By: Emily Young MA ’16

The key recruiting time for most internship programs is February through April. Most employers have deadlines for summer internships that fall in late March and early April, but candidates who apply early always improve their chances.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

That’s a lot of info….let’s break it down. First impressions are critical in job interviews. Did you dress professional? Arrive early? Act courteous and polite to secretaries? Doing these three steps already gives you a leg up. Here are some more suggestions to seal the deal.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

As college students, the best tool to network is informational interviews. Informational interviews allow you to become well-informed about the industry you’re interested in and are a great way to develop some contacts in your field. Top-level and mid-level executives rarely take calls from strangers, but for college students eager to learn there is an exception. Being a USC student is a powerful brand to get your foot in the door, so use it to your advantage.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

There are many good reasons to make a budget, one might be that you realized you need to start saving for Spring Break after reading “Is It Spring Break Yet? Why It’s Not Too Soon to Start Planning.” Allow me to help you on your journey to becoming a financially responsible adult with my personal budgeting tips.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Getting a job is tough. Especially when there are endless paths you can take with your degree. Instead of trying to determine a career path on your own, reach out to your network for help. Your contacts’ experience will help steer you in the right direction and their suggestions of who to talk to will ultimately lead you to a job. While there is nothing wrong with asking for help with your job search, how you ask for help makes a huge difference.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Reality check, “the real working world” is approaching faster than you can imagine. While school has prepared you for a lot, it hasn’t prepared you for everything. Some of the most important lessons you learn in “the real working world” are from failures.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

While networking implies building a vast network of people, is does not mean you do it all in one night by handing out business cards to everyone at an event. Making one or two genuine and beneficial connections during an event is a success. Read more on how to avoid the 5 common pitfalls of networking.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

This morning I was feeling a little groggy, a combination of staying up too late doing homework and not eating a big enough breakfast. As I walked to volleyball practice alone, I first noticed how few people seemed to be on campus. Then, I noticed how everyone who seemed to cross my path appeared to be dead tired, or just as groggy as I was. It’s midterm season, I get it, but it also got me thinking. Working-out, as much as it may be a struggle sometimes, always makes me feel better.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

In last week’s Work On It Wednesday, I shared some tips to improve your resume. This week we are bringing it all together with: The Cover Letter.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

This week I choose to tackle the resume after attending an Annenberg Real World 101 Workshop on Building a Winning Resume and Cover Letter featuring Annenberg alumni Whitney Blaine. Whitney recently wrote a a book titled “Stop Doing What you Should” that explains some of the common misconceptions millennials purse in their career development. One of the main topics in her book is improving your resume.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Writing college papers can be a daunting task: the amount of writing, the standard that teachers expect, the level of research behind it—and did I mention it’s due in a week. In high school, we wrote papers about our thoughts and feelings on book we read in class. Now that we are in college, we’re expected to use the book we read in class to stimulate a topic idea, research the topic more, and present unique arguments and critical thought. Not only is this style of writing new, but on top of that different professors may want different writing and citing structures that you might not be familiar with.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

I am a huge believer in the power of two very important words: “thank you”—you can’t say them enough. In building your career path, it is important to be gracious about all the opportunities you receive and acknowledge them. Mentors, job interviewers, informational interviewees, professors, friends, family etc., they all deserve thank-you letters.