THE BILINGUAL JOB FAIR BLOG » career advice

My 10 Biggest Recommendations – FOR NEW COLLEGE STUDENTS – Bilingual Or Not

Mylene Duffy — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:02:09 +0000

Here in the USA, August and September always means a lot of new college students are headed to a new university and to a new life. There are plenty of emotional parents at this time of the year, crying Moms, plus excited and stressed students, anxious to learn all about their new college lives.

This is a good time for me to pause on the Q&A blogs I’ve been writing for the last few months, regarding questions you’ve been sending to us, and instead, write to the college students and give them some advise.

Recently, I’ve had some talks with several of my friends’ kids, as they are getting ready to depart for college. We have had great conversations. I believe that the sky is the limit for these special young students, but I could see they needed some college advice. This morning I said to myself: ‘I should go ahead and share these ideas in my blog, with the rest of the world. It might help a student or two somewhere in the world.’ So, here we go…

Basically, in my talks with the new college students, I shared the fact that up to this point in their lives, their parents gave them direction, and they lived by the rules of the house. Now, there are no rules. So in effect, they will make their own rules every day in college. They plan their own day, go to bed when they want to, wake up when they want to, eat when they want to, and call their friends and parents when they want to. The parents’ role has been to give us all the basic knowledge, the foundation for our lives, and to teach us how we should behave in this world. Afterwards, it’s up to each one of us. Sounds basic? Doesn’t it? But it is not that easy when you first get there and start your own life in college. Many of us want to fit in with the crowd, and in an effort to do so, we don’t even do what we thought we wanted to do, or might abandon who we are. We go with the flow, and say ‘everyone is doing it, why not me?’ So, to make it easier for the college students, I have some recommendations below, for their new college lives.

My 10 biggest recommendations for new college students:

#1) Try your best to get along with your roommate. Invite her or him to lunch right away. Try to create a good first impression. And follow it up with lots of good impressions each day afterwards. In other words, be a good roommate yourself, first. Lead by example. Treat your roommate the way you want to be treated. Be fair. Give and take.

#2) Discuss how many hours of sleep you need each night, to feel rested, so you two can cooperate with each other. If you have a roommate who comes and goes at all hours of the night, watches youtubes videos loud and wakes you up each time a new video starts, or talks on her cell all night, you will not get the sleep you need. Be considerate of each other, as this builds better relationships.

#3) Your roommate can become ‘your family’ while you are away from home. Be cordial. Create a good working relationship. Become good friends if you both can. Discuss issues and don’t let anything go unaddressed to the point where the relationship is in jeopardy. Good communication is the key. This might also teach both of you to be a good wife or husband later on, and to have meaningful and long-lasting relationships for the rest of your lives.

#4) Realize that you might become homesick. Yes, after wanting to leave home so bad, you may want to go home again. But emails, Facebook, texting and calls will help you cope better. You can remain in touch as much as you want to, or as little as you want to. (Of course, I recommend the first choice, to remain in touch with your family:)

#5) Initially, you might be afraid and you might think you can not make it “on your own”. Keep in mind that you will feel lonely during orientation week, before the actual school work begins. BUT YES, YOU CAN DO IT. When you stick it out, you will be proud of your accomplishments. Focus on your long term goals. Visualize your dreams. They will come through, only if you stick it out. If you quit, your dreams might dissipate and you might have regrets later on in life, like: ‘I wish I would have finished college.’

#6) Don’t be shy about meeting new and interesting people. They can become part of your new life and enhance your college life. Be open to all cultures and to folks who speak other languages (of course, I had to say that:), and try your best to be friendly to everyone.

#7) Be who you are. Don’t change who you are to please someone else. This sounds simple and basic, but college is different. Some college students act like they just got out of a cage. They go crazy. Avoid these folks. They can add stress to your college life.

#8) Avoid people who are doing illegal drugs. Your life can change if you get caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. If there are illegal activities going on, get out right away. In other words, if it’s illegal, don’t do it. It’s not worth risking your bright future. And if a friend tries to ‘force’ you or to ‘persuade’ you to do something illegal, or something you’re uncomfortable with, realize that this is not your friend. End that relationship right away because it can change the course of your life. That person is also not respecting you and who you are. Let them know who you are by your quick response and by your behavior.

#9) Keep in touch with your old world, back at home, and build a new college world with new friends. This will keep you busier and more in touch with your more comfortable old world.

#10) Dream big. Create a list of college dreams and go for it. Align your intelligence, your attributes and your personal gifts to the world with your future profession. Like they say, you are only young once. This is a great opportunity for you. Make it happen. You won’t be sorry. When you make it happen, you will have a new pride formed within you. No one can take that pride away from you ever…because you are now a goal setter and you accomplished your goals and your dreams.

Conclusion: College can be an incredible experience and can truly change the course of your life. It changed mine forever. While it is is exciting, it can be stressful and lonely sometimes. College is like if you were awarded a new set of wings. You need to learn how to fly, and to make it on your own. Every decision is yours to make – not your parents anymore. Go ahead, spread your wings and fly. There’s nothing like succeeding at it.

Yours Truly ~ Mylene

Q&A: Advice for bilingual candidates with a higher level of education

Mylene Duffy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:00:41 +0000

Q: I have a Master’s degree in business administration and I’m seeking a bilingual job. What advice can you offer to help me find the right company who would have competitive salaries to match my level of education? Vito

A: For those prospective bilingual candidates with a higher degree, I would first recommend a staffing firm advisor, your college/university career advisor or a head hunter who all have great resources and can help guide you in the right direction. Secondly, you should keep searching on your own for companies that have bilingual positions available in your field until you find the right one that matches your qualifications. After you’ve found the right company for you, your time, experience, skills and dedication will help you achieve the level of pay you desire.

Q&A: Changing bilingual careers in today’s job market

Mylene Duffy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:18:42 +0000

Q: I have been in my current position for the past 13 years and would like to consider changing careers. How easy or difficult is it for bilingual people to find jobs? Clara

A: Certainly bilingual skills are an asset in today’s job market. Be sure to highlight these skills in your resume. Other factors that influence the success of your job search include your field, education, experience and personal attributes, which should also be emphasized when writing your resume. While employers do rely on your background and past experiences, personality can also be a deciding factor, such as how comfortable you appear while presenting yourself. Since you have been in your current job for 13 years, this will show any employer that you have long term potential. Good luck with your new endeavor!

Q&A: What types of bilingual jobs are available for people without college degrees?

Mylene Duffy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:04:52 +0000

Q: Can you suggest what types of bilingual careers are out there for young adults who have not gone to college yet? Thank you, David

A: Some of the positions that we get the most requests for are Sales representatives, Customer Service representatives, Administrative assistants, certain positions within the Medical/Dental fields, Insurance Agents, Retail Associates and Automobile Technicians just to name a few. There are some companies that do not require college degrees and are willing to train potential employees on site. If you are interested in pursuing any of these careers, check out our available job listings posted on the site. Be sure to highlight your people skills on your resume. For more tips on writing a resume when you haven’t gone to college, read this post. Good luck David.

Career Advice: The Importance of Work/Life Balance

Mylene Duffy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:34:30 +0000

A thought for Friday:

Keep in mind that being happy in your job is very important, because you spend a lot of your waking hours at work. If you’re happy at work, then life will be more pleasant for you and your loved ones after work. Also, if you accomplish a lot in your work-life, a sense of pride forms within you and your sense of confidence and self-respect increases.

But you should also remember that work is only one part of your life, and that you must balance it with your personal life. If you give everything to your work, then your personal life suffers, and there’s no ‘you’ left after work. I once wrote: “Work is a part of life and should not BE your life… because if work goes, so does your life.” You must prepare for a balance between your business and your personal life.

We wish you the best in the search of your dream job. May you find what you’re looking for – and more. Start your search now — new jobs are posted every day at www.bilingualjobfair.com.