In this episode, we interview Liberal Arts Career Services mavens, Tatem Oldham, and Caitlyn Von Liski to learn how they help CoLA students get the jobs they want.
This episode of Sounds of Success was mixed and mastered by Alejandra Arrazola and Harper Carlton.
Guests
- Tatem OldhamDirector of Liberal Arts Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin
- Caitlin von LiskiSenior Career Coach
Hosts
- Christina BuiAssistant Academic Advisor for the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin
- Philip ButlerDirector, Office of Student Success, College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin
[0:00:09 Speaker 1] Hello and welcome to the sounds of success. I’m Phil Butler. I’m [0:00:14 Speaker 2] Christina Buoy. [0:00:15 Speaker 1] Happy New Year. [0:00:17 Speaker 2] 2020. It’s finally over. [0:00:20 Speaker 1] We made it. We made it to a New Year’s. Let’s start fresh. Let’s wash off the dust. That is 2020 on and just celebrate the fact that we’re here. We made it right? Absolutely. It’s gonna be a good year. It’s gonna be a great year of podcasting. Among other things. Um, today we’ve got some really great guess from the liberal arts Career Services office. Yeah, [0:00:42 Speaker 2] So our guests will just be talking with us about what the liberals, arts, career services offers and what you can get out of your liberal arts education. So we’re really excited for you all to meet them. There are amazing. [0:00:56 Speaker 1] These people want you to get a job after college, Justus, much as Mom and Dad do. So let’s, uh, hear what they have to say about the work that they do in liberal arts. Career services. Mhm. Well, today we’re very excited to have two esteemed colleagues with us from the liberal Arts Career Services office. Our first guest is Tatum told him she’s the director of liberal arts crew services. She’s a two time Texas X hook, um, with degrees in communication and educational psychology. And she’s got over 16 years of experience helping our cola students get jobs. Fantastic. [0:01:39 Speaker 2] And our second guest is Caitlin von Lyski. Caitlin is the assistant director of the liberal Arts Career Services, and she has two degrees in psychology from Kansas. And she has also been at UT for the last eight years doing work in career services. But last but very not Leah’s. Caitlin is a volunteer at the Austin Guinea Pig Rescue, [0:02:01 Speaker 1] Doing the Lord’s work there. Welcome. You all welcome you before we dive in. I gotta ask a quick Kansas question. Like, How often does the Wizard of Oz come up in your life like being not [0:02:12 Speaker 3] in Kansas? Like help people from Kansas? The Wizard of Oz comes up more times than not s. And when people find out I’m from Illinois, The Simpsons? [0:02:24 Speaker 1] Uh, quite a bit, too. We have our fair share of stereotypes in Texas, you know, but I feel like there’s a lot to choose from. Right there’s like the oil tycoon. There’s Dallas. There’s cowboys, but like Kansas, like you get, You get corn and Dorothy, I guess I don’t think Kansas. Yes. Uh, well, thank you all so much for being here today. You know, I know that you all do some really awesome things in cruise services. And we’re hopefully hoping today that we can kind of lift the veil of secrecy behind what happens in career services and how our students can engage with, um, the great work that you all are doing. Um, so our first question is kind of a broad one. Uh, you know, what is what is doing career service work mean to you. And you know what? Why does this work important to you? Why do you Why do you love doing this job? [0:03:14 Speaker 0] I’ll start. So this sounds so cheesy. But I really do feel like we’re, like, cheesy here. It’s okay. It z does allow us Thio buy into that hole. What starts here changes the world, and they have a small part in that. Um I think that colleges such a pivotal time for students and could make such a big difference in their lives and us helping us, helping them achieve their goals. It’s really inspiring and it’s It’s amazing to see the sorts of things that our students go on to do. We’re so proud of them. And I think that keeps me really engaged and really excited to see what’s next with our students. Uh huh, [0:03:52 Speaker 3] yeah, I I have to agree with Tatum. What’s kept me in. You know, career services in general is I love working with students young minds, like she said, it’s a pivotal time in their lives. They’re exploring all of these options, you know, from internships getting involved, Um, so many different things that they could do. And it’s it’s really cool to be able to see students grow. I have students I’ve met with from freshman year on up until after they graduate, and it’s just amazing to see how their interest change and how we can be there for them and really just help them achieve their goals. It’s a really it’s a really cool thing, and it really means a lot to me that I’m ableto be a crew coach in the college level arts. [0:04:36 Speaker 0] E think seeing their confidence go up is so exciting, you know, taking a student who doesn’t necessarily believe in themselves and then being with them along the journey and seeing them. So, like I got that internship or I, I nailed that interview or I got into law school and just really helping seeing the whole thing go down and see like what they’re able to accomplish. Um, and seeing them get their confidence back was really exciting. Absolutely [0:05:02 Speaker 2] well, liberals, Career services is probably the resource that I refer students to most whenever I meet with them in the first semester of college, and you know not all of them will go and make an appointment with blacks. But from what I’ve heard from the students that do make an appointment, they always come back and say, I got a lot out of that. I learned so much. I feel like I actually have a clear pathway. And if I don’t, I understand where to go to ask questions, and it just reminds me of This is why I refer students to this resource in the first place, because I remember how it feels to be a first semester freshman and feeling lost and very anxious about what you want to do and how to get there. And there are all these professionals on campus that are there specifically to help you figure out all of those questions? And so it’s really nice to hear when students come back from meeting with LAX, knowing that like, Oh, they came and they met with the very best that UT has to offer for career services, and they got a lot out of it. So I really appreciate you all. I know that my students really appreciate y’all, and I will absolutely be referring them to you even more often than before. [0:06:09 Speaker 0] That z incredibly sweet on. And I think you know, one of one misconception with our office is that students think they have to wait until they have everything figured out to come see us. And some people are maybe intimidated to come in and just admit, like, I have no idea what I want to do. And that’s the perfect time to come talk with us because we’re not gonna, you know, shame anybody for not knowing their plans. Yet people’s, you know, plans change all the time, and that’s fine. That’s part of colleges is growing, and, you know, changing your interest and growing your skills and so we never mind [0:06:44 Speaker 1] for today has changed, like 10 times [0:06:46 Speaker 2] exactly. But I think I think for a lot of [0:06:51 Speaker 3] students, it can be it can be a little bit intimidating coming to a new office, coming to someone and talking about opening up about what their interests are. Maybe they don’t know what those are at all, but, you know, time and time again, I have students tell me like I was really nervous coming in, But this actually was not a scary experience. It all on. And I really, you know, love all of my colleagues. I think we all are really passionate about what we do, and we’re not scary people. You know, we’re really truly excited to meet with each student. And even though it may feel a bit scary at first, come on in and Well, right now, virtually on [0:07:32 Speaker 2] and you know we’ll help you out. We’ll have a conversation for sure. So what kind of services do you offer now? Is your chance to just plug lacks into all of our listeners. [0:07:43 Speaker 0] Yeah, eso. I think our meat and potatoes sort of is the career coaching aspect, right? So that’s everything from Hey, I need ah, work. Study job. Help me find something. Thio, help me with my resume. Help me on these cover letters I’m writing. Um, mock interviews are really popular service we have where we actually pretend to be the recruiter and we take the job posting your internship posting that you’re interviewing for or you’re hoping to interview for and we craft questions based on what we think the rial interview is gonna ask you. And then we sort of simulate that environment and put you on the spot and ask you questions. Like, Tell me about yourself. What’s your greatest Because And get them that sort of Yeah, you know, practice it. And so that maybe they won’t be quite as nervous for the rial interview because they’ve had practice advocating the value of their degree and their skills. Um, with somebody one on one before the big day. That [0:08:38 Speaker 1] sounds like one of those experiences you were just talking about where you can kind of see the growth happened, right? Like, I imagine you know, a mock interview if you’ve never done a new interview at all. I mean, you walk in, like from the beginning of never having done one before toe leaving afterwards like there’s a lot of growth. I’m sure that [0:08:54 Speaker 0] has happened in that how are and sometimes that’s over. You know, multiple mock interviews where the first time we sit down the first question we ask you to tell me about yourself and they freeze up and we’re like, Okay, about what? We’ll start again and then, you know, after a couple more sessions, they can, you know, whiz through these questions easily and feel really confident. So, yeah, that’s a popular service. Our pre law adviser, Hong Escobar, is very popular. E O. You want to go to law school? She’s a lawyer herself. Our graduate admissions coaching is also popular for students. Somebody go into masters and PhD programs on Ben, of course. Recruiting, right. So employer info sessions, um, special events with employers, career fairs. So a lot of what we do relates to recruiting as well. So we really wanna help you explore, but also help you actively apply to things. And then, um, something that not everybody knows about is our professional development. In our internship courses, we actually offer several courses for credit every semester And so those, um, they kind of fall into two big categories. The internship courses allow students to get college credit for their internship experience, and then our professional development courses allow students to basically do what we do in an individual setting in a group setting. So, uh, really, like practicing those interview skills going through the exploration process with your peers and class? And so we offer those in the fall and spring semesters as well. And those are very popular, too. The [0:10:25 Speaker 1] internship classes I love, you know, you know, students whenever I’m trying to encourage students to take an internship or do an internship, you know, a lot of times like I can’t afford to not get paid to do this work. And you know the fact that you could get course credit? Uh, you know, it’s like it’s not the same is getting paid, but, you know, least you’re getting a new additional benefit of this internship besides the experience itself. And I know a lot of family members are really, uh, glad to know and learn that that exists that you know, that their students can get some course credit kind of kill two birds with one stone in their internship, [0:10:59 Speaker 0] right? And not only can they get course credit, but we do have an unpaid scholarship program for students that unpaid internships with nonprofits, especially for students that would otherwise have a difficult time affording to do unpaid internships. So and we offer that year round as well. So we encourage students to apply for that. Really, employers say that relevant experience, whether that’s a part time job or an internship, is the most important thing a student can do to prepare for the workforce. So getting that experience on your resume is gonna make a huge difference when you’re actively applying two full time jobs [0:11:34 Speaker 1] while we’re on the topic of internships. You know what are some of the challenges toe finding an internship for students that you know you kind of encountered? And what are some of the ways that they can overcome them or get around them? And what advice do you have for students on getting an internship? [0:11:50 Speaker 0] So I think, Ah, lot of people struggle to find an internship right now because many students are at home right, and you know the economy isn’t in ideal condition, however, we’ve actually had quite a few students do virtual internships. That’s really something that our employers pivoted to pretty quickly back in Mark. That’s great. So there are a lot of internships out there that students can still do from home. Um, even, you know, I grew up in a really small town, and it’s not like I could have gone home in the summer and had an internship like there were options there. So I think this is nice for our students that are maybe in locations that don’t have a lot of internship opportunities, that they could do a virtual internship. And then, of course, even those of us who are in cities now, there’s a lot of internships that it makes more sense. Toe have virtually at this point, Yeah, I think [0:12:35 Speaker 3] for a lot of students, uh, it’s it’s just coming in and figuring out where do I even start this process like, even just like the beginning off? Like I know there’s a lot of things I need to do in order to apply for an internship, but it’s overwhelming for me to even begin that, and I think, uh, coming in and talking with a coach is helpful because, you know, we can really help every single step of the way and kind of set up action steps. Realistic action steps to help students, you know, create a good resume, you know, practice writing, good cover letters on Ben. So they feel more confident and applying to internships, so it doesn’t all have to be done. And, you know, 1 30 minute appointment. Um, that’s that’s too much. We have to take it one, you know, step at a time. One trump, get a time and set realistic goals. And I think that’s one big thing I see commonly is just where do I even start this process? S [0:13:34 Speaker 2] o Do you find that a lot of your students will come back multiple sessions with the same career counselor. So there’s some kind of stability there. [0:13:43 Speaker 0] That’s what we really prefer. What tends to happen is, you know, maybe at first you’re just scheduling based on who has availability, right? That works with your schedule. But then students tend to get attached, which is exactly what we want to happen. You know, we don’t want you to feel like you know, you’re a number we want them Thio, try out different coaches, find out who they click with and then ideally stick with that same person you know, throughout their college career, so that when you come back, you know, a semester later. If we haven’t seen you in a while, I could say, Christina, how that internship go to do you love it? You know? Are you still thinking of pursuing that field or you have you decided to pivot? You know, like, where we going from here. And you don’t have to keep retelling your story. You know, when we could actually build that relationship that last a while? That’s what we hope for. That sounds awesome. [0:14:29 Speaker 1] Yeah, I like the idea of like putting together a plan to right. Like there’s like, a workout. There’s a plan for everything, right? Like if you’re gonna, like, workout and like, run a triathlon, you get a plan together, right? And getting a job should be no different. You need to have, like, steps to take and goals to accomplish on your way towards sealing the deal with an employer, right? [0:14:49 Speaker 2] Absolutely. Absolutely. Eso a lot of our listeners are first year college students and let’s say they make an appointment with you. What would that appointment first look like for the average first year college student who doesn’t really know what it is like to look for an internship or to think about a long term career? How do you get started [0:15:11 Speaker 0] with, Um, honestly, I would say the first meeting. What’s most typical is Hey, here’s my high school resume that I used to apply to college. Um, it’s three pages long because that’s what was supposed to be right. I have all these accomplishments. I was super involved in high school. Um, and now I need to turn this into the college version of my resume. So one page, you know, what do I cut? What do I keep? And then they’re usually looking for, you know, a part time job, either on campus or off campus. Or maybe they’re looking for an internship, but they’re they’re starting Thio. I think resumes get people in the door very concrete. It’s like I’m gonna work on this and then we say, Well, what do you want to do with this resume? And sometimes they’re like, Well, what do you mean? It’s like are you applying for a scholarship or you using it to apply to internships? And then we sort of targeted advice based on what their goals are. But I would say that that’s typically the first meeting is Let’s take a look at your resume, Uh, and take it from there. What would you think, Caitlyn? Yeah, I I usually [0:16:09 Speaker 3] would say it’s kind of like, [0:16:11 Speaker 2] let’s just see what [0:16:11 Speaker 3] you’ve been up, Thio. We kind of get to know the student just based on what they’ve done, maybe in high school help work with them on getting it to be more internship research, whatever they want to do next. Ready and really just asking questions about, you [0:16:25 Speaker 2] know, what are you thinking [0:16:26 Speaker 3] about? You know, this first year, you know, what are some groups that you might want to join? Um, you know, just [0:16:32 Speaker 2] trying to get [0:16:32 Speaker 3] to know them, you know, build some report eso, uh, then in our following and our subsequent um, meetings were able to help direct them to mawr. Specific resource is, um, and help guide them a little bit further. So really, just meeting them wherever they’re at. If they have no idea what their interests are. We may have a more pointed conversation about that. If they really know what those are, maybe help sifting through those and directing them to a few different opportunities they could consider. So I think it just really, really dependence. But I agree with Tatum. It’s usually the first thing is, let’s [0:17:08 Speaker 2] just take a look at your resume. Let’s see what you’ve been up. Thio. I like that very concrete. What [0:17:13 Speaker 0] you liked on your resume and what you didn’t. You know, sometimes we’ll just start talking. It’s a good like conversation started, right to look at this and be like, Okay, so you have this part time job, you know, and the summer working in a law firm. What did you think about that? Would you ever want to do that again? And sometimes that’s an easy way to cut things down on their resume. They were like, I don’t want to market myself this way. I hated this whole experience was like Maybe that’s something that we take off, right? I mean, it’s a marketing document. It’s all about what we marketing you toward, right, leaving a lot of stuff on there. That you never want to do again. E [0:17:45 Speaker 1] started a fire at that job. Let’s take that off there. Yeah, that’s a [0:17:49 Speaker 0] really common thing. People will be like, Oh, a resume. They think it’s an app. It’s like an application or you have to list your entire work history and they’re like, I have only had that job for a month, But I got to put it on there and I’m like, No, you don’t. You know, it really depends on the situation. Yeah, [0:18:06 Speaker 1] it’s your resume. You get to decide what’s on it and what’s not right taking ownership of it. So we talked about the first meeting. Like what? About like the 10th or 12th? You know, you all both kind of talked about really enjoying seeing the growth and students who are some of your like l a C success story poster Children that kind of come to mind where, like they came in like I don’t have a clue. And now you work for them or something like [0:18:33 Speaker 0] that. Well, obviously we’re not going to give out names of students, but [0:18:39 Speaker 1] yeah, you have Thio, obviously. But just, you know, demonstrate the magic that you could work for our [0:18:45 Speaker 0] students. One of the students that was in my economics to career course last spring. We actually tweeted about this Recently, we highlighted her on our social media because she just got her second internship working for an organization San Antonio, that she’s really excited about. And the reason why I was so excited about her was because she explicitly said, I will never apologize for my liberal arts degree because of the work that we did together. I when I interview with employers, I talk about the value that I can add their organization, the critical thinking skills that I’ve been developing my writing skills, my problem solving and how that can work for them instead of feeling like I need to apologize for maybe not having the degree that I’m imagining the employer wants, because most of the time the employers aren’t saying You have to me during this specific thing. They’re saying, um, you know, college degree and relevant experience or a related field right? There’s a lot of wiggle room, and there’s lots that they could do to highlight the skills that they’re developing as liberal arts majors, and we want them to be really excited about that. And really, um, able to articulate that that value to an employer straight out of the gate. [0:19:59 Speaker 3] I you know, I can think of quite a few students I have met with consistently over the years. Um, someone in particular that stands out to me. Um, I started seeing this person. I think when they’re about a sophomore, you know, they’re feeling pretty lost in terms of like what their interests were were really weren’t feeling very confident. Um, really, in a lot of aspects. And so I was able Thio meet with this person, you know, consistently up beyond, you know, their graduation where we really just you know, sometimes we talk about, you know, a resume or cover letter, just practice kind of random interview questions or just talk about the job market. Um, you know, giving this person confidence. And, you know, I recently heard from this person and they you know, they’re working full time. They’re happy. They’re applying Thio graduate school in a field completely outside of liberal arts. Maurin Tech. And it’s just really cool to see. Like that was nothing that was ever brought up, like in the earlier days of our meetings. But, you know, this person also just mentioned like thank you for helping me through those times. It was really just helpful having someone to, like, talk through things, career stuff with someone outside of my main circle, someone outside of kind of like my family and friends circle. So I think that’s Ah, that’s pretty cool. [0:21:25 Speaker 1] 2nd and 3rd opinions or powerful for [0:21:28 Speaker 2] sure, especially from someone who is their job, is to help you get thes positions and work out your career aspirations. I feel like it’s, ah lot a different type of meaningful to hear it from someone who is kind of like in a mentor position [0:21:44 Speaker 0] for you. I just had a little flashback to a student that I worked with who was really fantastic in person. Um, but I remember when she showed me her linked in profile, We’re looking at it together, and I was like, Oh, hey, this picture you chose for your profile pic is interesting. And she was like, What do you think? And I was like, Well, you just look a little angry. Maybe on and she she was like, Oh, I was going for cerebral and like a deep thinker. And I was like, Well, maybe wanna smile in your picture. And I think it was just really help. She was like I had no idea how is coming off. So I do think it’s useful this to be like we want the best for you. We have really good intentions. And also there’s a least one person who thinks you don’t look very friendly that picture. But you’re very friendly in real life. [0:22:29 Speaker 3] Yeah, I think the more we meet with them, you know, you you get to know them. It’s like, Hey, I’m gonna like Hey, you’re interviewing style. It sounds like you’ve been practicing this and like off a script like we can’t be doing that, you know, I think it’s it’s nice to be able to meet with them regularly and then be able to be fully honest because we do want the best for them. And, ah, lot of times you don’t realize some of these things that you’re doing that picture or having a script for an interview, which this person did, and I was like, We have to get rid of the script. We want to come off like a natural human eso. Yeah, it’s pretty cool to be able to have those honest conversations [0:23:10 Speaker 2] with students, for sure. So bringing it back toe earlier, what we were talking about, where a resume is more about marketing yourself and your skills, your knowledge. We were talking about that one liberal arts student who refuses to apologize for being a liberal arts student. We recently did an episode with Dean Carter on the value of a liberal arts education. And you know, there are those stereotypes that are associated with liberal arts degrees and how you’re never going to get a job or who’s gonna hire you. What do you think about that? How does it make you feel? And, um, how do you How do you think students in liberal arts have kind of gone to challenge that idea? [0:23:56 Speaker 0] So I shared a via slack with my team right before this meeting that I heard today that Dr Fauci was a classics major on. Honestly, the question that we that our students get most often is what you gonna do with that right on. And really, I get angry that so many of our students are made to feel less than in some way when I think that’s completely unnecessary. You know, liberal arts majors go on to work in a lot of different fields. And what’s nice about liberal arts is that our students have so many different interests and you don’t have to narrow those interests down. At 22 years old, you know, like it’s very likely that the job you’re gonna have in 20 years is something that hasn’t been invented yet. You know, the people that are working in data science now the people who are working is social media marketers, just lots of, you know, search engine optimization like there’s tons of examples [0:24:53 Speaker 1] like What job could I have? I mean, what should I have studied to have a job in social media? And when I was in college, like, who knows? Because it didn’t exist. [0:25:01 Speaker 0] E yeah, it makes me angry to think that our students are are somehow buying into that because they’re so capable. They’re so smart, they do so many great things, and I’m just I’m I refuse to buy into that narrative that they’re not gonna be able to go out there and change the world because I’ve seen them do it, you know, for for 15 years, and I’m going to continue to see them do that. So I’m really proud of them and I want them to be proud of themselves. [0:25:26 Speaker 3] Agreed. And this this conversation comes up. You know, I think like Tatum said, it’s like, Well, [0:25:31 Speaker 2] what are you going to do with [0:25:32 Speaker 3] that? And I think a lot of the like, Oh, well, you know, I think a lot of it is Is liberal arts isn’t career direct and that, like, scares people and it’s like, Well, what are you going to do with that? It’s like, Well, I could do so many things and so that’s kind of the beauty and the beast of the liberal arts, But I think that confuses people. The rumor mill gets going, you’re not gonna be able to get hired. And that’s absolutely not true. Your major does not define you know what? What? You can dio you know an employer isn’t looking like Oh, you were, you know, a classics major philosophy, major. They’re gonna look at you know the broader groupings. What did you do for internships? What were you doing on campus. Why are you passionate about the things you’re passionate about? And so I think that’s something we really try, toe, You know, if that even comes up in an appointment, is, you know, instilling confidence, and you’re doing what you are passionate about. And this is marketable. Um, you know, [0:26:28 Speaker 0] transferrable skills they’re developing. You know, those critical thinking skills, the problem solving the writing skills, the systems thinking they can apply those just so many settings. Yeah. So we really want them. Thio embrace that [0:26:41 Speaker 1] writing is a good one. Like there’s no job that exists where you won’t have to write something like, even if it’s just emails to your boss, right? Like you gotta be good at writing. [0:26:51 Speaker 2] Exactly. And I really feel like, especially at a university like U T. Where you could be any major but also be a part of any type of student or Gore do any type of job or research or any activity. Really, it’s really more about the activities that these students are immersing themselves in and the skills that they get from those activities and less so much of your major. I feel like because when I got to U T At first I was just like, Well, if I’m an international relations major, then everything I do can Onley be about international relations. And I didn’t know that there are all these other opportunities that I could use my ire g knowledge to be good at. You know, I think that definitely sending students to meet with a career counselor could help them realize how many transferrable skills that they have and things that they can work on in different ways outside of their major. [0:27:48 Speaker 0] Agreed. And you know, those group projects that you’re doing in class, the group projects that they’re doing and student organizations. Um, those were definitely building skills that you’re gonna use because it’s very unlikely that you’re gonna Onley be an individual contributor. You know, in your full time job you’re going, you’re going to be doing group projects with your colleagues and your co workers. And that’s a very practical skill that they could be developing, you know, through volunteer work through student organizations through their academic projects, too. [0:28:16 Speaker 3] For sure, [0:28:18 Speaker 1] we’ve we’ve talked a little bit about it, like sprinkled in here and there, like the employee, the employer perspective So you know, what [0:28:24 Speaker 2] do [0:28:24 Speaker 1] employers tell you about liberal arts students and why they like to hire them and why? You know, they are coming to liberal arts crew services with whatever job opportunities that they have, because they want our students to work for them. [0:28:39 Speaker 0] They say that our students are well rounded, that they’ve got a really strong foundation in terms of the like having broad based knowledge but also being experts in specific areas, you know, so something like health and society, you know, having the writing skills in critical thinking skills, but also knowing a lot about something specific, like, you know, health care disparities, right? So I think that there’s some research related Thio. Then they say, it’s like a T shaped. I think Phil Gardner came up with this term, and it’s essentially that our students are, um they’re getting broad based knowledge. But then they’re also developing expertise in a couple of specific areas related to their major. So that could be something like I r G. That could be something like our new you know, health care system. There’s lots of different. I think there’s just lots of different ways that they can apply their liberal arts degree. And what employers tend to tell us is that they like our students enthusiasm. Our students are really bright. They’re ready to hit the ground, running any kind of technical skills that they don’t know yet. They can learn quickly. I really feel like that learn ability is important, right? So if there’s something that you see in a job posting that you don’t mean 100% of the qualifications for because of something technical, you can pick up that technical skill, right? And so encouraging our students to do that. And employers tell us that our students tend to move up the ranks quickly because they do have that emotional intelligence of understanding how to work in a team. Those project management skills, um, you know, taking ownership of something and like showing responsibility and initiative. I think those are all good things that a lot of our liberal arts students bring to the table, [0:30:19 Speaker 3] definitely, and staying with, like adaptability and flexibility, which are some of the most sought after. I [0:30:26 Speaker 1] don’t know why that would be important. Right now we’re [0:30:30 Speaker 3] important. Yeah, I mean, we don’t hear from employers like I don’t want to hire a liberal arts major that that doesn’t come up. But I think that’s something that maybe does go around the rumor mill that, like you, are going to be shamed for this, which is totally not true. Employers Air Excited to higher liberal arts students [0:30:51 Speaker 2] I remember going to those liberal arts career fairs and seeing all different types of employers not just, you know, government jobs and education jobs. I remember seeing everything from tech companies Thio more like pharmaceutical type Cos. Sales based companies and big corporations. And so it was kind of shocking because I really, for some reason did think that it was like If you’re gonna do liberal arts, it is law school work. The government work for a nonprofit going to teaching. That’s all you can dio and went to that career fair. I realized I was so wrong. [0:31:22 Speaker 0] Yeah, we’ve actually, um, there we have a ton of corporate employers. That’s Ah, lot of people think they have to major in business toe work in business, and that’s completely untrue. We have so many students that go into sales, they go into marketing eso really there’s a lot that they could do within the corporate sector with their liberal arts degree for sure for sure. [0:31:43 Speaker 1] What? We’re getting close to being out of time, but is there anything else about the amazing work that you all do and crew services that you feel like we didn’t touch on that? People just need to know about. [0:31:55 Speaker 0] Honestly, I would just say that that we really, truly care about students and to come see us whenever you can, because there’s no limit to the number of sessions you can have. You they have free access toe graduate. Yeah, a whole year, one year grace period after they finish school. So, you know, come see us as often as you need to. We’re excited, Thio, establish a relationship with you and to be there when you need support. Um, and that’s all that I would really say is just that you’re much more than your resume. We’re excited to help you with your resume, but we certainly didn’t go into the field because we love resumes. We went into the field way. That’s really what we want to dio [0:32:34 Speaker 1] So true. P s a were not resume nerds. Well, thank you all so much for taking the time to come talk with us today. This has been super great, and hopefully our listeners will be walking through your virtual doors any minute [0:32:51 Speaker 2] now. Absolutely. It’s an assignment in Jr and Eyes classes. They will be coming. That’s [0:32:59 Speaker 0] great. That’s great to get through the door and then to keep that going once they see how nice and friendly and unintended exactly [0:33:06 Speaker 1] early and go often. Well, [0:33:09 Speaker 2] thank you so much. Tatum and Caitlin. It was really nice to talk with you all. And honestly, I got a lot of information out of this. Did not know that it was available to graduates with a one year grace period. Because that’s me. And I’m also coming. [0:33:22 Speaker 1] E need to set up an appointment as soon as this e Thank you. [0:33:33 Speaker 2] Thank you. Well, that was a really great conversation. I really just want to bring up that one thing that Tatum and Kate lit we’re talking about that made me really excited. Is you should never, ever apologize for E I Yes. Yeah. Never apologize. Unapologetically liberal arts. I just I have never had an interview even with, you know, a corporation or a big business type of internship where they looked down on my liberal arts major. I was always able to talk about the positives of it, and they were always very onboard. So whatever stereotype it is that you hear that companies don’t want to hire liberal arts students, it’s just completely fake news. It is McCombs propaganda, and [0:34:20 Speaker 1] I really appreciate the work that they’re doing over there. I had never really thought about like they get a front row seat to that like what starts here changes the world, right? Like we’re like starting the things and some of the work that we’re doing. But they’re like, on the go change the world side of things like, Oh, uh, go solve healthcare problems like go solve social justice issues. And, you know, they get toe bear witness to that in a way that I don’t know that necessarily that you and I get to. [0:34:49 Speaker 2] Yeah, I was also very excited to hear that they take appointments with students at I’m looking for a career path. Yeah, no limit. You can go whenever you want, and it’s free. Always even go as many times as you want and I think that’s really awesome, because I feel like a lot of times when students are afraid to go get career counseling. It’s one of two reasons it’s one like I don’t know what I’m doing and two is I don’t want anybody to think that I am, um, not smart or not capable. Yeah, and it seems like a human Tatum are completely the opposite of both of those statements. You know, they will help you. If you have no idea what you’re doing. They will help you, even if you don’t even have an inkling of what your interests are. And they will also help you. If you’re in the final round interviews for grad school, it seems like wherever it is that you are on your journey, you have a place at you. Tease. Liberalized career. Sometimes think about really in like [0:35:48 Speaker 1] personal taxes, right? Like that’s not something that’s really taught a lot. You know, it should be a class in high school. It’s not. And, you know, I think the same thing about job searching, right, like nobody really kind of teaches. You had a job search like it’s doing a resume. Maybe it was an assignment in your high school. It’s not anything that anybody ever made me do other than my mom when she was like, Hey, go get a job. So I like that There’s someplace formal here on campus where you can get expert advice on how to get a job, right? Like not a lot of first year students that I know of no how to get a job in corporate America. Not unless seniors that I know I know how to get a job in corporate America. But the folks crew services like it’s their job to help you get a job. So, um, go see them, they’ll get you, get you hired? [0:36:39 Speaker 2] Absolutely. But yes, it was a great episode. And we’re so excited that you all are here to listen. Thio here. [0:36:50 Speaker 1] Well, that’s all the time we have for today on the sounds of success. My name is Phil Butler. [0:36:54 Speaker 2] I’m Christina Buoy, [0:36:55 Speaker 1] and we hope that all of your future endeavors are a success. Yeah