When you're sitting in class or you're at work, what are you thinking? I can tell you that I'm usually either thinking, "What should I eat for lunch?" or "What show should I watch when I get home today?" We're always thinking about what to do next or about something that's happened already. It's hard for many of us to really be present in the moment and we don't even realize it. When you're thinking, "Wow, I'm really happy my boyfriend texted me this morning" while you're folding shirts at your job at H&M, you're not truly present. You are in the past. When you're in the past or the future, you're missing out on what's happening right in front of you. If you're at work, the consequence of being in your thoughts or "zoning out" may be missing important instructions from your manager. There are ways you can stay present in the moment and avoid wandering off mentally. That...

Have you ever just taken any job or internship opportunity you received without second thought? You might be wondering, "What is there to think about? If you want to make money or gain work experience, you just apply, go to the interview, and take the job." It sounds simple enough, right? But many don't realize the consequences of jumping on every opportunity they come across. I'm going to give you a couple of things to be mindful about the next time you go job hunting or go looking for internships. 1. Make sure the jobs & internships you take don't seem suspicious. Avoid jobs and internships that schedule interviews past business hours . Most offices are closed by 5pm every day and closed on the weekends. If you found a job opening and got an interview at 6am on a Saturday, don't go! It's a scam. Watch out for jobs that send you checks before you work . You get paid after you work and if you cash that check, your bank account will c...

Need to brush up on your interview skills? Just follow these tips and practice them: 1. Practice in the mirror. When you're at home, pretend you're in an interview and maintain eye contact with yourself in the mirror. 2. Schedule a mock interview at C-102. You will be evaluated on your interviewing skills, etiquette, and presentation. The interview will be tailored to the position you are applying to and will be like an actual interview when you walk in. You can also set up mock interviews with friends.  3. Learn about interview questions. Get familiar with commonly asked questions and your responses to them.  Some examples of commonly asked questions interviews are:  Tell me about yourself What are your greatest strengths? Weaknesses? Why do you feel you'll be successful in this position? Where do you see yourself in five years? Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills. ...

When it comes to your job experiences and skills, you have different levels of competencies. You may have more experience with customer service but have little understanding about working with a cash register, and that's okay. When you are creating your resume, you're tailoring it to your skills by highlighting your skills and your competency in certain areas. With your qualifications and skills, there are three levels of competency: Competent More competent Very competent 1. Competent Competent means you have average knowledge in a specific area. You don't have to be an expert, you just have to know the basics of how something works. You may be relatively new to this area and have more to learn. Phrases you can use to describe you are competent in an area are: Basic knowledge of... Familiarity with.. Understanding of... Experience in... Example: Familiarity with (POS) Point of Sales terminals 2. More Competent More Competent means you have...

Research- The very first thing to do before you even start practicing for the interview is to research the company you’re going to interview with. The employer expects you to talk about the following: how did you hear about this opening, why you want to work here, and what do you know about the company. That’s just the beginning, so you want to make sure you make a great impression on the employer.   This can be achieved by knowing about the company. You can go the company’s website and read the section “About Us”, the Facebook page, or Twitter profile.   These are the things that will give you an idea of what the company is actually about and what they’re expecting from you.   Practice-   It’s one of the most crucial things that must be done in order to ace an interview. You will never get a job if you don’t rehearse for an interview. No matter how smart you are, you always have to prep.   One of the best ways to prepare your responses is creating ...

Around 75% of college students are working in an internship. This means three out of your four friends have an internship.   What about the last one? Oh, he or she might already have a full time job. How can you make yourself stand out from such a massive amount of students or increase your opportunity to get a full time job through an internship?             First of all, take the internship as seriously as possible . Your attitude decides what you can get from the internship. Some internships are low-paid or unpaid, so, some people will not pay enough attention to it or even play around.   If you’re like that, I highly recommend you leave the internships for other, more dedicated people.   An internship can provide young workers the opportunity to build skills for their resumes or meet people who are working in their preferred industry, regardless of whether its paid.   If you take the internship seriousl...