Friday, June 26, 2009
AAI BLOGS COMBINED
I will no longer be updating this blog. Instead, Jenny and I decided to have one blog dedicated to All Access Internships to which we are both posting. All of our old posts will be archived on the new blog as well. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Long time, no see!
Wow - sorry guys! I just realized that it has been well over a month since I last shared a blog posting. I´m sure that many of you can relate to cramming in last-minute projects, studying for finals, and packing up your belongings for the summer. For me (and many of you out there) the end of this school year signified the end of four years of hard work and great friendships. I never really thought I would be so sad to leave Kansas State and all of the memories behind. At the same time, a new and exciting chapter is opening up. I moved to Madrid, Spain two days ago to spend my summer with a family here. I graduated with a minor in Spanish and have always wanted to fully immerse myself in the culture of a Spanish-speaking country. If any of you are interested, feel free to check out my blog on my experience here at madridkatie.blogspot.com! I return August 6th just in time to pack up my belongings and begin my internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on August 14th. I am so excited to move to Nashville (Music City, USA!) and have finally found a great condo to move into. What are YOUR summer plans?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Creating a back-up plan
At this point in the process, we are all hoping that at least one name pops up on our screen Sunday (even if it's not our first choice). I think it is smart to say that we should all be prepared to consider alternatives just in case. My first point to emphasize is that do not under ANY circumstance let a "no match" make you question your worth. I personally known an extremely successful dietitian (who has been featured on national television and appeared in health/nutrition magazines worldwide) who did not receive a match her first time around. By not letting this small obstacle (although seemingly large at the time) keep her down, she has turned into the person she is today. Perseverance is worth its weight in gold.
If you do not receive a match, consider:
1. Beginning a Master's program. One of the schools I applied to reports that many students enter their Master's program if unmatched, build rapport with the faculty and staff, and are accepted into the internship program the following year. Many combined DI/Master's programs may have this option.
2. Head out into the job market. Maybe a year of experience as a WIC consultant is just the ticket to make your application letter pop. Or you can try out a fun summer or year-long internship with a magazine. There are tons of jobs out there that are nutrition-related that don't necessarily require the RD. Take some time to gain additional experience. An extra bonus: you can stash away extra cash in case you decide to apply again, making it a little more comfortable living than your peers.
3. Retake classes that may have lowered your GPA. If you feel that your GPA was the main deterrent for you, feel no shame in retaking these classes. You will gain a better appreciation for the subject and your hard work will be evident to the review committees.
4. The obvious "next steps" are to see what programs do not fill spots or to participate in the fall matching.
If you do not receive a match, consider:
1. Beginning a Master's program. One of the schools I applied to reports that many students enter their Master's program if unmatched, build rapport with the faculty and staff, and are accepted into the internship program the following year. Many combined DI/Master's programs may have this option.
2. Head out into the job market. Maybe a year of experience as a WIC consultant is just the ticket to make your application letter pop. Or you can try out a fun summer or year-long internship with a magazine. There are tons of jobs out there that are nutrition-related that don't necessarily require the RD. Take some time to gain additional experience. An extra bonus: you can stash away extra cash in case you decide to apply again, making it a little more comfortable living than your peers.
3. Retake classes that may have lowered your GPA. If you feel that your GPA was the main deterrent for you, feel no shame in retaking these classes. You will gain a better appreciation for the subject and your hard work will be evident to the review committees.
4. The obvious "next steps" are to see what programs do not fill spots or to participate in the fall matching.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Counting down the days...
The countdown is on - just about three weeks until I (like many of the rest of you) will find out where I am going to be spending the next year of my life. This year has been full of so many "lasts", and the dietetic internship is going to be a completely new chapter in my life. What are YOU going to miss most about your time as an undergrad and what are you EXCITED for about the next steps?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Almighty Interview
As seen in the March All Access Internships Newsletter - my best interviewing tips!
As interviewing season quickly approaches, we at All Access Internships want to help prepare you as best as we can. Whether you are interviewing for a coveted dietetic internship or a new job in this tight market, it's all about preparation. Do your homework to make sure you don't fall through the cracks! I have been through some pretty intense interview processes over the years - including one that I completely bombed my senior year in high school. I guess I thought the review committee was kidding when they told me to read the morning paper every day for a few weeks before the interview and to be prepared to address current events. Needless to say, I didn't know answers to half of their questions and I left completely embarrassed. I have grown up a lot over the past four years and I now know that this all could have been avoided if I had only been prepared. Here are a few of my own tips that will give you an edge in any interviewing process:
• Dress your best for a phone interview and don't forget to smile. You will feel more confident and sound a lot more personable. Make sure to have your resume and other necessary documents readily accessible so that you can refer to them as needed.
• Do you know what STAR stands for? Behavioral interviewing is HOT, and if you don't know the meaning of this acronym you need to brush up on your interviewing techniques. Interviewers are looking for you to describe a situation or task, explain what action you took to accomplish it, and the result of your action.
• Generic answers won't serve you well in an interview. If someone asks you what type of leader you are, make sure that you have a specific example to back it up. Sure - it's great to say that you believe in participatory leadership but HOW did you exemplify this in your student organization, work setting, etc?
• Finish a thought completely and then stop talking. Sometimes we have a tendency to end our answers by filling the impending silence with awkward mannerisms. Interview as if you are writing a sentence - don't try and ease out of the response with a "sooooo, yeah". Be decisive with your answer and don't ramble!
• Be prepared for the ever-popular "tell me about yourself" question. Have a strong answer ready - memorize it even. A few sentences will do, but this is your first impression so make it count.
• Strengths and weaknesses. We all have them, and the interviewers want to know what they are. This is another response to prepare in advance. It is generally a lot easier to identify strengths than it is weaknesses. Make your answers UNIQUE. I have been on the other end of the interviewing process and can't count how many times I have heard "I am a
procrastinator" and "I tend to get over-involved" as answers to the weakness questions. Make yourself stand out by identifying a weakness that can be put in a more positive light. Just search the web and you will find tons of ideas to get you going. But DON'T use someone else's answer; this is just to get you thinking. Being true to yourself is what matters most.
Best of luck to you all,
Katie
As interviewing season quickly approaches, we at All Access Internships want to help prepare you as best as we can. Whether you are interviewing for a coveted dietetic internship or a new job in this tight market, it's all about preparation. Do your homework to make sure you don't fall through the cracks! I have been through some pretty intense interview processes over the years - including one that I completely bombed my senior year in high school. I guess I thought the review committee was kidding when they told me to read the morning paper every day for a few weeks before the interview and to be prepared to address current events. Needless to say, I didn't know answers to half of their questions and I left completely embarrassed. I have grown up a lot over the past four years and I now know that this all could have been avoided if I had only been prepared. Here are a few of my own tips that will give you an edge in any interviewing process:
• Dress your best for a phone interview and don't forget to smile. You will feel more confident and sound a lot more personable. Make sure to have your resume and other necessary documents readily accessible so that you can refer to them as needed.
• Do you know what STAR stands for? Behavioral interviewing is HOT, and if you don't know the meaning of this acronym you need to brush up on your interviewing techniques. Interviewers are looking for you to describe a situation or task, explain what action you took to accomplish it, and the result of your action.
• Generic answers won't serve you well in an interview. If someone asks you what type of leader you are, make sure that you have a specific example to back it up. Sure - it's great to say that you believe in participatory leadership but HOW did you exemplify this in your student organization, work setting, etc?
• Finish a thought completely and then stop talking. Sometimes we have a tendency to end our answers by filling the impending silence with awkward mannerisms. Interview as if you are writing a sentence - don't try and ease out of the response with a "sooooo, yeah". Be decisive with your answer and don't ramble!
• Be prepared for the ever-popular "tell me about yourself" question. Have a strong answer ready - memorize it even. A few sentences will do, but this is your first impression so make it count.
• Strengths and weaknesses. We all have them, and the interviewers want to know what they are. This is another response to prepare in advance. It is generally a lot easier to identify strengths than it is weaknesses. Make your answers UNIQUE. I have been on the other end of the interviewing process and can't count how many times I have heard "I am a
procrastinator" and "I tend to get over-involved" as answers to the weakness questions. Make yourself stand out by identifying a weakness that can be put in a more positive light. Just search the web and you will find tons of ideas to get you going. But DON'T use someone else's answer; this is just to get you thinking. Being true to yourself is what matters most.
Best of luck to you all,
Katie
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Today is the day!
Registration for the Spring 2009 Computer Matching will end in 11 hours 23 minutes 54 seconds.
The D&D Digital web site has a countdown on the main page - that means you need to have your rankings submitted by midnight this evening! Don't let all your hard work go to waste by forgetting to submit your choices.
http://www.dnddigital.com
As for me, I ended up applying to four programs. I submitted my rankings about two weeks ago and tried to leave it alone while I finished up the application packets. Now that the deadline is approaching, it's hard not to second guess and wonder which order you really want to put them in. But I am going to go with my gut instinct and leave my choices alone. I have spent hours analyzing my top two choices trying to figure out which one I wanted to preference. I even made a diagram comparing all of the different pros and cons! It has been a stressful process, but I am happy with the choices I have made. I can't wait to hear about everyone's SUCCESS come April! Just keep thinking positive thoughts...at this point it is out of our hands :)
Katie
The D&D Digital web site has a countdown on the main page - that means you need to have your rankings submitted by midnight this evening! Don't let all your hard work go to waste by forgetting to submit your choices.
http://www.dnddigital.com
As for me, I ended up applying to four programs. I submitted my rankings about two weeks ago and tried to leave it alone while I finished up the application packets. Now that the deadline is approaching, it's hard not to second guess and wonder which order you really want to put them in. But I am going to go with my gut instinct and leave my choices alone. I have spent hours analyzing my top two choices trying to figure out which one I wanted to preference. I even made a diagram comparing all of the different pros and cons! It has been a stressful process, but I am happy with the choices I have made. I can't wait to hear about everyone's SUCCESS come April! Just keep thinking positive thoughts...at this point it is out of our hands :)
Katie
Friday, January 30, 2009
Letter of Application
I'm guessing that for most of you (like me) one of the most important things on your mind write now is finishing up your letters of applications/essays for the programs to which you are applying. Over and over again we have heard that this is THE key piece in your application packet as it serves as the introduction to the selections committee. So it makes sense to spend a lot of time here. If you are concerned about things like your GRE scores, GPA, or even lack of community involvement - here is the place to show them that you ARE an excellent candidate from their program. Most internships do not want to hear just that you are "excited" to experience what they have available, although it is important to touch on why you are applying to this particular internship. They are most interested in how you are a good FIT for the program. What skills and traits do you have that will make you successful during their particular internship?
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Go to our homepage at http://allaccessinternships.com and select RESOURCES - APPLICATION TIPS and scroll down to the third section regarding the letter of application. Here you will find amazing tips that we have gathered from former interns and preceptors across the country. Trust me, you don't want to submit your applications without reading this first!
Best of luck to you all!
Katie
http://allaccessinternships.com/application_tips.php
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Go to our homepage at http://allaccessinternships.com and select RESOURCES - APPLICATION TIPS and scroll down to the third section regarding the letter of application. Here you will find amazing tips that we have gathered from former interns and preceptors across the country. Trust me, you don't want to submit your applications without reading this first!
Best of luck to you all!
Katie
http://allaccessinternships.com/application_tips.php
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