On Tools
There are lots of tools that can make writing your thesis or other large research project more doable. I’m telling you about these up front so that you can start using them now, because—trust me—they make a huge difference!

1. Endnote or another citation software
   I’m no expert on the differences between citation softwares, but they are worth the investment. I used Endnote because it was what a friend recommended to me (thank you Adrienne G.). Endnote allowed me to connect PDFs of articles to the bibliographic information and to import the citations in a variety of writing styles (e.g. APA) as you write. A bonus, the software will build your bibliography as you go. You’ll need to do some editing, but the software does the heavy lifting. You can even export the citations from academic databases and import directly to Endnote so that you capture the data in a matter of seconds.
2. Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud based storage solution
   This may or may not be a no-brainer, but it needs to be said. Save your data, your drafts and all of your files in one manageable place (stay organized) that is backed up to the cloud or an external drive, or both. I used Dropbox which was convenient for switching between computers, accessing files if I was on someone else’s machine and ensuring that my data was backed up in real-time. I have no scary, I lost my files story, but I do have about 35 saved iterations of my thesis, each one a few pages longer than the last.
3. Note Taking System (for random notes)
   Have you ever had thoughts pop into your head in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning or while just hanging out? You were unconsciously thinking about research! Make sure to have a notepad near your bed, in your purse or backpack or use your phone’s note app to jot down ideas. I regularly scanned through my phone’s note pad to find research notes that popped up out of the ether. Writing doesn’t just appear, but ideas do.
4. Support Network
   We all need support, but the most meaningful support comes from those who know what we are experiencing. Connect with other graduate students, professional colleagues, and friends from outside of the University who’ve completed similar research projects. These people will provide perspective when you’re stuck, laughs when you are grumpy and encouragement to see you through the end. Plus, you’ll have a team of fans waiting to celebrate with you when you are done. Let them know how you’re progressing, share your successes – the right people will want to know.
5. Formatting Rules
   Regardless of your discipline’s formatting standards, the University has additional standards for completing your final thesis. Do yourself a favor, find them before your defense and see if you can’t just incorporate the ProQuest requirements before you send it off to your advisor and committee. This is sure to save you some headache later as you won’t be trying to reformat page margins and tables during finals week.
6. Awareness
   Many graduate students will at some point encounter or experience a bout of what has been termed imposter syndrome. Do yourself a favor now, look it up, read a few articles and know that you are not an imposter. If you’ve come this far, you’re right where you are supposed to be and you are smart enough to complete and take full credit for your awesome research.

1. Know Yourself
   Know your work style, your strengths and weaknesses and accept them. You need to know these to work into your planning. If you’re not sure, contact University Career Services, the Korbel Office of Career and Professional Development, Daniels Career Services or Sturm College of Law’s Office of Career Development & Opportunities  to see what assessments you can complete.
2. Have a SystemI’m naturally deadline driven and work well when I know what my next milestone is. With my advisor I always set up a timeline for the next few weeks or months depending on what phase of the thesis I was in. While I was analyzing data my dates were more spread out so that I had time to read and take notes. When I was writing, we met more frequently to review my progress and get feedback. Your discipline might require a different system or structure, but try to make a plan and stick to it as best as you can. In my experience, having the structure and deadlines also freed me up to say yes to fun activities without feeling guilty about the looming amount of work.How you schedule and work with your advisor will depend on your work style as well as the advisor’s, but know what you need to stay on track and commit to that for your own sake. Advisor doesn’t care if you have a timeline, but you know you’d be better off having one – then create it. Put it on paper or a calendar and set electronic reminders if needed – whatever you need to get it done.
3. Create a SpaceDo you remember Arianna Huffington’s Sleep Revolution tour? She and other advocates of sleep (that could be another post about research and sleep) talk about the importance of creating a space that is dedicated to sleep and rest—a space that is free of distractions, noises, lights and electronics that disturb deep sleep. Apply this notion to your work space.Create a space that is free of distractions and dedicated to your research. Make sure that you have what you need to accomplish your work so that you never have to go hunting for tools or comfort items that improve your work. My “home office” included 24″ monitor so that I could work off of two screens (my laptop, too) and save time flipping between tabs. I installed a keyboard tray and bought an exercise ball to round out my ergonomic needs, ensuring that I could occasionally sit and work for extended hours. Even if you work 1-3 hours per day like I did, after a week of writing and a full-time job I was at a computer 30-50 hours per week.
4. Office in a BagSometimes I couldn’t bear to sit at my “home office” any more. I needed to get out, get some fresh air, see some other faces or hear some ambient coffee-house noise or music, depending on your favorite local hangout. Figure out what you need, bare minimum, to accomplish solid work, and put it all in one bag, purse or backpack. Save everything online so that you can access it from anywhere and still reference your articles and other research even if you are Steam Espresso Bar. Need other physical tools? Know what those are and if practicable, have a second set ready to go for those spontaneous research and writing dates you’re planning—you never know who you’ll bump into at a coffee house. But seriously, research doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor! setting up times to write and work alongside other students can boost morale and encourage us to stay on track.
5. Other Ideas?I’m sure there are many other great ways to stay and be organized for research. If you’ve got great ideas, send them my way and I will update. There are many students whose work also includes being in a lab and working on teams, so I’d love to hear what other planning and organization issues, struggles or successes you’ve had.

Maria Kuntz is the Marketing and Events Manager at University Career Services at DU. She just defended her Master’s thesis, How the Greek Press Constructed the “Greek Economic Crisis,” and graduates in June 2016 with a master’s degree in International and Intercultural Communication from Media, Film & Journalism Studies and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. She’s been working in marketing, communications, community relations and development for nearly 14 years and began working at University of Denver in August 2010.

You’ll be writing until there’s no need to write anymore, until you’ve covered your topic sufficiently and the questions are answered. Will it be 60 pages, 90, 150? Just depends. When you get started and throughout, don’t worry about the page count, just write. If you stare at the numbers, they just stare back, so better to ignore if possible.

1. The first draft of anything is shit. ~Ernest Hemingway
   Well, he got that right. It does not have to be perfect and trust me it isn’t. So stop agonizing over the punctuation or the best synonym or the word that you’ve used three times in one paragraph, just keep the words flowing. There is always time for editing, but first you need to have something to edit.

2. It’s just words on paper. ~Adrienne Gonzales, Ph.D., Associate Director, DU Center for World Languages and Cultures
   Sometimes you just need a little perspective. We’re probably not saving the world with our research, but hopefully we are adding something meaningful to society and knowledge. This friendly reminder was the mantra I recited every time I sat down to work. Don’t take yourself too seriously and just get some ideas on paper. Again, there’s always time to edit.
3. If I waited till I felt like writing, I’d never write at all. ~Ann Tyler
   A few days after I defended my thesis, I met a gentleman at a conference who had completed a Ph.D. he told me that every day he scheduled to write from 9-11 p.m. (Same as me!) He said that no matter what, he sat down to write at 9 p.m. and did his best to try to write something, anything. If after 15 or 20 minutes he was coming up short, he stopped for the night and started again at 9 p.m. the next day. I swear this works. I watched my so doing spelling and writing homework and the first six-word sentence was arduous—but it gave way to sentence number two that was longer and eventually to sentence number four that  37 words long! It wasn’t the best sentence (he said recess four times), but he gained some momentum and once he got writing he was beaming from ear to ear.The colleague I met and I both have kiddos, so 9–11 p.m. worked for us, but really this refers back to organizing. Maybe you work best at 5 a.m. and you like four-hour blocs. That’s great, too. The point is schedule your writing time—it’s a date with yourself and your diploma.
4. The biggest part of it is editing. It takes longer to edit one episode than to shoot it and write it. ~Larry David
   Larry David, the producer of and other brain behind Seinfeld, was talking about TV, but the same holds true for any writing. Great prose, narrative, poetry, and journal articles all have one thing in common – editing and lots of it. If your advisor or committee members keep suggesting edits, edits and more edits this is good news. They could be telling you to start over or that you are way off the mark. One day I told my editor, “there was just so much editing, I couldn’t have completed this without you.” Her reply: “You gave me something great to start with.” When she handed me pages covered in ink and handwritten notes, I never felt that my draft had been great – but it’s all perspective. You’ve got to start somewhere, so realize that editing may very well take more time than writing the initial draft.
5. The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer. ~Zadie Smith
   I love this quote, except that you can’t really stop being the writer of your own work. The most valuable gift I received was an advisor who provided lots of edits. At first her notes seemed soul crushing, but eventually I came to value her perspective. The voice in my head—my writer’s voice—can justify a lot of what I’ve written, to my own detriment. If you have an outside editor that is best. If not, set your work aside for days or even a week before trying to edit it. The time provides distance and you’ll be more likely to critique and edit your own work effectively.
6. People think that writing is writing, but actually writing is editing. Otherwise, you’re just taking notes. ~Chris Abani
   You’d never turn your notes in for your term paper. Well, maybe you have, but let’s pretend you didn’t admit that.  You’d never turn in notes to your thesis or dissertation committee, right? So, one last perspective, that first draft you wrote—it is shit. Hemingway was right. But those are just your notes. The real writing starts with editing. So get out your red pen, track changes or a crayon if you prefer and have at it. Make those notes bleed and before you know it you’ll have become a writer.

Maria Kuntz is the Marketing and Events Manager at University Career Services at DU. She just defended her Master’s thesis, How the Greek Press Constructed the “Greek Economic Crisis,” and graduates in June 2016 with a master’s degree in International and Intercultural Communication from Media, Film & Journalism Studies and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. She’s been working in marketing, communications, community relations and development for nearly 14 years and began working at University of Denver in August 2010.

1. Talk Careers

University alumni revisit campus on a regular basis. They interact with current students, chat with old professors, and admire the progress and development of our school since their graduation. From time to time, DU welcomes alumni in a more formal setting. A notable alum and recipient of the University of Denver Evans Award is Andy Taylor. He and his wife Barbara, who is also an alum, have maintained an excellent relationship with the university since their graduation. In 2012, they donated a generous gift, matched by the university, which was used to establish the Taylor Family Undergraduate Career Center for business students, as well as to award two different need-based scholarships to dozens of Daniels students year after year.

1. Love your job
   Of course, we have heard this time and time again, but you have to take it to heart when someone who has been there says it. Andy talked about how every day he looks forward to going to work, which makes all the difference in the workplace. Having passion behind what you are doing can make all the difference and keep you motivated throughout your career.
2. Strive towards ethics
   Daniels places huge emphasis on the importance of ethics, and Andy has found that pursuing ethical business practices has held great value throughout his career. He encourages students to maintain a strong sense of ethics on their professional and personal journey as well.
3. Always look forward
   The business environment is ever-changing, so we must continue to adapt our businesses and strategies to remain relevant. Andy talked about how Enterprise is always looking forwards – analyzing trends and deciding how they will fit into the equation in the future. As a leader in a big company, he talked about the importance of pushing innovation and creativity in the workplace.
4. Keep a balance between work and personal life
   Surprisingly, these two do not have to be separate in order to be well-balanced. When Andy’s children were still young, he would sometimes bring them into work. He described this sort of event as a “family thing,” where the kids might learn a thing or two on a Saturday morning for example.
5. Reinvest in your businessAndy attributed a good portion of the growth in his business to the consistent re-investments he made. He talked about how he chose not to take the money for himself and instead used it to push development in his business. While this may sound intuitive for many, the key lies in making sure not to take excess profits to keep for personal use, which may be challenging if your business is doing well.

Getting Your Startup to the Starting Line

1. Make your idea specific – clearly define the product or service so that a potential customer or investor understands exactly what you’re proposing, (A “new app that will revolutionize retail” isn’t specific).
2. Define the market – who’s the most likely buyer? (It can’t be everyone).
3. What specific need are you filling or what problem are you solving? (Make sure you’re looking through the eyes of a customer rather than your own).
4. What competition exists? (Even if you think your idea is completely new, there’s probably a company already offering a product to your target market, even if it’s not exactly like yours).
5. What price do you expect a customer to pay – and based on what research? Can you define the value to the customer that supports your proposed price?
6. What percentage of the market or how many customers are needed to succeed? (If you need 50% of the market, it’s not likely)
7. What resources, team, technology and marketing will be needed to turn your idea into a company?

About the Author: Bud Rockhill provides hands-on support to mid market companies as an advisor or Board member to improve sustainable profitability and scale through management processes, organizational design or infrastructure. He has been the CEO, President or owner of four companies in three industries over the last 25 years, and three of the companies he has led have been sold to outside investors.

1. I Need to Apply to More Jobs to Increase My Odds

What to Do Instead

2. I Have it Pretty Good at My Current Job

What to Do Instead

3. There’s Nothing I Can Do to Change This

What to Do Instead

Take advantage of applicant tracking systems

Don’t be too picky

Take your time

Don’t ignore temporary jobs

Get your foot in the door

Tools to help you get that job

Looking for a way to enhance your professional and personal skills in the workplace?  Finding a mentor is a great way to do just that!  Mentoring programs are becoming a standard in many organizations.  According to Chronus Corporation, over 71 % of Fortune 500 companies now offer mentoring or sponsorship programs.

• valuable business and life skills
• best practices for your industry
• appropriate behaviors and protocols.

1. Ask yourself what you want in a mentor. Is it an expert who can help with a specific business challenge?  Are you looking for someone inside your workplace who has the inside track to be an advocate for you?  Mentoring doesn’t have to be a “business” relationship, you can find mentors outside the workplace from organizations you belong to or neighbors and relatives as well.
2. Check with your employer’s human resources department to see if they have a mentoring program. Many big corporations offer sponsorship or mentoring programs.  You can also tap into industry associations.
3. College ties do bind. Find a mentor from your alma mater by utilizing Pioneer Connect and LinkedIn.
4. Try to find a mentor who will challenge your thinking and show you there might be a different way to approach a problem, or an additional potential, one you never knew existed.
5. Make it fun! When asking for a meeting with a potential mentor, avoid making it seem as though you will only add to their workload.

Author: Kelli Sessions is the Career Services Coordinator in the Taylor Family Undergraduate Career Center in Daniels College of Business.

1. I Tried the Sort of Work I’d Be Doing First

Here’s How You Can Do the Same

Hanging out with my first team at The Muse in the office

2. I Talked to My Boss

Here’s How to Have That Conversation

Hanging out with my second team at The Muse on our ski retreat

3. I Stayed Considerate of My Old Team

Here’s How to Leave on Good Terms

1. Your Qualifications Match the Open Role

2. You’re Accomplished

3. You Have Zero Red Flags