Get Lost In Books (But Don't Bite People!)

I consider myself to be a reading fanatic, not because I've read everything there is to read (I have a ways to go!), but because I constantly find myself getting lost in a story. I'm still able to decipher between reality and fiction - unlike the boy in Des Moines who bit eleven female peers after reading Twilight - but I have a tendency to get more wrapped up in the fictional world only reluctantly returning to reality. A suggestion by two authors in a guide for teachers reminds me of myself (Jennifer Serravallo and Gravity Goldberg published Conferring with Readers: Supporting Each Student's Growth & Independence). The first paragraph says:

"Stop for a minute and let your mind drift back to the times in your life when reading mattered, the times when you were so totally engrossed in a book that it was more important than the phone ringing, the hungry grumbles in your stomach, or your favorite TV show starting. Remember a time when you were so lost in a book, you stayed up all night long to finish it. Remember a time you cheered out loud for a character. Remember a time you and your son fell asleep in bed while you were reading to him; you awoke several hours later with the book squished in between the two of you."

I do almost all of those things on a regular basis, with the exception of reading to my non-existent son. The most recent book that made me actually jump up out of my comfy seat, to the point where I was standing on my bed reading furiously, was Elizabeth Flock's Me & Emma about an eight-year old girl named Carrie who deals with an overactive younger sister, an absent neglectful mother, and a gruesome stepfather. Her past and present mix as she narrates the tale leading up to her hospitalization. Yes I just told you that she's hospitalized in the end, but trust me I haven't given anything away. If you read this book, I hope you find yourself getting lost in Carrie's powerless situation.

You may be wondering why this career-related blog is discussing reading and great books. Well, I'm an English major. Reading and great books are pretty much always on my mind. Besides gaining knowledge of up-and-coming authors, I'm extending my favorite genres so I'm more able to talk to almost anybody about literature. But after you jump into books, you should still be able to differentiate between reality and fiction. (You should not bite your peers, but you should read!)

Are You Friends With Your Boss on Facebook?

I just presented this information at Scholars Day last week. The topic was very well received. Students and parents had a lot of questions about it. A lot of my paper concerned the information I posted a couple weeks ago about the laws concerning hiring and firing employees. But, I'm adding some other important info so students really know how much employers use Facebook and other social networking sites (SNSs) as tools to learn more about job applicants.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducted a study of 257 employers. Over 11% of those 257 confirmed that they use SNSs to investigate job candidates, while over 40% were undecided whether to use them or not. Keep in mind that any survey asking for self-report may be skewed. More employers may be using SNSs as a research tool than they claim. Why would they lie about this? Well, the legalities of researching applicants are very sticky. If an employer sees the applicant's religion on Facebook, does the employer judge the applicant by that even on a subconscious level? We'll never TRULY know, but you can see that it's a possible issue. A lot of employers don't dare tell the world that they use Facebook because they can't risk being sued for prejudice or breaking the law concerning equal opportunity employment.

Similar to NACE's research, CareerBuilder.com surveyed 3,169 employers and 8,785 employees in 2008. Their study showed that 22% of employers use SNSs to check up on job applicants. This survey asked participants what the most inappropriate information is on SNSs. 41% of employers agreed that drug- and alcohol-related comments or photos on Facebook would discourage them from hiring someone. Offensive and improper photos were second on the list. The other seven items labeled inappropriate were related to professionalism, unlawful behavior, and discrepancies on resumes. For instance, the work history I proudly display on my Facebook Info may say that I work at Career Services. However, if I then bash the office or down-play my role, I'd be deemed unprofessional.

You should also know that Facebook photos have caused a lot of negative consequences. A woman named Stacy Snyder attended Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She was working towards her certification in Secondary Education with a focus in English. However, photos of her dressed as a pirate and consuming alcohol emerged on her Facebook profile. The college denied her the certificate, only allowing her a degree in English instead. This is not the only example. Another woman, Tamara Hoover, taught Art in high school. She was fired for behavior unbecoming of a teacher when nude photos of her appeared on her partner's website. Keep in mind, the photos were taken by a professional photographer. However, the material is inappropriate for students to see of their teacher. Obviously pictures aren't the only issue on SNSs, but they do have negative consequences. Please keep this in mind when uploading that picture of you (or your friend) doing a keg stand at last weekend's party. You and your friend will be happy later on if that photo is deleted forever.

Personal Statements

Kate Nagle-Caraluzzo wrote an exceptional how-to guide to writing personal statements which was published in The Stylus as a Career Corner article. To view the article, click here. I won't step on her toes by providing more tips. I'm simply going to discuss my experience writing a personal statement for a graduate school application.

Prior to sitting down at a computer to write my personal statement, I read every how-to guide, tips sheet, and "what is a personal statement?" website I could find. I scared myself by thinking that I couldn't be creative enough to write a good hook (to catch the reviewer's attention). I scared myself into thinking that I wasn't even good enough for graduate school and that my experiences didn't coincide with my future career goals. Needless to say, it took all my efforts to finally write the 2 page statement. I was writing about myself but found nothing to say.

I started with the usual "I love English because..." then morphed into a Career Services-based paper on the importance of finding the right career that fits my personal needs. I gave up on those tracks really quickly because they were boring and impersonal (the exact opposite of my goal).

Finally, I just wrote about the time I realized just how passionate I am about literature and the written word. A few years ago, my professor wrote a Mark Twain quote on the white board:

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - it is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.

I found myself scribbling furiously to get this gem written down on my notebook. For some reason, a feverish quality struck me. I desperately needed to have this quote ingrained in my memory, or at least on my notebook to look back upon in the future.

Throughout the semester I would trace the words with my pen until the quote was quite literally etched into the plastic. I still have that binder with the bright blue ink spelling out that wonderful quote. I still think of how the words affected me. That's how I know I'll make a great graduate student. And, that's the point I had to convey in my personal statement.

To all those writing personal statements, the tip sheets all say to make it personal. I cannot stress that point enough. Use specific details from your personal experiences to make your statement stand out. If you think you've written a stellar statement, you should still get it reviewed by others. Anybody can help with this, but if you'd like a professional you can visit Career Services during drop-in hours between noon and 2pm.

Internships Lunch & Learn

Career Services is hosting a Lunch & Learn about our four internship programs:

America Reads

Brockport Career Exploration Course

Disney College Program

Albany Semester Program

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 28th from noon to 1pm in Union room 228. If you're interested in finding out more about internships, please RSVP to 395-2159.

Pizza and soda will be provided as well.

Surprise: English Major Suggests Reading!

Reading has plenty of benefits. The usual list includes the expansion of your vocabulary, spelling and grammar; improved fluency, comprehension, and communication; broadening your knowledge of content areas; and of course providing you with opportunities to discuss literature!

My favorite part about reading is the reputation I've gained for it. No, I don't mean people call me a nerd (that I know of). I'm talking about people knowing that I love to read anything and everything. Therefore, friends and family are constantly recommending new books and authors to me.

Over the weekend, a fifteen-year old friend of the family suggested a new series of books to me. She's not your normal fifteen year old when it comes to her reading list, which includes everything from Dante's Inferno to Portuguese poetry to the trendy Twilight saga. Nonetheless, the books she offered were of the young adult genre. While some haughty college students - especially us English majors - would think, "Um, that's below me" with our noses stuck in the air, I know her taste is usually good and gave her suggestions a try.

I read both books in the series on Saturday. (That's something I love about young adult novels: quick and easy.) I actually liked them which opened my eyes; I shouldn't just work off of the college professors' list of suggested reading.

I've branched out to experience genres I'd never dreamed about reading: vampires, ghost hunting, poetry (ugh!), and mystery. None of these genres interested me in the past, but this attitude towards reading everything recommended to me has really opened my eyes. I have to admit that I got swept up in the Twilight craze, but at the same time I could read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in Middle English all night!

What have you read lately that isn't a clunky textbook or a novel on your syllabus?
Side note: I was asked this question during an interview for my internship last summer. It's a good thing my leisure time is dedicated to reading or I would have been stumped!