Follow Through with Commitments!

Coming off of our football team’s disappointing loss, I noticed a general lack of support for the team this week as fair-weather fans jumped off the bandwagon.

It made me think of the many times in my life where I’d had an encounter with fair-weather fans. You know the type, they jump in to show their face at the event you worked weeks to plan, or just show up to give the presentation you spent long nights preparing. It can be extremely frustrating, especially when you feel like they are receiving praise for your work.

The important thing to remember is those people are always going to be there and you can’t let them bother you. However, just like there are fair-weather fans all around us there are also those true fans that will stick with you through the “losing seasons” and always rally for you when it’s really needed. You have to learn to locate these true fans and surround yourself with them so you can lean on them when things aren’t going real well.

More importantly you need to be one of these true fans. Make it to appointments you scheduled regardless of how it inconveniences you, complete the projects you sign up for, and step up to bat when things are tough and the reward seems nonexistent. People notice a “true fan” and will speak highly of you when their opinion is asked, and it will be asked. Resumes and interviews are important, but they can be counterfeit.

It’s the references that people really value and will give you the biggest boost and the most opportunities down the road.

-Christopher Perry
Junior, Animal Sciences

Need help building references? Come to CAFNR Career Services in Ag Building 2-64 today!

John Brown & Dickinson Scholars

Looking for a chance to:

• Meet potential agribusiness employers?
• Experience challenges and opportunities in today's agribusiness industry?
• Combine classroom lessons with real-life experiences?

Now's the time to apply for CAFNR's John Brown & Dickinson Scholars programs schedules for January 2009.

Jonathan Kaiser went through both programs as an undergraduate and this is what he had to say:

"I was eager for the opportunities that John Brown offered. Both programs are really about having new and unique experiences. It challenges students to step out of their comfort zones and into the business world where they can learn about the real world. This program is like no other, it puts students in touch with leading professionals."

Don't miss this opportunity! Turn in your cover letter, resume, and references to Ag Building 2-64 by noon on Tuesday, October 21st!

And the Job Search Continues

As I am sure everyone knows by now, the CAFNR Career Fair was last Wenesday. Hopefully everyone made it out to take advantage of the many businesses looking to hire CAFNR students for internships and post-graduation employment.

I admit that I have not always been the best about making the most out of the opportunities the career fair offers, but since I graduate in December I decided maybe it was time to get serious about deciding what is next for me.

It was definately different going to a career fair looking for an actual career and not another internship. Don't get me wrong, internships are very important, but this was about finding a company that would fit me long-term, not just for the summer.

With that in mind, I did my homework and decided what companies I would talk to and how I would approach them. As an agricultural journalism student, I am interested in communications companies as well as general agriculture companies. I planned my personal sales pitch according to what company I was talking to and what type of job I may be able to do for them.

I talked with several advertising firms about using my communications background to work with them, and several other companies about using that same background, along with other experiences, to work in sales.

It can be hard for some companies to get past your major. They have an idea of what line of study will make someone work for their company. I have found this to be especially true with my agriculture journalism degree. Some companies think all I can do is write. While this is a definate strength of mine, it is not the only thing I have learned in the past four years.

The best solution I have found is to focus on telling them more about what skills I can bring to their company, and less about what classes I have taken. This can work for getting around steroetypes about any major. After all, I have found that more is learned outside of the classroom in college that insided. (Don't use this as a reason not to go to class, just include other experiences, too!)

With all of this in mind and a few resumes in hand, I was able to walk away from the career fair with several business cards and interveiw opportunities. I look forward to seeing where these connections might lead and will of course keep you up to date in the coming weeks.

I encourage anyone who went to the career fair to keep in mind that their work is not done when they walk out the doors. It has only begun. Follow up with the people you talked to, who knows what opportunities you might find!

-Taryn Dameron
Senior, Agricultural Journalism

Internship Central

Last week, CAFNR Career Services had an awesome opportunity for all CAFNR students—the career fair! I attended the career fair once again this year in pursuit of an internship. With more than 75 businesses present, the four-hour long career fair barely gave me time to speak with all the companies that interested me!

This past summer, I was taught the value of internships through hands-on experience at the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA). As a freshman, many people are not looking for an internship right out of their first year; most students go back home the summer after their freshman year in college. I, however, was the exception.

As I am completing my undergraduate work in three years, I was anxious to get some real world experience. An internship was the perfect opportunity! After interviewing a couple times and receiving those dreaded rejection letters, I finally interviewed with MDA for a marketing internship. As soon as I walked in the doors of the office in Jefferson City, Mo., the warm feeling was convincing enough that I had found an awesome work environment.

The longer the summer wore on, the more I realized how much I loved working for MDA. Growing up on a conventional dairy farm, I was learning so much as I was immersed in marketing for farmers’ markets, organic producers, and agritourism operations. My work was a lot of fun as well—I got to travel and visit farmers’ markets across the state as well as the operations of several producers. Finally to top it all off, my boss as well as my other coworkers were great people with whom to work. When you can go to work every day excited about what you are doing that day, then the job is a great fit.

This summer I only hope I can find an internship as rewarding as the one last summer. The internship experience is so valuable in the career search. Real world experience is the only way to find out if you will like a job or not. Thanks to the help from career services in CAFNR, we all have a great opportunity to find an internship that may pave the way to our first job.

Above right: Charlotte Jackson, Bret Fahrmeier, Veronica Nigh, and Lane McConnell at the first ever farmers' market in the Agriculture Building at the Missouri State Fair.

-Charlotte Jackson
Sophomore, Ag Education

Interested in an opportunity like this? It's never too late to stop by CAFNR Career Services or give us a call at 573-882-0088.