Celebrate Strengths

At the University of Mobile, we want students to Know and Be Known. College is a time to not only gain knowledge in the selected field a student chooses, but also to learn more about oneself; to discover the gifts and talents from the Lord.

To help students discover their gifts and talents, all UM freshmen, when they take our Freshman Seminar class, take the CliftonStrengths Test.

The CliftonStrengths Test identifies 34 of the most common human talents that are used to describe an individual, pointing to his or her greatest potential.  CliftonStrengths is a psychometric assessment or a scientific tool that measures cognitive formation and function. To put simply, this test is meant to help students learn more about who they really are and how they can use these strengths to fulfill their calling.

This test was originally developed by Dr. Donald Clifton in 1999 from the perspective of Positive Psychology to help people focus on what they do best. Based on a 40-year study of human strengths, Gallup created a language of the 34 most common talents and developed the CliftonStrengths assessment to help people discover and describe these talents. Some examples of Talents/Strengths are Achiever, Connectedness, Discipline, Intellection, Strategic.

We are celebrating these Strengths because it is used to aid students, faculty, and staff in their forward-moving career development during their time at UM.

This year, UM’s Celebrate Strengths program is highlighting the achievements of our student workers. Colleges and universities across the country receive Department of Education funds to build work-study jobs for eligible students. UM work-study supervisors were asked to recommend a student worker from their department that actively utilizes their Strengths on a day-to-day basis. In addition, they were asked to identify and provide a short description of the specific Strength/Strengths that the student was using.

We are happy to announce that the following students were recommended by their work-study supervisors:

  1. Ayeshia Abraham
    1. Recognized Strengths: Consistency and Discipline
    2. Department: Financial Aid
  2. Abby Waldrep
    1. Recognized Strengths: Discipline & Individualization
    2. Department: Student Life
  3. John Mark Butler
    1. Recognized Strengths: Woo and Communication
    2. Department: Student Success
Pictured from Left to Right: Lawrencine Mason, Abby Waldrep, Charity Wittner, Ayeshia Abraham
Pictured from Left to Right: Lawrencine Mason, John Mark Butler

If you would like more information about Strengths at the University of Mobile, please contact Lawrencine Mason, Career Services Coordinator at lmason@umobile.edu.

Career Resolutions for UM Students

With the new year 2021 upon us, it is customary for us to make New Year’s resolutions. I believe resolutions can be good because it causes us to look to the new year with hope and an anticipation that the new year will be better than the last one. For current college students, this is the year to focus on preparing yourself for your career after graduation. For many college graduates, with fall commencement behind you, you have been or will be looking for your first job after college. To help you along, I suggest the following new year career goals for University of Mobile students and graduates:

  1. Attend career and Handshake workshops on campus
  2. Update your resume, other career documents, and your Handshake profile
  3. Have a professional headshot made of yourself
  4. Schedule an appointment with the career coordinator through Handshake
  5. Register for Campus Career & Grad School Fair when it opens and schedule group and individual sessions with companies that interest you based on your career preference and major

I also recommend the following books for career and professional development for millennials and generation Z:

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2021: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success by Richard N. Bolles and Katharine Brooks EdD

This is a classic that continues to get yearly revisions and is the first book college students should read if they’re looking to start a career. “Parachute” offers tips on how to find a job, which careers are hot right now, and how to discover your passion and values.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

I commend you if you know what you want to do professionally, but do you really know what your true strengths are? This assessment was offered in your Freshman Seminar class and this career development book can help you better understand the strengths you possess.

Now is the time for action! Make 2021 the year you turn your resolutions into realities!

 

To The May 2020 Graduate Looking For a Career

Searching for your first job after graduation from college can be difficult or tricky. Then try scrambling for any kind of paid opportunity after the job or internship you previously landed has fallen through – and a pandemic has set in. All while 22 million workers are filing for unemployment. This may seem hopeless, if not impossible. And students everywhere on the verge of graduation are plagued (no pun intended) with the same cares, concerns and questions as you are.

To the University of Mobile Class of 2020, know this: Your University of Mobile family is here for you.

Here are some words of advice:

Accept that everything changes.  |  As you begin a career, you are going to have to be okay with change. Trust the God who called you to that professional career. And know that you will eventually get there! My new word during this transition period is “pivot.” In other words, think about the skills you have learned and how you can use them in a different job or industry altogether.

 

Be adaptable.  |  Give yourself time to adjust. Lean on your professors and your school’s support services. Focus on gaining new skills. Make your job search personal, and network. While you are skill building, include critical thinking, leadership, decision making, research skills, design skills, and information management, regardless of your field or discipline. Your University of Mobile experience has prepared you to stand out in these areas that employers want.

 

Rethink your strategy.  |  Network, network, network, with family, friends and faculty about their acquaintances that would be a good candidate for a remote informational interview. Once that person has been identified, learn about them online, connect with them, become acquainted, then ask to schedule a remote informational interview because you would like to hear their story. Everyone has something of value to offer you; it is just a matter of finding out if they can help open a door to an opportunity you want. When you show a genuine interest in a person, that person will remember you down the road when new opportunities open up.

 

Use your resources.  |  For example, the University of Mobile has partnered with Handshake, an entry-level job and internship platform, to connect our graduating seniors with opportunities here and abroad. Plus, UM’s Student Success Center offers help with resume writing and many career services for graduates and current students.

 

Finally, remember there is no such thing as a perfect plan.  |  Robert Burns said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry…”  That may be true, but we serve a God who honors honest hard work and careful planning. Think about what jobs you can do with the skills you have now and what industries are thriving that you can immediately take advantage of to earn money. While no industry is completely recession-proof, there are current bright outlooks for industries such as biotechnology, communications, consumer products, logistics and medical supplies. I believe they will continue to hire in the days, weeks and months to come.

We are currently in a pandemic that none of us are familiar with. All of us are in new territory for which none of us has been rated. At the University of Mobile, you have administrators that are constantly working on your behalf; faculty that care about you, want you to do your best, and desire to see you succeed in your career of choice; and various departments that offer expert services that can and do meet students’ needs every day.

Keep the faith! I am expecting great things from you.

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