Are Your Expectations Realistic?

I am going to be planting my first vegetable garden this year and I have an image in my head of beautiful fruits and vegetables that are so tasty my two little boys will want to eat them straight from the garden. Well, I shared this wonderful image with my husband and he was kind enough to save me some disappointment by pointing out some very important facts...

Fact 1 - I don't know the first thing about growing fruits and vegetables.
Fact 2 - I have a proven track record of letting weeds take over other plantings in our yard.
Fact 3 - There are tons of critters in our yard that will most assuredly eat all of the "bounty" before my boys even get a chance to harvest.

And this is what you call managing expectations. Now that doesn't mean that I can't achieve my goal of a beautiful garden. Of course I can, but it is going to take A LOT more time and effort than I originally thought. Since becoming more realistic about the prospect of a garden I have been reading a lot and talking to people a lot to gather information. I have also been thinking about how much time I will need to spend tending to the garden each day to be successful. AND I am realizing that even if I do everything the best way that I know how that I still might not get the result I want because I am a gardening rookie and I am basing my image of a successful garden off of my mother-in-law's garden (who grew up on a farm and makes a living with my father-in-law as a farmer). Oh, and did I mention my lack of a green thumb?

In the same way that I had some unrealistic expectations, I find that students also need help managing expectations when it comes to their career. Some students don't know what they want for a career, but become frustrated because they think they should just KNOW. Well, that is unrealistic. People discover their passion through gathering information and experiencing life - sometimes things get figured out sooner and sometimes it takes a while. Discovering a career path cannot be rushed and it is not going to happen without spending time and effort.

We also see students who know where they are headed, but have unrealistic expectations about their career path. Perhaps they think they will make more money than is realistic because they know people who are in "X" profession who make a lot (how long have they been out working and how do you know how much they make, anyway?) or that they will be given a lot of responsibility because they feel ready for it (gotta pay your dues and work your way up the ladder, I'm afraid).

So perhaps as you think about your career, ensure you are making time to base your expectations in reality by doing research, talking to people and planning because if you are unable to manage your expectations you may find yourself disappointed.

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.

What They're Saying About You

In a few weeks many of you will be leaving the safe haven of Marquette, venturing out into the "real world" and a new life for yourself. This is both an exciting and scary time, as everything you know and are familiar with is changing. You can't just skip anymore if you don't feel like going. You probably won't be living around all your friends. On the plus side, you won't have massive group projects to stress over. At least not for class purposes...



One thing that is important to know as you go out into the professional world is how our generation, the Millenials, is viewed. What is the 50 year old going to think of you before you even start? Knowing this, and in turn managing your office persona appropriately, can give you a huge leg up in being a successful professional.

So, what is everyone saying about you, the Millenial?

-sociable
-optimistic
-talented
-well educated
-collaborative
-achievement oriented
-civic minded
-technologically adept
-want immediate gratification
-have high expectations
-overconfident
-diminished interpersonal skills

These are just some of the many stereotypes of this generation. Clearly not all will apply to every person, and it may be that only a few fit with you. As long as you know that, until you prove otherwise, these are the things older generations will assume about you, you can begin to craft your own place in the office and begin a successful career.