General

Category: General

#NES Summer Opportunity Guide

Choose: 

One of the hardest parts about pursuing a summer program in any field is choosing one that is right for you. Thankfully for the NES community there is a wide range of summer opportunities to choose from. Schools and community centers are always looking to have an extra hand at helping out. 

  1. Location:

First you will want to choose where you want to complete your summer program. Do you want to stay within driving distance of your home town to spend time with your family over the summer? Do you want to travel to a new city you’ve been wanting to explore? Maybe you just want to live in Appleton and live on campus for the summer? There are many different options, however, location is the first thing you should consider before searching for summer opportunities since it will narrow down your search by a lot. 

  1.  Paid vs. Unpaid

The next thing to consider while searching for summer opportunities is if you will be paid for your work or not. Some opportunities may pay you in a stipend or bi-weekly in paychecks. Others, especially non-profits, may not pay you at all for your work. Some may even ask you to pay them for the opportunity, especially in certain arts settings (these opportunities may offer work study). If you have found a summer opportunity that you enjoy but it is unpaid, don’t worry! Lawrence has quite a bit of funding to offer for summer experiences. 

  1. What do YOU want to gain from the experience

There are so many different experiences that look amazing on a resume. Though some opportunities are at more “prestigious” places that doesn’t mean you wont get equally as good opportunities at smaller programs.  A Curating Internship at the Smithsonian can be equally as rewarding as a Curating internship at the History Museum at the Castle right here in Appleton. If you find an opportunity or program that looks like something you would like to do, apply for it! It doesn’t need to be at a big name company for the experience to be rewarding. Find one that works best for you and what you would like to do with your career. 

Prepare: 

Well, you’ve narrowed down summer opportunities you would like to apply for… now what? Next it is time to prepare and send in your application. Depending on how many opportunities you are applying for, this could take awhile so be sure you have your deadlines in order before diving in.

  1. Application Materials

Most internships and programs require you to submit a resume. If you need resume help check out our article here or create an appointment at the career center and we can get you started! You may also need to create a cover letter to go along with your application, you can see a sample cover letter here. Be sure to triple check deadlines in order to get your materials in on time! 

  1. Gather References

References get handed in with your other application materials, however, they require a little more explaining. Many opportunities require you to list references for the company to reach out to to learn more about you. Some opportunities require you to list your academic advisor or current employer, but many leave it up to you who you want to list. We suggest listing any teachers, current or past employers who know you and your work ethic very well. 

  1. Interview

Interviews are probably the scariest part about the application process; you are so close to getting the position but the interview can really make or break the employer’s decision. Before your interview we suggest creating a mock interview appointment with us at the Career Center. We will conduct the entire appointment like it were your actual interview and then give you feedback on how you did and how to improve. Doing a mock interview with a friend also works well, and ensures you aren’t extremely nervous during your actual interview. 

Happy Applying!

Written by Marissa Lake ’22 Career Peer Educator

Shadowing in the Pandemic? A Guide to Connecting with Health Care Professionals during COVID

Shadowing is an excellent way to explore careers in health care and medicine. The process of shadowing involves observing a professional in their daily work environment to experience the real-life routines and challenges of your field of interest. Unfortunately, many students continue to face shadowing access challenges due to the ongoing pandemic.  However, if you are in this situation, there are still options for you to connect with professionals in the field! You do not need to miss out on the insights and benefits that shadowing can offer. If you want ideas for pandemic-era shadowing and connecting with health care professionals, this resource is for you! 

Is shadowing possible during COVID? 

Yes, and no. Many (but not all) health care shadowing programs have suspended their in-person programs during COVID. For example, ThedaCare (a large healthcare system in Fox Cities) is currently limiting college student shadowing experiences to students who are required to shadow as part of their formal college curriculum, such as nursing school students. However, shadowing policies may vary at this point in time, especially at private or independent practice clinics. For example, there are private/independent veterinary clinics, dental clinics, physical therapy clinics, and other healthcare clinics in the area that are currently allowing shadowing for interested college students who reach out. 

What alternatives are there? Informational Interviewing 

If you are having difficulty identifying shadowing opportunities, consider setting up some informational interviews. “Informational interview” is a fancy term for a simple concept: talking to people about what they do. If you have ever had a conversation with a family member or professor about their career, you have already essentially conducted an informational interview. Here are a few steps to get started with informational interviewing: 

1) Identify people you would like to meet with. You can search in Viking Connect, Lawrence’s alumni platform, to find Lawrence alumni who are working in your field of interest. Click “Explore the Community,” and then search by industry, keywords, etc. You can also reach out to Lawrence professors, friends or family members in the field, or other individuals in your field of interest. 

2) Contact the person to ask to meet. Send a brief email or message in which you say a bit about yourself, your career interests, and how you found the person you are contacting. Mention that you are interested in hearing about their field and/or their career path, and ask if they would be willing to meet for a short time (30 minutes) via Zoom, phone, in person, etc. 

3) Prepare and conduct the interview. The interview itself usually lasts around 30 minutes, and is led by you, the student interviewer. Prepare a list of questions ahead of time, based on what you are most interested in gaining from the experience. Do you want to learn about what their typical day looks like, or what experiences were most valuable for them when they were a student?  

4) Always send a thank-you note. Make sure to thank them for their time, and feel free to stay in touch. 

Also be aware that many health care professionals are working long and intense hours right now, and be respectful of the fact that some might not have the time to speak with students. 

What alternatives are there? Virtual Shadowing 

There are also quite a few opportunities for virtual shadowing experiences, and these are becoming increasingly more widespread due to the pandemic. Virtual shadowing experiences are usually quite different from in-person ones, and sometimes consist of pre-recorded videos as well as synchronous sessions. Make sure to check with each program to see if you can list it as official shadowing experience – this varies by program. 

While the virtual aspect can certainly take away from the direct nature of the experience, shadowing during COVID can offer some unique insight as well. Rarely before has it been possible to observe health care professionals at such an important time in the field, when their service to our communities is especially crucial. This can set the stage for meaningful conversations with health care professionals, if you have the opportunity to speak with them.  

Here is a sampling of virtual shadowing programs: 

HEAL Clinical Shadowing (physician) 

Webshadowers (physician) 

Medschool Coach Beyond Shadowing (physician) 

Teleshadowing (physician) 

Virtual Shadowing (mostly physician, some PA) 

Medical School Headquarters e-Shadowing (physician, PA) 

Pre-Health Shadowing (Medical, Nursing, Dental, Pharmaceutical, PA, PT) 

University of Colorado Virtual Shadowing (physician, nursing, PA) 

Physician Assistant Shadow Online (PASO) (PA) 

Ampers&PA Virtual Shadowing (PA) 

Empowered PAs (PA) 

OT Observation…Plan ‘B’ (Occupational Therapy) 

Dental Shadowers (Dental) 

Advancing in the Arts: Interviews with Alumni

When Abbey Atwater ’19 was a Career Peer Educator, she conducted several alumni interviews with Lawrence alumni who have gone on to pursue their Masters degree in an area of the arts. See what they have to say about their experience in graduate school so far, the application/ audition process, and what they hope to do following the completion of their degree!

The LSAT

Jonathan Hogan

The LSAT can make or break one’s application to law school, and it can earn a law student thousands of dollars in scholarship funding. It should thus be no surprise that law school applicants prepare religiously for this test. But what exactly is the LSAT? Why does one need to start studying the LSAT two years before they enter Law School? And what are some common strategies for preparing for the LSAT?

Most basically, the LSAT, or “Law School Admissions Test” is designed to test prospective students’ ability to succeed in Law School. It is comprised of four sections: (1) logical reasoning, (2) analytical reasoning, (3) reading comprehension, and (4) a writing section, and students receive scores ranging from 120 – 180. Since 2019, the LSAT, which takes 3.5 hours, has been administered on a tablet.

As is evident in the different sections that comprise the LSAT, the test places a high emphasis on students’ ability to reason, as well as their reading and writing skills. It is largely for this reason that studying for the LSAT often begins in the Winter of one’s Junior year—there is simply no cramming when it comes to the demonstration of skill. Students aspiring to transition directly from Lawrence to Law School will typically study from the Winter of their Junior year until June before their Senior Year when they take the test. Should the first test go poorly, students typically take the LSAT one last time in October before adding their LSAT to the rest of their application and submitting it in November or early December.

Because of the importance of the LSAT, there is a large industry that exists solely to prepare students for the LSAT. From paid courses like the “LSAT Bible” and Princeton Review’s LSAT prep to free courses such as those offered by Khan Academy, there is something for everyone’s price range and ambition. Generally, however, LSAT preparation begins with a practice test that determines an applicant’s baseline and continues with an education on common test-taking strategies as well the drilling of thousands of practice questions that are meant to simulate the LSAT while also exposing students to new formats and concepts.  

If the challenge of the LSAT and Law School in general sounds exciting rather than terrifying, consider attending Lawrence Pre Law Society and scheduling a meeting with Ty Collins here, our wonderful Career Advisor for those interested in Law!

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

Social Marketing

Jonathan Hogan

If you’re a humanities major, there’s a good chance that you’ve been told that your excellent writing and analytical skills could allow you to go into marketing.  You’ve probably rolled your eyes at this idea—why sell your soul to the optimization of an economic system that so obviously perpetuates terrible injustices?  But before you write off marketing forever, read this article on social marketing, a type of marketing typically sponsored by NGOs or governments and used for the betterment of society.

Social marketing is perhaps best explained through examples, and one of the best comes from Wisconsin’s own UW Madison. In 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, UW Madison, and a handful of NGOs teamed up to advertise healthy eating. They played off of Wisconsin residents’ love of their sports teams to create the ads visible in this article (Henschen). Further examples of social marketing can be found in the now ubiquitous “click it or ticket” campaign, and a water rationing campaign led in Jordan, in which businesses were entered into a lottery after installing water-conserving valves in their buildings to incentivize their installation and raise awareness about their effects (About Us | The NSMC).

If this article has piqued your interest, you might be wondering: how does one learn more about social marketing? A good place to start is The National Social Marketing Centre (link), an NGO dedicated to social marketing that has its origins in the innovative British Department of Health. The National Social Marketing Centre appears to be the home for social marketing, at least as it pertains to public health, and can serve to give you an even deeper understanding of social marketing as an industry. For a job in social marketing, the best places to look are state and federal government platforms such as USAJOBS. Simply entering the term “marketing” will yield plenty of results. The one caveat to this approach is that strong knowledge of marketing is typically required for these jobs. To be a competitive applicant, you’ll likely need an educational or experiential background in marketing. While this experience may indeed come from an entry-level social marketing position, it will most likely come from a Master’s in marketing, or experience at a less mission-oriented marketing position. Hopefully, however, the appeal of social marketing as an industry that both requires writing and analytical skills, and sees marketers work for the betterment of society, is enough to consider spending a few years in general marketing.

Jonathan is a Third Year German and Government major. He works as a Peer Educator to assist students in the CJW and GLI career communities. In addition to professional development, Jonathan is interested in the cultural construction of the modern nation-state, normative constraints on rational behavior, and all things German. You can schedule an appointment with him here to improve your resume, learn more about the CJW and GLI career opportunities, and work on anything else professional development-related.

Works Cited

About Us | The NSMC. https://www.thensmc.com/about-us. Accessed 12 Oct. 2021.

Henschen, Holly. “FoodWIse’s FNV Campaign Wins International Social Marketing Award.” University of Wisconsin-Madison, 10 July 2018, https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/news/2018/07/10/foodwises-fnv-campaign-wins-international-national-centre-for-social-marketing-award/.

Common #NES Graduate Degrees

Considering a Career in Education?  

If you are considering a career in Education, it is important to note that you often only need a Bachelor’s Degree in order to be a classroom teacher at the early childhood, K-12, and high school levels. However, if you would like to teach at the higher education or University level you often need at least a Master’s degree.   

These degrees can be pursued at any time after a Bachelor’s is achieved. For example, one can take a few years off after undergrad to get hands-on experience teaching in a classroom setting before pursuing their next degree. There is no right or wrong way to do it, it all depends on your schedule and how you would like to pursue the degree. 

If you’re considering getting a Master’s degree for the field of education, you must consider which Master’s degree is the right fit for you. Currently, there are two common Master’s programs that can take you two different paths in the field; the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and the Master of Education (M.Ed.). The MAT is for those who specifically want to teach in a classroom setting. On the other hand, the M.Ed. is often pursued by those who wish to work in administrative or policy roles, for example, within school districts, with the US Department of Education, or departments of education at the state level.   

There are two main Doctorate degrees for those in Education. The Doctorate in Education (Ed.D), and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Ph.D). The Ed.D is often pursued by those who want to work in positions of leadership and policy making within a school or school district. Whereas the Ph.D is often for those who wish to be University and Higher Education Teachers or teacher educators.  

Want to know more? Check out these sources below:  

Considering Religious Work?  

For those considering furthering their education in the field of Religious Work, it is important to know that many professionals in the field have Ph.D’s and Doctorates rather than just a Masters degree. However, there are multiple Master’s degrees available for those with different interests and aspirations. This is important to consider when career planning, and deciding exactly which career path you would like to take.  

The current Master’s programs offered for Religious Work is the Master of Divinity (MDiv), the Master of Religion(MRel), and the Master of Theological Studies (MTS). The MDiv is often pursued by those who wish to become ministers. The MRel is for those who want to specialize in any ONE religious tradition, whereas the MTS is for those who want to specialize in MANY different religious traditions.  

As mentioned before, those in the field of Religious Work often have Doctorates rather than just a Master’s degree. The Doctorates currently being offered is the Doctor of Divinity (DD), the Doctor of Biblical Studies (DBS) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Theology (Ph.D). The DD is for those who wish to lead religious organizations and the Ph.D is for those who wish to be researchers on Theological Issues. However, the DBS is specifically for those who want to specialize in the Christian faith.

Want to know more? Check out these sources below:  

Pursuing Graduate Work in Religious Studies (via) CSUChico.com

What Can I Do With a Relgion or Theology Degree? (via) DegreeQuery.com

Considering Social Work?

All positions in Social Work require at least a Bachelor’s Degree. However, many positions often require higher degrees in order to achieve them.  

For those interested in Social Work there is one main Master’s degree one can pursue; the Master’s of Social Work (MSW). Almost all social worker positions require at least a Bachelors, however, if you wish to become a licensed clinical social worker you must also have an MSW.  

There are also two Doctorates one can pursue in the area of Social Work. These are the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD). The DSW is beneficial for those wishing to continue their education as a clinical social worker in hopes of become agency heads and other positions of administration, whereas the PhD is for those considering being educators in social work.

Want to know more? Check out these sources below:

Do I Need a Masters Degree to be a Social Worker? (via) SocialWorkDegreeGuide.com  

Should I pursue a Ph.D in Social Work? (via) DworakPeck.usc.edu