John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
This quote rings true for Walden University student, Ingrid, who moved from St. George’s, Grenada, to Washington, D.C., where she served as an Attaché to the Organization of American States, representing the Government of Grenada. When her government contract ended, Ingrid enrolled in the PhD in Public Policy and Administration program at Walden University to further impact governmental policies.
Like many Walden students in career transition, Ingrid had a short-term goal of finding immediate employment, and a longer-term goal of applying her degree to make a lasting impact in her field. Ingrid recently decided to seek a part-time position where she would have the flexibility to mentor and educate students, while also working on her doctoral degree. She contacted the Career Services Center and worked with two advisors who helped her update her resume and directed her to job banks and other career-related resources to help her expand her job search.
Ingrid’s online job search led to an educational center that helps students prepare for SAT and GMAT exams. Based on her prior experience in training and development that included developing and delivering workshops, and designing curriculum and training manuals, she qualified for the instructor position. As part of the interview process, she was asked to deliver a short teaching presentation. She designed a lesson plan, a course outline, and prepared teaching aids that impressed her interviewers and resulted in a job offer.
Ingrid thanked Career Services for giving her the confidence to effectively market herself and her skills. After a successful interview and job offer, she is more confident in her ability to apply her transferable skills to multiple roles. Ingrid’s long-term goal is to apply her PPA to make an impact on women in politics. Meanwhile, her past experience is useful in obtaining immediate employment based on prior experience and skills. She encourages other students to go through a process of self-assessment to identify short and long-term objectives.
Written by Career Services Advisor Dina Bergren