile so you can have Handshake work for you by presenting you to employers and recommending events around campus.

2. The tables have turned: being contacted by employers

Unlike other platforms where we students are chasing employers and trying to contact them to get our foot in the door in hopes of an interview, on handshake, employers can contact you. No longer do you have to copy and paste email after email to company after company hoping to get at least one; now employers are able to reach out to you and communicate the opportunities they have for you!

3. Stay informed

Handshake is not just for finding a job, it can also be used to find events on campus that are relevant to you! In addition to this, if you have your major on your Handshake profile, staff members are able to invite you to these kind of events. Now you can stay up to date on all of the possible networking and informational events!

4. Don’t make the same mistake I did

Handshake has tons of helpful features, including making filling out your profile super easy. All that is needed is just uploading your resume onto Handshake and that information will automatically be filled out on your profile. This way, you don’t have to end up like me and spend well over an hour entering everything in when it could have taken you just a few minutes!

5. Remember: filters, filters, filters

When looking for a job, internship, or any other opportunity on handshake, there are numerous filters that you can apply in order to tailor your search to best fit what you are looking for. Personally, I have loved using this to narrow down the type of opportunity, if it is paid or not, and the location where it is located.

​Overall, I hope that these tips can help guide you in the right direction and help you get the most out of Handshake in order to further your career. If you have any questions about Handshake or simply want to do some review of your resume before you get it up on the site, feel free to stop by the Career Development Office during drop-ins or schedule an appointment!

How to Rock Interview Questions

So tell me about yourself…All interviews seem to start the same way, but they don’t have to end the same way. Internship/Job Search season is upon us once again, so check out these easy tips on how to stand out as you go through the interview process:

  1.     Have a fun story about yourself that relates to why you chose the company or position you are applying for.

The whole point of an interview is for you to get to know a company and for them to get to know you. Stay professional, but let your personality shine through.

  1.     Have two strengths you are comfortable speaking about (same goes for weaknesses!).

A strengths and weaknesses question is bound to come up in an interview. Be prepared to talk about yourself in a positive way and relate your examples to the position you’re applying for. Not only will this help you relax for the interview, but it’s a great life skill to have no matter what field you’re going into.

  1.     Have engaging questions to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview.

Most interviewers will leave time at the end of an interview for questions, and nothing is worse than awkward silence at this point. This is your time to ask for candid information about a company and get to know you’re the culture of your potential employer. Come prepared with 3-5 questions, ones you can’t find the answer to on the company website. Click here for some question tips.

  1.     Be up to date on current issues and be ready to talk about them.

This might sound a little strange, but you never know what you’ll be asked in an interview. Especially if you are going into an industry like finance or public policy, make sure you are reading the news frequently and can articulate how market trends may affect your future employer. Personally, I like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Not only will this help for an interview, but it can help to improve your global awareness.

  1.     Be able to talk about what you’re learning about in school and how it relates to the position you’re applying for.

We’re in college for a reason, but I know sometimes it feels like what we are reading can’t possibly apply to the real world. But you’d be surprised that yes, even Cultural Heritage has connections in the workforce!

Interviewing can seem intimidating. You know you’re being scrutinized and that they’ll be talking about your performance afterwards. With these tips, you’ll walk out of your next interview feeling confident in your abilities, knowing you expressed yourself best!