Summer is almost here!

I know we are all in need of some good rest and celebration after the year ends, but the summer is a very important time for your career and work experience.                                      

I keep finding myself asking people “Can you believe the school year is almost over?!” 

You can feel it in the air, the school year is coming to a close, internships are ending, and the weather is improving, these are the signs that summer is almost here.

Summer is a great time to begin to network professionally.

Explore conferences, seminars, and training's that are offered throughout the summer. These professional events are great for networking and expanding your social work training.

Volunteer work is also an important career and resume builder that can be explored during the summer. For many of us we have more free time over the summer than we do during the school year. This is a great time to volunteer, even if it is one day a week, volunteer work is another great way to network and build resume experience. As I look back on my two years at the graduate school of social work, I reflect in the importance of my summer volunteer work and how that has brought me to my career after graduation.

There are many agencies working with many unique populations that are in need of summer volunteers (take a look!)

For summer volunteer opportunities, click here.

                            


For those of you who are graduating in June, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have made it!

*Remember that the graduate school of social work’s career services are available to you for a year after graduation. We can help you with resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and job searching.*

Good luck in all your future endeavors, I have enjoyed being your assistant in career services and your classmate!


                          

Hello Spring quarter! Graduation right around the corner? Entering your second year of graduate school in the fall?

Graduation right around the corner? Entering your second year of graduate school in the fall?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may be asking yourself “what do I do next?”

Whether you are graduating and are looking toward your future as a professional social worker, or entering your second year of your MSW and are looking to strengthen your skills regarding internships and future career, remember you still have time!

Tip: Did you know that you can always access DU career services as an alumni, and the GSSW career services are available to you for 1 year after graduation.

GSSW career resources available:
    one-on-one advising
    resume and cover letter assistance
    connections to alumni
    LinkedIn information
    interviewing practice
    services to help you understand and develop transferable skills

One on One Advising
To make an appointment, email gssw.careers@du.edu

GSSW Career Connections Newsletter
Sign up for the GSSW Career Connections Newsletter which is sent every 14 days highlighting current job openings, professional development opportunities, and career tips.

Social Media
Learn about opportunities, jobs, events and resources by following us on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! We also have a Career Blog written by a current concentration student! #gsswcareers #keepflying

Attend Upcoming Workshops
All workshops are held 11-11:50am unless otherwise stated.

Week 4
Navigating a Career Fair!
Monday, April 11th, Rm 448

Week 5
Career Connections Networking Luncheon - Concentration Students only
Wednesday, April 20th, Community Room

Non-Profit and Governmental Career Fair
Wednesday, April 20th, 2pm-5pm, Driscoll Student Center Ballroom

Week 6
Social Work Licensure A to Z
Tuesday, April 26th, rm 448

Week 7
The Art of Salary Negotiation
Monday, May 2nd, rm 448

Tuesday May 3rd, rm 448
How to Plan for Loan Repayment

Week 8
Monday, May 9th, rm 448
Beyond Loan Repayment: Financial Planning for the New Graduate

Tuesday, May 10th, rm 448
Learn How Linked In Can Help YOU Find a Job! Advanced LinkedIn Strategies


To learn more about the upcoming workshops, click here.

                         

                  University of Denver's Career Resources:

Take advantage of DU career resources to explore professional opportunities and develop the skills necessary to succeed in your job search. Check out the DU Career Services calendar to learn about upcoming graduate student events, including workshops and career fairs. Make an appointment with a career counselor to learn about job search tools, career assessments, resume and CV writing, and much more, click here!

Resources provided for current/continuing students:

• Career planning
• Career Assessment
• Career Advising
• 24/7 Career Help
• Practice Interviews
• Field/industry resources
• Financing education
• Resume review
• CV review

For more information, click here.

Resources provided for alumni:

• Access to Alumnifire, an exciting networking platform for alumni and students. Leverage the connection capabilities of LinkedIn and the robust job bank of Indeed.com.
• Access to the Alumni Career Services web pages.
• Personalized career counseling with an expert career counselor. Services are free for your first year, post graduation. After that, two free sessions are available each year with ongoing low-cost services.
• Career assessment tools (at cost).
• Resume and cover letter writing resources. 
• On- and off-campus career fairs and events.
• A variety of career-focused workshops
• Access to a range of job and internship listings.

For more information on resources for alumni, click here.

Regardless of what lies ahead for you and your personal social work journey, we at careers services are here to help you plan for your school and career future!

              Foundation year student? Concentration year student? Advanced standing?

No matter what year you are in, or where you are at in your social work program, you may be feeling some type of pressure to begin planning out your future. This could be trying to figure out where you want to intern next year, or where you want to work this summer! You may look around in your classes and notice students are looking more stressed, or you may hear rumblings of discontent.This time of year can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! I am writing today about tips and helpful hints, to stay clam, cool, and collected this time of year.

                                                          Foundation year

New internships are on the horizon. You may be asking yourself what you want to do next year and where you want to be. Below are helpful hints and tips to guide you through this process.

• Plan ahead! If you need to have your resume reviewed by career services or a friend. Did you know that you could email me or Lisa for resume guidance. My email address is kristcha.deguerre@du.edu and Lisa’s is lisa.Ingarfield@du.edu. We can give you tips and edits regarding your resume. 
• Tip: It is suggested that you customize your resume for every agency and program you apply to for next year’s internship. Make sure your resume highlights previous similar experiences, show the agency what work you have done that is relevant.

• Practice, practice, practice. Make sure you practice your interviewing skills, have a elevator speech ready. Know that interviews can be unique and that you can be asked unexpected questions. 
• Tip: An elevator speech is a clear, brief message or “commercial” about you. It communicates who you are, what you're looking for and how you can benefit a company or organization. It's typically about 30 seconds, the time it takes people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator.

• Try to AVOID the rumor mill. You may hear false information such as “All the good internships are taken” “There is not enough internships for everyone.” These are both not true! Did you know that there are more internship placements than students? 
• Tip: Attend upcoming career workshops, that are offered at GSSW. Click here.

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Practice self-care. This is a stressful time of the year, but you you take time for yourself it can be less stressful! 
• A great list of self-care ideas can be found here.

                                         Concentration year/advanced standing
For all you concentration year and advanced standing students, it is jobs that may be on our mind. “What am I going to do after graduation?” may be a question you are grappling with. If you are asking yourself this question, below are some tips for you.

• Reach out to career services at GSSW to talk about your hopes for after graduation, we can help with resume review, job interview skills, and to talk through any career questions.
• Tip: It is suggested that you customize your resume for every job and program you apply to for next year’s internship. Make sure your resume highlights previous similar experiences, show the agency what work you have done that is relevant.

• Network,network,network! Start to ramp up your networking. Meet with people in the field who are working in areas that interest you to learn from them. This kind of networking isn’t about asking for a job it is about building your connections and developing your professional reputation prior to beginning your job search. Contact alumni and employers to set up informational interviews on a weekly basis.

• Attend Workshops- GSSW and the main DU Career Center host  numerous workshops throughout the year  to help  you prepare for the job search. These include resumes,cover letters, licensure,salary negotiation and financial planning.Watch your email and check the GSSW Career Development website for details. Click here.
• Tip: March/ April: Begin applying for jobs There is a benefit to applying for jobs before you graduate because your job search could take as much as six months, sometimes longer.You will get practice at crafting cover letters/resumes and interviewing skills as well as make contacts in the field. If you see a position that you like that requires an MSW,  reach out to them to ask if you can apply prior to receiving the MSW (since it will be expected). This shows interest and initiative.

Please review the career timeline for concentration year and advanced standing students, click here.
                           

Welocme to your winter break!

                              Welcome to Your Winter Break: Networking!

Welcome to your first winter break, congratulations on finishing your first quarter. Although you may think that winter break is a time to not thin about school or social work, it is an important time to utilize volunteer and create networking opportunities. Winter break is a great time to create professional connections and networks. This could look like volunteering weekly or a few times over the break and establishing professional connections with that agency or you could reach out to different agencies and social workers to establish professional connections. I currently have multiple meetings with different social workers to establishing professional working connections for future career or volunteer opportunities.
 The winter break is a great time for these type of opportunities because you do not have course work that may be taking up most of your free time. Reaching out to agencies and social workers may be new for you, but it is a valuable networking tool.
   
Winter break is a great time to set up informational interviews, the goal of these interviews are not to ask or obtain a job but to gain information and to create a professional connection.

    Informational Interviews
    A skill you should have as a social worker is the ability to interview someone for information. Use this skill in your professional networking. Informational interviewing is one of your most important networking tools. An informational interview is a 30-minute meeting that you set up with an individual, preferably in-person, to gain career advice and information. It is not a time to inquire about specific employment opportunities. Again, networking is about building relationships, not burning bridges. Come prepared by researching the individual and the company where he or she works, and have questions ready to ask, but let him or her do most of the talking.

Volunteering is a great opportunity to engage in because it creates professional connections and can be a great way to build your experience for your resume.

    Volunteering
    Nothing shows organizations that you are committed to their mission more than volunteering for them. I have been a volunteer at three organizations that eventually hired me. Find volunteer opportunities that are in line with your professional passions and career goals. Even if the organization isn’t able to hire you, it will be able to provide a reference for you or help connect you to other organizations in the community. However, don’t jump ship as soon as you find another opportunity. Volunteer commitments should be taken seriously, and you should honor your obligation.

Other tools for successful networking over your winter break, and throughout the year can be found, here.

Almost finished with our first quarter!

As week 10 approaches, I believe that it it is very important to (if not already) practice or self-self care methods. These practices protect us from the negative impact of our many life stresses, whether it be from our classes, personal life, or internship. I have learned along the way that there are many situations, environments, and experiences that can lead to different types of stresses. The article below, outlines the solutions to caring for oneself and fighting the stigma of asking for help.  This article has one profound and lasting message: if we do not take care of ourselves we will be unable to care for others. The Article "Self-Care Solutions: Facing The challenge of Asking for Help" written by Liza Greville, for Social Work Today.

Click here for the article                                                       

                                                     

Another important topic of attention during this time of the quarter is making sure that your resume is up to date. If you have not already, add your current internship to your latest work experience section. Under your current internship on your resume you can add what you are already doing, and what you are going to be doing in the future, do not forget to use your action verbs. This is a good tome to edit and clean up your resume, before you begin the process of looking for a summer job or your next years internship placement. If you edit your paper now, you will be ahead of the game, and not rushing to edit last moment, where you are more likely to overlook mistakes. The article written by Valerie Arendt, outlines 10 tips for editing resumes that are important for many social workers.
She shares tips such as, write out acronyms, quantifying your accomplishments, and many more.
For the article, click here.

Comment below to share your toughts, feelings, and questions regarding the post or any other related topic. Let us know what you think.

REMEMBER: Any questions, comments, or concerns, regarding YOUR careers, internship, or resume contact Kristcha.Deguerre@du.edu OR Lisa.Ingarfield@du.edu.

The Social Work Intern, week 4.

Hello all,

We are now half way through our 4th week of the fall quarter, can you believe it?! With internships beginning, midterms coming up, and many papers to write, we may be beginning to feel overwhelmed. My advice is to take everything as they come, write one paper at a time, take a breath, and remind yourself to fit in self-care (somewhere, in your schedule).

So, when I was thinking about what to write, I was thinking about what may be most on everyone's mind. Whether you are an advanced standing, foundation year, or concentration year student most of us are experiencing being the new social work intern. Although, internships come in many different shapes and sizes, we are all in a position of being new and learning.

This is a vulnerable position to be in, we are owning the fact that we are new and may not know exactly what to do in all situations that come up.

First of all, congratulations on beginning this enriching learning experience.Whether your internship is clinical, community, with children, with the aging population, we may all be experiencing the same feelings regarding our new position. You may feel anxious, excited, and challenged by this new experience. I came across a great article from The New Social Worker on tips on beginning a new social work internship.

I have linked the article below, please leave your feedback about your feelings and thoughts on this article. I look forward to reading your feedback and comments.

8 Tips for New Social Work Interns 
 

The beginning of your journey.

Hello,

My name is Kristcha DeGuerre and I am a concentration year mental health student in the MSW program, at The University of Denver. I am the career services adviser for the foundation year students, I am here for any and all career and school related questions you may have. You can contact me at kristcha.deguerre@du.edu with any questions or concerns regarding your MSW education or career as a social worker.

In my mind I enjoy visualizing graduate school as a flight with a layover. The first year of graduate school is your flight to your layover, you layover is the summer in-between the first and second year, your second year is your last flight and your destination is your MSW degree. I will often refer to your education as your flight and your degree as your destination.

Congratulate yourself on finishing your first couple of weeks in your MSW graduate school career. No, really give yourself a pat on the back. This is an achievement. There are many new experiences and challenges you have been experiencing. You have started your courses and your internships, what a busy schedule you are getting used to. There are many rewarding challenges that come with beginning a new internship, as well as classes. I know, I have been there myself.

In graduate school time goes by very quickly, and in what feels like a short time you will be finishing up you first year. You will be faced will many rewarding challenges, and gain a valuable wealth of knowledge. You will see yourself growing in ways you may have never know you could.

This blog is for you and all your career and school related information. Get ready for your flight, we are about to take off!