JANUARY 2009
134 Mary Gates Hall • (206) 543-0535
careers.washington.edu
Follow Your Bliss in ‘09 elcome to 2009! January is a time for resolutions, for goalsetting and renewed motivation. If “find the career of my dreams” is right up there next to “work off those holiday pounds” and “trim my monthly latte budget” on your list, you’re not alone.
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Thankfully, the UW Career Center has planned a month filled with career events that will help you get off on the right foot! January boasts the University of Washington’s 10th annual Career Discovery Week, with hundreds of sessions offered on all three UW campuses. Need advice, inspiration, or encouragement? Get it straight from the horse’s mouth: those working in the field that you’re interested in! And if CDW isn’t enough to help you take on ’09, check out the wide array of career fairs and events offered this month. There’s something for everybody, so pull on your coat, grab your umbrella, and show 2009 what you’re made of—and happy New Year!
Stop By the UW Career Center Drop in for a 15-minute session at the following times: Mon-Thurs, 1:00-4:00 and Fri, 9:00-12:00. Schedule a 50-minute appointment by calling 543-0535 during normal business hours. Appointments are free for students and $40 for alumni and postdocs. Plan ahead because we usually book 2-3 weeks in advance.
Take Note The UW Career Center will be closed Monday, January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. day. Check out www.mlkday.gov to see how you can “Make it a Day on... Not a Day off!”
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On Diversity... Jennifer Self, Director – UW Q Center
The next few weeks boast Career Discovery Week, the Diversity Career Fair and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday; what better time for recognizing and celebrating our differences and similarities? When it comes to the job search and the workplace however, it can be tricky figuring out how to celebrate and honor your own uniqueness. This month we sat down with Jennifer Self, doctoral student and director of the Q Center (http://qcenter.washington.edu) to discuss the challenges many students face while job searching and the resources on campus that they can turn to for help. The following are some thoughts from that conversation. The Q Center staff often works with students who are struggling to decide how much of themselves to reveal while job searching. For example, crafting a resume can become problematic when debating whether or not to reveal a part of yourself that might spark fear or prejudice in others. It’s not an easy decision and it’s a widespread phenomenon. For example, should a student outline years of work with a partisan political group, and risk revealing a political stance which might turn off a potential employer with opposing views? The dilemma may be similar for a student whose work experience is with a gay rights organization, or a religious group. Do they reveal this piece of themselves and risk an employer’s disapproval on the basis of those affiliations, or eliminate the experience from their résumé altogether, leaving a gap in employment? Of course, in a perfect world, each employer would be impartial, and examine a resume only for skills, strengths and experiences. In the world we live in, unfortunately, this is not always the case. As Jennifer Self reminds us, the job search can be especially difficult in a city like Seattle, a city that is largely perceived to be open-minded and liberal. While Seattle and its employers often live up to that reputation, there is a dangerous complacency in assuming that prejudice (Continued on page 2)
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