Page 284 - Keys to College Success

WRITE IT Communicate

Emotional intelligence journal: Where can you give back? As a new college student,
you may feel overwhelmed with responsibilities. However, looking beyond your own needs to
help someone else can lend balance and perspective to your life. Imagining you have no time
issues, write about what types of volunteer or community service work would be meaningful to
you, and why. Then, considering your current schedule and what’s available in your school com-
munity, describe one or more specific ways you might make this possibility a reality.

Real-life writing: Connect with your advisor. Few students make use of everything aca-
demic advisors can offer. Think of a question you have regarding a specific course, major, or
academic situation that your advisor might help you answer. Craft an email in appropriate lan-
guage to your advisor, and send it. Then, to stretch your communication skills, rewrite the same
email twice more: once in a format you would send to an instructor, and once in a format
appropriate for a friend. Send either or both of these if you think the response would be valuable
to you.

DO IT Build Your Brand

Learn More about Career Success
Investigate what brings success in the workplace.

1. Choose and list three career areas that interest you.
2. Next, visit a website, such as YouTube, that hosts user-loaded videos. Search for an interview
with someone working in one of your listed career areas. Try search terms like “marketing in-
terview,” “what’s it like to be a dental technician,” or “what does a movie producer do.” Once
you f nd a usable video (one with credible, realistic information), take notes on the interview
using a note-taking technique you have learned in this course.
a. Watch the video all the way through, concentrating on main points and overall themes.
b. Watch it again to f ll in gaps, understand key terms and concepts, and gather interesting
additional facts and ideas.
c. After you watch the video twice and have thorough notes, write a one-page summary of
the career for your portfolio. Include important information discussed in the video, such as
what training is required, salary expectations, daily duties, challenges, and rewards. Keep
the summary in your portfolio for future career searches.

People, Resources, and Opportunities

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