Success Stories: Rachel
How have you benefited from using the Career Center services?
The Career Center has been a valuable resource for every step of my undergraduate educational journey, from resume development to heart-to-heart career advice, I’ve absolutely benefited both practically and emotionally. Being able to work through messy drafts and frustrating obstacles with professionals who are so caring and competent has been wonderful.
How did working with the Career Center impact your internship/job search?
The Career Center worked with me to understand which programs might be a fit for me both academically and personally. They also helped me understand what to expect throughout the search process, and I cannot stress this enough, start EARLY in the beginning of the semester! This arrangement motivated me into thoughtful action and put me on a more comfortable timeline.
What was the most helpful advice given to you by the Career Center?
My Career Consultant, Amanda Duvall, patiently worked on many projects with me, through multiple iterations of my personal statement. Her most helpful advice centered around strategic writing that showcased my unique personality while also appropriately highlighting strengths and learning experiences.
What challenges were you facing and how did the Career Center help you solve them or motivate you to solve them?
I severely lacked confidence in the quality and organization of my writing. Applying to graduate school while balancing a full load often left me feeling frazzled and wondering how I would design cohesive, thoughtful essays. Amanda and I worked to not only edit current drafts but to develop strategies for tackling my work without becoming overwhelmed. With the Career Center, the graduate school application process transformed into bite-size mini-deadlines instead of a large, looming beast.
What advice would you give others facing the same challenges you did?
Always ask for help! You will never be “annoying” or “incompetent” for utilizing your resources at TCU (I did–and often!). The Career Center delights to know that you are making progress in your career trajectory and will gladly support you along every step. Start early, make a monthly timeline and rigorously adhere to it, and write or edit just a little bit every single day!
Where there any specific events you went to that were beneficial? If so which one and why was it helpful?
Knowing that drop-in resume workshops were available to me was a huge relief. I was constantly updating my resume, and events like those motivated me to maintain current drafts.