Student Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel » College

Conquering Your Jabberwocky – Part II

Lisa Simmons — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:10:47 +0000

Recently we followed Alice down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. This week, we are going to apply some lessons learned from Alice, particularly how to move past our fears.

The Jabberwocky is an appropriate analogy for our fears. It has “jaws that bite,” which could be construed as words that pierce our psyche and wound our self-confidence. It has “claws that catch” which could be analogous to being paralyzed with fear.

In other words, the fear not only makes us question ourselves but also stops our forward motion.

So, how can we combat our own Jabberwocky?

Make a list of your accomplishments & check it twice (or more).

Always keep a list of your accomplishments, regardless of how small they may seem to you at the time. Not only is this a good way to combat the “jaws that bite,” but it will also come in handy when performance reports are due. Don’t fall into the trap of not tooting your own horn. Chances are that, if you don’t, very few others will. Absalom would say “I can’t help you if you don’t even know who you are.” This is true. Know yourself, and make certain that others know you and are aware of your accomplishments too.

Remember that fears often seem bigger than they are.

Think about the accomplishments of humanity. Now ask yourself what life would be like right now if all these wonderful inventors, writers, scientists, and others were too fearful to step out of their comfort zone. When Alice first saw the Jabberwocky, she responded in fear. “This is impossible!” The Mad Hatter responded, “Only if you believe it is.”

Too often we see fear as insurmountable. It looks very much like Alice’s Jabberwocky–big, mean, and really ugly. It is often so intimidating that retreat feels like the only safe alternative. This brings us to feelings.

Remember that feelings don’t dictate reality.

Feelings begin in our thoughts and become quite tangible in our gut, but they are not reality. Sometime we forget that we can and should exercise control over them. We also overlook the fact that feelings do not dictate right or wrong. They do not predict success or failure either.

Combat bad feelings by grabbing your list of accomplishments and start to “believe in six impossible things before breakfast.” Note even the smallest of successes because they often lead to even larger “wins.” Most importantly, believe in yourself.

Embrace the madness.

When the Mad Hatter was having a particularly bad day, Alice said: “You’re entirely bonkers. But, I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” Although every fiber of our being tends to want to fit in, the most interesting people are those who are different. Don’t be afraid to explore different avenues and ideas. Great works of art, scientific discoveries, and amazing inventions are rarely comparable to anything before. Color outside the lines! You might just be the next great contributor to humanity.

Your vorpal sword

Alice dispatched the Jabberwocky with the vorpal sword, which the White Queen described as hope. You can do the same. Along with your accomplishments, list your hopes. What is it that you want to eventually accomplish? Nothing is as big a threat to your dreams as fear. Hope is the antidote.

Return from Wonderland.

Alice was strengthened on her return from wonderland. She had discovered who she was and had an appropriate assessment of her abilities. She pitched her ideas to a family friend and businessman. We last see her on the deck of a boat heading to pursue trade with China.

Once you have some successes in your very own wonderland, you will have a better idea of your capabilities. You will learn when to heed fear and when to shove it aside and move forward. Fear will become a tool rather than your master.

Break free.

Did you know that the word “fear” has a fitting acronym? It is FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real. Isn’t that truly what fear is? Can you see how it can “bind and catch?” Now it is time to break free and conquer your Jabberwocky!

Author

As Associate Director of Employer Experience for Wake Forest University, Lisa’s passion is connecting employers with student talent and creating a positive experience for both. She leads a university-wide Employer Experience team which is responsible for all aspects of recruiting, retention, and systems for the graduate business school. Her strengths include relationship management, networking, social media engagement, information aggregation, process facilitation and communication. Lisa has been employed at Wake Forest since the fall of 2002. She has over 20 years of work experience in various roles. Prior to arriving at Wake Forest, she was an entrepreneur, venturing into web-based international sales and marketing of salvage automotive parts and accessories. Before that, she was a trust officer in the Employee Benefit Trust area of Wachovia Bank. Lisa is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. Lisa earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Rollins College and a Masters in Liberal Arts from Wake Forest. Visit Lisa’s blog, follow her on Twitter, or connect via LinkedIn.

Build Relationships to Build a Career

Jonathan Petrino — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:25:28 +0000

If you’re coming up on graduation, and you’re looking to start your career–this post is for you. If you are a year or more away from graduation, then this post is really for you!

Starting and building a career can be a daunting task…that is, unless you invest time and effort upfront to build meaningful relationships. I think if you do this early, and often, you’ll find that your career will develop over time. This will help you avoid a ‘start-from-scratch’ approach every time you want to make a change.

You might be saying: “Meaningful relationships? I just need a job!” And, that’s a fair statement–but I think it’s one that won’t serve you well in the long-run.

The days of blasting out resumes online are dead. Instead of waiting until a few weeks before graduation and digging through job postings– start making a point to build relationships with people that you can learn from. Online tools for networking (websites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Blogs) are great–and they can be used to reinforce your relationships made offline.

Where to get started?

Your personal network: Friends and family are your closest existing relationships. Everyone knows someone. Make sure you tell your family and friends what you want to do or learn about. (I actually landed an internship through a family member’s connections).
Professors: A few things make your professors and faculty valuable to your job search.
It’s likely that they know many people in the industry around the subject they teach. They also know other professors–who know other professionals! The best way to approach this? Ask your professors if they know anyone you can set up an informational interview with.
Professional organizations: A few minutes spent researching online can turn up a list of organizations that you may be interested in joining. Most of these groups have special rates (if not free) for students.

Getting started is the only hard part here. Once you have built a small number of meaningful relationships, I think you’ll find the value you receive is enormous over time. Graduating and starting a career can be intimidating, but building relationships and connections will really help you navigate through your future.

Author

Jonathan has broad ranging experience and currently works as a Customer Success Manager at Responsys, Inc. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University where he majored in Marketing. He previously worked for Thomson Reuters, where he also had an internship during college, and he worked for Expedia in an account management role for their North American lodging business. Jonathan is an avid enthusiast of all things marketing, economics, and travel. And, he is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Connect with Jonathan on Twitter (@jonathanpetrino), LinkedIn, and his website.

Tips for Introductions and Networking Offline

Michele Posehn — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:14:49 +0000

In your everyday world, the casual encounters of your daily routine can open up a network of connections with limitless possibilities. Consider some of the common–and not so common–places where people are networking offline in my last post, “Advance Your Career with Community Contacts.”

So, now that you know where to look for contacts, how can you maximize your opportunity?

Start off slow.

Remember to be friendly and ask questions during the conversation that let you learn more about the person. If there are mutual areas of interest, offer a business card or ask if the person can share his or her business card with you. Ask if it is ok to contact him or her in the future.

Remember that social settings require social tact.

While the person you just met has great potential as a business contact, remember your environment and keep the conversation light. You don’t want to come on too strong or pushy at, say, a July 4th celebration at a park. Save the tough questions for a later time.

Change the topic if the person seems uncomfortable or not willing to talk about work in a social setting.

Look for cues like looking away, over or around you; or physically edging away from you and/or towards others. Or, maybe they provide you with very short answers and try to change the subject back to something related to the social outing. If this happens, ask if it would be better to speak with them back at the office and offer your contact card.

It’s okay to talk about your interests, your career goals and plans. But try to stay within points of mutual interest. If the person doesn’t feel too pressured, he or she will be open to future contact or even provide you with a referral to someone they know is hiring.

With all of these opportunities to meet people, you might feel pressured to have your resume in your back pocket at all times.

An easier approach may be to have a personal business card that includes your LinkedIn profile URL or even a QR code that takes users to any of your online profiles. QR codes can be scanned by a smartphone to take users directly to a specified web page. Sites like Qurify.com can generate the codes for you. Even better, a new, fun contact card is called a Meme Profile Trading card . These cards provide a snapshot of your skills and a link to your online profiles and often have a QR code included on their design.

Seizing opportunities to network in person is essential to a successful career and job search. Take the time now to mentally prepare for these exchanges and you’re sure to leave an impression.

Author

Michele is a Senior Recruiter for Sodexo, a world leader in quality of daily life solutions that contribute to the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. As a former assistant director at the University of Maryland University College’s Career and Cooperative Education Center, she’s no stranger to students trying to plan their careers. During that time, she worked with non-traditional college students to gain school credit for on the job work experience. Michele also taught seminars on job searching, resume writing and interview techniques, and partnered with local employers to help students gain employment. At Sodexo, she has continued her interest in shaping student careers by serving as a mentor to an intern in the company’s Future Leaders Program. Michele began her recruitment career in 1999, joining Sodexo in 2008 where she recruits for a range of food, facilities and environmental services positions. Michele holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park (go Terps), is a charter member of a Baltimore area Toastmasters chapter, and a Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) and Certified Diversity Recruiter (CDR). When not giggling with her two girls, Michele enjoys writing … and watching the Yankees win, much to the dismay of her husband. Join her on LinkedIn or just Network with Us at Sodexo.

Conquering Your Jabberwocky

Lisa Simmons — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:39:32 +0000

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!” ~ Lewis Carroll (Through the Looking Glass)

____________________________________

Each of us struggles, in some way, with our journey to grow up and find our place in the world. We may not want to admit it, but we have various insecurities, pressures, problems, and challenges.

Unfortunately, when we are young, we tend to pay more heed to what others say than what we may know about ourselves, our abilities and our desires. We want to be liked, accepted and part of a group almost as much as we want to realize our dreams. Belonging is integral to our well-being.

Although we should always listen to sound advice, it is important to remember that not everyone around us is supportive or even encouraging. In fact, there are those who create roadblocks in our sub consciousness, intentional or not. They are the naysayers who tell us what we can/not or should/not do.

Too often, we listen because these naysayers may be our closest friends and relatives–we trust them. So, their opinions begin to rent space in our heads, and we end up taking their message to heart. Doubt creeps in. We may become insecure about our abilities. We may even become self-conscious and feel foolish stepping beyond a certain point. We become afraid to reach for our goals. We fear ridicule, failure, embarrassment. We back away from our fondest dreams and possibly never reach our fullest potential.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can learn how to pursue our goals and handle the cynics if we are secure in ourselves. Those voices and our resultant feelings do not have to dictate our decisions. Like Alice in Wonderland, we can fight our Jabberwocky, conquer it and celebrate our very own Frabjous Day!

Part I – Alice’s Story

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is a not only a visual feast for the moviegoer, but it also touches on some very interesting aspects of human behavior, primarily fear and doubt. For Alice, Wonderland was far removed from the civilized and comfortable familiar world in which she lived. It was a mind-blowing, almost ridiculous, land that challenged all aspects of normality.

Alice was challenged from the start. She was alternatively too tall and then too short. She was questioned repeatedly about her identity. Every creature seemed to have an opinion about what she should do, who she was and her place in the grander scheme of things. At first blush, Alice appears to be quite out of place, a human girl in a land of weird creatures and characters. Then the curtain is pulled back and we begin to see that Alice is rather unconventional herself.

In fact, Wonderland was to be revealed as a familiar, yet forgotten, part of herself–a part that had been safely relegated to a land of dreams. After all, the stuff of dreams was not welcome back home. There were certain obligations and expectations to meet.

As Alice ventures through Wonderland, she slowly dispenses with doubt about who she is and begins to accept her unique destiny. She develops self confidence and takes back the reins of her destiny from those around her. Most importantly, Alice gets back what the Mad Hatter describes as her “muchness” and slays the Jabberwocky.

Alice enters Wonderland as a normal girl but exits as the conqueror and heroine. More importantly, she manages to not only survive in this strange foreign land, but overcome her fears, thrive and reenter her own world, not as merely as dreamer, but a bold doer. In the end, we find that Wonderland is not a problem to be solved. It is a place that can be embraced for its possibilities. It is the abode of dreamers like scientists, writers, artists and entrepreneurs. It is merely the jabberwocky (the fear) that needs to be slain. You can do the same in the here and now.

Author

Mobile Apps Help Job Seekers on the Go

Michele Posehn — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:10:26 +0000

You may be enjoying a cup of coffee as you read this post on your iPad. Or, you may be walking to class and reading it on a smartphone. Either way, it’s evidence that our society is becoming more and more mobile. In fact, it’s estimated that 77% of job seekers are using mobile devices to conduct job searches and 24% of those people are college grads or entry level candidates.

What’s more, a recent survey showed that 4 out of 5 smartphone users are using an iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or Windows phone to conduct a job search. And considering that over 100 million people own one of those devices, that is a lot of searching!

With the rapid expansion of apps, job seekers now have more resources at their fingertips than ever. Sites like CareerBuilder and Monster have downloadable apps to alert you on up to the minute open positions in your area. LinkedIn also has an app that allows you to accept invitations to connect or read and comment on LinkedIn Group posts. Whether you’re eating lunch in the campus cafeteria or waiting for a movie to start in the theater, you can now build your network and search for jobs virtually any time, anywhere.

Corporate Mobile Apps

If you have your sights set on a specific company where you’d like to work, companies are starting to optimize their career web sites for mobile access to make the search process easy. A few companies have even developed a mobile app. Often these apps provide you with the ability to search for jobs but then you must return to your computer to actually apply for a job.

The good news is that this technology is quickly advancing. As a testament to that, Sodexo recently became one of the first companies to launch an app that allows candidates to apply to jobs directly from their smart device. Not only can candidates search and apply for jobs, but they can join our Talent Community and connect with the touch of a finger to our recruiting team through social media channels. The app is an incredible portal that provides a glimpse into the company’s culture, while allowing full access to our world, 24/7.

Even more, corporate apps like the Sodexo Jobs App provide company employees quick access to explore, build and grow their careers within their company. Corporate apps help make it as easy as possible for all candidates–both external candidates and internal employees–to help manage their careers and job search strategy.

As the mobile world continues to evolve, so will mobile recruiting. Today’s savvy job seekers have tremendous opportunities to be in the know about career opportunities much faster than just a short year or two ago. It goes without saying that mobile job seeking is convenient and quick.

Have you used a mobile app to search for jobs? Share your experiences! And, if you’ve tried the Sodexo Jobs App, we’d love your feedback.

Finally, a job search tool you can take and use anywhere.

Author

Realize Your Full Potential

Chelsea Rice — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:04:12 +0000

Are you a college student or recent grad who is ready to gain the clarity and confidence to unlock your full potential, so that you can live a life of meaning and purpose?

This week we received a great update from a live-your-dream-or-die-trying kind of gal who also used to be a part of our StudentBranding team!

Amber Rae is one of the co-creators of The Bold Academy, a 4-week experience designed to prepare young people who are ready to do big things to “change the world.”

“When you’re graduating college, it takes everyone several years of wrong turns and experimentation and good-and-bad experiences to process what they really want,” Amber wrote to me this week.

I totally agree. After being out of college myself for two years, I can say there is a lot of trial and error, doubting yourself, and a general desire to slow everything down. Sometimes you are screaming for a vacation because you just want some time to take a break from life and figure out what you want to do with it.

Maybe you’re listening to everyone but yourself these days—it’s easy to. The media, family, and society all put expectations on young people today that aren’t necessarily realistic—or in touch with—what’s going on in today’s economy or culture. With jobs that are already hard to find and a fiercely competitive applicant pool in every industry, recruiters are looking for driven individuals. That means working toward a career you will really love, something that excites and fulfills you, otherwise you’re going to be left behind.

“We’re designing a curriculum and experience that will accelerate that process—not just in the 4 weeks of the program, but in the years to come. The Bold Academy will help you arrive at your main path way sooner. And the sooner you’re walking that path, the better, happier, more fulfilled, and wealthier you will become,” Amber said.

Curious to learn more about Amber Rae? Here’s one of her blog posts from back in the day: Keep it Simple: Student Branding TV #13. Check out one of her great StudentBranding TV episodes as well on the StudentBranding YouTube channel, where she discusses discovering work that excites you and a purpose to your career!

Are you learning everything you need to know?

Michele Posehn — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:00:33 +0000

Most students begin college thinking they’ll learn everything they need to know for their future careers in the classrooms on campus. While you’ll gain considerable knowledge learning facts and figures, theories and policies, you’ll also develop critical thinking skills, learn to work in teams, build leadership skills and begin to see the bigger picture as it relates to your career field and a specific job within that career. At the same time, are you really learning everything you need to know?

Some skills come from experience and others require you to practice … and practice, like public speaking. As you prepare for your future, here are some specific skills that could benefit you in the working world.

Public Speaking:

At some point in your career, you will need to speak in front of a group of people, whether it be a presentation you’re giving or defending your point of view. Even if you took a public speaking class, you should continue learning and practicing how to articulate and organize your thoughts. You can join clubs, such as Toastmasters that teach you the basics of public speaking. It’s a great way to practice with an audience who will give you constructive criticism and encouragement.

Dealing with Tense Situations:

Throughout your life, you will work with many people who don’t see eye to eye with you. You’ll encounter times when projects aren’t going in the direction you had hoped for or you and a coworker will need to have a tough conversation about processes, ideas or responsibilities. Learning to take a step back and approach the situation with an effective and constructive communication approach while understanding the emotions of each person involved is key to resolving difficult or tense situations professionally.

Working as a Team:

In college, your team projects often give you the chance to develop your planning skills, teach you how to delegate and build in accountability to your team. Sometimes, you find that you need to be prepared to step in when others don’t deliver. In the working world, you’ll use all of these skills and more. As you develop your teamwork skills, remember that sometimes it’s good to listen, setting team goals and building trust in the group is important, and personalities can have a big impact on the team’s leadership.

Get connected:

Keep up on the latest news from your industry and also potential companies where you might want to work. You should also learn how your targeted companies are affected by current events. To learn more about the industry, consider subscribing to business publications, blogs, or newsletters by industry associations.

Build your professional network by connecting with potential mentors or leaders in your industry by asking your professors to introduce you to their contacts. You can also search for professional contacts on LinkedIn and Twitter–but regardless of how you find people, you want to truly connect with them and build relationships. Get to know your contacts personally–don’t connect just to add another contact in your LinkedIn address book. It would also be beneficial to attend professional organization meetings and introduce yourself; be seen, be known, grow your possibilities for contacts after graduation and beyond.

Time Management:

While managing assignments for multiple classes and campus clubs is beginning to teach you how to manage your time, learning to set priorities and meet deadlines are also critical skills. Do you use a calendar or other online tool to track your assignments? Do you make lists to track your responsibilities? Do you procrastinate or set aside too much time for social activities? Take the time now to build good time management skills to ensure your success later on the job.

The classroom is producing an excellent student. It is up to you to go one step further and produce an excellent employee.

Author

Is Your Resume Lost in Translation?

Michele Posehn — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:00:08 +0000

I was an English major, so it goes without saying that I love words. But, words can also be detrimental. As a job seeker, words can lead to your downfall if you’re not using the right ones on your resume or in your cover letter. As a college student, you’re likely to have summer jobs that don’t match up with your future career aspirations.

Even if you were a waitress, a cashier or a stock manager, you’ve gained some valuable skills that can be applied to your future career. You can also find experience in the work you’ve done with campus organizations, internships and even class projects. Your resume isn’t as empty as you think! Whatever your situation may be, try to figure out how to effectively say what it is you have done. You should translate your experience from one occupation to another–using the right words on your resume is key to getting noticed, recognized and called for a phone interview. Here are some tips:

1. Use keywords:

Make sure that you include the appropriate keywords on your resume. Including words that describe your experience and skill that reflect the requirements of a given job description help recruiters find your resume and quickly see how you match the job for which you’re applying. Sites like O*Net let you look up information about specific occupations. Within the description of each occupation is a listing of knowledge, skills and abilities needed for that profession. This is a great resource for finding career-specific keywords to include on your resume to reference your own skills and experience.

2. Understand what counts:

Are you just graduating and think you don’t have experience? Perhaps you’re changing careers and don’t know what’s relevant? Take some time to learn about transferable skills. Understanding how to translate your experience–whether in part-time work, another career or things you did for various college campus associations or clubs–can help you make a connection between your activities and experiences, and the type of employee you’ll be for a company. On campus, your Career Center should be able to help you identify and categorize your skills appropriately on your resume. You can also head to Google and read a ton of information on various types of transferable skills or even use worksheets to help you identify your skills.

3. Focus on accomplishments:

The first time you build your resume, it can be tempting to list every single task you were asked to do at each job or internship you’ve held. While this can be comprehensive, it’s more important to focus on your accomplishments to showcase your work rather than a job description for each position. Did you complete any major projects? What were the outcomes? Can you quantify any of your work? For example, did you exceed any goals, improve processes or manage specific programs/projects? Showing your capabilities tells recruiters more than the laundry list of daily tasks. Feel free to can cite any awards you’ve received for academic or work performance. Here are some examples:

As a leader in my fraternity/sorority, responsible for new member recruitment, I was able to increase candidate applications by x percent.
As a summer sales associate at a department store, I claimed top sales for the day on the reader board – or – I increased sales by x percent.

4. Flowery Language is a No-No:

You may want to remember the old adage–bigger is not always better. Your experience will speak for itself–get to the point so you don’t lose your audience. Your resume should consist of factual information and therefore substantiate your accomplishments.

5. Avoid Acronyms:

Avoid using acronyms if they are company or organization specific. People outside your organization will be ignorant to their meaning. Try to rework to make them more generic and relatable. As a general rule, unless the acronym is a well-recognized industry term, avoid acronyms.

6. Use a Resume Translator:

There are great resources out there to help you take your industry-specific terms and turn them into words we can all understand. For example, if you are in the tech field, do a Google search for topics like “tech terms to avoid” or, for those with a military background, try sites like GI Jobs or Military.com to help translate your technical terms into corporate keywords.

As a job seeker, your first impression hinges on what you say and how you say it. Being clear and concise will allow a recruiter to identify what exactly your contribution can be to an organization. In a world of thousands of candidates being reviewed yearly, make sure that in the few minutes a recruiter looks at your resume, it tells a story of not only your background, but those intangibles of dedication, leadership, and ability to learn. Cutting through the muck of buzzwords you learned in class will help to lift the fog.

Author

The Benefits of Professional Organizations

Ronisha Goodwin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:00:46 +0000

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is a proud sponsor of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH). Our recruiters attend the organization’s regional and national conferences every year.

As a result, the students who are members of this organization have multiple opportunities to network with our team. These students have such an advantage because not only are they able to build strong connections with leading professionals across the hospitality industry, but they’re also able to gain further industry exposure and become even more confident in their chosen career path.

Benefits

Joining the student chapter of a professional organization has so many benefits. NSMH offers industry panels, facility tours, and professional development workshops to its members. These are all experiences that could affirm professional direction and expose members to different career options within their chosen industry.

In addition, through ongoing networking with industry professionals, it’s likely that members will feel more comfortable and less intimidated when in their presence; resulting in stronger interviews and first impressions. Connections with organization alumni could develop into valuable mentorship relationships. The benefits of professional organizations are truly endless.

Value

Considering the limited amount of free time you have as a student, you should seek out a professional organization that will add value to more than just your resume. You want to think quality over quantity. Your goal should not be to join numerous professional organizations.

You first want an organization whose mission and goals align with your own. This will make it easier for you to commit to the organization, and feel good about the time you invest. You will also be better able to speak passionately about the organization and why you’re a member. You also should look for an organization that relates to your desired career goals and has ongoing activities that will benefit your professional development and attainment of these goals.

Choose wisely. Professional organizations can help set you apart from other candidates and can ultimately lead you closer to the career of your dreams.

Author

Ronisha is one of Hyatt’s College Recruiting Managers. Hyatt’s College Recruiters visit more than 30 college campuses each year recruiting top talent at hospitality programs across the country. A graduate of The Ohio State University, Ronisha begin her Hyatt career as a Human Resources Corporate Management Trainee. During her ten years with Hyatt, she has worked at Hyatt Hotels in Orlando, Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey. To learn more about opportunities with Hyatt please visit hyatt.jobs, follow Hyatt on twitter @hyattcareers, become a Hyatt Facebook fan at Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Careers and follow the Campus Recruiter blog at blog.hyatt.jobs.

A Career Navigation System

Lisa Simmons — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:00:17 +0000

Last week, I had to travel across the state to pick up a purchase. Since it was dark, I had to use a navigation system instead of the printed directions I had brought–this made me a bit uncomfortable because I wanted to be able to see where I was going. While on my drive, I was taken off the most obvious path, but I used my intuition to bring me safely to my destination.

Can you relate to this?

Have you ever been out in the middle of an unfamiliar nowhere after dark? Have you wished that you could better see the road ahead? I’ll bet you have, but perhaps not in the way that you might think.

Take hold of your career path.

The term “career path” is often used in speaking about careers. The word “path” assumes some sort of movement between points. As you travel between two points, it is necessary to obtain and follow some type of directions, much like visiting an unknown place. At times, it may feel as if you are traveling down a dark road and you don’t really feel all that comfortable. You would like to be able to see ahead, know more about your surroundings or, at least, feel as if you are not alone in your travel.

On dealing with the “bumps” in the road…

I have some good news for you. In a way, you can think of your career center as your career navigation system that can assist you along your career path. Your career center has the tools that can help guide you in the right direction. Like a navigation unit, they know where the roads lead. They know when you should turn left or right and slow down or speed up. They can also help you navigate along alternate routes if necessary.

Don’t wait until senior year to ask for assistance in your career journey. That would be like me heading out last week without a map and a navigation system. Can you imagine the consequences? Don’t be that person!

Good luck in your journey!

Author

As Assistant Director of Recruiting within the Wake Forest Schools of Business Employer Relations team, Lisa’s passion is connecting employers with student talent and creating a positive experience for both. She manages all aspects of recruiting, retention, and systems for the graduate business school. Her strengths include relationship management, networking, social media engagement, information aggregation, process facilitation and communication. Lisa has been employed at Wake Forest since the fall of 2002. She has over 20 years of work experience in various roles. Prior to arriving at Wake Forest, she was an entrepreneur, venturing into web-based international sales and marketing of salvage automotive parts and accessories. Before that, she was a trust officer in the Employee Benefit Trust area of Wachovia Bank. Lisa is also a veteran of the United States Air Force. Lisa earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Rollins College and a Masters in Liberal Arts from Wake Forest. Visit Lisa’s blog, follow her on Twitter, or connect on LinkedIn.