Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Careers: Making the most of spring break

If you were a current SAIS Europe student, you would be on the cusp of a one-week holiday before the final stretch of the academic year. 

You would also have received a weekly email from the Career Services Office full of tips, reminders and information on summer grants.

From a student's first days at SAIS, Career Services keeps students squarely focused on what they can do to build a career. It's an important part of the "professional" side of the SAIS experience.

Take the latest weekly email. "Making the Most of Spring Break" notes that the holiday is a time to relax and unwind but also a chance to make strides in one's job or internship search. The note exhorts students to "review your search strategy, polish your resume and LinkedIn profile, hone your interview skills and refresh your salary negotiation abilities."

The email lists information sessions for students on SAIS's three campuses to discuss the 2014 Summer Internship Fund -- a pool of money providing grants to first-year students pursuing unpaid internships in the public, non-profit or multilateral sector.

Need help on drafting a CV, cover letter or networking email? You can drop in to see a Peer Writing Mentor.

You might like to consider the Behavioral Interviewing Workshop or clubs focusing on STATA skills or speed interviewing.

You will want to consider the Professional Development Skills courses being offered this spring. In Bologna alone the choices include financial accounting, IT for management, quantitative methods and spreadsheet modeling.

You'll also want to mark on your calendar the deadlines for submitting your CV to organizations around the world looking for interns or to foundations offering fellowships.

Enjoying one's holiday while paving the way to a career: multi-skilling SAIS style.

Nelson Graves

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