Managing Callbacks
Last Monday, I received my first callback from resume posting and from job applications. The potential employer that had called me had said that they found my resume posted on indeed.com. [A short word on Indeed--Indeed is a job search website that compiles results from other sites and has a terrific resume tool. I would highly recommend Indeed. Find a link to it on my links page.]
Then Thursday, I received another callback and set up an interview. I went on the interview yesterday. I had good “vibes”, but I won’t know for about six weeks.
I think the best thing I can say for callbacks is to expect the unexpected. Never be surprised by what you hear or what is asked of you. Don’t be caught off guard by a call. It’s better, if you can’t dedicate your time and attention, to let the call go to voice mail and to get back to them when you can give them your best attention.
I would also say that writing down the information of the person that called you is essential. Get their name, their position title, and their direct dial number. Be sure you’re equipped to write it down. You never know when you might need it.
Either way, I would say that the best bet is to continue applying for positions, managing your time among school, work, interning, and applying for these positions. Keep yourself healthy and don’t be intimidated by this stage of your life. This is the time where the world is your oyster. Keep going strong. You are enough.
Archive for January 2013
So, here at Progress Notes, things have been very quiet for the past year. As in, no writing, whatsoever. However, I did not have a quiet year. I completed my internship and did well in my classes. I switched tracks from clinical practice to organizational and community practice. In making that switch, my classes and internship for this academic year have moved to the East Lansing area. My jo and my home are still in Oakland County and Macomb County, so I have become a mega commuter. Additionally, my job moved from being agency centered to being hired my a family privately to care for their child. The position has been incredibly rewarding as I have made an impact on the daily life of this family.
In March, I secured my internship at a community development agency on Lansing’s east side. I finished up my courses without issue and worked hard all summer. I even returned to a company I had worked for in the past to do some work, but resigned again when I was hired to care for the family I care for. I am so grateful to work for this family. Last April, I was inducted into the Phi Alpha Honor Society at Michigan State. Things straightened out with my family and I was able to leave my job at the craft store. Life slowed down and I was able to invest time in loved ones and in myself.
At the community development agency, I am thriving. I love the opportunities I get to meet my course objectives and integrate the material I receive in class. I serve as an outreach intern and program leader for a health awareness club for women. I greet visitors to the center and help to enroll them in the community health program through Ingham County or to complete Department of Human Services paperwork required for assistance programs. In addition, my involvement with the agency is allowing me to learn the rigors of leading an organization of this type. I am also still dating my faithful, loving significant other. We have been together for about two years.
I am due to graduate this May and I am very excited about the prospects of finding a career job, finding my own apartment, and keeping up with this blog and other writing projects.
With things going so well, why didn’t I write? Honestly, for the time, it wasn’t as important. Investing time in loved ones took the front seat for me. The other issue that I was facing was a lack of belief in myself. Why was I really writing? What was the goal? I would love to restart and keep going by sharing my experiences in finding a career. It will take commitment and hard work, but I am excited to get into the field and to share what I find. I truly have no excuses for not writing, but I have much more confidence than I had this time last year. I am ready to move forward, full force.
