I, myself, didn't know what that meant until just last Friday, when I arrived three minutes late for my 11:30 appointment with Donna Millmore, a Career Counselor, as well as an Assistant Director for the Tufts Career Center.
Luckily, she was still finishing up a meeting with someone else when I arrived.
I sat in the waiting area, consciously and continually deciding not to fumble with my phone while I waited. I didn't want to come off as another social media-dependent millennial (even though that's a real part of who I am). I wasn't really sure if a Career Counselor was someone I needed to impress and figured it was better to be safe than sorry.
I honestly had no idea what to expect from my first session with Donna. I'd met her twice before around the office and still didn't really know her. I'd been working in the Career Center for two weeks and I was also still getting to know it. But there was also the much larger element lingering in my subconscious: The giant abyss that is life after college. And like most other seniors, I was not ready to start talking about it.
I had set up this appointment on a whim, with nothing specific to talk about in mind--I really just wanted to see what it was, truthfully.
When Donna came to get me, I hurriedly followed her into her office. The room was small and cozy with warm light--like a living room equipped with a computer, desks, and chairs. On her bulletin board were pictures of who I assumed were her relatives or students she has helped--the photos gave the room an amiable vibe. And Donna fit right in--her demeanor was just as warm.
"What can I do for you?" she asked.
I laughed and told her the truth, "I have no idea!"
Unfazed by what I now know is a common response, she proceeded to tell me about the Career Center and all of the resources available to me. She told me about upcoming events and marketed The Career Fair as an exciting learning opportunity: "The only time you'll be in a room with over 100 people looking to hire," she said. She told me about Jumbo Jobs and the different tabs on the site that lead to information on campus interviews and resume jobs. And about the Career & Internship Connection Career Fairs occurring over winter break.
In a normal circumstance, this would be a great introduction to the Career Center and the events and services it offers to the Tufts community; however, my job is to publicize those same events and services, so I already knew a lot about them and I wasn't shy to share my thoughts.
"You really did your homework!" said Donna, surprised.
In my nervousness, I awkwardly had not let her know from the start that I worked for the center, thinking she already knew. But she didn't!
It proved to be a humorous situation, and Donna's pleasantness alleviated any sense of doom I was having at the start of our meeting. It was much easier to speak with her once the ice was broken.
"Tell me everything about yourself," she said.
Everything. There are so many things about me! And for me, personally, that's a huge issue where my career goals are concerned. My interests are so varied that I can see myself doing literally
For someone like me, Donna recommended turning to some self-assessment tools, to help me better understand my interests and personality. She finds these tools helpful in working with students to identify a focus and figure out the types of jobs and work environments that will make us happiest.
I then brought up another enormous anxiety I have about my career search: having spent the last few years studying social inequalities and unjust systems, it makes me personally uncomfortable to earn a living by indirectly supporting stereotypes and other unconscious biases, as well as the self-fulfilling prophesies they put forth. A media job is all I've been trained to do and as the media is a mirror of society, perpetuating existing societal problems can be unavoidable in the field--especially in a starter position.
I hope this doesn't come off as arrogant, but the same student who was accepted into this school with colossal dreams of making the world a better, happier, more peaceful, and more efficient place for everyone is still alive and thriving within in me, four years later. I still want to do BIG things, even after countless pessimistic conversations about logic, statistics, and the so-called "reality." (Cue Ashton Kutcher's Teen Choice Award speech: We create our world).
Instead of laughing at me or trying to tame my goals and pull me back down to earth, Donna brought my attention to positions on the opposite side of the same professional spectrum: Cause Marketing and non-profit work. She recommended Idealist.org as a resource for finding work in non-profits.
This bout of support and encouragement helped me realize that Career Center "Counselors" are more like coaches! Their job is to instruct, teach, and train us professionally.
The Career Center staff is here to coach you on exploring yourself, potential majors, and different careers; finding jobs and internships; networking with relevant professionals; and refining your interview skills, resume, and cover letter. They can train you for your job hunt with one-on-one resume critiques and mock interviews. Career Counselors will open doors for you as a young professional, but it's your job to walk through them.
"I hope you work with me," said Donna invitingly at the end of our meeting. She asked me to send her the most up-to-date copy of my resume and gave me her card, putting it upon me to take initiative and schedule our next meeting.
I left the meeting feeling really good about myself, more confident about my big goals, and ready to start thinking about my future. The dreaded abyss that is life after college suddenly seemed like something I wouldn't mind jumping into.
And that's the inside scoop!
To schedule your appointment with a Career Counselor, call (617) 627-3299.
Best regards,
Until next time,
Nirvanna
