After walking across the stage during commencement at Mahaffey Theater, two recent graduates found something a majority of their cohort will not—jobs.
Both were serious students, but they don’t credit their unlikely success to the classroom. Instead, involvement, networking and being prepared when opportunity arrived were the keys to transitioning from an academic track to a career path, they said.
Brittany Lyp was the Spring 2012 Outstanding Graduate, earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy with a 3.7 GPA and boasts an impressive list of extracurricular accomplishments. While taking a full course load and graduating within four years, she also worked 25 to 30 hours per week at a UPS store in Palm Harbor.
Through a personal connection made with a customer at the store, she attained a job with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of the dolphin movie star Winter. Lyp’s job consists of supervising attractions, sharing her scientific knowledge with guests and even supervising Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure.
For Lyp, her job at the UPS store may not have been ideal, but the connections she made there help land a job that utilized her degree.
“Networking is extremely important,” Lyp said. “I am so thankful to have the networking contacts I have today and grateful for the volunteers and staff that spent time to get to know me.”
While working at the aquarium, Lyp also interacts with guests and teaches them about marine biology. With the aquarium continuing to expand, there are more opportunities for Lyp to expand her knowledge of marine life and ecosystems, she said. She also plans to attend graduate school next year.
“I enjoy interacting with the public and having the ability to use my science knowledge, speaking abilities and leadership skills to educate guests about the aquarium, the organization’s mission and marine life. It makes me feel very accomplished,” Lyp said.
Unlike some graduates before them, students now are finding out that a degree doesn’t necessarily mean a golden ticket for a good job. An analysis of U.S. Census and the Department of Labor data by the Associated Press in April showed that 53.6 percent of degree-holders under 25 are unemployed or underemployed.
Graduates of technical, professional or skills-based programs are more likely to find gainful employment on the strength of their degree. For students of the liberal arts and social sciences, earning relevant experience while in college seems to be the key to avoiding a long-term layover in the service industry.
Cory Hebert came into college with a plan for his eventual political science degree. “My goals were to get the best grades and learn the most I can so I will be able to apply those experiences and knowledge in the real world,” he said.
While in college, Hebert experienced firsthand the highs and lows of political life. His passion for politics developed in high school and continued his involvement as a member Student Government and the Residence Hall Association.
Hebert’s term as a student politician ended suddenly when he was removed from the Senate presidency by his peers at the start of the fall 2011 semester, a move several senators later regretted.
Despite this setback, Hebert continued to foster the experiences and relationships that would ultimately lead to a job with a political campaign. In 2010, he worked as an intern for the Allen West (R-Fla. 22) campaign, gaining crucial experience for his current job. His connections in college organizations and internships at other campaigns led to his success, Hebert said.
Now as a field director for West’s 2012 campaign, Hebert coordinates local efforts and is involved with voter outreach. His job involves overseeing volunteers who make phone calls and knock on doors to get the word out about his candidate.
Once he is finished helping with the campaign in November, Hebert hopes to land a job working on Capitol Hill and one day to work in the White House.
To promote her upcoming book, 101 Things They Don’t Teach You About the Corporate World, Andrea Wilbur, a former ExxonMobil human resources employee, provided 10 tips for recent grads seeking jobs. Among them, overcome the fear of networking, take internships, join job-related organizations and be willing to take less-than-ideal work that can lead to better things.
Photo by Christopher Guinn
Glad to hear hard work is rewarded, Great article Chelsea