diaries of the candidates - dana
Profile | Resume | Diary

| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 |

Week 9

It is really true, and truly sad, what they say: 1) College is the best time of your life, and 2) Time flies. Despite the fact that this period in my life is coming to an end, I feel quite ready to enter into the next stage. Adulthood—freedom and mortgages, responsibilities and taxes—it carries in its name a natural tendency toward being an oxymoron. The alternative—frat parties and all-night cram sessions, pizza at three in the morning and football tailgates—will soon be no more to me than the topic of conversation at the reunion. I might sound a bit cliché, reminiscent, and sad, but I am excited to see what Chicago has for a newcomer—to the city and to grown-up life.

Over the course of this semester, I have gained some insight into who I am as a person while figuring out that loaded question of: "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?" With the help of interest inventories and weekly dialog with career counseling specialists, I learned that education, law, and public interest work are where both my talents and interests lie. I learned that the resources for job-hunting are endless should this current deal not work out. I learned that I can juggle a whole lot of activities, sound like I know what I’m talking about in class, get minimal sleep, and survive.
I’m just glad that I have a plan. There are people, my friends who graduated from the University of Michigan last year, who are still trying to do the "find myself" thing. My plans for the coming years includes a well-thought-out track composed as a result of my activities with The Candidate and the opportunities it created to do some personal reflection. (Yeah, yeah "reflections", cheesy, I know). I plan to teach in the city of Chicago for a couple of years, apply to some law schools, and hopefully get into something cool with education, law, and maybe public service. Who knows, I could be on the ballot for "Senator" one day.

I will close by sending a thank you to all of my "Candidate" colleagues. Gen, Jennifer, Josh, Phil, and of course, Mr. William, I had a great time this semester. Gen’s sudden change of cities, Jennifer and Phil’s obsession with the West Coast, and Josh’s belts sent via manila envelope. Good luck, guys! It’s been real.

Peace,
Dana

Week 8

Well, my corporate lawyer-contact finally found a few minutes to talk to me! Between a deposition and dinner, we actually had a wonderful and enlightening conversation about life as a lawyer. The topics discussed included what to look for in a law school, why I want to go to law school, LSAT tips, and her life goals as well as mine. I had quite an enjoyable time chatting with this young professional.

Currently, I am working in a local firm, and so shared with her my revelation of the "lawyer mentality" as I have perceived it on a weekly basis and as it relates to the way lawyers think, react, and view the world around them as a result of their distinct training. Since she was a language major during her undergraduate years as was I, we both realized that our training is different from that of law professionals. Ours is an education based on open-ended discussions and derived literary meaning and symbols, while law school teaches one to look for specific facts in written text and manipulate them to best meet our goals and those of our clients. I also discovered that, in addition to her law career, she had interests in becoming involved in a multitude of world issues and even politics to some extent. Hey, the conversation was deep, and I’ll leave it at that.

Above all else, through our conversation, I received some additional validation about my career. The best way to learn is of course through experience, trial and error, but talking with mentors and the like has got to be up there in terms of effectiveness. Additionally, because my professional contact is still quite young, she can better relate to my personal dilemmas and even some of my goals considering that she was in my shoes not very long ago. I liked her so much we even made plans for dinner over the Holidays!

Pressing on.
~D

Week 7

This week I tried my hardest, without becoming a pest, to contact a young lawyer to talk to about this career track I think I am on—to no avail. Like the majority of corporate attorneys, she is a busy soul. I will make another attempt or two this week, and I sincerely hope to be able to chat with her for a while. First-hand insight from a family acquaintance has the ability and potential to act as a resource of better information than any textbook or published memoir about what really happens as a law student and professional. While my primary interests lie in the world of education law and not corporate, she can attest to the next step of schooling I will encounter sometime in the next couple of years. Furthermore, I want someone who will be real with me, and I know that my contact will do that.

However, my informational interviewee is not the only one leading a busy lifestyle. Really, I am currently holding down four jobs: 1) Full-time college student, 2) Full-time Candidate, 3) Part-time legal research assistant, and 3) Full-time Job-Hunter. Looking for a professional position is more than a notion and becomes a job itself. The phone calls and interviews, the Web-surfing and e-mailing, the resumes and cover letters are all vital duties of a job-hunter. I think that I, and the rest of my Candidate cohorts, are fast-becoming professional time-managers and schedule-jugglers. I can squeeze more out of thirty minutes than a network television station can. If I had to create one, the key to a successful job search would be that skill: to effectively manage all of the tasks that must be completed by a specific deadline—especially when it seems that there are too many to meet. Set a personal goal, like "I will have my resume completed by Thursday", and reach it. Little by little, all of those tasks will get done. Hey, and that same skill would be useful in any job that I might acquire. I have perfected a skill that I will use for the rest of my professional life. Talk about killing two birds with one proverbial stone. Through it all, don’t forget to take advantage of your student-status and have fun!

I’m out like the Backstreet Boys.
~D

Week 6
This past week, I have uncovered yet more resources for my job hunt and options for a career path. First, I have mentioned before that I want to study or work in a Spanish-speaking country. And so, in an effort to make this a reality, I decided to do a random search on www.internabroad.com just to see what opportunities might present themselves. There is no doubt that I was pleasantly surprised. I found some great chances to work, volunteer, or study abroad after graduation. Most of the choices are short-term, and some even offer a permanent position and stipend or payment of some type. I plan on delving into the jobs I found next week by reading the information on the websites and contacting the sponsors via e-mail. These abroad opportunities also shed some light on a new career: Corporate Cultural Training, which entails training corporate executives to work in a foreign country—the language, the customs, and the climate. As a Spanish major with a teaching certificate, I would be well-prepared for such a position. I’m getting excited! Any opportunity for a cool new job, and I’m game.

As much as I do want to land that amazing job, I had no inclination whatsoever to participate in a Mock Interview. However, after some heavy-duty persuasion by the Career Center staff, I succumbed to the situation. Much to my surprise, I actually learned something. Through this experience, I learned about a very interesting interviewing technique: S.T.A.R. The interviewer, to determine how an interviewee might react to certain situations that could occur in the workplace, can use this method. The letters stand for: Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Potential employees are supposed to relay a situation they were in, such as a leadership role or a failed goal, and describe the dilemma, what actions were taken to accomplish the task, and finally the results of such actions. I was not familiar with this method, and so I did learn a bit about the best, and worst ways to answer such questions should I get any in an interview. Overall, the Mock Interview was not a total loss. Hey, maybe I’ll do another one for more practice—Yeah, right!

Week 5

I have decided that I made a good decision enrolling in the University of Michigan. Everybody knows somebody, who knows somebody, etc. Networking and making those contacts are really what the job-hunt is all about. I would love to help someone if I could in that way. Both the immense size of the student population and the diverse nature of U of M’s student population create such opportunities—not only in terms of job contacts, but also in exposing us to career fields with which we might not otherwise even be familiar. Score one more for Affirmative Action!

As much as I love thinking about my future all of the time, not a small deed by any means, I am definitely ready to take a breather from all of this work—from the job-searching and the work required for class. Fall Break—bring it on! However, I will utilize the free time to my advantage. I plan on meeting face-to-face with some of the job contacts that I made this summer over Fall Break while I am visiting friends in Chicago—great city, by the way! It really is a good time for a break, and the fact that we have weekdays off is a wonderful thing. For those of us job-hunting, a free Monday or Tuesday is welcomed because it provides the perfect chance to speak with potential future employers during peak work hours.
Over the break, I also plan on expanding my job search a bit. Although I do have job offers both here, in law, and in Chicago, in education, I may try to see what I might find in the same cities, but in other fields. For example, I recently learned that many large firms hire, or provide, training in foreign languages for employees whom they send overseas to handle business transactions. In a career such as this, I would be able to use both my teaching skills and work in the office setting that I enjoy.
Wish me luck, and I hope everyone has a wonderful break!
~Dana

Week 4
Job Fair Reactions, Networking, Interview Prep.

So, oh well. I really wanted to go to the Job Fair this week. Unfortunately, there will be no companies there with whom I might benefit from speaking. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I find it kind of exciting making career contacts that way—talking with new people who are professionals and who are current participants in the industry I want to enter on my turf—at my own school. Yes, it is corny. I know.
No matter how corny and fake it may seem, it is nonetheless necessary. It can also be fun. And it doesn’t have to be fake. It’s possible that it will really be interesting speaking with professionals in an effort to learn more about where you want to end up career-wise. Participate in a fully selfish endeavor for once in your life! Hey, worst-case scenario—you realize that you don’t want anything to do with the organization, and you make up a fun excuse to get away. Remember, though, everybody knows everybody, and people talk. You should know this just from attending a very large, yet very socially small, university.
This week, I am doing a bit of networking in a different way. I am awaiting a phone call from a woman in Chicago with a possible job there in education that is not in the classroom. Cross your fingers!
Also, I had a meeting with a career counselor in the Career Center last week. I was presented with some very valuable resources for jobs in education worldwide! I also got a great review for my resume. I gained some helpful tips for polishing and tailoring it to meet my needs for a variety of specific jobs for which I might apply.
All in all, things are looking pretty good. Talk to you next week!
~Dana

Week 3
Alright, I’ll admit it—I was a skeptic. What can some interest inventory tell me about what I am supposedly destined to do for the rest of my life? Lame. Bogus. Whatever. Does whether or not I enjoy learning the scientific names of plants tell me that I would make a good forest ranger? Are my interests in music and dance revealing to me that I should open a studio in New York? Should I become a lawyer because some fill-in-the-bubble-head-test says I thrive on argumentative situations and intense conflict? The answer to these assumptions: No. Ok, so I learned that assessment tests like the Strong Inventory are not so cut-and-dry, not so derived, not so ideological. Instead, they really are worth taking the twenty minutes to answer the questions honestly and instinctively in an effort to identify where your real interests lie and what industries are best suited to your personal preferences. Satisfactorily, my results confirmed, or rather reaffirmed, my choice to enter fields such as education, policy, and law. If nothing else, I can give a small sigh of relief after having taking such an assessment.

I would love to scream my findings to potential employers—"Hey, hire me! I’m perfect for the type of environment your firm offers!"—perhaps, at a job fair, but unfortunately I am not interested in the companies coming here to campus next week. And, due to my interests, they are probably not looking for someone with my abilities and interests either. So, my job search will continue on in the manner it has been. I am still talking to my contacts with the Chicago Public Schools, exploring working abroad options via the Internet and education professionals with whom I am acquainted, and interrogating the people at the law firm where I am currently employed. So far, so good. Next step: I’ve got a career counseling meeting and resume review this week at the Career Center. Gotta look as good as possible, right?

Peace~
Dana

Week 2
Journal #2: Resume Writing Process
Although The Candidate has just recently begun, my preparations for job-hunting began a long time ago. For instance, I have had a resume of some sort since the age of sixteen when my father insisted that I get a "real job" as opposed to the typical after-school burger-joint or summer retail store positions that many teenagers hold. Being in Human Resources (Personnel), he guided me through my first resume-writing experience. Since then, I have expanded and enhanced my resume using a variety of styles and techniques, and with various summer employment opportunities.

Because I was first a Pre-Business major here at the University of Michigan, most of my job experience has had a focus in that area. I have been a corporate secretary, a logistics intern, and a marketing assistant. Once I decided to enter the world of education, the positions I chose highlighted my interests in that area. First, I taught dance classes. Then, I became a Spanish tutor. Also, I worked for one of the national teachers’ unions. This past summer I took my resume to a new level when I actually taught summer school in Chicago. Interestingly, I was offered a full-time teaching position at the end of my session valid until next July. So, technically, I already have employment! But, who is to say that I cannot continue to explore other possibilities, right?

With this search still in mind, I have begun to really contemplate what I might do over the next couple of years before entering law school. Yes, I could teach. I do have a position in Chicago. However, I would also like to gain some valuable law experience. So, to accomplish this goal, I asked a friend who works for a local Ann Arbor law firm to send my resume to her boss. Guess what? I had an interview last Friday, and he offered me a part-time position this school-year and a summer internship for next year. Obviously, I took the job. Worthy to note is the fact that he hired me based on the duties I chose to explain on my resume pertaining to a certain position I held back in 2002. Folks, employers really do read these things, so spend some quality time "elaborating on" your skills and responsibilities on those resumes.

As this year stretches on, I will continue to explore possibilities for my immediate future. Hey, I may want to spend some time abroad as well. Bilingual skills certainly do open up some exciting doors. I attended the Fulbright Scholarship (grant money to do research or teach in a foreign country) meeting last week and visited the International Center with this interest in mind. Spain is looking better and better everyday. I’ll keep you posted.

Week 1
It has been months since graduation, and I still cannot believe that I have a college degree. People may ask me: "So, what’s your major?" In this case, I have to answer: "Well, I have a Bachelors Degree in English and Spanish." Unbelievable! Nevertheless, the time has come for me to make the transition from carefree, yet diligent, college student to responsible, contributing employee. Upon earning my teaching certification in the areas of my Bachelors Degree in May from here at the University, I will have to have some definite employment plans. As my father constantly reminds me, when school is over, I will be "off the family payroll" (not that I have received full benefits since I was twelve). Of course, in the meantime, I am enjoying my last year as a student, unlike my recently-graduated friends who are either already members of Corporate America, reliving the freshman-experience in graduate schools, or living with mom and dad still figuring it all out. I am so glad that I have an "extra" year to make my life plans.

Over the course of this final year of my undergraduate education, I hope to take the appropriate steps to embark on what I hope will be a successful career. With plans to have a career in education and policy work in the government or in an education law or consulting firm, I plan on teaching high school in a public school, and entering law school after a few years. However, should I discover other opportunities in education research, law, or policy this year, I may forego, or rather postpone, my teaching stint in an effort to learn more about this particular field in more detail. A Michigan native, I hope some of these opportunities are located out of the Metro-Detroit area, specifically in Chicago or Washington, D.C. Above all, I simply want to find a job that is fulfilling and pertinent to my career plans. I know that the process will not be an easy one—the cold-calling, the cover letters, the resume updating, the networking—job hunting takes serious time and considerable effort. They say that by the time you get there, you’re ready for the next step in life, and I think I am ready for this one.