Wendy, how about responding to the same questions as Jason? See below:
1.) Describe your path in your career, the key points of your decision making, the forces that got you to where you are now.
2.) What are the key things you've learned about yourself and how you work and what the rewards are for you.
3.) Describe a challenging, difficult situation you've faced, how you handled it, and what you learned from it.
Thanks for doing this. It'll be fun for me to watch.
Warmly,
TEM
Having majored in Philosophy and Religion in college at DePauw University, a small liberal arts college in Indiana, I knew that I would want to go to graduate school, and probably would have to in order to develop a career trajectory. I worked for a year after college in St. Louis, my hometown, at a seminary in the Registrar’s office. I was a clerical employee and knew I didn’t want to spend my life behind a typewriter. (Yes – we had typewriters then)
ReplyDeleteAt an alumni visit to my alma mater in the fall following graduation, a history professor who had once served as an acting Dean of Students for a year suggested I consider Student Personnel Administration – he thought it would suit my personality. (Interesting how a life altering decision can come from an off handed remark made by a respected person.) And he recommended Indiana University
I was without any substantive information about the field. I contacted several institutions - really pretty randomly - and IU had good literature about their program. I had no idea that it was one of the largest and most well know CSPA programs in the country. I applied and was accepted. Not understanding the linkage between assistantships, practical experience, the degree and future employment, I spent my first semester outside of the residence halls, thinking I should focus my attention on my studies! I was thrilled that I had found an area of study that made sense to me and second semester after realizing that hands on experience was what it was all about I took a position working in the residence halls at Indiana University -Bloomington for – (not yet Dr.) Tom Miller. I also decided to get a dual degree in the counseling program; which was a significant interest of mine. Tom brought myriad opportunities to get involved in programming, system wide committees and challenging assignments. I interned at the disciplinary arm of the Dean of Students office, where fortunately I had no experiences like Jason’s - and also worked with displaced homemakers seeking new careers at the Indianapolis campus of IU. My experience at Indiana was formative. I had gifted and committed colleagues, supervisors and mentors.
ReplyDeleteMy first professional position after graduate school was at Bowling Green State University as a coordinator for a coed residence hall, with an 18 person cohort group. My winter there coincided with an historic snow storm. The university and the halls were closed for three days, and the National Guard was called in. Our residence life supervisors were virtually absent in this difficult situation, and as a result, 11 of the 18 directors resigned at the end of that year. I was one who left. Morale had simply bottomed out during the crisis when we felt abandoned by our supervisors. I was without a job for a brief 5 weeks. Due to an unforeseen opening, I was interviewed and hired to join the staff at Indiana’s Residence Life department as a large facility coordinator. I probably received that interview because of Dr. Miller’s recommendation; thanks Tom! Back at IU I reconnected with a former professor who was curious about what I was unprepared for in my first professional job. As a result we co-wrote a casebook for residence hall administrators – a great exercise and an amazing learning experience for me published by a housing organization. My job at Indiana was a wonderful and challenging opportunity for four years. I hate to admit this – but it was the best work group of which I have ever been a member; 16 directors and five central office staff with functional roles. We were both an amazingly competitive and cooperative group. Once you have had a top flight experience like that it can be hard to replicate.
ReplyDeleteSeeing no opportunities for advancement I resigned my position (if you have seen a trend here of my quitting jobs without another job – you are correct, but I really don’t recommend it) and moved to St. Louis to pursue a personal relationship and work out some things with my family who lived here. I worked briefly as a consultant to a planning director of a local college – through a contact at IU,
ReplyDelete(connections and networking are always critical) and eventually was hired at Webster University to work in career planning and with students on academic probation; a position I held for four years. I then moved on to join Saint Louis University School of Law as director of Career Services and eventually as the Assistant Dean for Career Services. My brother is an attorney and the relationship for which I moved to St. Louis was with a lawyer and it was clear they had no notion of career planning. I held that position for almost 15 years; working with students on career planning issues, soliciting employers to interview, running an on-campus interview program, and working with alumni seeking job changes.
Law schools know nothing about higher education administration or student personnel. I found myself early on arguing with the law school Dean of Students that the school should not be planning and sponsoring a law school event with “all you can drink” on the signage. I often felt like the Lone Ranger when it came to the philosophy of student development, and when you work in a professional school you are very far removed from the undergraduate school and student life
After working in this environment for many years I knew there were parts of the bureaucracy I could not change – and I had seen work environments that were difficult for the law students who I was helping to be hired by law firms. I decided to leave the school and start my own practice – initially working briefly with three other people, and then quickly going out on my own. (More about that in a minute) I have had my own business for the past ten years.
ReplyDeleteI work with individuals interested in making job and career changes, and I work with organizations in regard to employee development, career development and hiring. The majority of my clients are law related, but not all. I have worked with Fortune 500 companies, and two person partnerships. I also provide business coaching services to small organizations and individuals. I have been an executive coach for a physician and the General Counsel of a Fortunate 500 company.
2.) What are the key things you've learned about yourself and how you work and what the rewards are for you.
ReplyDeleteIf I work inside an organization I must have a very supportive supervisor who offers me a lot of autonomy, independence, and challenge. I am difficult to supervise and am a challenging employee. Ask Dr. Miller! I question authority and challenge the status quo. I push boundaries, and I don’t like rules. I do however meet deadlines. I have written a monthly column (volunteer) for over ten years for the local bar association on careers and practice management and I am never late. I like to think of myself as a creative problem solver. I communicate more frequently than most people. I like to form close relationships with work colleagues and if appropriate, with clients. I retain relationships over the long term. This has been very helpful in having my own business.
I like to get things started and initiated. I am less interested in details, and the repetitive. Despite the fact that I have my own business I am not motivated by money. The most difficult aspect of my work is writing and pricing proposals, and charging clients. I have too many pro bono clients. I am an information junky. The internet is my friend. I like providing clients with resources from which they can learn new things and apply new strategies. A highlight of training that I received in Career development has been attending three workshops put on by Richard Bolles, author of “What Color is Your Parachute,” including a two week program that was very intensive. I was also fortunate to have developed a friendship with Dick, and have had the opportunity to know him socially as well as professionally. A big reward.
Being able to stay in business for myself has been a reward. It is the most terrifying thing I have ever done in my life – more so than I could have imagined. Had I been more careful and mindful in planning I would never have launched my own organization. I was not interested in or committed to owning my own business. I would have much preferred to have been part of a partnership or small group. I have also received significant intellectual rewards through working on my own and through some extraordinary colleagues that I have met through professional associations. Surprisingly, my intellectual involvement in work has been much more stretched by being on my own than it was working in higher education. There was a steep learning curve and I am always looking for new ideas and strategies.
3.) Describe a challenging, difficult situation you've faced, how you handled it, and what you learned from it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I left the University I went to work with three other people who had been in business together for six months. It was a mistake. Two of the principals (one of whom I thought I knew fairly well) were not sufficiently committed to the business. They did not have good work habits and did not put in enough time to make the business successful. Within a week it was clear to me that I did not want to retain my affiliation with them. Within 10 weeks I resigned as did the fourth person, and within 16 weeks I had left. Because my name was on the lease and because the two remaining principals did not pay the rent I was eventually sued by the landlord.
Looking back I do not know how I could have predicted the problems that arose. Clearly we did not have a sufficiently detailed business plan, but when I left the firm was making money. I was most concerned about making sure that I was not affiliated with a business that did not have a good professional reputation. I was surprised that my clients could not have cared less that I had moved out on my own. Those relationships were intact and unaffected by the change.
I know that, in part, the firm was a bridge to my opening my own business. I had no interest in launching my own business and would have been afraid to do so; when strangely enough four months after leaving my job I found myself having my own business.
It is also the case that in the beginning of having my own business, and ten years later I still tell myself constantly not to lose my nerve. I was very fortunate to find office space in a building owned by an entrepreneur (caterer) who also has a Ph.D. in psychology. She has been instrumental in helping me think through the ups and downs of business ownership. Her husband, a solo attorney is someone I have also known for many years. It has been helpful through difficult times to know and connect with other people who understand the challenges of business ownership.
One more reward I almost forgot to mention. In addition to this work, I am also a photographer. www.wendywerner.com is my website. I sell photographs at art fairs, and have sold images to a number of my law related clients for their offices. I believe that if you have an avocation pursuing it can bring you a significant and different set of rewards. I believe that my artistic creativity has a positive impact on my other clients.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story. My name is Tyler Dean and my background is in nursing education, but I'm interested in higher education administration and student affairs. I too have an interest in advising and career development, but not a lot of career experience yet to really switch career paths. I was wondering after reading about your path to owning your current buisness what was the one major change that you felt really benefited you? You also suggested that your law school you worked for knew nothing about student affairs...do you feel that was because of the current times or typical of certain colleges/schools?
Tyler
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments and questions. I am not sure I quite understand your question about the change that benefited me. So if you can ask that again differently I'll try to be clear and understand what you really want to know. Many professional schools (law, medical school, etc) are not very well versed in student services and may not hire people with that background. They was a trend at law schools to hire attorneys to do career planning - which I thought was crazy since they knew nothing about the psychological aspects of the job search,and may have had one or two law jobs - and they obviously didn't like their chosen profession. So when looking for a job in higher education, I would want to know the level at which there are administrators with a higher education
Hi, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jennifer Derushia and I am currently an academic advisor in the USF College of Education. I will be applying to a doctoral program in Higher Ed. Administration/Leadership for next Spring.
I am in awe of the varied job experiences you have, and the overlap of these positions. How did you happen to come into some of these opportunities, and balance them along with your responsibilities at SLU Law?
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteI'm Christopher Combie and I agree with much of what you shared. (I have a background in Music Therapy and I'm now redefining myself in Enrollment Management, working in Admissions. I have done clerical work in a Registrar's Office at a small, rural, sectarian university on a typewriter!) I can see we share many similarities in philosophy and personality. I strongly agree with what you said regarding the need for a supportive supervisor. I, too, value autonomy, independence, and challenge. I, also, am difficult to supervise and I am a challenging employee who does not hesitate to question authority and challenge the status quo. That said, how do you suggest one works with an un-supportive supervisor? Is change possible? Please share your thoughts.
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI was full time at the Law School, and the only other thing I was doing on the 'side' for pay was the photography business - except for when I wrote customer services reports for now defunct TWA. That was really how I ended up in the photography business; flying to evaluate travel and then taking photographs while I was on trips. In addition I was very heavily involved in a citizen's league in St. Louis - studying the issue of Racial Polarization in our community and working on activities and remedies to counteract it. That was fostered in part by the fact that the retired chancellor of the university was one of the co-chairs of the program. That was related in part to my having been involved in diversity training in my days at Indiana University and wanting to continue that work.
Jennifer -
ReplyDeleteHere is another important factor that may have contributed to my activities - I am single and do not have any kids. Family responsibilities I think are very challenging to juggle while working full time as a professional; particularly in a time demanding field like higher education. My discretionary time has really been my own;which parents just don't have to the extent that I have - and I have always thought it important to be involved in the community to at least some extent. So factor that 'free time' into the equation. I personally don't know how two working parents with small children manage.
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteWell it looks like we do have a lot in common. I am not always 'proud' of some of the ways in which I have challenged supervisors in the past - and my actions probably haven't always served me well. In my role as a consultant I hopefully have learned some things about dealing with multiple supervisors. When you work on a variety of projects for different employers - essentially you have a different supervisor for every project on which you work.
What I have tried to learn more about is the concept of 'managing up'. That translates for me into thinking more about the questions of 'what are my supervisor's concerns?' and 'how do I make him or her look good while still advancing some of my own interests?'
Some of this also has been trying to be more realistic about the person that I am working for. If this or that supervisor isn't supportive, what are the chances that they are going to change? And, if they don't change or just really are not capable of providing the support that I need - where am I going to get it? Sometimes colleagues can provide some good advice about how to best manage a supervisor, and some advice about how to get support elsewhere in a system. In my opinion it is also an endorsement of having mentors. Who are the people who have offered you good career advice or created stepping stones to foster your success? I would never hesitate to get back to those people and get their input.
And then I would also suggest that you consider if there are other people you have observed in your current environment who you think could be supportive to you. If you can identify them, I would try to advance those relationships. It is also, sometimes, a reason to get involved in other activities on the job; be it a special committee, project group, or task force. Those are often ways to gain exposure to other more senior people who can help you advance your career, with or without the support of your current supervisor.
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteI'm still thinking about your question, "Is change possible?" Dealing with people in the job market, I often remind them that the only part of the process over which they have control is over what they do. The same thing I think is true in terms of change. Much as we would like our supervisor to change; the only person whose behavior we really have control over is ourselves. So, the first thing I would look at would be myself. Is there a change that I could make in terms of behavior or expectations that would shift the dynamic in my relationship with my supervisor? How would I define 'winning' in this relationship? What would the relationship look like if it were actually working? Creating an internal picture of that ideal relationship might be a way to develop a strategy to getting there.
Over the years I have had challenges letting go of unmet expectations with supervisors. Much as an employer may define an ideal employee when hiring, I think that we each have some kind of an idea about an ideal supervisor. I have definitely thought of the idea of 'hiring myself a boss' - finding the right person to work for. So just as the boss looks for what we are good at, I think we have to figure out what their strengths are and try to tap into them, learn from them, and cultivate what works as opposed to what isn't working. If you are able to do that - and I am not suggesting that it is easy- I think it can make the relationship less frustrating.
Hi Wendy!
ReplyDeleteI'm Ana Torres-Ayala and I'm a doctoral candidate in the Higher Education/College Teaching program and the Graduate Assistant for Dr. Miller this Summer. My background is in engineering (both BS and MEng).
It is fascinating to read about your career path.
Two questions:
1) Although it looks like you didn't plan to have your own business, you've been successful in making the transition from higher education. Were there any skills you developed in student affairs that proved particularly valuable in your new role of business owner?
2)One of my research interests is doctoral education in engineering. Could you talk a bit more about differences in working on students affairs at professional, graduate programs versus working with undergraduates?
Thanks
Ana,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your MS, and MEng. It is a very challenging field. I have a neighbor who has these two degrees and with her husband owns a Structural Engineering firm. We have talked a great deal about the challenges for women engineers in the profession.
One of the things that worked for me coming from higher education was that I had been in positions that offered a lot of autonomy and (unfortunately) not a lot of support. But what that taught me was to have an internal locus of control...i.e. I had to develop my own measures of success because I was not going to get a lot of kudos from my environment. So I had to determine my own set of measures of success and my own plan and pathway to get there. I also think that in higher education you are taught a fair amount about the idea of culture and environment. I perceived that we were trying to create an environment or culture for success for students. When I made the shift toward working with employers, I thought a lot (and continue to do so) about how employers can create an environment of success for employees. Those observational and assessment skills were something that I thought could be valuable to an employer. Employers spend lots of money to hire and train employees, but are they setting them up for success by fostering an environment where people can learn, develop, and grow - and as a result help contribute to the business bottom line? So I think that the higher education model of trying to look at the 'whole student' - in and out of the classroom translates very well to looking at the environment in the work place.
For many years I think that there have been some myths about the business world being ahead of the curve, and certainly ahead of education. I have found this not to necessarily be the case. I think I was blessed at Indiana to be in a very cutting edge environment. I can't speak for it today, but there I was in the late 1970's and early 1980's addressing issues of diversity - racial diversity and also looking at issues for gays and lesbians. We put on workshops for students looking at the power dynamics in dating relationships which was really about male and female roles. No one in the business community was putting on diversity workshops in 1980! Then when the issues surface in the business community there is a sense that business has 'invented' these training activities. Having had a grounding in that literature and study many years ago has been valuable. I also see that the issues of career management, including things like succession planning and creating opportunities for people to move laterally in organizations has been an outgrowth of the career planning that has come from colleges and universities. So I think that higher education needs to make sure that it doesn't sell itself short in terms of being a great genesis for addressing issues that are of concern throughout all sectors of the work environment.
Ana,
ReplyDeleteAddressing your second question. I think that professional schools provide a particular challenge for the higher education professional. Deans of professional schools come from the field, and in my experience come from teaching in the field - so for the most part they have little or no experience in looking at students beyond their academic expertise in the professional field of study. Unless these schools employ other professionals who look at the issues that students face beyond the classroom there can be a real void in looking at student life and the school environment.
In my experience in the law school environment we had several Deans of Students who were lawyers who also had some other background; social work in one instance. But the role of the Dean of Students often came across to me as more of a 'control' role - making sure that students didn't 'get over' on the system - not a developmental role. And there seemed to be a general assumption that the student was trying to work the system for his or her advantage. This is, in part, I believe an issue unique to law - a kind of education that teaches people to always be evaluating risk and damages. That's what lawyers do. So that culture tends to replicate that kind of feeling within the institutional culture. Not very forgiving of students.
I don't have the same amount of knowledge or expertise regarding engineers; although I know a number of engineers who have become lawyers. What I perceive about engineers is that they can be swayed by factual information and data, which makes them less skeptical than lawyers. It is a way of creating influence with them. Sometimes (and I realize this could be a stereotype) they are less fluent with emotional data and information. So if I were to work with engineering students in a higher education setting I would want to do whatever I could to create an environment in which engineers could become more emotionally and socially fluent. They will be interacting in the business world with many people who make decisions or judgments based upon things other than hard facts and data, so learning about things like strategy, relationship building and influence could do a lot to help them be more successful in the work place.
As a trained engineer you would have instant credibility in an engineering program; but you could also bring other skills to the environment that would be very helpful to students. You could certainly help them succeed in the broader world of business outside of their engineering roles.
I want to talk a little bit about here about some tools that I have found to be very helpful in my business - that are very congruent with my philosophy and that I think higher education can and should embrace and perhaps in some instances has. There are three of them.
ReplyDelete1) The first is Bolles' book, "What Color is Your Parachute." While many of you are familiar with it - it has been a guiding set of principals for my career work. I am not suggesting that everyone likes the book, will do the exercises that the book contains, or that it is the 'one and only' career tool. Certainly not. However, some of the core elements of the book I believe are essential to all career development. People have unique constellations of skills, and for the most part we are blind to our best skills. What comes most naturally to us we dismiss as being commonplace. Nothing could be further from the truth. So learning what you are best at, what you are drawn to, is essential for career satisfaction.
2) The Gallup Organization and the Strenghtsfinder series is a great tool for individuals and teams. They have identified 34 Strengths and their brief on-line assessment which comes with the purchase of the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book, or the Strengths based Leadership book gives the assessment taker a list of their Top 5 Strengths; lengthy descriptions and recommendations for maximizing. The Leadership book is a great tool for teams.
3) Appreciate Inquiry - a way of addressing issues totally different than problem solving. Generated primarily through Case Western School of Business; Prof. David Cooperrider. Rather than what is wrong - what are we doing well, how did it happen and how can we replicate?
These three tools all come from an asset based way of thinking. Using them creates energy, a feeling of empowerment, and builds on successes.
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kelly Pearson. I am currently an Academic Advisor for the College of Arts and Sciences at USF. I have a background in Business at the undergraduate level and in Student Affairs at the graduate level. This summer is my first semester as an accepted PhD student in the Higher Education Administration program at USF.
I relate to your story about your first Res Life position. My first position out of graduate school was as a Resident Director at the a large university in Kentucky. I, like you, felt very little support in my position and thought about leaving many times. Although you do not recommend leaving a position without having another one lined up, what made you realize that your decision to do so would be ok? Were you confident that something would come along quickly (which it thankfully did)? Or were you ok to take the time to find something more meaningful, even if it meant not having the income? I wanted to make that same decision so many times, but I couldn't given my financial situation.
What advice would you give to someone who is in a job that is not making them happy or satisfied?
Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Kelly
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being newly involved in the PhD program.To be perfectly frank I think that naivete was responsible in part for my making the decision to quit my job at BGSU without another position. That was accompanied by not having debt load; which offered me some real freedom that it is difficult to have these days with the cost of higher education and our current economic climate. I also was dealing with a situation where many of my peers were also resigning, some with other work lined up and others who were just winging it as I was. So there was some strength (or insanity?) in numbers.
I also think that I felt the wind at my back in regard to my degree program. I had spoken to a number of graduates of other CSP programs and thought that the Indiana program had provided some unique opportunities of which I had taken advantage. (Let's just say that Dr. Miller and his peers had encouraged me to participate in a lot of things) As a result I had some confidence that something else would come along. I think another aspect is that when you are looking at your first or second position, there is a general expectation that it is going to be a stepping stone. Most people, particularly if they enter in housing, typically leave that position within the first four years. Turnover is expected. As you move into more senior positions, there is a narrowing of the funnel - more candidates for fewer positions in which people will stay longer.
In this climate there aren't as many opportunities, and so I think that people are more reluctant to leave without something else in hand.
If you are in a job that is unsatisfying or makes you unhappy, I think it is important to determine if it is the responsibilities of the job, the general environment, or a specific person/supervisor that is causing the dissatisfaction. Are you learning new things? Are you developing your personal skill portfolio? Do you like the day to day activities and responsibilities of the job? Not infrequently people may discover that the tasks of the job are fine - it is the culture of the department or the institution that is a problem. When I worked at Indiana, housing and residence life were split between two different parts of the university. So while we were trying to improve the quality of student life, we had no direct supervision over facilities or food service. If the heat's not working in your building it is hard to help the students self actualize! Probably over half of frustrations were structural to the administrative roles.
I think it is important before you accept a job to get as much information as you can about the roles and responsibilities, culture, and administrative structure of the place. Lots of those questions are best left until after a job offer is tendered, but before you decide. I think that sometimes in our eagerness to get the job we may forget to make sure that we get enough information from the employer. And it is another place where having a good network of professionals around the country can help. It is great to be able to make a phone call to a previous colleague to get the 'real' story about a certain institution or department.
If you don't think you are learning and growing, and can't find an outlet to do that in your current job through side activities or taking on some different responsibilities I think you definitely want to look elsewhere.
Wendy, your advice is golden. I am in a situation similar to Kelly where the work is fine, but the office culture is stagnant. The higher ups try to control as much as possible preventing staff from doing their work. My issue has been with my supervisor and I deduced that the problem is my colleagues are of a different generation and don't work unless pressured by a supervisor, whereas, I am a self-starter, highly-motivated, and make my supervisor look good by completing my assigned projects and then other work that needs to be processed helping the team's bottom line. I've tried discussing this with my supervisor, but I get the impression that she feels she must supervise uniformly. What irks me is that my five colleagues cyberloaf, chat, and take extended breaks and lunches, call-in and come in late, and then I am assigned to do their work after it's left undone, bogging me down. (I come early, work through breaks and lunches, and have to wait to be let in as my title is a grade above janitor and does not merit a key while others (with fancier titles) have open access (24 hours). It boggles the mind...
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteWhat I had meant by my first post is what change did you find most challenging and that you felt grew the most from that experience compared to the others. It sounds like you took plenty of risks such as starting your own business and switching careers without having one ready to transition to. Do you see yourself making any future career transitions? Thanks for your feedback it has been very interesting to read.
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteIt is really unfortunate when you are in a situation where the supervision is supposed to be "uniform" but the job performance is so disparate between colleagues. I am always amazed at how frequently supervisors tolerate poor employee performance on one end, and fail to recognize excellent performance on the other. I personally don't think there is a harder job than supervising others - and it isn't something that I ever aspire to do again.
On the other hand the fact that it is difficult doesn't excuse bad supervisory skills. I do believe that one of the things that contributes is how many people who find confrontation or employee discipline to be distasteful, or in a lot of cases, just plain scary. So it often results in avoidance.
While you say that your supervisor wants to supervise in a uniform way - the fact is that she isn't. Standards of some kind have been set, but not everyone is held to them. Having to pick up the slack for poor performing colleagues is certainly no fun.
I realize that you have already talked to your supervisor - but I am wondering if you could do so again. One of the things that I try to tell myself in these situations is to 'ask don't tell'. My tendency is to often want to do a better job 'explaining' so I would go in to the conversation loaded with facts about what is going on. The supervisor may already know the facts - but may not want to face them. Sometimes asking questions can help clarify for you what is, or is not, going to happen. In this case the questions might be geared toward expectations, or what it means to supervise uniformly; or about assessing job performance.
This is tricky though. It seems likely that this individual could feel threatened by your questions. But if you look at the conversation as gathering information t clarify where you stand - and whether or not you think anything could ever change, you might be able to get some things clarified. But honestly from your description it doesn't look like there is likely to be a big alteration in the environment, sorry to say.
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteIn terms of challenges, there have been many. One of the things that I have always felt to be challenging is having a new supervisor. When I worked at the law school (I was there for a long time) I worked for five different Deans. Each had his or her own work style, expectations, and interest level in the function of my office. That shift in style I think can be challenging because it may cause a different focus area to be perceived as important. The overlay is that law school Deans are faculty members and are more interested in the academic aspect of the program than student life. Part of my job was to engage the Deans with the role that I played in student's future work lives.
Going from a paycheck to owning your own business is challenging. (Hey, where's my paycheck?) It caused a big shift in thinking; that I had to justify to clients and potential clients why they should purchase my services. And I was often needing to justify the value - in monetary terms - of what I brought to the table. How would the service that I provided contribute to the firm's or individual's bottom line? How would the individual or organization be 'better off' as a result of having hired me. That was very different to me than just going to work and doing my job. It wasn't a shift in commitment level, but a shift in knowing that I had to 'sell' my services.
I hadn't really imagined being in business for myself for ten years, which is what it has been. In terms of the future I have been thinking about how I might be able to relocate to Oregon. I love it there, the terrain, the city of Portland and the weather (yes I know it rains, but not as much as in Florida.) I think that in order to do that I would have to get a job. Much of my business here has to do with those connections and networks that I possess as a result of having lived here for a long time. The economy in Oregon has been tough, like many other places. Although I know some people there I am not extremely connected. So, it is something that I am thinking about - but not actively pursuing at this time. I continue to go there on vacations (July this year!) and always look forward to being there.
As an aside, I think one of the tough things about higher education as a career is the need to move geographically in order to obtain new or more challenging jobs. I think it can be challenging for dual career couples, for making a commitment to a community, and for relocating kids. So it is definitely something that people need to factor in when in the job search. I hadn't realized until about 10 years ago how much I loved the Pacific Northwest. The physical environment, geography, and the community can play a big role in how people enjoy their lives - and it doesn't always get a prominent place in how people think about work. I hope that answers your question.
It does...thank you. I agree as someone born and raised from WA state I too love the northwest and Oregon is beautiful! Relocating for career or even educational opportunities is difficult, but I suppose we all have to weigh the benefits vs. consequences for every move we make. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteWendy, your observations on engineers and engineering education culture resonate with my experiences as a student and with what I've learned through research.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree there is need for engineering students "to become more emotionally and socially fluent." This is something that the, mostly male, engineering faculty rarely explores or tries to develop in their students. As a consequence, they struggle when it comes to dealing with interpersonal problems in design teams or in business negotiations.
In engineering, the emotional and social dimensions tend to be developed through co-curricular activities but most administrators don't realize this because they are too focused on their disciplinary knowledge.
Thanks for pointing this out and reminding me of the value of what I can bring to an engineering program!
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm late to the party and I see a lot of great questions have already been asked! As someone who changed careers myself (from print journalism to student affairs - academic advising), I know how hard it can be to transition from one type of culture to another. Can you talk about how your experiences help you relate to your career-changer clients? What are the reasons most people want to make changes? Do you think this is becoming the norm (working in a variety of not just workplaces but careers too)? I always assure the students I meet with that just because they graduate with one degree doesn't mean they have to do one type of job forever and they seem to appreciate that. Since I end up doing a lot of unofficial career counseling in addition to academic advising, any suggestions on how to deal with students who are uncertain about which direction to go?
Great that you mention appreciative inquiry. I'm seeing a lot more research on Latino student success (another obvious area of interest for me) using asset based / strength mentality. They search for strategies for success instead of just highlighting the barriers (a deficit model).
ReplyDeleteYour post on Streghtsfinder and WCIYP is a good reminder for me to be more cognizant of my strengths and use that asset based mentality as I make career decisions. As a lifelong learner, it is always easier for me to look for what I need or want to learn next instead.
Uuuh, good questions Jaymi!!
ReplyDeleteAna,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments about the engineering field. In my experience when you are immersed in a particular kind of culture, there is a tendency to go along with the norms of that culture and begin to value what is valued in that environment; perhaps at the expense of other things that you know or are good at. One of the problems, in my opinion, with professional schools, is that the faculty - interested in passing along the discipline - may lose touch with the realities of the real world and how it will impact student success. Engineering is a lot about learning technical skills and expertise at the entry level, but later on in someone's career it will probably transform into other things - like supervising work of junior engineers, dealing more directly with clients and their needs, and also at some point generating business. And if you are a Structural engineer you are likely to be dealing with architects and construction managers. So all of those supposed 'soft skills' are very important. You can bring a lot to the table because you can do both.
Jaymi,
ReplyDeleteA good question about careers, and how people manage that process. And I think that for a college student that making those career decisions would be daunting right now.
Because of having worked with people changing careers for a long time, and having done so myself, there is a lot of fodder that I can bring to those conversations.
Several years ago, the business magazine Fast Company used to have a sidebar column every month about job titles you have never heard of. It then went on to highlight one person's job role that would not have existed ten years prior. I think that is one of the dramatic changes in the world of work. New technologies and societal needs are creating job titles that would not have existed ten or even five years ago. It is likely that people are in school studying to do work that hasn't yet even been invented.
That's why I try to get people to focus more on skills and strengths. (According to Gallop a Strength = Talent + Knowledge + Skill.) Strengths are much more portable than job titles or roles. I don't think that we do a very good job teaching people how to spot what they are good at.
I think the second part of that equation is helping people to recognize what they are attracted to, what they are drawn to. So knowing what you are really good at doing, and the kinds of work, subject matter, and activity that calls to you is important to your happiness at work.
I think that college students have always been pressured to look at what is 'practical' in education. And that may depend more on what is happening in the economy and the expense of higher education. I think that people are quite fearful right now, and I think that can fuel trends in educational choice.
When people select a career path out of fear or obligation to parents or others I think it is likely to be a recipe for future career change. I see lots of people who also have no real idea why they selected a certain field, but it certainly didn't come from an analysis of their strengths and attractions - or from a hands on approach to career decision making. As an example I deal with many lawyers who went straight from college to law school (lots of majors in political science) who thought it was the 'right thing to do', and yet who didn't have a real sense of what the work environment was likely to be in that field.
So for anyone choosing or changing careers I really encourage them to interview and shadow some professionals in the field to learn more about what the life is really like.
I would also say that over one's lifetime your career field may undergo a variety of changes as well based upon societal need, number of entrants to the field and external forces. So what attracted you to a field and the changes that have occurred in the field over your working life may mean that the job chosen is no longer the job that really exists. Also, when you factor in marriages, dual careers, children, aging parents, etc. - these are all things that have a significant impact on people's careers. What works for someone when they are 25 may not work for them at 35 or 40.
I think that it is important for people to understand that when it comes to careers it is unlikely that they will experience a "once and for all solution" to their choices.
ReplyDeleteThirty years ago employers wanted longevity in their employees, and wanted you to demonstrate stability by staying somewhere for a long time. That is no longer valued in the same way. People are now more likely to value flexibility and the ability to adapt to and embrace change. It is a very different landscape, and will continue to change as time goes on.
Having worked in education, spending time in the not for profit world, and working in business has helped me bring a lot of variety to my client work. Because I have lived in the same community for a long time I also just know a lot of people who live here - and I try to make referrals to my clients a lot, so they can meet people working in different professions.
Thanks for letting me be part of your course. I enjoyed having the chance to 'spout off' about this field, and to respond to your astute questions and thoughts. Please feel free to contact me at any time. You can reach me at wendy@wendywerner.com.
ReplyDeleteI think you are getting your degree at a challenging time for higher education, and you will have interesting opportunities to deal with these challenges in the future.