Lexi Pappas ’12 in Los Angelos, CA

“I was awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant through the college to research a self-designed project comparing scripted versus unscripted comedy in Los Angeles this winter term. The grant covered the cost of living and all the many shows I saw, but I funded my own way to taking six improv, film, and sketch comedy writing classes through The Upright Citizen’s Brigade and The Second City, two of the best improv and sketch comedy companies in the country. I traveled to Hollywood each day for class, and then back again at night to see various professional sketch and improv shows. I was able to create my own sketches and see them performed, as well as perform improv on the same stage as the professional improvisers do. Being in Los Angeles was incredible, and I cannot explain how much this off-term meant to me. I learned that the best way to produce quality comedy is to be myself on the stage and also through my writing. Going to LA was a life-changing experience, as I was surrounded by people much older and more experienced in acting and writing than me. I would not trade my off-term for anything, but it was always nice to know I had Dartmouth to look forward to, and I am incredibly happy to be back in Hanover!”

Matt Dalhausen ’11 in Bangkok, Thailand

Above, Matt in front of the bridge over River Kwai in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

“I’m taking classes at Chulalongkorn in Bangkok, Thailand on an engineering exchange program. There are four Dartmouth students on the four-month long program at Chula, and during the fall three Thai students from Chula will be taking classes and doing research at Dartmouth. Since we are only allowed to transfer four credits from Chula, and the normal course load here is six or seven courses, we’ve had lots of free time to go traveling on weekends. Highlights have been snorkeling at several tropical islands, visiting the bridge at River Kwai and relaxing at some of Thailand’s beautiful waterfalls. I’m looking forward to the Thai holiday of Songkran, a three-day water festival when Thais take to the streets with water guns and buckets for a non-stop water fight. You can following along with my adventures at: http://mattinthailand.wordpress.com/.”

From round the girdled earth is featured every Monday. Send a photo and short update from your off-term to schewe [at] dartmouth.edu for inclusion.

Skip Sturman, Director of Dartmouth Career Services

Question: I recently received a job offer which appeals to me but I won’t hear about other jobs I’ve applied to for several more weeks. How should I handle this situation?

Answer: First, congratulations. Any good job offer is to be prized in these tough economic times. Second, you can always ask the employer by which date they need a firm commitment. If sincerely interested in the position, be sure to convey that interest and your enthusiasm while determining whether or not you need to sign on the dotted line right away. Many employers are willing to negotiate a date by which they need a firm decision from you but these same employers- especially in tough economic times- have little incentive to wait indefinitely while you pursue other offers. Above all, DON’T prematurely accept an offer with the intent of continuing your job search until a better offer comes along. Reneging on job offers leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth and could come back to haunt you in subsequent job searches.

Question of the Week is featured every Thursday. Want your question answered by a member of the Career Services staff? Email your question to schewe [at] dartmouth.edu

Abby McCann ’11 in Winslow, Maine

“I spent my winter term directing the theater department at my high school in Winslow, ME. When I was a student at Winslow High School, I was very involved in its theater productions, especially the one-act plays that were put on every winter as part of the statewide Maine Drama Festival. Unfortunately, my senior year was the last time Winslow was represented at this competition. Faculty changes within the theater department had made it impossible for my high school to prepare a show to compete the last two years, and after speaking with my high school’s administration, it seemed unlikely that they were going to find new faculty to head up the program again this winter. I was very upset that students at Winslow, including my brother, Mike, who is a junior this year, would not have the opportunity to experience the one-act play festival. After reworking my D-Plan, I was able to take the winter term off, move home, and start working at the high school. We rehearsed daily for the months of January and February on “Dragons” by Lucile McIntyre, a challenging one-act drama focused on the before and after events of a drunk-driving accident involving high school students en route to their graduation ceremony. Among the other heavy topics addressed in the script were child hunger, alcohol abuse, and domestic violence. My students were so affected by the show’s message, that they decided to hold a charity performance of the play with all proceeds benefiting the Spruce Run Domestic Violence Project located in Bangor, ME. We also held two performances for the Winslow High School student body as part of the school’s anti-drug and alcohol programming efforts. In early March, we competed in the Regional Drama Festival and finished fourth. I had an incredible time working with and learning from the 25 students who made up the cast and crew of the show. It was such an honor to direct them.”

From round the girdled earth is featured every Monday. Send a photo and short update from your off-term to schewe [at] dartmouth.edu for inclusion.

Delos Cosgrove, heart surgeon and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic

Thinking about a career in health care? Concerned about health care’s unsustainable business model? The current issue of Fortune Magazine interviews Delos Cosgrove, heart surgeon and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic; here’s an excerpt of the article:

(Fortune Magazine) — Health-care reformers should study up on the Cleveland Clinic, and they know it. President Obama, who toured the clinic last July, has praised it for providing “the highest-quality care at costs well below the national norm.”

It’s easy to be impressed: The clinic is one of the world’s most highly regarded medical centers. Patients have included King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, the Prince of Wales, billionaire Al Lerner, Oprah Winfrey, Jack Nicklaus, and many others who could afford to go anywhere. It is always near the top of U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of America’s best hospitals, and in cardiac care it has ranked No. 1 for the past 15 years.

If you have even a remote interest in the health care debate, this interview is worth your time. Check it out here: Cleveland Clinic Chief on the Business of Health

Interested in pursuing a career in healthcare? Check out the Health Professions Advising offerings on the Career Services site.

There was an interesting article on glassdoor.com recently which compares Glassdoor and Fortune‘s “Best Places to Work in 2010” lists. Check out the article and the surprising amount of differences between the lists — what does it mean when a company is #2 on one list and #90 on another? Read on:

Today Fortune released their list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For 2010”, and we wanted to do a little side by side comparison to see how their list stacks up against Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. While both lists rely on employee feedback, Glassdoor’s list exclusively represents Employees’ Choice as it takes into account all the anonymous company reviews submitted throughout the year, instead of a short period of time, and does not allow companies to nominate themselves – employees do that through surveys in which they rate and review their employer*.

What we found most interesting was that Glassdoor’s Best Place to Work, Southwest Airlines, was absent from their list, and our #2 slot, General Mills, was ranked #90. It was #1 on our list last year, and barely made Fortune’s rankings at #99. The number one company on Fortune’s listing, SAS, did not make the Best Places to Work top 50 because it had too few reviews to qualify, but it does have a 4.0 rating on Glassdoor, and the CEO, Jim Goodnight, has a 73% approval rating. Fortune’s #2 company, Edward Jones, was also lauded by employees on Glassdoor, however, it was #24 on our list.

The lists:

How do we know we’re on the right career track? What are the benchmarks that should encourage us to keep going in a certain career direction? Most of us have some vague inclination of what we’d like to do, or maybe just where we’d like to live. What next? How do we begin to narrow our focus and discern our path. Here are some ideas from O Magazine:

You are engaging your strengths most of the time.

You think about your work outside of work hours, solving problems, considering new approaches.

You feel a sense of contributing to something greater than yourself.

You share your work experiences with the people you care about—speaking about them, writing about them. The stories you tell are filled with positive feelings.

You hunger to learn more about your chosen career and seek out ways to grow—you don’t need to be given incentives to learn.

You seek new and creative ways of tackling routine tasks. You have lots of ideas on how to approach your work.

You have the energy and creativity to tackle any setbacks that you’re faced with.

No one needs to dangle a carrot in front of your nose to motivate you or inspire you to contribute extra effort.

When you wake in the morning, though you may be tired, you positively anticipate what the day holds for you.

Have other Big Questions? Even if you just have little questions or need a little one-on-one time to get some expect advice, check out Career Advising – Trained advisors will help you clarify internship or post-grad options and advise you regarding strategies to accomplish your goals.

• Quick Questions – 15 minute Walk-In sessions offered every weekday from 1:30-4:00 PM.
• By Appointment – 30 minute confidential meetings.  Call 646-2215 to schedule.  Click here for common topics discussed in an appointment.

Above, an iceman delivers ice to keep food chilled in the days before refridgerators.

Just for fun…and a gentle reminder to keep your skills current; National Public Radio’s audio slide show of long-gone or almost-obsolete professions include jobs like a pinsetter in a bowling alley and lamplighters. Hard as it is to predict what “essential” jobs of today may be obsolete in our lifetime, enjoy the photo gallery and audio stories, and check out the Career Services site so your own job skills don’t get too stale.

We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure.  It is a powerful obstacle to growth.  It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation.  There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure – all your life.

– John W. Gardner

Yuxiang Zhou ’12

“I grew up in a rural area in the southwest China. Most of my childhood friends are working on the farm. Then I went to high school in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province. My high school friends are still at college. After graduation, they will find a job at a corporation in Beijing or Shanghai, which is generally regarded as a decent job for college graduates. Now, I am an undergraduate at Dartmouth College. My Dartmouth friends are doing different kinds of courageous and incredible things. Many of them are not sure about their career yet. Me neither. Along the way from a village in China to Hanover in the United States, my career plan has been in constant change as I am exposed to more and more opportunities. Dartmouth College has generously offered me an excellent experience of trying things I’ve never thought of, which challenged me to reflect on my passion, ability and deeper desire. Coming to the United States has enabled me to see my country from a different perspective. At the moment, I feel especially excited about the changes that are happening in China. Although I’m not certain about my career plan, I am sure that I want to facilitate the social change and innovation that I want to see in China. And this hope will definitely guide me professionally in future.”

What I want to be and why features a Dartmouth undergraduate every Tuesday discuss their career plans are and how they’ve gotten there. Want to be featured? Email schewe [at] dartmouth.edu