Welcome to the Career Development Center's electronic newsletter: Working Beyond Expectations! We hope that you find this newsletter both informative and useful as you prepare for the next level of your life.
Quote of the Week
Career News
IUP Featured Alumnus
FR/SO/JR/SR Tips
Let's Hear What Your Colleagues Are Doing!
Did You Ever Consider A Career In...
Coming Up! Join Us!
Tips for Thriving in Fast-Moving Workplaces
Note from the Director
Editor's Note
Quote of the Week:
Analyzing what you haven't got as well as what you have is a necessary ingredient of a career.
— Orison Swett Marden
Career News
"Blue Collar, White Collar, Green Collar?"
By: Mallory Bower, Graduate Assistant
Career Development Center
The current energy crisis has created what we’ve come to know as “The Green Movement.” The presidential candidates have jumped on board by promising “Green Collar Careers” in hopes to create more jobs and to find better solutions for current economical problems. Environmentally conscious students may want to investigate jobs that are being created and spotlighted. Students, homeowners, and business owners are all shifting towards energy conservation, which is creating more jobs each day.
In a recent New York Times article by Steven Greenhouse, he compared these types of jobs with those which were traditionally labeled as blue-collar. Green careers can be quite similar, but applicants who are well-qualified and well-educated will be considered for more advanced and higher paying positions. Green careers are attractive because they are less likely to be outsourced. The energy crisis is here, so the jobs have to be here, too. These positions are also more likely to have longevity because the environment is always evolving.
Freshman or sophomores who may be interested in environmentally conscious work may want to start taking courses that will enhance their qualifications. Upperclassmen who are upon graduation may want to check out the new resources that are available online. MonsterTrak.com has a job search engine devoted specifically to Green Careers. Greenjobsnow.com and Greenjobs.com are also a great source for employment trend information.
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IUP Featured Alumnus
Ms. Kellin Demaster, Alumni 2008
Business Education
Why did you choose Business Education as a major?
Throughout high school I had always enjoyed my business and computer classes. I valued the importance of business, computer, and information technology education.
What was/is your favorite part about being a Business Education major?
I enjoyed the professors and the small class sizes. As a relatively small major, you received a lot of feedback on your performance in the classroom.
Why did you choose your current career?
During my student teaching and experience with the Business Education department, I was anxious for my career to begin. After numerous interviews, I selected a school that offered me many opportunities and one in which I felt comfortable. Currently, I am a business education teacher at Susquehannock High School for the Southern York County School District. I teach Computer Applications, Desktop Publishing, Keyboarding, and Career Seminar. Along with teaching, I am involved in writing curriculum for future courses and am also training for Classrooms for the Future.
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FR/SO/JR/SR Tips
Freshmen: Explore your interests and skills through your course work. Whether you’ve declared a major or not, it’s important to take courses that you have a sincere interest in.
Sophomores: Make an appointment with your advisor and the Career Development Center to discuss your major and career opportunities.
Juniors: Take a leadership role in your student activities and volunteer groups. Being a leader will allow you to experience the organization from a different perspective, and it will provide you with experience that is résumé worthy.
Seniors: Update your résumé and have it reviewed by a faculty member, professionals in your field, and the Career Development Center.
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Let's Hear What Your Colleagues Are Doing!
Meet Ms. Jessica Taylor
Business Education, Senior
Why did you choose Business Education as a major?
I didn't officially register for Business Education until the end of my freshman year. However, in high school I knew I wanted to teach, and by the end of my senior year I had a feeling that business and technology education would be a good fit for me.
What was/is your favorite part about being a Business Education major?
Although the courses are interesting and relevant to more than just the classroom, my favorite part hands-down is working and connecting with students. Every time I walk out of a school after doing a clinical experience, I have the biggest smile on my face.
What are your career aspirations?
Well, I’m not only a Business Education major; I am also pursuing a second degree in Spanish Education. So, I have some diverse aspirations. In the short term, I want to begin teaching at the secondary level in whichever field gets me a job first. My ideal situation would be one that permits me to work with both simultaneously, since I love them equally. However, I'm well aware how unlikely that is. In the long run, I've got some plans stirring around in the back of my mind about how I can change and improve both Spanish and Business education programs, and others about how I can help people in general. So, who knows where I'll end up?
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Did You Ever Consider a Career in…
… Business Education!
Do you want a career that is fast-paced and challenging, but allows you to make a difference one student at a time? Does teaching about the many aspects of business while working with children and young adults energize you? Do you want to keep up to date with new technologies and still be creative? Then, becoming a business, computer, and information technology teacher may be the perfect idea for you! The Department of Technology Support and Training offers both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business Education.
What is Certification?
A degree in business education prepares you for certification as a Kindergarten through 12th grade teacher in Business, Computer, and Information Technology. Many states in the country consider Pennsylvania teaching certification to be one of the best. Similar certification (reciprocity) in other states is easy to obtain.
What Courses Could You Teach?
Business educators typically teach content in the following courses:
Keyboarding, Computer Applications Advanced Computer Applications, Introduction to Business, Accounting, Introduction to Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Web Design. The courses depend on the school. Business educators keep their fingers on the pulse of technology and get to teach students the skills they need to succeed in the global economy. It is an exciting and rewarding career.
Master’s Degree
If you already hold an undergraduate degree in a business field, you may be interested in a Masters Degree in Business/Workforce Development. Our program is designed to meet the needs of professionals in industry and teaching. Courses are offered on both a full-time and part-time basis, year round.
We offer three specializations under the Masters of Education degree:
- Business - Train to become a K-12 educator with a certification in Business, Computer, and Information Technology.
- Workforce Specialization - Prepare for a position in business and industry training.
- Administration - Learn curriculum development to prepare you for a supervisor’s or director’s position in career and technical education.
Professors in the department have extensive knowledge in pedagogy, business, technology and training and are committed to student success. The field of business education is fast-paced and exciting. For more information, please contact:
Undergraduate - Dr. Wayne Moore: moore@iup.edu
Graduate - Dr. Dawn Woodland: woodland@iup.edu
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Coming Up! Join Us!
Career Devleopment Month!
In celebration of Career Development Month, the Career Development Center has coordinated various activities that are guaranteed to enhance a students academic experience by engaging the student in informational programs pertaining to career options following graduation. Options such as landing that first job, gaining admission to highly competitive graduate programs, obtaining advice from school districts, exploring job opportunities, finding a federal job, or simply developing a resume that is sought by employers in today's job market. No one program or career counseling session is going to give you the candidacy advantage over your competitors; however, it is the combination of programs provided by the Career Development Center that will give you the competitive advantage needed in today's job market. Don't wait to begin establishing your post-graduation goals. The more options you have...the better choices you can make! Begin by attending these events!
Career Devleopment Center Workshops
If you are a member of a club or organization, suggest that someone from the Career Development Center attend one of your meetings to discuss career-related topics.The Career Development Center offers a variety of career-oriented workshops that may be valuable to your curriculum or student organization. To make this process more convenient for you, trained career counselors will present these topics on an as-needed basis. Workshops can be delivered in the classroom, at your club’s meeting, or in the Career Development Center Library.
To request a workshop, please fill out our Workshop Request Form. Suggestions for additional topics are welcome.
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Tips for Thriving in Fast-Moving Workplaces
By Eileen P. Gunn
US News and World Report, Posted April 17, 2008
[The current work environment has changed drastically since days of old. It's much more fast paced and we need to do our best to keep up. This article will highlight ways in which we, as employees, can be successful at maneuvering in our jobs, developing relationships with employers and educating ourselves of the priorities that will help us move towards
promotion faster. If you're finding yourself lost in the shuffle of your work environment, this article is for you.
Malaika M. Turner
Interim Assistant Director of Employer Relations/Development]
The way we work has changed thoroughly and dramatically over the past 20 years. We have more flexibility but less stability in our jobs, more ways to communicate with coworkers but less time for establishing relationships, more ways to prove ourselves to our managers but a harder time being recognized for our contributions. And we have more room to change jobs and careers as often as we wish but less guidance and career development from our bosses.
So it's no surprise that the dynamics of office politics have changed dramatically, too.
"In the old days you could come in after college and find a mentor who would tell you who you can ignore and who you can't. And you'd have a few years to learn the landscape and gradually assimilate," says John Eldred, who teaches a course on organizational dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania and consults with companies on change. "Now you might move every year. You're in enemy territory all the time, and you don't know how to read the expressions of the natives."
In fact, 39 percent of people who leave a job within one year do so because they can't figure out how things get done at that particular company, according to the Novations Group, a human resources consulting firm. An additional 13 percent leave because they fail to establish trust and credibility.
In this faster-moving environment, Eldred says, people need to establish credibility more quickly. "People who are visible are successful," he says. "People who are less visible are not successful." Being visible means learning to understand the boss's or team's priorities as soon as possible and assertively selling yourself as someone who can deliver on those things.
"You can't wait for the company picnic to roll around to buddy up to the bosses and get to know people—there is no company picnic," Eldred says. Instead, it's important to schmooze—or network, as Eldred likes to think of it—in the course of the regular workday. It comes more easily to some than to others, but it's a skill everyone needs to learn. "If you cede success to the natural schmoozers, you'll hate everything about your organization," Eldred cautions.
One benefit of learning how to schmooze better is that you're more likely to be rewarded for your hard work. According to a study by the Conference Board Consumer Research Center, only 41 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61 percent two decades ago. The biggest sources of dissatisfaction are bonuses and promotions, with nearly three-quarters of Americans unhappy with their company's policies. But this isn't entirely the fault of U.S. employers and managers. According to a separate survey from Blessing White, only 44 percent of workers routinely share their career aspirations with their manager—and compensation goals are part of those aspirations. Bosses can't give you what they don't know you want, says leadership consultant Rebecca Shambaugh of the Shambaugh Group. Most workers need to learn to do a better job of making their wants known.
At the same time, work is as uncertain and fast moving for managers and executives as it is for those lower down the ladder. They often protect their own careers by picking two or three favorite go-to people and turning to them for the work that's most important to them. It's hard to wedge yourself into such an inner circle once it's established, but your career doesn't have to stall in the meantime.
Your career nowadays is in your industry, and not tied to any single company the way careers once were, Eldred points out. So if your best schmoozing isn't getting you noticed, the favoritism is too strong, or that raise you need isn't forthcoming, it's easier than it once was to move to a new organization and keep your career moving forward.
"Sooner or later everyone faces a bad situation—bad boss, bad customer, unfair allegations, unethical people," says Eldred. "Sometimes you have to stay and fight and sometimes it's best to say, if this organization is that superficial I don't want to be here long term. Thank you for opening my eyes.”
In the absence of something going really wrong, it can sometimes be hard to judge whether it's better to stay or to go. Eldred gives every new job two years, and "if nothing fabulous happens in that time" he starts looking for an opportunity that excites him more. His one absolute rule: "If you wait until you have a sense that it's time to move on, you've stayed too long."
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A Note from the Director, Mark Anthony
Whether this is your first semester or your last, the Career Development Center (CDC) can help guide you throughout your time here at IUP. From resume counseling to mock interviews, Service Learning opportunities to spending a semester working in Disney World, the CDC has many services and programs to give you the skills, tools, opportunities and experiences you need to achieve your goals. I hope this newsletter will give you an overview of what the CDC is currently working on, and how we can help you!
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A Note from the Editor
We hope you enjoy the monthly publication of Working Beyond Expectations! Within its pages you will find a wide range of interesting and relevant career information right at your finger tips. From spotlights on current IUP students, Alumni, and programs, to featured articles chose specially by the CDC staff, there is always something informative for everyone.
If you have questions or recommendations for enhancing this resource, or suggestions for upcoming articles, please contact me via e-mail at tracyvan@iup.edu.
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