Category: Working At Loyola

Looking for a Job or Internship?

Looking for a Job or Internship?

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Earlier this week, I braved the snowstorm to attend the well-anticipated Career Fair. I wasn’t there for long, so I only spoke with several companies.

The main companies I was looking to speak to were Deloitte and Epic, which I got the chance to do. Both companies were more interested in students that were graduating to hire full time, so my conversations were rather short. I gave them my resume and got a bit of information, and went on.

Since my Career Fair experience wasn’t as productive as I was hoping, this blog will be about general job resources instead of focused on only the Career Fair. So for those of you searching for a job or internship now, or will be looking in the future, here are my top resources:

  1. RamblerLink– I go on the RamblerLink website many times a week, sometimes even multiple times a day to see what updated jobs and internships they have. I search all of the different options, not just those that fit my description. It was through RamblerLink that I applied for The Power Company, and I got the job. Even though the company was listed under summer positions, I got a call back within a week and I got the job within two. It’s not always easy to get a job through RamblerLink, but if you keep applying and practicing and taking every opportunity you find, your chances increase greatly.
  2. Word-of-mouth (and sight)- If you hear that a place is hiring, or see that they are hiring (i.e. signs, advertisements), apply if you are interested. Applying everywhere is a great idea, but chances are higher that you’ll get a job at a place you know is actually hiring- you may save yourself time by applying later if you are still interested when they are hiring.
  3. Online- Searching online, whether on job websites such as Internships.com or Craigslist, or direct company websites such as wholefoods.com, is a great way to apply to places. Some companies have exact open positions listed on their websites, which makes your search easier. Be cautious about job websites though. Websites like Craigslist may be great for jobs, but they could also turn out very negatively. Apply at your own risk, and try to apply only to those that have as much detailed information (at least a company name and job description) as possible. Don’t apply somewhere just because they say “Hiring! $1000 a Week!”. Don’t do it.
  4. In person- This is where the Career Fair comes in. Applying or giving someone your resume in person may give you the opportunity to pick apart their brain and get some useful insight. Whether this gives you a better chance at getting a job depends on each individual interviewer and company, but these can be great opportunities to make connections. Sometimes in these cases, you can even get interviewed on the spot.

Using these techniques is a good idea, but take them a step further by using multiple at once. You don’t have to apply just online, by word of mouth, or just on RamblerLink. Use any combination of these techniques, and use as many as you can and want.

Fall Break!

Fall Break!

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Fall break has arrived and I am welcoming it with open arms and open books.

I kicked it off with a trip to the movies with a friend to see “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”. It was a truly wonderful movie with great acting. I read the book when I was in junior high, and as much as people have said that you should read the book before seeing it, I’m really glad that I didn’t remember a thing from the book. It was like a brand new experience, one that left me with a lot of food for thought.

Now that I have started fall break, the time has come to spend four straight days catching up on sleep and homework, and I’m actually fine with that. Tomorrow I will do neither, though, because I’m rising early to go to work. I’m excited for that  for several reasons.

First off, this is going to be the first Saturday that I work at my job ever, and I’ve been working there for over a year now, so I’m really happy about that. Second, it’ll be a fair, and I’ve never actually worked a fair before so it’ll be a little different from what I usually do at work.

Third and finally, which is kind of my favorite reason, I’ll be working downtown at the Water Tower Campus, as opposed to at Lake Shore Campus, so though I’ll be seeing my coworkers working, we’ll be in a different environment than I’ve ever seen them in. That may sound weird, but to me its really cool. Having this workday be different from my usual will be a nice change, and I know that it’ll make me appreciate my job even more because I’ll be seeing it from a new light.

Sunday will be the day when I finally get to catch up on my sleep. I plan on unplugging all phones and other electronics in the house, putting my sleep mask on, and knocking out for a good 12 hours. Yes, that does sound crazy, but so does going day after day to school on 5 hours of sleep. I want half a day of uninterrupted shut-eye so I can dream in peace.

Once I do wake up, it’s a complete homework day from there. There are several chapters and assignments that I need to catch up on, and I hope to get everything done by the time midnight rolls around. Time to break out my school rules and get crankin’!

Traveling & Study Abroad

Traveling & Study Abroad

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So for the past month, I have spent A LOT of time on the road and living out of a suitcase for fall travel, recruitment to various high schools and college fairs around Indiana & Illinois. This has led to quite a bit of reminiscing over my study abroad experience while I was a junior at Loyola University Chicago.

The summer before junior year, I traveled to Rome for a 2 week international 3 credit hour marketing course with a small group of students and one of my favorite professors, Stacy Neier. During our short-time abroad, we traveled throughout Rome, Florence, Lake Como, Milan and then we ended our trip in Paris. I started going through my photos from the trip and decided that the old saying is true, “a picture is worth a thousand words” so instead of writing about my experience, I’ve decided to share some of my photos!

-ROME-

-Florence-

-Lake Como-

-Milan-

-Paris-

Overall, it was an absolutely phenomenal experience, I’d definitely recommend that you consider making study abroad a part of your college experience. Loyola offers over 100 study abroad programs in over 55 countries, so you can definitely find the right location for you!

1,794 Miles

1,794 Miles

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As I’ve mentioned before, fall means travel season for Admission Counselors! So far I’ve spent a total of 9 days on the road and I’ve driven a total of 1,794 miles throughout Indiana! That’s an average of 199 miles per day, woah. While I love fall travel and the opportunity to meet with so many awesome perspective students, being on the road does make me miss Chicago.

I specifically miss the CTA or Chicago Transit Authority. The CTA is not only my regular form of transportation throughout the year, but also the 2nd largest public transportation system in the country. (Click here for more fun facts about the CTA!)

After living in the city for 5 years now, I definitely prefer taking one of the many CTA buses or trains instead of driving. It’s nice to be able to sit back and read my kindle or the RedEye, listen to music and watch the stops go by as I near my destination. By relying on the CTA, I never have to worry about navigating road construction, gas prices, car insurance, or finding parking in the city.

The CTA is a great option for Loyola students, as all full time students receive a U-Pass, which gives them unlimited use of all CTA transit during the semester. The red line, probably the most popular train route for LUC students, runs between Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus (the Loyola stop & the Chicago stop). The #147 (Outer Drive Express) bus route also runs between the two campuses on Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, also known as the “Magnificent Mile“..

The U-Pass is more than just an option for getting between classes, it’s a passport to the city! It will get you to Soldier Field to watch the Chicago Bears, U.S. Cellular Field to hopefully see the White Sox make it to the postseason, Millennium Park, Museum Campus, Chinatown, the House of Blues for a concert, or maybe just a random stop where you can do some exploring! It was definitely one of my favorite possessions as a Loyola student, and I think most students would agree with me.

If you’re up for a road trip yourself, I’d recommend planning a trip up to Loyola University Chicago on October 20th or November 17th for an Open House. They’re a great way to determine if Loyola is the right fit for you, and you can always hop on the CTA and do some exploring in the wonderful windy city!

Fall’s Fun Functions Part 1

Fall’s Fun Functions Part 1

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I have survived nearly a month of school, and I feel quite good about myself. I had my first test of the semester, my Accounting test, this morning, which gave me one of my first official feelings of school being back in session. I have settled back into a nice routine for the semester, so now it’s time to get back to writing and crank out some blogs.

Last week, I didn’t write any blogs (no excuses, shame on me), so I’ll write multiple for this week to try and make up for it. Last week’s main piece of news is that my work has hired new employees. I work in the Undergraduate Admissions Office, and this is the time of the year when we welcome new student workers, so welcome guys!

We had a group meeting last week in which we went over our new computer program where we will be entering data, and afterwards we all had pizza, courtesy to our awesome boss for getting it for us. Our meeting felt like the introduction to a new work year, even though I’ve been working since the school year started. We’ve got lots of work to do, and I’m excited to get started. Go data entry!

Some other news is that one of my best friends just turned twenty-one on Saturday, and to celebrate, she and I went to Dave and Busters Friday night. She hadn’t been there since high school, and I hadn’t been there since I was about three years old, so it was definitely a good time finally going back.

We had dinner at their restaurant before hitting up the games with the Power Cards that we purchased. We wanted to get some prizes, so we mostly played the games that offered tickets. When we were done, we bought some fun little gifts with our tickets, including pens with silly heads on them.

On Saturday, I was invited to go to Wheels Family Day with my boyfriend’s family, which was the perfect day for the event. It took place in Des Plaines, and was a six hour event filled with karaoke, games, psychic readings and lots of food.

The first thing I did was I got my fortune read by a tarot card reader. She said some interesting things, including that I will one day be involved with politics somehow. This was funny to me because I’ve never been interested in politics, so I decided to get a reading from the other fortune teller later in the day. All I can say about psychics is that we are the only people who make our future because the answers I got for some things not only varied, but I personally knew that they weren’t true. Hooray for fortune tellers.

There were several other cool things that I got to do there, but those I will save for tomorrow’s blog, so stay tuned for my continued weekend adventures. Until then, go try and read your own palms and tarot cards because you and the internet will probably be as accurate as the real deal.

An Addition to My Junior Year

An Addition to My Junior Year

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This semester I am taking a total of 15 credit hours at Loyola University Chicago. The scheduling also worked out very well so I could have the option to find a campus job to earn in between my classes.

I was able to get the opportunity to be a student worker with Undergraduate Admissions! Working twice a week, I will assist the receptionist, aid counselors with data entry, and be a new face that prospective students will see.

This is my first campus job during my time at Loyola. I would previously work in my hometown during the summer and winter break, but I thought I could help myself with the expenses of being an out of state student living downtown.

Being my first week, I was a little nervous because I was unfamiliar with the ins and outs of admissions. The staff and the experienced student workers were a huge help! The training that we gained with the new data entry system will also make sure that my work will help the staff a long way this year.

I will also have the opportunity to help out at the open houses this semester. I am excited to see students and their interests, just as I was in their position three years ago!

Coming to a School Near You…

Coming to a School Near You…

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Happy fall! What’s not to love about this time of year? Students are back on campus, the summer heat is slowly disappearing, pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks and it’s travel season for Admission Counselors!

This will be my first travel season and I’m ready to hit the ground running after weeks of phone calls and emails trying to schedule as many high school visits/college fairs as possible. I’ll attend 62 school visits and 12 college fairs in just 26 days in the following 4 states: Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey and New York.

All of the Admission Counselors are putting the finishing touches on their schedules, and we will be traveling just about EVERYWHERE! You can check out the travel schedule online to see when a Loyola Admission Counselor will be at your school or town. My advice if you do meet with an Admission Counselor- Ask Questions! Take advantage of the opportunity to meet with us in person; we can provide you with tons of information about our school and the admission process.

Not only is the office busy with fall travel this month, but we are also busy planning the first Open House of the year, which is Saturday, October 20th! If you’re up for a little traveling of your own, Open House is definitely a great way to visit campus and get a taste of Loyola University Chicago!

I’ll spend much of the next two months in planes, trains, automobiles, and hotel rooms, so that should allow me some time to blog and share tips about the admission process and Loyola!

We’re Back In Session

We’re Back In Session

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School has officially begun, and the buildings are crawling with students- we are taking over Loyola again!

I just got out of my new Literature class (30 minutes early), and I’m pretty sure almost the entire class is freshmen. Oh well, I need my other literary knowledge credit. I’m waiting for my new Theater class to begin now, my sixth class of the new semester. After this class is the class that I’m looking forward to most, Sociology 301.

I’m taking 7 classes this semester, 19 credits, and the workload is already piling up. In the next two weeks, I have to read an entire book for my Literature class,  4 chapters for Macroeconomics, 1 chapter with homework problems for Accounting, 1 chapter for Management and whatever else I have to do for my upcoming theater and sociology classes. Yes, this is me venting.

But despite the workload, I’m happy to be back. Though I love my downtime, I’m looking forward to essays, procrastinating and all-night cram sessions. I’m also looking forward to traveling the campuses again using the shuttle because I love those 20 minutes on the bus where I look out the window at the lakefront. Since the sun rises from that direction, it sparkles right over the water at the time I take the shuttle, and the views are breathtaking. It’s definitely been something I’ve been looking forward to seeing again all summer.

I’m looking forward to having more to blog about as well, and to checking my email and having real messages from teachers and classmates, not just spam mail from Ulta and Scholarships.com. To me, these reasons to be back are enough to enjoy it.

It’s time to head into my theater class now. Two more classes left to go, and then I get to go to work for a few hours. It’s going to be weird going from working over 20 hours a week to working just 5. I already miss seeing my coworkers all the time…

Ministry at Loyola

Ministry at Loyola

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I think a lot of people come with disparate views on how Loyola’s Catholic identity will affect their daily life. As a non-Catholic I have to admit this was a concern when I was looking at schools. But working with someone from Ministry last night reminded me just why I love them so much.

Catholicism at Loyola is like cat content on the internet: it’s there when you want it, but you can go as long as you like without noticing it it too. That’s why I like the Jesuits: they care about service and eduction, not pushing any agenda. Every priest that I have had the pleasure to meet (and I have had the pleasure to meet quite a few through my various work-study jobs) has always had the same attitude.

They are here on a mission of service and education. They are so happy to be there for any student with questions about their faith, and they are always excited, engaging, and gracious whenever I’ve wanted to clear up questions about their faith. But they never judge you for not being Catholic, and if you don’t bring it up then they won’t either. I respect that, a lot.

But if you do happen to work with them, you’ll find that they are some of the nicest people in the world. Not just the priests, but the other people involved in ministry too. I met with Steven Betancourt last night from Sacramental Life, the Director of Liturgical Music. He and I are working together to put on an event in the Madonna Della Strada Chapel. He is always so accommodating and easy to work with. I sometimes worry about how my department’s events will run once I leave with all my specialized knowledge and connections with other departments, but he reassures me that at least concerning the Chapel we will still be OK.

So for you non-Catholics out there thinking about Loyola, don’t worry. I have had a great time here and really enjoy the Catholic presence. But unless you actively search it out, the only reason you’ll know you’re at a Catholic University is that you get extra time off for Easter, they call it Christmas Vacation instead of Winter Break, you have to take 2 religion classes (any religion) and you’ll hear the church bell toll on the hour.

Garanzini And Me

Garanzini And Me

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I’ve always liked our president, the Reverend Michael J. Garanzini, S.J.

The first time that I saw him was when I was crossing the street on Devon and Glenwood. It was a rare and shocking glimpse to see him so far down Devon by himself. I’ll never know what he was doing there. But as we crossed the street towards each other, I knew I wanted to try to make a quick impression. So rather than nervously addressing him, “Hello Fr. President Sir” or something like that, I approached him with my first firmly extended for a fist bump, nodded my head up and said “sup dude?” He smiled a big huge smile, said “HEY!” and bumped my fist. Awesome.

After that I started running audio at events in Mundelein Auditorium. There were a few whirlwind events back to back in the auditorium, so I had the occasion to run into him more than once in a short amount of time. Each time since then I tried to give him that same “sup dude?” and bump his fist if I could. Even if it only ever worked a couple time it was still great each time. What a down to Earth president, right?

The best part of this story happened a few days after the last event. I was walking alone the lakeshore and saw him walking with another Jesuit priest. I did not want to make him break decorum in front of the other priest so I politely smiled, intending to just let him pass. But to my surprise he stopped for a moment when they got close. “This,” he said to the other priest as he took of his glasses and poked me in the shoulder, “is the guy who keeps everything together.”

Then he was gone. I haven’t gotten to see him as much since. But I have half a mind to give him a fist bump when I walk across the stage in May.