Everyone who has seen the movie “Miracle” or watched a clip of the final seconds of America’s victory over the Soviet Union in 1980 knows the famous words of Al Michaels - words that evoke an incredibly powerful reaction, sending chills up and down one’s body as you hear the sheer excitement and passion in his voice. Those who watched it live will probably never forget the emotions running through their head as he exuberantly yelled into the mic:
“DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES – YES!”
I can certainly say that the words of overall chairperson and bioengineering student Elaine Tanella as she shouted the THON 2012 total will have a similar effect on me:
“TEN MILLION – “
I didn’t even hear the rest, because as soon as I saw the zero and the one I started jumping around with the rest of the Bryce Jordan Center and screaming at the top of my lungs. I screamed for probably solid 60 seconds, and then I stopped and took a moment to appreciate the incredible number in front of me.
$10,686,924.83. Wow.
As the communications chair for Springfield, a special interest organization benefiting THON, I spent all year helping lead our group’s fundraising efforts through canning, raffles, and solicitations. We are one of the hundreds of organizations that raise money all year long and send dancers to the floor for the 46-hour marathon in February. But looking around the BJC shows you that for this weekend, all of the organizations come together and make a stand – literally - in the fight against pediatric cancer.
It is a weekend where a bunch of college students get to act like kids again. It is a weekend full of tears of sadness and tears of joy. It teaches lessons that you can’t pick up in your thermo book or from your physics professor. It is breathtaking, surreal, unbelievable, and every other word you use to describe something when you can’t find the right word, but one thing is for sure.
It is Penn State.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Tips For Securing an Interview - Ryan Patrick: Junior, Mechanical Engineering
One of the busiest and arguably most important weeks in a Penn State engineering student’s semester is Career Week. It starts with meeting recruiters and creating relationships, and hopefully ends with an interview and subsequent job offer. At first glance, the entire process that you have to go through in order to secure this interview may seem extremely daunting. However, there is nothing to fear. I believe that after my three years of experience with Career Week, I have come up with an easy to follow guide on how to put yourself in the best position to be interviewing for your dream employment opportunity!
This guide is broken down into sections centered on three main things:
The first part of your climb to successfully landing a job offer is to effectively use eCareer and the Career Fair Website. If you are a prospective Penn State student, you may not know about these great resources. eCareer is the Engineering Career Resources and Employer Relations website that allows for potential employers to post job descriptions for all Penn State engineering students to see. The Career Website is just as important because it provides a list of all companies that will be present at the Career Fair. My tip to you is to use both eCareer and the Career Week website to their maximum potentials! It is an invaluable resource that can help you find what types of jobs and companies interest you and will give you a better idea of what you want to pursue during Career Week.
Once you’ve explored the Internet a little bit, you will begin to have a good idea of what you’re looking for. Now comes the next step – the Networking Reception. I believe this is the most important event because it gives you a chance to informally meet recruiters for the companies that you are hoping to work. Some tips for this event:
Last but certainly not least, the Career Fair. This is when everything will come together for you! Make it a point to touch base with the recruiters you have already talked to, no matter how long the line is. When you finally do get to talk to them again, make sure they remember you from the night before and then proceed to pick up your conversation like it never stopped.
This plan of action has worked for me every year, and while our experiences may not be exactly alike I still think that you will achieve success if you take some of my advice. Job hunting should be a fun and challenging experience, so make sure you enjoy every second of it!
Good luck!
This guide is broken down into sections centered on three main things:
- eCareer and Career Fair Website
- The Engineering Networking Reception
- The Career Fair itself
The first part of your climb to successfully landing a job offer is to effectively use eCareer and the Career Fair Website. If you are a prospective Penn State student, you may not know about these great resources. eCareer is the Engineering Career Resources and Employer Relations website that allows for potential employers to post job descriptions for all Penn State engineering students to see. The Career Website is just as important because it provides a list of all companies that will be present at the Career Fair. My tip to you is to use both eCareer and the Career Week website to their maximum potentials! It is an invaluable resource that can help you find what types of jobs and companies interest you and will give you a better idea of what you want to pursue during Career Week.
Once you’ve explored the Internet a little bit, you will begin to have a good idea of what you’re looking for. Now comes the next step – the Networking Reception. I believe this is the most important event because it gives you a chance to informally meet recruiters for the companies that you are hoping to work. Some tips for this event:
- Scout out the companies you want to target
- Be prepared to wait in line – use this time wisely to read up on the company and calm your nerves by breathing in and out nice and slow
- This event is all about establishing a connection with a recruiter so that the next day, at the Career Fair, you can walk right back up to them and continue the conversation so make sure you focus on making a great first impression and the next day should be much easier for you!
Last but certainly not least, the Career Fair. This is when everything will come together for you! Make it a point to touch base with the recruiters you have already talked to, no matter how long the line is. When you finally do get to talk to them again, make sure they remember you from the night before and then proceed to pick up your conversation like it never stopped.
This plan of action has worked for me every year, and while our experiences may not be exactly alike I still think that you will achieve success if you take some of my advice. Job hunting should be a fun and challenging experience, so make sure you enjoy every second of it!
Good luck!
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