Supplementing Academics: Learning outside the classroom

First off, Academics are VERY important and should take a great deal of your focus and time at Gettysburg. However, you may also want to explore opportunities outside the classroom, as those experiences can be extremely valuable in helping to shape you as a person and prepare you for your future.  Through those opportunities you can learn about your interests, abilities, and skills as they relate to the professional world. They can be influential in how you’d like to use your studies and how you want to make a difference in this world.

Don’t wait!  Make the most of each year at Gettysburg.  You don’t have to be involved in a million activities - find your ideal balance and find something you really enjoy.  Explore, have fun, find out who you are, what you’re good at (or not), and what you like (or don’t).  There are ample opportunities on Gettysburg’s campus, so start exploring!

Experiential Learning:  Learning through experience is incredibly valuable - learn something completely new or use/enhance what you’ve learned in the classroom. Investigate your career interests, gain accurate knowledge of the workplace, and learn relevant skills by participating in job shadowing, externships, internships, immersion trips, student employment, and more through the Center for Career Development.  Additionally, check out the amazing programs and trips offered through the Office of Experiential Education, Center for Public Service, and Eisenhower Institute.

Leadership:  Did you know that there are more than 1,000 leadership opportunities every year at Gettysburg?  Starting a new student organization, serving on the executive board of a club/organization, coordinating volunteers, planning campus programs, and serving on a campus committee are a few examples.  A leader doesn’t have to be someone in a formal leadership position, though. Check out the Garthwait Leadership Center, which is an excellent resource to help you start building and enhancing your leadership skills.

Athletics:  NCAA includes 11 men’s and 11 women’s sports – whether you are team member or a fan, show your Gettysburg pride!  Campus Recreation also offers 8 club sports, or you can get a group of your friends together to form a team or simply join one in existence for any of the intramural sports, tournaments, or special events.

Clubs & Organizations:  Over 120 – that’s right! Chances are, no matter your interest, you can find an organization in which to get involved and meet other students.  If you don’t, talk to the Office of Student Activities about how to start one.
Research with faculty, community service/volunteering, student employment, and so much more!

FUN FACT:  Did you know that you can print your Participation & Recognition Report in the Student Center, which includes your involvement in many of the above activities, as well as honors you’ve received during college.  It is a great resource to have as you move beyond Gettysburg – you may not always remember everything you were involved in!

Demystifying Career Networking Dinners

If you have not been able to attend any of the Information Sessions on the Career Networking Dinner opportunities during this winter break, please let me provide you with a student’s take on these experiences:

As a sophomore, I attended a dinner with an alum located in Washington, D.C. It was nerve-wracking to think about what would be discussed during the evening. My best advice would be to just bite the bullet (pun intended). Think of the experience as a chance to personally grow while getting to know another Gettysburgian.

The real purpose of these dinners is to get to connect and learn about this alum, other guests and students that are in attendance. You already know that you have one aspect in common, Gettysburg. Since my dinner, I have remained in contact with the alum and his personal friend that was in attendance. I have remained in contact with him and feel that he has become almost a mentor to me.

If you are placed in a Job Shadowing or Networking Dinner that was not your first choice or are uncertain what you want to do in life. It does not matter. The point of these experiences is to connect and develop your skills as a careerist, student and mostly as an individual. Each and every student on this campus will be in a situation where networking will be necessary. Why not take advantage of the plethora of resources that our campus, specifically the Center for Career Development has to offer…

Taylor Larsen ’14
Political Science Major
Art History Minor

More information on 2014 Winter Break Opportunities
Gettysblog Help on Applications

Transitioning a High School Resume to a Professional Resume

If you are an incoming first year student at Gettysburg you probably have some experience with a resume.  You’ll be working on your resume over the next four years, and if you want to work on campus, you might need to submit a resume through Gettysburg Works.  There are might be some considerable differences between the resume you used for college applications and the professional resume you’ll be using on campus and after college.  Here are a few tips to help you transition:

• No hours needed - You don’t need to list how many hours a week/year you participated in an activity.  You do need to provide real dates (not semesters, quarters, trimesters, etc.)
• No “selfies” - If you’ve got your picture on your resume you can take it off.  That’s not the best use of space and doesn’t matter to your future employer. 
•  Keep it to one page - You did plenty of incredible things before coming to Gettysburg, but you should only pick the most recent and relevant activities/work experiences for your resume.  It also helps to tailor your selections based upon the job you are applying to.
• Describe your experience – You should talk about what you did/accomplished for each job or activity.  Avoid using “I” and describe your experiences with action statements and deliverables. 
• Keep it organized - Create sections and place items in reverse chronological order (most recent first). You shouldn't break things down by class year.
• No references needed – You will need to provide references for your future job applications but don’t waste space on your resume by including references there.

We have plenty of resources on the Career Development website that can help you and we strongly suggest reviewing our resume handout and a sample professional resume (sample 1 and sample 2) before submitting anything through Gettysburg Works.

What is Gettysburg Works?

Gettysburg Works is the College’s system of record for employer relations and job postings.  Over your four years at Gettysburg you’ll use Gettysburg Works in a number of ways. 

• You might be asked to submit a resume for an on-campus job at Gettysburg.  Resumes in Gettysburg Works require approval.  Once you get one resume approved you’ll be able to upload as many as you want without approval. 
• You’ll have the option to set up (and update) your profile information.  You should always keep you profile up to date so that we can let you know about events and opportunities that fit your career interests. 
• You’ll use Gettysburg Works to identify internships and post-grad job opportunities.  You might even use Gettysburg Works to submit a resume to a potential employer and set up an on-campus interview. 
•  You’ll RSVP for career related events.  We often like to know how many students will attend a given event.  Therefore, we ask that you RSVP in Gettysburg Works.  Another good reason to RSVP is because you’ll receive a reminder email before the event itself!

Since you’ll be spending some time on Gettysburg Works we suggest getting oriented with the system now.  If you need help we have a great users guide online.  Log in now to get started and let us know if you have any questions!