Fall break was 6 days this year. It was October 20 – 25, and started the day after finals. A lot of students went back home, but as an international, it was a bit of a waste to go all the way to Korea for only a few days. So I booked a flight to NYC and decided to meet my sister and some friends there.

Now although a break is a break, don’t let it fool you. A lot of students still get work done and continue with the job search and networking; I heard that some even had job interviews. There are also pre-term class assignments to do, resumes and cover letters to fix, and company research to do.

Initially, I personally had no plans to do anything productive (I try to be lazy when I can). I did have a great opportunity to visit an advertising firm in NYC, so I couldn’t say no to that. My Volunteer Alumni Career Fellow (VACF), which I’ll get into more detail in a later post, introduced me to one of her business contacts, who was kind enough to let me visit.

It was a great networking opportunity that allowed me to see first-hand what an advertising company is like. I went to Ogilvy & Mather during our New York City corporate visit earlier in the year, but this was a company that specialized in digital advertising and marketing strategy, so it was something entirely different. I walked around the floors, saw how the creative worked, and even went to the newly renovated floor.

In short, I learned more about a company that I would love to work for someday. This got me so motivated that I redid my resume and cover letter. So much for taking it easy! Still, fall break was a great time to do something that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.