A Career in Careers

by Lauren Fish, CAPS Event Liaison

My freshman year, I had no idea what CAPS was, or what the letters in the name even stood for. Now, entering the second quarter of my third year, CAPS has become a bigger part of my life than I ever would have expected. For me, CAPS is much more than just a place to work: it is an invaluable resource, one that has already given me a good deal of opportunities and insider information.

I snagged my job as an Event Liaison through networking: a friend on the rowing team who worked here last year e-mailed the team listhost to see if anyone would be interested in applying for a job that had just opened up at CAPS. I replied immediately, and after sending in my resume and cover letter, I landed an interview with the office. When I came in for my interview, I knew right away that I wanted to work here: the woman who interviewed me, my potential boss, was incredibly friendly and welcoming, the other student workers seemed cool and interesting, and the job sounded stimulating and fun. I was thrilled when I found out I had gotten the job.

Working as an Event Liaison is as challenging and interesting as I had hoped it would be. My responsibilities range from setting up the sign-in computers (we call them kiosks) that you type your ID number into when you come to an event to meeting with employers from companies all over the world to help make sure their presentations run smoothly. I’ve collaborated with recruiters from Teach for America, The Boston Consulting Group, Citi Bank Asia, and the Peace Corps, to name just a few. I’ve also gotten to know the other members of the CAPS staff, from the practice interviewers in the 3^rd Floor Resource Center to the AV/Tech guys in their basement offices. I’ve gotten some really awesome career advice from the people I work with, who know about all kinds of internship and job opportunities. I’ve gotten to sit in on presentations from a wide variety of employers, broadening my knowledge of the kinds of careers available to students like me after graduation.

My job has allowed me to see, and participate in, all the things that CAPS does to benefit us, the students at this university. There are so many great things going on here at Ida Noyes and all over campus; CAPS really does everything it can to give us students every opportunity to excel during and after our time here. Honestly, it’s too bad it took me almost two years to realize this—but now that I know what CAPS has to offer me, I’m doing all I can to take advantage of this great resource while I can!

Several Seriously Spectacular Study Spots

by Sherry Cao, CAPS Marketing Assistant

In addition to all the alliteration, this blog will be awesome for two reasons. First, I’m seriously going to discuss my favorite places on (and off!) campus to get some of my dense Sosc/Hum reading done. Second, for this blog post, at least, you don't have to hear about daunting subjects like getting a job and the future because with midterms and essays upon us, I figure we all have enough to worry about. Plus, it does relate to the general theme of this CAPS blog because studying = good grades = graduation + job. Obviously.

1. My first spot is the Reg, kind of. On the side facing Bartlett Quad, there are these cozy little niches underneath the Reg’s giant dripping gray concrete exterior. I understand that it’s outside and that it’s getting quite cold now (or trying to, anyway) but since the area is composed of large metal grates atop some component of the Reg's heating system, warm air actually blows up onto you, making for a very cozy, very unique studying experience.


2. If you’re a snack-while-you-study kind of kid, I’d suggest going to Bartlett or your preferred dining hall. I guess this only works at non-peak hours, but the several times I’ve found myself hungry and with an hour or so of free time between classes and work, I’ve gone to Bartlett and parked myself at a smallish table toward the back. The din of Motown and dishwashing provides nice background noise, and when no one else is there, it’s a great, spacious, well-lit area to study. I’ve also been thinking about going up to the second floor of Bartlett (where students used to run laps back in the day when Bartlett was a gym) and parking myself up there. I’ll do that soon. Facebook me if you want to know how it goes.


3. At the risk of sounding completely cliché, I’m going to say Harper. Cue the Harry Potter comments, the “I fell in love with UChicago when I saw this library” squeal, and cue the fact that admissions uses its picture every time a prospie receives a postcard. The fact is, Harper really isn’t an accurate representation of ALL of UChicago, but it definitely is beautiful. And well-lit, studious and quiet. I know those who go to Harper often say that the Harper reading room is where it’s at, but I’d like to rep the Stuart reading room, which is around the corner from the Common Knowledge Café. I like Stuart during the day because there are always people napping on the super comfy chairs, and when there are sleeping students, you know it’s going to be good and quiet.

So, there you have some of my favorite places to study. What are yours? Leave a comment, and I’ll spread the word!

Note: “Studying” is what you make it to be. These areas also work well for napping, cuddling, eating ice cream and generally spacing out.

Getting, keeping and managing a job as a first-year student

By Sherry Cao, CAPS Marketing Assistant

Earlier this summer, I delved into all things college with gusto—changing my Facebook network, buying pink shower caddies, painting my nails a sparkling shade of maroon. Such collegiate gusto also included e-mailing University of Chicago employers to secure a job as soon as possible—a move that landed me with the marketing assistant job at CAPS. I’ve been coming to work Monday, Wednesday and Fridays ever since O-week ended, but lately, I’ve been getting a lot of “hey Sherry—hook me up with a sweet job.” So, now that my fellow first-years have apparently settled into their collegiate niches and are itching for some money, I’d like to offer some words of wisdom* for said first-years:

0. As a precursor to everything else, you have to realize that work actually means work. The concept of getting a job and working 5-10 hours a week sounds do-able, and it is, but it requires mental (or physical) work for those 5-10 hours.

1. If you really want a job, stop thinking about it, and start looking. The student employment site—https://studentemployment.uchicago.edu/ has positions for work-study, non work-study and even off-campus jobs. Consequently, you should also know whether or not you have work-study (as I learned, apparently, term-time employment is not the same thing and does not qualify as work-study). If this still baffles you, call the Financial Aid office to clarify things.

2. Once you land your dream job (as a sandwich maker or some kind of assistant, perhaps), you should enjoy it. Like anything, approaching a job with a positive attitude will make the 5-10 hours of work you do a week much more enjoyable. Here at CAPS, I’ve met so many great people just doing my job—sitting at my desk, standing by the water cooler, working the student registration booth at our recent Career and Graduate and Professional School fairs. Be friendly and start conversations—work won’t even feel like work. Of course, it also helps if your job interests you in the first place.

3. But remember, you’re a student first. If you honestly overestimated your capability to balance a job and do well in school at the same time, don’t be afraid to talk to your employer and adviser about it. Especially on this campus, employers realize that student workers are students first and foremost, and they want you to do well in school. So, talking about changing around/cutting down on hours shouldn’t be stressful.

Even if it is a little big stressful, getting, keeping and managing a part-time job is definitely worth it. Having this job at CAPS has helped to give my personal schedule some structure, and it has also allowed me to do something enjoyable that I wouldn’t do in class (design cool posters). The paycheck at the end of the two weeks isn’t bad either.

*Not really. I’ve only been working for a month and a half, but I have learned a couple of things.

Have questions about getting a job during the school year? CAPS isn't just for those students looking for full-time positions! Make an appointment by calling (773) 702-7040.

Lessons of the Uncommon App

by Sherry Cao, CAPS Marketing Assistant

As Columbus Day weekend drew to a close, the waves of prospective students faded away—the voices of tour guides telling us that Bartlett was originally a gymnasium and that the gargoyles on the top of Hull Gate tell the story of a UChicago student grew quieter while both bright and bleary eyed prospies alike shuffled slowly away from the busiest walkways. In the past, Columbus Day had been nothing but a day off and a reminder that in 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue (or so they say). But this year, thanks to prospective student weekend, it took me back to a year ago—when I, along with the majority of the class of 2014, had no idea where to go and what to do.

The college application process was nothing less than painfully long, but to its credit, it also taught me a few things that are very much applicable to college—and beyond.

1. Don’t overdo it

I wasn’t the kid who applied to 14 schools (really—I wasn’t), but I knew a couple of people who did, and their senior year lives were just awful—as in, didn’t-even-go-to-homecoming, got-two-hours-of-sleep-a-night awful. I found that it really was easier (and more meaningful) if I focused on one or two schools. So, as RSOs charm unsuspecting first years with Facebook events and free food, I’d suggest that same concept now. So, although a couple of events and some free pizza (…gelato, Korean beef, curry…) never hurt anyone, make sure you find what interests you most and stick with it.


2. Let your personality shine through

I worried a lot about how I could change myself to be the best possible applicant—but then realized that I had no idea how to be everything good that one could find in a student…and besides, that would be extremely exhausting anyway. So instead, I wrote my UChicago essay about my neon day-glo bike and panda t-shirt, and got in (somehow). The point is, I learned that I should be respectful and professional, but also be myself, because talking about myself (in a respectful, professional manner) is a lot easier than talking about the person who I thought I should be. I expect that when it comes time to enter into the job/internship application process, this will still hold true.


3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

I had a lot of questions, and I asked them. I had the names and lunch hours of the admissions office workers memorized (seriously). I was adamant. And it helped a lot, as I found that I learned a lot by just releasing my sillier inhibitions and asking my questions (though at the risk of being repetitive, remember the importance of professionalism). College, especially the University of Chicago, has so much to offer, and though flyers and sidewalk chalk messages are very effective, you might be able to find even more opportunities—or opportunities that you really want—if you just ask.

The CAPS staff if always happy to answer your questions about college and life beyond. Call (773) 702-7040 to make an appointment.

Confessions of a First Year

by Sherry Cao, CAPS Marketing Assistant

If this is your first time ever reading the CAPS blog, you're probably wondering who writes it. Well, my name is Sherry Cao, and I’m a first-year. I’m a marketing assistant here at CAPS, which means I design various flyers and the cool tri-folds that we all read at Bartlett. I’m probably a lot like you--I'm still figuring out what the names of the campus buildings are, where to get food at 2 AM, and what the best study spots on campus are. I should also confess that I have almost no idea what I want to do with my life. I say "almost" because I know that I wouldn’t [read: shouldn’t] be a doctor or anything else that involves pointy objects and blood.

Anyway, I’m writing this post to allay any fears that first-years may have about the future, or at least, let you know that there’s someone else who’s in the same boat. Far too often, I hear conversations that are more intimidating than they are truthful—i.e. Sarah (not her real name) wants to double major in Finance and French while minoring in Eastern Asian studies and work for the United Nations at the same time that she's starting a nonprofit wildlife organization. These are all wonderful and worthy goals, but with all the stuff that I’ve learned in my Hum and Sosc classes during the 1.5 weeks that I’ve been here, I seriously doubt that I could plan out my life solely based on what I learned in high school.

Some people may already know what they’d like to do, but for everyone who doesn’t, I’d like to make a case for exploration, discovery and finally, surprise. In a school where AP credits hardly make a dent in the Core, one might as well embrace these requirements to their fullest extent...for example, take an astronomy class because you’ve always wondered about the stars, or take “Power, Identity and Resistance” because you’ve always wondered what the heck that class title actually means. My wonderful roommate said to me today, “Life is what happens when you make other plans.” I’m finally feeling the full extent of that-— and hopefully, you do too.

But in case you’d like to explore your options and perhaps get a better idea of what the world has to offer, feel free to come visit CAPS! To schedule a one-on-one appointment with a CAPS career counselor, call (773) 702-7040. To schedule an undergraduate same-day appointment, log in to your Chicago Career Connection (CCC)account from the CAPS homepage to sign up. Hours: Monday – Friday, 11 am – 2:30 pm.

Undergraduate walk-in appointments are available on a first-come, first served basis and are 15 minutes long. They are available Monday-Friday, 3pm – 4:45 pm for quick job-search questions.

Crescat scientia…

by Neil Weijer, Project Administrator, Chicago Careers in Business

Greetings new first years! By now you’ll have left your parents behind in a drone of bagpipes, all of your carefully-acquired items will have been meticulously arranged (or thrown at random) into your new dorm room, and you’ll have even completed the whirlwind tour that is O-Week at the University of Chicago. But that’s far from the end of it. Soon you’ll be joining students from other years at the RSO Fair (October 1st: mark your calendars), and all that information about classes, calculus, professors, and PE requirements will be competing with a wave of potential extracurricular activities.

By the end of next week, you’ll likely be receiving more listhost email than you could possibly read, and come December you’ll wonder why you ever even gave your name to some of these lists in the first place. When they explained the motto of the University to you (“let knowledge grow from more to more…”), they couldn’t have been talking about this, right?

Not quite. At least for the moment, resist the urge to unsubscribe from the lists. Skim the emails when you have time. Who knows when something interesting might come up? Whether it’s a lecture, a one-time event, or just a chance to meet and talk with new people, there’s nothing like a flash of the unexpected once the grind of the weekly schedule (not to mention the Chicago winter) sets in.

The point of O-Week, and of events like the RSO Fair, is not to bombard you with more information than you could ever possibly need. Rather, it is to let you see just how much is out there for you to do and to see while at the U of C. It’s easy to feel like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, especially in the first few weeks, but as you go on through the year you might find time to try some of the activities and clubs you’ve signed up for, and may very well end up liking them.

In just the same way as the activities fair can help you find clubs and societies that you’re interested in, it’s never too early to start looking for things to do over the summer or after you graduate. On October 1st, I’d encourage you to stop by another event –the Fall Career Fair, which happens right before the RSO Fair—to see what I mean. You’ll hear people from different companies and areas pitch their lines of work to you. You’ll put yourself down for even more e-mails. You’ll probably even get some free stuff. Most importantly, even if you’re not looking for a job, you might see something and think “I might like to do that,” or even “I might like to work there.”

At CAPS, we’re happy to provide all the resources we can to help you along the way: whether they’re structured (like our growing number of Chicago Careers In… programs), more general (like counseling), or even more listhost emails. If you’re eager to look at internships, industries, or specific companies, or if you’ve simply seen something interesting (a job posting, a seminar announcement) in one of our emails, come talk to us.

One thing that I wish I had known during my first year (and subsequently after) is that finding a job after graduation works much the same way as finding classes and activities does while you’re in school—the more you know, the better off you’ll be. While all the information may seem like a lot to process at first, you never know when something truly interesting may present itself, or when you might remember a club, an activity, or an internship or career area and think to yourself “that might be fun, let me try it.”

One of the most important things that you can take away from your time at the U of C is this: it pays to keep an open mind. It’s one of the reasons we make you take the Core (another is to provide fodder for t-shirt slogans). But even after your first quarters are done—after you know how everything works, after you “know” what you plan to do next year (and beyond)—keep looking, be curious, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

So if you’re new here, welcome. If you’re starting another year, welcome back. We’re happy that you’re here, and we’re just as interested as anyone else to see what you’ll do with the information we give you. After all, life isn’t going to simply enrich itself…

Is the Grass Greener? The Pros and Cons of Job Hopping

by Laurel Mylonas-Orwig, Manager of Strategic Programming and Outreach

For those of us who spend time every day on Chicago public transit, the RedEye newspaper (a bite size edition of the Chicago Tribune, for those not in the know) is a necessary distraction from the slow plod of buses through the city. And a week ago, while traffic meandered through the mess on Michigan Avenue (thanks, Transformers 3), a RedEye cover story caught my eye. Entitled “Confessions of a Job Hopper”, it discussed young professionals’ increasing propensity for moving from job to job in a relatively short period of time. One of the women interviewed has held six jobs in the past seven years. Her reason for so many transitions? To enhance her skills and challenge herself. But while she indicated that she enjoyed her many moves, such frequent shifts may elicit concern from prospective employers.

So the question for young professionals becomes, what is the appropriate balance? The days of graduating from college and going to work at the same place until retirement are certainly gone. Nowadays, experts expect that, over a lifetime, the average Gen-X or Y-er will hold more than 10 jobs over at least five different careers. That’s a huge change from the model our grandparents held to. But while few will begrudge someone who leaves their current job for one with more power, prestige, and/or higher pay, if that person has left three jobs in less than three years, prospective employers may begin to worry that this person will not be fully invested in the success of the company, and their own success in a given position. The bottom line is that you need to be aware of the story that your resume tells. There’s nothing wrong with being someone who enjoys change, but companies will notice frequent job hops, so be prepared to explain how each experience has benefitted you, and to combat an employer’s concerns about your early exits.

Some pros and cons of job hopping:

Pro: Pay increase. Moving from company to company can often be a good way to increase your pay grade at a much faster rate than you would if you were to stay at the same company, because with each move you bring more experience to the table.

Pro: Networking. Like it or not, networking is a HUGE part of today’s job market, as this blogger can personally attest (all but one of the jobs I’ve held were found through networking contacts). The more contacts you have, the more likely you are to find out about a position that fits your personality, interest and experience. If you’re frequently moving around, you’ll definitely meet more people than if you stay in the same place.

Pro: Learning new skills. Any new job will come with a new set of skills, which you’ll be expected to master quickly. If your learning curve has stagnated in your current job, a new position will likely offer a different set of challenges for you to tackle.

Pro: Figuring out what you love. Most people need to try something to know whether they like it or not. So, while you may feel that your college coursework has helped you figure out what you want to do with your life, the reality of your “chosen” profession may prove less exciting than you anticipated. By moving through a series of jobs early in your professional life (between the ages of 20 and 30, the average person will have eight jobs), you’re more likely to find out what your passion is.

Con: Moving too quickly. Most jobs require at least 6 months to one year of continuous learning before an employee has mastered the position. If you move on too quickly, you may be missing out on the chance to fully develop your skills in that position.

Con: Lateral (or backward) moves. If you end up in a job that you’re not in love with, moving to a different one may seem like a good idea. And it certainly can be—but be careful that you’re moving forward, not sideways (or worse, backwards). Each new job should reward you in some way, whether that’s in pay grade, increased responsibility, or the chance to do something you’re really passionate about.

Con: Burning your bridges. As someone who’s had more than one unpleasant employment experience, I’m very familiar with the urge to go out with a bang (euphemistically speaking, of course). But even if you hated every minute of your time at an organization, make the most of the connections you made there, and never burn a bridge if you can help it. It’s a networking world, and every contact can help (or hurt!).

Con: Turning off prospective employers. In the words of one hiring manager, “When I look at resumes, if someone has jumped from job to job very quickly, it makes me nervous—I never want to hire someone who may be using my organization as a stepping stone. That's why, in an interview, I often ask the question ‘How does this position fit in with your long-term goals?’” This concern is shared by many employers, and is something that you should be prepared to respond to if you’re frequently on the move.

Con: Losing sight of your narrative. Your experience is your narrative, and your resume is your record of that narrative. It’s important to make sure that your story makes sense, and that you can easily explain to an employer how each step led to the next.

Ultimately, the choice to job hop can be both risky and rewarding. When deciding what your next career move should be, make sure that you have evaluated your reasons for moving, and that you are being mindful of how the next chapter of your narrative will portray you to future employers. Most importantly, commit yourself to making a measureable contribution wherever you go. If, like most young professionals, your goal is to move quickly up the corporate ladder, make each step count, no matter how long (or short) your time with that company is.

Do you have a job hopping success or horror story? Leave a comment below! And remember, if you ever have questions about your career path or your personal narrative, CAPS counselors are here to help. Make an appointment today!