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World of Work: Deanna Cameron ’91, Ronald MacDonald House Charities

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Deanna CameronDeanna Cameron ‘91
Program Coordinator
Ronald MacDonald House Charities – http://www.rmh-vermont.org/
Burlington, VT
Major: Social Work

What motivates you to go to work everyday?

I’ve always been someone who needs to really believe in the cause that I’m working for, so that personal connection to the cause is a huge motivation for me. My niece and nephew were born prematurely and Ronald McDonald House was there for my sister-in-law during the three weeks that the babies were in the hospital. I saw first-hand how the support of Ronald McDonald House Charities strengthens families at a very difficult time.

How would you describe what you do on a typical day?

My typical day consists of the following:

  • Our number one priority at Ronald McDonald House Charities is the comfort of our guests. So each day starts out with a house “check-in” in which we review our current guests, any new guests checking in, and address any guests needs.
  • I also manage the nearly 200 active volunteers who cover eight shifts daily in our programs. A large part of my job is ensuring that each of these invaluable volunteers has a meaningful experience serving our organization. I set up month-long volunteer schedules for both the House and in the Ronald McDonald Family Room located at Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
  • The second half of my job is fundraising. Depending on the time of year, I may be planning our next fundraising event. I update the agency’s day-to-day communications and social media to keep our supporters up to date on what we’re doing. I also do community outreach to share our cause and needs. And from time to time, I even get to snuggle a beautiful baby who is staying with us.

Tell us about your path to this position.

I definitely could not have imagined where my degree in social work would take me when I graduated. Early in my career my work was oriented toward direct service, doing case management with a variety of populations such as emotionally disabled teen girls and homeless/marginally housed individuals. From these experiences, I moved onto doing some program development in the housing field, which sparked my interest in this type of work.

The mix of direct service work with clients and managing the operations of service programs has proven to be the perfect combination of challenges to suit my skill set. I have been able to expand on this even more in my last two positions where I’ve also become involved in fundraising–both working with donors and on events.

What advice do you have for students searching for jobs or internships in your field?

Volunteerism is a great way to take your career in different directions as well as a means to network with a new circle of colleagues. In the non-profit world where every penny is accounted for, new projects are often started solely with volunteer efforts. As greater value and need is placed on these new projects, staffing can be added to the budget and those that volunteered may then be considered for the new paid position(s). I wouldn’t advise students to volunteer with the goal of acquiring a paid position, but as a way to enhance their talents and explore an interest that may not be fulfilled in other ways.

Slow and Steady Gets the Job: Stamina and Motivation in a Job Search

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Crossing the Finish Line

A job search is similar to any long-term goal you might work towards in life.  It could be a big race, a lengthy-paper, major project…any of these require at least two qualities- stamina and motivation.

When you set your mind to participating in a 5K, marathon, triathlon or similar race it is generally advisable that you train over an extended period of time in manageable pieces.  If you’re a new runner, you probably don’t want to start your first run pushing 3 miles.  Never run longer distances?  Your runs should build in length each time- 26.2 miles on day 1 of training is unrealistic.

Perhaps you’ve had a semester- or year-long assignment to complete for a class or towards a degree.   Many times procrastination is not an option.  Professors and advisors may require regular check-ins, certain components might have to happen before you can move forward on other parts, and most of us won’t put forth our best work on such a substantial undertaking within a small timeframe.

It’s easy to think a job search should be a quick process, but just like these other types of tasks it requires extended and dedicated amounts of time.  To stay motivated, surround yourself with positive people and messages.  To maintain your stamina, don’t bite off more than you can chew at once.  One day can be spent polishing up your resume, another for searching for jobs, and yet another for interview preparation.

Happy job searching!

~Ashley

Phone Interviewing: The Tale of Two Calls

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Don Draper

“Just get me in a room.” –That’s Don Draper’s signature line in Mad Men. and refers to his uncanny ability to smooth-talk anyone. While I may not close million dollar deals before breakfast, I usually do well with people. This was not the case, however, when I had my first phone interview…

First off, I had broken my routine the day before. Rather than my usual afternoon bike ride, I spent the extra time researching the organization. While this type of preparation was good, I had too much nervous energy so I didn’t sleep well. To make matters worse, I gave myself a full hour of free time before my interview, which I mostly spent glancing at the clock every three minutes. I was worried before the call even started.

Without having the physical gestures and body language of normal conversations, phone calls can be awkward and disjointed. But I dwelled on this fact before the interview even started, so when the conversation got clumsy for a moment, I felt as if my worst fears were being realized. I reacted by talking quickly. At some point I got up to walk—thinking that it would calm me—but I soon found myself pacing and my breath became even more hurried.

When a friend asked me how the interview went, I dropped Draper’s line; “Just get me in a room!”

It turns out, I did need room. A very specific one. For my next phone interview, I borrowed the use of a friend’s office that had a window overlooking the park. This helped because I had something to look at. My eyes could wander so I didn’t have to. It also felt like an interview because I was sitting in an office setting. If you get fidgety during a phone interview, find a way to occupy yourself in a way that won’t distract you: find an appealing view, a painting, or grab a stress ball.

In contrast to my first interview, I kept busy by doing some painting until fifteen minutes before the call. This not only calmed my nerves but focused my mind. So if you have a hobby you find relaxing (yoga, braiding, playing an instrument, etc.), use it as a preparation tool. It’s a better strategy than dwelling on what could go wrong. That can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If you can find strategies to help you relax before and during your interview, you will have a much easier time presenting your true self on the phone. Let yourself act naturally by smiling and gesturing like in normal conversation—you’ll find it imbues confidence and friendliness to the cadence your voice.

~Jarrod Szydlowski, Career Peer Advisor

Doing Good, Doing Well: Making Good!

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Hands on the Earth

On Friday, April 20th, 2012, Billy Parish spoke at UVM regarding his book Making Good: Finding Meaning, Money and Community in a Changing World.

His book covers six steps to take in order to “make good”:

Reflect, Adapt, Connect, Design, Launch and Organize

During his talk, Billy provided some ways to get started:

  1. Identify the change you want to make in the world. Now. Think big, think mission, think forward.  Where do you really want to spend your energy “making good?”
  2. Choose a skill to master that will most impact this change.  What skill do you want to master in order to bring about this change?  Achieving mastery, according to Malcolm Gladwell, takes 10,000 hours of practice – so how do you want to spend your time?
  3. Gain mastery by one (or several) learning pathways: school, apprenticeship, on the job training & the do-it-yourself approach.  What makes sense for you at this point?
  4. Identify 5 people to spend time with to move you in the direction you want to go.  Parish commented that we are an average of the 15 people we spend time with.  Who do you want to be with and who do you want to be?  Choices begin with the people with whom you surround yourself.

Need ideas to get you started?  Take a look at Doing Good and Yes!’s People We Love.

Need encouragement? Start Close In.  One step at a time, while looking forward.  You are in good company!

~Holly

Finding Your Fit: Choosing an Academic Major

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Major Choices

Upon entering college, the pressure to choose a field of undergraduate study may seem overwhelming. Many mistakenly believe that this major will dictate the pathway of your life, when really it will become the foundation for any career. If you are feeling that your major is not a reflection of your interests, perhaps it is time for a change. According to MSNBC, approximately 50% of college students change their major at least once. If you do decide to change majors, take some time to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.

Are you considering a major change?  If so, here are some steps you can take to help you reach your decision:

1.)    Make a list of your interests. Do they match any of the classes that you have taken?
2.)    Visit UVM’s list of majors and minors
3.)    Run a Cat’s Audit Report, then a “What If” Audit. Those can be helpful if you are looking to see what academic requirements you will need to graduate.
4.)    Set up a meeting with your advisor, and also with a department faculty or staff in programs of interest to discuss your thoughts about changing majors. This is especially important if you are looking to transfer to a different college/school.
5.)    Come to Career Services Drop-In hours to speak with a counselor (Monday- Thursday, 1-4 in L/L E-140; Tuesdays 11-1 in Rosa Parks Room, Davis Center)
6.)    Become involved in clubs, volunteer, and/or work experiences that will allow you to gauge whether this is a field you would enjoy.  Seasonal or part time experience is a good start.
7.)    Make sure that all of the proper paperwork is filed with the UVM Registrar’s office

~Shayna, Career Peer Advisor

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