(originally published in Huffington Post) Making College Years Count Years back, a college degree, which only a subset of society pursued, was the route to employment. If you obtained a bachelor’s degree, then you were almost guaranteed a job upon graduation, and that job was typically the stepping stone to one’s career. Times have changed. During the 2017-2018 school year,…
Tag: career
Embracing Change
(originally posted in LinkedIn Pulse) Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. – Stephen Hawking The last 1.5 years for me have been about change: leaving corporate America, starting up my own company, witnessing its growth through hard work, experimentation, taking risks, and a little luck. Then, amid it all, I accepted a full-time associate professor role, which led…
IMPACT
The past year, in my life as a professor, I asked myself daily before I walked into each class what my goal was. That kept it real for me. It helped me to get out of my own way, forget my to-do lists, and set the tone for each session. The goal, always, was to engage my students, share knowledge,…
Where are you going; Where have you been?
I moved. After ten years in one place, I displaced myself. There were mounds of clothes and books and stuff to give away. There were items to sort through—papers, letters, writings. I found over 60 short stories that I had written as an undergrad and later as a graduate student; often, there were endless drafts of each one, including notes on how to rework the stories…
Advice to Students: Dream Big
The end of the semester always makes me nostalgic and reflective of my own school days, when the promise of all that was to come was palpable. Throughout the school year, I’m privileged to be surrounded by college students, although some days, between teaching, office hours, and grading papers, the experience is reminiscent of trudging through quick sand. It is…
Tips for Professionals Looking for Gigs
If you currently consult or are thinking about joining the gig economy – characterized by freelance work or short-term contracts as opposed to permanent work—LinkedIn ProFinder is a great resource. As I ventured from a longstanding career in the corporate world to starting up my own career-coaching business this past year, networking was a key element to my success. I…
Tips for College Grads Before You Graduate
For college seniors, January is a great time to create a plan to prepare yourself for post-graduate life. Sure, you have another semester ahead of you to tackle, which means classes, exams, papers, not to mention finalizing graduation details, but planning ahead can alleviate a lot of the pressure you’ll face when your college life ends and it is time…
The Road Ahead: 2017
Back in the days of sleepaway camp, we had cheesy themes for each summer: “Super great in ’88.” “Feeling fine in ’89.” You get the picture. With that in mind, why not aim to be “supreme in ’17.” We leave each year committed and convinced—or at least hopeful—that we are going to be better versions of ourselves the following…
Advice to College Students: Be Awesome!
Some tips to help you to uncover your fearless, amazing, and aspiring self. Laugh, smile, have fun. Take all that life has to offer you with a sense of humor and an open heart. Life won’t always be fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s all struggle and strife, either. Your attitude will guide how you react to the various situations…
How To Make Your Job Work For You
In my 20’s, I worked for a boss that would have qualified for anyone’s worst nightmare. Demeaning, demanding, ready to pass the blame, needy and long-winded: check. My first week, I learned that seven 20-somethings who had the role before me had all quit. I was in graduate school at the time, and combined with a 40+ hour work week,…