Please find What Would Savvies Do Shotcast episodes from 1 to 5 which you can listen to on Youtube (@hannathesavvy) and Instagram (@sevissavvy).
The Shotcast series is designed to be less than a minute podcast for international students to better prepare for their careers in the U.S.
Contents
- The most important thing for data management (How I manage thousands of student data)
- The best problem-solving example from my real student
- Why simply getting things done is not enough (What to do when you are not sure)
- Pro tip to network as an international student
- A common mistake when international students network
1. The most important thing for data management (How I manage thousands of student data)
This is the first thing that I teach my student workers.
My office deals with hundreds of students’ records and there are many cases where you have to cross-check the information.
When the task is given to my supervisees, they make mistakes of using first or last names to find the student and then realize there are students with the same first or last names.
Regardless of the dataset you are working with, it is super important to check what is the unique identifier in the dataset.
For example, when it comes to students, they should have their student IDs, or if you work in the e-commerce industry it could be the SKU number, product ID, or customer ID just to name a few.
This unique identifier must be the anchor to do the management and use look-up functions or pivot tables in EXCEL to cross-check the information without any mistakes.
That’s what Savvies do!
2. The best problem-solving example from my real student
It’s inevitable to encounter so many problems or issues when you work. Here’s my gold student worker’s email to me when she encountered an issue.
She goes “I wanted to bring to your attention” then says “Upon looking”…
As you can see, she not only reports the issue that she faced but also shares what she found through her investigation.
Level 1 students stop the work when they found an issue and wait until the problem is solved by their supervisors or others.
Level 2 students may take further steps and try to look into the issue and inform their supervisors of what they found.
Savvy students however do not stop here but also do one more thing. Let’s look at the gold example again.
She suggests “This needs to be changed”
Level 3 savvy students suggest how things can be solved and ask supervisors if that makes sense or ask for better thoughts. Ultimately your supervisor has more authority and knowledge to solve the issues but that does not mean you should not be a part of the problem-solving process!
By sharing your thoughts and making suggestions, you will stand out as a savvy student employee because it shows you are taking ownership and initiative. Believe me, your supervisor will give you more important tasks in the future.
That’s what Savvies do!
3. Why simply getting things done is not enough (What to do when you are not sure)
In the last episode, I shared the gold example of my student. What makes her email perfect is that she admits what she does not know.
When you start working, it is natural that you do not fully understand the work. When you are not sure of certain things, it’s better to ask than assume.
I had so many students who put hours and hours to finish tasks even though they were not sure if that was the right way and ended up doing wrong. It is only adding more work than helping your team or your supervisor.
When I was in a graduate program, my time to solve the research question for a month went in vain. However, I had a meeting with my advisor one day and she was able to help me to get back to my research in just several hours. That’s why she’s a professor who’s an expert in research!
To sum up, when there’s something you don’t know the answer to when you work or research, give a heads up to your supervisor or advisor that you would appreciate their time to look into the issue.
That’s what Savvies do!
4. Pro tip to network as an international student
It’s not easy for international students to go out there and network with people. However, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to meet professionals in your field for your career in the United States!
It’s not about what you know it’s about who you know!
Most American universities host internships or job fairs every year and some would have young alumni events.
(Additionally, some big schools have alumni events where you can meet alumni from your department or network with other graduating peers.)
It’s easy to think “I am not ready,” “My friends don’t go,” “I don’t want to be alone at the event,” etc.
But listen, I know some student workers who were hired at small university events.
When I was in graduate school, I went to one of the alumni events and it turned out to be a great opportunity for me to learn how to find university jobs and learn tips from professionals from my program.
I didn’t have to say much, alumni were there to mentor graduating students so they were willing to help. All I had to do was be there at the event.
So give it a try and attend some of the college’s professional events- That’s what Savvies do!
5. A common mistake when international students network
It took a long time for me to fix this mistake.
In the last episode, I shared how important the network is. Let’s suppose that you came out of your comfort zone and met new people.
When you introduce yourself or when you let them go after a great conversation, it’s very common in the U.S. to handshake.
When you do a handshake, remember to do a firm grip handshake.
In Asian culture, bowing is more common than handshaking so I tend to bring out my hand rather than actually grabbing the other’s hand.
However, my American friend was kind enough to point it out to me and helped me to do a firm handshake.
Since then it became my new habit to do a firm handshake which is a good thing to show your confidence and professionalism.
Remember, when you do the interview or network, do a firm handshake instead of just taking out your hand- body language is important!
That’s what Savvies do!
