Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

Graduating Seniors – Make the Most of Your Last Semester

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While you are still here…

There are only a few short months left until spring graduation, and after four years of tests, exams, activities, and events, are you ready to leave Penn State? Are all your classes in order, thesis almost done, and interviews on the horizon? For me personally, I’d like to postpone graduation for a few more months, but I know that there are great resources here on campus to help all seniors get out the door smoothly! Check out my list below and take advantage of these opportunities while you still can!

Career Fairs

Keep in mind some important dates of upcoming career fairs for those of you still looking for a position post-graduation.

People to People Career Fair (February 27, 2014) – This is a great opportunity to learn about jobs and internships in non-profits, the government, and human service agencies.

Spring Career Days (March 26, 2014) – Come out to the Spring Career Fair on its first day to learn more about companies looking for non-technical majors.

Careers for the Humanities March 29, 2014 – Students can network with alumni and learn about possible career paths and jobs that await them post-graduation.

Career Enrichment Network

  • The staff of the Career Enrichment Network can help with resume reviews, cover letters, and tips for job searching. You can schedule an appointment to meet with them through your Network Symplicity site. Keep in mind however their website does not list full-time positions so you will need to look elsewhere for those.
  • LEAD: Check out the Leadership Enrichment through Assessment and Development (LEAD) program that combines online-assessments and in-person interviews to find out and hone in on your strengths and weaknesses. It is a great tool to use when interviewing for jobs or graduate school.
  • Graduating Senior Survey: Keep an eye out for a survey from the College of the Liberal Arts asking about for feedback about your undergraduate experience at Penn State and your plans for after graduation.

Career Services

  • Make sure you take advantage of all of the resources Career Services has to offer before graduation. This is another great source for resume and cover letter reviews, but they also offer drop-in hours, drop-in counseling, and mock interviews.  Attending a career counseling session may expose you to valuable job search resources
  • Nittany Lion Career Network: Use this database to search for full time positions. You can also search for information sessions and on-campus interview schedules.
  • Lion Link: This online networking database connects students and alumni and assists in career coaching and the job search.
  • Senior Sunday: Hosted by Career Services this daylong conference offers you the chance to learn about key steps for post-graduation, including tips for finances and living in busy cities. You can also choose to stay for an etiquette dinner to prepare for interviews at public places.

And one last tip…don’t forget to update your LinkedIn profile to take advantage of the largest online networking site. Networking, exploring your interests and the job market, and creating your own opportunities and chances to become involved in more experiences are essential to any career decision and career planning process.

LEAD Program

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Are you are a junior or senior Liberal Arts student planning to enter the job market within the next one to two years ? Would you like some additional resources and guidance to help you to identify and to showcase the skills you have gained through your coursework and to relate those skills to specific career paths and opportunities? Then the LEAD program is for you!

LEAD is the Leadership Enrichment through Assessment and Development Program, a collaborative effort between the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network, Penn State Career Services, and the Industrial and Organizational Psychology graduate program, is available to Liberal Arts students seeking an edge in today’s competitive job market.

Students go through a series of online assessments followed by an in person interview to identify your strengths and the areas that you need to improve upon as well as ways to improve.

Visit the LEAD program website to find out more information and to get started in the program.

People to People Career Fair

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The People-to-People Career Fair (February 27, 2014 from 10:00am-4:00pm in the Bryce Jordan Center) provides opportunities to learn about full-time positions, internships, summer jobs, and volunteer experiences with non-profit, government, and human services agencies. This fair is perfect for Liberal Arts majors to find experiences that cater to unique and diverse educational backgrounds. All majors are encouraged to attend. See below for some employers attending and available positions.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts | Summer team associates

Camp Towanda | Counselor and Instructor positions

Pennsylvania State Police | State Trooper Liquor Control Enforcement Officer, Forensic Scientist

Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center | Environmental Education Intern, Summer Camp Counselor

To see a complete listing of all organizations attending the event, as well as a variety of prep-workshops offered by Career Services, visit the event web site at: http://careerfairs.psu.edu/People/

Important note: In accordance with new University policy surrounding events, particularly those at sporting event facilities, bags of any kind—including backpacks, purses, and clutches—will no longer be allowed at the Bryce Jordan Center. People-to-People staff strongly discourage students from bringing any bags to the event.

LinkedIn: How to use it in your job search

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This workshop will introduce the most commonly used and effective social media tool, Linked-In, to Liberal Arts majors. No matter where you are in your college career and which major you are in, you should start now to connect with and learn about a diverse set of professionals and career options. Networking, exploring your interests and the job market, and creating your own opportunities and chances to involve in more experiences are essential to any career decision and career planning process. This workshop is being held in a classroom with computers for all attendees, so you will gain hands-on experience with developing your LinkedIn profile and learn how Linked-In can help you with your career search and self-marketing skills. 

February 12, 2014 from 6:00-7:00pm in 009 Sparks.

Space is limited, so please be sure to RSVP through your Network Symplicity account.

Liberal Arts Alumni Networking Event – A Student Reflection

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Alumni Networking Event

On March 21st, I went for my first ever networking event – Liberal Arts Alumni Networking. Networking is a word that almost everyone has either heard or used. It is thrown around casually but no one actually realizes just how important it can be or even how scary.

The idea itself sounds simple; meet people, talk to them, ask them questions. While this is the basic idea of networking, there is a certain etiquette that needs to be maintained, and for those who don’t already know how to behave professionally yet casually at the same time, this can be extremely intimidating.

Luckily we had Randolph Houston, current President of the Liberal Arts Alumni Society Board, talk to us briefly before the event began. He gave us some very helpful tips and explained how we should talk and how we could make an impact on someone and get them to remember us. It was very insightful and reassuring and definitely calmed my nerves.   If you missed this event but are looking for networking tips, check out this video interview with Randy, where he shares lots of useful advice about how to network.

Some of the important tips he shared with us were:

  • Always maintain eye contact when talking to someone.

  • Even though you are trying to get people to remember you, it is important not to make yourself the center of the conversation.

  • If you do not remember someone’s name, do not panic. That is what the nametags are provided for.

  • Have a firm hand shake.

  • If you have any unique talents or interests, you should try to mention this because it helps people to remember and identify you.

  • Most importantly, establish common ground and build the conversation from there.

After Mr. Houston gave his speech, we dispersed into small groups and began to speak to other alumni who were present there that day. Being a psychology major, I bee–lined to the little table that had a sign reading “Psychology.” Once there, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to John Erikson and Susan Lutz. They both are practicing psychologists and had a lot of wonderful advice and information to offer. The most important thing I realized after talking to them is that you don’t need to have only one job once you start working. Mr. Erikson has his own private practice but he also works at The Meadows, a psychiatric center, as a counseling psychologist. So if you have two dream jobs, it is possible that you will find a way to do both.


Overall, the networking event was a great learning experience. Even though initially I was apprehensive, nervous and not at all dressed for the event, I came away happy, confident and a lot more knowledgeable. I now know how to present myself at such events and how to keep conversation flowing. I also gained a lot of interesting insight into the world of a practicing psychologist and know a little more about what to expect once I start working.


I hope to see more of these events in the future and hope to see more liberal arts students attending them!

One Thing Leads to Another: How an Alumni Networking Event Led to an Internship

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Alex May.bmpI had attended various events held by Career Services: resume reviews, job fairs, Peace Corps presentations, the whole nine yards. Despite my numerous attempts to find some sort of clarity within the “real world” I left feeling a bit defeated. I was nearing the end of my junior year at Penn State and still had no idea what I wanted to do come graduation. I received an email from the College of the Liberal Arts about an alumni networking event. The event happened to fit right into a gap in my schedule so I figured I’d take another stab at my future. What the heck, they always say it’s all about who you know. I made a quick note of the various alumni I was most interested in chatting with and made my way to the HUB.

The event was great. It took place in an intimate, relaxed environment. There was a short presentation on how to network effectively and confidently. With a new set of skills in my pocket, I started on to meet these alumni. They told me their stories of hard work, success, and even failures. It was very reassuring to hear that many of these people were in the same exact position that I was in. I even got a few business cards for future contacts. While I would’ve loved to be able to spend hours with each person, it was time to head to my class.

On my way out I had a quick talk with Chris Gamble, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. I told him a little about myself, my interests, and what I thought of the event. He encouraged me to follow up with him and to look into the College’s Alumni Mentor program. I had never heard of the program but it sounded like an awesome idea. A few hours later I was filling out my application to be matched with an alumni mentor. A few weeks later, I met with Chris. He gave me the name and contact information for my new alumni mentor–Gretchen. As an International Politics major, her job experience mesmerized me; State Department, Master’s degree, traveling, international development. Our conversations consisted mainly of discussions of interests, aspirations, and ideal five year plans. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere in my future planning.

There were a few things I knew for certain. I wanted to live in DC. I wanted to work with Latin American communities. And well, really enjoy my work. I had submitted numerous applications for internships that seemed to fit the bill. Out of curiosity, I decided to check out where Gretchen worked, the International Republican Institute. It just so happened that there was a posting for an intern in the Latin America and Caribbean program. I mentioned the position to Gretchen and she immediately forwarded my resume to her colleague. Before I knew it, I had an interview scheduled. After hours of preparation and a full stomach of butterflies, the interview had concluded and I was offered the position. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was. I had achieved my dream. Well, for the next few months at least. We’ll see where the next step takes me.

I would like to conclude this post by offering a few quick tips:

  1. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. All sorts of people. You never know where they’ve been.
  2. Ask questions, lots of them. They’ll appreciate your curiosity.
  3. Be genuine. 
  4. Always follow up with a “thank you, nice to meet you” email.

I would encourage Liberal Arts majors to attend the upcoming Alumni Networking Event sponsored by the College of the Liberal Arts.  This annual event is a great opportunity to network with alumni who have made their way in the professional world and to perhaps make your own connection that will help you in moving along on a career path.

Alex May, International Politics

How Networking Can Land Coveted Jobs

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Handshake.jpgIf you read my previous blog two weeks ago, let’s just say you came to class prepared for this week’s presentation. If not, all you missed was blogging excellence about the importance of networking and how doing so can put you in a position to succeed.
 
Well, this week I’m going to expand on the importance of networking, and specifically touch upon how doing so helped me land my position at Octagon this summer.
 
There’s no doubt that networking is an essential aspect to any industry. In fact, today during a presentation with our human resources director, she mentioned that a third of all job openings are filled through a referral. As high as that may sound to some people, the sports industry is even higher with conservative estimates speculating that the number may be 50% or higher.
 
Regardless of what the figures may or may not be, there is no doubt that connections play a key role in all industries. That’s why today I’ve dedicated my writing to discuss how and what I did to use networking to my advantage, specifically through the use of LinkedIn.
 
LinkedIn, as I like to see it, is essentially the Facebook of business professionals, with some actual benefits. Not only does it spare you from the embarrassing pictures and boring statuses, but it also allows you to connect with professionals in a variety of fields.
 
When I was going through the application process, I was fully aware of the need to network to the best of my ability. Luckily, LinkedIn provided me with an opportunity to do so, and it certainly paid off.
 
To those who are not frequent users of the website, one of the most valuable aspects of it is the ability to search for a specific company and see alumni from your school that work there. For me, that was the “in” I needed to capitalize on.
 
When I excitedly discovered this capability, I went to town on the emails. I combed through over 50 companies that I was looking to apply to, and I searched for alums and their emails online.
 
After channeling my inner-stalker for far too long, I managed to connect with some people regarding potential internship opportunities.
 
One of the people I was fortunate enough to reach was a high-level employee at Octagon. At the time it was probably the end of October, and I was trying to lay the groundwork for the application process in the winter.
 
He was kind enough to copy the director of human resources on the email, and he explained when I should apply and asked to let him know if I needed anything.  

Fast forward to the spring when I was fortunate enough to land an interview, and while I was at the office, I got to meet the man with whom I had originally connected with some five months prior.
 
Today that man is my boss.  He has been an immense help to me throughout the summer, and I anticipate that he will continue to be in the future, too.
 
For those that are in a similar position or will be soon, I encourage you all to use LinkedIn and other resources to network.
 
Reaching out to alums of Penn State is easy and effective, and without a doubt it helped me obtain my summer internship.
 
And I hope if nothing else, this helps you realize the potential that networking possesses and gives you an idea of what you can do to use it to your advantage.
 
Sadly, I’m beginning to sound like my parents when I say that time flies, and my internship is less than a month from completion. My last blog for the summer will be in two weeks when I wrap up my experience with an overview of my summer.

“Career Days” Survival Guide

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Fall Career Days 6 by pennstatelive
Fall Career Days 2011, a photo by pennstatelive on Flickr.

One of the most nerve-racking challenges every college student must face is finding a worthwhile career after graduation. In today’s tough economic climate, the competition can be stiff. Events like Fall Career Days give Penn Staters a chance to connect with potential employers and find out about their hiring needs, but to be successful at these kinds of events, where you’re competing with hundreds of your fellow Penn Staters, you should do some pre-event preparation. Today, I offer my advice on how to convince an employer that you are in fact the right fit for that dream internship or career. I largely credit successful career fair networking for the two internships I’ve completed with New Pig Corporation, so I hope that you can learn something useful!

I am spending very little time discussing appropriate attire and appearance.  This is NOT where you want to stand out from the crowd; be sure to look the cleanest, sharpest, and most professional you possibly can.  Try to dress like the best looking business executive you’ve ever seen.  Enough said.

Even though you may only spend an hour or two at the career fair speaking with recruiters, the process is in fact much more detailed if you actually want a job.  As countless other career resources will say, be sure to research each company you plan to visit and take some detailed notes.  I recommend listing a brief summary of the company, noting what they list as major accomplishments and why they think they are a good company.  This will be a talking point for something I will bring up a bit later. 

Most importantly, make a (potentially hefty) list of bullet points that portray your value to their company.  You may be the brightest political science major ever who will someday sit on the Supreme Court, but a financial services firm will tell you to take a hike.  Think of your skills and education as a brand that requires effective marketing and salesmanship to succeed.  Sell your brand by knowing the product (yourself), why it will work best for the company, and precisely how it can outperform other products (the kids standing behind you in line to talk to the same recruiter).   Remember: this bulleted list will be different for each company you visit.  Lastly, prepare at least two or three thoughtful questions to ask the company representative, even if you may already know the answer.  Curiosity and a will to learn are huge and will only help you.

This next piece of information is the most crucial to landing your job, in my opinion.  It’s not something many career services professionals will mention often.  Heck, it doesn’t even have anything to do with your education or experience.  What seems to work wonders is the simple ability to talk with recruiters like normal human beings as opposed to being sweaty-palmed robots extending r�sum�s as fast as they extend handshakes.  These poor souls have to stand at a booth for 8 hours, regurgitate the corny company mission and history they heard when they were hired themselves, and then listen to nervous college students go through their rehearsed routines like clockwork: “Hi, I’m _____ and I’m a _____ studying _______.  Here’s my r�sum�; what can you do for me?”  I like to go to the BJC when things slow down a bit and it’s not a madhouse, but not so late that the recruiters are staring at their watches for the last hour counting down until they can pack up the booth to leave.  Approach the person confidently but with a humble smile.  Then simply go on with a tiny bit of small talk such as: “Hi there!  I’m Luke; it’s great to meet you.  So, did this place get busy today?  How was the food?  I thought it looked pretty tasty.”  Talk about anything that you feel is suitable to the personality of the recruiter.  Make her laugh if it seems appropriate, or keep it at “hello, how was your day?” for someone who looks a bit sterner.  Regardless, don’t let the small talk go on forever.  You’re there for a reason and having casual conversation is only a smooth segue to getting down to business. 

Here is when you may pull out your research and r�sum� to say something like, “I was checking out your company and thought that ________ is really interesting.  Could you tell me more about it?” (Keep eye contact, listen intently, pay attention) “Wow, that’s cool.  I actually did something very similar for a class I had last semester.”  There you have it.  You’re officially “in” with the recruiter and viewed as, at the very least, a person they wouldn’t absolutely hate to work with on a daily basis.  Now it’s up to what your brain has been capable of in the classroom and in previous work environments.  If you can essentially just elaborate on your r�sum�, you’re home free.  Don’t get discouraged if companies are not immediately interested in you.  They are ultimately trying to make money, so if you won’t bring profits, they will pass on you.  The point is to try this method on many firms so your chances of success greatly increase.  Have no fear!

Thanks for reading this lengthy post in addition to my previous entries this summer.  It’s been a pleasure writing for LAUS and I truly hope I could provide you with useful help or at the very least a bit of entertaining insight.  Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at ldp5042@psu.edu.  I am happy to speak with anyone and everyone.  Finally, don’t forget to go out there and show the world who we are and what Penn State is.  Best of luck in everything you pursue.   

Taking Unexpected Turns: The Path to Financial Literacy

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Through a course in economic history and my own independent research, I discovered that financial illiteracy is a major contributor to America’s Great Depression and even our current economic recession.  Though I am an International Politics major with an option in National Security, last fall I was offered an internship in the financial sector. The opportunity was to work this summer at AXA, an international financial consulting firm.  This internship is providing me with the opportunity to manage financial portfolios and learn a lot of business skills.  This internship is also helping me learn how to manage my own finances.

Last fall, I attended a networking event hosted by Penn State’s Washington Program.  At the time, I was participating in an internship with Senator Casey’s office in Washington, D.C.  During the networking event, I met Lyle Yablonsky, Vice President of the American Division of AXA.  Mr. Yablonsky and I discussed his career and position with AXA, as well as my internship at Senator Casey’s office.  At the conclusion of the event, he gave me his business card and told me to follow up with him.  I shot him an email within 24 hours, and he took me to dinner the next week.  We talked casually, and I didn’t expect much to come from it because of my lack of knowledge of the financial sector.  However, we continued to meet throughout the semester, and he eventually told me about a summer internship opportunity with AXA.  He told me he could teach me the business side of financial advising, but no one could teach confidence or how to have a strong work ethic.

I accepted the position, and it turned out to be a career-changing and life-changing move.  Because of this experience, I’m convinced I need to take some business courses as electives in my final year at Penn State.  I’m going to load my schedule and take more courses than I need because there are certain business skills I think everyone should have.  I am particularly interested in learning more about interest and credit, as well as the ins and outs of mortgages, loans, and retirement funds.

My experience with AXA is an example of the career possibilities that can manifest through networking.  While the common way for people to find a job is through an online application followed by an interview, networking can enhance or replace that process, resulting in a faster way to secure a job.  My “application” to AXA was meeting the vice president and telling him about my experiences thus far at Penn State, including what I’m involved in and what I’m passionate about looking into the future.  My “interview,” though I didn’t know it at the time, was going out for a casual one-on-one dinner.  Looking back on those dinners, I remember some questions similar to an interview.  Attending networking events is an opportunity that not enough students take advantage of, and I’d encourage any student to seek those opportunities in the future.

I will write more about my experiences at AXA, as well as where I feel it could lead me, if anywhere, in the future.

The Importance of Networking in the Sports Industry

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In my 21 years on earth, I’ve come to realize a few vital things about life. While I would love to sit here and tell you about, among other things, how I’m convinced that everything tastes better with ranch dressing, I’ll spare you and discuss the one thing that has directly led to my internship experience with Octagon this summer: networking.

As I’m sure is the case with every industry these days, I’ve come to realize that networking is a vital aspect to those hoping to break into their industries of choice and to separate themselves from the masses of people who recently crossed the stage with that diploma.

Unfortunately, for those hoping to make their living in sports, the need for networking becomes that much more vital in an industry that routinely sees hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants for one position.

The Sports industry is notoriously difficult to break into because not only is it considered “glamorous” work, but there is little turnover in what is a relatively small industry. As a result, in order to stand out from hundreds of other resumes, you often need to know someone.

To give you an example of how daunting a task this can be, a Sr. VP of the Pittsburgh Penguins spoke at one of my classes this spring, and he mentioned that when one of their entry level jobs opened up, the 5 finalists chosen out of over 1,000 all had some connection to the team.

If that doesn’t make you cringe, then I don’t know what does, but that certainly opened up my eyes to the importance of networking, networking, and of course more networking.

The interesting thing about connections in sports is that they don’t stop after you break into the industry. Like I mentioned before, sports is a relatively small field, and as a result, many people either know each other or have close connections to others across many different teams and leagues.

This sort of connection lends itself well to recommendations and the option to explore new opportunities when the time is right.

To give you one of those classic small-world stories, the first day of my internship my boss asked me what other companies I had interviewed with for internships. After discussing a certain opportunity with an NFL team, I came to realize that the person who had interviewed me was his former intern when he worked for that very team.

Stories like that are not at all uncommon in the industry, and it shows how small the industry is in comparison to some other fields.

To give you a final piece of perspective on the importance of connections, I’m going to share with you a story from a guest speaker that came and spoke to the group of interns today.

The guest speaker used to handle the marketing for some major NBA players, and his boss was considered to be one of the elite agents in the game. When his boss got an offer to join the agency that recently signed the number one picks in the NFL, MLB, and NBA drafts, he asked him to come with him. This example shows the importance of networking, which stretches far beyond merely breaking into the industry. It can make your entire career.

In two weeks I will post another blog entry discussing how I used networking to my advantage and just how valuable LinkedIn can be.

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