11/9/09
We started the meeting off with a few announcements:
**We are collecting nonperishable foods for our RAH adopt-a-family which consists of two adults ad two boys ages 18 months and 2 months
**The Health School Symposium is Nov. 17 from 8-11p. Representatives from UMDNJ Dental School and Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine will be present as well as representative from the Health Professions Office and various pre-health student organizations
**Kaplan Offers s series of Free Practice DAT’s throughout the semester visit for more information
**Mr. Greg Sobol then passed out a variety of information about the resources at Career Services.
-The two most useful tools to us would be the mock interview and guidance to personal statement development.
The Importance of a Professional Image:
-some of the biggest mistakes you can make when going to an interview is not dressing professionally.
-other things that might not portray the best image of you are saying phrases such as “I guess,” “stuff,” or “kinda.”
-another point we might not think about a lot is the tone of the voicemail on our cell phones. If you have an immature recording, that reflects poorly on you. Some schools will be calling you personally to tell you of your acceptance and this is the first thing they will hear.
-posture is important
-make sure your e-mail address is professional
-Facebook-Schools are now using facebook as a tool for them to take a look at your life and what you are really like. Finding something they don’t like can possibly be a reason that you might not get a call for an interview.
Career Services Resources and Advice:
-If you would like to have someone at career services critique your personal statement, you can either make an appointment which is usually a 3-4 weeks wait or you can stop in at the office during drop-in hours
-There is an annual Graduate School day that Career Services holds in November
-there is also a bi-annual NJ Collegiate day that is held once per semester
-On the homepage of the career services site you will find a tool called optimal resume which will walk you through step by step resume writing
-you will also find the CareerKnight tool which hold a list of jobs and has information about on-campus recruiting including summer internships. All you have to do is upload a resume and will have access to all the employers.
-You need to build up a good list of related experience. This shows that you know what you are getting into and that once you are in dental school, you will stick with it. A good way to gain experience is through shadowing.
-Middlesex County Dental Society has a shadowing program. If you are interested e-mail Marlene Glickman who will match you up with a dentist. Various specialties are available and she will pair you up with someone in your area who you can contact and set up a schedule with.
-If you are interested in dental assisting, it might be a good idea to look at the wanted ads in the Targum, your local newspaper or the RU Employment Services, or even Craigslist. Some dentists require that you be trained for 9 months before assisting; others will train you at the office.
Interviewing:
-It is suggested to buy a good business suit
-practice and know your sell points, what makes you stand out?
-don’t wait until the last minute to get help in these areas. The best time for the mock interview and personal statement critique is April of you junior year
-Know what is on your personal statement because the person interviewing you will have it in front of them
-Visit studentdoctor.net for sample interview questions
-Besides Mr. Sobol, Mrs. Sue Pye also is also a health professions counselor at career services
-visit careerservices.rutgers.edu for more information about Career Services-there is a career services guide that will also help guide you through many of the steps shared during the meeting including the various workshops held by CS throughout the year covering personal statement, internships, and research.