Sunday, November 29, 2009

Preparing for LIFE after SAS

For some students, being on the voyage of a lifetime sailing and learning around the world, it can be easy to forget about the responsibilities waiting for them when they get back home. For some of the older students, this may include making sure they’ve fulfilled all of the necessary graduation requirements and job hunting. For the younger students, it might be landing that first internship. Regardless, students are offered a plethora of resources on the ship to make sure none of those important things fall between the cracks.
This week there have been a series of career service events, which included everything from resume and cover letter workshops to help with applying for graduate school. Mario Rodriguez, the LLC in charge of career services, has been providing many of these events all throughout the voyage. He also meets with students one-on-one to revise their resumes, research and apply for jobs and internships, and provide practical advice on life after SAS.
The Fall 2009 voyage also provides a Mock Interview Program, which consists of a round of questions from a “potential employer.” This role is filled by a variety of willing faculty and staff members, so students will get used to different interviewing styles. After the interview, students receive an in-depth critique of their performance, and they can participate as many times as they like.
The newest addition to the SAS career services arsenal, however, is the C.S.I. (Career Services Initiative) Newsletter. This two-page, weekly newsletter contains information about all of the upcoming events students might be interested in, as well as articles with many helpful tips. The latest issue contained an article about the most common reasons recruiters toss resumes, and how to avoid them.
Top things to avoid include, being informal when sending a cover letter and resume through email, overusing keywords, including too much personal information and sending a resume with fancy extras.

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