Managing Your Career in Student Affairs

1. Managing Your Career in Student Affairs Presented by Markell Steele, Career Counselor and Owner Futures-in-motion, Inc. http://www.futures-in-motion.com June 30, 2010

2. Session Agenda • Tips for Finding Career Direction, Exploring Career Options, and Creating a Career Plan • Networking and personal branding • Questions • Suggestions for next steps and resources

3. How did we get here?

4. How to Advance in Student Affairs • Importance of doing the right job in the right place with the right people • Know yourself—who am I today? • Invest time in career research and exploration • Get a variety of experience • Build a strong network • Be proactive

5. Career Planning and Advancement Finding Career Direction Exploring Career Options Creating a Career Plan

6. Finding Career Direction

7. Finding Career Direction • Evaluate your career progress • Inventory your skills, accomplishments, hidden strengths and clarify how you want to use them in a meaningful way • Determine your values and how you want them to be integrated • Define your “Ideal Job” or career situation

8. Build new skills Develop as a Leader Learn about new areas, increase general knowledge Get exposure Meet new people Promotion w/in same career field Become an entrepreneur Enter a new career field Make a lateral career move Do you want to retract? Define Your Career Goals

9. Take inventory of what YOU offer In what ways have you successfully used your abilities, skills and attributes?

10. Policy & Procedural Knowledge Communication & Interpersonal Technology & Database Mgmt Supervisory/Management Event Planning Budget Analysis Fund Management Contracts & Grants Research Office Administration Project Management Connect Skills to Key Functions, Roles

11. Exploring Career Options

12. Student Affairs Career Options • Career Services • Registrar • Information and Research • Admissions • Financial Aid • Academic Advising • Student Activities and Programming • Service Learning • Counseling and Psychological Services • Recreations • Disability Services • Clubs and Organizations • Health and Wellness

13. Are you in the right role at the right place?

14. Determining Qualifications for Specific Positions • Review posted job descriptions • Conduct informational interviews • Review trade/ professional association practice areas • Attend conferences, industry events, and meetings

15. Elements of a Student Affairs Job Search • Clarify your job target • Get visibility • Find job leads—internal vs. external positions • Update targeted resume, cover letter, portfolio • Learn salary negotiation techniques • Establish personal brand • Networking and professional development

16. Networking and Personal Branding

17. Personal Branding What you want to be known for as a professional; your professional reputation

18. Professional Positioning Statement • What you want to be known for; consider the application/value of your knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience • Who you help, problems you solve, outcomes you achieve • Clearly state your career objective, what type of opportunity you are looking for • State your relevant strengths • Relate them to the job opportunities

19. Why Use Social Media to Network?

20. Most Common Online Tools

21. Groups • ACUI- Association for College Unions International • SAP- Student Affairs Professionals • ACPA- American College Personnel Association • NASPA- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Resources- http://linkedin.custhelp.com, http://learn.linkedin.com/ • 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn by Guy Kawasaki • Ten Tips on Building a Strong Profile • User Guide: Job Seekers (http://learn.linkedin.com/job-seekers/)

22. Student Affairs Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=30909424#!/pages/Student-Affairs/105570346144059 Resources- http://www.facebook.com/help/

23. @ACUItweets @acuiconference #CUAD (college unions and activities discussion) #sachat (student affairs chat) @the_sa_blog @NASPAtweets Resources- http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711-getting-started

24. Creating a Career Plan

25. Career Goal- Setting Process • Define your career goal • Assess alternatives—brainstorm possibilities • Gather information • Assess outcome probability • Take action! • Refine goal—evaluate and regroup

26. 6 Month Career Goal • Where do you want be? Institution, position, location • What do you want to accomplish by the end of 6 months? • What is your plan for achieving your goal? • What resources do you have available? How will you leverage them? • What obstacles do you foresee? How can you work around them? • What assignments or experiences do you need to achieve your goal?

27. Session Recap Discussed: • how to explore student affairs career options • how to conduct a job search within student affairs. • how to connect skills, accomplishments, values, and interests to Student Affairs career options • tools for building and cultivating a professional network and how to gain visibility. • how to create a personal career plan with next steps they can implement right away.

29. What You Can Do Right Now to Discover Opportunities • Find possible career options by assessing skills, interest, relevant experience • Research career areas to find a possible fit • Online • Print • People • Network to learn as much about the field as you can & to build key connections • Create a job search plan • Update your resume and practice interviewing

30. Final Thoughts: Keys to Career Success in Student Affairs • Know your strengths and values • Understand the environment, culture and find your fit • Manage your relationships (boss, peers, students) • Get support from coaches and mentors • Demonstrate integrity (work hard, contribute and serve) • Seek out opportunities • Get involved and visible (on campus, nationally)

31. Achieving Your Career Vision What’s one action you can take now to reach your 6 month goal?

32. Contact Markell markell@futures-in-motion.com (877) 210-3252 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/futuresinmotion LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markellsteele