City College Transfer-Mation Leadership Conference Friday, October 3 rd, 2014

BIO Pamela Bozeman-Evans, M.P.A., is the Senior Director of North Park’s Career Development and Internships Office. She joined the team after serving as the Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer for YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. Bozeman-Evans has held several nonprofit leadership positions including Blue Gargoyle Executive Director, and Senior Program Director for Gary Comer Youth Center. Bozeman- Evans also served as the Volunteer Coordinator and Chicago Director for Senator Barack Obama, and as the Associate Dean of Students in the University and Director of the Community Service Center for the University of Chicago. She received her BA in Corporate Communications and an Masters in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. Bozeman- Evans is a 2006 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, and a current board member for New Leaders Council.

Jobs and careers are the same thing. I’m an “A” student, so I’ll get a job quickly. I’ll get hired by the people who know my people. There are still gender and race barriers. My college education wasn’t worth it. Jobs are scarce and I’ll have a hard time. My education/job will be obsolete in a few years. I’ll need to send out 100 resumes to get one offer.

Overall, employers are most interested in bachelor degrees in business, engineering, computer/information science, and communication disciplines.

Employers are looking for: At least a 3.0 GPA Soft skills Demonstrated leadership

What’s most important to employers? Team Work4.55 Problems Solving4.50 Communications4.48 Obtain/Process Info4.37 Analyze Data4.25 Technical Knowledge4.0

 Job titles are less important than transferable skills, across industries.  Highly qualified candidates engaged in an active search can wait between 3 to 12 months for a job in their field.  Sectors are expanding and compressing all the time. You may need to reinvent yourself to fit.

Passion ProfessionPreparation

 What is your earliest childhood memory of what you wanted to be when you grew up?  How close are you to that dream today?  Given your current circumstance, how happy or disappointed are you with your current academic/career decisions?

 Have you completed a lifetime inventory of the accomplishments that have prepared you for the next phase of your life? ABCD Model  What will you need to move forward?  What are the barriers preventing you from moving forward?

 What does your industry/sector require for an entry level position AND advancement?  How will this field change in the next 10 years?  Who are the trend setters in this industry and what are their next moves?

People Networks Co- Curricular Activities Search Engines

 Networks provide “warm” leads to opportunities.  Personal and professional networks are different entities that require different approaches.  Networks have to be cultivated and carefully maintained.  Networks require a reciprocal relationship.  Networking should be specific and intentional.  Some networks should be avoided.

 Most people make the mistake of searching for a job by title. Successful searches connect candidates by their higher-level, transferable skills.  For example, IT positions are found on corporate, nonprofit, and faith-based sites. These careers pay well and will be similar in all markets. But IT positions have many titles across industries, and you can miss something important if you just search by title.

 Volunteer for your dream job site. Try to work alongside a great manager who is willing to teach you the important details of the job.  Internships can be paid or unpaid, but the best are credit-bearing.  Job shadowing provides a one-time or short- term opportunity to observe in the work environment.  Working directly with faculty will strengthen your preparation for the workplace.

GENERAL  MonsterTrak.com NONPROFIT  Idealist.org HIGHER EDUCATION  Chronicle of Higher Education PRIVATE SITE  Monsanto