Career Beavers » Success Stories

Beavers Beyond OSU

mooremar — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:07:35 +0000

Beavers Beyond OSU is an opportunity for students and alumni to share a successful internship, career related experience, project or study abroad opportunity. Perhaps you’ve discovered a new passion or created a start-up. Or you’ve had a meaningful experience that can inspire and educate others on ways to find intentional careers. If you have a story to share, we’d love to hear from you.

To share your story, please submit your interest below.

Name: Leah Anderson

Majors: Merchandising Management and Fine Arts

Year: Senior

What are your plans after graduation? I secured a full-time job at Kohl’s Department Store.

Congratulations!

When will you start? Two days after graduation

What will be your title? Management-in-Training (MIT), which would prepare me for an assistant management position at the conclusion of the summer

How did you hear about your job opportunity? At Career Services Career Fair

What did you do to prepare for your job search? Before attending the career fair, I researched which companies were planning on attending the fair and targeted those who met my career goals. My goal was to work for a large retail company who could offer me corporate advancement opportunities. Then, I worked on customizing my resume to the company’s needs (as found on their website) and even ordered myself some flashy new business cards (courtesy of Vistaprint). I also invested time to pick out a business outfit and was ready to network.

Tell us about your experience networking with the recruiters/employers. I connected with three of the four representatives –one of them was my former sorority sister (score!). They were very easy to talk to, very informed about the opportunities available, and super enthusiastic about me (and those business cards).

What was the result of networking with the recruiters/employers? I was invited for an on-campus interview a few days later.

How did you prepare for the on-campus interview? Preparing for the interview was much more work. I read almost every page on Kohl’s website –about their philanthropic work, their celebrity endorsed brands, their high/low pricing strategy –everything. I wanted to know as much as possible, both to ensure I was impressive at the interview and to make sure this was in fact a company I wanted to work for. I also scheduled a mock interview at Career Services. This turned out to be incredibly helpful. They helped me organize my thoughts and experiences into answers that would help me market my skills and talents to the employer.

What happened after your on-campus interview? I was selected for a second interview. I credit my over-preparedness for my first successful interview. I totally would have cracked under the pressure if I hadn’t practiced my answers several times before hand.

Tell us about your second interview. What happened? Kohl’s offered me the MIT position during my second interview.

What skills and knowledge do you hope to learn while working at Kohl’s? I am definitely very excited about this opportunity. I would like to learn how to successfully merchandise store products, create sales projections and employee schedules, and explore the realms of Human Resources. I want to use these experiences to help me determine whether I want to manage a store, become a recruiter, work my way up the corporate ladder, etc. I am excited to apply my degrees to such a vast field. With so many retail-oriented jobs to choose from, this MIT program will bring me one step closer to finding my dream job.

How did your education/experiences help to prepare you for this type of job? My classes, volunteer and work experiences prepared me for this opportunity.

What information can you share with your peers who are preparing for the job search? I would definitely recommend having a mock interview to anyone who is serious about landing a particular job and to attend the career fairs.

Marian Moore, Career Development Coordinator/Career Counselor in Career Services at OSU is passionate about empowering others holistically to find meaningful and sustainable careers that promote lifestyle optimization. Interests: Career Coaching, Talent and Human Capital Management, Curriculum Design and Development, International Education, Personal Branding, Organizational Development, Entrepreneurship, Global Economic Development, Human Rights and Immigrant and Refugee advocacy.

Confessions of a Career Changer: An Opportunity in the Arts

baronj — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:00:34 +0000

Howdy, Career Beavers blog readers! Week 7 of spring term already, and the Career Changer is back to continue the story of her wavy career path. All school year, I’ve been writing the story of the shifts and changes on my professional path that got me here to OSU after graduating with my undergraduate degree twelve years ago. In my last post, I told the story of how I began working as a real estate office manager in Colorado, a totally new position in a totally new industry for me. While I was contributing to this office, I was also keeping my ears open about other opportunities. One arose about nine months later that could be a good fit for my skills, experience, and personal goals.

In the small town of Creede, the arts are very important. So important, in fact, that in addition to the Creede Repertory Theatre, there is a local nonprofit arts organization that sponsors gallery shows, arts education, art in public spaces, and other arts related events. The Creede Arts Council’s director was leaving after many years of building a set of programs that added value to the community, events that people had come to expect and count on to sustain them year after year. The Council needed a new Director.

With my background in writing and theatre and because I had completed an internship in nonprofit development while in graduate school, I was chosen to direct this organization of very dedicated volunteers as they worked hard to provide arts programming for their community. This opportunity may not have happened in a big city, but the available candidate pool was small, so I got lucky! Because it was part time, I continued working in the real estate office while taking on grant writing, volunteer organizing, event planning, and marketing.

Some of these tasks were brand new to me. Some of these tasks were new facets of skills I was already comfortable with. All of these tasks were a challenge, so I learned as I went, asked the board and the previous director lots of questions, and tried things out to see if they would work. I learned so many useful skills in this job that there isn’t the space to list them all. Looking back on it, I’m so glad I took a chance in applying, and they took a chance by hiring me!

The most valuable skills I cultivated regarded working on a team while leading that team. A volunteer board hired me to manage them but also to serve their needs. I needed to balance my leadership style with the goals and purpose of my position, supporting everyone’s ideas and acting as a facilitator for conversations to decide the direction of the organization. So, many of the skills I cultivated in that job are skills I use today and skills I will continue to use in the future. However, I still knew I wanted to work in higher education. In Week 9, I will tell you about my next steps in achieving that goal. Have a great week!

Jessica Baron is currently a Graduate Assistant in Career Services at OSU and a full time student in the College Student Services Administration Program. Before making her way to Oregon State, Jessica worked as an actor, waiter, online tutor, receptionist, college composition instructor, creative writer, gas station attendant, nonprofit program director, writing workshop leader, high school drama coach, Hallmark card straightener, substitute teacher, real estate office manager, and SAT tutor, not necessarily in that order. Her “Confessions of a Career Changer” will focus on her wavy career path and the challenges and joys of wanting to do everything.

Beavers Beyond OSU

mooremar — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:00:18 +0000

To share your story, please submit your interest below.

Name: Emily Berkey

Major: Double major in Sociology: Criminology and Penology & Human Development and Family Sciences

Year: Senior

Tell us about your national exchange experience? I attended Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, through the National Student Exchange Program. There, I was able to network with music industry booking agents and event coordinators and interview them about their careers. Additionally, I was able to link up with over 50 students from around the country, including the CEO of Royal Fam Entertainment in New Orleans, Louisiana.

What was your title? West Coast Director of Promotions for Royal Fam Entertainment

What did you do? I spread awareness and stimulated interest about Royal Fam amongst college aged students. I also gained more insight into the music industry. As a result of working promotions in Baton Rouge, I became the West Coast Director of Promotions for Royal Fam Entertainment.

How did you hear about this opportunity? Through a recommendation from a friend, followed by my own networking.

What did you gain personally and professionally from this experience? I gained a lot of lifelong friendships and connections, as well as insight into the music industry. Specifically, I solidified myself as a successful public relations assistant.

What did you learn about yourself? I learned that I am skilled in promotions and networking, and am able to translate ideas into action. I also learned that I’m a successful communicator with all groups of people and represented the message of the organization successfully.

What skills did you develop or learn? I learned the importance of networking and advocating for myself. Additionally, I was able to practice representing myself and others in a positive way, sharing my creativity to inspire others, as well as communicating ideas and strategies in a clear manner.

How did your education/experiences help to prepare you for this type of opportunity? I volunteered at the Pride Center on campus, currently work at the Writing Center, and volunteer at KBVR. My varied experiences have exposed me to very diverse groups of people. This, along with my sociology and human development and family sciences majors, has prepared me with both educational and real life experiences for working and communicating with diverse groups of people.

What information can you share with your peers or others interested in this field? Although National Student Exchange no longer exists at Oregon State, I suggest that students look for internships out of state in any field they’re interested in. By leaving your comfort zone and a town that you’re used to, you are really able to grow personally and professionally.

Beavers Beyond OSU

mooremar — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:00:33 +0000

To share your story, please submit your interest below.

Name: Wenmin “Minnie” Wang

Major: MBA

Year: Graduate Student

Where do you work? International Living and Learning Center (ILLC)

What is your title? Receptionist Assistant

What do you do? My responsibilities include assisting customers, primarily INTO OSU international students who are taking language courses in the ILLC. I answer phone calls and questions, greet customers, and update our Facebook page.

How did you hear about your present job? I once served as a volunteer with the ILLC.

What did you gain personally and professionally from this experience? The importance of delivering good customer service.

How does this job relate to your career goals and plans? My dream job is to work in hospitality management, which requires good communication and customer service skills.

What skills did you develop or learn? I learned more about myself through my interactions with other students. I enhanced my English language skills and developed stronger communication and interpersonal skills.

How did your education/experiences help to prepare you for this type of job? I am currently working on my MBA and am able to apply concepts learned from my courses. Also, my previous experience and exposure working for the center was valuable.

What information can you share with your peers or others interested in finding a job or career? Volunteering is a good way to find a job opportunity. I received this job after volunteering in the ILLC. Grasp every opportunity no matter if it’s paid or unpaid. Every effort pays back!

Beavers Beyond OSU

mooremar — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:47:23 +0000

To share your story, please submit your interest below.

Name: Andrew Sherman

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Year: Senior

Where did you do your internship? ATI Wah Chang in Albany, OR.

What was your title? Mechanical Project Engineer

What did you do? I worked on multiple projects that ranged from pump systems to process equipment design. I also developed and managed the scope, schedule, and budgets for equipment installation projects utilizing Contractors and Union maintenance personnel.

How did you hear about your internship? I learned about this opportunity through the School of Engineering, MECOP program.

What did you gain personally and professionally from this experience? I gained 15 months of industry experience working as a Mechanical Engineer. I was able to apply my educational background with practical experience. I also developed many industry contacts. More importantly, I feel that I will have a competitive advantage when applying for full-time positions.

What did you learn about yourself in process? It confirmed that being a mechanical engineer is a good fit and I enjoy the work. Also, I am ready to work in the industry full-time and have the confidence and skills for any job or challenge. I also learned that I would enjoy working as a project manager installing new capital equipment, which was unfamiliar to me before I worked at ATI Wah Chang.

What skills did you develop or learn? I expanded my technical and communication skills, which is essential for project managers. As the project manager, I was responsible for the communication channel between several key people.

How did your education/experiences help to prepare you for this type of job? I was able to apply many concepts learned from classes towards my industry experience.

What information can you share with your peers or others interested in this field? If interested in developing your industry experience and helping your resume rise to the top of the stack then MECOP is a good choice. The program insures that you will be placed with two companies for six months. I got 15 months because I was able to extend my internship for an additional 3 months to complete projects. The two internships are designed to be completely different within your field of interest. Also the internships pay three quarters of what a new graduate would receive. Below is a link to the MECOP website to learn more about the program.

https://mecop.ous.edu/

Career Fair Success

busickj — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:34 +0000

A few times during the term we will highlight OSU alum who have been successful in the job search process and share their experience with you! They offer great tips and strategies that maybe you could implement as well.

Name: Loni Hartman

Major: English

Company: Consolidated Graphics/Bridgetown Printing

Position: Leadership Development Associate

How did you find out about the position?
I found my position by looking at the Career Services website before the Career Fair. I knew there were three employers I really wanted to talk to so I found them on the website, got the link to their company websites to research them, and then went into the Career Fair feeling great.

What does your job entail?
A Leadership Associate works through every part of a Consolidated Graphics Printing Company in order to understand the process before moving into a sales or management role. Currently I am learning how to estimate printing jobs in order to make sure our sales reps are competitive in getting jobs.

What advice do you have for others about the job search process?
Use your resources and ask questions. Knowing about the companies I was interested before I walked into the career fair made me feel confident when I walked through the career fair doors.

Posted by Loni Hartman, 2011 OSU Alum

Confessions of a Career Changer: Take Refuge in Your Community

baronj — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:19:28 +0000

Here I am in a musical called, "A Wonderful Noise" at the Creede Repertory Theatre

Hello, OSU Career Services blog readers. I’m back with another installment of “Confessions of a Career Changer”. I left off last time with the recent death of my mother, acting in a professional theatre company in Colorado, and wondering what to do next. The following winter I wanted to regroup, ask questions about who I was and wanted to continue to be, and plan my next move. I stayed in Colorado with my boyfriend (now husband) to reevaluate.

Of course, I still had to make a living. So, by virtue of the very small community I now lived in, which dwindled down in population to less than 400 full time residents within the city limits in winter, word of mouth quickly spread that I was looking for a job. But my situation was enormously lucky. We lived in a home owned by a good friend who charged us a miniscule amount for rent. Plus, there are very little opportunities to spend money in Mineral County, as the closest movie theatre is an hour and a half away and the closest shopping center even further. In Creede, Colorado during the winter months, people have potlucks and board game nights for their entertainment. So our expenses were very low, basically food and utilities. Also, my mother left me a legacy of support with her pension. She was able to will it to me, and I suddenly had a small but reliable monthly income, courtesy of my mother. So, I was looking for a part time job to help us fill the gap between the income I received through her kindness and our bills. And I found one at the Gifts & Gas.

The Gifts & Gas is the only gas station in Creede. It is more than a gas station; it is a hub of information sharing, community gathering, and social work. Most people who live in the county need to patronize the Gifts & Gas over the course of a week, and these people share stories and information as they come in to pay for their gas, their candy bars, their dozen eggs, or their lined notebook. Because there are so few shops open all year in Creede, the Gifts & Gas provided a lot more than just your typical convenience store fare. And the manager of the store at the time was a true local. A woman who taught me a lot about caring and communicating, Kris had lived in Creede most of her life. The wife of a retired silver miner, Kris ran the Gifts & Gas as the social institution that it should be. As my boss, she showed me how a community can use whatever means necessary to care for its members, including discussing the latest troubles of those who lived in the community, trying to get them direct help, and referring folks to the resources they needed (the health clinic, the sheriff’s department, the city council). She did all this while fulfilling her title as the manager of a gas station. I didn’t realize it then, but this is the kind of worker that I wanted to be in the world: engaged, compassionate, and interdisciplinary. We all need role models and mentors in our workplaces to see what is possible. I was lucky enough to watch and learn from Kris.

While I worked at the Gifts & Gas that winter, I began to apply to graduate schools, and I will tell you about this next step next time in “Confessions of a Career Changer”.

Beavers Beyond OSU

mooremar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:11:43 +0000

To share your story, please submit your interest below.

Name: Sophie Wilson

Major: Human Development and Family Sciences, Human Services Option

Year: Senior

Where are you doing your internship? OSU’s Cross-Cultural Mentoring Program (CCMP).

What is your title? Intern

What do you do? I recruit, market, plan programs, match mentoring relationships, facilitate discussions and training for the CCMP.

How did you hear about your internship? I heard about this opportunity from the program director.

What are you gaining personally and professionally from this experience? My professional goal is to work within higher education and student affairs on a university campus. Currently my goal is to work with multicultural and diversity development departments and initiatives. As a CCMP intern I have developed experience leading cross-cultural programs.

What are you learning about yourself in process? I can reaffirm that I am on the right path. I feel confident with my professional and personal goals, and am gaining knowledge and information that will assist me in achieving these goals. I also learned that I can adapt to new environments.

What skills are you developing or learning? I am developing more confidence and learning to be more flexible and patient.

How did your education/experiences help to prepare you for this type of job? My transferable skills and experience from my previous internships have helped me to prepare for this type of opportunity.

What information can you share with your peers or others interested in this field? Take advantage of what life offers you.

Beavers Beyond OSU

mooremar — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:00:23 +0000

Beavers Beyond OSU is an opportunity for students and alumni to share a successful internship, career related experience, project or study abroad opportunity. Perhaps you’ve discovered a new passion or created a start-up. Or you’ve had a life transforming experience that can inspire and educate others on ways to find intentional careers. If you have a story to share, we’d love to hear from you.

To share your story, please submit your interest below.

Name: Jillian Grant

Major: Human Development and Family Sciences, Child Development Option

Year: Senior/4^th year

Where did you study abroad? Paderborn and Gutersloh, Germany

What were your titles? Day Camp Counselor and Day Camp Director the next year with Camp Adventure Youth Services.

What did you do? The first year I was a camp counselor in a day camp for children of the British Army. It was my responsibility to create a program of songs, games, and other activities for a 5-week summer camp on a British military base in Germany. As a day camp director, I was responsible for overseeing a staff of five counselors. I assisted them in developing and running a program for another five-week camp for children of the British military staff

What population did you primarily serve? Military families.

How did you hear about your study abroad experience/internship? I heard about the internship from an education related listserv. Camp Adventure posted on the listserv about the program and I emailed the person in charge of recruitment.

What did you gain personally and professionally from this experience? Personally, I learned a lot about myself because I was in another country, away from all of my friends and family and was surrounded by other cultures. I became much more adaptive than I was previously, and learned to be more culturally sensitive. I feel that I matured professionally and was able to take on a supervisor role, as well as becoming a liaison between Camp Adventure and the British Army.

What did you learn about yourself? I learned that I am much more flexible and adaptive than I thought. There were days where I didn’t know what base I would be working on or who I would be working with until I was in the car with my supervisor on the way there in the morning. I also learned that I could get along with and work with anyone, regardless of their backgrounds. Being in Germany, on a British military base, I was immersed to three different cultures (British, German, Military) and I had to be culturally sensitive and respectful.

What skills did you develop or learn? I gained a lot of communication skills because I was responsible for communicating with parents and military staff on a daily basis to make sure the programs we were running were going well. I also developed leadership skills because I was in charge of a staff of five counselors. I became more adaptive and flexible because it was necessary to be successful throughout the summer.

How did your education/experiences help to prepare you for this type of job? My degree has an emphasis in child development, so I had a lot of knowledge of children and their needs. I also had experience working with children as a volleyball coach, through volunteering at an elementary school, and as a nanny, so I knew how to work with children.

What information can you share with your peers or others interested in this field? Camp Adventure is an amazing opportunity to develop your skills working with children. Take advantage of a study abroad experience. You can earn college credit through this opportunity. The most important thing to do is to be adaptive to any situation in order to be the most successful.

Confessions of a Career Changer: Sets, Costumes, and Conflict, Oh My!

baronj — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:56:15 +0000

Jessica performing improv comedy with troup called Boomtown.

Hi, it’s me again, talking about my wavy career path, through hill and dale, over rivers and through woods to, not grandmother’s house, but Oregon State University! When I last blogged, I was talking about the national children’s theatre tour gig I landed in the aftermath of 9/11. So, today I’ll talk about what that was like, 6 months on the road in a van with 5 other actors and a stage manager. We went from school to school, and from venue to venue, rarely staying in one place for more than two or three nights.

The show was Superfudge, and I don’t know if you read Judy Blume books when you were a child, but it was based on the Judy Blume book of the same name about a kindergartener called Fudge who gets into all kinds of shenanigans and, of course, lessons are learned in the process. This book was preceded by Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, a quite famous children’s book that maybe you read. In this musical adaptation of Superfudge, I played the mother of two boys, Fudge and Peter, who were played by grown men. Both of them towered over me at 6 feet or more, and I was 22, definitely not the right age to be a mother of an 11-year-old. There were three other actors in the musical, a guy who played the dad, and a man and a woman who played all the other characters. So, I was one of two women on the tour; the stage manager was a guy too. The other actress and I shared hotel rooms to save money because we were given a “per diem” as part of our salary that was meant to cover our daily expenses, so if we could cut costs on hotels, we would make more money in the end.

Each morning (And many of the show times were in the morning. For some reason, schools like morning shows. Have you ever had to sing for 45 minutes at 8 am? It’s not easy!), we would drive our two vans to a venue, put up our set, put on our costumes and microphones, do a sound check, then have about 20 minutes to warm up before we performed. The contract I worked under for this tour employed me as both an actor and a stage manager so that I would be contractually obligated to unload, put up, tear down, and load our set back into our van. Lots of work! We often did more than one show in a day, and sometimes in different locations, so we could end up doing this routine more than once in a day. But we were being paid pretty well, for actors, and we were contributing to our union initiation fee as part of our paychecks, which would, in turn, entitle us to health insurance. Whoo hoo! I hadn’t been a union actor before this experience, and it felt good to be paid well and treated with respect.

It turned out that we needed that respect and those union rules a couple of months into the tour. Remember that the seven of us are crammed into two vans over six months, and we didn’t know each other before the rehearsals began. Would you ever take a six month long road trip with strangers? It was inevitable that personality conflicts would arise. The other woman thought she was being harassed by the man who played the dad; she complained to the stage manager and the union representative; and all hell broke loose. For a week or so, I didn’t want to room with her and ended up paying extra for my own room. She eventually left the tour, as did our stage manager, and we got a new actress who became a really close friend. Conflicts like that are going to come up when perfect strangers spend months together, 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. We did get one day a week off, but on this day, if we were out on the road, we were limited by the available transportation (our two vans), so we really couldn’t get away from each other. In all, touring with Superfudge was a pretty stressful, amazing, great, and fraught experience. I recommend everyone try it. You’ll learn a ton about yourself and what you are willing to tolerate in others.

When my tour ended, I needed to find work, so I began asking around to friends and friends of friends. This strategy paid off. I’ll talk about what I did next in “Confessions of a Career Changer”. Hope you are enjoying my story and have a great Thanksgiving break!