Midterms, career fairs, and the question every new coach asks us. The answer is simpler than you think.
Coaching  ·  Compass
a monthly dispatch from Level Up Cincinnati
Issue No. 06
October 2026
This month's theme —
Showing
Up.
Midterms, career fairs, and the question every new coach asks us. The answer is simpler than you think.
From the Team

October is the long middle. UC has no fall break, just one reading day, so your scholar is grinding from late August straight through to Thanksgiving. Midterms, the first real grades, FAFSA renewal, and career fair season all land in the same few weeks.

It's also the month new coaches start asking us the same question: am I doing this right? It's a good question, and a good sign. So Jim recorded a one-minute answer, right below.

The short version: if you're meeting with your scholar every month and you keep showing up, even when it feels awkward, you're doing it right. And this month, a random encouragement text matters more than you'd think.
— the Level Up Team
The question new coaches ask us most, answered in about a minute. Tap to watch.
In This Issue
 
01 The Question for your next conversation
 
02 On the Calendar upcoming events
 
03 Field Notes this month's recap
 
04 Toolkit resources to share
 
05 Worth Reading a short read
 
01
The Question
“
What's one thing you wish someone had told you before your first internship search?
Answer it, then tell your scholar
02
On the Calendar
 
OCT
03
UC Science Library · 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
This Saturday, our scholars spend the day on their careers. The full agenda, and where you can lean in after, is in the Toolkit below. Coaches aren't asked to attend, but a few volunteer spots are still open. One text before Saturday: "What's the one thing you want to walk out with?"
 
03
Field Notes
Coach Happy Hour at MadTree, September 15.
  • —Thanks for coming out to Happy Hour. It was great to see everyone at MadTree and share our successes and opportunities for growth together.
  • —New this year: Insight Sessions with Mary. Pick one assessment - Everything DiSC, Working Genius, or CliftonStrengths - then sit down with Mary Tettenhorst of Impact Talent Strategies for a 60-minute conversation about what your results mean. It's free for scholars and coaches, and pairs can do a joint debrief. See how it works
04
Toolkit
PD Day
What Your Scholar Works On Saturday

Here's the full plan for Professional Development Day, so you know exactly where to lean in afterward.

The opening hour, over lunch. Every scholar starts with a Career Chapter card and a Career Journey Pulse, a quick read on where they are right now. Then a tour of the support UC Libraries offers across campus, and a session on using AI as a career copilot: practical uses, guardrails, and how to keep their own judgment and voice.

Two breakouts, their choice. Each scholar picks two of four 45-minute sessions, and each one ends with something concrete:

  • —Craft a Standout Resume - two stronger resume bullets or a revision plan.
  • —Find Your Next Opportunity - one real opportunity and a dated next step.
  • —Build Your Personal Brand - three brand words, a brand statement, and one LinkedIn improvement.
  • —Turn Experience into Impact - a plan for turning internships, jobs, and leadership roles into interview-ready stories, plus one action.

The 3-2-1 Action Plan. They close by naming three connections to make, two growth priorities, and one action to finish within two weeks.

That plan is your follow-up. Ask which two sessions they chose and what they walked out with, then check in on the one action they committed to. And ask the question that matters most: "What else can I help you with?"

Waypoints
October, According to Waypoints

October is the burnout month, and Waypoints has it mapped.

  • —FAFSA renewal opened October 1. A missed FAFSA is a quiet crisis that surfaces months later, so ask directly: "Have you re-filed yet? Want to do it together?"
  • —Spring registration opens by credit hours: 90+ credits October 19-23, 60-89 credits October 26-30, everyone else after. Nudge the advisor meeting before your scholar's slot.
  • —Career fairs: Insurance Career Fair (October 7), Blue Ash Career Expo (October 13), Bearcats Go Pro (October 19), and the Social Sciences Career Fair (October 20).
See what's coming →
Heads Up
Pulse Check-In - October Edition

Your monthly Pulse check-in lands in the Level Up app today, and new coaches join for the first time. It takes under a minute and helps us spot early where a match could use support.

 
05
Worth Reading
Feeling Uncertain Doesn't Make You Weak, Weird, or Unqualified
James Clear on the doubt that shows up whenever you try something that matters, and why feeling unsure is not a sign you're doing it wrong. If you've wondered whether you're doing this right, you're in good company. So is your scholar, somewhere in the middle of midterms. A five-minute read.
The Essentials
The four links every coach needs, every month.

Until next month, coaches.
Level Up Cincinnati
Coaching Compass · Vol. 06
A monthly dispatch for coaches of Level Up Cincinnati — a nonprofit connecting first-generation college students with mentorship, scholarships, and a launch network.

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