1 00:00:01,270 --> 00:00:03,999 Welcome to Digication Scholars Conversations. 2 00:00:04,230 --> 00:00:06,120 I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll. 3 00:00:06,310 --> 00:00:10,959 In this episode, you'll hear part two of my conversation with Christa Matlack, 4 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:14,010 career coach STEM at Bucknell University. 5 00:00:14,619 --> 00:00:19,709 More links and information about today's conversation can be found on Digication's 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,210 Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 7 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,459 Full episodes of Digication Scholars Conversations can be found on 8 00:00:26,470 --> 00:00:29,240 YouTube or your favorite podcast app. 9 00:00:30,515 --> 00:00:36,155 I was curious if there are some elements, you know, in how the ePortfolios are 10 00:00:36,165 --> 00:00:42,865 being introduced or maybe even how some of the content is being framed 11 00:00:42,885 --> 00:00:50,644 by the students that's specific to STEM experiences or communicating who 12 00:00:50,644 --> 00:00:56,124 they are and the skills that they've gained specifically towards STEM. 13 00:00:56,324 --> 00:01:00,585 Um, could you share if, you know, I, I don't know if it is or if it's more 14 00:01:00,585 --> 00:01:05,415 broad what that might look like for those that are, are thinking about it. 15 00:01:06,205 --> 00:01:06,625 Yeah. 16 00:01:06,664 --> 00:01:09,255 So right now it's just very broad. 17 00:01:09,455 --> 00:01:12,945 Um, so the, the career course one and the my career journey 18 00:01:12,955 --> 00:01:14,934 is geared towards a very broad. 19 00:01:15,370 --> 00:01:21,270 Overarching, um, Career Readiness Concepts, but I have been working on 20 00:01:21,550 --> 00:01:24,890 more industry specific, um, templates. 21 00:01:24,929 --> 00:01:26,920 I just haven't been able to finish them. 22 00:01:27,290 --> 00:01:31,790 Um, so there is one that's geared towards more of, let's, okay, now 23 00:01:31,790 --> 00:01:34,784 let's explore the STEM industry because this is where we want to. 24 00:01:34,945 --> 00:01:39,005 To focus our time and so I have a rough draft of something put together, 25 00:01:39,005 --> 00:01:43,054 but then it's figuring out how do we incorporate this and how do we get it out 26 00:01:43,054 --> 00:01:44,845 to students and get students using it. 27 00:01:45,704 --> 00:01:50,014 But it does link in a little bit more of our STEM career community resources 28 00:01:50,024 --> 00:01:51,854 that we're developing in our office. 29 00:01:52,289 --> 00:01:57,720 To help them explore specific science, technology, engineering, 30 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,460 and math, um, career paths. 31 00:02:00,869 --> 00:02:04,969 And then it, it still then starts, okay, if we picked these three 32 00:02:04,970 --> 00:02:09,669 different types of jobs, you know, starting to envision a five year plan 33 00:02:09,679 --> 00:02:13,320 of if I do this, what do I have to do in the next five years to get there? 34 00:02:13,650 --> 00:02:17,690 Um, and so really starting to plan out, like, maybe it's grad school. 35 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:19,980 Maybe there's, like, this is what I have to do the next couple 36 00:02:19,980 --> 00:02:23,490 years to get myself to grad school to be able to get to this job. 37 00:02:23,939 --> 00:02:29,039 And so it, it's designed a little bit more for the juniors and seniors. 38 00:02:29,060 --> 00:02:34,990 And what the idea was is to align it with our six career communities, which are all 39 00:02:34,990 --> 00:02:38,260 aligned with different industry areas. 40 00:02:38,550 --> 00:02:43,649 So mine would specifically geared towards STEM and exploring their, 41 00:02:43,650 --> 00:02:47,750 um, their career journey in STEM and potentially envisioning their 42 00:02:47,750 --> 00:02:49,604 future in that industry area. 43 00:02:50,245 --> 00:02:51,245 Nice, nice. 44 00:02:51,275 --> 00:02:57,375 And I was kind of curious, related to that, you know, you've only, uh, been 45 00:02:57,375 --> 00:03:03,944 doing this for two years and have made so much progress and had such wonderful 46 00:03:03,944 --> 00:03:09,245 results based on what I've seen in your institution's portfolio directory for 47 00:03:09,245 --> 00:03:12,085 those that have been shared publicly. 48 00:03:12,095 --> 00:03:13,255 What are your... 49 00:03:13,795 --> 00:03:19,144 Yeah, what are some things that you're envisioning maybe for this next year, 50 00:03:19,184 --> 00:03:25,105 or if you thought even more forward, what some of those next steps might be? 51 00:03:26,204 --> 00:03:31,884 Yeah, I think, um, we are, we've already implemented some changes in the, um, 52 00:03:31,954 --> 00:03:37,135 Jumpstart course to shift from while they're going to create a learning 53 00:03:37,575 --> 00:03:43,670 ePortfolio, um, we've added a final project of, of a showcase ePortfolio. 54 00:03:43,670 --> 00:03:46,829 So something that students could use, a tangible item they can 55 00:03:46,829 --> 00:03:49,370 use for networking purposes. 56 00:03:50,460 --> 00:03:53,070 So we have already started to make changes. 57 00:03:53,089 --> 00:03:58,649 So we have a template for a showcase ePortfolio, so the students will leave 58 00:03:58,650 --> 00:04:03,010 the course not only with a resume, a cover letter, LinkedIn profile, but now 59 00:04:03,090 --> 00:04:08,895 also a showcase ePortfolio that They're going to work on building at least one 60 00:04:08,895 --> 00:04:11,045 experience into that during our course. 61 00:04:11,095 --> 00:04:15,715 And the hope is you already have it now, so just add to it, right? 62 00:04:15,775 --> 00:04:20,695 Add a couple more experiences in here and, you know, start using it when you 63 00:04:20,735 --> 00:04:25,854 email networking connections now, um, or are having networking conversations. 64 00:04:26,365 --> 00:04:29,795 And so that's one change we've already made. 65 00:04:30,205 --> 00:04:35,750 Um, and I think, you know, the envision for the future is, can we Develop the 66 00:04:35,969 --> 00:04:39,669 career, like the industry specific templates and start to find a way to 67 00:04:39,669 --> 00:04:45,909 push these out to students too, um, as a thing that they can use to, again, 68 00:04:46,159 --> 00:04:50,029 not only explore these career options, but start planning their future. 69 00:04:50,329 --> 00:04:54,299 And then we're even putting like a career toolbox in there where they can track 70 00:04:54,479 --> 00:04:59,739 networking interactions or track and reflect upon interviews that they've had. 71 00:04:59,749 --> 00:05:02,520 So that way they can go back like after you've had five 72 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,119 interviews to try to remember. 73 00:05:04,635 --> 00:05:07,445 You know, what happened and how you were feeling like it's a 74 00:05:07,445 --> 00:05:09,145 space for them to do that as well. 75 00:05:10,015 --> 00:05:14,405 So when it comes time to I'd have three offers on the table, I don't remember 76 00:05:14,424 --> 00:05:16,465 any of the interviews and what I felt. 77 00:05:16,905 --> 00:05:19,084 So let's go back and look at this. 78 00:05:21,274 --> 00:05:24,275 Oh, I thank you so much for sharing that and I think it's a 79 00:05:24,275 --> 00:05:26,775 really important conversation. 80 00:05:27,155 --> 00:05:31,795 Very often working with institutions that may be New to the whole idea 81 00:05:31,795 --> 00:05:35,575 of ePortfolio, they feel like they kind of have to make a choice about 82 00:05:35,595 --> 00:05:39,684 whether they're going to be, you know, communicating to students about the 83 00:05:39,685 --> 00:05:46,294 value of the kind of learning portfolio versus, oh, you know, maybe right from 84 00:05:46,295 --> 00:05:51,255 the get go, these really need to be polished and ready to share with outside 85 00:05:51,265 --> 00:05:56,425 audiences and You know, our position has always been that the institution can, 86 00:05:56,575 --> 00:06:01,605 can really embrace both for the benefit of the students and to create tools that 87 00:06:01,605 --> 00:06:07,274 make it very easy for them to move things around and repurpose things, you know, 88 00:06:07,285 --> 00:06:13,945 hop into the organizer and drag and drop things from course portfolios or specific 89 00:06:13,965 --> 00:06:18,645 internship portfolios that they have so that they can really Kind of curate 90 00:06:18,684 --> 00:06:24,564 whatever experiences and skills that they have to different audiences and maybe even 91 00:06:24,564 --> 00:06:30,664 create different versions of this kind of showcase portfolio for very specific kinds 92 00:06:30,664 --> 00:06:33,784 of jobs that they may be applying to. 93 00:06:33,805 --> 00:06:38,465 You know, the way that you were probably framing who you are and what you've done. 94 00:06:38,465 --> 00:06:42,145 And when you first got out of school, you mentioned that you were applying 95 00:06:42,145 --> 00:06:46,685 to some positions that were related to soccer, but you were also pursuing 96 00:06:46,685 --> 00:06:48,244 some things related to science. 97 00:06:48,244 --> 00:06:50,505 And it's a very different story. 98 00:06:51,794 --> 00:06:56,115 So we've always wanted students to know that they could create, you know, 99 00:06:56,115 --> 00:07:01,995 as many Versions and presentations of who they are, what they've done 100 00:07:02,005 --> 00:07:04,555 to, to share with specific people. 101 00:07:04,565 --> 00:07:11,155 So, uh, it's wonderful to hear that Bucknell is already kind of priming 102 00:07:11,224 --> 00:07:17,765 students for understanding the, the value in both and getting introduced to how 103 00:07:17,765 --> 00:07:24,105 both can, uh, support them in their career and that they can make choices about. 104 00:07:24,540 --> 00:07:30,690 You know, what part of their learning journeys, even maybe the challenging 105 00:07:30,690 --> 00:07:34,829 experiences that they had or, you know, when things got messy and when they 106 00:07:34,830 --> 00:07:38,849 needed to pivot, you know, that these stories are still extremely valuable for 107 00:07:38,850 --> 00:07:43,240 those that are outside the institution that are thinking about how they might 108 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,400 fit into their organization's culture. 109 00:07:47,420 --> 00:07:52,614 And, you know, we always value People that have, you know, gone through 110 00:07:52,614 --> 00:07:56,884 challenges and persevered and learned from those and, and took next steps. 111 00:07:56,894 --> 00:08:00,725 So I think that's wonderful that you're even thinking about having 112 00:08:00,735 --> 00:08:05,044 students just reflecting on some of those interview experiences 113 00:08:05,044 --> 00:08:08,014 because they can be very telling. 114 00:08:08,225 --> 00:08:12,475 And, you know, in the moment you can be so kind of energized and 115 00:08:12,804 --> 00:08:16,704 talking so much that, you know, it's important to just kind of sit down 116 00:08:16,704 --> 00:08:18,454 and breathe and think about, you know. 117 00:08:18,990 --> 00:08:23,360 What were some of the things that were said that resonated with me or you know, 118 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:29,289 where did I feel pushed back and Yeah, whether when those offers can come in 119 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:35,020 they can make yeah more and more informed decisions or if they keep countering 120 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,069 Conversations that aren't a good fit. 121 00:08:37,349 --> 00:08:39,960 Maybe that they need for something else. 122 00:08:40,020 --> 00:08:43,250 So That's that's fantastic. 123 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:51,610 And I was kind of Curious, um, for you with your background in sports 124 00:08:51,620 --> 00:08:59,610 and, uh, coaching, you know, are there certain kinds of, um, maybe practices 125 00:08:59,610 --> 00:09:05,319 or methodologies where you can find some common ground in the way that you 126 00:09:05,350 --> 00:09:10,630 communicate with students that might have been taking place on the field that just 127 00:09:11,530 --> 00:09:17,030 feels really familiar when you're working with students, Within these new realms. 128 00:09:18,070 --> 00:09:19,590 Oh, yeah, absolutely. 129 00:09:19,610 --> 00:09:23,660 Um, you know, it's definitely transferable skills, right. 130 00:09:23,700 --> 00:09:29,050 Um, you know, now I'm, I'm not coaching Like, it used to be the content that I was 131 00:09:29,050 --> 00:09:32,320 coaching was very, Soccer specific, right? 132 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:37,650 It was all about improving their soccer skills and breaking it down for them in a 133 00:09:37,650 --> 00:09:42,640 way that they can understand so they can kick the ball the right way or, you know, 134 00:09:42,710 --> 00:09:48,459 move in the right position on the field, um, make the right run, all of that stuff. 135 00:09:49,489 --> 00:09:54,410 But, you know, now it's just shifted to, you know, trusting yourself, like 136 00:09:54,439 --> 00:09:57,939 teaching them how to trust themselves and their skills and abilities and to 137 00:09:57,949 --> 00:10:01,329 have confidence in it, you know, that, that confidence piece is definitely a 138 00:10:01,329 --> 00:10:07,679 huge, huge transfer, um, that teaching them that they have the skills and 139 00:10:07,689 --> 00:10:09,850 abilities, you know, I did that in both. 140 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:16,375 In soccer, in career coaching, um, and, you know, talking to them 141 00:10:16,395 --> 00:10:20,055 about their strengths and, and ways that they can improve things. 142 00:10:20,055 --> 00:10:24,415 Like now it's improving their resume, improving their cover letter, improving 143 00:10:24,734 --> 00:10:26,225 how they phrase things, you know? 144 00:10:26,474 --> 00:10:30,415 So there's definitely a lot of that, you know, transferability 145 00:10:30,425 --> 00:10:32,665 from coaching soccer to coaching. 146 00:10:33,104 --> 00:10:39,134 Um, Career, um, but I think the biggest thing is it's, it's 147 00:10:39,134 --> 00:10:41,025 really empowering them, right? 148 00:10:41,055 --> 00:10:44,564 And encouraging them and, and letting them know, like developing that 149 00:10:44,574 --> 00:10:48,074 really foundation of trust, right? 150 00:10:48,094 --> 00:10:49,994 With the student that I'm here to help you. 151 00:10:50,165 --> 00:10:53,765 I understand what you're thinking, what you're feeling, and I'm here to 152 00:10:53,765 --> 00:10:58,155 try to coach you on how to improve in your, your career journey. 153 00:10:58,194 --> 00:11:03,004 And that, that could be from just trying to give them less anxiety 154 00:11:03,044 --> 00:11:05,294 about which career they should pursue. 155 00:11:05,294 --> 00:11:07,760 Um, Or what, what they should do. 156 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,640 Uh, we have students come in so anxious about, you know, what 157 00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:12,550 student organizations should I join? 158 00:11:12,850 --> 00:11:16,900 And it's like, just try some out, right? 159 00:11:16,930 --> 00:11:18,000 Like we, it's okay. 160 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,409 You don't, it doesn't matter at the end of the day, which ones they have to be ones 161 00:11:22,409 --> 00:11:25,200 that are meaningful to you, that you're going to contribute and make an impact. 162 00:11:25,550 --> 00:11:29,210 Because otherwise it just becomes a bullet point on your resume. 163 00:11:29,210 --> 00:11:30,100 It's just a line. 164 00:11:30,110 --> 00:11:34,600 And, and there's no, there's no way to tell a story about that. 165 00:11:34,620 --> 00:11:36,600 It's just, I was a member of this group. 166 00:11:36,629 --> 00:11:39,930 Well, Instead of being a member of six groups, maybe you're only a member of 167 00:11:39,930 --> 00:11:43,760 three and you're really heavily involved in them and just talking to them more 168 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,269 about, you know, like you had said earlier, living in the moment and enjoying 169 00:11:48,269 --> 00:11:51,710 what you're doing and making sure that you're passionate about what you're doing. 170 00:11:52,030 --> 00:11:56,965 Um, because if you're not, right, it's It's never going to align with you 171 00:11:56,965 --> 00:11:59,765 and your interests, and you're just never going to be satisfied with it. 172 00:11:59,765 --> 00:12:02,265 You're always just going to be a little bit unhappy with it. 173 00:12:02,275 --> 00:12:06,815 So, there's definitely a lot of that, um, that is transferred 174 00:12:06,815 --> 00:12:09,115 over into, into career coaching. 175 00:12:09,125 --> 00:12:13,614 And it's, it's very interesting to see, um, and I think, I 176 00:12:13,624 --> 00:12:14,805 think it's helped me, right? 177 00:12:14,845 --> 00:12:19,694 Um, to be able to coach on the soccer field and then now, you know, 178 00:12:19,715 --> 00:12:23,774 coach one on one appointments or in a classroom being an instructor. 179 00:12:24,294 --> 00:12:24,754 Yeah. 180 00:12:26,045 --> 00:12:29,795 And, uh, as you were speaking, I was thinking, I know. 181 00:12:30,365 --> 00:12:35,515 In my experience teaching that, especially in undergrad, you know, I 182 00:12:35,515 --> 00:12:40,844 would sometimes have encounters with students where they really felt like 183 00:12:40,895 --> 00:12:50,125 they didn't have any skill gaps or um, you know, anything that was gonna, and 184 00:12:50,244 --> 00:12:55,735 so undecided about what their interests were and what they wanted to do, maybe 185 00:12:55,735 --> 00:13:01,810 they'd just been kind of Following what their parents had told them to do. 186 00:13:01,930 --> 00:13:05,119 Um, now when you're, and I imagine you meet with students, 187 00:13:05,685 --> 00:13:07,285 Like that sometimes too. 188 00:13:07,365 --> 00:13:11,685 What are, what are some things that you might communicate to them 189 00:13:11,835 --> 00:13:18,374 to, you know, kind of give them that coaching to maybe think about 190 00:13:18,375 --> 00:13:20,585 themselves in a, a different light? 191 00:13:21,915 --> 00:13:22,455 Yeah. 192 00:13:22,564 --> 00:13:27,425 Um, I think when, when students come in and they feel kind of lost, like they 193 00:13:27,425 --> 00:13:29,895 don't know either what major they want to. 194 00:13:30,150 --> 00:13:34,350 To choose or they don't know which career path they wanna go down. 195 00:13:34,819 --> 00:13:41,030 Um, I guess my, my go-to is that like, you don't have to know, like I'm, I'm 196 00:13:41,089 --> 00:13:44,599 mid-career and I don't know what I want to do when I grow up either, right? 197 00:13:44,630 --> 00:13:47,449 Like I might change my mind five years from now. 198 00:13:47,449 --> 00:13:48,199 I don't know. 199 00:13:48,610 --> 00:13:51,449 Um, there's always going to be uncertainty. 200 00:13:51,765 --> 00:13:54,135 In career, right there. 201 00:13:54,314 --> 00:13:58,765 You may find the perfect job, but the chances are, it's not 202 00:13:58,765 --> 00:14:00,205 going to be your first job. 203 00:14:00,675 --> 00:14:03,384 Your first job's usually never your last job. 204 00:14:03,384 --> 00:14:06,455 So just shifting their mindset from. 205 00:14:07,199 --> 00:14:11,060 The anxiety of having to select something to knowing that 206 00:14:11,290 --> 00:14:12,930 one, it's not linked, right? 207 00:14:12,930 --> 00:14:18,480 Your major is not linked to what you do, but two, that you just look 208 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,670 at it as there's no wrong decision to make in your career, right? 209 00:14:22,699 --> 00:14:27,889 You just have to learn something every time you switch jobs, right? 210 00:14:27,909 --> 00:14:30,710 So either you learn what you like, or you learn what you 211 00:14:30,710 --> 00:14:32,280 don't like, and you use that. 212 00:14:32,590 --> 00:14:36,070 To pivot you in the right direction towards something that's going to be more 213 00:14:36,070 --> 00:14:37,840 meaningful to you at the end of the day. 214 00:14:38,190 --> 00:14:42,760 And so, you know, to just not feel like you have to stay somewhere and that. 215 00:14:43,255 --> 00:14:48,734 You have to understand yourself and really listen to yourself, and if you're 216 00:14:48,734 --> 00:14:52,645 feeling unhappy, what's causing that, so then when I look for my next job, 217 00:14:52,655 --> 00:14:57,824 it's something that's not, not going to bring those same feelings of unhappiness. 218 00:14:57,824 --> 00:15:01,114 I don't want to put myself back in the same environment if I know that 219 00:15:01,114 --> 00:15:03,435 environment's not for me already. 220 00:15:03,704 --> 00:15:08,125 Um, so really just teaching them and coaching them to trust 221 00:15:08,305 --> 00:15:09,895 their gut at the end of the day. 222 00:15:10,344 --> 00:15:10,684 Yeah. 223 00:15:11,229 --> 00:15:12,430 Yeah, and that's important. 224 00:15:12,489 --> 00:15:16,760 And as we were speaking, I was also thinking about, you know, for maybe 225 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:22,339 some of the students that are coming to Bucknell that have already, um, 226 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,940 maybe been out in the field and are now coming back to either pursue a 227 00:15:27,940 --> 00:15:36,960 different degree or maybe they have been working for a while and want 228 00:15:36,970 --> 00:15:41,170 to, um, you know, maybe they never finished college and are coming back. 229 00:15:41,220 --> 00:15:41,470 So. 230 00:15:41,860 --> 00:15:47,390 For more of those adult students that have work experience, what, 231 00:15:47,490 --> 00:15:54,349 what kind of coaching might you give them in using ePortfolios and 232 00:15:54,349 --> 00:15:59,569 reflecting on their experiences that might pull in more elements of 233 00:15:59,569 --> 00:16:02,304 prior learning or, you know, how to. 234 00:16:02,845 --> 00:16:06,375 incorporate what they've done previously and what they're 235 00:16:06,375 --> 00:16:07,965 now doing in their courses? 236 00:16:08,005 --> 00:16:11,445 Because I can imagine that there's some older students that are 237 00:16:11,514 --> 00:16:13,275 coming back into the fold also. 238 00:16:14,195 --> 00:16:17,995 Yeah, I'm, there are, um, some non traditional students 239 00:16:17,995 --> 00:16:19,885 that are, um, returning. 240 00:16:19,895 --> 00:16:23,205 Either they've worked or they decided to work before they 241 00:16:23,335 --> 00:16:24,725 wanted to go get a degree. 242 00:16:24,755 --> 00:16:26,805 Um, so we do have some students like that. 243 00:16:26,835 --> 00:16:30,575 Um, you know, and when they come in, Um, and we have grad 244 00:16:30,575 --> 00:16:33,755 students, right, that maybe worked before they got their master's. 245 00:16:33,765 --> 00:16:36,445 So I have met with some grad students as well. 246 00:16:37,045 --> 00:16:40,755 Um, so when they come in, it's, it's really talking to them about, you 247 00:16:40,755 --> 00:16:45,645 know, what did you do and how is it, how can we connect it, right, to what 248 00:16:45,645 --> 00:16:50,045 you're doing now or where do you want to go and, and showing them that. 249 00:16:50,510 --> 00:16:55,250 What they did and the path they chose is unique to them and being 250 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,890 able to tell their unique story from their perspective, right? 251 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:06,149 And, you know, they may not, some of them may not understand, um, really, 252 00:17:06,150 --> 00:17:11,050 Um, Um, the value of that experience that they have already under their belt 253 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:16,000 and how it's going to help them when it comes to, you know, post graduation 254 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 job search and all of that stuff. 255 00:17:18,340 --> 00:17:22,499 So really talking to them in depth about what they learned, what 256 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:26,120 skills they got, what they did, and making sure that they know how to 257 00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:28,210 articulate the value of what they did. 258 00:17:28,665 --> 00:17:31,875 In this new context of where they want to go, because sometimes 259 00:17:31,875 --> 00:17:33,505 it's totally unrelated, right? 260 00:17:33,645 --> 00:17:38,104 Sometimes they have experience doing one thing and they want to now get their 261 00:17:38,105 --> 00:17:42,294 degree and go in a different direction and it's helping them connect the dots 262 00:17:42,295 --> 00:17:49,205 and understand that it's not Always about the company and the position you're in. 263 00:17:49,215 --> 00:17:53,395 It's about the transferable skills that you've got, that you can still 264 00:17:53,395 --> 00:17:55,875 use and leverage in this new field. 265 00:17:56,315 --> 00:18:01,385 Um, but at the end of the day, you know, communicating them with them 266 00:18:01,395 --> 00:18:04,614 might be a little bit different, because they've already gone through 267 00:18:04,614 --> 00:18:07,034 a little bit of a job search process. 268 00:18:07,335 --> 00:18:10,845 Um, a lot of times it might be a little bit more of Okay, 269 00:18:10,845 --> 00:18:13,025 like, how is this even relevant? 270 00:18:13,045 --> 00:18:18,055 Just trying to talk them through that, that it still could be relevant, 271 00:18:18,155 --> 00:18:21,214 and it's still probably something you should keep on your resume or 272 00:18:21,215 --> 00:18:25,175 keep in your ePortfolio because it's part of your unique story that you 273 00:18:25,175 --> 00:18:26,984 want people to understand about you. 274 00:18:28,105 --> 00:18:33,665 And, and really giving them that ownership to, to put that in there if they want 275 00:18:33,665 --> 00:18:37,504 it in there, if they want to highlight that experience, um, or if they, if 276 00:18:37,504 --> 00:18:41,014 they don't, and they want to start from scratch, you know, okay, now what do 277 00:18:41,014 --> 00:18:42,835 we got to do if we're starting over? 278 00:18:43,105 --> 00:18:45,094 Um, if you don't want that in there. 279 00:18:45,504 --> 00:18:48,685 We have to revisit, you know, what coursework have you done? 280 00:18:48,685 --> 00:18:49,625 What labs have you done? 281 00:18:49,625 --> 00:18:52,725 What, what stuff can we build you up? 282 00:18:52,815 --> 00:18:57,214 And if you don't want that to be a defining characteristic on, on 283 00:18:57,215 --> 00:18:59,205 your ePortfolio or your resume. 284 00:18:59,655 --> 00:18:59,995 Yeah. 285 00:18:59,995 --> 00:19:01,545 Oh, and that's a good point too. 286 00:19:01,585 --> 00:19:04,039 You know, if crafting your. 287 00:19:04,370 --> 00:19:06,149 Narrative, right? 288 00:19:06,169 --> 00:19:10,189 And you know, what part of that prior experience that they feel 289 00:19:10,189 --> 00:19:14,129 like they even want to be part of their, their story anymore. 290 00:19:15,309 --> 00:19:17,289 So thank you for mentioning that too. 291 00:19:17,824 --> 00:19:24,804 And, uh, I was thinking about, um, also, you know, as you're kind of supporting 292 00:19:24,844 --> 00:19:31,645 students in this process, I imagine you're also kind of putting on the hat as the 293 00:19:31,685 --> 00:19:34,324 individual that might be the audience. 294 00:19:34,750 --> 00:19:41,880 For these ePortfolios, um, so whether they're going to potentially be using them 295 00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:47,420 to get internships or try to get their foot in the door at one of these companies 296 00:19:47,420 --> 00:19:52,199 that you mentioned that they really want to work in, um, you know, what's kind of 297 00:19:52,199 --> 00:19:59,370 informing your process about what kinds of content they may want to include? 298 00:20:00,205 --> 00:20:05,165 alongside, you know, listing some of the highlights of what their skills 299 00:20:05,165 --> 00:20:11,534 are, because it is such a different medium than the traditional resume, 300 00:20:11,554 --> 00:20:15,254 you know, where you can just kind of, you know, it's very flat, right? 301 00:20:15,254 --> 00:20:17,675 You know, you can do those things. 302 00:20:17,685 --> 00:20:22,794 But, um, how are you kind of Coaching the students in, okay, you know, 303 00:20:22,794 --> 00:20:28,004 you've made this claim that you have this skill, um, you know, how do you 304 00:20:28,004 --> 00:20:33,684 kind of take them from that point to maybe, you know, what kind of project 305 00:20:33,684 --> 00:20:36,515 or experience that they might want to share to kind of back up that claim? 306 00:20:37,235 --> 00:20:37,705 Yes. 307 00:20:37,745 --> 00:20:38,195 Yeah. 308 00:20:38,195 --> 00:20:43,865 So we talk a lot about using the STAR method, um, to really craft and draw 309 00:20:43,865 --> 00:20:48,844 that connection between, I have this teamwork experience and I need to tell 310 00:20:48,844 --> 00:20:50,635 you about a time when I got it, right? 311 00:20:50,665 --> 00:20:55,345 So really using that format of, you know, what's the situation, what tasks, 312 00:20:55,585 --> 00:20:58,615 what were you tasked with, what was your action, and then what was the 313 00:20:58,615 --> 00:21:00,605 result, but also relating it back. 314 00:21:00,605 --> 00:21:05,805 So if we're going to tailor that, um, ePortfolio to a specific, because we 315 00:21:05,805 --> 00:21:07,064 had mentioned before, you could make. 316 00:21:07,395 --> 00:21:09,585 Small versions of it per employer. 317 00:21:09,965 --> 00:21:15,444 Um, if you want to tailor it specifically to an employer or a position that you're 318 00:21:15,445 --> 00:21:20,814 applying to, to forward on with your resume, you know, relate it back to the 319 00:21:20,814 --> 00:21:24,745 company's mission, vision, values, relate it back to the position description 320 00:21:24,754 --> 00:21:29,584 and, and show them and demonstrate to them that this experience over here 321 00:21:30,205 --> 00:21:35,084 is very relevant and will give me the skills to help you here in your company. 322 00:21:36,204 --> 00:21:40,764 Talking to them and breaking down that star method for them so they can start to. 323 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:47,290 really reflect on and describe how they got that skill and how they're 324 00:21:47,290 --> 00:21:51,160 going to apply that skill at this new company in this new role. 325 00:21:51,570 --> 00:21:55,920 Um, and that's kind of, you know, but then it's like, you have to pick and 326 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,299 choose which ones are the most relevant. 327 00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:02,810 So then it goes back to what's what's your job that you're applying to. 328 00:22:02,850 --> 00:22:06,960 And does my research experience better demonstrate it than 329 00:22:06,990 --> 00:22:08,490 this internship that I did? 330 00:22:08,810 --> 00:22:14,290 And trying to, you know, Curate their story to give them skills, but also like 331 00:22:15,180 --> 00:22:17,230 give them something interesting, right? 332 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:22,830 Like you don't want everything to just be all engineering on your resume. 333 00:22:22,850 --> 00:22:25,299 Like they know you're a great engineer on your resume, right? 334 00:22:25,299 --> 00:22:29,170 So maybe the ePortfolio, yeah, we're going to have some of that stuff, but 335 00:22:29,170 --> 00:22:32,710 like let's tell a little bit different story about more of who you are. 336 00:22:33,190 --> 00:22:37,080 Like, instead of just a one liner about this club you're in, that you 337 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,700 did a lot of stuff for, but you didn't have room to explain it, maybe we 338 00:22:40,700 --> 00:22:46,820 pick that to really talk about your event planning, or your supervision of 339 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,809 other individuals, and thinking about ways that you can And I think that's 340 00:22:51,215 --> 00:22:55,795 Make yourself, um, like more three dimensional, like a more whole person 341 00:22:56,135 --> 00:23:02,904 by using that ePortfolio to tell more of your story, not just what's on paper. 342 00:23:03,145 --> 00:23:06,295 Because they already saw the paper, they already understand that. 343 00:23:06,305 --> 00:23:11,254 So, um, trying to find different unique experiences in that ePortfolio, but 344 00:23:11,254 --> 00:23:13,115 also, like you said, supporting them. 345 00:23:13,125 --> 00:23:16,259 Do you have Pictures of the event that you planned. 346 00:23:16,570 --> 00:23:20,350 Do you have pictures of your project of that thing you created in your 347 00:23:20,350 --> 00:23:24,900 engineering course that you can show the process you went through to start from? 348 00:23:25,495 --> 00:23:28,265 Here's my sketch to here's the end product. 349 00:23:28,275 --> 00:23:31,495 Like, can you show that progression that you went through and demonstrate 350 00:23:31,505 --> 00:23:35,375 that you know what the design process takes, um, and how it works? 351 00:23:35,475 --> 00:23:40,055 And iterations, like, that's, that's a lot of the stuff that, you know, they 352 00:23:40,065 --> 00:23:45,375 could put in an ePortfolio that you can't really put on a resume other than writing 353 00:23:45,675 --> 00:23:48,545 one short bullet point statement about. 354 00:23:49,975 --> 00:23:50,815 Yeah, yeah. 355 00:23:51,709 --> 00:23:56,899 Thank you for sharing that and I, I do, that really resonates, uh, 356 00:23:57,179 --> 00:24:03,370 a lot with how we approach the tools that we're creating too. 357 00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:07,459 You know, we want to have it as a space where individuals can really 358 00:24:07,469 --> 00:24:10,429 use it as that creation space. 359 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:15,469 So not just, you know, housing files. 360 00:24:15,824 --> 00:24:20,814 You know, of course you can upload documents, um, but really using it 361 00:24:20,824 --> 00:24:26,564 as a place where you can go deeper and create almost this kind of more 362 00:24:26,564 --> 00:24:32,404 three dimensional presentation of who you are and related to that. 363 00:24:32,404 --> 00:24:37,384 So there have been more and more research around whether, you know, 364 00:24:37,394 --> 00:24:44,814 people that are making hiring decisions are interested in viewing ePortfolios. 365 00:24:45,295 --> 00:24:51,394 And I was curious from your perspective, you know, if, you know, the, the world 366 00:24:51,435 --> 00:24:57,514 could move in that direction, how you might hope that these could, this kind 367 00:24:57,514 --> 00:25:04,024 of technology could be incorporated into the kind of hiring process, um, 368 00:25:04,144 --> 00:25:09,665 maybe at what stage or how it might be viewed, um, or maybe even for 369 00:25:09,665 --> 00:25:11,455 some of the organizations that are. 370 00:25:11,775 --> 00:25:15,795 Recruiting from your institution, how might they be? 371 00:25:16,179 --> 00:25:19,020 involved in viewing some of those e portfolios. 372 00:25:19,020 --> 00:25:21,489 I'd love to hear your perspective on that as well. 373 00:25:22,419 --> 00:25:27,399 Yeah, I think right now, obviously there are industries like education 374 00:25:27,419 --> 00:25:32,519 where, you know, the ePortfolio plays a huge role and they still do the 375 00:25:32,519 --> 00:25:35,810 paper portfolios, which are those massive binders that are like this big. 376 00:25:35,810 --> 00:25:44,540 Um, so, you know, I think the ePortfolio has totally transformed education 377 00:25:44,590 --> 00:25:50,120 use of Portfolio, um, and has made it, has made it more accessible. 378 00:25:50,190 --> 00:25:50,620 Right. 379 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:56,080 It made it very much more accessible to, for the students to share what they've 380 00:25:56,129 --> 00:26:00,830 done with those search committees and with the people that they're meeting with. 381 00:26:00,870 --> 00:26:07,770 And, um You know, I think it would be really nice to see that transfer 382 00:26:07,860 --> 00:26:10,980 into the other industry areas, right? 383 00:26:10,980 --> 00:26:16,679 Like that, that is a very niche place where it's being utilized heavily. 384 00:26:16,719 --> 00:26:21,629 I know that in the creative arts and like graphic design and stuff like that it is. 385 00:26:22,110 --> 00:26:25,129 But it's really, like you said, when do we introduce it? 386 00:26:25,510 --> 00:26:28,940 Um, because it can be a lot of information, right? 387 00:26:28,990 --> 00:26:31,100 Um, and information overload. 388 00:26:31,470 --> 00:26:37,950 Um, so sometimes it's, it's hard to know, like, when should that be put. 389 00:26:38,615 --> 00:26:44,505 You know, into the hiring process at what point, um, you know, we, we talk 390 00:26:44,515 --> 00:26:48,174 to students about the possibility, like, what are the possibilities I could do? 391 00:26:48,195 --> 00:26:52,435 If I create one of these, how could I potentially use it in my hiring process? 392 00:26:53,325 --> 00:26:55,855 One thing that some of the education students are, they're 393 00:26:55,855 --> 00:26:57,445 putting a QR code on their resume. 394 00:26:57,445 --> 00:26:59,715 So when they apply, it's just right there, right? 395 00:26:59,715 --> 00:27:01,685 So why can't an engineering student do that? 396 00:27:01,725 --> 00:27:04,075 And then it's at the mercy of the employer. 397 00:27:04,075 --> 00:27:05,655 If they want to look at it. 398 00:27:06,190 --> 00:27:07,690 Here's more for you. 399 00:27:07,910 --> 00:27:11,870 I want to give you more of my story, and this is how I'm going to do it. 400 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:16,855 Um, Other ways that they could potentially use it is maybe in 401 00:27:16,855 --> 00:27:18,335 an interview setting, right? 402 00:27:18,335 --> 00:27:22,235 Like, have a business card with a QR code on it there. 403 00:27:22,245 --> 00:27:26,075 And, oh, I have a really great project and I do actually have it on my ePortfolio. 404 00:27:27,135 --> 00:27:29,545 Here's the QR code if you want to take a look while I'm kind 405 00:27:29,545 --> 00:27:31,435 of answering your question here. 406 00:27:31,445 --> 00:27:34,525 You know, there, there are ways that I think they could get really creative of 407 00:27:34,525 --> 00:27:37,115 like, how do I insert this ePortfolio? 408 00:27:37,155 --> 00:27:40,560 And then, They're still walking away with your ePortfolio because 409 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,790 they have the business card, right? 410 00:27:42,860 --> 00:27:49,160 So, even if they don't read it, yeah, yeah, and, and they have a takeaway, 411 00:27:49,190 --> 00:27:53,660 right, that they can, maybe they're not looking at the entire thing right 412 00:27:53,660 --> 00:27:55,219 there and reading it word for word. 413 00:27:55,699 --> 00:27:59,639 But maybe later on, after they're done, they're like, that's really interesting, 414 00:27:59,639 --> 00:28:04,409 kind of want to see more of what this person has done, and it gives you that 415 00:28:04,419 --> 00:28:07,419 opportunity to share that with them. 416 00:28:07,820 --> 00:28:12,100 And so I think there are definitely ways that students could find to weave it in. 417 00:28:12,645 --> 00:28:13,945 Other than networking, right? 418 00:28:13,975 --> 00:28:16,745 Networking seems to make the most sense, right? 419 00:28:16,804 --> 00:28:21,564 Of, you know, here's more, I'd love to, like, show you my ePortfolio 420 00:28:21,604 --> 00:28:25,774 and, like, have a conversation about who I am and, like, how I could 421 00:28:25,774 --> 00:28:27,115 potentially fit in the company. 422 00:28:27,740 --> 00:28:31,710 And sharing it that way makes the most sense, I think, for, for most people, 423 00:28:31,710 --> 00:28:36,600 but there are other creative ways, you know, even sending your thank you emails 424 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:40,629 and putting the link to it in your signature line, um, you know, finding 425 00:28:40,629 --> 00:28:44,039 ways that you're still getting it out there and potentially getting views. 426 00:28:44,469 --> 00:28:47,280 Um, but will it get to that point? 427 00:28:47,300 --> 00:28:48,370 I have no idea. 428 00:28:48,610 --> 00:28:52,690 I think it would be really nice, um, to, to start. 429 00:28:53,015 --> 00:28:57,065 Allowing that to be an option, right, because I think it does tell you 430 00:28:57,075 --> 00:29:03,285 more about the person than a one page resume can at times, uh, because 431 00:29:03,295 --> 00:29:08,125 of the ability of them to curate who they are in a more visual form. 432 00:29:08,604 --> 00:29:10,574 Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 433 00:29:10,594 --> 00:29:15,165 And I know, Christa, we're getting close to the end of our time today, but I, 434 00:29:15,205 --> 00:29:19,505 I had a question that's kind of been moving around in my head, kind of going 435 00:29:19,505 --> 00:29:25,770 back to, Your experiences on the soccer field and then what you're doing now. 436 00:29:25,810 --> 00:29:30,380 Um, I know from my background in playing sports is that feeling 437 00:29:30,390 --> 00:29:32,619 you get when you've got a win. 438 00:29:33,525 --> 00:29:39,655 And, uh, I was wondering, you know, in your experiences today, you 439 00:29:39,655 --> 00:29:43,235 know, are there certain times where you might, uh, be coming home and 440 00:29:43,235 --> 00:29:45,674 thinking, you know, I had a win today? 441 00:29:45,875 --> 00:29:50,164 And if you could describe maybe some things that have led to that 442 00:29:50,195 --> 00:29:55,915 feeling, maybe how that feeling may Come out in some of the work 443 00:29:55,915 --> 00:29:57,345 that you're doing with students. 444 00:29:58,455 --> 00:30:03,835 Yeah, I think majority of those wins come in the one on one, um, appointments. 445 00:30:03,835 --> 00:30:07,435 Especially when they're students that have, have met with me multiple times. 446 00:30:07,485 --> 00:30:11,445 Um, for example, um, I'm sure she won't mind me sharing. 447 00:30:11,785 --> 00:30:15,305 But I had a student come in, and we have been working all summer on a 448 00:30:15,305 --> 00:30:19,195 personal statement for graduate school, and she came in very stressed out. 449 00:30:19,675 --> 00:30:25,465 Her word count was, like, almost 300 above what it needed to be, and so she was very, 450 00:30:25,485 --> 00:30:27,175 feeling very stressed about it, right? 451 00:30:27,555 --> 00:30:30,215 Um, but by, we spent a lot of time. 452 00:30:30,705 --> 00:30:35,415 Going through, re rephrasing, cutting things, figuring out, you know, 453 00:30:35,645 --> 00:30:39,675 what is the main points we're trying to get across and is there stuff 454 00:30:39,675 --> 00:30:41,965 we can trim down on or rephrase? 455 00:30:42,385 --> 00:30:48,325 And we got it down to about, I don't know, 50 words over the limit. 456 00:30:48,445 --> 00:30:51,315 So, she was ecstatic. 457 00:30:51,315 --> 00:30:53,900 She was like, Oh, we did a great job today. 458 00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:54,920 This is awesome. 459 00:30:54,940 --> 00:30:59,450 I'm so glad that I started working with you on this earlier and the 460 00:30:59,450 --> 00:31:05,240 excitement, um, in her voice and just feeling that rewarding, like 461 00:31:05,260 --> 00:31:07,210 I did help this person, right? 462 00:31:07,290 --> 00:31:11,030 I helped her get closer to her goal of finishing her personal 463 00:31:11,030 --> 00:31:12,670 statement for this graduate program. 464 00:31:13,010 --> 00:31:16,620 Um, and another example is I had a student come in very anxious, 465 00:31:16,620 --> 00:31:17,760 doesn't know what she wants to do. 466 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:22,750 She's a senior and You know, just talking to her and having that real, 467 00:31:22,780 --> 00:31:24,680 real communication of it's okay. 468 00:31:24,790 --> 00:31:25,670 We'll figure it out. 469 00:31:25,670 --> 00:31:27,390 We'll find you your first stop. 470 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:29,190 But no, it's not your last stop. 471 00:31:29,210 --> 00:31:32,680 Like, you're going to find, you just have to try something. 472 00:31:33,190 --> 00:31:36,000 Um, and then the nice thing is, is once you have that job. 473 00:31:36,345 --> 00:31:38,465 It makes looking for another job a lot easier because the 474 00:31:38,465 --> 00:31:40,035 pressure is off at that point. 475 00:31:40,545 --> 00:31:43,525 And I said, are you feeling okay? 476 00:31:43,525 --> 00:31:45,685 Like at the end of the appointment, she said, I always 477 00:31:45,685 --> 00:31:47,005 feel better when I leave here. 478 00:31:47,085 --> 00:31:51,205 And when they say those things, like, it just like, it touches you. 479 00:31:51,205 --> 00:31:54,435 And that's, those are the wins that I, I see now is knowing 480 00:31:54,445 --> 00:31:56,424 that they're leaving my office. 481 00:31:56,865 --> 00:31:59,145 Feeling so much better than when they came in. 482 00:32:01,495 --> 00:32:05,015 Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Christa. 483 00:32:05,035 --> 00:32:10,035 It was wonderful to talk to you and learn more about you and hear from 484 00:32:10,035 --> 00:32:13,525 your experience and, and insights. 485 00:32:13,525 --> 00:32:17,864 I'm really looking forward to, to sharing this with our community of listeners. 486 00:32:18,455 --> 00:32:18,825 Yeah. 487 00:32:18,825 --> 00:32:19,775 Thank you very much. 488 00:32:19,775 --> 00:32:20,795 It was awesome. 489 00:32:20,795 --> 00:32:24,555 I'm glad that I had the opportunity to meet you and talk to you, Kelly. 490 00:32:25,085 --> 00:32:25,495 Good. 491 00:32:25,615 --> 00:32:26,585 Thank you so much. 492 00:32:26,655 --> 00:32:27,465 Take good care. 493 00:32:28,025 --> 00:32:28,525 You too. 494 00:32:28,885 --> 00:32:29,305 Bye. 495 00:32:30,775 --> 00:32:35,015 Coming up next, we'll be chatting with Rebecca Thomas, Director of 496 00:32:35,015 --> 00:32:39,935 the Pathways ePortfolio Program and Adjunct Assistant Professor of the 497 00:32:39,935 --> 00:32:44,155 Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Bucknell University. 498 00:32:44,565 --> 00:32:45,725 Here's a quick preview. 499 00:32:46,390 --> 00:32:51,410 I do hope, though, that being exposed to this, more students will be prepared 500 00:32:51,420 --> 00:32:55,310 to take on these problems because I think that's a big part of the issue 501 00:32:55,310 --> 00:33:00,330 is in the past and, you know, even kind of right now, a lot of students, 502 00:33:00,730 --> 00:33:05,970 right, who are just prepared with a very technical focus, you know, don't 503 00:33:05,980 --> 00:33:11,290 have the kind of preparation they need to, like, make solving these kind of 504 00:33:11,290 --> 00:33:13,960 problems even a possibility, right?