Stand Up & Stand Out

I know were all busy but if you want to stand out then you need to involved!  That means participate in clubs on campus, get a job related to your major in College, volunteer your time to a cause that matters to you, attend networking events, and put yourself out there to get to know others.

You can see your College academic advisor to find out what clubs might be a good idea to start participating in or you can visit your College club website to check them all out on your own time. Another great resource is asking other people in your major or outside of your major what clubs they participate in because it might be something you’re interested in too.

Once you gain experience in an on campus organization for a year then you have the opportunity to be on the executive board or advisory board for the organization which is an awesome learning experience that you can put on your resume. Learning leadership experience at an early age is a great trait to have because it will make you better in the workforce and ahead of your peers.

You may think I don’t want to be serious I have all my life to be serious. But if you don’t start thinking ahead now then you’re going to fall behind. The motivated person who is looking ahead into the future is going to rise above you very quickly.  So remember to stay focused and motivated!

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.  ~Henry Ford

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.  ~Arnold H. Glasow

Little Pink Secrets

Study Abroad This Summer

I wanted to do a summer internship this Summer but instead I decided to choose a different route and study abroad. I will be studying abroad this summer for 5 weeks in Barcelona Spain while taking photography, Spanish, and the culture of Barcelona Spain.

I have learned a lot while getting everything ready to study abroad and I’m here today to share that with you. You should look and see if a study abroad opportunity will also count as an internship fulfillment for your University because it does at my College.  If it is something you’re interested in doing but have no idea how to get started then continue to read.

Once I decided on my summer study abroad program I had to meet with my study abroad office to get a budget sheet set up and then I took that budget sheet to financial aid. The financial aid office then told me how much money I would need for classes, food, and living. From there I took out a loan and was able to start my application process for the Arcadia Barcelona Spain program. It was a lot of forms to fill out and make sure you have your passport! Mine was expired so I had to go and get another one.

When all your forms are filled out for the study abroad program and approved then you will get an acceptance letter from the school that is abroad and you will pay a deposit of usually about $500. Once you pay and all your forms are filled out then you should start to think about what you need to buy and do before you leave.

My study abroad office gave me great tips. They told me to buy a hiker backpack for when we have planned excursions or want to go on trips on our own. They also said to make copies of your passport and leave a copy at home in the United States, in your apartment abroad and in your purse. If an emergency arises and you need it then you will have it in a safe place.

I hope these study abroad tips help you!

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Tips For Your Summer Internship!

Are you ready for your Summer internship this upcoming Summer? Well I have featured some tips that will hopefully make you a successful intern based on my past experiences.

Well, first make sure you are always eager and excited for any challenge that comes your way but also be excited about assignments that you may feel are “unimportant” it will show your supervisor that you are a hard worker no matter what the task is.

Make sure you are being yourself because then you will truly be able to connect with your employer this Summer and even the other employees. Be open-minded to new ideas and a new environment because it will make you a more valuable intern.

I can’t stress this more but be on time and that means if your work day starts at 9am arrive at 8:45am and be ready to do your best work every time in you’re in the office.

It’s very important you know the dress code of the environment you are going to be in before you arrive so you can make sure you dress your “part”. That may mean you need to go shopping so you need to keep that in mind too.

Keep in mind it’s great if you can do a good job on assignments but you also need to observe your supervisor and ask him or her thoughtful questions.

While at your internship you may meet the delivery man and the custodians but you need to treat them like gold. They are people that are hard working just like you and you should not judge them. Over the past year I’ve really learned that paying attention to every little detail is the most important. 

Good Luck This Summer Readers!

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Relax & Have a Positive Attitude

Positive attitude helps to keep you on track and not let little things bring you down. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking.

If you have a positive attitude people will more likely like to be around you and spend quality time with you. An attitude change will bring constructive changes into your life, and makes you happier, brighter and more successful. With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life, become optimistic and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing and strengthening.

You have to surround yourself with people who are positive, driven, and hard workers so you will do the same. The people you surround yourself with are very important because if they are negative and don’t have the drive to be successful then your going to end up on that track too.

Today take a deep breath count to three and think of a positive thought like being at the beach or sitting under the sun or whatever makes you smile. That should be the start to your day to put you in a good mood and keep the positive thoughts flowing. Hopefully the quotes below will help you have a positive week!

All of life is a journey; which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. 

We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there. 

-Little Book of Happiness

Start each day with a grateful heart.
 Focus on the positive aspects of every person you encounter.
End each day with a grateful heart. 
-Lucy MacDonald

Just for today, no matter where I am going, or what I am doing, or who I am doing it with, it is my intention to focus on the positive. 

-Lucy MacDonald

How To End Your Internship On A Positive Note

·        At the end of your internship you need to make sure you really put your best foot forward so you can be remembered by the company and even possibly get hired once you graduate. It is important that you stay in contact with your boss and all the people that you worked on projects for. You can email them about once a semester or quarter and let them know how things are going and see what is new at the company. This shows them that you’re really interested in staying connected and they will remember you for it.

1.         Keep in touch with your colleagues, even if you don’t want to work there full time.

2.         Before you go, make sure your coworkers have your contact information, and if you feel comfortable, keep in touch with them through social networking sites.          

3.         Send thank you notes to all your coworkers. It will probably take you a long time, but even if you helped a colleague with just one project, a note will help you be remembered by many people in the company and will increase the likelihood of getting hired when you graduate.

4.         Try to meet up with your coworkers if you will be at conferences, networking events or in the same neighborhood. While technology makes keeping in touch easy, an in-person meeting is still a great idea to keep the relationship growing.

5.         Ask for a final evaluation to elicit feedback. While you should be getting feedback on the projects you are assigned, try to schedule a meeting with your supervisor at the end of your internship to talk about how things went, what you can work on and how you can improve. 

Interview With a Public Relations Director

Advice from the U of R Public Relations Director

·         Show up 15 minutes early and be the last one to leave the office

·         Get business cards from everyone

·         Hand out my business cards

·         Make a personal connection with everyone

·         Remember names even the names of the people who are not important

·         Get to know everyone

·         Go out to lunch with the president

·         Jump on everything and all tasks

·         Suggest things such as ideas, articles and photos

·         Rejuvenate demographics

·         Always have a notebook and pen

·         Be very accessible (give out cell phone number if anyone needs anythings)

·         If you need an extra set of hands on the weekends I am available

·         Be VERY POSITIVE

·         Always volunteer and ask to sit in on meetings

·         Give complements like that story was great!

·         Can I help you with anything (if your done with your task)

·         Pay close attention to details 

These tips were very beneficial to me for my first co-op and now for all my other internships and even part time and full time jobs. I was able to interview the public relations director because she was a friend that I continued to keep in my network. It is so important to keep in contact with other professionals and friends. You never know where they are going to end up and if they will be able to help you in the future or if you will be able to help them land a job. Staying connected and taking advice from others that have a lot of experience in the field your interested in is so important and very helpful. If you haven’t interviewed someone in the field your interested in going into when you graduate I would recommend doing it as soon as possible. It will really show you if you’re going into the right profession or if you should continue your career search.

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Spring Dresses

Jump into Spring with these spring dresses that you can get at a low price from the store Wet Seal!

Little Pink Secrets

Spring Trends 2011

Spring is finally here and with a new season comes a new wardrobe. Check out the cute outfit ideas for spring. I love the laid back bohemian style this Spring is bringing. It is so relaxing but it still looks very chic.

This spring the trend is flowy skirts, ruffled tanks, denim leggings, crochet vests, wedge sandals, embellished tanks, chiffon sundresses, light blazers, shorts, cute flats, and colorful scarfs. You have so many options ladies to either dress it up or dress it down as you can see in the pictures.

All of these outfits are from Oldnavy and I love them all. The outfit won’t break the bank and you will look great.  A lot of these outfits you can just throw on with sandals on a weekday without much thought, but you’ll still look totally cute.

These outfits can make a quick change from day to night with the right makeup and sexy high heels. I love outfits where I can get out of work and simply make a refresh to my makeup, change into heels, add some dressed up accessories and I’m ready for the night.

My favorite outfit is the fifth outfit with the green halter dress, animal print cardigan, and Aztec print bag. It is so bohemian which I love and you can wear it to class or even wear it to work. If you want throw on a pair of heels, take off the cardigan, and let your hair down now it becomes an outfit for going out!

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Getting an "A" in your next interview

Be prepared to ace your next interview!

Some interviews may not have the happy ending that you hoped for but with these tips you will be golden.

One- It’s time to buy a suit and you want to stand out don’t look like everyone else that’s too easy. Black is a no it’s too boring. Now, I’m not saying wear pink but look at these pictures for some ideas ladies.

Two-Be Prepared! I can’t say this enough do your research on the company and the person who is going to interview you. I’m sure you can find the person who is going to interview you on LinkedIn and you can find out their exact role in the company this way. Make sure you know everything about the role you’re interviewing for so you can talk about your experiences and your abilities that can contribute to that specific position.

Three-The resume is VERY important! Please know your resume inside and out it is what is going to land you the interview and you need to know how your past experiences can help you be successful on the new job or co-op.

Four-Ask Questions! Recruiters love questions. Well smart questions. It shows you are thinking beyond the interview process and seeing yourself in the actual position. Any question that shows you’ve done your homework and are well-informed about what’s going on with the company is great. Just make sure you’re prepared with questions about the co-op, company, and any very specific questions.

Five-The presentation is key. Have a portfolio with a pen and pad of paper along with your business cards ready to be handed out. Make sure to have a take away for your interviewer so that they can really remember you. I always give my interviewer a copy of my resume, references, letter of recommendation and some information about my company in a presentation folder with a clear cover so they can see my resume first. This is just a way to be unique and have a good presentation when you walk in.

Remember these steps to be successful at your next interview

Little Pink Secrets

Spring is here and new opportunities await!

Are you ready for spring? Its time to get a spring jacket, new flats, and get a cute umbrella for those rainy days. All the stores are getting rid of there dark colored sweaters and bringing in a splash of color with there sun dresses, bright trench coats, designer sunglasses, and fun pumps. Don't miss out on the deals in the stores now. I just got a Tommy Hilfiger Marlo Trench from Macy's and the small sizes were almost gone so don't miss out!

Now if you have your wardrobe all ready, do you have your internship for this Summer yet?

Like you many other people don't have an internship for the Summer yet. So you ask "What do I do?" You can continue your search by reaching out to your network on LinkedIn, and posting your search on Twitter. Contacting your internship office and meeting with your academic advisor is another way to get some good tips.

If that still doesn't work there's other options depending on your University. Some Universities offer a study abroad option as a fulfillment to a full time Summer internship. This could be an exciting opportunity that you can only do while your in College. After you graduate you will be working full-time and won't have time to just take a couple months to go abroad.

Imagine instead of working in an office while also taking College classes this Summer you can be abroad in Paris, London, or even Milan for the Summer. Contact your Colleges study abroad office and see what oppurtunites can be in store for you. You can do anything that you put your mind to!

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