Name: Sierra Semko
Major: Psychology w/ minors in Spanish & Marketing
Year: Junior
Hometown: Bowling Green, OH
Fun Facts
Dream Job: I hope to change careers a few times :-) I want to start by doing Social Psych research and end up teaching at some point. Doing something out of my comfort zone in between would be great, although I’m not sure what that will be yet! Maybe something to incorporate my Marketing studies? Or maybe something really rewarding that doesn’t have much to do with anything that I have learned!
Dream City: Seattle, WA
Favorite Movie: You’ve Got Mail
Favorite Store: Free People
Q&A
HC: What will you be doing in your research position?
S: My role will change day-to-day! Sometimes, I will be analyzing data and running statistical tests (which is the part that I’m most nervous about because stats are scary). Other times, I will actually be collecting data. This summer, we will be working with mothers and children living in Chicago which is something that I have never been able to do before, since the Oxford community is so small. These sessions will be recorded on video and then the videos will need to be coded. By that, I mean that we will need to watch every single video and note when certain interactions between the mother and child take place. If this sounds time consuming and tedious, that’s because it is LOL. But, it’s something that I’ve never done before, and it’s all in the name of science aka my truest love.
HC: What was the process of finding a job/position like for you? Stressful, exciting, exhausting, etc.?
S: I went into the process feeling very low key, and then as I heard back and scheduled the interview, I became a lot more nervous… Especially once I realized that it was more competitive than I had originally thought! What I did really like about the process was being able to share what I know, and being able to talk with someone about the things that I am passionate about. And, hearing that I got the position was a great, rewarding moment that made all of the stress more than worth it.
HC: What are you most excited for in your new position?
S: Other than spending the summer living in Chicago, I’m excited to network and get mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for grad school (which will be a huge undertaking). Grad school will essentially be this process for 5 years, so this will act kind of like a trial run to make sure that I know what I’m getting myself into!
I also just want to soak up as much knowledge as possible. One of the things that I love most about Psych is that someone always knows more about something than I do, and I love when people are willing to share what they know.
HC: Do you think that your experience at Miami helped you get the position/prepared you for the position?
S: 100%. I have been completely supported by the Psychology faculty is all of my Psych endeavors. They have pushed me to know more about Psychology in general and to explore the things that I’m interested in. Right now, I am working on an honors thesis with a faculty member that is using data collected from African American students at Miami and Penn State. Also, earlier this month, I went to Chicago to attend a Psychological conference and hear about all kinds of exciting research being published across the country. The amount of opportunities that are available through Miami (and the Psychology Department) is enormous – I had to do my part by reaching out to people and seeing what I could do, but putting myself out there and taking on new roles has always been well-received.
HC: What are some tips that you have about interviews and applying for positions?
S: The most important thing, I think, is simply to go into an interview knowing who you’ll be talking to. By that, I mean that researching the company or the individual is super important, and it’s very obvious when you have no idea what you’re talking about! For me, I made sure to read the 3 most recently published papers from the lab that I’m joining, and I was able to ask specific questions about the methods, the results, etc.
Also, I think that a little bit of confidence is a must. To convince someone else that you deserve the job, you have to ACT like you deserve the job! If you’re meeting in person to interview, smile and show how insanely confident you are. If you’re doing a phone interview like I was, speak clearly and brightly – the person with whom you are communicating will totally be able to tell.
Last thing (I promise, lol), I think that it’s really important to evaluate whether the position that you’re applying for is something that you’d be willing to spend an extended amount of time doing. Any sort of job is a big commitment, and you’ll be expected to be giving 110%. If you love what you’re doing, this won’t be hard. However, if you dread every single moment of every single day, you will just keep falling short and feeling miserable. You don’t deserve that and neither does your employer! I know that the culture at Miami pushes people to have internships and to be employed ASAP, but I think that remembering how valuable your time and happiness are is a really important part to finding the perfect job (or at least one that you can stand!)