Today, I am introducing a new regular feature on Higher Ed Career Coach. The “Who-Do Review” will profile people, websites and resources that are changing the way higher education works. This new feature grew from my series “How to Tell a Who-Do from a Guru,” which explores the differences between those we think of (or who call themselves) “gurus” versus those who are out there, doing the things they are passionate about, and trying to change the world.
Jeff Jackson and his regular contributors over at BreakDrink (Gary Ballinger, Julie Larsen, and Adrianne Dahms, among others) epitomize the groundbreaking spirit of the Who-Do, and so I’m glad to feature them in my first “Who-Do” Review. I’ll take nominations from here on out and try to feature one “Who-Do” each month. At the end of each year, we’ll choose a “Who-Do” of the Year.
Yes, I am making this up as I go along. But it’s a great idea, and I’d like readers to help me find future nominees, choose people and efforts to feature, and create a process for choosing the “Who-Do” of the Year.
But before we get started with that, there is a way you can help recognize the good work people over at BreakDrink are doing. They are conducting a fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo to support their efforts to offer future conferences and to produce podcasts on various topics of interest to higher ed professionals.
Please visit their campaign by clicking on the widget below, and make a donation. Then, come back here, comment on why you supported the campaign, and give me some suggestions for future people to feature, and any ideas you have about how to create a process for choosing the “Who-Do” of the Year.
In our era of budget cuts, travel freezes and furloughs, it’s challenging to innovate, create new programs, keep our departments adequately staffed, and offer professional development funding opportunities, like conferences and training. Innovation is key to survival, not only in individual careers, but in our field as a whole. On this Friday’s edition of the Higher Ed Career Coach Show, I’ll be talking with Jeff Jackson and others about BreakDrink.Com. We’ll talk about BreakDrink’s upcoming conferences, their expanding lineup of podcasts, and their IndieGoGo Fundraising Campaign. We’ll also be taking calls on this topic, BreakDrink, and suggestions for future people and programs to profile as a part of the “Who-Do” Review series.
Higher Ed Career Coach Sean Cook delivers a brief introduction to his “8 Weeks to August” Career Coaching Program and his professional and personal motivations for offering it.
Registration for My “8 Weeks to August” program
closes today (Friday, June 10, 2010).
If you are still seeking a job in higher education,
you still have a chance to register at
I will not be extending the registration period past today (Friday). It will automatically close at midnight, or when the registration cap (20 participants) is reached.Why? Because I want to get started, and those who have already registered probably would, too.
As mentioned in the video, please do not let financial concerns determine whether you join this program. If you want to be a part of this inaugural program, just sign up! If you can pay some part now, that’s cool. We’ll figure out the rest later. I’m also offering a money-back guarantee if the program doesn’t work for you, so the money part is neither here nor there to me. Let’s just make this an engaging, interactive, fun, informative and useful experience for all who participate. The rest will fall into place as it should.
So go ahead and register, and let’s get you back in the hunt, and on to a new job this fall!
Sean Cook, M.Ed., Certified Life Purpose & Career Coach, Publisher & Lead Writer
Sean Cook is a Life Purpose and Career Coach who specializes in working with job seekers in higher education. Prior to becoming a Certified Coach through the Life Purpose Institute, Cook earned his M.Ed. from Clemson University, and spent over 15 years working as a student affairs professional.
You can listen to Sean every Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern on His Higher Ed Career Coach Show on BlogTalkRadio.Com.
Today, we’ll be discussing more about the art and practice of the “elevator pitch,” as well as exploring essential interview skills for today’s job seekers. Listeners are also welcome to call in their questions and comments to (347) 989-0055, or by clicking on the Skype “click to talk” logo at the page for today’s episode.
Hey readers, it’s been awhile! My last #JobHunt entry was about re-entering the job search:handling the rejection of round one and keeping your spirits up for round two. I am happy to say that this is the last blog I will ever write that can be tagged with “#JobHunt,” as I have officially accepted my first full-time position!
I feel like I need to quote the Grateful Dead here – “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” What started last January with the first postings showing up on the OPE and TPE websites has finally ended in early June with a job offer and an acceptance.
And I couldn’t be happier. I found a position that, although it’s not in my top choice for geographic area, is probably a better fit for me than anything I applied for in round one. It just took me five months of interviews, rejections, campus visits, phone calls, parking lot pep talks, and intense one-on-one time with HigherEdJobs to realize what I was looking for and how to get it.
I found a position that is half Residence Life and half Student Activities, which is perfect for my already varied background in Student Affairs. I get to work with a variety of students in a lot of different ways. I’ve met some of my future coworkers, and that was a major part of my thought process when making the decision: Could I see myself hanging out with these people? That’s very important to me when I realize I’ll be moving over 1000 miles away from home.
My biggest piece of advice to those who will be job hunting next year:Use your resources! There are so many people in the field willing to help out, by looking over a resume, sharing a job posting, helping your formulate answers to common questions, and sending you funny text messages when you visit campuses to keep you calm. Not just professionals – some of your biggest support will come from other grad students who are also out searching. You’re all in the same boat, and it’s nice to know you’re not out in the job search sea alone! Plus, the thought of sharing a high-five when you all connect at a conference is a great motivator.
(And if you ever get the chance to blog about your experiences – whether for a website or just for yourself – do it! It’s a nice way to think through a lot of things related to the job search, without having to actually search.)
I talked a lot in my first entry about finding the perfect job, but that even working on a tropical island means having to deal with some jellyfish. I know there will probably be some jellyfish to deal with in my first year, but I’m looking forward to getting started in my new position. There’s a lot to learn, and I’m excited to take all my knowledge and experience from grad school and see how it works in the real world. It may not be a tropical paradise, but I’m looking forward to a lot of sunny days!
Though this is my last entry in the #JobHunt series, don’t rule out me returning now and then to blog about my first year as a professional in the field. I’m sure there are many more stories, revelations, and interesting tales to come. To everyone who has followed along my job search from the beginning – thank you! I really couldn’t have done it without all the kind words and supportive messages! Thank you!
Shannon Healy
Shannon Healy is a new student affairs professional.
(Editor’s note: I’d say more, but she forgot to tell me where! But you will definitely hear more from her in the future, as I do hope to have her blog about her first year as a professional. In the meantime, I am sure she’ll eventually tell her vast Twitter following. Or maybe she could just post a comment below.)
Everyone knows that the perfect place to make career connections is the elevator. So it occurred to me that the topic might be a great one to explore on the next HigherEdCareerCoach BlogTalkRadio show.
Then Mike Severy, who was a guest on the show last week, had to go and reinforce this idea, when his tweet about an article on Inc. Magazine about the topic:
So this is what we’ll talk about this Friday. (I’m adding the topic of interview skills because I think it is relevant. We’ll give feedback about that, too.)
But I’m hoping to do even more.
They say that practice makes perfect. Well, here’s the time for you to practice. Call in to the show and introduce yourself. Deliver your elevator speech. Get feedback from me, the co-hosts and maybe even the audience.
We’ll also corner callers into answering some questions in a “mini-mock interview,” and give feedback about that.
I hope you will join us and consider calling in (to get or give advice and comments.) When the show is on live, you can call in to (347) 989-0055 or go to the show page and click on the Skype Click-to-Talk button (Blue “S” logo above the show summary.)
Please listen and call in. Your engagement could be really helpful to job seekers.
Using RSS feeds to keep up with vacancy postings during your job search with Eric Stoller, an academic advisor at Oregon State University, who also shares his thoughts on higher education, technology, and social justice issues at EricStoller.com and consults with institutions in higher education about technology issues.
From my Google Reader: Higher Ed News and Views, plus other interesting articles on social media, education, etc.
Cook Coaching Programs and Services: Information on my 8 weeks to August Career Coaching Program for student affairs professionals finding themselves “stuck” in their job search; Accidentally on Purpose sideshow, with Sean Cook and Monica Moody; upcoming workshops for high school students transitioning to college, parents hoping to avoid the “helicopter parent phenomenon,” and more.
Call-Ins: Please listen in to the show and call in your questions and comments to (347) 989-0055 or send them via twitter to @hiedcareercoach. I’ll be asking for comments at various points, especially between 3:15 pm and 3:45 pm when talking with Eric Stoller, but callers are welcome to comment on or ask questions about anything we cover, or other issues in higher education.
Work with Sean. I help higher ed professionals take control of their careers with tailored services including resume and CV development, LinkedIn profile optimization and networking strategy, interview coaching, and one-on-one career guidance.
