The Observer, September 14, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 3
How the Career Center can work for you
This past spring I decided to start building my résumé. I was only a freshman, but I knew I would need one eventually. Why not get a head start? The only problem was, I did not know where to begin. Then, between classes one afternoon I stopped by the Career Center and made an appointment to meet with Amy Sindelar.
When I sat down with Amy, she asked me about my interests, activities on campus, major, minor etc. I shared with Amy my plan to be a management major with a banking and finance concentration and Nutrition minor. Then, we discussed my interest in cooking, healthy living, and the business aspect that goes along with these areas.
Since an important part of building a résumé is emphasizing experiences that prepare you for a career, Amy and I explored my career goals. I explained to Amy that someday I would love to work for Cooking Light Magazine. Having this specific goal allowed Amy to make suggestions as to what my résumé should look like and how to go about researching future internships that may help me to reach my goal.
After our discussion Amy asked me to draft a résumé. Before I left she mentioned that she would consult the director of the alumni network to see if any Case alumni had relationships at Cooking Light.
The next day I received an e-mail from Amy saying that she had exciting news and to make another appointment to speak with her. When I went in for my meeting, Amy explained to me that Jill Melton, former Editor in Chief of Cooking Light (who had been there for about 15 years) received her masters degree from Case. In addition, Jill had started her own magazine entitled Relish, which was awarded "Launch of the Year" in 2006.
The next step was to find out if Jill would be willing to talk with me. The director of the alumni network contacted Jill Melton on my behalf. Within a day Jill replied saying that she would be happy to speak with me. Then, Amy helped me to write Jill an e-mail and set up a time to talk.
Having the opportunity to talk to Jill forced me to learn how to approach situations such as introducing myself, setting up a phone conversation, knowing what types of questions to ask, identifying what my goals were, and discovering what to expect out of the conversation. In addition, I needed to have a résumé ready just in case Jill asked for it.
During our conversation, Jill encouraged me to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible while I am in college. Whether it is working in a restaurant, taking a class, writing for The Observer ("Lighten Up"), volunteering, or reading all types of cooking magazines, experience is key. Speaking with Jill also made me realize that expanding my interests beyond Cooking Light and into related areas may be beneficial.
Through my experience with Amy and Jill, I learned that taking the time to visit the Career Center and thinking about future goals is an extremely important aspect of college. Whether your interests span a broad spectrum or are focused in a specific area, the Career Center can help you find a way to reach your goals. I hope that my experience will encourage you to utilize the resources we have here at Case and the Career Center.
