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Peer Perspective: Summer at the CDC from Lauren Buckley ’15

It may be hard to imagine now but Lewisburg is a great place to spend the summer. If you are planning on being around Bucknell for the summer consider working for the CDC! Lauren Buckley ’15 tells you why:

Photo credit: Bucknell University Summer Undergraduate Research Students 2013

Photo credit: Bucknell University Summer Undergraduate Research Students 2013

During this past summer I worked as a student peer in the Career Development Center while I was on campus doing undergraduate research. The position, now seeking applicants for summer 2014, is intended to provide support for the CDC staff members during the summer months by helping with various projects and assisting students, alumni, employers, and faculty when they stop by or call the office. Some of the projects I worked on included researching medical school applications for our pre-health advisor, developing lists of resources for the Bucknell Public Interest Program, performing data entry, organizing a luncheon for students on campus in the summer, researching alumni and employer LinkedIn connections, researching other university career center programming, and so much more. I had the opportunity to do work in all of the different specialty areas of the staff members, which gave me a rich overview of different career industries and the programming that the CDC provides.

I had a wonderful experience working at the CDC over the summer, and I gained a lot of beneficial skills from the position. I enjoyed having the opportunity to experience work in a professional office environment for the first time. A major component of the job is covering the front desk in the Resource Room, and I definitely developed much stronger phone and email etiquette as a result, which is a valuable skill that I will use in almost any future job. There were certainly opportunities to interact with alumni and employers through the position as well, which definitely broadened my knowledge of career paths and helped me develop networking skills. I also had the opportunity to develop leadership and organizational skills in planning a luncheon for summer students. However, the most valuable benefit I gained from the position was a greater awareness of the wealth of resources provided by the CDC for career exploration. There are so many opportunities for career assistance at the CDC through various programming, counseling, assessments, workshops, field trips, career fairs, and more, and I really benefited from learning more about how I could further explore my academic and career interests.

I would recommend the Summer CDC Peer Position to anyone that is interested in applying. There are many skills to be gained, and the CDC staff is fabulous. I had a great experience working with all of the counselors and staff members and learned a lot from each of them. I’ve had the opportunity to continue working at the CDC during the 2013-2014 academic year as the Externship Peer, and it has been a very rewarding experience. I’m so glad I have continued being a part of the CDC team.

If you are interested in the CDC summer peer position please contact Emily Dietrich at edietric@bucknell.edu for more information.

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