Academics

Career Fitness Challenge: A look from the inside

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While I don’t like to think about the “G” word, graduation — there, I said it — it’s coming up in a few short months, and at that time, I will become a proud Penn State alumna.

Like a lot of other people, I am someone who has a variety of interests and passions, and I am looking to make my first professional step toward pursuing as many of these interests and passions as I can.        

Whether you’re someone like me who is in the early stages of piecing together your career, someone who is just looking for professional development resources and tools, or someone who is looking to make a long-awaited career change, the Alumni Career Services’ Career Fitness Challenge provides counseling and insight, while offering the opportunity to reflect on what you are looking for in a profession.

The challenge is a monthlong, online program where participants can interact as much or as little as they want, depending on what results they’re trying to achieve. Over this month, daily tasks are assigned, and topics range from identifying personal strengths and weaknesses, to updating LinkedIn profiles, setting goals, and — just as important — plans to achieve those goals.

I participated in February’s Career Fitness Challenge. The greatest benefit was that it forced me to take time to think about me — who I am, what I want, and how I will get there. In addition to completing each day’s task, I was also able to comment on other participants’ responses to learn more about their experiences. I could reach out to my personal career specialist at any time for advice or with questions. If a certain day’s topic was of particular interest to me, there were always additional resources provided that I could use to enhance my learning.

Participating in February’s Career Fitness Challenge put me in a state of mind where I didn’t just think about my professional future — I enjoyed thinking about it. I’m excited for the opportunities to come.

To register for April's Career Fitness Challenge, visit http://alumni.psu.edu/career/events/webinars.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated March 17, 2017

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