“A career on a college campus…say what!?”

I am not talking about a student wage or work study job, I’m talking about a full-time paying gig. In celebration of Careers in Student Affairs Month, I thought I’d share my thoughts and experiences.

Yesterday I participated on a “Careers in Student Affairs” panel geared to students thinking about careers in Student Affairs. While there were a few students attending and a lot of great questions asked, I think students initially don’t consider this career for a couple of reasons.

1. What the heck is Student Affairs? Student Affairs is the functional area of the university that assists student growth and success through programming and services. Some of us also teach and work in the classroom. This area includes departments like Student Activities, Housing, Financial Aid, the Student Recreation Center, Health and Wellness, the Student Union, Women’s and Cultural Centers, Admissions and of course the Career Center. This is not the entire list, but you get the idea. Our goal is to promote student success and development.

2. Didn’t even know this was a career option? (this fit me) I didn’t grow up thinking, “I could be a student affairs professional”. No, I wanted to be an engineer or a billionaire or something. Student affairs was the farthest thing from what I thought I could and should do.

3. I want to get the heck out of here (this also was me). Though I had a great time in college, when I was done, I was done! No more all nighters, no more books, no more papers and especially no more midterms and finals. I wanted to have a “career” job to go to and make MONEY! I wanted to have bills (I know, stupid) and be a grown up. I finally made it from the minor leagues to the big show. I wanted to prove myself and conquer the world.

Listening to the other panelist yesterday, showed how there is not just one path or major to get into this field. One panelist was a hotel/conference manager and business owner; one was considering law school and corporate life; other prior careers included fitness and heath policy. My career started out in the safety field working in a hospital.

When that first August rolled around the after I graduated, I realized how much I missed college. I was working at a university medical center and saw all those students with their backpacks heading to classes and labs. I remember thinking to myself, ”dang, just last year that was me”, not a care in the world, no bills, no rent, no “real” boss, it was going to class, going to the gym, grabbing a bite to eat on campus, in one word - nirvana. Yeah, yeah, I know, I said I wanted those bills and other grown up things, but you know, I really truly love the college environment and that time in life.

After a couple of years of this I decided to go back to school. I applied to graduate school, was accepted and obtained a graduate assistantship as a hall director on campus. I loved my job as a hall director and making a connection with students. My supervisor at the time asked me to consider “student affairs” as a career. The university I was at had a program geared toward counseling and college students, so I applied, was accepted and let’s just say the rest is history.

I’ve worked in housing, a cultural center, and career services/centers. I even did a stint at a large high tech company in their training and education area. All my experiences have lead to other and greater opportunities. In fact, I am only limited by where and what I want to do.

I’ve learned how to manage budgets, direct and implement projects and programs, develop websites and marketing campaigns, coordinate and put on events. Most importantly, I have been able to work with a lot of great students who have become employees, employers, colleagues, mentees and of course friends. I also hope, I’ve made an impact in their lives, because they have in mine. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, I absolutely love my job!

So, if you are thinking of this as a possible career field, here are some things to think about:

1. You won’t get rich doing this. It’s true, but you know what, we are all driven by different things and money is not my driver, making a difference is.
2. Do you like working with people? Do you like helping students succeed? Are you someone who people feel is easy to talk to and develop trust? If you are, this might not be a bad fit.
3. Do you like variety in your work life? Our days our never the same. Is every day sun shiny and great…no, but at the end of the day, week or month, do I think…wow, I get paid to do this. My day is filled with counseling appointments, brainstorming sessions, classroom presentations, employer visits and networking events. Have I said it before, “I love my job."
4. Are you someone who works well in a team? Not only do we collaborate within our own teams, but with other units throughout campus. We also assist and work with student teams.
5. Find a mentor. Is there someone who works in one of these areas that you look up to? How did they get there? What do they like about what they are doing? Will they be willing to get you involved in activities to test drive this career?
6. Get involved and engage on campus. My interest in this career started way before I became a hall director. I was a campus ambassador, giving tours, speaking at high schools, etc. I was also a resident assistant and a residence hall officer. It began when I was still a student and I didn’t even know it. All my experiences have lead in some way to the next stop on my journey.
7. Visit the Career Center. If you are not sure what career path you should follow, let us help you. Remember, this is what we do and we love helping you succeed.
-AG

“The Sun ‘ll Come Out Tomorrow…”

What are you doing in this down economy to prepare yourself for the up economy?

Although the winter season is quickly approaching, now is not the time to hibernate and hide out from a bad economic climate.
During these times of hardship many people are forced to use their ingenuity and creativity to make ends meet.
Yesterday, I had a little boy (probably between 7-10 years old) come to my door selling homemade bread to earn money for his piano lessons. He stated that he wanted to continue to take lessons but needed to earn some money to pay his teacher. While I am not sure about neither the legality of this, or the sanity of his parents who let him go to door to door by himself, I admired his entrepreneurial spirit. I may consider peddling some homemade muffins in order to continue paying my cable bill.
Not really, but you get the idea that people are coming up with new ways to make ends meet.

Sometimes what you do on the side ends up being the more prosperous endeavor. Take for example the following historical events:

David McConnell was selling books door to door in 1886, when the business wasn't so good he started giving perfume out as bonuses to women to get them to buy his books. Finally the perfume was more popular than his books and so he started a company that is known today as Avon.

William Wrigley Jr. started a Chicago based company in 1892 selling soap and baking powder. To encourage people to buy his products he began offering chewing gum as a bonus. As with David McConnell - soon Wrigley's bonus became more popular than the product he was trying to sell. Wrigley changed his company to sell chewing gum and, as they say, the rest is history.

Soichiro Honda was turned down by Toyota Motor Corporation during a job interview as “engineer” after World War Two. He continued to be jobless until his neighbors starting buying his “home-made scooters”. Subsequently, he set out on his own to start his own company. Honda. Today, the Company has grown to become the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and one of the most profitable automakers - beating giant automaker such as GM and Chrysler. With a global network of 437 subsidiaries, Honda develops, manufactures, and markets a wide variety of products ranging from small general-purpose engines and scooters to specialty sports cars.

Don’t let this economy bring you down. Study hard, work hard, play hard and develop skills you need to get you where you want to go. The sun will come out and you need to be ready to run when it does.

Develop persistence.
Believe in yourself.
Build social and verbal skills.
Learn to not take rejection personally.
Continue to invest in yourself.

"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." -- Benjamin Franklin

“So you gotta hang on ‘til tomorrow...”

Can your name keep you from getting hired?

Since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their new baby boy Sparrow, it got me wondering how a hiring manager might view his resume. One of his middle names is James so maybe he will go by that and hide the fact that his first name is Sparrow.

But I wonder can your name keep you from getting jobs? I grew up with a kid named Johnny Carson. Maybe the employer assumes he will be funny and is disappointed when he isn't. What if you had the unfortunate luck of being named Charles Manson. Would an employer even call you in for an interview after seeing that name on a resume?
Or you could be named:
Ben Dover
Fifi Trixibell
Moon Unit
Apple
Diva Muffin

I have heard job seekers also mention that their ethnic sounding name or hard to pronounce names work against them.

Of course considering someone's name as part of the hiring process is not only wrong but illegal. While hiring managers may not intend to discriminate against a candidate based on a name or ethnicity, the name could still signal something about the applicant's skills or background that is relevant to the job. For example, an employer may try to assume that an applicant with the last name of Ortega speaks fluent Spanish.

If job seekers feel that their first name conveys an image they are uncomfortable with, then they could just use their first initial on a job application or résumé. But deemphasizing a last name is obviously not realistic.

Instead, job seekers should focus more on the aspects of their image that they can control, like their online presence or the email address they use for correspondence. For example, beerandchicks@hotmail.com probably won't convey a professional image to a hiring manager.

"College-Degree-For-Employment" Talk

Are you one of the thousands of students who has changed your major from something you really enjoy to something you thought would be easier to get a job in? In this economy finding a job and keeping a job seem to be first and foremost on students minds as they evaluate their choice of major.
I often have students ask me which jobs start out at the highest pay. For many that answer will help them to choose their major. There are many factors that go into choosing a major. The reasons are a little different for everyone. It is helpful to talk through your reasoning with a Career Counselor to determine if this major will lead you to a personally fulfilling and successful career.

Choosing a major that is going to be the best fit for your interests and skills has always been important. But, this year the importance of a well rounded education and planning to manage your career through the changing economy has been emphasized by President Kustra in his State of the University address on August 19th.

Copied below are some direct quotes from President Kustra's speech regarding majors and careers.

"The current recession and its impact on jobs and careers reminds us of the importance of offering our students the breadth and depth of programming with choices in academic preparation. I hear parents of students and the students themselves ask more and more these days whether this or that major will lead to employment upon graduation. And I guess you can’t blame them in this tough job market.

But it worries me that we will now focus less than ever on the value of an undergraduate education in providing the student with life-long skills that will stand the test of time, survive the downturns in the economy and guarantee not just the first job, but the second, third and fourth jobs when people are forced—or choose—to switch careers.

I also worry that this college-degree-for-employment talk will prevent students from choosing the major of their first choice—where they may excel—only to take the utility major and struggle with a less interesting experience. How many times have we listened to a student’s tale of woe, choosing the wrong major and then changing to the more appropriate choice later, but adding time and cost to the completion of the degree? And how many of us in college correctly predicted the course of our careers anyway?"

Planning to manage you career through ups and downs in the economy will be key as you get out into the working world.

If you are wondering "What can I do with a major in...." The Career Center has a great resource to help you research that question. Go to http://career.boisestate.edu/WCIDWAMI/Majors/default.html Click on the major you are interested in and read through the suggested careers you might go into for that degree. I guarantee we can find you a variety of career options for any degree offered at Boise State. The key is deciding what you WANT to do.

After all Confucius says, "If you enjoy what you do, you will never work another day in your life"