Video submissions seem to be more common for a lot of larger hospitals as the first step in decreasing the amount of applicants they’ll need to sift through on paper. Here a few tips for how to make your submission stand out amongst the other applicants!
What Makes a Good Applicant?
When I think of an ideal candidate, I think of consistency. I want consistency in your work, volunteer efforts, and experiences. I want to know that you’ve made a difference in concrete places where people can vouch for you because they truly know you. I also want consistency in your application.
Get Organized For The Sake of Your References
If you want to be successful and keep your sanity (as well as the people you’re asking to be your references/recommendation letter writers) please do yourself a favor and put the bug in their ear EARLY.
For instance, if you’re applying for the September 5th application deadline, you should have already asked your people if they’d be a reference or write a letter of recommendation for you. If you haven’t – you need to ask them ASAP. With all that goes into it, it’s polite to give them at least a 2-3 month notice.
Get Organized & Get an Offer
Whether this is your first time applying for internships or your third, there are definitely mutual feelings of doubt and defeat that float around during this stressful time. When you think about all of the heavy lifting that happens behind the scenes, it can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips of mine to make…
Puzzled on Offer Day
It was a hot July morning the day we were to leave our AirBnb and fly back home after a beautiful honeymoon spent in a tiny town in California. My husband, Sam, and I both love adventure, but are homebodies and introverts at heart. We went to the nearest drug store and bought the biggest…
An Open Letter To My Fellow Students
*This blog post is written by a mentee of mine, Allison. Allison’s writing style is very much like mine – so if you enjoy my blogs, you won’t be disappointed by what she has to say and how she says it! Enjoy!* Whether you are waiting to hear back from a practicum placement or an…
Perfecting Your Portfolio
Should you or should you not bring a portfolio to an in-person interview? I think a lot of students toy with this question during interviews. It’s all up to you and how you feel, however I did and I think it was a big selling point for why I got offered the internship and the…
I Volunteer As Tribute
Perhaps you’re just getting started in the field and notice that there’s a lot of steps to this career. Feeling overwhelmed is totally normal. So where do you start? Perhaps you’re finishing up your practicum and feel like your resume still isn’t up to par with your peers. Maybe this is your third time applying…
Everything Is Awesome on Pediatrics/PICU
I worked on the Pediatric/Pediatric Intensive Care Units for 6 years. Here are a few of my tips for making the most of your interactions with staff, patients, and families. Constant Rounding Nothing says “I’m child life and I’m here to party” quite like constantly making yourself seen and known. We have a child life…
Aromatherapy: Smells Like the First Day of Spring
I had met 9-year-old, Emma* the week before on her last day on the pediatric unit. She was hospitalized due to the stomach bug that was making it’s way throughout the community and taking everyone down with it. She was one of the unfortunate ones that needed to be hospitalized for some quick IV fluids…
Interview Schmidt-erview
It’s interview time for a lot of hospitals! This week and the next coming weeks will be full of interviews so make sure you are prepared! Here are a few tips that I have to share, with the help of Schmidt from New Girl, because who doesn’t love New Girl? If you haven’t watched this…
Beating Bulletin Board Boredom
If there’s one quality that every child life specialist should have – it’s creativity; whether that takes the form of decor and education for the unit, arts and crafts activities for patients, or quick and creative solutions to problems – it is an absolute must! One of my favorite ways of expressing my creativity is…
Child Life, Wild Life 