Helpful Tips: Preparing for the end of the semester and beyond

Dear Students:

As you get closer to the light at the end of the spring semester tunnel, the SPP Student and Career Services office has put together a list of resources to help you make the most of your summer and your life outside of GMU.

Stay Connected to SPP
Whether you are registered for courses with us this summer, taking the summer off from classes, or preparing to graduate from your program, be sure to stay connected to SPP and GMU.

• SPP Virtual Community – Keep your finger on the pulse and keep in touch with your SPP network through our LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook announcements. Our Currents online publication is also a “one stop shop” for school news, policy events, faculty publications and more.
• Today@Mason – This online calendar will link you to all events taking place at GMU each day, which makes it an excellent source know all about the hundreds of Mason happenings each month.
• SPP Alumni Chapter – If soon will be walking across the stage for your SPP graduation the next step in your SPP experience should be to join the SPP Alumni Chapter. Aside from earning your SPP degree, getting involved with the Alumni Chapter is an opportunity not to be missed.
  - Mark your calendars ▪ 2012 Alumni Chapter’s Awards and Recognition Gala ▪ May, 31st 6-9pm
• Frequently Asked Questions for New Alumni

SPP Career Services: Resources for Students and Alumni:
The School of Public Policy offers comprehensive career services, providing individualized assistance to SPP students and alumni. Professional career advisors are available to review resumes and cover letters, explore career goals, identify employment opportunities, and provide the skills needed for a successful career search. Professional development workshops and employer information sessions are held throughout the academic year.

• Mentoring Program and Networking Resources
• Job Opportunities
• Professional Organizations
• Internship/Cooperative Education Positions
• International Student Resources

To view a current Career Services event schedule, please click here: Career Events & Workshops

Volunteer Positions and Professional Development
Volunteering may not always be something that graduate students are able to fit into their crammed schedules. However, the summer months might be the perfect time to do just that. In addition to wanting to help others and do good deeds, people volunteer for a myriad of reasons for their own personal benefit. Volunteering for professional development can be a truly rewarding experience for both reasons. Volunteering is a great way to build your network, sharpen certain professional skills, gauge your interest in a new field, and even to get your foot in the door at a particular organization.

By thinking about volunteering as a mutual exchange, you can feel good about your volunteer service by knowing that, although you may seek a positive benefit from the service, your efforts are going towards a greater good.

The below links are two great resources to help you identify the right volunteer opportunity for you:

• VolunteerMatch – This online resources enables people to view nearly 80,000 active volunteer opportunities with organizations, such as: Foreign Policy Association, Oceana, American Red Cross, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, Hope for the Warriors, and many others…
• Professional Organizations – This list of professional organizations, compiled by SPP Career Services, provides a sense of many policy related agencies, associations, and professional groups that students may be interested in becoming involved with in different capacities.

Professionalism in the Workplace/Practical Job Advice
Distinguished Visiting Professor & CIA Officer-in-Residence, Robert Deitz, put together a frank and practical guide that can be utilized throughout your professional career. The guide touches on important career topics such as: Work Habits, Dress, Etiquette, and E-stuff (Internet and Email tips). To view the complete guide, please visit the following link.

Emotional Quotient (EQ) vs. Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
What if I told you that there’s a certain trait that can singlehandedly shape your personal and professional life. As a graduate student you are most likely juggling many responsibilities at the same time while trying to maintain a balance between your academic, family, social and work lives. You approach your graduate program with tenacity to earn good grades and complete your degree requirements in a reasonable amount of time to fit your future goals. However, as you juggle academics with the rest of your life there is more to your graduate program than a transcript full of straight A’s and a diploma on the wall. Our society places a great deal of emphasis on one’s IQ, but we often forget about the other side of the coin.

Your Emotional Quotient (or emotional intelligence) is an equally important, if not greater, factor of your success in life. We often put far greater emphasis on one’s IQ, but the following scholarly works will have you paying much more attention to your own Emotional Quotient.

Here are two articles on the topic that you might find interesting:

EQ in the work place- What’s Your “E.Q.”? By O’Dell, I. and Glover, R. (Northern Illinois University)

EQ versus IQ- Emotional Intelligence: Why does it matter? By Campbell, N. (University of Washington)

The Student Services team wishes you continued success!