Part 1: Searching

Getting an internship is one of the most powerful things you can do during your undergraduate career to set yourself apart in the job search. Ben Wurzel, an Arts and Sciences Career Advisor, chatted with CU professional experiences expert, Dylan Mark, to bring you high impact practices for landing an internship or professional work experience during your time at CU. 

• Act. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many options. Find internships that appeal to you and start applying. Dylan recommends 50 as a solid starting number. 

• Work smarter, not harder. Set up a saved search so that you don't have to redo searches and constantly log into job boards. You can also upload your resume into Handshake and employers can contact you directly. 

• Create good searches. The job search can be a frustrating process when sourcing opportunities utilizing vague terms. One example is that many students will search by major automatically. This can pull a wide range of results. Instead, search by job function or industry to find positions that align best with your interests.

• Look in the right places. Handshake has thousands of internships. 47% of internships listed in Handshake in Colorado right now don't have applicants. LinkedIn and Indeed will have more opportunities, but remember, these job boards are open and accessible to all students meaning you must compete with more students for positions. Plus, Handshake has jobs and internships that will never end up on national or international platforms. Many local companies choose to only post to 91ĘÓƵ or just a couple schools which increases your odds of getting a position.

And there you have it, the top advice from Dylan for securing your first internship. Please reach out to Career Services for assistance with the internship search process. We can help you with resumes, cover letters, utilizing Handshake, interviewing, and more!

Off

Not sure how to prepare for finals? Watch this two-minute video to learn some helpful tips!

More suggestions to help you prepare and perform your best

Take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and drinking water to maximize your cognitive capabilities!

Create a study plan to outline what, when, and how often you study for each course to reduce feeling overwhelmed. 

Space out your study sessions and avoid cramming to remember the most content. 

Practice active study strategies such as self-testing, drawing diagrams, and teaching others to help you identify what you know or don’t know yet. 

Use study resources such as office hours, study groups, and class review sessions to resolve confusion and gain clarity about content. 

Check out one of our online tools (you will be prompted to make a copy for your personal use):

Looking for more assistance? Schedule an appointment with your Academic Coach in Buff Portal Advising or email asacademiccoaching@colorado.edu.

Off

Ideally, job candidates will prepare their materials ahead of the job search in order to best tailor their documents to match the skills and experiences required for the role. However, sometimes job opportunities require a quick turnaround and it is best practice to have your materials ready at all times. Use the tips below so you’re always ready to apply! 

If you need additional support, Career Services offers a workshop to help you refine your application materials.

Resume Writing 

For a first time job seeker, resumes generally stick to one page and highlight the relevant skills and experience for the role. Resumes typically include bullet points which start with an action verb that identifies what skills were used in previous experiences, how the skills were utilized, and what the result was from the task at hand. 

CU students can use their SSO to register for a VMOCK account, upload their resume and get real time feedback 24/7.

Cover Letter Writing 

Cover letters are one page qualitative documents that are written in a letter format to a hiring manager or hiring committee. Cover letters should be specific to the role you are applying for and should address the questions: “Why are you interested in applying for this role” and “What relevant skills and experiences do you have for this position”. Your cover letter connects the dots for the hiring manager– it answers the question “I can do this job based on my ____ experience”.  Cover letters should NOT be a summary of your resume. 

Interviewing

Interviewing, like many things, is a skill. Use this time to show skills through detailed examples of your previous work. At this stage of the job search process, you are being evaluated for how your skills match the role and how your values align with the organization. 

One of the most challenging aspects of the interview process is verbally communicating how your skills and previous experiences are relevant to the new position. Interview Stream allows candidates to record themselves, in real time, and evaluate their answers to ensure the message they are delivering is unclouded. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a fantastic tool to explore industries and connect with working professionals. Your LinkedIn should be up to date with experiences and a clear summary/objective of your goals. Not all industries use Linkedin but it is a good tool to show your online presence. Optimize your LinkedIn profile by utilizing the Aspire feature through your VMOCK account. The Forever Buffs network is another great professional branding tool, exclusive to the CU Buffs community. 

References

You should have professional references in the back of your mind during your search process, but not all companies or roles require them. You should be formally asking your references for permission to ensure they understand your job search timeline. It can be good practice to give your references updates based on when you apply as well. Email is typically a fine form of communication and you should use people you trust and can speak to your character and work skills. 

Additional Materials

Additional materials, such as writing samples, DEI statements or transcripts, may be required to apply for a job. Connect with a career advisor for support with these materials.
    
 

Off

Bonnie Evans, a 2019 91ĘÓƵ graduate who majored in sociology and economics, discusses her role of working in a Pittsburgh nonprofit. Evans works on strategic goals through fund development and grant writing, and she manages a program focused on the early childhood education industry.

Evans shares how she gained experience and developed skills by building connections through 91ĘÓƵ and local community members, participating in the CU Public Interest Internship Experience (PIIE) and a part-time job on campus and completing a year-long fellowship through after graduation.

Highlights in this video:

• 5:44 - Getting started in nonprofit work.
• 12:35 - How majoring in sociology and economics prepared Evans for her current job.
• 21:05 - Networking: Identifying who is already in your network and how to grow it.
• 27:02 - Typical week in her role.
• 44:50 - Major rewards and challenges of current job. 
• 50:07 - Evans' advice to those interested in working in nonprofits.

The A&S Embedded Career Services team offers several virtual Buffs Interview Buffs (BIB) events each semester. Buffs Interview Buffs are informational interviews with 91ĘÓƵ alumni working in a variety of jobs and industries.

Register for upcoming ! 

Off

Bloom’s Taxonomy represents the various categories of thinking you may engage in when you are a college student. There are many questions that you can ask yourself to check your learning and make sure you are understanding content in a deep way. When you have a complete understanding of a concept, you will feel more confident and be more prepared when you are tested on the material, which will help you learn future content in your coursework.

Below, we provide a list of each of the categories of thinking along with questions you can ask yourself in each of the areas to check for your understanding. The first steps will be simple and help you consider your learning at the most foundational levels. As the article progresses, the steps will require more critical thinking and deepen your learning. 

Remember

The first category is Remembering. Remembering is described as retrieving information from your memory.  Some words that are frequently used to describe this type of learning are: recognize, recall or repeat. Questions that are common for this type of learning are: who, what, where and when questions. Often, flash cards are used to facilitate the memorization of the definitions of concepts. 

Understand

The next category is Understanding. Understanding is described as being able to recall information but in your own words. When you fully understand a concept, you are able to describe it in your own words. Some words that are used to describe this type of learning are: summarize, paraphrase, interpret or explain. Questions that are common for this type of learning include: What is the main idea of the concept? Describe the concept. Explain in your own words. 

Apply

The next category is called Apply. Application is described as being able to apply what you know to the new concept(s) you are learning. You can think about how you can apply new concepts to the real world. Some words that are used to describe this type of learning are asking for examples, clarification or illustration of a concept(s). Questions that are common for application include: Why is this concept significant? How is this an example of something in the real world? How does this relate to another concept you are learning? 

Analyze

The next category is Analyze. Analyzing is described as breaking down the concept into smaller parts. Some words that are used to describe this type of learning include: contrast, diagram, classify, examine or debate. Questions that are common for analyzing include: What are the parts of this concept? How would you break this concept into smaller parts? Where does the concept come from? Create a way to make connections between ideas and concepts in all of your classes. 

Evaluate

The next category is Evaluate. Evaluation is where judgments and/or decisions are based on criteria. Some words that are used to describe this type of learning include: critique, revise, predict, rank, assess and conclude. Questions that are common for evaluation include: What is most important? Do you agree with this? Why? Provide evidence to support this concept. What assumptions are in this argument?

Create

The final category is Create. Creating new ideas, arguments, content, platforms, systems, or models are when ideas are recombined into a coherent whole. some words that are used to describe this type of learning include: diagram, ideate, plan, design, compose and actualize. Questions that are common for creating include: What ideas can you add to this? What if this were true? What patterns can you find? How would you design this?

During your time in college, while remembering and memorization are important, they are simply the foundation to learning. To incorporate deeper levels of learning and knowing, choose a concept you are learning about in class and see if you can remember the definition (remember), demonstrate your understanding (understanding), give some examples of the concept and apply it to the real world (application), and break it down into smaller components (analyze). This will help you determine how much you know, and how much you may still need to learn.

Adapted from: 1) David R. Krathwohl (2002) A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview, Theory Into Practice, 41:4, 212-218; and 2) Staff, TeachThought. “25 Question Stems Framed Around Bloom’s Taxonomy.” TeachThought. N.p., 15 Nov. 2015. Web.

Off

Metacognition is “awareness about your learning.”

Metacognition* is the ability to:

• Think about your own thinking.
• Be consciously aware of yourself as a problem solver.
• Monitor, plan and control your mental processing.
• Accurately judge your level of learning.

Using the following questions as a guide and a metacognitive approach to develop your study skills, identify which study skills have been and are successful for you. You can also reflect on strategies that proved challenging or needed modification. Use this insight to help you recognize what works best for you and plan to use effective and efficient study strategies in the future!

• Where (and how) did you learn to study?

• What study skills or strategies have you successfully used in previous coursework?  Which of these study strategies could be used across multiple courses?  Which strategies are better suited to a particular course or subject area?

• What study strategies present the biggest challenges to you?  Which classes are most directly impacted by these challenges?

• Which study strategies or skills do you enjoy utilizing more than others?  What do you enjoy about studying in this way?

• Explain your current (or most recent) study process for an important exam.  When do you begin studying?  How often do you study and for what duration?  What strategies and skills do you use?  What is your biggest concern?  91ĘÓƵ what are you most confident?    

• Now that you have reflected on your study and learning strategies, what is one small adjustment you can make to your study routine to make it more effective for you?

*McGuire, S.Y., & McGuire, S. (2018). Teach yourself how to learn: Strategies you can use to ace any course at any level. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Off

The following article was first published in .

Richard Feynman was a world renowned and widely successful theoretical physicist, even managing to win the Nobel Prize in 1965. He was a brilliant guy.

And Feynman developed his own personal method for deeply learning and internalizing topics. Now known as the Feynman technique, it’s a simple process, containing 4 repeatable steps:

Step 1 – Study

The first step is easy. In fact, anyone who’s an article about learning processes is probably already doing it.

All you have to do is choose a topic and start studying.

Naturally, this makes perfect sense for educational based study, but it can also work equally well for other skills such as sports. Simply write down all of the things you know about the skill on the piece of paper. Try and break it down into its core components and seek to understand it as a whole.

Example

As an example, we’re going to be using the game of chess.

With that in mind, applying step 1 to learning chess would be simple. You’d simply have to start learning the rules and basic strategies. Keep in mind that you’ll need to know enough that you can teach someone else in step 2.

Step 2 – Teach

Once you’ve completely covered the topic, it’s time for step 2. You’re going to teach it to someone else.

If you’d rather avoid actually teaching someone, you can just teach it to an imaginary audience. But the Feynman technique works much better if you use a real person. They’ll be able to give feedback and let you know when something isn’t clear.

Ideally, the person you’re teaching will ask questions and probe you, trying to find holes in your knowledge base. This might feel a little uncomfortable, but it’s exactly what you need in order to proceed to step 3.

Example:

Continuing with the chess example, step two would require you to teach someone else to play chess. You’d need to be able to explain the games’ objectives, rules, how the pieces move and some basic strategies to win.

As your student asks questions, you’ll inevitably discover holes in your knowledge – questions that you can’t answer. But this is exactly what you want.

Step 3 – Fill the Gaps

As I mentioned, step 2 will uncover some gaps in your knowledge.

Step 3 involves going back to studying, but with an intense focus on these gaps. The aim of step 3 is to remove these weaknesses and turn them into areas of strength.

Example:

What holes in your knowledge were uncovered in step 2? If you couldn’t quite remember how a piece moved, how a rule works or why a particular strategy is effective, then this is a weakness that needs to be focused on.

Now, you can go back and study exactly what you need to know. Recover the rules and search for information regarding the effectiveness of the strategy.

Step 4 – Simplify

Ideally, you’ve already greatly improved your understanding of the target skill. However, you’re not done. Now you need to simplify the content.

This step is extremely effective at building your cohesive understanding of a subject. To be able to cut away clutter and explain something so clearly that even young children with limited vocabulary can understand, is extremely difficult. Attempting to do this, forces you to not only deeply master the information/skill but to also grasp how all of the different elements join together.

“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

– Albert Einstein

Example:

You now have a much better understanding of chess. But could you explain it in such a simple, clear way that others will certainly understand? Probably not. Chess is a complex game with many rules and strategies involved. To be able to explain this to a child who’s never played and have them understand, is a difficult task.

Break it down into its simplest form. Attempt to express this in a short, clear way. It’s easier said than done.

Off

The acronym SMART stands for goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented/Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-Oriented. The acronym has served many students and professionals well to help further define broad goals into more specific, actionable goals. However, goal-setting is just one small step in a larger framework of creating a well-designed action plan. 

Well-designed action plans help you break your goal into small, achievable steps; recognize the time and resources needed to achieve each of those steps; and know the deadlines in which you should achieve those mini-goals.

Well-designed action plans also help you look ahead to identify any possible barriers that will keep you from meeting your goals and identify resources and support networks to help you achieve your goals.

When you design your action plans, it can be helpful to visualize your success and possibly even more helpful to visualize achieving each step-by-step. Ask yourself, “How will I feel after I do this next, one small step in my action plan?”

Overview of Well-Designed Action Plans

• Include small, achievable steps that are positively reinforced by positive self-talk or other motivators
• Look ahead to what problems and challenges may come up in the plan and create additional plans to address those
• Celebrate your successes

Ask Yourself

• What goal do I want to achieve?
• What is the first, second, and third small steps I can take to accomplish my goal?
• What will I do when I fail to meet an action step? (Everyone falters in their plans—how will you bounce back?)
• How does this plan relate to my values, goals, and strengths?
• Who do I want to be and how are my action steps helping me become that?

Now, get started! Write down, type, or log on an app a well-designed action plan to meet one of your goals!

Off

When it comes to study strategies, there is no “one size fits all.” You have to figure out what works best for you. That being said, there are certain steps that all good study strategies require. The seven-day study plan is a tool that will help you think through these steps and map out your study strategies.

Step 1: Planning out the dates and times of your study sessions.

The general rule of thumb is to start studying seven days before the test and study for no more than 2 hours per day, for a total of 14 hours. You don’t have to follow that exactly; the main point is to start early and spread out your studying.

Step 2: Planning out the location of your study sessions.

Make sure that you’re studying in places where you can really be focused and efficient. Your studying won’t be effective unless you’re doing it in a productive environment. Some research suggests that it may be helpful to utilize a few different study locations so that you do not become dependent on recalling information in a specific location.

Step 3: Mapping out the topics to cover.

This sounds obvious, but you should always know exactly what material you’ll need to know and at what level of critical thinking you will need to know it. You don’t want to be surprised by something you see on a test.

Step 4: Gathering the materials that you’re going to use.

Think beyond just rereading your notes or reviewing lecture slides. Study guides, previous homework assignments, and practice tests are all examples of materials that can help you study more effectively.

Step 5: Preparing activities to test yourself as you go.

It’s important to have a way of measuring the effectiveness of your study sessions so that you have time to make adjustments to your strategies if you need to. Test your understanding and application of content in various practice scenarios and make connections between your content.

Step 6: Keeping track of your confidence level.

The whole point of studying is to increase your confidence with the material going into your test, so if your studying doesn’t help your confidence, you should adjust your strategies. You should also adjust your strategies if your studying tends to make you overly confident. It’s never a good idea to underestimate a test.

Remember these steps for planning out your studying, and you’ll be on your way to figuring out which study strategies work best for you.     

Off