Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

The eight-week course I teach, Career Planning and Decision Making (ARSC 1040), just wrapped up last week. I always look forward to reading the final reflection papers from the students in the course because each student shares something that… well, that I wish I would have known when I was 20.

“Over the course of the last eight weeks I learned more about myself than I would normally in a year.”

“Changing my mind is not a bad thing; it’s my future and I can shape it anyway I want.”

“I have gained a lot of personal insight into who I am as a person and what I need in a career.”

“Making the most of college by joining various organizations and volunteer groups will not only help you towards a career goal, but it will help shape you as a person.”

“I want to take a couple of exploratory classes in areas that I have found are well-suited to me.”

“I am making an effort to try things that I haven’t tried before so that I will be able to make an intentional career decision.”

“It is not as hard as I thought it would be to get an internship and make contacts in the career world.”

“This class helped reduce my fears about choosing a career path and helped me identify the skills and processes necessary to get there.”

“It’s unusual for me to say something like this, but I don’t know where I’m going career-wise, but I am waiting for my experiences to light the way for me.”

“Along with earning good grades, I want to find a healthy balance in my life with respect to school, socializing, and extracurricular activities.”

“During the first week of the class I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future and my career, but now, eight weeks later, I have an idea of what would be best for me.”

“Some people don’t necessarily know what they are bound to do until the time is right. Plus, it’s okay to switch majors or deviate from a determined path. It’s a learning experience.”

“My career goals are still being shaped into a form that is not yet known – and I’m comfortable with that.”

“I know the next few years won’t be easy by any means, but they are the experiences and times of your life that will be with you forever.”

I used the words of J.R.R. Tolkien as my title for this blog because I think he got it just right... and the words my students shared in their final papers were also just right.

Why I Do What I Do

College, to me, was an up and down time of fun, uncertainty, learning, frustration, independence, love, confusion, change, set-backs, and growth. My college experience began when I filled out an application for Marquette University and, when asked which college/program I was interested in, I selected all but one or two. I was admitted to the (then) Master of Physical Therapy program and was on my way (…and VERY excited that I would not need to make any more decisions for 6 years.).

I started out as a Human Biology major (similar to Biomedical Sciences), but had a rude awakening during Organic Chemistry II when I spent every waking hour studying and managed to score a 29% on my first test and a (much improved) 42% on my second test. Needless to say, I dropped the course and changed majors to avoid undesirable academic consequences. I swapped my major for my minor and continued on in Psychology.

I loved psychology. I still love psychology. And I had a great psychology professor named Dr. Berkowitz (currently enjoying life at the University of Missouri - St. Louis… oh, and he co-founded ComedySportz—cool, huh?). One particular encounter stands out to me when I think about Dr. Berkowitz. One day I was in his office for my semesterly advising session. As we were talking, he looked at me and said, “Why are you in the Physical Therapy program?” I had been wondering the same thing lately, but was so scared of the possibility of not knowing what I was going to do for the rest of my life, that I became really defensive. Wouldn’t it have been interesting if I would have engaged in that conversation, though?

After a lengthy journey with many detours, I look at where I am now and know that I am in the right place. Would I trade in my path? No, because it is mine and made me who I am today. Do I recommend doing things the way I did them? Probably not. I truly believe my journey led me here and I found my way to this place in order to help students be more intentional about their path. That doesn’t mean that you have to have any answers; it just means that you need to put some thought into what you are doing at each stage of your life, start thinking about goals, and really experience life. I do what I do so I can help young people explore all that life has to offer and, hopefully, be a guide for each student on their own personal journey.

I see life now as a time of fun, uncertainty, learning, frustration, independence, love, confusion, change, set-backs, and growth… and I am loving every minute of it.

A View From the Left Coast

Well, maybe LAX would be a little more accurate description of my location...

I've been out here in LA the last few days, and sure enough even on vacation I find myself noticing things related to careers. Besides it getting really cold today (I would have thought that going to California would mean I wouldn't be cold at any point wearing long sleeves and jeans. And anyone in our office can tell you my opinions on what weather should be anyway...), the trip has driven home to me two very different things that can be applicable to all you Marquette students as well.

For one, everyone knows all the stereotypes of people that work at restaurants in LA; they're struggling/prospective actors waiting for their big break. Once my sister and I got through playing the always fun game of guessing what parts we think they are seeking, I decided to just go ahead and ask some of them. I figured I had nothing to lose, especially since I had already received my food. The common theme was that most of them were in fact hopeful actors. They agreed that it wasn't easy, and in the perfect world they wouldn't be working as a server. But each one of them said it would be completely worth it if it led to them getting that break they are seeking. As one of them put it, "You can't give up on your dreams. I'd be miserable always wondering if I could have got it if I wasn't doing this right now."

It's a good lesson I think. One thing I always like to point out is that your first job isn't always going to be your dream job, and it almost certainly isn't going to be your last job. You might want to become a Vice President of Marketing, but you aren't going to get there straight out of school. What you can do is to take the steps to get you to that job years down the line. Sure, it's not the idyllic thing, but if it gets you where you want to be, isn't it completely worth it?

The other thing I noticed is that students from all over the country are still looking intently for jobs. I was at the Jeopardy! College Tournament (my sister is going to be on, you should definitely watch) this week, and seniors from everywhere were in the same place many of you are, still trying to figure out what happens a month from now after graduation. Even kids from "name" schools were in the same predicament. One even asked a producer if they were hiring! The basic thing to take out of this is that it doesn't necessarily matter how smart you are or where you went to school. If you are persistent in your search, you can have success.

And of course, that's where we can help...