Things that make me cringe

Students can call 614.292.2265 to schedule an appointment in the School of Environment and Natural Resources Career Services office.

Hi there…It’s me, Trish, from Career Services in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at THE Ohio State University.

Yeah, I know, I don’t write very often.  I try to have our students do most of the talking because really…I’m over the age of 24 so typically, most students when they hear me speak, it’s like in dog language.  They get the first sentence or so, “Hello, welcome to our resume workshop.  Tonight we will be discussing formatting a chronologically rut-ra-ro-ra-ra-rut….” and they tune out.  But I’ll try to keep this interesting so stick with me for just a few.

I’ve had a load of students dropping in to ask me about writing resumes lately.  Some have one for me to review.  Some have nothing.  Most are garbage.  Serious poo-poo.  So listen up…

For your listening pleasure, here are a few things I have found most annoying about them:

1) Font size varies. They go from the header at 12 POINT and then down to  itty bitty 8 point for some other info and then uP TO 11 POint and then BAck Down.  Drives me nuts!  Choose one size and stick with it.  Pretty much these days – 11 point is good throughout.  Trust me.

2)  Miss Spellings and Miss Use of words. Ohio State University is in Franklin COUNTY not Franklin COUNTRY.  Spelled correctly but not the correct word.  Frequently I find students will have an actual correctly spelled word but it’s not the correct word for where it is being used and spell checker won’t find it because…it IS spelled correctly which brings me to…

3)  READ ALOUD. Please, oh pretty please, read your resumes aloud to yourself.  When you slowly read it in your voice, you WILL find these mistakes as in countRy instead of couNty.

4)  Walk the plank. And by this I mean, your resume just sort of drops off into nowhere.  You were running along on nice and smooth and then suddenly, > poof < , it’s done.  Personally, I like to see a REFERENCE statement at the end.  Something like, References – See Attached.  See Attached seems to be best because it’s just one less thing they have to get back to you and ask you for AND it’s a good place to network.  Maybe one of your references used to work at the place you are applying for or knows the hiring agent.  And that reference statement at the end – says The End – to your resume so the reader knows you are done talking.

5)  Zig zagging all over the page. Most hiring agents will take fewer than 60 seconds at first glance of your resume to decide if they want to review it more closely.  They scan the page with their eyes.  So, having the text all fall into a block style where…

it all

lines up

to a certain

line

makes it easier on the eye to scan the page.  You see where I’m going with this?

Please don’t tab

in all over the place

so that your text

makes this zig-zaggy line

all down the page.  Bleich!

6)  Kitty Kat’s Kar Wash and Kookie Kutter’s Kar Kare. Spelling things phoenetically is like fingernails down a chalkboard.  It has nothing to do with resumes.  I’m just saying – it’s really annoying, don’t you think so?

7)  Special Skills: Team Worker, Excellent Communicator, Fast Learner. Says you.  These are all wonderful attributes to possess but not really something tangible to put on a resume.  Why?  Prove it.  Prove to me your a fast learner.  Prove to me you are an excellent communicator.  Do you have a certificate you’ve earned in masterful communications awesomeness?  Did you take a test that shows you can learn new skills in 5 minutes or less?  Wonderful things to say but put them in your cover letter – not your resume.

I could go on and on but hopefully this will get you thinking about your own resumes for the moment.  Christmas break will be upon us soon and that’s the perfect time to start sharpening up your resume.  OSU students, still need some pointers on formatting and the like for natural resource professions?  Drop me a line at raridan-preston dot 1 at osu dot edu and I’ll send you a sample or call 614.292.2265 and come see me.  Keep watching my Facebook page for info on a resume workshop coming up in November too!

Confucius and his Great Thinkers

By Alifia Z. Merchant

A view well deserved after a steep hike in Inner Mongolia

This summer I went on the CFAES Beijing Experience study abroad program and studied at the Chinese  Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Aside from classes, we also had various side trips (including one to Inner Mongolia) that were a part of the curriculum.

Confucius and his Great Thinkers, visit to the Imperial College in Beijing

On Saturdays and Sundays we took trips with the graduate students or spent time with them in their dorms or research laboratories. During our six week program we saw nearly all of the tourist attractions such as Behai Park, Summer Palace, The Great Wall, and The Forbidden City.

Dumplings! My favorite snack in China found readily on the street side for less than $0.30

The history behind all of these structures was very interesting along with the changes that came about during each dynasty.

Lettuce in a hydroponic green house in Inner Mongolia

The most interesting part of the program was learning about China’s current environmental problems and their possible solutions.

At the end of the trip I went on a ten day adventure to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Hong Kong.

Total Maximum Daily Load analysis. Say THAT 10 times fast!

Jennifer Tvergyak, Senior

Sample site

I am a senior majoring in Environmental Science in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. I am currently interning at the Ohio EPA’s Northeast District in Twinsburg. My job is in the Division of Surface Water taking water samples to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis. We are currently working on the Killbuck Creek River basin in Holmes and Wayne counties.

Places of interest all across the state...

We have to monitor 79 sites numerous times throughout the summer. In between my monitoring, I assist with special jobs such as fish electro shocking, bug identification for the Index of Biotic Integrity, and lake monitoring.

Using monitoring equipment

I have also had to opportunity to go out in the field with wetland mitigation crews and the Army Corp of Engineers.

Knee deep in my work!

My future plans are to return to the same internship next summer before I head off to graduate school. The district will be working on Lake Erie and ways to improve its water quality and I am excited to be able to be a part of that.

Allison and Jackie

Today was focused on relaxing and learning a few more interesting facts on the beautiful island known as Iceland.  We started the day with breakfast at the Agricultural University in Hvanneyri, enjoying fresh food, juice, and coffee. Then, we headed out to explore the university further.

First, we visited the dairy cow barn. Upon entering the building the smell of “cow,” as one student put it, reached our noses. We saw many dairy cows eating hay from an automated system. Interesting enough, there was also an automated milker and back scratcher for the cows. On a fun note, the cows were very photogenic, allowing us to take several photographs of them licking our cameras.

After getting our fill of cows, we moved on to a tractor museum located on the campus. Here, we could see farm equipment ranging from a John Deere tractor to an antique butter churn. Next door, we also found a wool shop. They had many items, including: mittens, gloves, buttons, purses, hats, sweaters, and much more.  Also, almost all of the items were handspun, allowing us to buy unique gifts that we will treasure forever. We spent almost an hour in the shop debating over what items to purchase.

Once everyone finally had their fill of wool, we went to the nearby pond to have lunch. The lunch was delicious, consisting of meatballs, pasta, salad, bread, and of course special Icelandic cookies. Yum! Once everyone was full to the point of busting, we loaded up the bus for further adventures outside of the university. We went to Ölvaldsstaðir, a local horse stable located about ten minutes outside of the university. We got to go horseback riding on Icelandic horses (not ponies!) for two hours. It was amazing! We got to experience a unique gait, the tolt, which is exclusive to only Icelandic horses. It cannot be found anywhere else in the world. As the day wore on, unfortunately our ride came to an end. So, we headed back to the university where we were informed there was a party happening soon in our honor.

At the party, we got to try many types of food and drink found in Iceland. These include Mysa, (a milk byproduct, that tasted like “vinegar lemonade,” if that´s at all possible), blood sausage, liver sausage, dried haddock, smoked arctic char, and the head of a lamb (yes, we said we ate a lamb´s head, that wasn´t a joke). And, after allowing us to taste all of these very interesting foods, we got good old fashioned hamburgers for our actual meal. After doing all these things, the rest of the evening was filled with relaxation. We sat around and talked, discussing all of the things that we had learned over our trip so far. All in all, we´d say it was a pretty successful day.

dreams of living the rest of my life out in the West

Anasazi Heritage Center

I have dreams of living the rest of my life out in the West and this summer I had the opportunity to work for the Federal Government out in southwestern Colorado at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores.  It’s a fun place to work and learn about the ancestral puebloans and their life in the Four Corners area and the Colorado Plateau in particular.

Go Bucks

I had a number of things that I was responsible for including helping to open and close the museum, work the front desk and sometimes the museum shop.

Staying cool

Also, I had years of Canyons of the Ancients site registry data to input to their computer and help out the maintenance and monitoring of the monument with “Ranger Rick” when he needed help.

Basic maintenace operations

On weekends I explored different parts of the Four Corners region and on my next blog you will see more places that I visited!

The story goes that a man moved to Iceland bringing two berserks with him.

By Carly & Katy

Carly and Katy

Shed for processing Greenland shark at Bjarnarhöfn

Today we went to the western fjords in the north of Iceland to visit the volcano Snaefellsnes, Bjarnarhöfn and several fishing villages.  After a long bus ride we got out to observe the mountain Bjarnarhafnarfjall and listen to the story of how it was named after a mountain shaped as a bear, but since it’s naming the mountain weathered so it was renamed after the local farm in addition to the original name.  The Berserk’s trail (Berserkjagata) and story was next as we neared Bjarnarhöfn.  The story goes that a man moved to Iceland bringing two berserks with him.  Seeing as how they were only good at fighting they quickly grew bored and resorted to drinking to keep themselves entertained.  One of them decided to marry the farmer’s daughter and the farmer, being too scared to refuse, agreed but not without stipulations. Through the advice of a Wiseman, the farmer assigned them to first clear a path through the lava and then build a wall to fence in the sheep in two days’ time.  The berserks actually completed the deeds in the time allotted and fearing the resulting marriage the farmer sought the advice of the Wiseman again.  The Wiseman said to trap the exhausted berserks in the sauna to kill them, then to bury them where they can’t see mountains and put rocks on their chests to prevent them from coming back to life.  The farmer and his family performed these tasks and today it is customary to visit the pits where they’re buried and add rocks to their graves to weigh them down.

Family church at Bjarnarhöfn

Next were Palli’s uncle’s shark fishery, museum and church at Bjarnarhöfn.  At the museum, we learned about shark fishing and its preparation as food before getting to sample some of it ourselves.  The taste was noted as being akin to “a pencil eraser dipped in kerosene and then lit on fire.” There were also antiques of every sort in the museum such as stuffed Icelandic animals and traditional household items.  We then went outside to the drying shed where the shark is hung for months at a time before being packaged and consumed.  After getting acquainted with the process of shark fermentation, we visited one of the few private churches owned by farmers left in Iceland.  Palli’s uncle graciously showed us relics thousands of years of old.  Our favorite was the chalice dated from 500-600 AD.

fishing boat using for long lining, Ólafsvík Harbor

Before stopping for lunch, Palli took us to a lava field where we broke off pieces of lava to observe the crystallized minerals in the lava.   Similar to the concept of how diamonds form, under high heat and pressure, peroxine, olivine and palagomite form black, green and clear crystals.  We ate lunch near a small fishing town and later visited a dock to view several types of fishing boats used for small scale fishing.  Our day ended with a trip to a unique beach with sand that can only be found in Iceland.  Due to the unique lava containing the minerals peroxine and olivine, the sand actually appears green.  After relaxing on the beach, taking pictures, catching up on journals and snacking on delectable Icelandic chocolate, we headed to Borgarnes for dinner.  A quick pit stop was made to taste natural spring water.  It was naturally carbonated and full of minerals.  We mainly tasted the carbonation and iron.  We enjoyed meat soup for dinner and had a taste of “malt” described as root beer without the toothpaste taste.
We ended the day with discussion, where we played jeopardy and organized a “Farmer’s Relay Race.”

keep the “nature” in “natural”…

Me!

Jessica D, Sophomore Environmental Policy and Management

Over the summer, I visited and then revisited Mount Beacon, a beautiful and verdant mountain containing a one-mile hiking trail that zigzags to the top. With my boyfriend, and then my brother and father, I hiked the one mile, meanwhile admiring the scenery and plantlife that flourished upon the mountain and sides of the trail.

View of the Hudson River

The top of the mountain, a breathtaking view, exposed to me the beauty that I never knew existed in my own backyard.
Both times, we parked in a small parking lot in the historic city of Beacon, NY, home of revolutionary war monuments and Hudson River happenings. Nearly five flights of metal stairs lead us to the beginning of the trail, and from there, we hiked a “Z” shape until we reached the top. Although the trail takes a mere 45 minutes to get to the top, the rocky ground near the summit scraped both my knees; however, the scrapes did make me feel that much more of a wilderness hiker.

Remnants from the 1900's

On the summit, we couldn’t help but ogle a huge apparatus from the first decade of the 1900s, buried into the side of the mountain. Its enormity served to crank materials up to what used to be a watchtower during this time. History stood right before my eyes! Just imagining the complexity and ardor of the workers during this time interested me immensely; I love old things, anyway.

Enjoying what is left of summer! 21 days until classes start!

At the very top of the mountain, one can view the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and about 15 miles down, the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Of course, the most picturesque view is that of the Hudson River itself. On a summer day, the sun hits it in such a way that every ray sparkles off its surface.
I have developed a penchant for hiking this summer from Mt. Beacon. Although not the most famous place in the Hudson Valley, it nonetheless impressed me. Everything, in all its pristinity, subjected me unconsciously to appreciate the environment, relatively untouched by man. It reminds me to live an eco-friendly life to preserve landscapes and to keep the “nature” in “natural.”

The workload for the translocation of the endangered Stephens’ kangaroo rat really picked up…

CRES Fellows

I’m Megan C., a junior majoring in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with a Wildlife Management focus.

Santa Catalina Island, CA

This summer I am working for the Zoological Society of San Diego with the Conservation and Research of Endangered Species program. I am conducting research on the endangered Stephens kangaroo rat in Temecula, California. Along with behavior research I am also assisting with the translocation of a new population of Stephens kangaroo rats. The translocation entails digging holes for acclimation burrows, making the acclimation burrows and relocating the animals into their new homes. I hope to continue to work with the San Diego zoo after I complete my degree at The Ohio State University.

Here’s a glimpse into my internship…

Temperment study location

In the last week of June, the workload for the translocation of the endangered Stephens’ kangaroo rat really picked up. During the day myself and another intern made underground acclimation cages out of chicken wire and zip ties these cages then had holes cut into them for industrial tubing. The tubing would connect to above ground acclimation cages and would also act as an entrance for the kangaroo rat in the future. Making these cages we’re apart of what is called a soft release.

When animals are released into the wild there is a hard release which is when the animal is just let go in the wild and there is a soft release which is when a home is made for the animal so they have a safe place from predators and a home to go to while they make a new one. Since the Stephens’ kangaroo rat is endangered we wanted to do everything possible to make the release a success.

Holes for acclamation

After the cages were built we focused on digging the holes that we would be burying the cages into. Kangaroo rats live underground in burrow systems so our job was to dig 52 holes for our cages to go into and then attach above ground cages to the underground tubes so we could acclimate them to their homes for the first week. Digging these holes was extremely difficult because the terrain was hard and rocky and did I mention it was in 100 degree weather for 8 hours straight?

Sure I could handle the hard labor but the hardest part was getting enough sleep. Since we had the animals that were going to be released into the new site in our office we would conduct behavior research on them at night. So from 9pm till 4am we would do temperament studies on the roo rats to see how they would react to their reflection in a mirror. This research was for a PhD student so it was interesting to see how a research project was carried out. We continued with this schedule for 3 weeks. Those 3 weeks were the hardest of my life because I was working double shifts and I barely had time to sleep.

Kangaroo Rat

Although it was hard it was a very rewarding experience when we got to release the kangaroo rats into their new site. I was very happy that I was now on the front lines of helping save an endangered species. The rest of the summer we conducted telemetry to see where the animals scattered to after they were release from their acclimation cages.

Release!

We collected this data to determine survival rate and who was interacting with whom.

The next month I was chosen to conduct my own research on paired interactions among kangaroo rats. My study had me gathering information on the interactions of kangaroo rats, what type of behavior they were engaging in, whether they were sharing burrows and any other behaviors.

I collected all of my research while wearing military grade night vision goggles. Since kangaroo rats are nocturnal I would go out in the field from 10pm till 4am every night and observe them by night vision. The best part about my research is that nobody has done any long-term research on the animals so everything I am finding out about their behavior is new. Soon I will be compiling all of my data into a presentation that I will be giving at the end of my fellowship to everyone at the San Diego zoo’s Institute of Conservation and Research of Endangered Species.

I am excited to share everything I have learned this summer to all of the people who have inspired me to follow my dreams.

Stump grinding with Andrew M.

Learning how to use equipment like a stump grinder are great technical skills to add to your skill set as a forester.

On the job...

I am entering my senior year at The Ohio State University, and I am pursuing a degree in Environmental Policy and Management.  I am hoping that my love for the outdoors will lead to a career through which I am able to help better the environment for future generations.

Working with Dublin, Ohio’s Forestry Department has given me the opportunity to improve the environment by planting trees and looking out for the overall well being of trees throughout the city.  While taking care of the trees I am also able to learn a lot about how the local government works and how policy is created and executed.  Everyday I have the opportunity to observe and learn new skills pertaining to proper maintenance of trees.

Within the city limits there are approximately 24,000 trees that our department manages.  We are responsible for tree removal, mulching, pruning, pesticide and herbicide application, tree replacement, and stump removal.  I am pictured here using a Carlton stump grinder removing an evergreen stump.  The residents within the city take a lot of pride in the trees.  This means that there is a constant need to create new or simply alter existing policies dealing with how the trees are managed and taken care of in order to ensure there is as little conflict as possible.

Yosemite bound with Alex…

Half dome in Yosemite Photo credit Alex Hughes

Alex Hughes, 2nd year Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife student

Summer Internship at Yosemite National Parks

I started my first actual “work” this week.  I have been working at the visitor center, which entails me standing behind the desk in a National Park Service uniform and answering a wide variety of questions brought by our 3,000 visitors in the valley every day.  The majority of the time I suggest hikes for people depending on how long and how strenuous they want their afternoon to be.  I also help with identification on animals they may have seen, and various other logistics such as camping reservations and bus routes.

I have finished my outline for my junior ranger walks.  I will be giving a wildlife walk with a focus on predator/prey relationships.  I believe this is a topic which will captive kids and provide for some exciting discussions.  My boss and I are fine-tuning the walk now, and I will give my first one next week.

Hiking on my lieu days

During my time off this week I was able to do some excellent hiking.

Mountain bluebird

I went birding around the Crane Flat meadows and saw a number of species.

Cubs at play

Sow and cubs

I also came across a female black bear with two cubs.  I was lucky to get some decent photographs and spend quality time observing them.

Mist Trail

I also hiked the duration of the Mist trail to the top of Nevada Falls.  This is a trail that I recommend to my brave more fit visitors, as it gains 3,200 ft in elevation in only a few miles.  The hike is worth it as you reach the top of the falls.