BY Nyonsuatee Kollue
Contributing Writer
Happy New Year Retrievers! Over the winter break, TRW bloggers were hinted about a new column coming to the News section of the Retriever weekly in spring 2009. It is a pleasure to bring to you the first edition of the Passion to Profession column!
Passion to Profession is an interactive, student-oriented column that seeks to merge the professional aspect of a UMBC education with the academic and aspects to ensure a well-rounded, better informed, and career-ready student.
To kick off this pioneer edition of the column, TRW interviewed career services director, Anne Scholl-Fiedler. Scholl-Fiedler noted several useful tips and ideas to prepare students and/or employees that are entering into, continuing in, or changing their careers.
She stressed the need to understand that career success can sometimes come in a number of non-traditional ways. Today’s economic conditions have many concerned; but according to Scholl-Fiedler, “As career specialists we want to instill hope in people, not fear. People need to focus on their core strengths, develop superb networking skills, and be open to other options, look at areas they had not considered before.”
In addition, she maintained that there are industries that offer a variety of opportunities in the current market; some of which include: health services, utilities, accounting, insurance, security, software development, and federal employment. These lucrative areas still need employees regardless of the current economic downturn. “Not all areas are bad. You just might have to look in a different direction” she states.
Another avenue is multiple streams of income. In cases where one lump sum of income through one channel does not seem plausible, her advice is to look at a few smaller areas. The income adds up. This appears to be a good temporary option. As times get better, one would be able to return to the regular means of income generation. A note to graduating students, as the director points out, is to be ready to start off at entry level positions. Many top earners today started off this way. Students must learn to manage expectation.
In preparation for securing a good job, the key is to network. A flood of resumes and “do you have any openings?” will not cut it. Networking is key; and chances of an immediate positive response are higher. However, students need to know who they are and what their strengths are that can be of value to potential employers before networking. Discover your dependable strengths, those that give you energy when you use them, and know how to market yourself (the 30 second commercial) to a prospective employer. Career specialists can help you to uncover your core strengths, develop your story, enhance your networking skills, and provide connections.
At this junction, the director gave a brief overview of the Career Service Center. Located in math/psychology 202, CSC seeks to connect UMBC talent with employers. Services offered at CSC include career exploration, resume critique, interviews, job searches, as well as graduate information. Internships and Co-ops are handled by the Shriver Center who will feature in subsequent issues of the column. Students are encouraged to make appointment with a career specialist to discuss career issues. Walk-in hours are available between 2-4pm during office hours.
TRW readers can expect articles on various career- related topics, tips and ideas for preparing for job fairs, resume writing, interviews with career personnel, and information regarding upcoming events within and outside of the UMBC campus. Questions and comments are encouraged to ensure that the column remains interactive and efficient. Some of these questions will be answered in subsequent issues.
Hope winter break was fun. Now it’s time to work, whether or not you have a job!
Comments can be sent to nyko1@umbc.edu.
