{"id":17401,"date":"2020-08-25T08:57:32","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T12:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/purposeful-work\/?page_id=17401"},"modified":"2025-08-15T09:34:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T13:34:38","slug":"proactive-purposeful-work-activities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/purposeful-work\/proactive-purposeful-work-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Activities to Explore Purposeful Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

START WITH UNDERSTANDING YOU<\/h3>
<\/div><\/div>
\n\n

If you do work that you are interested in and that uses your strengths and skills every day, you will find meaning and purpose in that work. Doing a self-assessment to understand your transferable skills is a first step in that exploration. Understanding your transferable skills and strengths won\u2019t point you to one specific career you \u201cshould\u201d pursue, but it will give you a good perspective about yourself to explore many types of work (academic, volunteer, and career) that interest you.<\/p>\n\n\n

ACTIVITY ONE: Complete SkillScan<\/a> – even if you did it three years ago!
<\/strong>Move quickly through your answers; don\u2019t think too long on each skill, but go with your first thought. <\/p>\n\n\n

ACTIVITY TWO: Reflect on your top Skill Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

    \n\n
  1. Go to your report and click on the Personal Skill Chart to see your top Skill Categories.<\/li>\n\n\n
  2. Are you surprised by your \u2018top 4\u2019 or \u2018lowest 2\u2019 skill categories? Why or why not? <\/li>\n\n\n
  3. Navigate to the next section of your Skill Set Portfolio. Skill Sets describe your specific strengths within your Categories. Pay attention to these specific strengths.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n

    ACTIVITY THREE: Reflect on your Skill Set Themes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

      \n\n
    1. Consider your Skill Set Themes and think about roles you have had in your life that have given you the most satisfaction.<\/li>\n\n\n
    2. Which skills in your Themes did these favorite roles or activities require?<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      GET TO KNOW HANDSHAKE<\/h3>
      <\/div><\/div>
      \n\n

      ACTIVITY ONE: Update your Career Interests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

        \n\n
      1. Navigate to the upper right-hand corner of the screen and click on your initials or photo<\/li>\n\n\n
      2. Select the Career Interests option<\/li>\n\n\n
      3. Select any and all areas that interest you. Purposeful Work and Handshake will send you messages about events and opportunities that most interest you.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n

        ACTIVITY TWO: Complete or Update your Profile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

        Employers that recruit college students for jobs and internships may search Handshake for potential applicants. Check your Settings & Privacy selections to see who you can view your profile. If your profile is visible to employers, you’ll want to keep it updated with your latest experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n

        ACTIVITY THREE: Upload your Resume<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

        Upload a current resume to the Documents <\/strong>section. You’ll be ready to quick-apply to any opportunity posted in Handshake.<\/p>\n\n\n

        Delete old documents or adjust the visibility. We are happy to review and give guidance on your resume! You can email it to purposefulwork@bates.edu. <\/p>\n\n\n

        ACTIVITY FOUR: Search for Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

        Experiment with searching the Jobs section in Handshake. The Jobs section contains jobs, internships, on-campus student employment, and other opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n

        Try using our favorite search functions:<\/p>\n\n\n

          \n\n
        1. Geography<\/strong> – pick a city and state to focus your search in one location<\/li>\n\n\n
        2. Industry (under All Filters) <\/strong>– what broad fields seem appealing? Narrow the search based on the industry<\/li>\n\n\n
        3. Function<\/strong> (under All Filters)<\/strong> – what king of job responsibilities might be of interest? <\/li>\n\n\n
        4. Type of Opportunity<\/strong> – select full-time job, internship, fellowship, part-time or on-campus<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

          EXPLORE INDUSTRIES & COUNTRIES<\/h3>
          <\/div><\/div>
          \n

          Visit the Resources area in Handshake. Navigate to the Career Center menu on the left side column and then click on Resources. Explore the Resources Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          ACTIVITY ONE:<\/strong> From the Resource Library, select Vault <\/strong><\/strong>, and discover what it is like to live a day in the life of any profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. Explore the Industry Guides section and identify one industry that interests you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Read the guide to find answers to the following questions:\n