The semester is coming to an end and I know at least on the cornerstone end we are all very excited to be graduating. As we graduate, it is necessary to start looking for jobs and right about now is when we find out if our degrees really meant something. So what about you? Have you guys started to see how your interdisciplinary degree has influenced your personal life? Tell us a little about your professional history and how your degree has been useful integrating it.

It is truly necessary to start to think about your career options and start marketing yourself now because when your in our place, it will be too late! And it will come sooner than you think!

So identify what you think are your strongest and weakest job skills and what you can do to improve on those skills.

What professional clubs or organizations can help you in your chosen careers? (pick two)

Also, what about volunteering, internships, or extern-ships? Does anything seem promising or do you have an interest in?

For me volunteering with Florida Hospital's Children Hospital has given my resume and my commitment to my future career a great boost. It helped me narrow down exactly what I wanted to do and gave me relative experience and a great letter of recommendation. PPMS and AMSA has also helped put a big boost on my job track showing me this volunteer opportunity as well as a network of other students giving me valuable advice and markers for where I should be.

How have your career goals altered over time?

I started out wanting to be a veterinarian and when I got into shadowing I figured out that it just wasn't right for me. But even bad experience is good experience. At least you know what you DON'T want to do.

Personally I spent 2 years of my college career working for with veterinarians and getting experience in veterinary medicine. I graduated a year early, so as you can see my resume was definitely lacking in relative Pediatric care related fields. However, most employers don't care that you changed your mind, they care that your dedicated! So get experience in all forms, good or bad. At least you'll be able to say, well I thought I wanted to do this but I changed my mind and now THIS is where I want to be. They will see from your previous hard work that you are right for them. College is about figuring out who you are they understand that.

Finally, what is your personal philosophy in your professional life and how is (or isn't) it interdisciplinary? Try to describe yourself in 15 words or less. (it can be over) If you don't like it, chances are an employer won't like it either.

My fifteen words or less is...

I am a future ambitious pediatric surgeon, who genuinely cares for her patients. My thirteen words tell employers that I am determined at becoming a pediatrician and am caring. Pediatrics stems from medicine and sciences, my Life and Biomedical Sciences core and Chemistry Minor. Caring resembles my Humanities core concentration on ethical principle.

This quote, with a few minor changes, will get me through my career in all steps because to shows me my goals and dedication in the long run and why I am doing what I'm doing now in the short run.

Good Luck in your future endeavors! It has been a pleasure blogging with you!

P.S. Try to get your responses in early so you won't have to worry about this and the F word! FINALS!

When  it comes to our careers, our personal philosophy will be slightly different than many of our peers and colleagues. As interdisciplinarians, we are being trained to think in a manner that encourages synthesis of information, thinking outside of the box, and well rounded approaches to solving problems. Our professions may take us in many directions, and we must always keep in mind that there is not on single way or one right way to live our professional lives. I know that for me personally, my thoughts regarding my professional life has changed dramatically from focusing on a single scientific discipline, to a more laid back all inclusive artistic approach. My career goals have come full circle from Molecular & Microbiology to IDS Commerce and Behavioral Science and I  am excited to embrace my new Interdisciplinary future. This week discuss your own personal philosophy concerning your professional life. How is or isn't this interdisciplinary? Lastly, how have your career goals altered ?

The end of the semester is close and things are winding down.There are many questions in the air when it comes to your IDS class, particularly pertaining to the e-portfolio.

1. How will your e-Portfolio demonstrate your interdisciplinarity?
2. What is the audience / purpose you're thinking of using?
3. How would you envision your e-Portfolio looking like? What would you like to stand out?
4. What things are you thinking could be used as evidence?

I wanted my e-portfolio to relect not only what I did at UCF but who I am as a person and my life outside of eduction as well. I feel by not only showing all the different classes you took the best way to demenstrate interdisplinary is to tie in your personality and everyday life expereinces. Each e-potfolio has a purpose or a audience and everyone's is different depending on what they want to use it for. Personally, I would like my family and frineds to view my e-portfolio to see what I did over the last 4 years and how I grew. Overall, this is a great major and the E-portfolio is just another unqiue thing this major has to offer!
The end of the semester is close and things are winding down. How do you feel when it comes to the eportfolio and how it reflects you?