Career Success

In the present economic environment, you may be wondering what it will take to land the job of your dreams -- or at least a job on the road to that dream. We hear in the news every day that the unemployment rate is hovering around 10 percent. That number sounds pretty daunting, doesn't it? But if you turn it around, you'll see it from a very different perspective: ninety percent of Americans in their working years are employed. That makes the situation seem much less dire, doesn't it?

I have dedicated this blog to students and alumni that are making important career choices because I believe that it is critical to map out your own future. At Berkeley College, you have most likely invested time in learning the particular skills that are necessary for success in your chosen profession. Everything you do is in preparation for your career. That is why it is very important to take advantage of opportunities to expand your world, try something new, explore a new interest, and serve your community. It is why we believe that community service and real work experience are vital components of a Berkeley College education.

If you aspire to be among the 90 percent of Americans who are working today despite the difficult economy, it is important that you continually expand the skill set you can bring to the workplace and the experience you can offer a potential employer.

Summer jobs, volunteer service, extracurricular activities in high school and college -- all these experiences help to expand your knowledge base and increase your self-confidence. Rapid advances in technology have shown us that the ability to learn is far more valuable than the perfection of a single skill.

Appearing for your first professional interview can make the most qualified applicant among us a little nervous. The antidote to those interview jitters is twofold: remember that you have met many challenges in your life already, and you will undoubtedly meet this one, too.

And, remember to prepare well in advance. When an employer asks, "Tell me about yourself," what will you say? What skills will you draw on to persuade the interviewer that you are the person for the job? How will you relate the work you have already done, whether paid or volunteer, to the work you are applying to do? What experiences have you had that are similar?

The more you experience and the more you explore the world around you -- through part-time work, volunteering, hobbies or athletic activities, the clearer your career path will be. With each successful endeavor, you have traveled a little further on the journey to success.

Another important idea to keep in mind is that every person you meet can be a source of wisdom and advice. Ask your supervisors how they chose their careers and how they progressed to positions of responsibility. Most importantly, find a mentor: a teacher, a co-worker, an employer, a professional in the field to which you aspire, someone who is willing to guide you as you gain your footing in a new venture. Drawing on the wisdom of someone who has walked in your shoes may save you from making unnecessary mistakes and help you in your quest for success.

I know that our students, staff and administration in the Berkeley community have much to share on the subject of career success.

How did you get your first job?
What lessons did you learn?
How did you find your chosen career?
What advice do you have for those of us who are just beginning our career search?

Please respond to my blog with stories of your own. By sharing with others it can only help us to know ourselves and to clarify our own goals that much better.

I look forward to hearing from you! I would recommend that you drop by the Career Services Office on campus or look at Berkeley’s CareerZone on our website. Also, click on the link for the Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/ and the U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.dol.gov/ for information about the job market.

Cordially,
Dario A. Cortes, PhD
President

Vacation

How did you spend your summer weekends and vacations? Did you travel to Cancun to relax in the surf and sand or visit Jones Beach, Rockaway Beach or the Jersey Shore for a day visit? Did you rough it and go camping in the local park or pitch a tent in your backyard? Did you journey to faraway places to experience new cultures and mystical landscapes or discover these places in the chapters of a book?

In these economic times, individuals are redefining vacations and uncovering ways to learn something new and relax. Your “stay vacation” may have included a picnic in Central Park, a barbecue in a state park, or just staying home and relaxing in your own backyard.

Vacations that include travel have the power to show us what we -- and the world -- are made of. And in these complicated times, we, too, must broaden our understanding of the world if we are to be effective in our personal and professional lives.

Although I have enjoyed traveling to faraway places, I stayed close to home this summer. I had a great time exploring and enjoying the beautiful Long Island beaches and the surrounding communities. I spent time with family and friends, worked in my garden, grilled on the barbecue, relaxed and caught up with my summer reading.

When we move beyond familiar surroundings, we awaken our senses and we challenge our intellects. Whether we’re stepping into the sophistication of a Paris café or climbing a mountain path in Peru, enjoying the vistas of the Grand Canyon, enjoying a music festival in our neighborhood park or walking the boardwalk at our local beach - fresh sights, sounds, tastes and smells await us at every turn.

As we interact with people who may look, speak and behave far differently than we do, we begin to respect our common humanity.

These experiences also help us to see our own surroundings with new eyes. We can certainly take advantage of a multitude of opportunities to step out of the familiar and broaden our understanding of this diverse place called planet Earth.

I look forward to hearing about the adventures that you experienced this summer by adding your comments below. As we prepare for the beginning of the Fall Quarter, we will have fond memories of the Summer of 2010.

Cordially,
Dario A. Cortes, PhD
President

Summer Reading

July 2010

Among the opportunities that summer often brings is the chance to open a book (or power up an e-book) and catch up on our reading. For me, reading has been a lifelong pleasure, one that has enriched every stage of my life, from my earliest years in elementary school to my present role as president of Berkeley College.

Reading has helped to explain mysteries, to expand my knowledge of critical subjects and to broaden my understanding of our ever-changing world. It has demonstrated to me that no matter how much we read in connection with our formal classroom instruction, there is always much more to learn about virtually any subject on the face of the earth.

In such a rapidly changing environment, reading helps us stay abreast of the latest innovations. It offers the opportunity to hear from the experts in particular fields; and to consider fresh perspectives, while in the process, fully examining our own.

In virtually every career field, advances in theory and practice are being developed every day. What we knew yesterday is often not what we will need to know tomorrow. Reading can help us bridge that divide.

Time spent in reading keeps our brains at their peak as well. So while I’m enjoying the many outdoor activities that summer offers, I will also set aside time to read.

As you can see below, my personal summer reading list reflects my interest in Latin American literature, history, sports, leadership, technology, globalization and the environment. Having these choices at hand means that I can take advantage of the free hours that summer brings in a way that will stay with me when the winter inevitably returns.

Whether it’s a day at the beach, a weekend getaway or that long-awaited annual vacation, a book makes a great companion for the journey.

Let me know what books you’re recommending this summer by posting a comment below– or join me in reading one of the choices on my own “to-read” list for Summer 2010:

Making the Move to E Learning: Putting Your Course Online; Kay Lehmann and Lisa Chamberlin

The Stories of Eva Luna, By Chilean writer Isabel Allende

Leaders in the Crossroads: Success and Failure in the College Presidency, by Stephen J. Nelson

For-Profit Colleges and Universities: Their Markets, Regulations, Performance, and Place in Higher Education; Guilbert C. Hentschke, Vicente M. Lechuga, William G. Tierney, and Marc Tucker

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

Blood and Faith: The Purging of Muslin Spain, by Matthew Carr

The World is Flat: A brief History of the 21st. Century by Thomas L. Freidman

Hot, Flat and Crowded: why we need a Green Revolution - and How it Can Renew America, by Thomas L. Freidman

How Soccer Explains the World: An unlikely theory of globalization, by Franklin Foer

I hope you’ll share some of your summer reading choices by posting a comment below.

Enjoy the summer!

Dario A. Cortes, PhD
President