Why Worry When You Have Us

By Alysha Gomes, Toppel Peer Advisor

With all the stress of courses, jobs, and even social events, University of Miami STUDENTS AND ALUMNI often overlook the resources the Toppel Career Center offers.

As a student myself, I walked into the building and was amazed with its structure and technology; however, Toppel’s purpose is not to mystify, but to educate and assist. I did not realize all the opportunities Toppel offers until I was hired as a peer advisor.

Growing up, my parents portrayed the professional population as being in one of two fields: Food service or healthcare. Simply put, I could either become a doctor or I would end up working at McDonalds (flipping burgers, not as a corporate worker). However, now that Toppel has opened my eyes, I now know how many occupations and professional fields there actually are and how simple it is to request help in acquiring a desired position. I encourage you all to, as cliché as it may be, let Toppel open your eyes as well.

Don’t know where to start?

• Come in for a tour! – A tour will give you an overview of all our staff members and services we offer.
• Don’t feel like coming in? –Go online to HireACane.com! You can find anything and everything Toppel with just a few clicks.

Don’t know what professions are out there?

• Come to one of our information sessions! Companies from big to small come to Toppel every week to provide information on their company. These can be found on our programs/events calendar at HireACane.com!
• Companies that you may have never heard of but are absolutely amazing come to Toppel! Also, they provide new information each time they come, so don’t assume you know everything about them. In actuality you can never know enough if your going to invest you time into applying!

Don’t know what professions to pursue?

• Schedule an appointment to speak to an advisor! Simply go onto HireACane.com and click request an appointment on the right side column. They will help you:
• Pick a major
• Choose a professional field/career
• Figure out your life

Need help in applying to a(n) internship/job/school/anything?

• Come to walk-in hours on Monday-Thursday from 10:00am- 4:30pm to get help with your resume and cover letter!
• Schedule an appointment for a mock interview to practice your interviewing skills or go over personal statements and applications.
• Come to one of the countless workshops Toppel holds on how to:
• Interview
• Resume Build
• Utilize Social Media
• Organize/Time Manage
• AND SO MUCH MORE

Need help in getting hired/chosen?

• Come to one of our fashion shows on how to present yourself professionally! (This is actually really useful because things you would think are presentable are actually not.)
• Come to a networking event! Toppel has amazing connections! They can help you connect to pretty much anything anywhere.

Toppel offers even more beyond this! If you can think of anything career related, we have someone you can talk to that not only knows about it but is an expert on it and can get you in touch with a recruiter/school/anyone regarding it. It is truly a wonderful resource that is not utilized as often as it should be. I love Toppel and use its connections/resources all the time in my professional life- so should you!

           

How to Use Parental Connections in the Search for Internships

By: Marissa Bell

It’s getting to be that time of year again where at the end of every phone conversation with the parents, they inevitably ask you, “So… have you thought about your plans for the summer yet?” Back in the, what I have affectionately coined, “The Golden Years” (aka the years around the age of 7-12), the answers were simple. Catching fireflies, going swimming, hanging out with friends, and fun things like that. As you got older the pressure was there to find a job and to start thinking about the future. Now that you’re in college, the focus has turned entirely onto finding an internship to prepare for the daunting professional future. And if you’re really lucky, one of your parents will say, “You know, my old college roommate is the CEO of *insert dream company here*. I’m sure she could help you get an internship there if you’re interested?” Well… obviously. Who wouldn’t be interested? But using a parental connection can create a somewhat awkward situation that can be harder to navigate than just sending resumes and cover letters off to a faceless recruiter. Here are 3 of the biggest tips to remember when applying for an internship using a connection from your parents:


Tip 1: Strike the Proper Tone

If it was your mom or dad’s college roommate, you’ve no doubt got some funny anecdotes about them. However, this is NOT the place to bring up the time you heard they mooned the President of their university or when they pranked their roommates. Yes, these are funny stories, but just by mentioning them before this person knows anything else about you, you’ve taken away from your own professionalism. This is still a first impression, not a time to bring up funny stories from the past. Of course, it’s still appropriate to let them know that you do have a connection with them, it gives them a reason to read your cover letter and resume, but keep it professional.

Tip 2: Don’t Let Your Parents Take Over

While this is a connection from your parents, don’t let them take over the entire process. It’s easy to just ask them to send an email directly to their friend and ask if there are any positions open, but the employers will be left wondering why you didn’t just do it yourself. Your parents are there to help establish a connection, but once that’s happened it’s up to you to stand alone on your own merit to get the job yourself. The worst thing you can do is make your parents do everything and then have everyone else think you only got the job because of them. Parents want to help you but there comes a time when you just need to tell them to take a step back and handle it yourself.

Tip 3: Don’t Slack Off

Just because the CEO of your dream company happens to be your parent’s old best friend doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a position based on that alone. It’s tempting to just send an email saying, “You knew my dad is college, here’s my resume” and expect that the connection between them and your family to do the rest of the work. But that will end up kicking you in the butt. Never slack off and expect someone other than yourself to get you a job. It’s up to you to treat this person just like any other employer. It will help you to be professional and make sure that you show the employer that you’re more than their friend’s son or daughter, but a potential candidate for a position that could bring a lot of positive things to the table.

The biggest thing is to use these connections. Your parents have gone through their entire lives meeting people who could potentially be your future bosses. It’s an amazing opportunity to be connected to someone you might not have necessarily been able to get in touch with otherwise. But just remember that you are more than just your parents child. Make sure the employer knows that too.