Career Connections Newsletter • October 2007

Career Topic of the Month: Graduate School
Career Resource of the Month: Student/Alumni Blogs
Spotlight on Success: SNC Alumni Profile
Career Tip of the Month: GRE Tips
Internship of the Month: 
Upcoming Events 

Career Topic of the Month: Graduate School

Did you know that roughly 15-20% of SNC graduates pursue graduate school directly after graduation?  Will you be one of those SNC grads?  If you are considering attending graduate school sometime after graduation, then read on to learn more about the process of researching and applying to graduate school. 

The decision to attend graduate school is a very important decision and should not be taken lightly.  Before making the decision, consider the following:

Good Reasons for Going to Grad School:

• Academic Interest: Weigh the short and long term costs/benefits of attending graduate school.
• Vocational: Do you need the graduate degree to achieve your career goals?
• Gain additional area of expertise: Will you be more marketable or will you become "overqualified"?
• Satisfaction and Personal Growth
• Better Job Prospects and Increased Earning Capacity: Will attending graduate school increase these or will it just push you further into debt?

Poor Reasons for Going to Grad School:

• To please someone else
• You don't know what you want to do after school
• You are trying to avoid a tight job market
• You need to make enough money to pay back loans

Questions to ask yourself:

• Where do you want to be in 3-5 years?
• Will graduate school help you reach your goals?
• What will it take to complete the program?
  Investment of time: Do you have time to devote yourself to this cause?
  Emotional and physical stamina: Do you have the energy to invest in this pursuit? Will you be focused?

Planning
Planning for graduate/professional school should begin about 2 years before the semester you plan to begin.  Junior year is a good time to begin the process of preparing for graduate school.  

Research

1. Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Graduate Program
   
   • Accreditation
   • Admission Standards
   • Cost/Financial Aid
   • Culture
     
   • Faculty
   • Location
   • Multicultural/Diversity Opportunities
   • Physical Facilities
   • Reputation/Ranking
   • Research/Academic Focus
   • Resources
   • Size
   • Surrounding Community
     
     
2. Learn about Graduate and Professional Schools
   
   • Gradschools.com
   • GradView
   • Peterson's
   • Princeton Review
     
   • U.S. News & World Report: America's Best Graduate Schools 2008
   • Additional Links
   • Career Services Library Resources
     
   
   
3. Admissions Tests
   
   • The most well known admissions tests are the GRE (Graduate School), GMAT (Business School), MCAT (Medical School), and LSAT (Law School).  Not all graduate programs require admissions tests, so be sure to read the admissions requirements when researching graduate programs.  Plan to take test well in advance of the admissions deadlines.
   • Career Services houses the most up-to-date test prep books in the Career Services Library, which are all available for check-out. 
     
   • Admissions Test Links

Additional Resources

• Graduate School Planning Workshop
• • Tuesday, October 9, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
  • Location: Cofrin 15
• SNC Graduate and Professional School Advisers 
• Career Services staff are available to assist you with all aspects of the graduate school planning process, including reviewing personal statements for admissions.  
  

For more information regarding Graduate School, check out the Career Services Graduate School Resources online.  Please contact Career Services with any questions regarding the graduate school planning or application process.   Good Luck!

Career Resource of the Month: Student/Alumni Blogs

Have you ever wondered how to pick a major, how to maintain an internship, what the job search process entails or what the first year career experience is truly like?  Read our new Career Services Blogs to learn more about these topics from students and alumni, just like you, who have experienced all of this firsthand!

Click here to read the Blogs.   

Spotlight on Success: SNC Alumni Profile

Erica (Rude) Artiles, English and Business Administration, 2000
English Professor, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina

Click here to learn about the work experience and career path of this successful SNC alum.

Check out our growing list of Alumni Profiles to learn more about their career paths, experience and to envision what you can do with a degree from St. Norbert College. 

Career Tip of the Month: GRE Tips

The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) General Test measures skills that are acquired over a long period of time and are not related to any specific field of study.  The skills measured are in these areas:

Verbal Reasoning

• Analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
• Analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
• Recognize relationships between words and concepts

Quantitative Reasoning

• Understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
• Reason quantitatively
• Solve problems in a quantitative setting

Analytical Writing

• Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
• Examine claims and accompanying evidence
• Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
• Control the elements of standard written English

GRE Resources

• Tips and Techniques to Maximize your GRE Scores
• Peterson's Tips and Strategies
  
• Strategies and Tips
• Career Services houses the most up-to-date GRE prep books in the Career Services Library, which are all available for check-out.
  

Please contact Career Services with questions regarding the GRE.

Internship of the Month: Special Events/Marketing Intern

Why intern? Internships are a great opportunity to apply classroom theory to real life work and to acquire experience to make yourself more marketable for future employment. It can also be one way to "test" your chosen career area to determine if it is a good fit for you.

Special Events/Marketing Intern, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Green Bay

• Description: As a special events/marketing intern with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Green Bay, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in event planning, assist with recruiting, create marketing materials, and develop excellent communication skills.  Focus of workload is as follows:  50% Special Events, 40% marketing, 10% marketing development.
  
• Contact: If you are interested in this unique internship opportunity, please contact Sara Karcz at 920-428-2227 or sarak@bbbsnew.org for more information and to apply for this position.  

For more information on this internship and to search for additional internships, please login to Career Connections.

Upcoming Events

To register for an event or workshop, login to Career Connections and click on Career Events. 
Click here for the complete Fall 2007 Calendar of Events. 

Graduate School Planning
Tuesday, October 9, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Cofrin 15

Mock Interviews
Wednesday, October 17, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Career Services

Career Exploration Day
Tuesday, October 30, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Campus Center

Choosing Your Major
Thursday, November 1, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Cofrin 208