A Day in the Lives of UIC Alumni

Thinking about what life will be like after graduating from UIC and starting that full time job? What may seem the most daunting event in the foreseeable future is actually not as bad as you think. Here is some insight from a couple of UIC’s coolest alumni to calm your post-grad jitters!

Mediha Syeduddin, UIC Class of 2019, English Major, Illinois Public Health Initiative

What do you like to do when you first get to work? Any habits that help you get into the working zone?

If I’m commuting into work, I will always start by treating myself to a cup of coffee or a matcha latte. But instead of getting the same thing from Starbucks, I’ve made it a goal to try a new cafe each week. I’ve been to the staples (Goddess and the Baker, Ground Up, and Sawada), but the list grows every week and it’s something I look forward to when I’m coming to the office.

After I get my cup of coffee and sit at my desk, I run through my emails. I’ll look for updates on current projects, any upcoming meetings for the day, and with this information I’ll create a to-do list of items I want to accomplish for the day. I’ll then schedule these tasks into my Outlook calendar. This way, I’ll get updates on the goals I’ve set for myself, and it's a visual method to track my progress. This being said, I don’t always complete the list I’ve set out for myself, but this format allows me to revise any time blocks for similar tasks in the future, helping me with time-management.

Did you complete any internships prior to graduating/starting this job?

I didn’t have any internships prior to graduating, but I was very involved with leadership positions at school, including president of Muslim Student Association and Planned Parenthood Generation Action at UIC. Additionally, I was a RA at the Emergency Room in Cook County Stroger’s Hospital for a couple years during undergrad. These experiences proved very valuable during my application process, and came up multiple times during interviews.

What is something you enjoy doing to unwind after a long day?

When it comes to unwinding after a long day, I like to bake or cook. Usually, I end up making banana bread, but on days I don’t have super ripe bananas, I try to cook something with stuff that’s laying around in our fridge. There’s something that’s incredibly therapeutic about chopping vegetables, and I will chop anything that I can find.

After that, blocking out a few hours for myself before bed really helps me feel at rest. These few hours will range from me completing my skincare routine, online window shopping, or reading a book. The quietness that accompanies these tasks helps me de-stress and clear my mind for the next day.

Asma Ahmed, UIC Class of 2022, Finance and Information and Decision Sciences (IDS) Major, Allstate

What do you like to do when you first get to work? Any habits that help you get into the working zone?

The first thing I do is check what meetings I have for the day and make note of which times I set aside to focus on the grunt work. Then I check my email and clear and categorize my inbox so there is less clutter. One habit I have recently started that gets me into the working zone is making lists for the day so I know what to focus on.

Do you think that college adequately prepared you for the workforce?

I was a Finance and IDS major. I think the business college in general had given us so many classes that focused on group work and although it got overwhelming at times this was a very good way to prepare for the workforce. There are many times where I have to juggle multiple projects and work with overlapping or even completely new people and I think in this respect the transition from the classroom project style teams to corporate teams was very easy for me.

I think getting real world, applicable work was kind of overwhelming at first because a lot of IDS classes specifically taught us things in a very conceptual way. I think there could have been more ways we could have been able to work with example data or situations that may have been a little more helpful.

What is some advice that you would give to a current undergraduate student?

Practice public speaking in any opportunity you get, presentations, emails or even just conversations are going to be a part of whatever job you get. It is important to know how to tell a story to get your point across such as utilizing the STAR method not just in interviews but in communication as well!Try to learn more things related to your future career, specializing in one area is great, but having multiple perspectives can be extremely helpful as well -and employers will like hearing that you take time apart from your education/job/internship to learn even more.

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The thought of graduation can be nerve wracking but knowing that so many others have been through similar experiences can make a world of difference. Here's to all of our hardworking UIC Alumni, paving the way for generations to come!